Beiersdorf grabs market share as group sales rise 6 percent

BERLIN (Reuters) - Beiersdorf (BEIG.DE), the maker of Nivea skin creams, said it snatched market share away from rivals as it posted a 6 percent rise in organic group sales in the first nine months, boosted by strong performances at both its Consumer and Tesa businesses.

The Hamburg-based company said on Tuesday its group sales, excluding currency moves and acquisitions, rose 6 percent to 5.4 billion euros (4.80 billion pounds)in the first nine months, after increasing 7.7 percent in the first half.

"Both Consumer and Tesa have posted strong growth rates over recent years," said Chief Executive Stefan Heidenreich.

"We continued this successful path in the first nine months of 2018 with significant sales increases that outperformed the market and with further gains in market shares."

Sales at its consumer business grew 5.6 percent, with Nivea brand sales up 2.7 percent. It Tesa adhesives unit, which supplies the automotive and electronics industries, saw sales rise 7.8 percent.

Beiersdorf reiterated its full-year guidance for underlying sales growth of 5 percent this year.

Unilever, whose Dove products compete with Nivea, said earlier this month it expected its sales growth would likely come in towards the bottom end of its 3 to 5 percent target range.

Rival Reckitt Benckiser (RB.L) posted third-quarter sales growth of 2 percent on Tuesday, which it said was held back by a temporary manufacturing disruption at a European baby formula factory.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Maria Sheahan)