Sweet success for chocolate firm

A factory workers adds the finishing touches to Lindt and Spruengli's chocolates at its Kilchberg plant Keystone

Chocolate maker Lindt and Spruengli saw sales rise by 6.3 per cent in local currencies and 3.5 per cent in Swiss francs to SFr1.59 ($935 million) in 2001.

The Swiss confectionary group said on Tuesday that it expected operating profit in 2001 to have grown faster than sales.

The company, which is based in Kilchberg just outside of Zurich, was founded in 1845 and now has a strong presence in the United States.

“Despite the challenging market situation, all group companies, with the exception of Lindt & Spruengli in France, succeeded in increasing sales well above the market average, hence obtaining further gains in market share,” the company said in a statement.

In a number of markets, for instance in Germany, Britain, Canada, the US and Australia, Lindt was able to reach double-digit sales increases, the company added.

Lindt and Spruengli says it targets sales growth of five to seven per cent a year and growth of 10 to 12 per cent in operating profit.

Operating profit figures for 2001 will be released at the end of March.

swissinfo with agencies