E-commerce boom doubles demand for DS Smith cardboard boxes

Amazon package
Amazon package

Online shopping during lockdowns has given a massive boost to cardboard box manufacturer DS Smith as demand for its packaging rockets.

Miles Roberts, chief executive of the FTSE 100 company that supplies customers across Europe and the US, said: “Every week for the past eight weeks has been busier than in the run up to Christmas despite the massive wider economic damage from coronavirus.”

In the UK, demand for DS Smith’s food and flower packaging has more than doubled, while clothes and leisure products packaging has been up more than 60pc.

Another growth area is medicine packaging, where demand has doubled.

“This is a long-term trend which is not going to go away,” Mr Roberts said. “People are staying out of A&E, doctors are sending out prescriptions and people are ordering medicine online.”

Markets Hub - DS Smith PLC
Markets Hub – DS Smith PLC

While online shopping has delivered a boost, DS Smith’s industrial clients such as automotive and construction business and which make up about a fifth of the company’s sales, have suffered.

DS Smith said revenue fell by 2pc to £6bn for the year to April 30, while pre-tax profit was 5pc better at £368m, as margins improved.

Revenues were lifted by addition of Europac, which the company purchased for €1.7bn (£1.5bn) last year, but a drop in cardboard offset this.

The closure of recycling businesses during lockdowns that generate the feedstock for DS Smith’s products meant materials costs rose, and implementing social distancing and other measures to work through the pandemic also delivered a financial hit.      

Despite the strong performance, DS Smith cancelled the final dividend, having said in April it would not pay an interim one. The decision will save the company more than £200m.

Shares sank 9pc to 297p.

Mr Roberts added: “I know some commentators are not happy about the dividend and accuse us of being over cautious. “But protecting the company is my first priority and there is too much uncertainty to pay it.

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