Italian chocolate and confectionery group Ferrero closed the fiscal year ending 31 August 2014 with a consolidated revenue of €8.4 billion (+3.9 per cent y/y) and a pre-tax profit of €907 million (+14.2 per cent y/y).
Ferrero's products are sold in more than 160 countries, and its parent company, Ferrero International SA, comprises 74 consolidated companies and 20 plants.
Ferrero’s new investments amounted to €537 million, of which €458 million (5.4 per cent of sales) was used for upgrading industrial and productive activities, mainly in Italy, Germany, Canada, India, Brazil, Mexico and China.
Despite the troubled international situation, the growth in turnover was due to the development of new markets. In fact, sales reached the same levels and, in some cases, even improved those of past years in Asia, Russia, the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey. There was also a strong growth in the Middle East. Positive results were obtained in core markets such as the UK, Poland and Germany, while South European markets were stable or slightly declining, due to the economic slowdown.
In terms of products, Kinder Joy (in Italy, Merendero), Kinder Bueno, Kinder Sorpresa and Ferrero Rocher saw particularly positive performances, with respective growth of 29 per cent, 10 per cent, 9 per cent and 6 per cent. The performances of Tic Tac and Nutella were also satisfactory.
On top of the positive results, Ferrero has won the fifth edition of the Randstad Award 2015 as the most attractive employer by potential employees in Italy. Based on a study conducted between October and December, Ferrero received 79.36 per cent of the vote (among all those who knew the brand). Ferrero also received four Randstad Globe Awards for "pleasant working atmosphere", "security of employment", "work-life balance" and "financial strength".
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic.
