Interim report 1 September 2008 - 28 February 2009: Increased sales of the prioritised brands

Interim report 1 September 2008 - 28 February 2009: Increased sales of the
prioritised brands

Sales of Cloetta products increased by 2.4% during the period. For the second
quarter, Cloetta reported net sales of SEK 278 million (332). The licensed sales
agreement with Fazer Confectionery in the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish markets,
a result of the demerger of Cloetta Fazer, was terminated at year-end 2008.
Operating profit for the second quarter was SEK -8 million (-9).

Net sales for the first half of the year, covering the period from 1 September
2008 to 28 February 2009, amounted to SEK 735 million (778). Operating profit
for the six-month period was SEK 30 million (29) and operating margin was 4.1%
(3.7). 

Excluding all items affecting comparability, which have essentially arisen in
connection with the separation from Fazer, operating profit was SEK 25 million
(51). Profit after tax was SEK 32 million (22),  equal to earnings per share of
SEK 1.33 (0.91).

Volume sales of Cloetta's ten prioritised brands rose by 3% during the first six
months, compared to the same period of last year.

“Cloetta's products sold well throughout the entire six-month period,” says the
company's Managing Director Curt Petri. “The fact that net sales fell by a total
of 5.5% in the first half of the year is a result of the demerger of Cloetta
Fazer and subsequent termination of Cloetta's licensed sales agreement with
Fazer Confectionery at the end of 2008, which has also had a negative impact on
profit. Sales of Cloetta's own products increased by 2.4% during the period.”

“From an earnings standpoint Cloetta is still feeling the effects of increased
raw material costs, which have risen further in recent months due to weakening
of the Swedish krona,” adds Curt Petri. “We will therefore be forced to make
additional price hikes in 2009. At the same time, we will continue our
successful efforts to optimise efficiency.”
“Due to the consequences of the demerger of Cloetta Fazer, my assessment is that
Cloetta's operating margin will be negative during a transitional period and
that the company will therefore report a loss for the full year 2009,” concludes
Curt Petri.


For additional information contact:
Managing Director Curt Petri, mobile +46 70-593 21 69 or Financial Director Kent
Sandin, mobile +46 70-582 77 95.

About Cloetta
Founded in 1862, Cloetta is the oldest and only major wholly Swedish
confectionery company in the Nordic region. The company's best known brands are
Kexchoklad, Center, Plopp, Polly, Tarragona, Guldnougat, Bridge, Juleskum,
Sportlunch and Extra Starka. Cloetta has two production units in Sweden, one in
Ljungsbro and one in Alingsås. For the period from 1 September 2007 to 31 August
2008, Cloetta reported pro forma net sales of approximately SEK 930 million. As
of 16 February 2009 Cloetta's class B shares are traded on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
www.cloetta.com