Campari to raise drinks prices in 2022 to offset surging costs By Reuters

By Francesca Landini

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s Campari plans greater than normal will increase in drinks costs subsequent yr to offset surging prices for logistics and uncooked supplies together with glass, alcohol and sugar, its high government stated.

On Tuesday the maker of Aperol and Campari bitters reported a 12.8% yearly rise in like-for-like gross sales within the July-September interval as shoppers went again to consuming and eating out and splurged on aperitifs.

Adjusted working revenue, or earnings earlier than curiosity and taxes (EBIT), got here in at 137 million euros ($159.4 million), up 16% on the identical interval of final yr when excluding overseas alternate, acquisitions and divestitures.

The group’s best-selling aperitif Aperol, which is the important thing ingredient for the Aperol Spritz cocktail, posted a 15.5% rise in third-quarter gross sales.

The group, nonetheless, flagged dangers coming from rising prices and alerted buyers about potential bottlenecks slowing down spirits shipments in direction of the USA and Asia.

“We usually increase costs yearly… in 2022 we plan to have extra strong will increase than normal, given greater prices on all uncooked supplies,” stated Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz in a cellphone interview with Reuters after Q3 outcomes.

Shares within the Milan-based group turned unfavourable after outcomes and have been down greater than 4% at 1450 GMT as buyers took revenue on the inventory after it had briefly touched an all-time-high of 13.10 euros.

Campari will increase costs in all its essential markets, together with the USA, Kunze-Concewitz stated, including that speciality drinks comparable to Aperol and Campari may see greater will increase than drinks which can be extra uncovered to competitors, comparable to vodka.

“We’ve elevated tequila costs twice in 18 months, and we must do it once more in 2022,” he stated.

Throughout a convention name on outcomes Campari’s high executives stated the group anticipated prices of supplies, manufacturing and logistic bills to extend by 5% at fixed volumes.

Different firms world wide have warned buyers and shoppers about rising prices and staff and uncooked supplies shortages. [L1N2RH0LQ]

Campari stated it was additionally busy working to cut back the affect of bottlenecks as a result of ocean freighter points and truck driver shortages.

“In the USA we’ve skilled booming consumption however we’ve points with deliveries each at ports and on the bottom … we’re doing our greatest to cut back tensions within the provide chain,” Kunze-Concewitz stated.

The Campari CEO stated the group would additionally take motion to be extra environment friendly and modify the combo of the merchandise offered to guard its profitability.

“We count on the optimistic model momentum and beneficial gross sales combine to proceed within the final quarter, serving to to partially offset the intensifying enter value strain, significantly logistics prices, accelerated model constructing investments, in addition to construction prices phasing,” he stated in a press release.

($1 = 0.8593 euros)