2021

• Consolidated revenues of EUR 31.4 million achieved
• Consolidated EBIT and consolidated EBITDA are positive but lower than in Q1 2020, as anticipated
• Forecast for the 2021 financial year confirmed

Haselünne, May 4, 2021 – Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, which is listed on the Regulated Market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602), today presented its Interim Report for the first quarter of the 2021 financial year. Over the first three months of this year, the corporate group generated consolidated revenues of EUR 31.4 million (Q1 2020: EUR 36.2 million). Consolidated earnings before interest and taxes (consolidated EBIT) for the first quarter stood at EUR 0.5 million (Q1 2020: EUR 1.1 million). Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (consolidated EBITDA) came to EUR 2.7 million (Q1 2020: EUR 3.2 million).                                                                               

“As expected, and as we already communicated at the beginning of the year, the coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on our business activities in the first quarter of the 2021 financial year,” explained Oliver Schwegmann, one of the members of the Executive Board of Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft. The ongoing lockdown has placed massive restrictions on public and private life over all three months of the quarter, he continued, pointing out the contrast to the equivalent quarter in the previous year, when the pandemic only resulted in dampening effects lasting several weeks – starting in mid-March. “Despite this challenging economic and social situation, we still managed to close the first quarter of 2021 profitably and achieve a positive consolidated operating result”, said Schwegmann.

All segments across the Berentzen Group experienced declines in revenues, although to widely varying extents. The Fresh Juice Systems segment continued to record the strongest fall in revenues. Developments were also very heterogeneous within the segments. “While in the Spirits segment, for example, revenues from our core brands Berentzen and Puschkin continue to suffer massively from the cancellation of consumption occasions, such as public and private celebrations, we achieved significant growth among our premium spirits as well as in the area of brands and private-label brands”, explained Schwegmann, adding: “Despite the challenging times we are facing, our Non-alcoholic Beverages segment again recorded double-digit revenue growth thanks to the Mio Mio brand. However, the franchise business’ significant slump in restaurants coupled with lower revenues from the contract bottling business in particular resulted in an overall decline in revenues in this segment.”

Further outlook for the 2021 financial year

Given the current rate of infection and the ongoing lockdown situation, the Berentzen Group anticipates challenges in the second quarter of the financial year, too. However, as the vaccination programme progresses and steps are taken to return to normality, the corporate group expects to see a gradual recovery in its business activities over the further course of the year. The corporate group therefore confirms its annual forecast again today. Specifically, the corporate group expects to achieve consolidated revenues in the range of EUR 152.0 million to EUR 158.0 million, a consolidated EBIT between EUR 4.0 million and EUR 6.0 million and a consolidated EBITDA between EUR 13.0 million and EUR 15.0 million.