DGAP-News

Leifheit Aktiengesellschaft: On growth course in financial year 2020 - Seite 2

In the Household segment with the Leifheit brand, the Leifheit Group significantly increased its turnover year on year by 17.0% to EUR 213.1 million (2019: EUR 182.0 million). As a result, the Household segment contributed 78.5% of Group turnover (2019: 77.8%). The cleaning and laundry care categories were particular factors in this robust segment growth, which was fuelled by the successful TV advertising campaign in 2020 and also reflects the increasing need for good hygiene among consumers. The Leifheit Group also benefited from the change in consumer behaviour caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Spending on kitchen products rose on account of consumers preparing and cooking more food at home.

In the significantly smaller Wellbeing segment with the Soehnle brand, turnover increased by 33.7% from EUR 19.8 million in 2019 to EUR 26.5 million in 2020. This equates to a 9.8% share in Group turnover. Strong growth in sales of Soehnle kitchen scales and increased demand during the pandemic for Soehnle air purifiers, which remove allergens from the air and combat viruses and bacteria, were crucial factors in this positive turnover trend.

In the Private Label segment, turnover involving the French subsidiaries Birambeau and Herby was stable in 2020 at EUR 32.0 million (2019: EUR 32.2 million). Although France, the key core market in this segment, was affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, this negative effect was able to be absorbed by new customer acquisition.

The Leifheit Group capital structure remained solid in 2020. As at 31 December 2020, the company generated liquidity of EUR 38.8 million (2019: EUR 50.3 million). Equity rose marginally and stood at EUR 100.4 million (2019: EUR 96.2 million). With the balance sheet total rising at the same time, the equity ratio was slightly down year on year at 43.7% (2019: 44.8%). As in previous years, Leifheit had no liabilities to banks at the end of financial year 2020.

The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting on 2 June 2021 a dividend of EUR 1.05 per no-par-value bearer share for financial year 2020. After paying out a dividend of EUR 0.55 per dividend-entitled share in 2020 due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis, Leifheit is thus continuing the reliable dividend policy of previous years.