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EQS-News: Hawesko Holding SE / Key word(s): Annual Report/Annual Results
Hawesko Group defies challenging market conditions: Sales and profitability remain at a high level in 2023
2024-04-18 / 08:00 CET/CEST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
PRESS RELEASE
Hawesko Group defies challenging market conditions: Sales and profitability remain at a high level in 2023
. Hawesko Group holds its own in a challenging environment with falling consumer spending and a declining
wine market: sales are almost on a par with the previous year.
. Profitability was also stabilised: Despite enormous cost pressure due to sharply rising production costs,
operating performance is only slightly down on the previous year thanks to internal improvements and intelligent
pricing.
Hamburg, 18 April 2024: Hawesko Holding SE (HAW, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) today published its annual report for the 2023
financial year, providing a detailed overview of the past financial year.
Thorsten Hermelink, CEO of the Hawesko Group, commented as follows: "In the 2023 financial year, we succeeded in
continuing our development of recent years at a high level, despite a very tricky economic environment. Our focus on
cost discipline and intelligent pricing has paid off. This underlines our ability to continue to fascinate customers
with our offers and confirms our role as a leading player in the European wine trade. Driven by our goal of creating
extraordinary moments of enjoyment, we remain motivated and determined every day to continue on our path and emerge
stronger from these challenging times."
In the 2023 financial year, the Hawesko Group generated sales of EUR 660 million, which was slightly below the previous
year (-2%) but impressively up by double-digit percentages on the level before the pandemic. While the operating units
in the Retail and B2B segments performed very well, the Group was unable to escape the weak trend in the German
e-commerce market - in line with the industry as a whole. In an environment characterised overall by consumer restraint
and a general decline in per capita wine consumption, the Hawesko Group nevertheless performed better than the market
as a whole.
Highly differentiated price increases - combined with further development of the product ranges, which strengthened
customers' purchasing behaviour - contributed to this development. At the same time, rising costs along the entire
value chain were countered thanks to targeted cost reductions and productivity improvements, with the result that Group
operating EBIT* of EUR 34 million was only slightly lower than in the previous year (EUR 37 million). The operating EBIT
margin was a solid 5.1 per cent (previous year: 5.6 per cent).
In autumn 2023, the Hawesko Group entered into a significant partnership in the form of a joint venture with the Dunker
Group (Tallinn, Estonia) in order to expand further. With sales of EUR 77 million, the Dunker Group is a leading and
dynamically growing B2B wine retailer in the premium segment in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, thereby strengthening
the strategic ambitions to grow further in Europe.
Looking ahead to 2024, the Board of Management again expects the Hawesko Group to move sideways in view of the
persistently challenging economic conditions. However, in anticipation of pleasing year-end business, a slightly
positive sales trend is expected. On the earnings side, given the usual seasonality with a profitable year-end
business, it is expected that at least the previous year's level will be achieved for the year as a whole. The
e-commerce segment is likely to be influenced most directly by consumer sentiment. In comparison, the Retail segment
and its perception as a business for everyday needs with very high customer loyalty and the B2B segment are expected to
continue their stable development.
Following the completion of the Hawesko Group's largest single investment to date in the expansion of the logistics
centre in Tornesch in spring 2024, the use of technological support was also successfully increased. The autonomous
mobile robot technologies used for the first time to expand customer service and cost efficiency form the basis for
further growth and thus the expansion of permanent jobs.
With sales down on the previous year in the first quarter of 2024, the challenges remain great. The Hawesko Group is
continuing to adapt to the current economic situation. At the same time, optimisations are being implemented from
product selection to sales strategy and the increased use of AI. The first recognisable signs indicate that consumer
sentiment will improve slightly in the second half of the year and could lead to impetus to buy.
The Hawesko Group anticipates an operating result of around EUR 34 million in 2023. At over 5 percent, the profit margin
achieved is within the forecast range. The persistently challenging market conditions already led to systematic cost
reductions in all segments of the Hawesko Group at the start of 2023. This was the only way to stabilise the operating
result.
*adjusted for non-recurring, non-operating items in accordance with the catalogue

# # #
As a leading trading group for high-quality wines, champagnes and spirits, the Hawesko Group employs around 1,300
people across the Retail (Jacques' and Wein & Co.), B2B (especially Wein Wolf, Abayan and Grand Cru Select) and
e-commerce (especially HAWESKO, Vinos and WirWinzer) segments. The shares in Hawesko Holding SE are listed on the
Hanseatic Stock Exchange, Hamburg, and in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Publisher:
Hawesko Holding SE
Elbkaihaus
Grosse Elbstrasse 145 d
22767 Hamburg
Germany

Internet:
hawesko-holding.com Corporate information

hawesko.de  Extensive range for wine connoisseurs 
jacques.de  Jacques' locations and online offerings 
weinco.at   Austria's leading specialist wine dealer 
vinos.de   The best wines from Spain 
wirwinzer.de  German wines directly from the producers 
tesdorpf.de  Traditional fine wine trader 
weinart.de   Rarities and top wines from around the world 

the-wine-company.se Excellent wines for Sweden

enzo.de   Italian wines and lifestyles 
globalwine.ch  Premium portfolio for highest quality demands 
weinwolf.de  International wine variety 
volume-spirits.de  Exquisite spirits portfolio 
abayan.de   Top wines from Italy 
global-wines.cz  Omnichannel premium retailer in the Czech Republic 
dunker.ee   Premium distributor in the Baltic States 

Press and Investor Relations contact:

Tel.  (+49) 40 3039 2100 
Tel.  (+49) 40 3039 2105 
E-mail: ir@hawesko-holding.com  

2024-04-18 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com  
Language:     English 
Company:      Hawesko Holding SE 

Große Elbstraße 145 d
22767 Hamburg
Germany

Phone:        +49 40 30 39 2100 
Fax:          +49 40 30 39 2105 
E-mail:       ir@hawesko-holding.com 
Internet:     www.hawesko-holding.com 
ISIN:         DE0006042708 
WKN:          604270 
Listed:       Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Hamburg; Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, 

Dusseldorf, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
EQS News ID: 1883093

End of News EQS News Service
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1883093 2024-04-18 CET/CEST

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END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 18, 2024 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)