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Lindt

For other uses, see Lindt (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Confiserie Sprüngli.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG,[a] doing business as Lindt,[4] is a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company founded in 1845[5] and known for its chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, among other sweets. It is based in Kilchberg, where its main factory and museum are located. Lindt is one of the largest Swiss chocolate manufacturers.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG
Company typePublic (Aktiengesellschaft)
ISIN
IndustryConfectionery
Founded1845 (179 years ago) (1845)
Founders
Headquarters
Kilchberg
,
Switzerland
Key people
Ernst Tanner (Executive Chairman)
Adalbert Lechner (CEO)
Products
RevenueIncrease CHF 4.97 billion (2022)
Increase CHF 745 million (2022)
Increase CHF 570 million (2022)
Total assetsDecrease CHF 7.95 billion (2022)
Total equityDecrease CHF 4.40 billion (2022)
OwnerLindt & Sprüngli AG Fonds für Pensionsergänzungen (15.43%)[1]
Ernst Tanner (2.277%)
Rudolf Konrad Sprüngli (0.8091%)
Number of employees
14,466 (2022)
Subsidiaries
Websitelindt-spruengli.com
Footnotes / references
[2][3]

History

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Founding and early years

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Rodolphe Lindt (left) and David Sprüngli, founders

The origins of the company date back to 1836, when David Sprüngli (1776–1862) and his son Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann (1816–1897)[6] bought a small confectionery shop in the old town of Zürich, producing chocolates under the name David Sprüngli & Son. Before they moved to Paradeplatz in 1845, they established a small factory where they produced their chocolate in solidified form in 1838.

When Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann retired in 1892, he gave two equal parts of the business to his sons. The younger brother David Robert received two confectionery stores that became known under the name Confiserie Sprüngli. The elder brother Johann Rudolf received the chocolate factory. To raise the necessary finances for his expansion plans, Johann Rudolf then converted his private company into "Chocolat Sprüngli AG" in 1899. In that same year, he acquired the chocolate factory of Rodolphe Lindt (1855–1909) in Bern[7] and the company changed its name to "Aktiengesellschaft Vereinigte Berner und Zürcher Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli" (United Bern and Zurich Lindt and Sprungli Chocolate Factory Ltd.).[8]

In 1934, Lindt started to produce milk chocolate. Before, it only produced dark chocolate.[9]

In 1936, Lindt & Sprüngli signed a production licence agreement with the German company Leonard Monheim AG. In 1986, Lindt & Sprüngli took over production and since then, the majority of its internationally distributed products are manufactured in Aachen near the Westbahnhof.[10][11]

Expansion

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In 1994, Lindt & Sprüngli acquired the Austrian chocolatier Hofbauer Österreich and integrated it, along with its Küfferle brand, into the company. In 1997 and 1998, respectively, the company acquired the Italian chocolatier Caffarel and the American chocolatier Ghirardelli,[12][13] and integrated both of them into the company as wholly-owned subsidiaries. Since then, Lindt & Sprüngli has expanded the once-regional Ghirardelli to the international market.

On 17 March 2009, Lindt announced the closure of fifty of its eighty retail boutiques in the United States because of weaker demand in the wake of the late-2000s recession.[14]

On 26 March 2012, the Supreme Court in Vienna ruled in a decade-long case against Austrian manufacturer Hauswirth that the golden chocolate bunny with a red ribbon, also known as the Gold Bunny, may only be sold in Austria in this form by Lindt & Sprüngli.[15] On 24 May 2012, Lindt & Sprüngli was defeated at the European Court of Justice in its attempt to obtain trademark protection for the Gold Bunny throughout Europe. In the application proceedings, which had been ongoing since 2004, the company was unable to prove that the average European consumer would identify the manufacturer of the bunny from its appearance. EU-wide protection was therefore not possible. On 28 March 2013, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe dismissed an appeal by Lindt & Sprüngli against a ruling by the Frankfurt am Main Higher Regional Court allowing the Franconian company Riegelein to sell a sitting chocolate bunny. The German manufacturer offers its bunny in a slightly darker, bronze-coloured foil. The Federal Court of Justice's decision ruled out any likelihood of confusion between the two products.[16]

On July 14, 2014, Lindt bought Russell Stover Candies, maker of Whitman's Chocolate, for about $1 billion, the company's largest acquisition to date.[17] Due to the 60% praline market share of Russel Stover, Lindt became the third largest chocolate company in North America, while also having a presence with its other brands.[18]

Corporate developments

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In September 2017, an investigation conducted by NGO Mighty Earth[19] found that a large amount of the cocoa used in chocolate produced by Lindt and other major chocolate companies was grown illegally in national parks and other protected areas in the Ivory Coast and Ghana,[20][21] the world's two largest cocoa producers.[22][23] Mighty Earth's 2019 annual "Easter Chocolate Shopping Guide" awarded The Good Egg Award to Lindt "for greatest improvement in sustainable policies".[24] However, in terms of agroforestry, Lindt scored only a yellow rating, the second-highest of 4, for Agroforestry and a red ('needs to catch up with the industry') for Agrochemical Management on the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard, which since 2020 is a collaboration between Mighty Earth, Be Slavery Free and other NGOs.

In November 2018, Lindt opened its first American travel retail store in JFK Airport's Terminal 1 and its flagship Canadian shop in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto.[25][26]

In August 2020, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) opened up an antitrust case against Lindt after a failed response from the company a year earlier. The regulators have found quality differences for the same Lindt products in Russia over what is being sold in Western markets without informing Russian consumers. According to the FAS, such behaviour of foreign producers can lead to a redistribution of demand in the market and lead to unjustified benefits over other competitors, as companies like Lindt can still garner Russian demand for their products through brand recognition alone without delivering the same quality as in Western Europe.[27][28] Lindt responded and denied that there are differences for its products sold in Russia and the EU, except for labeling.[29] However, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lindt announced on 9 March 2022 that it would temporarily close its eight Russian shops and suspend deliveries to Russia, and on 13 August 2022, the company announced that it would permanently exit the Russian market.[30]

Lindt achieved sales of CHF 4.6 billion in 2021, an increase of 14.2 per cent over the previous year. Net profit increased by 53.2 per cent to CHF 490.5 million.[31] In the previous year, sales fell by 6.1 per cent to CHF 4.02 billion.[32]

In 2022, Lindt & Sprüngli was criticised for wasting food. In order to avoid discount campaigns, employees of the company used cardboard knives or ballpoint pens to destroy Lindt products in several Edeka stores in northern Hesse that were still a few weeks from reaching their expiration date.[33][34] Lindt's statement that the company only offers "goods that meet quality standards", which is why "products that are no longer fit for consumption or sale are marked as unfit for sale by the field sales force and removed from the store", did not dispel the allegation.[34][35][36]

In December 2022, Lindt was among one of many dark chocolate bars that have contained either high amounts of lead or cadmium metals, when compared against California's maximum daily allowable dose level, according to Consumer Reports study "Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate".[37] The cadmium levels are still within the EU limit of 0.80mg/kg for dark chocolate.[38]

In 2023, Lindt partnered with ChoViva, a German cocoa-free chocolate brand, and launched vegan chocolates using oats and sunflower seeds.[39]

In July 2023, the company announced that it would no longer target advertising to children under 16. In doing so, the company aims to align itself with market Best Practice.[40]

In January 2024, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen conducted an investigation in Ghana and uncovered child labour on the plantations where cocoa is produced for Lindt & Sprüngli. According to the report, the company's monitoring programme in Ghana, where Lindt sources from around 80,000 farmers, proved to be inadequate.[41]

In 2024, an extension to the Olten plant, which Lindt says is the company's largest cocoa mass plant, was opened.[42]

Factories

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Lindt & Sprüngli has twelve factories: Kilchberg, Switzerland; Aachen, Germany; Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France; Induno Olona, Italy; Gloggnitz, Austria; and Stratham, New Hampshire, in the United States. The factory in Gloggnitz manufactures products under the Hofbauer & Küfferle brand, in addition to the Lindt brand. Caffarel's factory is located in Luserna San Giovanni, Italy, and Ghirardelli's factory is located in San Leandro, California, in the United States.[43] Furthermore, there are four more factories of Russell Stover in the United States, including locations in Corsicana, Texas; Abilene, Kansas; and Iola, Kansas.

Since 2020, the main factory of Kilchberg has included a visitor centre and museum, referred to as Lindt Home of Chocolate. The museum notably displays the world's largest chocolate fountain, measuring over nine metres tall and containing 1,500 litres of chocolate, flowing from a giant whisk.[44] The museum takes the visitor through the history of chocolate and the chocolate industry. There are plenty of opportunities to taste various kinds of chocolate at the end of the tour.[45]

Notable products

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Excellence
 
Pralines
 
Lindor
 
Gold Bunny

Lindt chocolate cafés and stores

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Lindt has opened over 410 chocolate cafés and shops all over the world.[46][47] The cafés' menu mostly focuses on chocolate and desserts. Lindt chocolate cafés also sell handmade chocolates, macaroons, cakes, and ice cream.

On 15 December 2014, eighteen people, including eight staff, were held hostage at a Lindt cafe in Sydney. Three people, including the gunman, died in the incident.[48][49]

 
Lindt store at Zurich Airport
 
Lindt store in Canal Walk mall, Cape Town
 
Lindt store in Leeds

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ transl. Chocolate Factories Lindt & Sprüngli AG; pronounced [ʃokoˈlaːdəfaˌbriːkn̩ ˈlɪnt ʊnd ˈʃprʏŋli aːˈɡeː]

References

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  1. ^ "Group structure and shareholders".
  2. ^ "Lindt & Sprüngli Group Financial Key Data". Lindt Sprüngli AG. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Change in Group Management of Lindt & Sprüngli". Lindt Sprüngli AG. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ^ "An Outline on the Story & Creation of Lindt | LindtUSA". www.lindtusa.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Lindt & Sprungli | Company Overview & News". Forbes. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  6. ^ Squicciarini, Mara P. (2016). The Economics of Chocolate. Oxford University Press.
  7. ^ "The pioneers of Switzerland's 'Chocolate Revolution'". swissinfo.ch. 13 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Story of Lindt". LindtUSA. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  9. ^ "About Lindt". Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Gesichter einer Stadt - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Hartes Brot". Der Spiegel (in German). 20 July 1986. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Spotlight: Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. Is Sold Again". Los Angeles Times. 13 January 1998. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Ghirardelli Chocolate Sold". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  14. ^ Wiggins, Jenny (17 March 2009). "Lindt closes lid on most of its US stores". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2016.(subscription required)
  15. ^ "Osterhasen-Streit: Lindt gewinnt". kurier.at (in German). 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Verbraucher: Goldhase von Lindt muss Konkurrenz dulden - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  17. ^ MacLucas, Neil (14 July 2014). "Lindt & Spruengli to Buy Russell Stover Candies". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.(subscription required)
  18. ^ "Lindt & Sprüngli kauft die Pralinés von «Forrest Gump»". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). 14 July 2014. ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  19. ^ Higonett, Etelle; Bellantonio, Marisa; Hurowitz, Glenn (15 September 2017). "Chocolate's Dark Secret" (PDF). Mighty. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Olam to acquire global cocoa business of Archer Daniels Midland for $1.7 billion". The Straits Times. 16 December 2014. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Olam Livelihood Charter 2016" (PDF). Olam. September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  22. ^ Wessel, Marius; Quist-Wessel, P.M. Foluke (December 2015). "Cocoa production in West Africa, a review and analysis of recent developments". NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. 74–75: 1–7. doi:10.1016/j.njas.2015.09.001.
  23. ^ Harris, Nancy; Payne, Octavia; Alix Mann, Sarah (6 August 2015). "How Much Rainforest Is in That Chocolate Bar?". World Resources Institute. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  24. ^ "Mighty Earth 2019 Easter Chocolate Buying Guide" (PDF). Mighty Earth. April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  25. ^ Madden, Chris (29 November 2018). "Lindt & Sprüngli Travel Retail sees sales jump as Master Chocolatiers debut in US". DFNI Online. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  26. ^ DeMontis, Rita (28 November 2018). "Lindt flagship store lands at Yorkdale". Canoe.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Russian antimonopoly watchdog opens case against Lindt chocolate producer". Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  28. ^ "The Federal Antimonopoly service has opened a case against the manufacturer of Lindt chocolate". 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Lindt denies differences in the composition of chocolate sold in Russia and the EU". Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  30. ^ Euro News (17 August 2022). "Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has announced that it has decided to withdraw from the Russian market". Euro News. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Schoko-Markt wächst". Süddeutsche.de (in German). 8 March 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  32. ^ Nachrichten, Stuttgarter. "Coronavirus trifft Süßigkeiten: Schokokonzern Lindt & Sprüngli mit starken Umsatzeinbußen". stuttgarter-nachrichten.de (in German). Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  33. ^ "Warum zerstört Hersteller Lindt die eigene Schokolade?". www.t-online.de (in German). 22 December 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Lindt: „Alles kaputt" – Edeka-Geschäftsleiter macht Schoko-Hersteller harte Vorwürfe". www.merkur.de (in German). 24 December 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  35. ^ "Schokomarke Lindt in der Kritik: Lindt Mitarbeiter sollen eigene Produkte in Supermärkten zerstört haben". Focus (in German). Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  36. ^ Braatz, Nora (23 December 2022). ""Maßlos wütend": Zerstört Lindt seine eigene Schokolade absichtlich?". Utopia.de (in German). Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  37. ^ "Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate". Consumer Reports. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  38. ^ "Cadmium in chocolate, European Commission" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Lindt Partners With Cocoa-Free Chocolate Brand ChoViva to Launch New Vegan Bar". vegconomist. 21 December 2023.
  40. ^ "Lindt & Sprüngli: Marketing bei Jugendlichen wird gestoppt". persoenlich.com (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  41. ^ "Lindt & Sprüngli - In Schweizer Schoggi steckt Kinderarbeit". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 10 January 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  42. ^ Regional, Keystone-SDA. "Lindt & Sprüngli hat Kakaomasse-Werk in Olten SO ausgebaut". Nau (in German). Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  43. ^ "Contact Us for Ghirardelli". Ghirardelli. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  44. ^ "Lindt has opened the world's largest chocolate museum in Zurich, complete with the largest chocolate fountain". timeout.com. 18 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  45. ^ Cox, David (28 August 2023). "Lindt Chocolate Factory". Newby to Expert Traveler. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  46. ^ "More Than 410 Own Shops Worldwide". Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  47. ^ Marc Pallisco (31 May 2009). "Flagship Lindt Chocolat Cafe to Open in Collins Street, Melbourne". Real Estate Source. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  48. ^ Doherty, Ben; Jabour, Bridie; Delaney, Brigid; Wahlquist, Calla; Davidson, Helen; Safi, Michael; Milman, Oliver; Farrell, Paul (20 December 2014). "Sydney siege: how a day and night of terror unfolded at the Lindt cafe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  49. ^ "Lindt Cafe: The day international terrorism came to Australia". www.9news.com.au. 28 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
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