TAKKT expects strong growth and substantially higher earnings in 2021
 

• Organic sales decline of 11.8 percent in 2020 due to economic impact of the pandemic
• EBITDA of EUR 92.6 million, free TAKKT cash flow rises to EUR 129.8 million
• TAKKT forms a third segment for the activities of Hubert and Central
• For 2021, the Group expects organic growth of between seven and twelve percent and an EBITDA in the range of EUR 100 to 120 million
• Management Board and Supervisory Board propose to the Shareholders' Meeting a total dividend payment of EUR 1.10 per share

Stuttgart, Germany, March 29, 2021. Last year, the pandemic and its economic impact have been a litmus test for TAKKT. The Group, however, was able to draw on the experience from previous crises and benefit from it. TAKKT responded to the crisis very quickly and used the flexibility of the business model to take effective cost-cutting countermeasures. Due to the pandemic, overall organic sales development in 2020 was minus 11.8 percent. "Despite the significant decline in sales and one-time effects, resulting in a negative impact on earnings amounting to EUR 8.6 million, we were able to generate EBITDA of EUR 92.6 million and an EBITDA margin of 8.7 percent. The significant increase in our free cash flow to a record high of EUR 129.8 million was particularly satisfying", explains CEO Felix Zimmermann.

Strategically, the focus in 2020 was the implementation of the new organizational structure. With TAKKT 4.0, TAKKT wants to make the Group more compact, achieve greater scalability of key supporting and non-operational functions and introduce new management methods and processes. Even though the coronavirus has cost considerable time and resources, good progress was made with the implementation of TAKKT 4.0 in the previous year. In the Omnichannel Commerce segment, KAISER+KRAFT is realigning itself in order to achieve stronger growth and greater efficiency in the medium term. In Web-focused Commerce, TAKKT has also made extensive preparations to establish new structures.

Hubert and Central follow a different business model from the other activities in Omnichannel Commerce. TAKKT therefore opted to form a third segment called Foodservice Equipment & Supplies at the beginning of 2021, which includes these two business units. This enables the Group to improve and strengthen the integration of the other businesses within Omnichannel Commerce and, at the same time, to continue to work on strategic options for Hubert and Central.

With the development of a new vision, the Group has set itself the goal of being the most sustainable provider on the market. Sustainability comprises environmental as well as economic and social components. TAKKT aims to impress customers with outstanding performance, make responsible use of resources and achieve strong growth.

The continued implementation of the transformation will also play a key role in shaping the current fiscal year. The focus will be on further developing the segment functions in Omnichannel and Web-focused Commerce. The further course of the pandemic as well as the timing and extent of the easing or tightening of protective measures continue to be important factors for our business development. At the beginning of the year, TAKKT expects negative growth rates compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, which had not yet been affected by the pandemic. "We then expect to see a significant improvement and clear positive organic growth starting in the second quarter. For the full year of 2021, we want to achieve organic growth of between seven and twelve percent" says CFO Claude Tomaszewski. EBITDA is expected to increase significantly in 2021. With the planned organic growth and without acquisitions, disposals or additional significant impacts as a result of the pandemic, TAKKT expects EBITDA to be in the range of EUR 100 to 120 million in 2021.

After suspending the dividend last year, TAKKT now wants to resume the reliable dividend policy of previous years. Besides a dividend payment of EUR 0.55 for the 2020 fiscal year, the suspended base dividend from the previous year of EUR 0.55 is also to be made up. The Supervisory Board and Management Board therefore propose to the Shareholders' Meeting a total dividend payment of EUR 1.10 per share. This dividend proposal is subject to the condition that the negative effects of the pandemic do not worsen significantly in the weeks leading up to the Shareholders' Meeting.

Analysts' conference: March 29, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. (CEST).
The analysts' conference will be held as a conference call today at 2pm. The login details to participate in the conference can be found at: www.takkt.de/event

Financial calendar
TAKKT will publish figures for the first quarter on April 29, 2021.
 

Key Figures for the TAKKT Group for the 2020 Financial Year
(in EUR million)

About TAKKT AG
TAKKT is the leading B2B distance seller for business equipment in Europe and North America. The Group consists of three segments. The Omnichannel Commerce segment addresses corporate customers with complex requirements over numerous contact points and with a wide range of services. The Web-focused Commerce segment concentrates its offers primarily via web shops on the less complex requirements of more price-conscious B2B customers. The business model of Hubert and Central differs somewhat from that of the other activities in Omnichannel Commerce. The two companies are combined in the Foodservice Equipment & Supplies segment. The product range of the subsidiaries comprises more than a million products for the areas of plant and warehouse equipment, office furniture, transport packaging, display articles and equipment for the food service industry, hotel market and retailers. The TAKKT Group is represented with its brands in more than 25 countries and employs approximately 2,500 people. The company is listed on the SDAX and Deutsche Börse Prime Standard.
 

Contacts:
Michael Loch phone +49 711 3465-8222
Benjamin Bühler phone +49 711 3465-8223
Email: investor@takkt.de