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LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW DELIVERS 19% GROWTH IN 2025 AS GLOBAL MOMENTUM ACCELERATES

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Quality Danish confectionery brand reports another year of robust omnichannel growth, expanding global markets, and a strengthened leadership platform following its acquisition by IDG Capital

COPENHAGEN, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW reports another year of strong financial and operational performance, achieving 19% revenue growth in 2025 and reaching total revenue of DKK 449 million (€60 million), up from DKK 376 million (€50 million) the previous year. The company delivered broad-based growth across all channels and geographies, maintained profitability despite considerable one-off costs and unprecedented increases in cocoa prices, and entered a new strategic era following its acquisition by IDG Capital.

The brand’s international expansion continued at pace, with 76% of sales now coming from markets outside Denmark, reaffirming LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW’s position as a leading global player in high-end confectionery.

“2025 was a defining year for LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW. We delivered strong double-digit growth across all channels and all regions, maintained profitability in the face of extraordinary global cost pressures, and continued to strengthen the foundations of our business. I am incredibly proud of how our teams across markets performed, and how our global community – particularly our community taste panel LAKRIDS LOVERS – helped drive both engagement and growth throughout the year,” says Fredrik Nilsson, CEO of LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW.

“Despite unprecedented increases in the price of cocoa – our single most important ingredient – we protected EBITDA and continued to invest in international expansion, digital development and product quality. Our retail stores performed exceptionally well, our online business now represents 35% of total sales, which is rare in the confectionery category, and our B2B channel grew strongly as we added several prestigious partners.”

He continues: “To support our ambition to grow into a truly global brand, we established a new internationally experienced board together with IDG Capital, which was founded in Boston and today operates across key global markets. This strengthened international board has a wealth of experience from Tiffany, Mars, Starbucks and Acne Studios, and we are better positioned than ever to take LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW into its next chapter. Our ambition is clear: to become a truly global, high-end confectionery brand, proudly made in Denmark. With renewed energy, a robust financial foundation, the company has established a resilient foundation for 2026, positioning us to maintain double-digit revenue expansion and enhanced profitability.

Strong Omnichannel Growth in 2025

The company’s omnichannel strategy, combining own-brand retail, a fast-growing e-commerce platform and a strong B2B network, continued to deliver strong results, confirming the strength of a model designed for both scale and engagement, with an 18% increase in retail sales driven by strong in-store performance and 6% like-for-like growth in existing locations.

The company opened strategic new stores in Germany and Austria, reinforcing its footprint in high-potential European marketsOnline sales grew by 25%, and now represent 35% of total revenue, an unusually high share for the confectionery categoryThe company’s LAKRIDS LOVERS community – a unique way for the company to interact and foster loyalty – grew by over 34% to 295,520Across all direct-to-consumer touchpoints, the brand benefitted from the expansion of the community, which grew by 15% to 855,000 members, playing a vital role in both product engagement and conversionB2B sales increased by 15%, driven by strong performance of established partners and the onboarding of new prestigious retail and hospitality accounts

Direct-to-consumer channels (DTC) – retail and e-commerce combined – accounted for 66% of total revenue, up from 64% in 2024.

Germany Leading Strong Growth Across Europe

LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW delivered significant growth across all major markets with particularly strong performance in Northern and Central Europe:

All Nordic markets delivered double-digit growth, reaffirming the region’s enduring strengthDenmark increased by 11%, showing continued customer loyalty in its home marketGermany reinforced its position as the company’s largest market, representing39% of total revenue anddelivering 27% year-on-year growthThe UK also continued its strong upward trajectory following an exceptionally strong 2024International markets accounted for 76% of revenue, compared to 74% the year before

This strong geographic performance demonstrates the brand’s ability to successfully scale Danish premium craftsmanship internationally.

Maintaining EBITDA Despite Extraordinary Cost Pressures

Net profit reached DKK 56 million and EBITDA for the year reached DKK 39 million, up slightly from DKK 38 million in 2024, despite:

Historically high cocoa prices resulting from global supply constraints, which tripled compared to pre–2023 levels and exceeded USD 10,000 (DKK 70,000) per metric ton in early 2025A 4 percentage-point decline in gross margin (to 65.8%)Significant costs linked to the ownership transitionContinued long–term investment in internationalisation and infrastructure

New Ownership and Leadership Evolution

In 2025, LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW was acquired by IDG Capital, a global investment firm founded in Boston in 1993 and now headquartered in Hong Kong. The acquisition marked a turning point for the company as it prepares to scale globally.

Following the ownership change:

A new international board was appointed, reflecting the company’s global ambitionsMajor leadership team changes were implemented to strengthen execution capabilities

These initiatives provide a strong financial and organisational foundation for the future.

Outlook For 2026

By focusing on our core strengths across all markets and channels, the company has set itself up to be robust for 2026, with a clear path toward continued double-digit revenue growth and improved earnings margins, supported by:

Normalisation of cocoa input costs due to advantageous hedgingStrengthened international presenceContinued investment in innovation, community, and sustainability

Reflecting the strength of the company’s strategy and execution, LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW was also recently recognised as one of Denmark’s Best Managed Companies 2026 in Deloitte’s global Best Managed Companies programme. An independent jury particularly highlighted the company’s innovative community-driven business model and its ability to create authentic customer engagement while maintaining a strong operational foundation.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lakrids-by-bulow-delivers-19-growth-in-2025-as-global-momentum-accelerates-302820660.html

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SABRE Launches Smart Pepper Spray With GPS Alerts to Instantly Notify Emergency Contacts

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Connected personal safety device combines maximum-strength protection with real-time location sharing for faster response in critical situations

CHICAGO, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SABRE, a leader in personal safety solutions, announced the launch of the SABRE Smart Pepper Spray, a connected personal safety device that combines maximum-strength pepper spray with real-time GPS alert technology. Designed to enhance personal protection, the device automatically notifies trusted contacts with the user’s live location when the alert button or pepper spray is deployed, helping ensure faster awareness and response in emergencies.

The SABRE Smart Pepper Spray represents a new category of self-defense technology—bridging the gap between physical protection and immediate communication.

A Smarter Approach to Personal Safety

Unlike traditional pepper sprays, the SABRE Smart Pepper Spray integrates with a companion mobile app to provide automatic emergency alerting. When the spray is deployed—or when the in-app panic button is activated—the system sends real-time GPS location alerts to preselected contacts, enabling them to quickly understand the situation and take action.

There is no need to unlock a phone, make a call, or send a message. The alert is triggered instantly—helping ensure users are never alone in a critical moment.

How It Works

User activates the spray, presses the detachable button or in-app panic buttonDevice triggers an automatic alert through the mobile appReal-time GPS location is shared immediatelyEmergency contacts receive a notification and live location tracking

Built for Real-World Safety Situations

The SABRE Smart Pepper Spray is designed to support users in everyday scenarios where personal safety is a concern, including:

Walking alone at nightCollege campus environmentsRunning or outdoor activitiesCommuting or rideshare travelVisiting unfamiliar areas

Powerful Protection Meets Smart Connectivity

In addition to its connected features, the SABRE Smart Pepper Spray delivers professional-grade defense:

Maximum-strength pepper spray trusted by law enforcement12–14 foot range for safer distance from threatsUp to 10 seconds of spray time for extended defenseFast Flip Top safety for quick, one-handed deploymentErgonomic finger grip for improved aim and controlCompact, discreet design for everyday carryLong-lasting battery designed for reliability without frequent charging

Bringing Peace of Mind to Users and Their Loved Ones

The Smart Pepper Spray expands the impact of personal protection beyond the individual carrying it. By instantly notifying trusted contacts, the device provides additional reassurance to family members and friends—helping reduce uncertainty and enabling faster response when it matters most.

“Safety isn’t just about stopping a threat,” said David Nance, CEO of SABRE. “It’s about making sure help is notified instantly—so users are never alone in an emergency. When every second matters, immediate awareness can make all the difference.”

Redefining Personal Safety

The SABRE Smart Pepper Spray reflects a broader shift in personal safety—from standalone self-defense tools to connected safety systems that prioritize awareness, communication, and preparedness.

By combining proven defensive technology with smart connectivity, SABRE is helping redefine what it means to feel protected in everyday life.

Availability

The SABRE Smart Pepper Spray is available now at www.sabrered.com and on Amazon.

For more information, visit www.sabrered.com.

About SABRE

SABRE is a global leader in personal safety solutions, trusted by professionals and consumers worldwide. As the most used brand by police and public safety officers, SABRE combines proven defensive technology with innovative smart features to help people stay safe, connected, and in control in any situation.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sabre-launches-smart-pepper-spray-with-gps-alerts-to-instantly-notify-emergency-contacts-302818424.html

SOURCE SABRE- Security Equipment Corporation

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RapidScale Launches Infrastructure Intelligence Practice as Pricing Volatility Disrupts IT Planning and Operations

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With 88% of businesses experiencing rising costs and extended delivery timelines, RapidScale delivers cost predictability, workload flexibility and procurement reliability.

RALEIGH, N.C., July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RapidScale, a leading provider of enterprise managed and professional services for public, private, and hybrid cloud environments, today announced its new Infrastructure Intelligence practice. Built upon five existing solution areas, the new offering enables organizations to clearly understand and prioritize technology decision making across cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments, improving infrastructure cost visibility, optimizing technology resources in deployment, reducing planning risk, and making more confident decisions.

88% of technology leaders responding to RapidScale’s inaugural Infrastructure Intelligence Index survey reported they’ve experienced at least one disruption resulting from extended lead times, pricing changes, and capacity events in the first six months of 2026. As the global memory and storage supply chain cautiously adapts to spiking demand, overcoming volatility, strategically timing investments, and navigating how a business’s technology needs map to impact will be increasingly critical to organizational growth.

“Companies typically assume that if they have the budget, they can scale infrastructure whenever they need it. That assumption no longer holds,” said Duane Barnes, president of RapidScale. “Lagging access to infrastructure is forcing technology and finance leaders to rethink how they plan, fund and modernize systems. Organizations need a more agile, long-term approach that gives them confidence that the capacity and resources required to support critical operations will be available when they need them.”

To understand how supply chain constraints are impacting businesses in real time, RapidScale surveyed 300 technology leaders, identifying three key trends shaping the current environment:

Nearly all organizations’ tech operations are actively experiencing disruption: Only 12% of organizations reported no meaningful change to operations and planning over the last 90 days. Most IT leaders are actively managing pricing increases during procurement (59%); delivery and lead time delays (48%); and capacity challenges (34%). With manufacturing facilities that will alleviate strain at least 2-5 years from production, adapting to this structural shift will be an ongoing priority.

Organizations are stretching existing infrastructure, but few are delaying projects: Only 26% of respondents noted they were cancelling or delaying projects as a result of volatility, instead opting to shift workloads across their environment (48%) or increase focus on cost governance or consumption optimization (51%). Prioritizing how critical workloads run across existing infrastructure is critical to negating operational issues that may arise from technology headwinds.

The impact now extends beyond IT operations: 84% of respondents are concerned about supply chain volatility’s long-term impact, with most concerned about implications for tech roadmap planning (61%) and budget predictability (53%). While these board-level operational issues cause concern, nearly half of respondents (46%) flag these constraints could impact their organization’s ability to implement and execute AI initiatives.

RapidScale’s Infrastructure Intelligence practice helps organizations establish a fact-based view of current infrastructure spend, identify cost and capacity trade-offs, and build an executive-ready roadmap for modernization. The offering brings together RapidScale’s capabilities in cost transparency, hybrid optimization, VMware strategy, multi-cloud re-platforming and FinOps into a single operating model for aligning infrastructure decisions with business priorities. Combined with RapidScale’s one-to-one approach to partnership, these services enable businesses to thoughtfully and sequentially tackle their most pressing needs.

“It’s critical for businesses to treat infrastructure challenges as interconnected business issues, rather than isolated technology decisions,” said Jason McKay, chief solutions officer at RapidScale. “RapidScale’s Infrastructure Intelligence practice addresses these issues directly, giving technology, finance and executive leaders the visibility needed to strategically evaluate cost, capacity and modernization trade-offs with greater confidence.”

To learn more about Infrastructure Intelligence and how RapidScale helps organizations improve cost predictability and modernization planning, visit https://www.rapidscale.com/infrastructure-intelligence-assessment. To review the findings of RapidScale’s Infrastructure Intelligence Index report, visit https://www.rapidscale.com/blog/cloud/new-rapidscale-research-shows-infrastructure-volatility-is-reshaping-it-roadmaps

About RapidScale

RapidScale empowers business innovation through secure, scalable cloud solutions—driven by exceptional talent. We deliver managed, professional, and advisory services across private, public, and hybrid environments, enabling mid-market and enterprise organizations to extend their technology reach, activate change, and accelerate growth. Whether hosted, on-premises, or hybrid, our solutions are designed to meet the needs of our clients’ business outcomes—not just their infrastructure needs—ensuring each solution is bespoke, unbiased, and precisely aligned with client goals.

As a Broadcom Pinnacle Partner, AWS Premier Partner, Microsoft Azure Expert MSP, and certified Google Cloud Partner, RapidScale transforms complexity into agility. Our services span the full cloud lifecycle—from strategy to execution—with embedded cyber resiliency and AI-powered data insights that protect today’s operations and enable tomorrow’s competitive edge.

Through RapidScale, Cox Business, Segra, and Hospitality Network, Cox Communications provides a broad commercial solutions portfolio including advanced cloud and managed IT solutions and fiber-based network solutions that create connected environments, unique hospitality experiences and support diverse applications for nearly 370,000 businesses nationwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapidscale-launches-infrastructure-intelligence-practice-as-pricing-volatility-disrupts-it-planning-and-operations-302820853.html

SOURCE RapidScale

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CPSC Implements Mandatory eFiling for Certificates of Compliance, Targeting Dangerous Foreign Imports

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WASHINGTON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that the Commission’s eFiling program is now in effect, requiring importers of regulated consumer products to submit compliance certificates electronically before products enter U.S. commerce.

The eFiling program enables CPSC to identify and target high-risk imported products more efficiently while reducing unnecessary inspections and delays for compliant importers. By allowing the agency to focus enforcement resources where they are most needed, eFiling helps keep unsafe products out of the U.S. marketplace while facilitating legitimate trade.

Today’s implementation represents one of the most significant modernization efforts in CPSC’s import surveillance program since the agency was established, providing CPSC with certificate information before products enter U.S. commerce. The program also supports closer coordination between CPSC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, reinforcing a whole-of-government approach to protecting American consumers at the border.

“America faces an unprecedented surge in imported consumer products entering through increasingly complex global supply chains, including millions of direct-to-consumer shipments that often bypass traditional retail distribution. CPSC faces significant enforcement challenges, particularly where products originate from countries that do not comply with U.S. safety laws. eFiling brings CPSC’s import surveillance and targeting capabilities into the 21st century, enabling the agency to identify and interdict high-risk shipments earlier, keeping unsafe foreign-made products out of American homes, and leveling the playing field for American manufacturers and importers that follow the rules,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman.

“Let me be clear: eFiling does not apply to domestic manufacturers, including small businesses manufacturing in the United States. It creates no new testing, certification, or compliance obligations. Importers are already required by law to create and maintain this information. eFiling simply modernizes how the data is transmitted to CPSC,” he said.

The eFiling program is the culmination of more than a decade of development, including extensive industry testing through alpha and beta pilots conducted between 2016 and 2024, followed by a voluntary implementation period that allowed importers to develop and test their systems before today’s effective date.

Requirements applicable to consumer products imported into Foreign Trade Zones and later entered for consumption or warehousing will take effect on January 8, 2027.

More detailed information on the eFiling program is available at the links below:

eFiling – CPSC’s Modern Approach for Filing Certificate DataFinal Rule Implementing eFiling for Certificates of Compliance

About CPSC
CPSC is the federal agency charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury associated with thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the agency was established more than 50 years ago, CPSC has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, contributing to a decline in related injuries.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission-ordered recall or to a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with CPSC.

For lifesaving information:
– Visit CPSC.gov.
– Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
– Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, Threads, LinkedIn and Truth Social.
– Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
– Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).
– Contact a media specialist.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cpsc-implements-mandatory-efiling-for-certificates-of-compliance-targeting-dangerous-foreign-imports-302820872.html

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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