Lindt & Sprüngli saw revenue surge 17.4% during 2014 thanks to the recently-acquired Russell Stover Candies in the US and strong organic sales growth.
Sales increased to CHF3.39bn (US$3.34bn) in the year, the Swiss chocolate maker revealed today (13 January). Growth was primarily based on higher volumes, the company said.
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Lindt stressed it was able to deliver this sterling performance in the face of the “sluggish” European economic climate, “slightly improved” consumer outlook in the US, tough price competition and rising raw material costs. Currency exchange also dented the top line by 1.1 percentage points.
“Thanks to its uncompromising commitment to premium quality, efficient cost management, and numerous product innovations, the Group again grew much more quickly than the overall chocolate markets,” Lindt said.
The company forecast operating profit, excluding the acquisition of Russell Stover, to be up within the range of the medium-term target of 20 to 40 basis points year-on-year. Including the deal and the one-off transaction costs, the EBIT margin is expected to be “about the same” as last year.
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