The German Nivea producer Beiersdorf increased group sales by some 4.7% in 2012 to €6bn. Consumer division sales, which include the cosmetics products ranges, went up 4.9% to just over €5bn. Operating earnings across the group increased from €646m to €735m while net profits rose sharply from €259m to €451m.
The company’s AGM heard that growth in Europe declined markedly last year though the German economy was able to achieve stronger growth than the rest of the Eurozone with a strong export performance. Cosmetics markets worldwide turned out at around the same level as in 2011 with growth coming from Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The saturated cosmetics markets of Europe and North America tended in contrast to stagnate, especially in western and southern Europe where levels of consumption were weak.