August 02, 2022 11:40 ET | Source: Societe BIC Societe BIC
Clichy – France - August 2nd, 2022
SECOND QUARTER & FIRST HALF 2022 RESULTS Execution of Horizon Strategic Plan delivering profitable growth in all divisions Full-Year 2022 Net Sales Outlook Upgraded
Strong continued momentum in all divisions – H1 Net Sales growing 15.5% at Constant Currencies
Resilience to Input Cost Inflation Headwinds driven by favorable pricing and Net Sales operating leverage
Sustained Operating Cash Flow (+275.6 million euros): Working Capital impacted by the seasonality of Account Receivables (Back-to-School sell-in) and the negative impact of inflation on Inventories (40 million euros at the end of June)
“Our solid H1 results and continuing resilience to external headwinds are testament to the power of our team worldwide. We grew Net Sales double-digit across all three divisions and reached record-high market share in the majority of our regions.” said CEO, Gonzalve Bich. “With our Horizon Plan guiding our growth strategies, we are fueling our consumer obsession and commercial excellence, bringing to market trusted brands and ingeniously simple product solutions. Equally, we continue to invest in the design and manufacturing of innovations that meet the rising demand for products that are better for the consumer, and better for our planet. With our strong in-market momentum, we will respond with agility and determination to whatever challenge comes next, continuing our progress against strategic priorities that drive accelerated profitable growth and create sustainable value for all our stakeholders.”
2022 Outlook Update (based on current market assumptions1F1)
We are updating our guidance and expect to grow Full-Year Net Sales between 10% and 12% at constant currencies (previously 7%-9%), driven by volume increase and favorable pricing. All divisions will contribute to organic growth in H2.
Input cost inflation is expected to have an impact of approximately 100 million euros. Despite these inflation headwinds and higher Brand Support & OPEX aimed at fueling growth, we expect to grow FY 2022 adjusted EBIT in absolute terms, driven by higher volumes, positive pricing, and additional savings. We maintain our target of over 200 million euros in Free Cash Flow.
Strong Growth Momentum in all divisions
H1 2022 Group Net Sales increased 13.7% on a comparative basis, 15.5% at Constant Currencies, and 10.7% on a 12-month rolling basis2. Growth was driven by volume increase, favorable mix, and the successful implementation of price increases in all regions. All divisions and regions contributed to H1 performance. We gained or maintained market share in 80% of the countries we operate in, including in all three divisions in Europe and the US.
In Human Expression, H1 Organic growth was driven by our Core Writing Instruments and Coloring segments following robust Back-to-School shipments, and efficient in-store execution. In the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, North America, and Mexico), Back-to-School sell-in increased by almost 20% in volume and 23% in value compared to the same period last year. Countries hardest hit by the pandemic, such as Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, and India, continued to recover in Q2, with high-double digit growth on a comparative basis, all now having recovered 2019 levels.
Our added-value products (decorated and Utility Lighters, EZ Reach, and Djeep) grew 17% in value and accounted for 38% of the Flame For Life H1 Net Sales. US Lighters contributed to 51% of the division’s organic growth, boosted by distribution gains, innovation, positive price and mix (all accounting for approximately 4.5 pts of the US Lighters growth in H1), and catch-up of orders in Q1. BIC EZ Reach reached a 5.5% market share in value, driven by increased distribution, primarily in Convenience Stores.
In Blade Excellence, value-added products continued to fuel the performance of our One-Piece and Hybrid segments and grew 13% in H1. This was notably driven by the success of the BIC Soleil Escape four-blade shaver in the US, which reached a 2% share of the US women's One-Piece segment in less than six months. BIC Blade-Tech B2B business continued to gather momentum and contributed to 31% of the total Blade Excellence Year-to-Date Net Sales growth.
Resilience to Input Cost Inflation Headwinds driven by favorable pricing and Net Sales operating leverage
H1 2022 Gross Profit margin decreased by 2.0 points to 49.7%. The impact of input cost inflation (-5.3 pts compared to H1 2021 including Raw Materials, Air and Sea Freight and Electricity) and unfavorable FX, mostly EUR/USD hedging rate (-0.7 pts) were partially offset by favorable fixed cost absorption (+2.0 pts), favorable pricing (+1.4 pts), and the positive contribution of Inkbox (+0.3 pts). H1 2022 Adjusted EBIT increased by 22.2%, and the adjusted EBIT margin was 18.0%, almost flat compared to H1 2021. Net Sales operating leverage (+4.6 pts) more than offset the increase in Brand Support (-1.1 pts), OPEX (-0.6 pts) and Inkbox impact (-0.9 pts).
Total input cost inflation weighed 48 million euros on H1 adjusted EBIT. For the Full-Year, we expect approximately 100 million euros negative impact, which should be more than offset by volume increase, price adjustments, and additional savings, and allow us to grow adjusted Full-Year EBIT in absolute terms.
Operating Cash Flow reached 275.6 million euros, fueled by strong business performance. The -175.3 million euros change in Net Current Working Capital was driven by Trade and other Receivables (-138.8M€), as a result of strong Net Sales growth, and by an increase in Inventory levels (-102.1M€, of which 40 million euros input cost inflation from Raw Material, Freight and Electricity).
H1 2022 Free Cash Flow before acquisitions and disposals was +22.4 million euros. The end of June Net Cash position was 229.9 million euros and included (58.2) million euros paid for the acquisition of Inkbox.
horizon strategic plan in action
The relentless execution of BIC's Horizon strategic plan drove our robust performance in H1, as we pursue our journey towards accelerated profitable growth.
Building on a rejuvenated R&D and innovation pipeline, we continue to accelerate product launches supported by effective Brand Support in all divisions. In Human Expression, Intensity Color Change, our new writing Felt Pen transforming everyday writing into a creative opportunity, was launched in most geographies. Our BIC EZ Reach Utility Pocket Lighter continued to gain distribution in all channels, a proof point of relevant innovation driving growth and creating value. In July, we launched our BIC Ecolutions Lighter in the US and France. This unique lighter was designed with 16% lower environmental impact compared to the classic BIC Maxi. It will be gradually deployed in the rest of Europe starting in September. BIC Soleil Escape, our new female razor offering a sensorial experience, was among the key drivers of year-to-date Blade Excellence's performance in the US. The BIC Bamboo shaver, with a Bamboo handle, reached 2.6% volume market share in Sweden in less than 10 months, demonstrating the consumer relevance of products with clear sustainability benefits.
E-commerce sales grew 14% in H1. Core e-commerce sales continued to be driven by the Omniretailers channel and performance in Developing Markets, with high double-digit growth in India and Brazil. Our Shaver and Lighter businesses grew double-digit, driven by North America and Brazil. In Stationery, we expect a solid Back-to-School season driven by targeted Brand Support investment.
We increased our Net Sales per SKU by 25% in H1 2022, driven by Human Expression and Flame For Life momentum, coupled with a net SKU reduction of 9%, as we continue to drive complexity reduction across our portfolio.
New Businesses and External Growth
Expanded Customer Base for BIC Blade-Tech
Adding growth and profitability to the Blade Excellence division and, more generally, to the Group, our B2B business, BIC Blade-Tech, is ramping up quickly, driven by additional orders from existing customers. We recently signed a third contract with an Asian Brand. Shipments are expected to start before the end of this year.
New capabilities in Skin Creative
In line with our Horizon strategy to pivot our Stationery business towards Human Expression and expand our Total Addressable Markets to the fast-growing Creative Expression segment, we acquired Tattly, a small, high-quality 2-4 days US based Decal company. Tattly will help diversify BIC's offer in Skin Creative, adding a recognized Decal Brand to BIC's BodyMark temporary Marker and Inkbox semi-permanent Tattoo. The Decal segment is the largest segment of the Non-permanent Skin Creative market, which is expected to reach 1.5 billion USD in 2030, growing 13% annually.
In May 2022, we announced our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for 20303, accelerating our longstanding commitment to sustainability while making GHG emissions reduction a key component of BIC's long-term strategy. In line with the Paris Agreement target requirements, we pledged to reduce 50% of our GHG emissions for Scope 1 and 100% for Scope 2 by 2030. For Scope 3, our goal is to reduce by 5% our GHG emissions by 2030, of which -30% for the Flame for Life division.
At the end of June 2022, we reached more than 70% of reusable, compostable or recyclable plastic in our Consumer packaging, on track to achieve our 100% goal in 2025.
In June 2022, our headquarters in Clichy (France) were relocated to a certified BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) building, thus meeting the highest requirements for environmental performance and energy consumption efficiency.
NET SALES, EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST AND TAXES (EBIT), AND ADJUSTED EBIT
H1 2022 Gross Profit margin decreased by 2.0 points to 49.7%. The impact of input cost inflation (-5.3 pts compared to H1 2021) and unfavorable FX, mostly EUR/USD hedging rate (-0.7 pts) were partially offset by favorable fixed cost absorption (+2.0 pts), favorable pricing (+1.4 pts), and the positive contribution of Inkbox (+0.3 pts). Q2 2022 Gross Profit margin evolution followed the same trend.
H1 2022 Adjusted EBIT increased by 22.2%, and the adjusted EBIT margin was 18.0%, almost flat compared to H1 2021. Net Sales operating leverage (+4.6 pts) more than offset the increase in Brand Support (-1.1 pts), and OPEX (-0.6 pts), and the impact of Inkbox (-0.9 pts).
At the end of June 2022, Net Cash position was 229.9 million euros. Net Cash from operating activities was affected by a growth in working capital due to increased accounts receivables following high Q2 Net Sales and increased inventory levels of which 40 million euros of input cost inflation from Raw Material, Freight, and Electricity. The Inkbox acquisition also impacted Net Cash.
In line with our disciplined capital allocation framework, we continued our commitment to attractive shareholder returns with a balance of dividend and buybacks with:
The Human Expression Division’s Net Sales grew 25.4% at constant currency and 21.7% on a comparative basis in H1 2022. This strong performance was driven by solid commercial execution in all geographies, with double-digit growth in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and India, supported by the successful implementation of price increases. In line with our Horizon goals to strengthen our presence in Creative Expression, we outperformed the strategic segment of Coloring in 5 key countries (US, UK, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico).
In Europe, H1 performance was driven by both Western Europe (UK, France, Italy) and Eastern Europe (Poland, Turkey). Back-to-School sell-in was boosted by mid-single growth from both core products like the BIC Cristal and our iconic BIC 4 Color and added-value products like Coloring felt pen and pencils. We expect Back-to-School sell-out to grow mid-single digit fueled by strong commercial execution. In France, promotional activities more than doubled compared to the previous Back-to School-season, setting up to drive growth, and to outperform the market for the 16th consecutive year in one of our key Stationery markets.
In the US, the Stationery market grew 3% in value8, driven by premium-priced products such as Gel. BIC gained +0.7 pts in value share fueled by core stationery products (including Mechanical Pencil and Correction). We outperformed the market successfully in key strategic segments like Coloring and Gel. The 2022 Back-to-School season is expected to be strong, with 70% of US consumers planning to shop in-store, and increasingly looking for quality and value products in the face of rising inflation.
In Brazil, the market continued to rebound, growing double-digit, and we consolidated our leadership position, gaining +1.9pts versus 2020 (pre-pandemic) achieving 55.5% market share in value, thanks to efficient in-store execution. Net sales more than doubled, fueled by robust Back-to-School performance for both sell-in and sell-out and positive pricing. In Mexico, the market grew more than 40% in value9, driven by the return to schools and offices. Net Sales performance was fueled by Back-to-School sell-in with double-digit growth in both classic and added-value segments like Coloring. Cello Net Sales in India increased double-digit, boosted by a continued rebound of the market and solid double-digit growth in e-commerce.
The Flame for Life Division's Net Sales grew 10.1% at constant currency and 9.3% on a comparative basis in H1 2022, driven by high-single to double-digit growth in all major regions we operate in. Sell-out performance was also robust as BIC outperformed markets in all key countries including US, France, Germany and Brazil.
In the US, the Pocket lighter market declined -11.6% in volume and -4.7% in value10, however BIC continued to successfully outperform, gaining share in both volume (+ 2.4 pts) and value (+ 1.1 pts). Our added-value utility pocket lighter BIC EZ Reach continued to be successful and reached 5.5% of the total pocket lighter market in value, up 1.5 points since the start of 2022. EZ Reach growth has been driven by accelerated distribution (over 50% distribution within the first 8 months after launch) and efficient Brand Support (more than 10 billion impressions for our groundbreaking social media campaign), contributing to the overall Lighter market expansion by bringing awareness to the Utility segment. H1 Net sales were boosted by further distribution gains, and price adjustments. In Q2, performance was softer following a strong start to the year. Added-value lighters now represent 49% of total sales in the US, up 4.5 pts versus last year.
In Europe, the recovery in traditional channels, price increases, and the success of added-value products such as Djeep and Decorated lighters drove Net Sales' double-digit growth. Our Invest-to-grow countries including Germany and Turkey achieved double to triple-digit growth driven by efficient pricing and promotional actions.
In Latin America, the lighter market in Brazil grew +0.8% in value, and we continue to gain market share. BIC's double-digit Net Sales growth was fueled by the continued demand for more flame usage, high barriers for imported lighters, and price increases.
The Blade Excellence Division’s Net Sales grew 11.8% at constant currency and 11.0% on a comparative basis in H1 2022. Sell-in performance was powered by added-value and new products in Europe, Latin America, and North America, in addition to the contribution of BIC Blade-Tech. We reached record high market shares in five of our key markets (Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Portugal and UK).
In Europe, BIC gained market share in both France (+1.8 pts in value) and the UK (+1.3 pts in value)11 fueled by the success of 3-blade products in both female and male segments. Net Sales were notably driven by good performance and promotional activities in the UK, Poland, and Turkey. Added-value products, such as the Flex and Soleil ranges, contributed successfully to growth.
In the US, the market grew 0.8% in value, and BIC kept pace. The performance of our Soleil range was fueled by the success of our new BIC Soleil Escape shaver launched earlier this year, which already reached 2.0% of market share12. In line with our Horizon goals to grow through innovative launches, Soleil Escape is one of our most successful Soleil product launches. Escape 4 and 3-blade shavers were the #1 and #2 new items in the One-Piece category year-to-date June, bringing in new buyers and contributing to the overall category expansion.
In Brazil and Mexico, we pursued our successful trade-up strategy toward three blades with solid double-digit growth in both countries. In Brazil, after four years of successful share gain, we continued to outperform the market (+1.0 pts in value)13, reaching a historical record of 24% share in value, boosted by premium male and female products (Comfort 3 and Simply Soleil). In Mexico, the market was up mid-single digit in value, and we kept pace thanks to the solid performance of both Flex and Soleil ranges in the traditional channel.
Our 2022 outlook is based on the following market assumptions26F6F14:
Free Cash Flow before Acquisitions and Disposals drivers:
RECONCILIATION WITH ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES
As of June 30, 2022, the total number of issued shares of SOCIÉTÉ BIC is 44,677,929 shares, representing:
Total number of treasury shares held at the end of June 2022: 716,607.
SOCIETE BIC consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2022, were approved by the Board of Directors on August 2, 2022. A presentation related to this announcement is also available on the BIC website (www.bic.com). The Group statutory auditors limited review procedures have been completed. Their review report is currently being issued. This document contains forward-looking statements. Although BIC believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties. A description of the risks borne by BIC appears in the section, "Risks Management" in BIC's 2021 Universal Registration Document filed with the French financial markets authority (AMF) on March 25, 2022. BIC's 2022 Half Year Financial Report will be filed to the AMF on August 4th, 2022.
A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday Life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC Kids™, BIC FlexTM, BodyMark by BICTM, Cello®, Djeep, Lucky Stationery, Rocketbook, Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Us. TM, Wite-Out®, Inkbox and more. In 2021, BIC Net Sales were 1,831.9 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris"," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.
Find more about BIC's Horizon Plan in our Investor Insights Newsletters, and dig further into our Raw Materials, Flame For Life strategy, Skin Creative business, and Distribution Networks.
BIC's Q2 and H1 earnings conference call and webcast will be hosted by Gonzalve Bich, CEO and Chad Spooner, CFO on Wednesday 3 August 2022 at 8:30 AM CET time:
2022/2023 AGENDA ALL DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
1 See market assumptions page 9 2 See glossary 3: 2019 Baseline 4 Other expenses include notably Freight & Distribution and R&D 5 See glossary 6 Including -7.3 million euros in 2022 and +0.8 million euros in 202.0 1 related to assets payable change 7 Haco Industries Ltd, Rocketbook & Djeep in 2021, Inkbox, Rocketbook & Djeep in 2022 8 YTD June - NPD data 9 YTD May 2022 – Nielsen, estimated 24% coverage 10 Period ending 2 July 2022 – IRI, estimated 70% market coverage 11 YTD May 2022, Nielsen 12 YTD JUN 2022 - POS 13 YTD May – Nielsen, estimated 62% coverage 14 Euromonitor and BIC estimates 15 Forex impact excluding Argentinian Peso (ARS) 16 Mainly acquisition of Inkbox 17 See glossary 18 Including -7.3 million euros in 2022 and +0.8 million euros in 2021 related to assets payable change
19 Excluding financial liabilities following IFRS16 implementation