Beiersdorf returns to growth in first quarter of 2010

Beiersdorf has posted improved sales figures for the first three months of 2010, during which the group’s organic sales grew by six per cent.

Over the course of the three-month period, sales exceeded 1.5 billion euros (1.3 billion pounds), an increase of 6.9 per cent on the 1.4 billion euros which it earned between January and March 2009.

The firm’s consumer business subsidiary saw a four per cent increase in first quarter sales, with the value of nominal sales growing to 1.3 billion euros.

It said that while Europe is currently its weakest performing market, sales in the region still performed strongly, with countries in the west of the continent achieving year-on-year sales growth of one per cent.

“In the first quarter of 2010, we showed that we are back on a growth path. Our development has yet to quite match our ambitious growth expectations, but we are on the right track,” said chief executive officer Thomas Quaas.

Last month, Beiersdorf revealed its sales from the whole of 2009 were down by just 0.7 per cent on the record breaking volumes it recorded in the previous year.