Kosmetik: Beiersdorf dämpft Umsatzrückgang bei Nivea

The sales decline of Beiersdorf's flagship brand Nivea slowed down in the third quarter. After Beiersdorf announced a 18-month restructuring plan for the struggling brand family in the summer, the consumer goods company now sees improved dynamics, it said. Nivea sales in the retail sector grew worldwide. Overall, Nivea sales fell 4.9 percent year-on-year - excluding purchases and exchange rate effects - to nearly 1.3 billion euros.

The decline was smaller than in the previous quarter, which saw a 6.7 percent drop. As part of its growth plan, Beiersdorf is investing more money in advertising, including a partnership with the Tour de France for its sun protection line Nivea Sun. In September, Beiersdorf launched the reduced Face+ product line, originally developed for emerging markets, in Europe.

More than half of Beiersdorf's sales come from Nivea, which totaled nearly 2.4 billion euros in the third quarter. Group-wide sales fell 1.3 percent. Sales problems for Nivea were alleviated as growth in dermatology brands accelerated. Dermatology products are typically sold in pharmacies. The luxury brand La Prairie also performed well, thanks to growing demand in China.

Beiersdorf confirmed its year-end forecast, which had been lowered in the summer. The company expects a single-digit sales decline from its own operations and a lower margin on earnings before interest and taxes of at least 11.8 percent. The 2025 outlook sees a lower margin at 14 percent. Beiersdorf employs over 22,000 people and operates factories in Germany in Hamburg, Berlin, and Leipzig.