• Sales increased by 4.8% to a record  €14.27 billion

• Operating performance dropt to €750 million

According to preliminary annual financial statements, Würth group sales in 2019 were €14.27 billion (€13.62 billion in 2018), up 4.8%. Taking into account the monetary effect of exchange rate changes, the growth rate was 4.2%.

Würth companies in Germany sales growth was slow at 2.1%. This is primarily due to the automotive industry. All companies that serve customers in the industry, such as electronics, manufacturing and tool trading companies, are affected. Sales in each of these business units fell in 2019. However, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG grew by 5.8%.

Meanwhile, the group posted 6.8% sales growth outside Germany. In Southern Europe (15.3%,Taking into account mergers and acquisitions, the growth rates were satisfactory in 4.9%), South America (8.0%) and Eastern Europe (6.6%).

The electrical wholesale business is even growing at a double-digit rate, thanks in part to the acquisition in 2019 of Grupo Electro Stocks S.L.U. (GES), a leading electrical wholesaler in Spain.

E-commerce sales grew faster than average, reaching €2.6 billion in 2019, accounting for 18.3% of the group's total sales.