BIC: Q3 and 9M 2026 Net Sales publication
Clichy, France – October 28, 2026
THIRD QUARTER AND NINE MONTHS 2026 NET SALES
Q3 organic growth slightly down, leading to +1.0% year-to-date
2026 Outlook confirmed
Q3 2026 net sales of €516m, with organic growth of -0.6%, leading to 9M 2026 net sales of €1,556m, with organic growth of +1.0%.
- Human Expression (Stationery):Q3 organic growth of -1.1%, with soft performance in North America and Latin America, despite growth in Europe and Middle East & Africa
- Flame for Life (Lighters):Q3 net sales declined -4.6% organically, reflecting soft performance in North America combined with more challenging trends in Europe and Latin America
- Blade Excellence (Shavers & Brushes):Q3 organic growth of +3.9%, mainly driven by Tangle Teezer
- Shavers: slight organic growth, with solid performance in Europe and Middle East & Africa more than offsetting declines in North America and Latin America
- Tangle Teezer:outstanding organic growth of +29% fueled by strong momentum in North America and Europe as well as new product launches successes
2026 outlook confirmed:BIC anticipates modest organic growth in 2026, an adjusted EBIT margin slightly above 14.0%, as well as stable Free Cash Flow year-on-year.
Rob Versloot, CEO, commented:
“In the third quarter, we delivered organic growth of -0.6%, reflecting contrasting dynamics across our categories, as anticipated entering the second half of the year. Based on our performance year-to-date, we are reaffirming our 2026 outlook and staying focused on disciplined execution for the rest of the year.
Our Strategic Update, unveiled this quarter, marked an important milestone for BIC. We have set out a clear ambition for the future of our company, and our priority is now to deliver on it. I am encouraged by the commitment of our teams and the progress we are making as we bring our BIC to the Future plan to life. We are determined to build a stronger, more competitive BIC, with sustainable, profitable growth at the heart of our ambition.”
Key figures
| in million euros | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | change | 9M 2025 | 9M 2026 | change |
| Net Sales | 519 | 516 | (0.5) % | 1,595 | 1,556 | (2.5) % |
| Organic growth | (3.3) % | (0.6) % | (5.4) % | +1.0% | ||
| Perimeter impact | +3.6% | (1.9) % | +3.8% | (2.6) % | ||
| FX impact | (4.2) % | +2.0% | (3.4) % | (0.9) % |
Operational Trends by Division
Human Expression (Stationery)
| in million euros | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | change | 9M 2025 | 9M 2026 | change |
| Net Sales | 192 | 183 | (4.4) % | 598 | 560 | (6.3) % |
| Organic growth | (0.5) % | (1.1) % | (5.6) % | +0.0% | ||
| Perimeter impact | - | (5.2) % | - | (5.5) % | ||
| FX impact | (3.5) % | +1.9% | (2.8) % | (0.8) % |
Q3 2026 Human Expression organic growth was -1.1%. Growth in Europe and Middle East and Africa was more than offset by softer performance in North America and Latin America.
In Europe, net sales grew slightly, reflecting a mixed Back-to-School season, with strong growth in countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium partially offset by declines in other markets, including Spain and Germany. The new Vibbies range delivered a strong performance across the region, reflecting high consumer interest and product desirability. In Middle East and Africa, net sales grew mid-single digits fueled by strong Back-to-School execution across channels in key countries in North and West Africa. In North America, organic net sales declined moderately, notably due to the timing of Back-to-School shipments in the U.S., with some orders shipped in Q2 instead of Q3, as well as continued weakness in the Ball Pen segment. However, BIC continued to deliver solid Back-to-School performance in other key segments, such as Mechanical Pencils and Correction. In Latin America, net sales declined in both Brazil and Mexico, in a continued challenging trading environment.
Flame for Life (Lighters)
| in million euros | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | change | 9M 2025 | 9M 2026 | change |
| Net Sales | 175 | 170 | (2.4) % | 529 | 521 | (1.5) % |
| Organic growth | (4.3) % | (4.6) % | (7.2) % | (0.4) % | ||
| Perimeter impact | - | - | - | - | ||
| FX impact | (4.5) % | +2.2% | (3.7) % | (1.1) % |
Q3 2026 Flame for Life net sales declined-4.6% organically, driven by weak performance across all major regions, particularly Europe and Latin America.
In North America, organic net sales were slightly down, notably against an unfavorable comparison base due to retailer pre-buys ahead of the September 2025 price increase. However, BIC’s anti-counterfeit actions continued to support growth in the convenience channel. In Europe, net sales declined due to softer performance in key markets, including France and Germany, reflecting weaker sales in the discounters’ channel. In Latin America, overall regional performance was impacted by temporary headwinds, coupled with a competitive market environment, particularly in Brazil. Net sales declined in Middle East and Africa mainly due to adverse performance in the Middle East and the highly competitive environment in West Africa.
Blade Excellence (Shavers & Brushes)
| in million euros | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | change | 9M 2025 | 9M 2026 | change |
| Net Sales | 146 | 155 | +6.2% | 448 | 451 | +0.7% |
| Organic growth | (6.1) % | +3.9% | (3.0) % | +3.2% | ||
| Perimeter impact | +13.5% | +0.1% | +15.8% | (1.7) % | ||
| FX impact | (4.8) % | +2.2% | (4.3) % | (0.8) % |
Q3 2026 Blade Excellence organic growth was +3.9%, mainly driven by robust growth in the Brushes business and solid growth in Shavers in Europe.
In Shavers, slight organic growth in Q3 was primarily driven by a strong performance in Europe, driven by distribution gains across key Western and Eastern European markets and the success of premium products, including BIC Soleil Escape and BIC Flex 5 Refillable. In Middle East and Africa, net sales grew double digits, fueled by solid commercial execution across key African countries and strong performance of the iconic BIC 1 shaver. In North America, performance remained under pressure amid a highly competitive environment, and BIC lost market share. In Latin America, net sales declined due to softness in both Brazil and Mexico. In Brazil, performance was impacted by strong competitive pressure and declines in the one and two-blade segments. However, BIC Flex and Soleil triple-blade shavers remained solid performers, supported by the marketing campaign featuring Ronaldinho.
In Brushes, Tangle Teezer delivered outstanding organic growth of 29% in Q3, driven by robust performance in North America and Europe. The successful Mini Ultimate Detangler and Chrome collections delivered double-digit growth, while the recently launched Complete Care Brush range benefitted from strong initial uptake.
2026 Outlook
BIC anticipates, under current assumptions, modest organic growth in 2026, an adjusted EBIT margin slightly above 14.0%, as well as stable Free Cash Flow year-on-year.
Appendix
Net sales by geography(in million euros)
| 2025 | 2026 | Organic % | Perimeter impact | % at constant currency | FX impact | Reported % | |
| Q3 | |||||||
| Group | 519 | 516 | (0.6) % | (1.9) % | (2.5) % | +2.0% | (0.5) % |
| Europe | 183 | 185 | +1.7% | (0.1) % | +1.6% | (0.6) % | +1.0% |
| North America | 185 | 181 | (2.0) % | (2.1) % | (4.1) % | +1.7% | (2.4) % |
| Latin America | 91 | 90 | (7.5) % | - | (7.5) % | +6.8% | (0.7) % |
| Middle East & Africa | 42 | 47 | +8.8% | - | +8.8% | +4.0% | +12.8% |
| Asia & Oceania | 18 | 13 | +2.6% | (32.7) % | (30.1) % | +4.0% | (26.1) % |
| 9M | |||||||
| Group | 1,595 | 1,556 | +1.0% | (2.6) % | (1.6) % | (0.9) % | (2.5) % |
| Europe | 578 | 574 | +1.0% | (0.7) % | +0.3% | (0.8) % | (0.5) % |
| North America | 570 | 540 | +0.9% | (2.5) % | (1.6) % | (3.6) % | (5.2) % |
| Latin America | 270 | 278 | (0.4) % | - | (0.4) % | +3.4% | +3.0% |
| Middle East & Africa | 122 | 128 | +4.2% | - | +4.2% | +0.4% | +4.6% |
| Asia & Oceania | 56 | 35 | +0.2% | (38.7) % | (38.5) % | +1.5% | (37.0) % |
Net sales by division(in million euros)
| 2025 | 2026 | Organic % | Perimeter impact | % at constant currency | FX impact | Reported % | |
| Q3 | |||||||
| Group | 519 | 516 | (0.6) % | (1.9) % | (2.5) % | +2.0% | (0.5) % |
| Human Expression (Stationery) | 192 | 183 | (1.1) % | (5.2) % | (6.3) % | +1.9% | (4.4) % |
| Flame for Life (Lighters) | 175 | 170 | (4.6) % | - | (4.6) % | +2.2% | (2.4) % |
| Blade Excellence (Shavers & Brushes) | 146 | 155 | +3.9% | +0.1% | +4.0% | +2.2% | +6.2% |
| Other products | 7 | 8 | +15.0% | - | +15.0% | +0.6% | +15.6% |
| 9M | |||||||
| Group | 1,595 | 1,556 | +1.0% | (2.6) % | (1.6) % | (0.9) % | (2.5) % |
| Human Expression (Stationery) | 598 | 560 | +0.0% | (5.5) % | (5.5) % | (0.8) % | (6.3) % |
| Flame for Life (Lighters) | 529 | 521 | (0.4) % | - | (0.4) % | (1.1) % | (1.5) % |
| Blade Excellence (Shavers & Brushes) | 448 | 451 | +3.2% | (1.7) % | +1.5% | (0.8) % | +0.7% |
| Other products | 21 | 24 | +12.8% | - | +12.8% | +0.4% | +13.2% |
Impact of change in perimeter and currency fluctuations on net sales(in %)
| Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | 9M 2025 | 9M 2026 | |
| Perimeter | +3.6 | (1.9) | +3.8 | (2.6) |
| Currencies | (4.2) | +2.0 | (3.4) | (0.9) |
| (2.3) | +0.7 | (1.0) | (1.3) |
| (0.4) | +0.6 | (0.9) | +0.5 |
| (0.1) | +0.4 | (0.6) | +0.4 |
| (0.4) | +0.1 | (0.5) | (0.2) |
| (0.1) | +0.1 | +0.0 | (0.1) |
| (0.2) | (0.0) | (0.1) | (0.1) |
| (0.3) | (0.2) | (0.2) | (0.3) |
| +0.1 | (0.0) | +0.0 | +0.1 |
Glossary
- Adjusted:Adjusted means excluding non-recurring items.
- Constant currency:Growth at constant currency figures are calculated by translating the current year figures at prior year average exchange rates.
- EBIT: Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
- Adjusted EBIT margin:Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of Net Sales.
- Free Cash Flow:Operating cash flow less change in working capital & others less capital expenditures.
- Organic growth: Growth at constant currency and constant perimeter (formerly change on a comparative basis).
A presentation related to this announcement is also available on the BIC website (www.bic.com). Statements contained herein that are not historical facts, but rather express expectations or objectives for the future, including, but not limited to, statements regarding BIC’s financial objectives, and constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on BIC management 's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. BIC’s actual results and future performance may be affected by numerous risks and uncertainties, in particular as described in the chapter “Risk Factors and Management” of BIC’s 2025 Universal Registration Document filed with the French financial markets authority (“AMF”) on March 26, 2026.
Webcast and conference call
Rob Versloot, Chief Executive Officer, and Grégory Lambertie, Chief Financial and Digital Officer, will present BIC 's Q3 2026 Net Salesduring a webcast and a conference call on October 28, 2026, at 6:30 PM CET:
- To participate in the webcast, join via the following link:
- To participate in the conference call, dial in by phone using one of the numbers below:
- From France: +33 1 70 91 87 04
- From the UK: +44 1 212 818 004
- From the USA: +1 718 705 87 96
- Vocal access code: BIC
Contacts
| Investor Relations investors.info@bicworld.com Brice Paris VP Investor Relations +33 6 42 87 54 73 brice.paris@bicworld.com | Apolline Celeyron Global Communications Director +33 6 13 63 44 43 apolline.celeyron@bicworld.com Isabelle de Segonzac Image 7, Press Relations contact +33 6 89 87 61 39 isegonzac@image7.fr |
Agenda
All dates to be confirmed
| Full Year 2026 Results | February 24, 2027 |
| First Quarter 2027 Net Sales | April 28, 2027 |
About BIC
A global leader in stationery, lighters, shavers and hairbrushes, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday life. For 80 years, BIC’s commitment to delivering high-quality, affordable, and trusted products has established BIC as a symbol of reliability and innovation. With a presence in over 160 countries, and over 11,000 team members worldwide, BIC’s portfolio includes iconic brands and products such as BIC® 4-Color™, Cristal®, BIC Kids®, Lucky™, Tipp-Ex®, Wite-Out®, Djeep®, EZ Load™, EZ Reach®, BIC® Flex™, Soleil®, Tangle Teezer® and more. Listed on Euronext Paris and included in the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes, BIC is also recognized for its commitments to sustainability and education. For more, visit www.corporate.bic.com. Follow BIC on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
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