Chocolate giant Lindt & Sprüngli has won its trademark dispute with Austrian company Franz Hauswirth GmbH, with the Vienna Commercial Court ruling that Hauswirth must stop producing and selling its Easter bunny, which is wrapped in gold foil and carries a red or red-white-red ribbon. The Court confirmed that there is a risk of confusion with the ‘Gold Bunny’ trademark of Lindt & Sprüngli, which the company registered as an EU three-dimensional Community Trademark in 2000. “The... ...Read more »

Lindt has recalled its 16g Lindor Milk Easter Egg after some of the products were found to have been filled with peanut butter instead of the labelled milk filling. The mislabelled eggs, which have a best before of 30 June 2011, have been distributed nationally through supermarkets and department stores, and are included in a large variety of Lindt’s Easter offerings, including the Lindt Lindor Assorted Egg Bags and Egg Tubes, the Lindt Gold Bunny and Friends Cube and Tin Tube, and Lindt Lindor... ...Read more »

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli yesterday posted a jump in 2010 profits as sales grew, boosted by its operations in the US and the UK. The company booked net profit of CHF241.9 million (A$265 million), up 25.3% on 2009. EBIT, meanwhile, rose 22.8% to CHF325.3 million. Lindt said its sales were up 7.3% on an organic basis at CHF2.6 billion. That figure, however, was measured in local currencies. The strength of the Swiss franc dampened growth, with sales in Lindt’s domestic currency... ...Read more »

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprungli cannot trademark the shape and golden wrapping (with associated bell and ribbon) of its signature rabbit and reindeer chocolates. Lindt wanted these to become EU trademarks, possibly impeding other EU manufacturers from making rabbit and reindeer-shaped chocolates. However, because Easter bunnies and Christmas reindeers are common chocolate designs, the ECJ has ruled them too generic and to be trademarked this way. The... ...Read more »

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli is launching two chocolate bars under its Excellence brand in the US, having already released the products in the Australian market. Excellence Roasted Almond combines dark chocolate with slivered almonds. Excellence Black Currant contains dark chocolate with black currants and roasted almond slivers. “These new Excellence bars combine Lindt’s exquisite premium chocolate with the finest ingredients, providing chocolate lovers with two entirely... ...Read more »

Lindt & Sprüngli this week revealed an increase in first-half profits, boosted by increased volumes and innovation. For the six months to the end of June, the company earned CHF24.8 million (A$27.2 million), compared to a profit of CHF2.7 million last year. The growth, Lindt said, was primarily fuelled by increased volumes and improvements of product mixes as well as the launch of innovative products. Operating profit stood at CHF33.9 million, representing an increase of 40.7% on the prior... ...Read more »

Upmarket chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli had something of a bitter 2009. The downturn, higher cocoa prices and restructuring in key markets hit profits. With consumer confidence fragile, there are questions over whether Lindt will fare much better in 2010. However, the Swiss firm remains confident and, as the business published its 2009 results in Zurich, Dean Best spoke to marketing director Uwe Sommer. You would hardly expect the head office of a chocolate maker to be a gloomy place to work. And... ...Read more »

Lindt & Sprungli would “fight like hell” to stay independent if a takeover bid came in for the Swiss chocolate maker, the company told just-food today (16 March). The company, which suffered in 2009 as weak consumer demand, soaring cocoa prices and a series of restructuring measures hit profits, has been seen by industry watchers to be the next likely takeover target in the chocolate sector following Kraft Foods’ acquisition of Cadbury. However, speaking to just-food in Zurich... ...Read more »

Chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli saw sales fall 1.9 per cent in 2009 during “an extremely difficult market environment for premium products”.Organic growth of 2.3% was realised in local currency terms, but the strength of the Swiss Franc hurt revenue. “In view of the challenging situation on the markets for premium and luxury products, this sales growth in local currency terms is a satisfactory result,” the company said in a statement. Sales in the USA, Canada and Australia,... ...Read more »

Lindt & Sprungli, the upmarket Swiss chocolate maker, is the sector’s “obvious” takeover target and could be snapped up next year, one analyst has claimed – with Nestle seen as the favourite to buy the business. Jon Cox, an analyst at Kepler Capital Markets in Zurich, today (13 November) cut his estimate for Lindt’s share price in 2010, citing the pressure rising cocoa costs will put on margins. In August, Lindt reported a slump in half-year profits and Cox argued... ...Read more »