Lindt & Sprüngli with double-digit organic sales growth and a further margin improvement - Seite 3

The Global Travel Retail business, where Lindt products are sold in duty-free shops, returned almost to pre-Covid levels; this distribution channel benefited from the return to high passenger numbers. Organic sales grew by 20.1%. This is partly explained by base effects, especially as the business was still suffering from Covid restrictions in the first quarter of 2022.
 

Further increase in dividend
Based on the positive results, Lindt & Sprüngli will continue its attractive dividend policy. The Board of Directors will propose a distribution to the 126th Ordinary Annual General Meeting of April 18, 2024, of CHF 1,400 (previous year: CHF 1,300) per registered share and CHF 140 (previous year: CHF 130) per participation certificate. 
A buyback program of registered shares and participation certificates of CHF 1 billion was launched in 2022. Registered shares and participation certificates to the value of CHF 0.85 billion had been repurchased by December 31, 2023.

Lindor continues to perform strongly and new product innovation introduced 
The trend towards gifting, pralines, and hollow figures continued. The Group is benefiting from the higher added value of these product lines. Lindor Pralines, Lindt & Sprüngli’s most important product line, continued to shine in 2023 with another double-digit growth in all regions. The product line with its irresistible smooth-melting filling celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024. In the USA, Lindt & Sprüngli introduced non-dairy Lindor Oatmilk truffles. In addition to that, the Group once again launched various innovations on the market, for example, the new Choco Wafer in the UK, Italy and Bulgaria.  

Sustainability: Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program expanded
In 2023, Lindt & Sprüngli expanded its responsible sourcing activities. The Group sourced 72.3% of its cocoa, which includes beans, butter, powder, and chocolate mass, through its own Farming Program or other sustainability programs. By 2025, our target is to achieve 100%.
The Program aims to increase the income of farming households and to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems. The program is also designed to address and, if possible, prevent child labor in the cocoa supply chain. Furthermore, Lindt & Sprüngli is committed to achieving near- and long-term science-based climate targets and reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050. The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) validated Lindt & Sprüngli’s targets in 2023.