EQS-News

CALIDA GROUP gains further market share thanks to strong brands and early pursuit of e-commerce - Seite 2

Strategic focus, growing online business and sustainable strategy
The CALIDA GROUP continued to press ahead with its strategic focus last year. The successful sale of the surf and lifestyle brand OXBOW and the EIDER outdoor brand further sharpened the focus of the brand portfolio, strengthened the Group's profitability and optimised processes. Moreover, the French LAFUMA SA was fully acquired in December and delisted from the Paris Euronext.

The streamlining and concentration of activities on the core business of underwear and lingerie with the strong CALIDA and AUBADE brands plus the outdoor furniture segment with LAFUMA MOBILIER will continue this year. Strategic options will be reviewed for the outdoor business with the MILLET and LAFUMA brands. The growth of the underwear and lingerie core business plus the online activities will be accelerated with targeted investments and purchases. At the same time, the CALIDA GROUP is also very well positioned to grow organically thanks to its solid financial base.

The expansion of the e-commerce business and the digitalisation of all divisions are continuing to pay off, as customers are increasingly interacting virtually. Merging the retail and e-commerce activities in the Omni-Channel means that the customer focus can be optimised.

The coronavirus crisis again strengthened demand for ecologically and socially responsible business conduct. The alignment of the Group with sustainable development principles applies across the entire value chain, from the treatment of employees to the introduction of sustainable products. As a result, 35 percent of the entire CALIDA collection has been awarded the MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX(R) label.

A good result despite extreme challenges - the financial situation remains good
In spite of the market environment being more challenging than ever, the second half of the year saw a strong business recovery in the main markets of Switzerland, Germany and France. Sales in the second half of the year were about 30 percent higher than in the first and almost reached the previous year's level. At the same time, the pandemic did leave its mark as currency-adjusted consolidated net sales were 7.6 percent down compared with the previous year at CHF 332.7 million (down from CHF 372.0 million in the previous year).