Home appliances and electronics retailer Comfy (Comfy Trade LLC) increased its revenue by 19% in January-June 2025 and recorded growth in demand in almost all categories of appliances, the company’s press service reported.
The retailer did not disclose absolute revenue figures for the first half of the year. According to YouControl, in the first quarter of 2025, revenue grew by 14.5% compared to the first quarter of 2024, to UAH 8 billion.
According to the press release, Comfy’s online sales revenue for the six months increased by 27% compared to the same period last year, while the market grew by 15%.
About 27% of all online sales are generated by the mobile app, the report said. In the first half of the year, the number of users increased by 28% compared to the first half of last year, and the share of monthly active users (MAU) grew by 50% over the year.
It is noted that in the first half of 2025, demand grew in almost all categories of appliances. Thus, in the small household appliances category, the average growth is 32%, and in accessories, 34%. The leaders in the category are multi-cookers, whose sales grew by 248.1%, as well as air humidifiers (+59%), coffee machines (+40%), and steam cleaners (+37%). Stylers (+62%), epilators (+61%), and electric toothbrushes (+57%) continue to show a growing demand.
In large household appliances, the strongest growth was seen in air conditioners (+84%), dryers and dishwashers (+46% and +22%, respectively), demand for which increased thanks to the stable energy supply situation.
According to Comfy, in the digital and audio-video equipment segment, home audio systems (+184%), camera lenses (+172%), cameras (+53%), and tablet computers (+49%) showed steady growth in the first half of 2025.
“At the same time, sales declined in niches that were ‘overheated’ last year, such as power banks and charging stations, as well as freezers and transport,” the retailer noted.
The amount of taxes paid by the Comfy chain in January-June 2025 reached UAH 992 million, which is 14% more than in the first half of 2024.
According to YouControl, Comfy Holdings Limited (100%, Cyprus) is the owner of Comfy Trade LLC, and Stanislav Ronis and Svitlana Hutsul are the ultimate beneficiaries.
As reported, Comfy received UAH 47.7209 billion in revenue in 2024, which is 27.1% higher than in 2023. 2024 was the first year when the company exceeded $1 billion in revenue. The chain has more than 100 retail outlets.
Baked goods will continue to rise in price in 2025. If they increased by 20% in 2024, then in 2025 the increase will be another 15-20%, said Yuriy Duchenko, director of Kyiv Bread LLC.
“We see a trend toward higher prices for products in 2025. This is understandable because costs have risen, primarily for raw materials, i.e., flour, energy, and wages. By the end of the year, I think there will be steps toward price increases. By the end of the year, it (the price increase – IF-U) will be 15-20%,“ he said during the ”Hlib.ua” conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
Duchenko stressed that most bakers are currently operating at the break-even point, and some are even in the red.
Assessing the prospects and trends in the industry in 2025, the director of Kyiv Khleb noted an increase in demand for simple bread recipes in tons. At the same time, there is a decline in sales of wheat, bakery, and pastry products. In other words, according to him, demand for more marginal products in tons is decreasing.
Among the main problems in the industry, the expert named the drain of working capital from processing enterprises due to low production profitability, energy dependence, a decline in the purchasing power of Ukrainians, logistical difficulties, export restrictions, and the shadow market, which has reached 40-50%.
“It cannot be said that our market is completely in the shadows. We are talking about working under a simplified taxation system and certain wage payment schemes. Therefore, products that are manufactured and sold at prices 20% lower than the market price are serious competition in a market where there are about 4,000 manufacturers producing and selling the same product, which costs money and for which the buyer votes with their wallet. There is very strong competition among manufacturers,” Duchenko emphasized.
According to the director of Kyiv Khleb, the situation can be resolved through the automation of industrial production, the use of innovative technologies, in particular artificial intelligence, a change in distribution channels, the development of fast food and street food, franchising schemes, and a focus on fresh, healthy bread.
Nova Poshta, the leader in express delivery in Ukraine and part of the Nova Group, has fully placed its Series H bonds with a total nominal value of UAH 1 billion after the redemption of Series E bonds with the same nominal value on July 30.
The National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) approved the relevant bond issue report on August 19, 2025.
The bonds have a par value of UAH 1,000, with 1 million bonds issued without a public offering. No other details of the issue have been disclosed.
In May this year, the NSSMC approved the placement of two new issues of Nova Poshta bonds – series G and H with a nominal value of UAH 1 billion each. The company declared that the funds raised would be used to develop its terminal network (35%), invest in IT (15%), BDF containers and motor vehicles (30%), and packaging for parcels (20%).
In July 2025, Nova Poshta fully placed Series G bonds with a total nominal value of UAH 1 billion.
As of mid-2021, Nova Poshta had obligations under three bond issues of Series E,
“F” and “G” bonds in the amount of UAH 995.82 million maturing on July 30 of this year, UAH 998.45 million maturing on June 1 of next year, and UAH 999.38 million maturing on May 2, 2027. The interest rate on bonds “F” and “G” is 16% per annum. The company already has five redeemed bond issues since August 2020 for a total amount of UAH 3.6 billion.
In the second quarter of 2025, the company increased its unconsolidated net profit by 2.6% compared to the same period in 2024, to UAH 905.45 million, with revenue growing by 22.9% to UAH 12 billion 712.14 million. In total, in the first half of this year, Nova Poshta’s net profit decreased by 19.6% to UAH 1 billion 195.74 million, with revenue growing by 22.1% to UAH 24 billion 571.27 million.
The company’s equity for the first half of 2025 increased by 6.1% to UAH 12.30 billion, while liabilities increased by 2.8% to UAH 20.56 billion.
The main activity of Nova Poshta remains the express delivery of documents, parcels, and palletized large-size cargo. The company is the leader in express delivery in Ukraine. Its ultimate beneficial owners are Volodymyr Poperechnyuk and Vyacheslav Klimov.
Pharmacy sales in Ukraine in the first half of 2025 increased by 11% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2024, reaching UAH 105.214 billion, while in real terms they decreased by 2.78% to 567.02 million packages, according to data from a study conducted by Business Credit and reported to Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the data, the weighted average price of goods in the pharmacy basket at the end of the first half of the year was UAH 185.56 per package, which is 14.17% more than in the same period last year.
At the same time, pharmacy sales of medicines in January-June 2025 increased in monetary terms by 10.33% to almost UAH 81.929 billion, while in real terms they decreased by 2.32% to almost UAH 399.292 million.
The average retail price of medicines in the first half of the year was 205.19 UAH per package, which is almost 13% more than a year ago.
Pharmacy sales of dietary supplements in January-June increased by 17.67% in monetary terms compared to the same period in 2024, to almost UAH 11.679 billion, while in real terms they decreased by 1.5% to 49.479 million packages. The average price in this segment increased by 19.5% to UAH 236.03 per unit.
As reported, pharmacy sales in Ukraine at the end of 2024 increased in monetary terms by 10.67% compared to 2023, to UAH 192.843 billion, and in real terms decreased by 5%, to over 1.157 billion packages. The weighted average price of goods in the pharmacy basket at the end of 2024 was 166.59 UAH, 16.53% more than in 2023.
At the same time, pharmacy sales of medicines in 2024 increased to UAH 151 billion, or by 10.83% compared to the previous year, but in real terms decreased by 5.64% to 810.155 million packages. The weighted average retail price of medicines at the end of 2024 was 186.39 UAH per unit, which is 17.45% higher than in 2023.
Pharmacy sales of dietary supplements in 2024 increased by 11.06% in monetary terms, to UAH 19.992 billion, and decreased by almost 3.06% in real terms, to 99.012 million packages. The weighted average price in this segment at the end of 2024 increased by 14.56% compared to 2023, to UAH 201.92 per unit.
In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted the NSDC’s decision of February 12 on additional measures to ensure the availability of medicines for Ukrainians, according to which the government, manufacturers, and pharmacy chains will determine a list of 100 drugs for which prices will be reduced by 30% starting March 1. It was also planned to ban marketing and promotional services related to the sale of medicines to end consumers from March 1 until the Cabinet of Ministers introduces separate wholesale price referencing for all medicines.
The eurozone economy is likely to slow down in the third quarter of 2025 due to ongoing uncertainty in foreign trade and the winding down of “advance” purchases, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said, speaking in Geneva at the World Economic Forum. According to her, in the first half of the year, the region’s export-oriented economy received short-term support from partners replenishing their stocks ahead of the introduction of tariffs in the US, but this factor is “reversing,” and the slowdown was already noticeable in the second quarter.
Lagarde clarified that under the agreement reached between the EU and the US, the “effective average rate” of tariffs on imports from the eurozone is estimated at between 12% and 16%, which is slightly higher than the assumptions of the ECB’s June baseline forecast, but significantly lower than the stress scenario (over 20%). The impact of the deal will be reflected in the ECB’s September macro forecasts, she noted.
According to Eurostat estimates, eurozone GDP grew by only 0.1% q/q in Q2 (after +0.6% in Q1), while July inflation remained at the target 2% year-on-year. Both factors support the scenario of low growth rates with stable “anchor” inflation.
The market as a whole expects the ECB to keep its deposit rate at 2.00%, continuing to assess the impact of tariffs and external conditions on growth prospects. (The meeting schedule is available on the ECB website; the current rate is confirmed by official statistics and national regulators.)
A combination of factors — the receding effect of frontloading, new trade costs (12–16% at the effective average rate) and moderate PMIs — increases the likelihood of a stagnation scenario in the second half of the year: the economy will hover around zero, and growth momentum will depend on the stability of domestic demand and clarity on industry tariffs (pharmaceuticals and semiconductors remain areas of uncertainty).
Food Technologies of Transcarpathia LLC will invest more than UAH 43 million in the construction of a modern sports complex in the village of Bolshiye Komyaty (Vinogradivka community) in Transcarpathian region, head of the regional military administration Volodymyr Mikita said in Telegram. He noted that the project provides for the construction of a soccer field, stands, special premises and running tracks for athletics. The concept is based on the need to create conditions for sports activities for children who study and live in the local community, as well as neighboring communities. The initiative will reach more than a thousand children of different age groups.
“This is the first such project in these territories, which is being implemented since the independence of Ukraine. The investment of the enterprise LLC “Food Technologies of Transcarpathia” in the construction is more than 43 million UAH. The Hromada has allocated the territory for the creation of infrastructure and will ensure the functioning of the Children’s and Youth Sports School with the appropriate staff of coaches”, – wrote the head of ZOVA.
LLC “Food Technologies of Transcarpathia” was founded in 2010 in Beregovo, Transcarpathian region. It specializes in the production of ready-made pet food, which it sells under the TM “Pan Dog-Pan Cat”, “Miss Kis – Mister Gaff”, “Carpatian Pet Food”. The beneficiary of the enterprise is businessman Andriy Hrypta, who is also the owner of Ecogreenpark LLC, RES Zakarpattya LLC, Residents Avenue Mall LLC, Trans Logistic Zakarpattya LLC.
