Breaking news

Fourlis Group Delivers Robust Growth In 2025 Amid Expanding Retail Footprint

Fourlis Group has reported a notable surge in sales and profitability for the first nine months of 2025, driven by the continued expansion of its IKEA, Intersport, and Foot Locker networks across Greece, Cyprus, and Romania. The consolidated results underscore the company’s disciplined strategy and robust operating performance.

Impressive Financial Results

The latest financials display a marked increase in revenue to €430.7 million from €390 million the previous year. Gross profit rose to €200.7 million compared to €180.2 million in 2024, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased to €53.7 million, resulting in a margin of 12.5 percent.

Furthermore, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) climbed to €30.6 million from €21.9 million, and net profit nearly doubled to €13 million, up from €7.5 million, driven by enhanced operating productivity and stronger contributions from associates.

Dominance of The IKEA Division

The IKEA division remains the largest revenue contributor with sales reaching €170.4 million, marking a 5.1 percent year-on-year increase. Gross profit for the division advanced to €73.4 million, while segment EBIT expanded to €12 million from €8.2 million, buoyed by new store openings and sustained customer demand.

Sports Retail and Health Segments Surge

The sports retail segment, which includes Intersport and Foot Locker, delivered significant growth. Sales increased to €157.7 million from €130.7 million, with EBITDA rising to €14.3 million and EBIT improvement from €2.3 million to €4.3 million. Similarly, the Holland & Barrett health and wellness segment experienced growth with revenue climbing to €24 million from €19.3 million, and an increase in gross profit to €17.2 million, supported by an EBITDA of €1.5 million.

Strategic Investment And Regional Expansion

Fourlis Group maintained a high level of investment activity during the period. Total capital expenditures reached €106.6 million, which included €63.8 million allocated for property via Trade Estates, €27.6 million for digital transformation initiatives, and €10.1 million towards expanding store footprints across its key retail brands. Although the majority of operations are centered in Greece and Romania, Fourlis continues to solidify its strategic presence in Cyprus, operating the IKEA store in Nicosia, a Pick-Up & Order Point in Limassol, and complementing these with the Cyprus e-shop and various sports retail outlets.

For further details, please visit the official Fourlis website.

Resilience In The Face Of Cyber Challenges

While the Cyprus operations experienced a temporary disruption due to a ransomware cyberattack last year, affecting online services including the e-commerce platform, the company confirmed that no personal data was compromised and that online operations were gradually restored. Despite this challenge, Fourlis remains committed to its growth trajectory for 2025.

Looking Ahead

Analysts observe that Greek retailers are strategically expanding across the Cypriot market, reshaping the local landscape in home furnishings, sportswear, and consumer goods. With an EBITDA-adjusted figure of €57.5 million signaling improved operating performance, Fourlis Group anticipates stable growth for the remainder of 2025, underpinned by ongoing network expansion, resilient consumer demand, and a continued focus on investment in logistics and digital systems.

ECB Launches Geopolitical Stress Tests For 110 Eurozone Banks

The European Central Bank is preparing a new round of geopolitical stress tests aimed at assessing potential risks to major financial institutions across the euro area. Up to 110 systemic banks, including institutions in Greece and the Bank of Cyprus, will take part in the exercise, which examines how geopolitical events could affect financial stability.

Timeline And Testing Process

Banks are expected to submit initial data on March 16, 2026. Supervisors will review the information in April, while the final results are scheduled to be published in July 2026. The process forms part of the ECB’s broader supervisory work to evaluate financial system resilience under different risk scenarios.

Geopolitical Shock As The Primary Concern

The stress tests place particular emphasis on geopolitical risks. These may include armed conflicts, economic sanctions, cyberattacks and energy supply disruptions. Such events can affect banks through changes in market conditions, borrower solvency and sector exposure. Lending portfolios linked to regions or industries affected by geopolitical developments may face higher risk levels.

Reverse Stress Testing: A Tailored Approach

Unlike traditional stress tests that apply the same scenario to all institutions, the reverse stress test requires each bank to define a scenario that could significantly affect its capital position. Banks must identify a geopolitical shock that could reduce their Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio by at least 300 basis points. Institutions are also expected to assess potential effects on liquidity, funding conditions and broader economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment.

Customized Risk Assessments And Supervisor Collaboration

This methodology allows banks to submit risk assessments based on their own exposures and operational structures. The approach is intended to help supervisors understand how geopolitical events could affect institutions differently and to support discussions between banks and regulators on risk management and contingency planning.

Differentiated Vulnerabilities Across Countries

A joint report by the ECB and the European Systemic Risk Board indicates that countries respond differently to geopolitical shocks. The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to higher energy prices and inflation across Europe, prompting central banks to raise interest rates. Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria experienced increases in borrowing costs and lower investor confidence. Germany, France and Portugal recorded more moderate changes, while Spain, Malta, Latvia and Finland showed intermediate levels of exposure.

Conclusion

The geopolitical stress tests will not immediately lead to additional capital requirements for banks. Their results will feed into the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP). ECB supervisors may use the findings when assessing capital adequacy, risk management practices and operational resilience at individual institutions.

Uol
eCredo
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
Aretilaw firm

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter