Dutch wholesaler Sligro has managed to grow by almost a third in 2022, coming back to pre-pandemic levels. This year has started very promising already for the group, with the acquisition of the Belgian branch of Metro.
Prices up 10 %
In 2022, Sligro achieved a turnover of almost 2.5 billion euros, an increase of 30.8 % compared to the previous year. However, one third of this growth (9.7 %) came from price increases, which the wholesale company had to implement due to high inflation. Tobacco accounted for 7.9 % of sales, a further decline from 11.1 % in 2021.
Overall, Sligro achieved a 1 % increase compared to the pre-pandemic period, but it would not have reached this level without price effects. The Belgian market represented not even one tenth of the Dutch domestic market (at 168 million euros versus 1.73 billion euros), but this will change now that Sligro has officially acquired most the Belgian Metro shops as of 3 January. Growth was 46.3 % and 29.3 % in the two markets respectively.
In the important fourth quarter, sales increased by 26.8 %. The impact on profits will be announced in February. During the first half of the year, gross profit doubled and the net loss of 7 million euros was turned around into a net profit of 7 million euros, but cost pressures and inflation increased throughout the second half of the year.
