Lindt cuts sales forecast as heatwaves dampen demand for chocolate

By Amir Orusov

Sept 29 (Reuters) - Heatwaves in Europe this summer dented demand for chocolate, Lindt & Spruengli said on Tuesday, as it cut its 2026 sales forecast for the second time this year.

The Swiss chocolate maker said Europeans bought less chocolate as temperatures broke records across the continent and after it had to hike its prices due to the surging cost of cocoa.

Lindt now expects organic sales growth of 0% to 2% in 2026, down from its earlier 4% to 6% range and below the 3.9% market consensus cited by Vontobel. It had already cut the guidance in March.

Lindt shares hit their lowest price since March 2021 in early trading and were down 6.6%, at the bottom of Europe's benchmark STOXX 600 index, by 0820 GMT.

"A second cut within six months dents Lindt's reputation for reliable guidance, a key support for its premium valuation," Vontobel analysts said in a note to investors.

Lindt CEO Adalbert Lechner said historically high cocoa prices forced it to raise prices substantially, squeezing demand as shoppers became increasingly price-sensitive in the uncertain economic environment.

Over the last six months alone, cocoa prices have risen by about 80%.

This subdued mood led to weaker-than-expected order volumes in certain European markets, particularly in Lindt's seasonal products. The European heatwave this summer also reduced growth by roughly 1.5%, Lechner said.

The warning adds to signs of pressure across the chocolate industry. In July, Swiss chocolatier and cocoa processor Barry Callebaut forecast a 1% decline in annual sales volumes.

But despite the weaker sales forecast, Lindt maintained its guidance for a 20- to 40-basis-point rise in its 2026 operating profit margin, and reiterated its medium-term targets for 6% to 8% organic sales growth and yearly operating profit margin improvements of 20 to 40 bps from 2028 onwards.

Lechner told reporters Lindt's larger premium gift boxes and praline assortments saw the sharpest volume declines, while lower-priced products suffered less.

Based on this, he said the company would be adapting packaging sizes, with greater emphasis on smaller items that encourage more frequent purchases and better align with consumer spending patterns.

Lechner expects the company's cost-saving measures, adjusted pricing strategy and higher brand investments to improve demand and drive positive volume growth in 2027.

Lindt does not plan job cuts, although it has implemented a hiring freeze, he added.

(Reporting by Amir Orusov in Gdansk, additional reporting by Anastasiia Kozlova; editing by Bartosz Dabrowski and Milla Nissi-Prussak)