Shares in Dutch food group Wessanen fell 7.59% today (23 February) after the group booked a widening net loss for 2011.

The company posted a net loss of EUR17.1m (US$22.7m) against a loss of EUR6.1m in 2012, after skyrocketing impairment, goodwill and restructuring charges hit the bottom line.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Shares in the group fell to EUR2.72 in morning trade, down from an open of EUR2.80.

Nevertheless CEO Piet Hein Merckens remained upbeat, highlighting the improvement that the firm delivered in its underlying performance.

Full-year EBIT totalled EUR23.7m, up 20% from EUR19.8m last year. EBIT margin increased to 3.4% against 2.8% in 2010.

However, sales declined 0.9%, dropping to EUR706m, although revenues from the group’s grocery operations and from its US drinks business, ABC, boosted the company’s like-for-like sales, which increased 2.9%.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

“The past year was very encouraging for all of us at Wessanen. We concentrated on building the future of our company resulting in a step by step improvement of our top and bottom line,” Merckens said.

“Our focus is on putting our strategy into action. We are on a multi-year journey and are determined to improve our performance and further consolidate our positions and brands.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact