North America

In the USA, the world’s largest chocolate market, Lindt & Sprüngli grew by 14.0% to USD 804 million last year. Lindor remains by far the most important product group in the USA and has been expanded to include the Birthday Cake and Oatmilk flavors. With the non-dairy Lindor Oatmilk, a successful addition to the range, we are tapping into new customer segments in the US market. The Excellence brand held top position in the dark chocolate segment. This was achieved, among other things, with a new TV advert specifically aimed at the US market for the first time. The concept of dark chocolate is not yet as well established in the US as it is in Europe. It, therefore, needs to be communicated to consumers in a different way. Milk chocolates in the Classic Recipe brand once again achieved high sales in the US market. Overall, Lindt & Sprüngli USA grew its market share and continued to deliver accelerated growth in all seasons – Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. In line with our sales growth, we are increasing our capacities in the United States, which is why the production site in Stratham, New Hampshire is currently being expanded. The project is running according to plan. Production is scheduled to become fully operational in 2024 and 2025, which will significantly increase the plant’s capacity. Thanks to high investments in automation, productivity will be noticeably improved.

Russell Stover increased sales by 5.8% to USD 399 million. Following the successful reorganization, the subsidiary is back on the road to success and, as in the previous year, recorded positive sales growth. The Group expanded its position in the praline segment and thus once again achieved first place in Valentine’s Day business this year. Russell Stover is also the market leader in the sugar-free chocolate area. The launch of the first sugar-free heart box was a great success. A successful Easter business was added as a second important season alongside the Christmas business. Russell Stover, founded in 1923, celebrated its 100^th anniversary and, as a traditional brand, has made many generations happy with its products. To mark the anniversary, Russell Stover broke the Guinness World Record for the largest box of pralines, filled with 5,616 pounds of chocolate. Russell Stover has made progress both on the market and internally in the company. Further investments in automation have improved the placement of gift wrappers as well as the quality and environmental sustainability of our products.

The Canadian market increased sales by 10.1% to CAD 414 million. Growth was mainly generated by the Lindor and seasonal products categories, with the Gold Bunny being the most popular chocolate figure in the market. The Ghirardelli product range distributed by Lindt Canada with the exclusive Pick & Mix offer also performed well. Lindor remains the most important individual brand in the entire chocolate market. Excellence led the dark chocolate category, although a trend towards milk chocolate was also discernible in Canada, to which we catered very well with the Swiss Classic brand. In terms of distribution channels, the Lindt Shops stood out with the strongest growth, with a new opening in Halifax, followed by the retail trading business. In addition, online channels, both own channels and those of partners, have continued to grow.