The Horst Brandstätter Group, with its PLAYMOBIL and LECHUZA brands, records the most successful year in the company's history despite the coronavirus pandemic
PLAYMOBIL and LECHUZA sales up/Group sets course for the future
Zirndorf, May 2021 – The Horst Brandstätter Group has coped very well during the 2020/2021 fiscal year, which was marked by the coronavirus pandemic. The international group, which is active in more than 100 countries, recorded the most successful year in its corporate history during the crisis year. In the fiscal year ending March, a sales record was achieved with total global sales of more than 758 million euros.
Sales at the PLAYMOBIL business unit increased by 3.9%. By contrast, the Leisure unit, which includes the PLAYMOBIL FunParks, was forced to report a drop in sales of around eleven million euros (- 55%) due to the restrictions imposed as a result of coronavirus. For the LECHUZA business unit, the Group achieved record sales (+ 29.4%). LECHUZA, the expert in multi award-winning designer planters, planting substrates and accessories, made a positive contribution to Group earnings for the first time since its market launch in 2000. As a result, the Horst Brandstätter Group has increased EBIT by more than 50% in the past fiscal year.
The Horst Brandstätter Group mastered the major challenges of the past twelve months in Germany and most other countries without resorting to short-time working. Thanks to aggressive supply network management, there were only minor delivery or production shortages. The group intends to continue its international growth in the current fiscal year. "The pandemic has led to many profound changes that will have a serious and long-term impact on the international markets. We have grown profitably, but we still see many opportunities and much potential that need to be exploited now," said CEO Steffen Höpfner.
"We have already used the last year intensively to develop new offers, services and ideas and to align and further develop the Horst Brandstätter Group for the future with many ongoing projects."
The focus will, more than ever, be placed on consumers and their needs. The Horst Brandstätter Group is planning an expanded range of services and specific solutions for the various target groups. Furthermore, collaborations with long-term prospects of success will be targeted and additional new business fields will be opened up.