German office supplies group sees record growth but warns on rising insolvencies.
Böttcher AG, the German office supplies specialist, reported a 21% rise in first-quarter sales to €256.5 million ($279.93 million), defying wider economic uncertainty in Germany’s business landscape.
The Bonn-based company, known for its broad range of branded consumables and efficient logistics, also announced the acquisition of 88,000 new customers in March.
Founder Udo Böttcher described the results as a vote of confidence in the company’s product range and service model. “This success is a clear sign of our customers’ trust and the strength of our product range. We are moving decisively and confidently toward the historic milestone of one billion euros in annual sales – a testament to the outstanding performance of our entire team.
“At the same time, increasing payment defaults clearly demonstrate how tense the current economic situation is; we remain vigilant and hope for a rapid stabilization of the situation.”
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, narrowly avoided recession last year but remains weighed down by weak industrial output and sluggish consumer demand. Even so, Böttcher AG maintains an optimistic outlook, with internal forecasts pointing to continued growth. The group attributes its resilience to a scalable, customer-centric model focused on brand reliability, prompt delivery and service quality.
