Hawesko Group gains market share again in 2018

Hamburg, 30 January 2019. Today the wine-trading group Hawesko Holding AG (HAW GR, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708), Europe's leading wine trading company and Germany's No. 1 purveyor of premium wines and champagnes, announced that based on preliminary figures it achieved consolidated sales of EUR 525 million in fiscal year 2018. For the first time, this figure includes a sales contribution of the Austrian market leader Wein & Co. Thus, sales of the Hawesko Group in fiscal year 2018 increased by 3.5% over the previous year. Excluding Wine & Co., consolidated sales amounted to EUR 511 million (+0.7% compared to the previous year). As the German wine market overall declined in terms of value and volume in fiscal year 2018, the Group once again increased its share of the market. With regard to consolidated EBIT, the Hawesko management board expects a figure of approximately EUR 28 million excluding the non-recurring charges arising from Wein & Co. In the previous year, EBIT amounted to EUR 30.4 million. Including the non-recurring charges from the initial consolidation of Wein & Co., consolidated EBIT for 2018 will be approximately EUR 25 million based on preliminary figures.

CEO Thorsten Hermelink commented, "The year 2018 was not easy for us primarily due to the intense, long-lasting summer heat in the third quarter. The high temperatures simply caused people in Germany to drink less wine. In the fourth quarter, demand returned to normal again, but it was not possible to compensate fully for the decline in the third quarter. Based on the information available to us, the wine market in Germany contracted over the past year, so that the slight growth we achieved is even more important. I was especially pleased that we received an additional boost in sales in the fourth quarter from Wein & Co., the market leader for premium wines in Austria. Thus, we are continuing to grow both organically and via acquisitions. With regard to consolidated EBIT, we achieved our revised target." Hermelink added, "In the current fiscal year we are working hard to create the foundations for further strengthening our market position. At the same time we want to continue growing profitably."

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Hawesko Holding AG is a leading supplier of premium wines and champagnes. In fiscal year 2017, the Group employed 954 persons in the company's three sales channels: omnichannel (Jacques' Wein-Depot), B2B (Wein Wolf and CWD Champagner- und Wein-Distributionsgesellschaft) and digital (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.

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 (Selected Spanish wines)
wirwinzer.de (German wines directly from the producers)

Press and Investor Relations contact:
Thomas Hutchinson
Phone: +49 (0)40 30 39 21 00
Fax +49 (0)40 30 39 21 05
E-mail: [email protected]