Lekkerland: 2012 sales and earnings up

Lekkerland AG & Co KG, Frechen, has announced that sales for the business year 2012 were up € 127.2 m to € 11.484 bn. Earnings after tax grew € 50.8 m on 2011, totalling € 80.3 m. The increase in profits was reported to be due to a good result in Germany, where Lekkerland benefitted from the sale of the subsidiary Convenience Concept. Last year the wholesale concern developed its new strategy entitled "Convenience 2020 – Agenda for Success". The aim of the strategy is to realign the group completely by 2020, and establish a uniform, sustainable and economically successful business model in all regional companies. The focus will be firmly on the group's core business as a wholesaler supplying regional customers and system clients (forecourt) with products targeting consumers “on the go”.

Apart from the necessary investment in personnel, logistics and IT, the new strategy also calls for structural reorganisation due to the strong focus on Lekkerland's core business. First steps include the decision at the end of 2012 to shut down the national company in Romania (effective April 2013) and to discontinue operations in the Czech Republic and in Poland. Adjusted figures (excluding Eastern Europe) put 2012 earnings at € 110.7 m, € 44.7 m more than in 2011. In Germany the Lekkerland Group saw sales rise 2.8% on 2011, up by € 189.6 m to total just under € 7 bn. Business in Germany thus generated 60.9% of overall sales (adjusted, excluding Eastern Europe). Lekkerland achieved growth in Belgium, Switzerland and Spain. A decline in the Netherlands and Austria, however, impacted unfavourably on overall Western European sales, which slid 1.4%.

A glance at individual product categories in the Lekkerland range reveals that Food/Non-Food sales rose by € 33 m (+ 1.5%), while sales in the category "Provision on electronic value (e-va) /Misc" slowed down.

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