Lindt & Sprüngli

Is Lindt & Sprüngli publicly traded?
Yes, Lindt & Sprüngli is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol LISP. The holding company, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, is headquartered in Kilchberg, Switzerland. The company has a dual share structure with registered shares and participation certificates, and has initiated a CHF 1 billion share buyback program. The proposed dividend for FY2025 is CHF 1,800 per registered share and CHF 180 per participation certificate.

What is Lindt & Sprüngli's annual revenue?
Lindt & Sprüngli generated CHF 5.92 billion in revenue for FY2025, representing organic growth of 12.4% from CHF 5.47 billion in FY2024. The growth was driven by Group-wide price increases of 19.0% to offset unprecedented high cocoa costs, partly offset by a volume/mix decline of 6.6%. The company's EBIT was CHF 971.0 million with a 16.4% margin, and net income was CHF 726.7 million.

Who is the CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli?
Adalbert Lechner has served as CEO of the Lindt & Sprüngli Group since October 1, 2022. He joined the company in 1993 as CEO of the Austrian subsidiary, became CEO of the German subsidiary in 1997, and was appointed to Group Management in 2017. Ernst Tanner serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, a role he has held since 1994. The Group Management team consists of eight members.

What brands does Lindt & Sprüngli own?
Lindt & Sprüngli owns six main chocolate brands: Lindt (the flagship brand sold in over 120 countries), Ghirardelli (the oldest continuously operating chocolate company in the US, acquired in 1998), Russell Stover (the leading US boxed chocolate brand, acquired in 2014 for approximately $1.4 billion), Whitman's (a companion gifting brand to Russell Stover), Caffarel (the Italian brand known for creating the gianduiotto, owned since 1997), and Hofbauer and Kupferle (Austrian confectionery brands).

How does Lindt & Sprüngli source its cocoa sustainably?
Lindt & Sprüngli operates the Farming Program, established in 2008 as its Responsible Sourcing Standard for cocoa. The program is built on Rainforest Alliance certification and strengthened by targeted investments. The company aims to invest CHF 300 million in the program between 2026 and 2030. In 2025, 59.8% of cocoa volumes were sourced as deforestation-free, and all 12 factories have been Rainforest Alliance certified since 2024. The company is also a member of the World Cocoa Foundation and the Cocoa & Forests Initiative.

What are Lindt & Sprüngli's climate targets?
Lindt & Sprüngli has committed to science-based targets with the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050. Near-term targets include reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from a 2020 baseline, and reducing absolute Scope 3 FLAG emissions by 30.3% by 2030 and 72% by 2050. The company has implemented a No-Deforestation Policy with a cut-off date of December 31, 2020, and aims to support 20,000 hectares of advanced agroforestry between 2025 and 2030.

How many stores does Lindt & Sprüngli operate?
Lindt & Sprüngli operates approximately 620 of its own retail stores globally, along with 21 e-shops. The Global Retail channel achieved 20.8% growth in FY2025, driven by strong organic growth and network expansion across all markets. The company sells through 41 subsidiaries and branch offices as well as a network of approximately 100 distributors worldwide. Products are manufactured at 12 factories in Europe and the USA.

What is Lindt & Sprüngli's market position?
Lindt & Sprüngli is a global leader in the premium chocolate category. The company operates as a pure-play premium chocolate business, positioned above mass confectionery competitors like Mars and Mondelez but below ultra-luxury artisan chocolatiers. This premium positioning segment has been largely created and defined by Lindt globally. The company has delivered consistent revenue and earnings growth for more than two decades and grew its market share in FY2025 despite unprecedented cocoa cost challenges.

The company's origins trace to 1845, when David Sprüngli-Schwarz and his son Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann established a small confectionery shop in Zurich. The connection to Rodolphe Lindt came in 1879, when Lindt invented the conching process, a technique of stirring and aerating melted chocolate over an extended period to produce smooth, mellow-tasting chocolate. Lindt's process was revolutionary and established the template for modern premium chocolate texture. The Sprüngli family acquired Lindt's factory and name in 1899, uniting the two businesses under a single brand.

The company remained relatively focused on its core Swiss market for the first half of the twentieth century, building its reputation on quality and innovation. International expansion accelerated in the latter half of the century as Lindt & Sprüngli established subsidiaries across Europe and entered new markets.

The Ghirardelli acquisition in 1998 was a landmark deal. Ghirardelli, founded in San Francisco in 1852, is the oldest continuously operating chocolate company in the United States. The acquisition gave Lindt & Sprüngli a major foothold in the US premium market alongside its own Lindt brand, and Ghirardelli has since been operated as a distinct brand with its own retail chocolate shops.

The Russell Stover acquisition in 2014 for approximately $1.4 billion was the company's largest deal and brought significant scale in the US boxed chocolate gifting market, including the Whitman's brand. Russell Stover is the leading US boxed chocolate brand by distribution, particularly in drug stores and mass retailers. The acquisition effectively made Lindt & Sprüngli a three-brand powerhouse in the US market: Lindt for premium tablets and truffles, Ghirardelli for premium baking and retail, and Russell Stover for boxed gifting chocolate.

Under the leadership of Ernst Tanner, who joined as CEO in 1993 and became Chairman in 1994, the company pursued a consistent strategy of premium positioning and global expansion. Tanner led the company for over two decades before stepping down as CEO in 2016, handing the role to Dieter Weisskopf, who served until 2022. Adalbert Lechner succeeded Weisskopf as CEO in October 2022.

In 2025, the company celebrated its 180th anniversary while navigating unprecedented high cocoa costs that led to double-digit price increases across the industry. Despite these headwinds, Lindt & Sprüngli achieved organic growth of 12.4% and grew its market share, reinforcing the resilience of its premium positioning. The successful global rollout of Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate contributed to growth, along with strong performances from core products including Lindor, Excellence, and seasonal items like Gold Bunny and Teddy.

Lindt & Sprüngli operates the "Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program," a direct cocoa sourcing initiative established in 2008 to address social and environmental impacts in the cocoa supply chain. The program is built on Rainforest Alliance certification and strengthened by targeted investments beyond certification. Since 2024, all Lindt & Sprüngli factories have obtained Rainforest Alliance Certification. The company aims to invest CHF 300 million in the Farming Program between 2026 and 2030.

The company has committed to science-based targets (SBTs) with the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050. Near-term targets include reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from a 2020 baseline, and reducing absolute Scope 3 FLAG (Forests, Land, and Agriculture) emissions by 30.3% by 2030 and 72% by 2050. In 2025, 59.8% of total cocoa volumes were sourced as deforestation-free, and overall cocoa emissions decreased by 10% since 2024.

Lindt & Sprüngli has been a member of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) since 2015 and actively participates in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) to end cocoa-related deforestation. The company's Vice-Chairman of the Board, Dr. Dieter Weisskopf, serves as a WCF board member. The Lindt Cocoa Foundation, founded in 2013, co-funds elements of the Farming Program.

The company aims to support the establishment of 20,000 hectares of advanced agroforestry between 2025 and 2030 and has implemented a No-Deforestation Policy with a cut-off date of December 31, 2020. Satellite monitoring through Satelligence provides deforestation detection data within and around mapped Farming Program farms.

Lindt & Sprüngli's consistent performance has been recognized through several measurable achievements:

• 180 Years of Heritage: Celebrated its 180th anniversary in 2025, making it one of the oldest continuously operating chocolate companies in the world
• Consistent Growth: Delivered organic sales growth of 12.4% in FY2025, growing above market average and increasing market share
• Premium Category Leadership: Recognized as a global leader in the premium chocolate category
• Science-Based Targets: Committed to SBTi-validated emissions reduction targets, including net-zero by 2050
• Rainforest Alliance Certification: All 12 factories certified by Rainforest Alliance as of 2024
• World Cocoa Foundation Membership: Member since 2015, with board representation