Refrigerators and freezers
Liebherr achieved a turnover of € 1,152 million with refrigerators and freezers in the 2022 business year. This represents an increase of € 101 million or 9.6 % compared to the previous year.
Turnover in € m from 1,051 | + 9.6% |
|---|---|
Investments in € m from 59 | - 6.8% |
Employees from 6,618 | + 1.3% |
Turnover by sales regions
- 74.6%European Union
- 14.0%Non-EU countries
- 2.7%North America
- 0.3%Central and South America
- 7.8%Asia and Oceania
- 0.6%Africa, Near and Middle East
Tense consumer climate in Europe
The world market volume for large electrical appliances fell slightly in 2022. The main strains on the industry were caused by delivery bottlenecks and cost increases, which also had an impact on the price of end products. Consumer behaviour in Europe reached a low due to high inflation, increased living costs and uncertainties over energy supply.
Nevertheless, Liebherr achieved overall turnover growth in the refrigerators and freezers product segment, with variations from region to region. In the European Union, an increase in turnover was recorded, primarily driven by the German and French markets. In non-EU countries, Liebherr increased turnover especially in Switzerland and the UK. The picture was similar in the Central and South America region, where impetus came primarily from Ecuador. Growth in Asia and Oceania proved particularly encouraging, with markedly positive trends in China and Australia. Growth in the USA offset a decline in turnover in Canada, leading to a slight increase in the North America region. However, Liebherr recorded a decline in turnover in the Africa, Near and Middle East sales region, where growth in individual markets was not sufficient to offset the downward trend.
Through ongoing research and development, Liebherr is setting new standards with innovative technologies and revolutionising the field of refrigeration and freezing.
A quantum leap in energy efficiency
In the 2022 fiscal year, Liebherr presented a number of new product developments and pioneering solutions in the refrigerators and freezers segment. This included the launch of new free-standing appliances that combine energy efficiency with intuitive operation, digital networking and sophisticated design. These appliances are notable for their innovative freshness technologies, such as the BioFresh Professional Fish & Seafood Safe. One outstanding highlight was the debut of a world first at the IFA 2022 in Berlin (Germany): Liebherrʼs unique solution combining a vacuum with finely ground lava rock to insulate refrigerators and freezers. This innovative, patented technology is based on ten years of research and, for the first time, opened the way for the company to manufacture freezers in classes A and B according to EU energy labelling.
In terms of digitalisation, Liebherr has enhanced its SmartDevice app with the unique AutoDoor function, which allows the doors of an appliance to be opened and closed independently by tapping lightly, giving a voice command, or activating them via the app.
In the business year, the company continued its research cooperation on refrigeration technology with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), which is set to run until 2025. Liebherr also entered into a research partnership with Silicon Austria LABS for printed electronic components.
Although significant cost increases will continue to pose challenges, Liebherr expects further growth in the refrigerators and freezers segment in 2023.