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acquires Villeroy & Boch Lenox Cambridge Silversmiths reports ‘significant increase’ in the first half of 2022 Villeroy & Boch has reported a 9.1 per cent rise in consolidated revenue to €490.3 million in the first half of year. EBIT, meanwhile, increased by 9.8 per cent year-onyear to € 41.3 million. This earnings growth was primarily attributable to good revenue performance, which offset the additional costs resulting from the sharp rise in material and energy prices. In the first half of 2022, the Villeroy & Boch Group generated consolidated revenue (incl. licence income) of €490.3 million, up €40.7 million or 9.1 per cent, on the same period of the previous year. Incoming orders increased in the first half of 2022, rising by € 23.7 million as against 31 December 2021 to €210.5 million. The Bathroom & Wellness Division accounted for € 169.1 million, with the remaining € 41.4 million attributable to the Dining & Lifestyle Division.
The Dining & Lifestyle Division generated revenue of € 140.9 million in the first half of 2022, an increase of 12.6 per cent or €15.8 million on the same period of the previous year. Revenue at the Group’s own retail stores (€ +10.9 million), revenue with retail outlet partners (€ +4.6 million) and project business with hotel and restaurant customers (€ +6.2 million) all increased. This good revenue performance was driven by increased digitalisation in marketing and sales, a successful product range policy and the expansion of the communication strategy. On the back of the revenue growth, the Dining & Lifestyle Division recorded an operating result (EBIT ) of €4.9 million, up significantly on the previous year (€ 2.7 million).
Denby seeks new investors to accelerate recent growth Denby is looking for new investors to accelerate its recent growth. While the brand and business goes from strength-to-strength in its home UK market, as well as overseas in North America, South Korea and China, they are now on the hunt for further investment. Sebastian Lazell, group CEO, Denby, explains that while Hilco Capital “are delighted” with the company’s growth, they are now seeking support from investors who can help drive Denby forward even more. ““Denby Pottery, our investors and advisors are, therefore, reviewing options for the future ownership of the Denby Group, potentially involving the support of investors better suited to the increasingly international needs of the business in the years ahead. No decisions have been taken at this time and any potential future decision will be taken with the interests of the company’s stakeholders always in mind." 12 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
Lenox Corporation recently announced the acquisition of Cambridge Silversmiths. The deal includes all existing Cambridge-branded tabletop products including flatware and drinkware but does not include the Thirstystone brand. “The addition of the Cambridge business affords us the opportunity to further connect consumers to our house of brands,” said Bob Burbank, CEO of Lenox Corporation. “We are happy to be joining the Lenox Corporation, an industry leader with such an impressive portfolio of brands,” said Harold Freeman, EVP Cambridge Silversmiths, Ltd., Inc. “Both of us value strong customer relationships by providing retailers with best-in-class products.”
Lalique marks centenary of Alsace factory Lalique has marked 100-years of its Alsace factory by crafting an exceptional bottle containing a new Lalique fragrance, named Fusion, and a beautiful spirit decanter called Water drop. To mark a century of manufacturing, Lalique’s Fusion flacon is exceptional in that just ten signed and numbered pieces exist. The Lalique Design Studio, under the direction of Marc Larminaux, worked in close collaboration with the master glassmakers to create this tribute to their expertise. Meanwhile, as a tribute to the history of Lalique, an original design was chosen from the company archives for a white glass decanter produced in 1922, the year in which the first furnace in René Lalique’s glassworks was lit. In 2022, one hundred years after its first edition, the Water drop decanter has been recreated in satin-polished crystal, the signature Lalique style that reflects the artisans’ unique expertise.
Vodka trumps gin Vodka is now more popular than gin in the UK, according to a recent report by The Grocer. It found that Smirnoff enjoyed a £22m boost (3.9 per cent rise) while gin brand Gordons saw a decline in sales of £81m. The Grocer said: “Britain's gin boom is drawing to a close in the UK's supermarkets as vodka picks up the slack” while adding “many of the UK's biggest gin brands have suffered massive declines. Conversely, the biggest vodka brands have made large gains.”
