Valora expects external sales for the first half of 2022 to be up around 20% and EBIT on a recurring basis to be slightly higher on the prior-year period. The business was still heavily impacted by the COVID-19 Omicron variant, in particular in the first quarter 2022. The half-year result is based on significant business improvement. Valora managed to successfully advance the implementation of its foodvenience strategy in the reporting period. The Group expects to be able to confirm the EBIT guidance for 2022 (excl. M&A-related costs) when it publishes its 2022 half-year results on 20 July 2022.

Valora expects external sales for the first half of 2022 to be approximately 20% above external sales for the prior-year period of CHF 1,030.4 million, despite the severe impact of the pandemic on the Group’s business. Omicron constraints dominated the retail and food service sector, especially in the first quarter of 2022. Following the gradual lifting of government restrictions, however, Valora has experienced a strong recovery in the last two months. 

As a result, EBIT in the first half of 2022 on a recurring basis is expected to be slightly above EBIT for the first half of 2021 of CHF 7.4 million. The expected EBIT performance is a testimonial of Valora’s ongoing business improvement, even in the face of increased inflation pressure, geopolitical turbulence and the fact that EBIT in the first half of 2021 included approximately CHF 30 million in non-recurring COVID-19-related support, which are fully compensated in the first half of 2022.

In the reporting period, Valora continued the implementation of its foodvenience strategy. This is confirmed by the acquisition of Frittenwerk, which was closed on 1 July 2022, and the expansion of Valora’s cooperation with Oel-Pool to gradually take over 71 service station shops, which is expected to take place from April 2023.

Given the latest strong development in sales, Valora estimates external sales (incl. recent strategic initiatives) for full-year 2022 to be on a par with pre-COVID-19 levels. The Group expects to confirm the full-year 2022 EBIT guidance (excl. M&A-related costs) when it publishes its 2022 half-year results on 20 July 2022.

This media release is available online at www.valora.com/newsroom.

About Valora
Each and every day, around 15,000 employees in the Valora network work to brighten up their customers’ journey with a comprehensive foodvenience offering – nearby, quick, convenient and fresh. The around 2,700 small-scale points of sale of Valora are located at highly frequented locations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The company includes, among others, k kiosk, Brezelkönig, BackWerk, Ditsch, Press & Books, avec, Caffè Spettacolo and the popular own brand ok.– as well as a continuously growing range of digital services. Valora is also one of the world’s leading producers of pretzels and benefits from a well-integrated value chain in the area of baked goods. In 2021, Valora generated annual external sales of CHF 2.2 billion. The Group’s registered office is in Muttenz, Switzerland. The registered shares of Valora Holding AG (VALN) are traded on SIX Swiss Exchange AG.

More information is available at www.valora.com.

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Disclaimer 
This document contains forward-looking statements referring to topics that are not based on historical fact and cannot otherwise be proven by referring to past events. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions and are subject to uncertainties as well as known and unknown risks. These uncertainties and risks, along with other factors, may mean that actual future events and developments, including Valora’s results, financial position and development, significantly deviate from what was explicitly or implicitly stated or assumed in the forward-looking statements. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this document only apply at the time of publication. Valora is not obligated to review or update forward-looking statements in light of new information or future developments or for any other reasons. This media release is not intended as a recommendation to buy securities.