Beiersdorf has announced its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The Nivea manufacturer started the year as it means to go on with group organic sales boosted by 6.5 percent (+0.4 percent in nominal terms) to reach €1.807 billion.

The company’s consumer business saw sales increase 6.1 percent with Nivea growing its sales 1.9 percent and the Derma business unit growing an impressive 8.5 percent. However, La Prairie, the company’s prestige skin care brand, was the real star of the show with sales soaring 55.5 percent, building on an already healthy performance in 2017.

The company confirmed its forecast of 4 percent to 5 percent growth for the consumer segment over the year, with a slight increase in the EBIT margin.

“Beiersdorf made impressive progress on its profitable growth path in the first quarter of 2018. Both business segments, Consumer and tesa, delivered very dynamic performance and sales growth well above the market. These significant growth rates once again demonstrate Beiersdorf’s strong international position and high level of competitiveness. Our continued success results from strengthening our brands, accelerating our innovations, and systematically expanding our business activities in emerging markets. Despite the current political and economic uncertainty throughout some regions, we look optimistically to the coming months and therefore confirm our forecast for 2018,” said Stefan F. Heidenreich, CEO of Beiersdorf AG.