Damm's optimism ahead of the imminent start of the summer season, a period that concentrates a good part of the year's sales and is decisive for any brewing company. The president of the Barcelona group, Demetrio Carceller, estimates that "positive results will be achieved during the summer months thanks to the expected good evolution of tourism and the increase in spending in restaurants." However, this increase in sales will occur in an environment of
strong cost pressure as a consequence of the increase in raw material prices, the energy bill, and packaging materials. Another of Damm's fears is that in the second half of the year there will be a decrease in demand in the hospitality sector due to inflation, that is, due to the lower disposable income of families. "We are optimistic about the good evolution of our sales during this year, but we are already experiencing strong pressure on our operating margins," Carceller said during his speech at the general shareholders' meeting held this Tuesday at the Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm. At this meeting, the owners of the brewery approved the accounts for the 2021 financial year, in which Damm
increased its sales by 21.5%, to 1,488 million euros. This figure not only implies recovering pre-pandemic levels, but also exceeds the revenues recorded in 2019 by 7.5%. In terms of profitability, the group posted a
net profit of 121.3 million, which will allow distributing a dividend
at the same levels as 2019. "Despite the complicated start to the year we experienced, the progressive disappearance of restrictions on hospitality and the recovery of national tourism allowed us to close the year reaching a turnover that exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Without a doubt, the effort, involvement, commitment, and adaptability of the more than 5,100 people who are part of the Damm team played a key role in achieving these record figures," the businessman stressed. The Canary Islands energy group Disa and the Carceller family are the main shareholders of Damm, where the German family food group Dr. Oetker also controls a 25% stake. The company has recently increased its stake in Cacaolat from 50% to 100% and has invested 25 million euros in a new can packaging line at the El Prat de Llobregat factory.
The new strategic plan for the period 2022-2025 foresees reaching revenues of 2,000 million euros and multiplying the presence of the Barcelona brand in the foreign market. The company's beers are present in more than 130 countries.