Calida Group H1 sales marginally up 1.9%

Operating profit (EBIT) was 16.9 percent higher than the year-back figure at CHF 8.3 million. Owing to an exceptional provision for employment law-related risks at AUBADE dating from 2006, EBIT was reduced by 14.1 percent to CHF 6.1 million.

“The good performance of both our brands can be attributed to the rigorous implementation of our strategic principles,” says Felix Sulzberger, CEO of CALIDA Group. "These include the uncompromising positioning of our brands and a forward-looking distribution strategy that focuses strongly on independent retailers, department stores and own-brand shops and stores.”

In the first six months of this year, the CALIDA Group increased its consolidated sales by 1.9 percent year-on-year to CHF 95.7 million. Operating profit (EBIT) went up even more sharply than sales. Compared with the first half of 2012, EBIT increased 16.9 percent, or CHF 1.2 million, to CHF 8.3 million. This represents a profit margin of 8.8 percent. Both brands, CALIDA and AUBADE, posted earnings growth and so made a positive contribution to operating profit.

As a result of the ruling, further compensation claims have been lodged relating to job cuts made during the restructuring of 2006, shortly after AUBADE was taken over. CALIDA Group disputes these claims as well, but has made a precautionary provision of EUR 1.75 million, which has affected the half-year results.

After taking this exceptional provision into account, CALIDA Group’s EBIT for 2013 was reduced to CHF 6.1 million, which is 14.1 percent, or CHF 1 million, less than a year previously. Consolidated net profit was also affected negatively by exceptional items during the period under review. It came to CHF 4.5 million – CHF 1.1 million lower than the year-back figure.

CALIDA’s share of the results of French sports clothing group LAFUMA, in which a strategic stake was taken at the start of 2013, was a negative CHF 1.4 million. Despite these exceptional influences, CALIDA Group’s net liquidity went up from CHF 31.9 million in 2012 to CHF 47.2 million at the end of June 2013.

Its equity ratio also improved during the period under review, rising from 76.8 percent at the end of 2012 to a record high 79.6 percent.2 / 2 Even though the economic forecasts for target markets are subdued, the company is confident about the operational outlook for the second half of 2013. Incoming orders suggest that group sales will show moderate growth for the year as a whole, so profits should be solid too. The turnaround has begun at strategic investment LAFUMA.

Calida Group