According to a recent Beiersdorf press release, its Nivea brand is growing more than twice as fast as the Eastern European market and the global average, gaining the company market share in Eastern Europe.
The brand's sales in the first half of 2008 increased by a total of 20%, with hair care and styling products doing particularly well. The brand was notably successful in Poland, leading in six product categories, and generated sales of €132 million in 2007. Beiersdorf's total sales in Eastern Europe over the last year amounted to €552 million, corresponding to sales growth of 28%.
"Consumers in Eastern Europe have long associated the Nivea brand with well-being and trusted familiarity," said Pieter Nota, a member of Beiersdorf's executive board responsible for brands. "Beiersdorf shipped the first blue tins of Nivea creme to Poland from Hamburg as early as 1925; closeness to consumers and the company's internationalization have gone hand-in-hand since the beginning. Consumers in Eastern Europe also want innovative products that accompany them throughout their daily lives—from a simple piece of soap to state-of-the-art, high-performance care products."
Beiersdorf's hair styling products had a sales increase of more than 50% over 2007. Sales of Nivea Visage grew by more than 14% in the first half of 2008, while sales of Nivea for Men increased by almost 18% in Eastern Europe. Beiersdorf AG's Polish production location, the affiliate Nivea Polska Sp. z o.o., has now expanded its facilities in Poznán and produces sophisticated branded products such as Nivea Visage for export to the company's most important global markets.
