AGM 2012 – STRENGTHS AND PROSPECTS

Product offering dynamic.

The Group has a long-standing tradition of breakthrough innovation: pressure cooker, ThermoSpot temperature gage, Actifry fryer almost without oil, silent vacuum cleaner… Its mission is to change consumers’ lives by introducing new uses and functions, working with product versatility and adaption to local recipes. The Actifry fryer thereby becomes a cooking tool for a full dish (meat or fish and vegetables), Fresh Express slices and cuts vegetables according to the needs of each market, or Soup & Co equipped with an accessory specially designed for making soup with chunks. Innovation is equally evident in new functionalities: tailor made coffee and self-cleaning Barista espresso nozzle and vastly reduced vacuum cleaner noise level… It includes true consumer service in the form of ingredients supply and advice over the internet. Our partnerships with the leading players in the sector represent another source of progress, be it Nestlé for coffee pods, Heineken for home draught beer or L’Oréal for a professional straightener using hair cosmetics … Among our 2012 innovations, we find: the wireless Free Move iron, the Naturalis home cosmetic making tool, the Cookeo intelligent multifunction cooker, and the Silence AC silent hairdryer.

Supor developments.

Since the end of 2007, when Supor was taken over, the company has maintained very satisfactory performance: turnover increased by a factor of 2.4 and operating profit by a factor of 2.6. Number 1 in cookware and number 3 in electric cookware, the Supor brand enjoys more than 80% brand awareness and is classed in 1st or 2nd position as favorite brand of the Chinese. Our strategy consists of enriching the product offer and bringing added value to the market, thanks to innovation from the Chinese teams and through technology transfer. The company sells all of its products through a network of 27,000 sales outlets and is expanding its own stores (more than a thousand Lifestores) representing 8% of domestic sales. This solid base in China also facilitates our expansion in other Southeast Asian markets: Supor sales increased by a factor of 2.5 in Vietnam in three years and are off to a strong start in Indonesia.

2012 PROSPECTS

In this unstable economic climate visibility is very low: serious difficulties faced by Greece, Spain, and Portugal, European austerity policies, and changes in raw materials costs and currency swings that are impossible to anticipate… We predict a certain deceleration in European countries but are counting on the vitality of South American and Asian markets.

In this context, we are aiming for moderate organic sales growth in 2012, operating profit in the same region as that of 2011, and cash generation capable of reducing our level of indebtedness. For this, we will develop our ability to withstand the crisis: active price management, reactive allocation of resources, and tight control of operating costs while continuing investing in innovation.

• Almost 400 shareholders present and 2,600 represented, equivalent to 74% share capital;
• 2.5 hours of presentations and discussion.

Webcast available in French.