Eat’N’Go Expands To East Africa With The Acquisition Of Domino’s Pizza And Coldstone Franchise In Kenya

Brand Spur
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Eat’N’Go Expands To East Africa With The Acquisition Of Domino’s Pizza And Coldstone Franchise In Kenya

…projects a total of 180 stores in Africa by end of 2021. 

Lagos, 8th March 2020: Eat’N’Go limited, the leading Quick Service Restaurant operator in Nigeria and Master Franchisee for world-class food brands – Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, and Pinkberry Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt, today announced its expansion into the East African market. This comes after the successful acquisition of the franchisee which operated Cold Stone Creamery and Domino’s Pizza in Kenya.

This acquisition will see Eat’N’Go limited become the largest Domino’s Pizza and Cold Stone Creamery Master Franchisee in Africa with operations in Nigeria and Kenya.  Since its entrant into Nigeria in 2012, the leading Quick Service Restaurant company has grown exponentially and continuously nurtured the drive to extend its footprint across the African market.

Eat’N’Go Expands To East Africa With The Acquisition Of Domino’s Pizza And Coldstone Franchise In Kenya Brandspurng

This acquisition provides them with their first foreign market expansion, making them a Pan African company with a total number of 147 outlets across Africa and a projection to reach 180 stores by end of 2021.

The milestone achievement and development will better position the company in its contribution to Nigeria and Africa’s economy. Currently home to over 3000 staff members across Africa, the company is committed to continuously provide job and business opportunities across the continent.

Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Eat’N’Go Limited, Patrick McMichael said that expanding into East Africa represents a very exciting time in the growth of the organization and also a strategic investment for the firm and its stakeholders.

“Over the years, we have fostered the mission to not just bring the best QSR brands to Africa, but to directly impact on Africa’s economy and we are glad we are finally on the way to making this happen. Studying the growth of the Kenyan market in the last couple of years, we are convinced that now is the time to extend our footprint into the country”.

“We are very thrilled about this expansion as this move avails us more opportunity to provide Jobs to more Africans, especially in times like this. We remain thankful to all our customers, partners, and stakeholders who have supported us this far and we are more than ready to strengthen our dedication in satisfying the needs of our customers” Patrick added.

Eat’N’Go has over the years maintained its position as the leading food franchisee in Nigeria. As it expands its presence to other parts of Africa, the organization also places a strong focus on the quality of its products and services of all its three brands. The expansion to this new region is in line with the company’s plan to reach 180 stores across Africa by the end of 2021. 

Eat’N’Go is Africa’s leading master franchisee for the Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt brands. Renowned for being a master deliverer of high-quality food and services, Eat’N’Go launched in 2012 in Nigeria with the vision “to become the premier food operator in Africa”.

Leadway Pensure PFA Emerges Most Admired Pension and Finance Brand

Esan Bolaji
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Leadway Pensure PFA Emerges Most Admired Pension and Finance Brand

Leadway Pensure PFA has been recognized as the most Admired Pension and Finance Brand in Africa following its emergence as the Winner of the Customer Excellence Award at the 2021 edition of the Africa Brands Awards.

Leadway Pensure PFA Emerges Most Admired Pension and Finance Brand in the 2021 Africa Brands Awards Brandspurng

The awards, which recognizes creativity, innovation, and excellence among brands on the continent, was given to Leadway Pensure in acknowledgement of the brand’s extraordinary measures in ensuring that our customers are delighted beyond the call of duty.

This is a testament to the dedication of its team in ensuring that the company not only grow your wealth, but provide an amazing experience across all touchpoints, and this further strengthens Leadway Pensure’s resolve to continually improve on processes to enable the continuous offering of exceptional services at your convenience.

leadway

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

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Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

Nigeria’s First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station has been commissioned by the Federal Government through the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) today, 8th April 2021.

The Solar Powered EV Charging Station was set up by NADDC under the Electric Vehicle Pilot Project in Collaboration with Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos) Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

With the commissioning of the charging station, Nigeria will join the rest of the world in embracing the recent innovation in energy mobility towards renewable and sustainable energy sources.

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC stated that, 

This is testimony to the government’s commitment to the adoption and promotion of advanced technology for safer, cleaner and cheaper transportation solutions.

I wish to thank the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawal Suleiman Bilbis, for all the support so far, especially the donation of land, and we look forward to an exciting Research and Development collaboration with the university.

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos) Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

“100% renewable energy, 100% clean energy to power 100% Electric Vehicles. Absolutely zero emissions, zero waste: from energy generation to energy utilization.”

“This Charging Station is an important component of our national Vehicle Electrification Program. We are collaborating with 3 universities. Usmanu Danfodio, Sokoto, University of Lagos and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.”

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos) Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

Why is the NADDC collaborating with academia?

This strategy is important because it is not just a charging station but a platform and a springboard for advanced research and development: to study, monitor and evaluate the entire system: the solar cells, storage units and electric vehicles in various climatic and usage conditions and hopefully develop even more effective solutions for Nigerian and African applications.

Jelani Aliyu, DG NADDC Commissions First Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station (Photos)

The monitoring and evaluation team shall consist of experts from NADDC, Usmanu Danfodio University, Hyundai and relevant Stakeholders.

The installed solar arrays (panels), have a capacity of 86.4 kilowatts per hour, they are coupled to three online-offline Hybrid Inverters, each one is 5KVA, they are synchronized to give a combined output of 15 KVA/48 WATTS. The systems’ energy storage is made up of 36 units of deep-cycle gel batteries with an output of 48 volts/1980 amperes.

“I urge the students to see this as an unparalleled opportunity to fully understand Vehicle Electrification and all related renewable energy technologies so as to develop better and better solutions for the betterment of Nigeria,” he said.

In this regard, the electric vehicles will be charged accordingly based on the charging system adopted. There are two types of charging systems as far as this configuration/system is concerned.

  1. The high-level charging system is referred to as the fast charging system which charges a vehicle within 22 hours period and also which gives a total coverage after a full charging of 482 Kilometers.
  2. The second level of the charging system takes 9 hours to fully charged.

A protective device is also installed on the system to give total protection to both the equipment and the cars to be charged. There is a provision of highly flexible software that gives room for locking and unlocking the charging system with the advantage of having charging schedules for each vehicle.

The installation of the solar arrays (panels), that have a capacity of 86.4 kilowatts per hour, the online-offline 3 numbers 5KVA Hybrid inverters that are synchronized together to give 15 KVA/48 WATTS and 36 units of the deep circle, gel batteries with an output of 48 volts/1980 amperes.

Gyakie, Flip The Music Label Ink Worldwide Deal With Sony Music/RCA Records UK

Esan Bolaji
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Gyakie, Flip The Music Label Ink Worldwide Deal With Sony Music/RCA Records UK

Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Gyakie, and her team Flip the Music have announced their international record deal with Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records UK, and Sony Music Africa, which includes Sony Music West Africa as the home office, as well as Sony Music East and South Africa.

Gyakie’s incredible strides in the industry as an Afrobeats force have become difficult to disregard following the success of “Forever” (Remix) featuring Omah Lay, and as the daughter of Ghanaian highlife legend, Nana Acheampong of the iconic Lumba Brothers, her musical origins run deep.

Taking to their Instagram to announce the signing, RCA UK posted “Incoming! Gyakie is now part of the RCA UK family!”

“I am excited to join RCA/Sony Music International with my label Flip the Music on my journey to become a global superstar,” Gyakie told Ghanaian-based Music Channel 4SYTE TV.

Flip the Music President and founder Emmanuel “Electro Mirror” Sedo added, “We are thrilled to join the Sony Music family! Gyakie has become a superstar on African music scene and we have no doubt this partnership will propel her onto the international music scene. We are eager for the journey ahead.”

Gyakie, Flip The Music Label Ink Worldwide Deal With Sony Music/RCA Records UK-Brand Spur Nigeria
Gyakie, Flip The Music Label Ink Worldwide Deal With Sony Music/RCA Records UK-Brand Spur Nigeria

Flip The Music is a Ghanaian-owned record label that specializes in music promotion and management, and it was established in 2020, the same year Gyakie was signed.

Gyakie has attained huge success in a brief period of time with singles such as “Love Is Pretty” (2019), “Never Like This” (2019), and “Sor Mi Wu feat Bisa Kdei” (2020), all of which embodies the characteristics of a deep soul, mixing R&B and neo-soul elements with Afrobeats sensibilities.

Her debut EP release “SEED“, however, set her apart from her contemporaries, amassing 11 million cumulative streams through streaming platforms to date.

Gyakie is set to take over the music industry, with the EP’s lead single “Forever” reaching #1 on the music charts in Nigeria and Ghana and maintaining its dominance on Apple Music & iTunes, Billboard, Shazam, Triller, and YouTube.

DHL: Pandemic Poses New Challenges On Automotive Industry

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DHL: Pandemic Poses New Challenges On Automotive Industry

DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics specialist within Deutsche Post DHL Group, has calibrated current findings from renowned research institutes showing how the pandemic will create or speed up some trends in the automotive industry, but stall others.

According to this new trend report “Automotive – A Shifting Landscape”, the automotive industry is facing some great changes resulting from the rise of new technologies, a shift in customer expectations, and an ever-stronger focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance policies (ESG).

DHL Supply Chain offers solutions that will help OEMs adapt to the challenges the industry is facing and at the same time support them in meeting their corporate ESG targets.

“With borders and shops closed, last year has made the importance of flexible and reliable DHL supply chains very clear. The industry will transit into a new normal after the pandemic, with retail models changing and automation increasing.

But these are not the only challenges OEMs will face in the future. We have to acknowledge the role logistics plays when it comes to sustainability. There are already lots of possibilities to support the automotive industry towards more environmental consciousness,” says Dr Dietmar Steins, EVP Global Solutions Design at DHL Supply Chain.

“We support our customers in implementing ongoing trends such as sustainability and digitalization into their supply chains.”

The study unveiled that there are several aspects that impact the automotive industry and which in addition create interdependencies on each other.

Car manufacturers and their suppliers are exponentially moving towards emission-free mobility by making the transition to electrification, while COVID-19 is shaping future swings and distorting past predictions.

As OEMs are affected by fixed costs with little or no revenue, investments in future trends such as self-driving cars have been trimmed or refocused. Online sales, once claimed to never replace the dealership experience, maybe getting a second wind.

Projects and capital expenditures that are not contributing to the immediate bottom line have been delayed. On a broader level, some of the industry’s deepest-held beliefs about globalization and supply chains are being put under pressure by the pandemic.

According to researchers, independent regional strategies will gain more importance in the automotive industry. With countries in lockdown and manufactures closed, localization or at least flexibilization of supply chains are key for the resilience of the sector.

Studies also show that the industry is far from the end of digitalization. With the rise of automation and connectivity, the industry is heavily investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning. In the age of data supremacy, OEMs are further migrating to a more service- and customer-oriented model leading to changing retail models.

In order to make the industry more sustainable holistically and to comply with corresponding policies, the supply chain must also be taken into account. Sustainable solutions are required to get us on the way to greener mobility.

“Thanks to our longstanding expertise in handling complex supply chains, we can recognize changes in the industry at an early stage and adapt to them. With our sustainable warehouse, transport, and packaging solutions, we offer OEMs the support they need to achieve their ESG targets.

The move to e-commerce or direct-to-consumer sales is also facilitated through the Digital Freight Platform and other digital retail solutions we offer. We are very proud to be able to provide the automotive industry the support it needs” says Hendrik Venter, CEO DHL Supply Chain EMEA.

Logistics service providers act as an extended arm to the customer. Therefore, a reliable partner with an extensive network is essential when setting up individualized supply chains. From supply chain design to digital retail and aftermarket to solutions for e-vehicles or sustainable logistics, DHL Supply Chain can help with customized solutions.

For example, setting up flexible and decentralized supply chains to enable faster delivery to customers via e-commerce. But also adapt logistics to changing requirements which go hand in hand with, for example, e-mobility.

To decrease the carbon footprint, the logistics expert provides emission-saving transport or value-added services such as upcycling spare parts in the circular economy. This way, DHL Supply Chain supports OEMs to adapt to future challenges to meet their corporate ESG targets.

British Airways Launches London City Flights To Jersey And Gibraltar

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British Airways Launches London City Flights To Jersey And Gibraltar

British Airways has today announced the launch of two new routes to Jersey and Gibraltar from London City Airport.

Operating initially over the summer period, the routes will launch on 25 June 2021. Two flights a week will operate to Jersey and Gibraltar – on Mondays and Fridays – offering important air links for business travellers, holidaymakers and those visiting friends and relatives as regulations ease, as well as for cargo.

With fares starting from just £42 to Jersey and £43 to Gibraltar each way*, customers can book from today via ba.com. Customers benefit from British Airways’ flexible booking policy, offering customers no change fees or a voucher exchange for bookings made for travel before the end of April 2022, giving customers a large variety of options should their plans change.

Tom Stoddart, Managing Director of BA CityFlyer, which will operate the new services, said: “It’s great to be able to launch these two new services to Gibraltar and Jersey – it’s something customers have been asking us to do for quite a while. Whether it’s for a holiday or visiting friends or relatives who live either end of route when the time is right, customers will benefit from direct flights to and from the extremely conveniently located London City Airport.”

Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and the Port of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP said: “This is excellent news and continues to show the confidence that the industry has in Gibraltar as a destination.

A seasonal link with London City Airport operated by BA CityFlyer brings yet another operator to Gibraltar and opens up a further catchment area from the UK. This service will complement BA’s mainline services from Heathrow and the local business and financial services community will undoubtedly welcome a link to London’s financial district. Our tourism, retail and hospitality industries can also look forward to greeting customers from the City and the east London catchment area.”

Matt Thomas, Ports of Jersey, Group CEO, said: “We are delighted to see the Island once again connected to London City and look forward to working alongside BA Cityflyer. We understand the importance of connectivity to London’s financial centre, as well as for Islanders wanting easy access to central London, or to take advantage of the many onward connections available.”

Both flights will be operated by BA CityFlyer’s Embraer E190 aircraft. British Airways will continue to operate its services to Jersey and Gibraltar alongside these new London City services.

British Airways has introduced a range of safety measures and partnerships to make the travel experience simple and enjoyable during and after the pandemic. These include partnerships with testing provider Qured, and mobile travel health app verify.

British Airways is currently in the middle of its latest sale with offers across flights and holidays – more information can be founded at ba.com/sale.

With Rising Inflationary Pressure, Bears Rule Local Bourse In March

Cowry Research
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With Rising Inflationary Pressure, Bears Rule Local Bourse In March

The global economy continued in expansion territory for the ninth consecutive month in March 2021 as output and new business orders continued to grow; notably, the new export orders index expanded to 52.4 points (from 50.2 points in February) while the input cost index spiked to 61.6 points (from 59.9 points).

This increased cost was partly borne by consumers as the output price index rose to 55.9 from 54.0.

With regard to jobs, the J.P. Morgan Global Composite Employment Index expanded to 51.6 points in March (from 50.1 points in February) amid improved business confidence at both manufacturers and service providers. In the global energy market, the latest statistics from the U.S.

Energy Information Administration showed that world crude oil consumption rebounded m-o-m by 2.35% to 95.89 million barrels per day (mbpd) while world crude oil supply shrank 1.96% to 92.17 mbpd as of February 2021. Meanwhile, the world rig count rose by 7.35% to 1,270 as at February (although it fell to 1,231 in March amid the COVID-19 scare).

Amid relatively stronger crude oil market fundamentals, global crude oil prices generally rose in the month of March – brent crude oil spot price rose m-o-m, on average, by 5.34% to USD65.61 a barrel in March 2021. Nigeria’s business activity remained in expansion territory as the IHS Markit-Stanbic IBTC headline PMI rose faster to 52.9 points in March (from 52.0 points in February).

New orders and output expanded, egging greater staffing and reducing backlogs. Raw materials shortage also drove input costs higher. Meanwhile, annual inflation (consumer price) rate continued to trek northwards, having risen to 17.33% in the month of February (from 16.47% recorded in January).

The increase in the inflation rate was caused by broad-based price increases in the food and non-food categories, albeit food prices continued to exert greater pressure.

Exchange rate pressure, increase in energy prices, insecurity in the food-producing parts of the country and a weaker harvest season continued to be the major drivers of inflation.

The normal yield curve at the end of March was relatively higher than the yield curve as at the end of February, – especially at the short end, as stop rates at the primary market trended higher (bearish flattening) – as inflationary pressure increased and foreign exchange rate pressure was sustained.

Oil Illusion And Financial Delusion (LBS Executive Breakfast Session – April 2021)

FDC
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Oil Illusion And Financial Delusion (LBS Executive Breakfast Session – April 2021)

The LBS Executive Breakfast publication for this month is an upgrade from the usual format. This is because it coincides with the end of Q1 which enables us to carry out a review of the quarter as well as provide a quick analysis of Q2. It also happens to be the end of Easter and the start of the Ramadan fasting period.

From our perspective, we can say that Nigeria will experience an inverted V-shaped recovery while battling persistent inflation. Institutional and domestic investors are jittery as they attempt to make sense of ambiguous pronouncements and conflicting data.

Oil GDP: Nigeria Records Average Oil Production of 1.81 million barrels per day in Q2 2020 - Agusto & Co.
Source: Shutterstock

Recovery imminent in 2021?

The IMF and World Bank, at their spring meetings in Washington, expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic recovery. The upward review of their projections rests heavily on optimal vaccine rollouts and stronger oil prices. The IMF revised its 2021 GDP growth projection to 2.5% from 1.5%. This is a confidence boost for the much-needed investment inflows. However, the snares of insecurity, hyperinflation and policy uncertainty could force investors to take their funds elsewhere. 

Exchange rate policy – Yay or Nay!

The nuanced interpretation of flexible or floating exchange rates by policymakers made investors wary and was seen as a missed opportunity to embark on a unified exchange rate system. Exchange rate convergence remained the sole objective of the CBN. However, forex rationing has continued, and the I & E window is still controlled. Limited forex supply has forced manufacturers to source over 90% of forex from the parallel market. Forex intervention in the I & E window fell throughout March to an average of $66.63mn. Indicating a preference for reserves accretion at the expense of exchange rate alignment. So, it is neither a yay nor nay situation…we take it as it is and hope for the best.

In all of this, the Nigerian consumer remains financially embattled. Disposable income is flat but discretionary income is sharply lower due to rising food prices, transport costs and electricity bills. Many state governments owe salary arrears and labour is on a warpath. For example, Kano state announced a slash in salaries and reverted to the old minimum wage of N18,000. These point to a further squeeze in consumer disposable income. The EIU estimates aggregate private consumption to fall by 2% to $363.4bn in 2021 from $370.8bn in 2020.

In the link below, Bismarck Rewane and the FDC Think Tank analyse the performance of the economy in Q1’21 and provide projections for Q2’21.

Download the full report Oil Illusion And Financial Delusion (LBS Executive Breakfast Session – April 2021) here

Plant Power: Nestlé Launches Dairy Free Milo In Asia

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Plant Power: Nestlé Launches Dairy Free Milo In Asia

As consumers in Asia are including more dairy alternatives in their diet, Nestlé is launching plant-based versions of some of its most-loved brands in the region.

That now includes a new plant-based version of Milo, the world’s leading chocolate malt beverage that is enjoyed in many Asian countries.

It will be launched in Asia, starting first in Malaysia, a country with generations of Milo fans going back 70 years to its launch there in 1950. Nestlé Malaysia will also be introducing a range of plant-based Nescafé lattes. Both will appear on shelves this April.

Chocolate Malt Plant-Based Deliciousness

People are deeply passionate about their Milo, so the development teams worked hard to deliver the ionic Milo taste while using only plant-based ingredients.

This new version replaces the milk in the original recipe with almond and soy, but the other two core ingredients – malt and cocoa – remain the same.

Each bottle offers 6.5 grams of protein and is also low in sugar, with a combination of vitamins and minerals to support effective energy release.

It follows the launch of a plant-based Milo powder in Australia in 2020, a launch that created huge excitement in the country where Milo was first introduced in 1934.

Mayank Trivedi, Head of the Dairy Strategic Business Unit at Nestlé, said: “Milo is an iconic brand in Malaysia and across Asia, and much-loved across generations. We want to provide consumers with on-trend alternatives in formats they want. That’s why we’re delighted to launch Milo Dairy Free to support people’s lifestyle choices.”

A Whole ‘Latte’ Flavor

Nestlé is a pioneer in innovate plant-based coffee mixes, and Nestlé Malaysia is now introducing a plant-based version of another iconic brand – Nescafé oat and almond lattes.

Plant Power: Nestlé Launches Dairy Free Milo In Asia-Brand Spur Nigeria
Plant Power: Nestlé Launches Dairy Free Milo In Asia-Brand Spur Nigeria

Plant-based coffee mixes are a popular and growing category. Nestlé has already launched them cross a number of countries in Europe, Latin America and Oceania, and most recently launched a range of plant-based Nescafé and Starbucks lattes in Japan.

The Nescafé Dairy Free Almond Latte combines almond and pea, while oat and soy are the main ingredients for the Nescafé Dairy Free Oat Latte. Both are blended perfectly with smooth Nescafé coffee and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Plant-Based Discovery

Using its expertise in dairy products and plant-based proteins, Nestlé is focused on developing a wide variety of dairy alternatives that complement the everyday diet of people. This includes products made from pea, rice, oat, soy, coconut, and almonds.

“We’re expanding our offerings across Asia by developing a variety of great-tasting, nutritious and sustainable plant-based products,” says Guglielmo Bonora, Head of Nestlé’s R&D Center in Singapore. “We want to make it easier for people to embrace plant-based alternatives in their diet, while also reducing our carbon footprint across the supply chain.”

Nestlé’s R&D center in Singapore serves as the regional innovation hub for the development of plant-based dairy alternatives in Asia. The center collaborates closely with Nestlé’s global R&D network of around 300 scientists, engineers, and product developers who are active in the research and development of plant-based products.

A Rising Trend

According to a recent survey by GlobalData, over 40% of consumers in the Asia region are shifting to more plant-based diets, with 11% opting for vegetarian and vegan food, and a third moving to a ‘flexitarian diet that is lighter on meat and dairy products.

The need for plant-based dairy alternatives that taste great and offer strong Nutritionals is rising, as more families are following this trend. In particular, many consumers cite environmental reasons, as plant-based proteins are produced with significantly lower emissions, land- and water usage.

BMW Group Sold 636,606 Vehicles in Q1

Esan Bolaji
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BMW Group Sold 636,606 Vehicles in Q1

In the first three months of the year, the BMW Group delivered a total of 636,606 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles to customers (+33.5%) and achieved a new all-time high for the first quarter. Between January and March, the company increased its sales year-on-year in all major regions of the world. All BMW Group brands posted sales growth worldwide during this period.

“We continued our growth momentum in the first quarter of this year, selling more vehicles than ever before in this period. This all-time high in sales underlines our ambitious growth targets for the year,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.

BMW Group Sold 636,606 Vehicles in Q1

“Our sales performance was boosted by strong demand for our electrified vehicles, in particular. In the past three months, we doubled our global sales of electrified vehicles compared to the same period last year. This puts us on track to deliver more than 100,000 fully electric vehicles this year, with at least a million electrified vehicles on the roads in total by the end of this year,” Nota continued.

High customer demand speaks for a strong product line-up and confirms the long-term product strategy of BMW

The BMW brand delivered 560,543 vehicles to customers (+36.2%) in the first quarter of this year. The main factors contributing to the brand’s first-quarter sales success were the X models’ high popularity with customers (246,068 units, +36.5%), as well as sales increases of 43.0% for the new high-volume BMW 5 Series and 43.6% for the successful BMW 3 Series.

Sales of electrified vehicles more than doubled in the first quarter

The new BMW M5 CS Brandspurng1

With 70,207 units sold in the first quarter of the year, the BMW Group more than doubled its global sales of both PHEV and fully electric vehicles – once again demonstrating the importance of electromobility for the company.

With the BMW iX3*, which was just released in Europe a few weeks ago, the BMW i3 and the MINI Cooper SE*, the BMW Group already offers a strong range of fully electric vehicles that will be joined over the course of the year by two key innovation flagships: the BMW iX and the BMW i4. “Our customers are very interested in both of these vehicles. That impressively underlines our perfect planning: the BMW iX and BMW i4 are coming at exactly the right time,” added Nota.

The BMW Group is once again significantly increasing the pace of its electromobility expansion and plans to have around a dozen fully electric models on the roads from 2023. In the coming years, these will include models such as fully-electric versions of the high-volume BMW 5 Series, the BMW 7 Series, the BMW X1 and the successor to the MINI Countryman. By 2023, the BMW Group will have at least one fully electric model in about 90% of its current market segments.

Between now and 2025, the BMW Group plans to increase its sales of fully-electric models by an average of well over 50% per year – more than ten times the number of units sold in 2020.

The BMW Group expects fully-electric vehicles to account for at least 50% of its global sales in 2030. The MINI brand is likely to reach this milestone already in 2027. By the early 2030s, MINI will be the first BMW Group brand with a product range that is exclusively fully electric. As a pure-electric global brand, MINI will continue to have a footprint in all major world regions.

Over the next approximately ten years, the BMW Group plans to have a total of around ten million fully electric vehicles on the roads.

MINI achieves sales growth in all world regions in the first quarter

In the first quarter of 2021, a total of 74,683 MINI vehicles were delivered to customers. Despite the brand’s limited footprint in the Chinese market, this represents a 16.2 percent increase over the previous year. MINI was, in fact, able to grow its sales in all regions of the world compared to the first quarter of 2020. The MINI Countryman proved especially popular with customers, posting growth of 36.0 percent; MINI 3 door sales were up 23.4 percent, while 19.1 percent more John Cooper Works models were sold than in the previous year. Electrified vehicles accounted for 15 percent of total MINI sales in the first quarter – double the figure for the previous year.

BMW M GmbH continues the success of the record year 2020 in Q1

With sales up 21.0 percent (37,896 units) year-on-year, BMW M GmbH concludes a successful first quarter. The X5 M and X6 M were the main drivers of growth in the high-performance models. In the performance segment, the M440i Coupé* was the significant source of growth. BMW M GmbH continued its model initiative in March, launching four product highlights, the M3/M4, M440i Convertible* and M5 CS*.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars with best first-quarter result in the 116-year history

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recorded the brand’s highest-ever first-quarter sales figures, with 1,380 motor cars delivered to customers (+61.8%). This quarterly result exceeds the previous record set in 2019 and is the highest in the marque’s 116-year history. Sales growth was seen in all markets, with the strongest in China, US and Asia Pacific. There was high demand for all models, particularly for the new Ghost and the Cullinan, with order books extending well into the second half of 2021. The company is optimistic for the remainder of the year.

BMW Motorrad: Sales performance confirms successful growth strategy

BMW Motorrad was able to deliver 42,592 motorcycles and scooters to customers in the first three months of this year (+22.5%) – its best-ever sales result for the first quarter. This sales growth underpins BMW Motorrad’s successful growth strategy. Both its strong product offering, with a variety of different models, and the market launch of various new products, provide key elements for the continued success of BMW Motorrad.

BMW & MINI sales in the regions/markets

In China, the BMW Group reported its best-ever first quarter. Sales in the first three months of the year exceeded the high pre-crisis deliveries in the first quarter of 2019. The important Asian market of South Korea sold 20,321 vehicles between January and March, with sales climbing 42.8% compared to the same period last year.

In the US, the BMW Group was able to build on its strong fourth quarter of 2020: Sales were up 20.1 percent in the first three months of this year with a total of 77,718 BMW and MINI vehicles delivered to customers.

In Europe, despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on retail, total BMW and MINI sales increased by 8.3% to 238,761 vehicles.

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