Arnold André enjoys positive sales growth for 2009

Arnold André Managing Directors Wiljo van Maren (top) and Rainer Göhner are pleased with the 2009 financial results

GERMANY. German cigar company Arnold André has posted a gross sales increase of +6.2% for 2009, driven by significant growth both at home and abroad.

Total sales of cigars manufactured by the company climbed by +6.3% to €356 million. Gross sales amounted to €75.6 million in 2009 compared to €65 million in 2008.

In view of the difficult business environment, the management of the Bünde-based company say they are “more than happy” with this positive result.

Managing Directors Rainer Göhner and Wiljo van Maren see this as confirmation of their corporate policy: “The comprehensive smoking bans and, last but not least, the economic crisis that is still having major repercussions have changed the consumer behaviour of smokers quite significantly.

“Fortunately, our product policy response to this development has been timely. The result for the economic year ending shows that the decisions we have made were the right ones. The strong revival of domestic demand can be attributed above all to our new mini sizes under the Clubmaster brand and the favourably priced €1 products of the traditional Handelsgold brand.”

Significant growth in France

An important driver of the company’s development continues to be the export trade, which makes up almost 50% of the company’s overall turnover.

In the French market, a turnover increase of +12.6% has enabled the firm to gain a “considerable share of the market – even the more remarkable considering that in 2009 the overall cigar consumption of the French dropped by as much as -3.2%”, the company said.

With 71.6 million cigars sold in 2009 (compared with 64.3 million in 2008) the French market represents around one fifth of Arnold André’s overall turnover. According to Managing Director Wiljo van Maren, this success is due to the dedication and commitment of the 22 staff members working at its France-based sales company.

In the remaining export markets – mainly Spain and Portugal – a combined turnover growth of +4.6% was achieved.