Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie Sales Rise at Beiersdorf

Beiersdorf says it continued its growth path in the first quarter of 2016. Group sales increased organically by 2.4% to €1.673 billion, but were down 1.9% on the prior-year figure in nominal terms as a result of negative exchange rate effects.
 
The consumer business segment recorded organic sales growth of 3.6% in the first three months of the year based on a good performance in Europe. Sales in the Americas did not match the prior-year strong figure, the firm said, while the healthy growth seen in the previous year continued in the Africa/Asia/Australia region. In many markets, the consumer business segment strengthened its position and gained market share.
 
The stronger euro compared with the previous year reduced the growth rate by 4.7 percentage points. In nominal terms, sales therefore fell by 1.1% to €1.396 billion. Nivea sales rose by 4.3% year on year. Eucerin achieved sales growth of 1.2%. La Prairie increased sales by 6.9%, the company said.
 
Organic sales in the Americas region fell by 1.2%, noted Beiersdorf. While sales in North America declined by 4.3% on the strong prior-year quarter, Latin America recorded sales growth of 1.3%. Good growth rates were produced in Brazil and Mexico. By contrast, sales declined in Argentina.
 
Organic sales rose by 7.3% in the Africa/Asia/Australia region. Nominal sales climbed by 1.8%. Japan, Thailand, and Australia made particular contributions to this positive sales performance.
 
“Beiersdorf remains on track. The consumer business segment continued on its profitable growth path, while weaker demand in the electronics business in Asia has led to a decline in sales at tesa. Our business strategy in Consumer has proven itself in a market environment defined by high volatility and considerably intensified competition. The continued upward trend in the first quarter shows how strong our brands and innovations have become. In many markets, we have increased both our sales and market share. This makes us confident about our business performance in the coming months,” said Stefan F. Heidenreich, CEO of Beiersdorf AG.