5/8/2018

Beiersdorf starts 2018 with boost in sales

  • Group sales up 6.5 %
  • Consumer increases sales by 6.1 %
  • tesa achieves sales growth of 8.5 %
  • Forecast for 2018 confirmed

Hamburg, May 8, 2018 – Beiersdorf has started the 2018 financial year with a boost in sales, increasing organic sales by 6.5 % in the first three months. In nominal terms, sales rose to €1.807 billion, up 0.4 % on the prior-year figure of €1.801 billion.

“Beiersdorf made impressive progress on its profitable growth path in the first quarter of 2018. Both business segments, Consumer and tesa, delivered very dynamic performance and sales growth well above the market. These significant growth rates once again demonstrate Beiersdorf’s strong international position and high level of competitiveness. Our continued success results from strengthening our brands, accelerating our innovations, and systematically expanding our business activities in emerging markets. Despite the current political and economic uncertainty throughout some regions, we look optimistically to the coming months and therefore confirm our forecast for 2018,” said Stefan F. Heidenreich, CEO of Beiersdorf AG.

Group sales performance


Jan 1 – Mar 31 2017
in € million 
Jan 1 – Mar 31 2018
in € million
Change nominal
in %
 Change organic
in %
Europe             
930 952 2.3 4.1
Americas 325 297 -8.6 4.0
Africa/Asia/Australia 546 558 2.5 12.2
Total
1,801 1,807 0.4 6.5

 

Organic Group sales grew by 6.5 % in the first three months of the year. At €1.807 billion, nominal Group sales were up 0.4 % year on year (previous year: €1.801 billion). Negative exchange rate effects reduced growth by 6.1 percentage points.

Consumer sales performance


Jan 1 – Mar 31 2017
in € million
Jan 1 – Mar 31 2018 
in € million
Change nominal
in %
 Change organic
in %
Europe
748 765 2.2 4.3
    Western Europe
597 614 2.8 4.2
    Eastern Europe
151 151 0.0 4.5
Americas 278 247 -10.7 1.6
    North America
117 110 -5.8 8.3
    Latin America
161

137

-14.3

-3.4

Africa/Asia/Australia 458 466 1.8 11.9
Total
1,484 1,478 -0.3 6.1

The Consumer Business Segment recorded a 6.1 % organic increase in sales in the first three months of 2018, reduced by 6.4 percentage points due to negative exchange rate effects. At €1.478 billion, nominal sales were down 0.3 % on the previous year’s figure of €1.484 billion.

Brands

NIVEA sales were up 1.9 %. The Derma business unit, which includes the Eucerin and Aquaphor brands, finished the first quarter with an increase in sales of 8.5 %. Sales of Healthcare, which includes the Hansaplast and Elastoplast brands, were 2.7 % lower than the prior-year level. On the back of an already healthy previous year, La Prairie achieved a substantial hike in growth of 55.5 %. 

Europe

Organic sales in the Europe region grew by 4.3 %. At €765 million, nominal sales were up 2.2 % on the previous year’s figure of €748 million. In Western Europe, there was a 4.2 % increase in sales. Germany recorded good growth, while sales in France remained below the prior year. In Eastern Europe, sales growth reached 4.5 %. 

Americas

Organic sales in the Americas region were up 1.6 % on the prior-year figure. At €247 million, nominal sales were down 10.7 % on the previous year’s figure of €278 million due to negative exchange rate effects.

North America experienced strong sales growth of 8.3 %. In Latin America, sales were down by 3.4 %. In Argentina and Brazil, sales slipped below the previous year’s level.

Africa/Asia/Australia

The Africa/Asia/Australia region recorded a substantial rise in sales of 11.9 %. In nominal terms, sales rose by 1.8 % to €466 million against last year’s figure of €458 million. 

tesa sales performance


Jan 1 – Mar 31 2017
in € million 
Jan 1 – Mar 31 2018
in € million
Change nominal 
in %
 Change organic
in %
Europe
182 187 2.6 3.7
Americas 47 49 3.7 18.2
Africa/Asia/Australia 88 93 5.9 13.9
Total
317 329 3.6 8.5

In the first three months of the year, tesa again achieved significant sales growth against the already robust prior year’s quarter with a strong increase in organic sales of 8.5 %. In nominal terms, sales rose by 3.6 % to €329 million against last year’s figure of €317 million. Negative exchange rate effects reduced growth by 4.9 percentage points.

Group net assets and financial position

There were no significant changes in the Group’s net assets and financial position in the first three months of the year compared with December 31, 2017.

Forecast for 2018

Beiersdorf anticipates sales growth of 4–5 % in 2018 for the Consumer Business Segment with a slight increase in the EBIT margin from operations against the previous year.

The tesa Business Segment is expected to generate sales growth of 3–4 % with an EBIT margin from operations slightly below the prior-year level.

Based on the forecasts of both business segments, Group sales growth is expected to be approximately 4 % with a consolidated EBIT margin from operations at the prior-year level.

Press Contact

Inken Hollmann-Peters
Vice President Corporate Communications & Sustainability

Beiersdorf AG
Unnastrasse 48
20245 Hamburg, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 40 - 4909 2001

Email: cc@beiersdorf.com