The Platform Group increases quarterly sales by 51 percent

The Düsseldorf-based e-commerce group The Platform Group SE & Co. KGaA has continued its growth trajectory in the first three months of the 2026 financial year. On Wednesday, the company announced significant increases in sales and operating profit, as expected. It also confirmed its annual forecasts.

In the first quarter, group sales reached 243.1 million euros, an increase of 51.2 percent compared to the same period last year. The gross merchandise volume (GMV) grew by 23.0 percent to 438.4 million euros.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by only 28.1 percent to 25.1 million euros, partly due to a slightly lower gross margin. Adjusted for special effects, it rose by 37.1 percent to 21.8 million euros. The reported net profit, however, decreased slightly. It fell by 2.7 percent to 17.7 million euros.

The group meets its own expectations in the opening quarter

CEO Dominik Benner expressed satisfaction with the results while also highlighting new challenges. “The first quarter was positive, the results met our expectations, and we achieved high organic growth in our segments. At the same time, the operating result increased,” he explained in a statement. “There is, however, a fundamental difference: since the war in Iran, interest and logistics costs have changed significantly.”

Benner emphasised that the group will adapt its strategy to the more difficult conditions. “Specifically, we are planning to reduce our dependence on logistics costs and lower interest costs by actively reducing bank liabilities. The debt ratio is set to decrease significantly in the future,” said Benner. “We will also manage our portfolio more actively and reduce costs. We have reduced the number of planned acquisitions for the current financial year to five to six.”

Management confirms annual forecasts despite challenges from the war in Iran

Management nevertheless stuck to its annual forecasts. For 2026, a GMV of 1.7 billion euros and sales of one billion euros are still expected. The target range for EBITDA adjusted for special effects remains between 70 and 80 million euros.

The group will update its forecasts once the previously announced acquisitions are finalised. “Regarding the current status of the planned AEP acquisition, the closing conditions of the purchase agreement have not yet been fully met,” the company stated. “Progress is therefore expected in June 2026.”

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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