Core Insights - The high-end skincare brand La Prairie continues to face declining sales in the first three quarters of the year, with a reported organic decline of 7.2% to €348 million [2][3] - Beiersdorf's overall sales for the first three quarters reached approximately €7.5 billion, with an organic growth of 2%, a slowdown compared to the previous year's 6.5% [1][2] - The CEO of Beiersdorf, Vincent Warnery, indicated that the consumer goods segment is expected to achieve an organic growth of about 2.5% for the full year [1][6] Sales Performance - Beiersdorf's consumer goods segment generated sales of €6.3 billion in the first three quarters, with an organic growth of 2% [1] - The NIVEA brand, as a core brand, experienced only 0.6% organic growth in the first three quarters, with a decline of 0.4% in the third quarter [2] - La Prairie's sales have been under pressure, with a significant decline in the first quarter of 17.5% due to challenges in the travel retail sector [3] Brand Performance - The Derma brand, which includes Eucerin, showed strong performance with an organic growth of 12.3% to €1.145 billion in the first three quarters [2][3] - The medical health brands, including Hansaplast and Elastoplast, achieved an organic growth of 8.8%, driven primarily by wound care products [3] - NIVEA is undergoing strategic adjustments in the Chinese market, shifting from mass-market to high-end skincare, which has started to yield positive results [5] Market Dynamics - Beiersdorf's consumer goods business saw organic growth across major markets, with Europe being the largest market, growing by 1.2% to €2.809 billion [4] - The Americas market recorded sales of approximately €1.693 billion, with an organic growth of 2.2% [4] - The Asia/Africa/Australia market had the highest growth rate, with an organic increase of 2.9% to €1.749 billion [4] Future Outlook - Beiersdorf has adjusted its full-year sales growth forecast for the consumer goods segment to approximately 2.5%, down from the previous expectation of 3%-4% [6] - The company anticipates a slight increase in the EBIT margin for ongoing operations, expected to be slightly above the previous year's level of 13.9% [6]

Core Viewpoint - The global beauty industry is facing growth bottlenecks, and Beiersdorf is not immune to this trend, as indicated by its recent financial report for the first half of 2025, which reveals performance slowdowns, profit pressures, and brand performance disparities [2][4]. Financial Performance - Beiersdorf reported revenue of €5.188 billion (approximately ¥434.45 billion), a year-on-year increase of 0.2% (organic growth of 2.1%), which is a significant slowdown compared to last year's 4.3% (organic growth of 7.1%) [8]. - The consumer goods segment, which accounts for over 80% of total revenue, generated €4.33 billion (approximately ¥362.6 billion), remaining flat year-on-year (organic growth of 1.9%) [8]. Brand Performance - The Derma brand continues to act as a "growth engine," with strong performances from Eucerin and Aquaphor driving a growth of 10.5% (organic growth of 12.2%) [10]. - Conversely, the luxury skincare brand La Prairie saw a decline of 10.8% (organic decline of 10.7%), despite achieving 3% growth in China during Q2, reflecting the broader trend of low demand in the global high-end market [10]. - Nivea, the largest brand in the consumer segment, experienced a decline of 1.2% (organic growth of 1.0%), indicating a critical period of brand adjustment [10]. Strategic Adjustments - Beiersdorf has lowered its full-year guidance for 2025, adjusting the organic sales growth target from 4-6% to approximately 3%, and the EBIT margin expectation from a 50 basis point increase to a 20 basis point increase [12]. - The company is focusing on innovation to drive growth, with plans for a significant new product launch from Nivea, the "Epigenetic Essence," set to launch in September across 30 countries [19][20]. Market Dynamics in China - In China, Beiersdorf has shown significant structural adjustments and channel breakthroughs, with La Prairie achieving 3% organic growth, primarily driven by a 36% surge in e-commerce sales [15][26]. - Nivea is undergoing structural adjustments, particularly in lower-tier cities, where it is shifting from low-margin products to higher-end offerings, aiming to better align with consumer preferences [17]. - The upcoming launch of Nivea's epigenetic essence is expected to be the largest product launch in the company's history, with a price point 40-50% lower than Eucerin, aiming to capture a larger consumer base [19][20]. Future Outlook - Beiersdorf's growth in China will depend on its ability to penetrate core segments and compete effectively against rivals in terms of efficiency and content [22]. - The company is strategically focusing on the skincare segment, reducing low-margin SKUs, and introducing innovative products to attract a broader consumer base [22][24]. - The successful performance of Eucerin and the recovery of La Prairie in the e-commerce space are seen as positive indicators for future growth [20][26].