The Swiss textile group Calida Holding AG has felt the cautious consumer: internal mood in the 2024 financial year. Nevertheless, the group, who also announced a change of managing director on Friday, spoke of a “satisfactory development”.
“The strategic reorientation of the Calida Group decided in 2023 shaped the 2024 financial year,” said the executive board of directors Felix Sulzberger. “The structural and operational optimization of our group with focus on the textile business is progressing. The steamed consumer: Interior mood in the core markets continues to influence the sales development of our brands. ”
New CEO for Calida
At the same time as the annual results, the Calida Group also announced some changes in its management team.
Thomas Stöcklin was appointed the new managing director of the group. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Swiss department store chain Manor will take over his new post on June 1, 2025. It is a return to Calida for the future CEO because he had previously worked for the group for around 13 years, most recently as a CFO. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors since 2023.
“I am very pleased that with Thomas Stöcklin we were able to win a very experienced personality with a high affinity and many years of experience with the brands of the Calida Group and in the retail market for the demanding task at the Calida Group,” said Sulzberger. “Thanks to the long -term collaboration with Thomas Stöcklin both in the management and in the past two years on the Board of Directors of the Calida Group, a quick and seamless handover of responsibilities is ensured.”
However, there are also changes for Sulzberger himself, because he releases the operational leadership on May 31, 2025 and will make himself available as an executive board of directors after the general assembly. In addition, board member Gregor Greber, chairman of the Risk and Audit committee, decided not to run for another term at the General Assembly on April 8, 2025. Greber has been a member of the committee since 2020. As a new candidate for the board of directors, the committee Andrea Sieber proposes for election.
Group recorded a decline in sales in the previous year comparison
Last year, the group turnover from continued business areas-i.e. without the shares of the outdoor furniture division Lafuma Mobilier sold in August-was CHF 231.0 million (CHF 245.28 million). Current -adjusted this corresponded to a decline in sales of 8.5 percent in the previous year comparison.
The company’s eponymous core brand, Calida, recorded a decline in sales from 4.8 percent to CHF 150.2 million (Current -adjusted -3.2 percent). In particular, the declining fourth quarter led to this decline. The aubade laundry label also had to accept a minus. Here sales dropped 7.9 percent to CHF 63.5 million (Current -adjusted -6.1 percent).
The Cosabella brand, which is currently in “necessary repositioning and organizational and structural restructuring”, recorded a significantly stronger decline in sales. Due to “the undesirable developments of the past few years”, the label, which was taken over at the end of May 2022, had to accept a sales of 17.4 million euros that was reduced by currency.
On the other hand, there was positive developments in the area of e-commerce. In 2024, the digital sales share of the Calida Group amounted to 33.7 percent compared to 30.8 percent in the previous year.
Calida Group back in the black
Despite declining sales, the group returned to the black in 2024. While high disposal pollution pressed the group in 2023 into the loss zone, this year, thanks to a profit from the sale of Lafuma Mobilier, it was able to grow to CHF 14.9 million. In 2023, the bottom line was a loss of CHF 66.5 million. The net degree, which was still 0.3 million Swiss francs last year, also rose to 17.4 million Swiss francs, which is now free of debt again.
The adjusted company profit of the Calida Group was reduced to CHF 6.4 million due to the declining turnover, after which was still CHF 10.9 million in the previous year.