Schwan-STABILO: Previous year’s success repeated

Volatile markets, war, inflation and consumer restraint: once again, there were considerable challenges for Schwan-STABILO with its three divisions Cosmetic, Pens, and Outdoor. As the company announced, despite unfavourable conditions generally, the corporate group succeeded in continuing the previous year’s upward trend – also as a consequence of the company’s reported alternative focus. In the outgoing financial year 2022/23 (30.06.2023), the family-run company generated sales of 850.3 million EUR (previous year: 745.3 million EUR) and hence grew healthily once again by around 14%. All three subgroups contributed this sales growth.

Cosmetics achieved sales of 387.2 million EUR. (Previous year: 312.3 million EUR) and made a gain of 24%. Outdoor also once more attained a new record with 245.0 million EUR (previous year: 216.0 million EUR), an increase by 13%. The STABILO Pens division (which also includes Schwan-STABILO Promotion Products GmbH & Co. KG as part of the corporate group) generated 217.9 million EUR (previous year: 215.8 million EUR) and asserted itself in the difficult market environment with a plus of 1%.

The increases were achieved group-wide in all of the company’s main markets in Europe, the USA, Asia and Latin America. With the exception of Germany, two-figure growth rates were attained everywhere. Says Sebastian Schwanhäußer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO): “This success was extraordinary. It is not the benchmark for the future: right in the aftermath of the pandemic, we had to cope with the consequences of the war in Ukraine. It was impossible to foresee such a positive financial year. We are all the more delighted that we as a group came together to utilise the strengths of each division and cope flexibly with the circumstances as they arose. For instance, in the Cosmetics area, we were able to apply our know-how to winning back important business following the pandemic and simultaneously conquering more so-called indie brands. Those are small brands with a big impact on social media platforms. Our Outdoor brands continue to be in demand, since exercise in the outdoors is booming, presumably as a remedy against the upsetting global news situation. A

similar effect is had by creativity; our Pens division scored points with this recently, especially among Asian users. The group results we have achieved are a global team effort we can be proud of.”

With an eye to the ongoing year, the company’s prognosis turns out considerably more cautious: “The depressing geopolitical situation with more and more regions of crisis, consumer restraint that is continuing in Europe in particular and hence in connection with that, restraint on the part of our distribution partners as well: we are feeling the effects in all three areas of business. Once again, we need sound responses to this. Nevertheless, we are sticking to our course of a long-term growth strategy and, with additional investments – in excess of three million more than in the previous year – continuing to expand our business activities globally,” reports Schwanhäußer. www.stabilo-promotion.com

Photo: The eye-catching CUBE at Schwan-STABILO’s headquarters in Heroldsberg near Nuremberg. © Schwan-STABILO / Paul Ott