Valora Holding AG: records strong sales growth in 2023

Muttenz / CH. (vh) Valora Holding AG, an indirect subsidiary of FEMSA Fomento Económico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. based in Monterrey (Mexico), recorded strong sales growth in 2023. Group sales rose to 2.8 billion Swiss francs (CHF). This corresponds to an increase of CHF 218 million, or 8.5 percent, compared to the previous year. Growth was driven mainly by rising food sales in all business areas. At almost 20 percent, the wholesale pretzel business recorded the highest increase in sales.

In an internationally challenging macroeconomic environment, the Valora Group not only posted strong sales growth in all business sectors, but also increased its operating profit (Ebit) by 34 percent to CHF 70 million. This improvement resulted from higher food sales in the sales outlets, the growing wholesale pretzel business and the positive effects of vertical integration in the in-house pretzel production business.

(Photo: Valora Holding)

Successful foodvenience strategy

Valora is meeting growing consumer demand for fresh and healthy out-of-home food by consistently implementing its foodvenience strategy, which combines fresh food offerings and retail. With the addition of 42 locations, the Valora sales outlet network in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands now comprises more than 2,800 outlets.

A leading provider in the convenience business

In Switzerland, Valora successfully completed the acquisition of the Moveri service station stores to expand its network to some 180 locations. By the end of the year, the last locations secured by the SBB tender had also been fitted out in line with the latest standards. With its expanded sales outlet network, «Avec» is now one of the leading Swiss convenience providers. With a share of just under 40 percent of all sales outlets, «K-Kiosk» remains not only the Valora Group’s best-known, but also its most widespread brand in 2023.

Strong growth in food business

With a new store concept, the established brand «BackWerk» was successfully launched at the main railway stations in the Netherlands in 2023. The «Brezelkönig» and «Ditsch» brands, which are popular in Switzerland and Germany respectively, had a successful financial year and again increased sales. The trendy fast-casual brand «Frittenwerk» also grew strongly again last year to 44 sales outlets in Germany.

Growing demand for pretzels in wholesale trade

With its «Ditsch» brand, Valora further consolidated its position as the global market leader in the pretzel wholesale business. The plants in Germany (Mainz and Oranienbaum) and the U.S. (Cincinnati) were able to meet the growing demand for pretzels by making optimum use of their expanded production capacities. In the US and Germany, further steps to increase capacity were already taken last year.