Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. I am Maria, your Chorus Call operator. Welcome, and thank you for joining the JUMBO conference call and live webcast to present and discuss the full year 2025 financial results. [Operator Instructions] The conference is being recorded.

[Operator Instructions] At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Mr. Apostolos-Evangelos Vakakis, Chairman of the BoD; Mr. Polys Polycarpou, CFO; and Mrs. Amalia Karamitsoli, Head of HR.

Ms. Karamitsoli, you may now proceed.

Amalia Karamitsoli
Head of Shareholder Service Unit & Corporate Announcements, Head of Investor Relations & Secretary

Thank you, Maria. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining JUMBO's Annual Investor and Analyst Conference Call. Before we begin, I would like to briefly walk you through the key highlights of our performance, and then I will hand over to our Chairman, Mr. Apostolos-Evangelos Vakakis for further comments.

2025 was another year of solid performance and resilience for the group. Total sales increased by 7% year-on-year, reaching approximately EUR 1.23 billion, reflecting sustained demand across all our markets. Gross margin stood at 54.7%, slightly lower compared to last year, mainly due to the increased contribution of franchise operations, which carry lower margins.

On a comparable basis, EBITDA rose by 5% to EUR 436 million, while net profit