Berentzen-Gruppe has booked annual revenues lower than the German drinks business projected in October.
In “preliminary” figures released yesterday (11 February), the German spirits and soft drinks group reported revenue of €162.9m ($193.5m) for 2025, down about 10.4% from 2024.
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The result was below the company’s October forecast of €165m to €169m.
Chief executive Oliver Schwegmann said “continuing challenging market conditions” affected the company’s sales.
The group, which owns Berentzen and Mio Mio brands, also linked the decline to the disposal of its mineral water facility in Grüneberg in October 2024.
“Continuing to operate the site no longer made sense for us from a profitability perspective”, Schwegmann said.
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By GlobalDataBeyond the impact of the disposal, Berentzen said the drop in revenue was driven by changes in consumer behaviour.
The Puschkin vodka maker highlighted that was especially visible in the German spirits category, where it said the market saw “significant” declines in sales.
Berentzen’s profitability also weakened. Consolidated EBIT fell 19.8% to €8.5m, translating to an EBIT margin of 5.2% versus 5.8% in 2024.
Consolidated EBITDA totalled €17.1m, down 11.4%, with the EBITDA margin edging lower to 10.5% from 10.7%.
Schwegmann said that, despite the overall downturn, there were “many products within our broad portfolio that have recorded positive growth momentum”.
He listed Berentzen Minis, the company’s “premium private-label concepts” and the canned Mio Mio products the group launched last year.
He added the company sees “real growth potential for the future in our existing core business”, while arguing that longer-term ambitions require expansion beyond established areas.
“However, in order to achieve our further growth ambitions in a lasting and sustainable manner, it is essential that we continue to develop beyond these core areas and respond to the profound changes in consumer markets with new ideas,” Schwegmann said.
The company set out that direction in November with a new strategy, Berentzen Evolve 2030, built around “novel brands and products”, “new markets” and “new sales channels”.
Schwegmann said work is already in motion.
“The first concrete measures and projects have already been launched. We are convinced that these and others will unfold their full potential in the coming months and years, enabling us to achieve our most important goal of Berentzen Evolve 2030 – significant revenue growth while simultaneously increasing profitability,” Schwegmann said.
