Trends 2017-2018 for the group
At its financial information meeting on 7 February 2018, Groupe Bénéteau presented its forecasts for the 2017-2018 financial year. He also provided an update on the progress of his Transform to Perform strategic plan.
The Bénéteau Group's investments increased by 20% compared to the previous financial year to fuel the development of new models and the improvement of the industrial organisation. 2017-2018 sales are expected to increase from +6% to +8% (published data) and +8% to +10% at constant exchange rates. The company expects strong growth in operating income from ordinary activities, while the reported operating income rate should be stable.
Boat orders up sharply
Bénéteau estimates sales growth in the world yachting market at +3% and expects volumes to grow by around +2%. The Group's order intake at 31 December 2017 was up +23.4% compared to the level of the order book at the end of 2016. Sailing shows the strongest increase with +25.1%. Motorboats were up +21.9%. The annual turnover of the Boat Division is expected to be between +5.5% and +7.5%, higher than that of the markets.
Hiring and new models
38 new models will be launched in the 2017-18 season by the 10 Bénéteau Group brands. The current financial year will also see the completion of the main investments in production capacity for multihulls and outboards.
To cope with the many retirements, the Bénéteau Group began a recruitment plan for 500 permanent employees in September 2017. With over 270 recruitments already made, Bénéteau is confident about its ability to fill positions.
