Birkenstock plans price hikes to offset tariffs, sees 'opportunity' in US

RTÉ News​

15-05-2025

German sandal maker Birkenstock plans to raise prices globally to fully offset the impact of the US tariff of 10% on European Union-made goods, chief financial officer Ivica Krolo said today, as the company's sales beat expectations.
Birkenstock makes its products at factories in Germany, which is subject to the US's universal 10% tariff on imports. But a higher 20% rate on the European Union still looms, despite a 90-day tariff reprieve granted by President Donald Trump last month.
"We will be fully offsetting the effects from current existing tariffs," Krolo told Reuters in an interview. "We're not raising in one region only, we see it as a global exercise."
The tariff rate after July 9, when the reprieve ends, is "extremely hard to predict", said Krolo, in the role since February 1, echoing comments from executives around the world trying to navigate the uncertainty.
After steep US tariffs on China and Southeast Asia caused shipments of clothes, shoes, and homeware from the country to be cancelled, creating a risk of empty shelves at US stores, Krolo said the fact Birkenstock does not source from Asia was an advantage.
"We do see this as an opportunity to take additional shelf space and gain share, and this is also the reason why we are continuing to invest," he said.
Krolo called on the European Union to agree a deal with the United States, however, the sooner the better.
Birkenstock raised its annual forecasts after sales for its second quarter ended March 31 grew more than expected as more people bought its sandals and more expensive clogs.
The company's shares gained about 7% in early trading.
Birkenstock said second-quarter capital expenditure of about €21m aimed to expand production capacity to meet growing demand in regions such as the Americas.
Revenue in the Americas, its biggest market, was up 23% in the quarter, and Krolo said demand from US retailers and consumers for Birkenstocks remains strong.
"In a world where most brands are hoping to be able to raise prices to offset any tariff pressure, Birkenstock has a proven track record of already having permission to do so," said Simeon Siegel, analyst at BMO Capital Markets, referring to consumers' willingness to pay more if needed.
Birkenstock now expects 2025 revenue growth to hit the high end of its forecast range of 15% to 17%, and an annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin between 31.3%-31.8%, up from 30.8%-31.3%.
Second-quarter revenue of €574.3m, up 19% from a year ago, was stronger than analysts' estimates of €567.7m according to LSEG. Revenue was helped by double-digit growth in units sold and a mid-single-digit increase in average selling price as Birkenstock sold more clogs.
The low-single-digit planned price hikes on Birkenstocks will start to be seen in its fourth quarter from July to September, as some products still need to be shipped into the US from factories in Germany, while most shoes sold now were shipped in before tariffs.
Birkenstock is not considering manufacturing in the US, finance chief Krolo said, despite the tariff on imports which Washington has said would help bring manufacturing back to the country.