Olymp Bezner KG, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen in Baden-Württemberg, had to record a decline in sales in 2024 after two years of growth.
Revenues in the completed 2024 financial year amount to 212 million euros, Olymp announced on Wednesday. In 2023 it was still 229 million euros.
Mark Bezner describes 2024 as the “most challenging and difficult” year that the boss of the shirt specialist faced as a business owner. “It was much worse than the Corona years, as there were no imposed restrictions that would have affected fashion consumption in any way. However, numerous other influencing factors have led to an unprecedented reluctance to purchase clothing.”
Bezner optimistic for 2025
Olymp used the difficult year to “optimize internal processes and invest in the brand and products,” said Bezner. The shirt supplier therefore remains optimistic for 2025. The next step is to start online sales in Switzerland, one of the most important Export markets for the brand. But digitalization in the company should also be promoted overall, especially in product development and the showrooms.
“Olymp has always been managed within the framework of financial possibilities on a solid basis and with entrepreneurial foresight,” says Bezner. “We remain in a healthy position and are in a position to get off to a flying start this year with increased brand strength.”
Decline in sales of the Olymp-Bezner Group
Maerz Muenchen KG, which, like Olymp, belongs to the Olymp Bezner Group, achieved sales of 27.4 million euros in 2024, compared to 27.8 million euros in the previous year (-1.4 percent). The reason for this is stagnating retail sales in the core markets of Germany and Austria as well as bankruptcies and store closures in textile retailers.
“Especially in the first half of the year, we fell far short of our expectations,” said Maerz managing director Katja Beibl, who will hand over management to Louis Bezner in February. “The second half of the year was significantly more positive and in the end, unfortunately, it was not enough for the company to grow overall.”
The women’s collection developed positively, growing by five percent compared to the previous year. The Munich-based knitwear specialist also achieved growth in its own sales channels. With its own stores and online shop, Maerz achieved an increase of ten percent.
The cumulative total sales of the Olymp-Bezner Group amounted to 239.4 million euros last year. This means that the group’s revenue fell by around 6.8 percent compared to the previous year.