Lindt bets on the US market – it's daring

The question of whether Lindt and Sprüngli will succeed in America is debatable. (Photo: Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters)

Lindt and Sprüngli have big plans in the United States. As the Group has announced in the context of its semester report, over the next few years, CHF 200 million will be invested in the Stratham, New Hampshire site. With an increase in capacity, the company wants to arm for the expected volume growth, as it is called. The amount is considerable compared to the 30 million francs devoted to the modernization of the site of Olten, or the 25 million francs which will be used to complete a logistics building in Aachen.

is also remarkable given the problems Lindt has recently encountered in the US sector. Praline producer Russell Stover has had growth problems for years, and it takes longer to correct than expected. The question that arises in this context is whether Lindt's problems with Russell Stover are only company-specific, or whether it is the market that is losing momentum rapidly.

There are good reasons to talk and to suggest the latter. evaluate growth prospects in North America with skepticism. The market experienced low growth rates in this region for a long time and stagnated again in the first half of the year. This has structural causes among other things. It is well known that Americans' eating habits have changed, that they prefer more and more healthier foods to sweets. Notably for this reason, Nestlé is also separated from the US confectionery business. E-commerce is another trend that is causing disruption and forcing conventional providers to make adjustments. – The decision to build capacity in this challenging environment is bold and suggests that Lindt sees hidden business opportunities up here to ordinary market watchers.