With a slight increase in sales, it closed on “Paputsanisin the first quarter of 2023, a development that is in line with what the company’s managing director, Menelaos Tasopoulos, also asserted the day before yesterday, informing analysts of the 2022 results, of a “market numbness”. It is even worth noting that pressure is also being recorded in the company’s exports, which in the first quarter of 2023 appears to have fallen by 10%.

In particular, according to what was announced yesterday by the listed company, Range of operations January-March 2023 increased by 3% compared to the corresponding period last year and amounted to 15.3 million euros against 14.9 million euros last year.

Meaning export fell to 10 million euros from 11.1 million euros in the first quarter of 2022 and represents 65% of Paputsani’s total turnover.

With regard to the contribution of the four sectors of activity to the overall performance, it is noted that 21% of total income comes from sales. branded products “Paputsani” in Greece and abroad, 18% of sales in the hotel market, 44% of the production of products for third parties and 17% of the industrial sales of special soap masses. For branded products, which is now a strategic priority for Paputsani, turnover increased by 33%, despite a significant decrease in sales of antiseptics. Excluding sales of hand sanitizers, the brand category growth is 70% driven by about half of the positive contribution from the acquisition of soap maker Arkadiy, with the remainder coming from the organic growth of broad distribution Paputsani. Products personal hygiene they are gaining a significant market share in Greece and at the same time have more than tripled their sales abroad.

Sales hotel products remained flat in Q1 2022, with domestic sales more than doubling year-over-year, offsetting a decline in overseas sales, which, compared to a very strong performance in Q1 2022, is due to the opening up of the business travel and tourism market after two years of restrictive measures due to the pandemic.

Sales of products to third parties remained at the same level as last year. However, new collaborations are gradually being added to this category, as well as collaborations on other products with existing Paputsani customers are expanding.

Finally, there was a 9% drop in industrial scale soap sales. This development is due to the fact that if last year Paputsanis, taking advantage of increased transport costs and long delays in deliveries from Asia, served a small part of the total needs of Europe, Africa and the Middle East in the corresponding bars of soap, this year the conditions are the same. Prices for shipping costs and delivery times from Asia are now aligned. However, the specific coverage of needs has left the company with dynamic partnerships that will strengthen this category.