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70<br />

Exchange rate risks<br />

Currency exchange-rate risks exist with regard to deliveries to countries outside the Eurozone,<br />

particularly deliveries to Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Currency exchange-rate trends are<br />

subject to constant monitoring. There were no forward currency transactions in place as of the<br />

balance sheet date. <strong>ALNO</strong> will implement exchange rate hedging measures if new currency risks<br />

arise as part of the further international expansion.<br />

Price risks<br />

The most important commodities for <strong>ALNO</strong> are wood, plastics and metal. Price changes for these<br />

materials on the market could exert a corresponding impact on the Group’s margin trends.<br />

Materials prices<br />

The market for wood and metal products was confronted with significant price increases in the 2011<br />

fiscal year. The current situation on commodities markets means that a reduction in materials prices<br />

cannot be expected until the final quarter of 2011 at the earliest. In line with this trend, high fuel<br />

prices lead to the expectation that distribution costs will increase above budget. Further bundling<br />

of transported items is indispensable as a countermeasure.<br />

Services<br />

A significant increase in fuel prices is feeding through to particular risks in terms of transportation<br />

cost trends. <strong>ALNO</strong> has bundled and streamlined its freight consignments in order to counter this.<br />

Market risks<br />

The <strong>ALNO</strong> Group operates in the kitchen furniture sector, a market that is characterised by intense<br />

competition. Tough price competition on the part of providers, particularly in the lower price ranges,<br />

is resulting in ever greater margin pressure, and is crowding out less competitive manufacturers<br />

at the same time. Activities on the part of competitors and wholesalers/retailers could significantly<br />

reduce the revenues and earnings level of the <strong>ALNO</strong> Group.<br />

The <strong>ALNO</strong> Group’s customers are primarily resellers, most of whom are organised into purchasing<br />

associations. If important purchasing associations were to reduce their ordering volumes, cancel<br />

master agreements, be required to file for bankruptcy, and if the <strong>ALNO</strong> Group proved unable to<br />

acquire new customers to a comparable extent, or if existing customers proved unable to increase<br />

their ordering volumes to the same extent, this might result in a marked decline in capacity utilisation<br />

and revenues, and lead to receivables defaults for the <strong>ALNO</strong> Group.<br />

In addition, the repositioning of the <strong>ALNO</strong> Group brand world that was launched in the previous<br />

year, and the new sales structure that has already been set up, must be further established. This<br />

also carries risks.<br />

Germany is the <strong>ALNO</strong> Group’s primary sales market, and accounts for an approximately 70 % share<br />

of total revenues. The United Kingdom, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and the Benelux<br />

countries are additional notable sales markets. These markets have reported different growth rates<br />

in the past. Particularly markets abroad, such as the Spanish market, have been subject to negative<br />

influences. <strong>ALNO</strong> AG assumes that individual markets will continue to report different growth rates<br />

in the future, and remain dependent on economic influences.

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