Zurich: Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli said on Friday it had managed to lift sales and profit in the first half of this year despite the torpid consumer market and rising cocoa prices.
Lindt, a leader in the premium, or affordable luxury segment, said that sales rose by 6.6 percent to 1.5 billion Swiss francs ($1.5 billion, 1.4 billion euros).
Net profit jumped 11.1 percent to 72.2 million francs.
While sales in Europe rose by 5.7 percent to 738.5 million francs, they only edged up by 0.8 percent in North America, the world's top chocolate market.
Lindt, which bought Russel Stover in 2014 to expand its market position in North America, said it was reducing the brand's more than 2,000 products and lifting prices to set a healthy foundation for profitable growth in the future.
Sales increased 6.6 percent in North America excluding Russel Stover.
Lindt's shares gained 0.6 percent to 69.84 francs in late morning trading in a Swiss market up 0.11 percent overall.