Growth Plan for a French Kitchen‑Tech Group

The company in France announced that its sales grew only a tiny amount last year, but profits fell sharply. The drop was caused by high tariffs in the United States, swings in currency values and a tough market for professional kitchen equipment. The decline eased toward the end of the year as those pressures lessened. To get back on a profitable path, management unveiled a “Rebound” strategy. It will speed up product launches and use new digital tools, especially artificial intelligence, to reach customers faster. The plan also cuts costs by €200 million and will streamline the organization, affecting about 2, 100 jobs worldwide. Sales figures show a mixed picture. The consumer side grew slightly in Europe and Asia, but fell in the Americas because of tariff changes and weather‑related drops in fan sales. Online sales jumped about ten percent, helped by direct‑to‑consumer channels.

The professional division saw a 5. 9 % decline in sales, largely due to a high comparison base from the previous year’s coffee contract. However, it stabilized in the second half of the year and even grew in some new markets. Financially, operating profit fell by roughly 25 % to €601 million. The main causes were currency swings, tariff impacts in the U. S. , and a high comparison base from earlier coffee sales. Net debt rose to €2. 34 billion, partly because of capital spending and a fine paid to the French competition authority. The group also received strong environmental ratings, earning a double‑A status from the Carbon Disclosure Project and improved scores from other ESG agencies. Looking ahead, the company expects operating results to recover in 2026 and aims for a 5 % annual sales growth with a 10 % operating margin, moving toward 11 % in the long term.

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