Natura advances the wind at the stern

The Brazilian cosmetics group, owner of Natura, Aesop and The Body Shop, announced in a press release that its consolidated turnover volume increased by 55.5% in the first quarter of its fiscal year at 2700 million reals (605 million euros), compared to 1700 million reals (381 million euros) in the first quarter of 2017. On a pro forma basis, growth is 11%. "Natura & Co records a third consecutive quarter of sales growth and profitability, demonstrating the effectiveness of the group's multi-brand and multi-channel approach, and we are particularly pleased that our three brands have contributed to collective success during the quarter, "said the company's management team.

Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization amounted to R $ 318.9 million (€ 71.5 million), compared to R $ 364.6 million ( 81.75 million euros) in the same quarter of last year, while net profit million reals (42.38 million euros) last year at 24.4 million reals (5.47 million euros) during the reported quarter. According to Natura, this decline is mainly explained by the exceptional rates and tax charges related to the acquisition of The Body Shop, acquired from L Oréal last year. On a comparable basis, excluding the result of The Body Shop, Natura's net profit stands at 88.2 million reais (19.78 million euros), compared to a loss of 1.3 million reais (0, 29 million euros) in the first quarter of 2017. Free cash flow was also affected by the acquisition of The Body Shop, with a capital outflow of 351 million reais (78.7 millions of euros), compared to 16.5 million at the same period last year.

Specifically by brand, Natura's revenues increased by 6.7% compared to the same period in 2017; this growth was 0.8% in Brazil (3% like-for-like). Productivity increased by 21.8%. Online sales have almost doubled in the country and now represent 3.6% of net sales in Brazil. In Latin America, brand revenues increased 23.1%, with significant growth in Argentina, Mexico and Chile. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totaled R $ 250.6 million (€ 56.19 million), up 23.8%, while the margin before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization Depreciation, on a comparable basis, has improved considerably. "Recent news that Natura has acquired a dominant position in the cosmetics, perfume and personal care products markets confirms that the company is on the right track thanks to its new strategy, new impetus in direct sales to the consumer and digital sales more and more, and its omni-channel approach, "says the group.

Aesop recorded a turnover growth of 30.8%, with comparable sales up 18 %.E ​​EBITDA reached 27 million reais (6.05 million euros), an increase of 118.4%, while margins increased by 500 basis points According to the group, the brand has opened 28 new stores in the last 12 months, as well as 12 stores in department stores, a particularly profitable expansion for their revenues Aesop now operates 305 points of sale: 208 stores clean and 97 spaced in department stores.

The group's latest acquisition, The Body Shop, had its best quarter since 2010, with a total business turnover of 807.3 million reais (181.01 million euros) on a Pro forma basis. The brand has experienced strong growth in sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in its franchise stores, its own stores and its e-commerce platform. EBITDA was established at 57.1 million reais (12.8 million euros), compared with a decrease of 11.1 million reais (2.49 million euros) compared with the previous year. at the same time of the previous year. As part of its new strategy to optimize its distribution network, 43 The Body Shop stores closed during the quarter, with the brand now operating a total of 1068 stores. In addition, 12 franchises also closed, from an impressive total of 1938.

The group also pointed to a series of improvements in its ethical commitments: "Beyond the numbers, we continued to progress in sustainability, as part of our commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices Natura's carbon dioxide emissions are below our quarterly limits With nearly 6 million signatures to date, The Body Shop is Nearly reaching its goal of 8 million signatures in their global petition, in badociation with Cruelty Free International, to end animal testing globally. "