- Full-year revenue target confirmed despite difficult market conditions in Q4: **EUR 620 million in 2021
- Excellent prospects for 2022: Order book at an all-time high of EUR 250 million
- Ralf Dümmel appointed to Social Chain AG’s Executive Board as Chief Product Officer
- Wanja S. Oberhof: "The integration of DS Group is already showing first results. We are also more successful in Q4 2021 than most of the competition and are starting the 2022 financial year from a record level."
Berlin, 9 December 2021. Following the successful closing of the acquisition of DS Group, Social Chain AG (ISIN: DE000A1YC996) is starting the 2022 financial year from a record level. Revenue forecast of EUR 620m for 2021 has been confirmed despite difficult market conditions in the 4th quarter (proforma consolidated). The Group's current order book is at an all-time high of EUR 250m, providing a sustainable basis for strong growth in 2022.
Wanja S. Oberhof, CEO of Social Chain AG: "The integration of DS Group is already showing first results. In the past eight weeks, DS Group and Social Chain have cooperated on many projects, closing delivery gaps and reacting flexibly to changes in demand through short-term sales campaigns. In an adverse environment characterized by declining consumer confidence and supply bottlenecks, Social Chain AG was able to successfully develop its business. This will allow us to outperform the market in the 4th quarter as well. The order book of EUR 250m strengthens our confidence that 2022 will also be a financial year with extremely strong growth. In the process, we can sustainably benefit from the DS Group product portfolio, which is also perfectly suited for direct marketing to customers. Together, we will actively shape the global mega trend of Social Commerce in Europe and, in future, also in the US."
Ralf Dümmel appointed to Social Chain AG's Executive Board as Chief Product Officer (CPO)
DS Group is now part of Social Chain AG. The acquisition of the internationally operating retail and brand house was completed yesterday and filed for entry in the commercial register. Simultaneously with the closing of the transaction, Social Chain AG’s Supervisory Board has appointed Ralf Dümmel to its Executive Board. Dümmel had been managing partner of DS Group since 1996. Under his leadership, the company with its headquarter in Stapelfeld near Hamburg and the logistics center in Gallin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania developed into one of the most successful German trading houses with more than 4,000 products and 700 brands, registered designs, patents and utility patents. Since 2016, Ralf Dümmel has been an investor in the VOX start-up show "Die Höhle der Löwen" (Germany's equivalent to the UK’s "Dragons' Den" and "Shark Tank" in the US) and his popularity with the public has increased with each show.
Dr Georg Kofler, Chairman of Social of Chain AG’s Supervisory Board: "Ralf Dümmel is an exceptional entrepreneur with a great instinct for trends, products and marketing. His passion and openness for new directions will inspire the whole team. He will help to strengthen the perception of Social Chain AG as an innovative and agile product and brand house."
Contact:
Dirk Heerdegen | Head of Corporate Marketing & Communications Social Chain AG
Jana Walker | Senior Corporate & Brand PR Manager Social Chain AG
E: press@socialchain.com | T: +49 30 208 48 40 10
Sanja Stankovic | Head of Corporate Communications DS Gruppe
E: presse@dspro.de | T: + 49 40 67573 29
About The Social Chain AG: Social Commerce on a global scale
Social Chain AG is reshaping the world of brands and commerce with Social Commerce. Our strategy and our actions are "Digital first – direct to customer": from branding to marketing to direct sales of our products in the categories Food, Home & Living, Beauty, and Fitness. Our online shops are the most efficient points of sale for our Direct-to-Consumer brands. More than 70 percent of Direct-to-Consumer sales are performed by our owned and operated online shops. Our communities, with over 86 million followers worldwide, inspire our customers and amplify our brand messages. We manage the expansion of our Social Commerce system of communities, brands, digital points of sale and logistics via our integrated proprietary technology platform: LINKS which analyses interests, purchase intentions and product satisfaction along the entire digital customer journey. Social Chain AG‘s headquarters are in Berlin, with additional locations in Munich, London, Manchester, New York and Los Angeles. Social Chain AG shares (WKN: A1YC99) are being traded on XETRA and other German stock exchanges. Since 12 November 2021, the shares of Social Chain AG are also listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
www.socialchain.com
About DS Group
DS Group, based just outside Hamburg, can now look back on more than 48 successful years. DS Group specializes in the production, import and distribution of innovative products in the consumer goods sector. As one of Europe's largest developers and suppliers of non-food articles, the group supplies over 4,000 products to food retailers, discounters, drugstores, teleshopping, DIY shops, self-service stores, furniture shops, cash & carry, specialist retailers, department stores, mail order companies, home shopping and online marketplaces. Thanks to the company's headquarters near Hamburg, as well as three other German locations in the states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse, as well as eight international locations in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Great Britain, Hungary and Poland, DS Group covers the entire value chain around the product world. DS Group is a dynamic and experienced partner in the identification, development and realization of innovative products, as well as the clever and high-turnover placement of diverse products in multichannel distribution.
The managing partner of DS Group, Ralf Dümmel – also known as a multi-deal investor in the VOX TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen" (German version of the UK's "Dragons' Den" and "Shark Tank" in the US) has helped around 123 startups place more than 300 products in the national and international retail market. With its own brands, such as the oldest German barbecue manufacturer LANDMANN and numerous other brands, DS Group is one of Europe's largest trade suppliers.
www.dspro.de
The content of this press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or other recommendations pursuant to the German Securities Trading Act by The Social Chain AG or its affiliated companies. The information provided cannot replace investment advice. The information contained in this press release is not to be construed as an assurance of possible price developments and should not be construed as a request to enter into a transaction. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell securities or rights, or a solicitation to trade in securities or rights. Accordingly, The Social Chain AG and its affiliates make no representations or commitments as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information or opinions contained herein. We assume no liability for direct or indirect damages caused by and/or in connection with the distribution and/or use of this document. The statements correspond to the status at the time of the preparation of this document. They may become obsolete due to future developments without the document being changed.