SWITZERLAND: Lindt records strong FY growth | Progresiv

Lindt & Sprüngli continues to grow steadily, reporting another set of good results for its last fiscal year. In 2015, the chocolate giant saw its operating profit rise by 9.4% to 518.8m Swiss francs, with sales up 7.9% to 3.65bn francs (+13.5% in constant-currency terms), even as organic sales were up 7.1%.

The group said it reported growth all the major markets, and was able to expand its share in such countries. It also said it outpaced the overall chocolate market globally, despite the tough economic conditions.

Sales in Europe were up 5.4% on an organic basis, helped by double-digit growth in the UK and strong results in Germany and France. Sales in North America were up 7.9%, helped by the integration of Russell Stover. And finally, the Rest of the World division reported a 11.4% increase in organic sales. Lindt also reported strong growth at its Global Retail concept, which saw the addition of 50 stores in 2015, helping boost sales by 20% on an organic basis.

For the current fiscal year, the group reiterated its mid-to long-term organic sales growth target of 6%-8%, and an increase in operating profit margin of 20-40 basis points. It also plans to open 20-30 new LINDT shops every year. (www.kamcity.com)