DGAP-News: Hawesko Group: End-customer business buoyant in the first quarter

Hawesko Group: End-customer business buoyant in the first quarter

- Sales up by 6.7% compared to previous year's first quarter

- Retail and e-commerce segments with noticeable gains

- Operating result at previous year's level after Easter holidays in April

Hamburg, 9 May 2019 Today Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) published its report on the first three months of fiscal year 2019 (1 January to 31 March). Thorsten Hermelink, CEO of the Hawesko Group, gave a positive report of the business performance, saying, "In the first quarter our B2C retail and e-commerce segments gained noticeable momentum, despite the fact that the Easter holiday business shifted into April this year and thus into the second quarter. Our B2B business felt more of an impact, but had caught up by the end of April. In the first four months we experienced organic growth of a solid 4% and 12% with our acquisition Wein & Co." Hermelink added, "The market environment currently presents several challenges which we are meeting profitably by executing a consistent and sustainable growth strategy. It is important for us as the market leader to shape our own development even more strongly in the future. That's why we began implementing a multi-year investment program last year which will accelerate the digital transformation of the entire Hawesko Group."

Consolidated sales rose to EUR 119.7 million in the first quarter of 2019, corresponding to an increase of 6.7% over the same quarter of the previous year (EUR 112.2 million). On a comparable basis, i.e. excluding the acquisition of Wein & Co., consolidated sales at -0.5% were roughly at the level of the same quarter in the previous year. Sales in the retail brand unit (Jacques' Wein-Depot and Wein & Co.) rose by 25.6% to EUR 43.7 million. Jacques' posted growth of 2.6%. In the e-commerce brand unit, sales rose significantly by 5.0% to EUR 39.1 million. In the B2B (wholesale) brand unit, sales at EUR 36.9 million were down by approximately 8.1% from the same quarter of the previous year. The consolidated operating result (EBIT) in the first quarter of 2019 amounted to EUR 3.5 million after EUR 5.0 million in the previous year, due primarily to the "Easter effect" experienced in the B2B segment. EBIT will have recovered by the end of April and reached the previous year's level.

The Hawesko Group remains on course for continued growth: For 2019, the management board anticipates an increase in sales, including Wein & Co., of approximately 7-9% compared to 2018. The EBIT margin is expected to be in the range between 5.0-5.7% in 2019 (previous year: 5.3%).

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The Hawesko Group is a leading purveyor of premium wines and champagnes. In fiscal year 2018, the Group achieved consolidated sales of EUR 524 million and employed 1,000 persons in the company's three brand units: retail (Jacques' Wein-Depot and Wein & Co.), B2B (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner- und Wein-Distributionsgesellschaft) and e-commerce (particularly HAWESKO and Vinos). The shares of Hawesko Holding AG are listed on the Hanseatic Stock Exchange in Hamburg as well as in the prime standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

The full quarterly report to 31 March 2019 is available for download at https://www.hawesko-holding.com/en/investors/.

Publisher:

Hawesko Holding AG
Elbkaihaus
Grosse Elbstrasse 145d
22767 Hamburg

Internet: hawesko-holding.com (Company information)
hawesko.de (Online shop)
jacques.de (Jacques' Wein-Depot information and online shop)
vinos.de (Spanish wines sold through Vinos)
weinco.at (Online shop of Wein & Co.)
wirwinzer.de (German wines directly from the producers)

Press and Investor Relations contact:
Thomas Hutchinson
Phone: +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00
E-mail: ir@hawesko-holding.com