Lindt & Sprüngli: Financial Year 2012

• Group sales rise by 7.3% to CHF 2.67 million (organic growth: 6.8%)
• Operating profit increases by 10.3% to CHF 362.5 million (EBIT margin: +40 basis points)
• Proposal for a dividend increase of 15%
• Confirmation of long-term growth and earnings targets for 2013
• Establishment of two charitable foundations for the long-term strengthening of Switzerland as a chocolate market place: L&S Cocoa Foundation and L&S Chocolate Center

Kilchberg, March 15, 2013 –Despite the challenging underlying economic conditions and increasingly subdued consumer sentiment in some countries, Lindt & Sprüngli is still on track for success. In the past financial year, the group of companies succeeded once again in achieving a substantial increase in its sales, operating profit and net profit, outperforming the trend in all its markets. In doing so, the company confirmed the reliability of its announced growth and profit targets. The strong sales performance is accompanied by corresponding market share gains in practically all countries and categories and was assisted by all the subsidiary companies.

In the 2012 financial year, Lindt & Sprüngli stepped up its consolidated group sales to CHF 2.67 billion. This represents a gain of 7.3% on the previous year. The organic growth of the Group in local currencies stands at 6.8% and is mainly attributable to the slight devaluation of the Swiss franc to the US-dollar. Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG therefore managed once again to meet its strategic growth target of expanding much more quickly than the markets and of gaining additional market shares practically across the board. Growth, in turn, was driven mainly by volume increases which were underpinned in all key markets by a large number of innovations and new launches in the year-round business and in seasonal operations. Moreover, in the own global retail sector, fast-growing markets in the emerging regions were tapped with the proprietary LINDT retail outlets and cafés. Here, the own points of sale not only generate additional turnover but also help to establish and sustainably consolidate the LINDT brand as a premium chocolate.

In predominantly flat or slightly declining chocolate markets, all subsidiary companies performed distinctly better than the general market trend, with the exception of Italy and Spain which are particularly hard hit by the present crisis, and won corresponding new market shares. In the shrunken Swiss domestic market, LINDT achieved well above average growth of 2.3%, while exports and the travel retail business were hampered by the continuing strength of the Swiss franc