During the first quarter of the year, Grupo Lala’s sales totaled 21,936 million pesos (mdp), which, although they represented a growth of 9.4%, left 61.5% less profit compared to the same period in 2021.
In its financial report sent to the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), the company explained that the adjustment in earnings and operating income – which went from 1,322 million pesos to 1,086 million pesos, a drop of 17.8% – was mainly due to the increase of prices that has occurred in various items around the world.
“We started 2022 with inflationary challenges in the regions where we operate; however, the strength of our business in Mexico stands out, which continues to drive Grupo Lala’s profitable growth,” said Arquímides Celis, CEO of the company, quoted in the document.
“The results of the first quarter of the year demonstrate a complex environment, but the strength of our business model backed by the value of our brands, execution capacity and breadth of our portfolio allows us to face these challenges and generate value for all our groups of interest,” he added.
The Central American region was the one that reported the highest increase in sales, of 16.6%, accumulating revenues of 839 million pesos. The company’s largest market, Mexico, had 10.1% more sales, which closed the period at 17,500 million pesos, while the least dynamism occurred in the US market, which had a 0.5% growth in revenue.
The operating flow –or Ebitda– of the company reached 1,962 million pesos with a margin of 8.9%, an annual decrease of 6.7%.
Although the challenges in sales continue, going forward the company remains optimistic hand in hand with the evolution of the market and new products.
“As the world gradually transitions into a post-COVID era, the successful execution of our strategies will continue to drive long-term sustainable growth. We continue to take care of the health and well-being of our collaborators and partners to maintain access to nutritious, affordable and high-quality products for our consumers,” said Celis.
