Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Lindt chairman rules out quitting as company rethinks prices
Lindt & Sprüngli chairman Ernst Tanner says he will not resign as the Swiss chocolate maker faces trouble after raising prices.
The 80-year-old says he believes he can help get the company back on track, but would leave if the board decided he no longer added value.
Lindt misjudged how customers would react to higher prices, especially in Germany and Switzerland, where some found its products too expensive.
The company is using discounts to draw attention to price cuts, and Tanner says lower cocoa prices may allow lasting reductions.
Lindt wants sales volumes and market share to grow next year, after customers bought less in some markets.
CEO Adalbert Lechner has left, and former CEO Dieter Weisskopf is leading the company temporarily.
Lindt is considering external candidates for a permanent CEO, while Tanner says the company does not plan broad job cuts.
Lindt chairman Ernst Tanner said the company misjudged how customers would respond to steep price rises.
He said its products became too expensive for some consumers, particularly in Germany and Switzerland.
Tanner said CEO Adalbert Lechner’s departure was intended to restore planning certainty, with former CEO Dieter Weisskopf taking over on an interim basis.
Tanner said he would not step down because of his age and expects Lindt to employ more people in one to two years.
The company plans to lower prices and wants sales volumes and market share to grow again.
- Who
- Lindt & Sprüngli chairman Ernst Tanner and the company. CEO Adalbert Lechner is leaving, and Dieter Weisskopf is interim CEO.
- What
- Tanner acknowledged that Lindt misjudged the effect of price rises on customers. He said Lechner’s departure was needed to restore planning certainty.
- When
- Tanner spoke in an interview published on October 24, 2026. Lechner’s departure was announced that week.
- Where
- The customer response was especially weak in Germany and Switzerland. Tanner discussed the situation in an interview with the NZZ.
- Why
- Lindt underestimated how much it could raise prices before demand fell. Tanner said the company also wanted to restore planning certainty with a leadership change.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Cocoa prices reached historic highs, and Lindt sought to pass the additional costs on to customers.
Some consumers, particularly in Germany and Switzerland, found Lindt products too expensive.
CEO Adalbert Lechner left the company, and former CEO Dieter Weisskopf took over as interim CEO.
Budget presentations for the coming year are due to begin.
- Price rise assessment
- Lindt misjudged how customers would respond
- Affected markets
- Germany and Switzerland
- Interim CEO
- Dieter Weisskopf
- Workforce
- Around 15,000 employees currently
- Expected workforce
- More employees in one to two years
4 sources
Lindt-Verwaltungsratspräsident Ernst Tanner schliesst Rücktritt aus
Lindt got chocolate price hikes wrong, chairman says after CEO's ouster
Der Schokoladenkönig Ernst Tanner spricht erstmals über die Krise von Lindt: «Es tut mir weh, unsere Produkte im Ausverkauf zu sehen»
Schokoladenhersteller: Der Lindt-Chef setzte auf immer höhere Preise – und ist nun seinen Job los
What people are saying
We have misjudged how customers would react to price increases.
It hurts me to see our products on sale.
I am convinced that I can make a significant contribution to getting the company back on track.