HelloFresh Group: announces strong Q3-2021 results

Berlin / DE. (hf) HelloFresh SE, the world’s leading meal kit company, announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2021. The company saw continued strong revenue growth on group level of 45 percent y-o-y on a constant currency basis in this year’s third quarter, following the anticipated return of more normal summer seasonality compared to Q3 2020. This strong revenue growth was mainly driven by a significant increase in active customers (38.8 percent), strong customer engagement illustrated by high order rates and an increase in average order values. HelloFresh group’s contribution margin reached 22.5 percent in Q3 2021, primarily a result of the company’s ongoing capacity ramp-up, the return of normal summer seasonality and, to a lesser degree, some inflation in certain cost categories. The third quarter’s AEbitda margin amounted to 5.6 percent.

«In Q3 2021 we have continued to invest heavily into our product and service levels, significantly improving the value proposition for our customers. We have also doubled down on the ongoing expansion of our production capacity to create the right platform for strong long-term growth. In addition, we further expanded our total addressable market by successfully launching HelloFresh in Norway in July and in Italy in October. With all of these investments in place, we remain focused on reaching our mid-term revenue target of EUR 10 billion and on paving the way to becoming the world’s leading food solutions group», says Dominik Richter, co-founder and CEO of HelloFresh.

Ongoing investments into growth opportunities and TAM expansion

HelloFresh continues to invest into both expanding its TAM (total addressable market) and increasing its TAM penetration in existing markets. Notable initiatives included launching HelloFresh in Italy and successfully closing the acquisition of Australia’s leading company in the ready-to-eat segment, Youfoodz. Furthermore, the company recently announced its acquisition of an approximately 10 percent stake in Russia’s leading meal kit company, Chefmarket, by way of a cash capital increase. The investment represents a strategic step for HelloFresh to tap into an emerging market with significant growth potential.

10 years of delivering fresh meal solutions to customers around the world

November 2011 marked the birth date of HelloFresh. What started with the lofty mission «to change the way people eat forever» has grown into a successful global company, on track to deliver more than 900 million meals to its consumers this year. Since its initial launch, the company has developed a unique data-driven business model that is powered by bespoke, in-house built software solutions all across its value chain. More recently, HelloFresh has articulated its vision to become the world’s leading food solutions group. As announced during the company’s Capital Markets Day 2020, HelloFresh’s growth strategy encapsulates (i) further TAM penetration across its existing markets, (ii) new geographic market launches, (iii) the expansion of its brand portfolio within existing markets, (iv) the scale up and further internationalization of its ready-to-eat offering and (v) establishing the HelloFresh Marketplace with an attractive assortment for other meal occasions as the key pillars.

Updated revenue guidance for 2021

Based on the HelloFresh Group’s strong revenue growth year-to-date through October, driven by strong year-on-year customer growth and, continued high order rates, and high average order value, its management board decided today to increase the Company’s full year 2021 revenue growth outlook for the HelloFresh Group on a constant currency basis from previously between 45 percent and 55 percent to now between 57 percent and 62 percent. Based on current exchange rates, this would translate into a Euro-reported revenue growth of approx. two to three percentage points lower than the revenue growth on a constant currency basis. The increased growth outlook includes an approx. 0.4 percent growth contribution from the acquisition of Youfoodz, which closed on 27 October 2021 and will be consolidated for the months November and December 2021 in HelloFresh Group’s revenue. The Company does not change its adjusted Ebitda (AEbitda) margin outlook as it still expects a full year 2021 AEbitda margin for the HelloFresh Group between 8.25 percent and 10.25 percent.