Leifheit AG has lowered its full-year 2026 forecast and will accelerate the implementation of its FOCUS performance program, the company announced after reassessing its preliminary nine-month results. The German household goods maker now expects Group EBIT of between EUR -5 million and -6 million, down from prior guidance of EUR 0 million, and a mid-single-digit percentage decline in turnover compared with the previous year’s EUR 232.6 million. The revision matters because it shows that weak consumer demand is persisting longer than management anticipated and is forcing the company to deepen cost cuts rather than rely on a market recovery.
For the first nine months of 2026, Leifheit reported turnover of EUR 169.1 million, down from EUR 179.0 million a year earlier, and Group EBIT of EUR -2.9 million versus EUR 5.4 million in the prior-year period. Third-quarter EBIT was EUR -0.2 million, compared with EUR 3.4 million in the third quarter of 2025. Despite the decline, Leifheit said it gained market share in its core business, suggesting the company is holding its competitive position even as the overall market shrinks. The preliminary figures were announced via www.newmediawire.com.
The forecast includes approximately EUR 7 million in special items tied to the FOCUS program and provisions for the early termination of Chief Operating Officer Igor Iraeta Munduate’s contract. Excluding one-off effects, Leifheit now expects EBIT before special items of about EUR 1 million to EUR 2 million. Free cash flow for the full year is projected at between EUR -1 million and -2 million, down from the previously anticipated EUR 0 million and far below the EUR 6.4 million generated last year. The cash flow revision is significant because it points to tighter liquidity and less internal funding for the restructuring effort.
The Supervisory Board has decided to reduce the Management Board from three members to two. Iraeta Munduate and the Supervisory Board mutually agreed to end his employment on 31 December 2026. Stefan De Loecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said consolidating responsibilities at board level streamlines decision-making, increases organisational agility and contributes to sustainable cost reduction. He credited Iraeta Munduate with developing the Operations division and driving efficiency, supply chain and digitalisation initiatives. The smaller board is intended to speed up decisions as the company executes its turnaround.
FOCUS includes a new operating model, streamlined Group structures, targeted digitalisation and staff reductions. Implementation will cost up to EUR 9.6 million in one-off personnel and non-personnel expenses, but Leifheit expects initial positive effects from 2027 and permanent annual cost savings exceeding EUR 8 million from 2028. CEO Alexander Reindler said the challenging market is precisely why Leifheit is accelerating its transformation. The company is also continuing a brand relaunch, modernising product presentation in stores and online and tailoring innovation marketing to changing consumer needs. Leifheit, founded in 1959, sells household goods under the Leifheit and Soehnle brands; more information is available at www.leifheit.de and www.soehnle.de. The key implication is that Leifheit is trading short-term profitability for a leaner cost base, betting that FOCUS will restore sustainable margins once the consumer climate improves.
