Nestlé increases its sales by 5.5 per cent in Portugal

Nestlé Portugal celebrated 100 years in Portugal in 2023. According to a press release, it achieved sales of €711 million, which represents an increase of €34 million compared with 2022, or growth of 5.5 per cent. Local sales grew by 7.5 per cent. 59 per cent of total production in Portugal is destined for export; this was a volume of €134 million in 2023. Nestlé Portugal makes its products at factories in Avanca and Porto.

Total investments amounted to €72 million, of which €51 million was used to support marketing and communication activities and €21 million was spent on operations, according to the company press release.

Nestlé plans to strengthen its presence in Portugal and is relying heavily on local suppliers, as CFO Silvia Balcells made clear in an interview on the SAPO news portal. She stresses that the company takes sustainability very seriously and has made substantial investments with this in mind. In 2023, Nestlé Portugal was the first company worldwide to obtain three Lean&Green stars, in recognition of reducing greenhouse gases by more than 35 per cent in the area of logistics.

“We plan to keep investing in this area, create economic, social and environmental added value, and continue to be part of Portuguese life,” says Balcells. In 2023, the company spent a total of €250 million on purchases from around 900 Portuguese suppliers.

Nestlé Portugal employed 2,594 members of staff from over 50 countries as of the end of 2023, which represents an additional 110 jobs compared with the previous year. ce/gba