DGAP-News: CEWE COLOR Holding AG / Key word(s): Preliminary Results
CEWE COLOR hits its annual targets for 2012
16.01.2013 / 10:01
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CEWE COLOR hits its annual targets for 2012
- 2012 sales over 500 million euros for the first time
- Target profit for 2012 also hit
- Outstanding Christmas sales in photofinishing
- Online printing contributes to strong growth
- Consolidation of Dresden businesses
Oldenburg, 16th January 2013. CEWE COLOR Holding AG (SDAX, ISIN:
DE0005403901) for the first time recorded sales of over 500 million euros
in the 2012 fiscal year (2011: 469 million euros) and target earnings
before interest and tax (EBIT) of 27 to 33 million euros were also
achieved. The CEWE PHOTOBOOK and online printing are strong growth drivers.
Whereas CEWE COLOR only recorded sales of low single-digit million euros in
2011, this figure rose to more than 40 million euros in 2012. The company
is likely to publish its preliminary, unaudited results at the end of
February.
Outstanding Christmas sales in photofinishing
With a sustained brand awareness of around 48% in Germany , the CEWE
PHOTOBOOK was once again 'the' Christmas gift idea for many consumers. A
number of new photo products that CEWE COLOR had brought out in 2012 were
also much in demand for Christmas alongside the CEWE PHOTOBOOK, photo
calendars, greeting cards and wall decorations. There were also strong
sales in personalised iPad and Smartphone cases, high-quality cushions and
fabric products with personal photographic images as well as new ceramic
products - also via the new CEWE PHOTOWORLD app for tablets and
smartphones. All CEWE COLOR businesses had planned outstandingly for the
Christmas peak season and delivered all the photographic products on time
with short delivery times. Testers from the Warentest consumer testing
group were also satisfied with the products. 'CEWE produces the best photo
calendar,' commented the press. 'I'd like to strongly praise all our
divisions - our Christmas sales were once again outstanding!' states Dr.
Rolf Hollander, Executive Chairman of CEWE COLOR Holding AG, looking back
at December 2012.
Once again seasonal shift to the fourth quarter
The success of the new products, above all the CEWE PHOTOBOOK, has been
driving the seasonal shift of sales and earnings at CEWE for years: whereas
formerly the third quarter of a year delivered the largest contribution to
turnover and profit, today this has shifted to the fourth quarter. There
are two reasons for this trend: firstly the decline in individual
photographs (both analogue and digital), spread throughout the entire year
with a focus in the summer, and secondly the strongly rising demand for
value-added products for which there was high demand as gifts at Christmas.
'While we continue to have a seasonal shift, our forecasts will continue to
rise for the fourth year from year to year. We managed to meet them again
in 2012,' explains Dr. Olaf Holzkämper, Chief Finance Officer. 'Also as
predicted: we also dealt successfully with the disappearance of Schlecker,
formerly our biggest trading partner, at the start of 2012.'
Online printing exceeds growth targets
'Even now, in the early stages of producing the 2012 Annual Report, we are
also very certain about exceeding our target sales figure of 40 million
euros in online printing,' reports Executive Chairman Dr. Hollander,
commenting on the company's growth. The acquisition of the Saxoprint Group
in 2012, the new CEWE PRINT brand launched in August 2012 with a successful
advertising campaign and the viaprinto brand would all have contributed to
the Group's growth with printed advertising materials for corporate
customers - such as flyers, folders, posters and visiting cards. The
combination of football banner advertising and TV commercials for CEWE
PRINT is working and is transforming CEWE into a veritable brand-name
company. 'Our strategy is working: During the last decade in
photofinishing, we have virtually replaced our analogue business almost
completely with our new digital business. We are now working in this sector
with an innovative range of products to maintain our sales at this high
level. Online printing will contribute to our growth, now and in the
future. The potential in this market is growing strongly - and we are
growing at the same rate,' explains Dr. Hollander.
Consolidation of Dresden businesses increases headcount Saxoprint
CEWE COLOR's total online printing volume is largely handled by Saxoprint
in Dresden, with our successful growth creating significant staffing needs.
In parallel, CEWE COLOR operates by far the smallest German photofinishing
business in Dresden. Our strong growth in online printing now makes
efficient restructuring possible: 'If we consolidate these businesses, we
can meet the personnel requirements at Saxoprint with our own qualified
CEWE employees and, at the same time, elevate our photofinishing businesses
to the right and consistent level of efficiency,' explains Dr. Hollander.
Ultimately industrial, highly-efficient photofinishing is one of CEWE
COLOR's main strengths. All employees of the former CEWE COLOR business in
Dresden will receive an offer of employment from Saxoprint in Dresden or a
comparable job within the CEWE Group. The company's four large production
plants will then absorb the production volume of the small older Dresden
business. Furthermore, production in Poland will be concentrated on the
plant in Kozle. Sales and Customer Service will remain at the second, much
smaller site in Graudenz.
Outlook: Photofinishing stable, online printing growing
The Executive Board expects CEWE PHOTOBOOKS, photo calenders, greeting
cards and wall decorations to maintain the high level of sales and earnings
in photofinishing in 2013, as in 2012, while online printing will
contribute further stimulus for growth in the short term and profit in the
medium term. CEWE COLOR will announce a specific forecast for the 2013
fiscal year on 27th March 2013 at its press conference for its Annual
Report.
Should you have any queries, please contact:
CEWE COLOR Holding AG, Axel Weber (Investor Relations)
Tel.: 0441 / 404 - 2288, Fax: 0441 / 404 - 421, e-mail: IR@cewecolor.de
Internet: www.cewecolor.de , www.cewe.de , www.cewe-fotobuch.de ,
www.cewe-print.de
www.viaprinto.de , www.saxoprint.de
Now available in the Apple App Store: The CEWE Investor Relations app for
your iPad(R), including annual reports and quarterly reports as well as
sustainability reports.
Financial schedule:
27.03.2013: Annual Report 2012
27.03.2013: Financial Statements Press Conference and Analyst Conference,
Frankfurt/Main
13.05.2013: Q1-2013 Interim Report
05.06.2013: Annual General Meeting 2013, Park Hotel, Bremen
14.08.2013: Q2-2013 Interim Report
07.11.2013: Q3-2013 Interim Report
About CEWE COLOR: The Online Print- and Photo Service- Company CEWE COLOR,
with 13 highly-technical production operations and a staff of around 3,100
employees in 24 European countries, is both market and technological
leader. In 2011 CEWE COLOR delivered around 2.5 billion prints, more than
5.1 million CEWE PHOTO BOOKS and photo gift articles to more than 33,000
retail partners to generate consolidated turnover of 469 million euros.
CEWE COLOR is a 'first mover' in the introduction of new digital
technologies and products. In the new business segment of online printing,
printed material for advertising is marketed through the sales platforms
CEWE-PRINT, saxoprint and viaprinto. CEWE COLOR celebrated its 50th company
anniversary in 2011. In 1961 CEWE COLOR was founded by Senator h. c. Heinz
Neumüller. The company went public under the leadership of Hubert Rothärmel
in 1993. CEWE COLOR Holding AG is listed on the SDAX.
End of Corporate News
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Language: English
Company: CEWE COLOR Holding AG
Meerweg 30-32
26133 Oldenburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)441 40 4-1
Fax: +49 (0)441 40 4-42 1
E-mail: IR@cewecolor.de
Internet: www.cewecolor.de
ISIN: DE0005403901
WKN: 540390
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Berlin, Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Freiverkehr in Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, München,
Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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199164 16.01.2013
DGAP-News: CEWE COLOR hits its annual targets for 2012
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