BIC: First Quarter 2025 Net Sales and Proposed Evolution of Société BIC’s Governance

Group 1 - The core point of the article is that Société BIC experienced a decline in net sales for Q1 2025, primarily due to a challenging macroeconomic environment and high comparison bases from the previous year [1][2][3] - Q1 2025 net sales amounted to 478 million euros, representing a decrease of 7.0% on a constant currency basis and 10.9% on a comparative basis compared to Q1 2024 [1][2] - The decline in sales was particularly pronounced in North America, where consumer confidence was softer and tariff uncertainties persisted, leading to a significant impact on BIC's categories [3][4] Group 2 - The Human Expression division reported net sales of 153 million euros, down 10.5% on a constant currency basis, affected by lower consumption trends in North America and Europe [5][9] - The Flame for Life division saw net sales of 172 million euros, decreasing 15.9% on a constant currency basis, primarily due to a challenging environment in North America [5][13] - The Blade Excellence division achieved net sales of 145 million euros, increasing 11.0% on a constant currency basis, driven by the integration of Tangle Teezer [5][14] Group 3 - BIC's net sales in North America accounted for 35% of the Group's total in Q1 2025, highlighting the importance of this market despite the ongoing tariff uncertainties [7][19] - The company is implementing a global supply chain optimization program as part of its Horizon strategic plan to enhance operational agility and mitigate potential impacts from tariffs [8][10] - The outlook for 2025 has been moderated, with expected net sales growth now between 0% and 3% at constant currency, down from the initial forecast of 4% to 6% [10][12] Group 4 - In Europe, net sales increased by 4.7% in Q1 2025, driven by distribution gains in discount channels and strong performance of recently launched value-added products [11][15] - Latin America experienced a decline in net sales, particularly in Brazil and Mexico, due to increased competitive pressure and high comparison bases from the previous year [11][19] - The Middle East and Africa region saw low-single-digit growth, with strong performance in Morocco and Nigeria offsetting challenges in other countries [12][19] Group 5 - The Bich family reaffirmed its long-term commitment as the controlling shareholder of Société BIC and proposed changes to strengthen the company's governance [19][20] - Edouard Bich is proposed to be appointed as Chair of the Board following the Annual General Meeting on May 20, 2025, reflecting the family's intention to reinforce its leadership [20][21] - The Board plans to appoint a Lead Independent Director to ensure a balanced governance structure aligned with market standards [21][22]