Orell Füssli Ltd

Further revenue growth in first half of the year - Seite 2

Industrial Systems

Results for the Zeiser division were in line with expectations in the first half of 2023. Revenue in the reporting period increased slightly to CHF 11.8 million (previous year CHF 11.0 million) and the operating result (EBIT) was CHF 0.8 million (previous year CHF 1.9 million). In the same period of the previous year, a property sale by Zeiser contributed around CHF 1 million to the operating result. Demand for Zeiser’s technologies increased noticeably in the first half of the year and the division was able to win various new orders in this period. In particular, there was considerable interest in track & trace technology for tracing security documents. Various efficiency measures have also been introduced, which will have a positive impact from 2024 onwards.

Book Retailing

Orell Füssli Thalia Ltd once again performed well in the generally weaker first half of the year and posted a significant increase in proportionately consolidated revenue to CHF 49.9 million (previous year CHF 45.0 million). This was ahead of growth rates for the overall book market and Orell Füssli Thalia Ltd further increased its market share. Both the retail trade and the business customer segment saw positive development during the reporting period. The proportionately consolidated operating result (EBIT) also increased year-on-year to CHF 1.2 million (previous year CHF 0.9 million). In the first half of the year, the expansion of the branch network continued and the first shop in the canton of Solothurn was opened at the Ladedorf shopping centre in Langendorf. Further openings are planned for the second half of the year in Thun, Bern central station and Weinfelden.

Other business areas

Orell Füssli Publishers performed very successfully in the first half of 2023, thanks, in part, to the acquisition of the hep Verlag. The merger of this publishing house with Orell Füssli Publishers went smoothly. The teaching and learning media programme was centralised at hep’s site in Bern and, for the first time, purely digital learning media were launched on the market with “myKV” and “myDetailhandel”. Another two Globi bestsellers – “Globi bei den Yaks” (Globi and the Yaks) and “Globis neue Abenteuer im Nationalpark” (Globi’s New Adventures in the National Park) – were published in the first half of 2023. The legal media division also had a good first half-year and published a revised commentary on the “Handelsregisterverordnung” (Swiss commercial register ordinance). A “Repetitorium zum Gesundheitsrecht” (revision of Swiss health law) was also published for the first time. For the second half of the year, the Educational Media Publisher expects increased demand due to the start of the new school year.