Hamburg, November 8, 2023: The wine trading group Hawesko Holding SE (HAW, HAWG.DE, DE0006042708) today published its quarterly statement as of September 30, 2023. With sales of € 143 million (previous year: € 148 million) and an adj. EBIT of € 5.3 million (previous year: € 5.3 million), consistent cost reductions in a difficult market environment are taking effect in the third quarter of 2023.

At the end of the third quarter, inflation had flattened out compared to the previous months, but consumer sentiment remained depressed and the German economy as a whole slipped into recession. The resulting reluctance to spend in online retail could not be offset by slight growth in the retail segment and a positive trend in the food service industry (B2B segment). In the third quarter of 2023, sales were therefore three percent down on the previous year. Sales for the period from January to September were on a par with the previous year.

As a result of the sales trend, the Management Board and management have continued to respond with consistent cost reductions in the areas of marketing, logistics and administration and - where possible - adjusted gross margins. As a result, the operating result remained constant in the third quarter despite the decline in sales and inflation. The operating result for the period from January to September amounted to € 18.6 million (previous year: € 20.6 million). As a result of the measures taken to reduce inventory levels, operating cash flow improved further in a 9-month comparison and is now 30% above the previous year's level.

The slower turnaround of the Austrian subsidiary WEIN&CO due to the economic situation and the persistently high level of interest rates also necessitated an extraordinary goodwill impairment in the third quarter.

The Board of Management of the Hawesko Group expects market conditions to remain challenging for 2023 as a whole and recently adjusted its forecast. For the fourth quarter, sales and EBIT are now expected to be at the previous year's level. Overall, the Board of Management anticipates a sales trend of up to minus three percent and an operating result of € 32 to € 35 million for 2023.

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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

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