Did Davidoff Just Send a Message to the Rest of the Industry?

Every cigar company tells you they’re having a great year.

Some are. Some define “great” very creatively. Davidoff just showed its homework.

Oettinger Davidoff announced it closed 2025, the company’s 150th anniversary year, with sales of CHF 545.3 million. That’s a 2.5 percent increase despite what the company described as “challenging and unstable geopolitical complexities,” including U.S. tariffs, a strong Swiss franc, and changing consumer sentiment.

For cigar smokers, the interesting part isn’t the accounting…it’s where the growth came from.

Here is the press release…

Oettinger Davidoff finishes its 150-Year-Jubilee on a high note

  • Overall sales turnover for the year 2025 totals CHF 545.3 million
  • Good performance in the company’s own-brand business
  • Largest growth contributors are the two global core brands: Davidoff and Zino
  • Expansion of production sites in the Dominican Republic and Honduras
  • Strengthening of leading position in the handmade premium cigar business

Basel, Switzerland, 1 July 2026. Oettinger Davidoff closes its 150-jubilee year with a strong result for the year 2025 despite challenging und unstable geopolitical complexities – ranging from US tariffs and the strong Swiss Franc to changing consumer sentiments. The family-owned company, which celebrated its 150-year jubilee with different celebrations in 2025, achieved another robust performance reaching sales turnover of CHF 545.3 million, representing an increase of 2.5% in real terms.

Turnover developments were especially encouraging in the own-brand cigar segment. The core brand Davidoff increased its sales by 2.4%, while the Zino brand delivered another extraordinary year with an increase of 16.1%. The good results were particularly driven by the strong performance in the Partner Markets & Duty Free EMEAA region, as well as growth in the US market. The total production of handmade premium cigars in 2025 totalled 36.6 million cigars. Compared to the previous year this reflects a modest year-over-year adjustment of 4.9% to recalibrate production in response to global market volatility and macroeconomic headwinds.

CEO Beat Hauenstein comments the financial results: “I am very pleased to see that we were able to close our 150-jubilee year with a very good performance. Our latest results are a testament to the resilience of our outstanding teams around the globe and the clarity of our mission: be the undisputed global leader in the handmade premium cigar business. While we remain rooted in the values that drove our past success, we must now focus our efforts on further expanding our market share and reinforcing our position within this niche market. At the same time, we will continue our commitment for unrivalled quality and consistency.”

Investing in brands, retail network and “crop to shop”

To maintain delivering on its customer promise, Oettinger Davidoff is continuously investing in its own brands, particularly Davidoff and Zino, as well as in its global retail network. For the jubilee year, the company has not only renovated its Davidoff of Geneva since 1911 flagship stores in its hometown in Basel, Switzerland, but also its iconic Madison Avenue flagship store in New York City. In total, seven new stores opened in 2025 and four were renovated. This year, Oettinger Davidoff plans to open nine new Davidoff boutiques in major cities across Europe, Asia and Africa and renovate five existing ones, among them Zurich Bahnhofplatz and Hong Kong Landmark. 2

Davidoff Cigars, the global core brand of Oettinger Davidoff’s own brand portfolio, continued its innovation leadership. In the jubilee year 2025, the brand launched not only the exclusive edition for the 150th jubilee of Oettinger Davidoff but also delighted aficionados with the latest iteration of the Davidoff Chefs Edition and the Davidoff Escurio 10th Anniversary Limited Edition. In 2026 the trend for innovation will continue with exciting product launches in almost all its own brands.

In view of the increased demand for its Davidoff and Zino brands, the company further invested in its longstanding and trusted “crop to shop” philosophy by significantly expanding its two manufacturing sites. In Villa GonzΓ‘lez, Dominican Republic, a new blending center was inaugurated, while operations in DanlΓ­, Honduras, have been substantially scaled up, including the expansion of the box factory and the construction of a brand-new fermentation complex.

Corporate Responsibility and Due Diligence

In 2025, Oettinger Davidoff significantly enhanced its social responsibility framework by intensifying its focus on Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). Following the successful rollout of its inaugural Human Rights Policy, the company has just now published its third annual Human Rights Due Diligence Report. Moving forward, the company remains dedicated to proactive transparency, addressing human rights topics through direct, open-site dialogues and collaborative exchanges with key suppliers and global partners. Leveraging on the recent successful implementation of solar panels in Honduras, the company is about to complete the second phase of its large-scale solar infrastructure in its manufacturing site in the Dominican Republic. At the same time, working conditions at both manufacturing sites have been modernized.

Aspire727 – Setting the pace for the future

The recent milestones in the Dominican Republic and Honduras are more than just isolated operational successes; they are a direct reflection of Oettinger Davidoff’s Aspire727 strategy. This overarching corporate 5-year-framework continues to serve as the engine for the company’s global growth, focusing on four core pillars: Brand, Sales, Execution and Leadership & Culture. “The momentum we have generated through our Aspire727 strategy has been transformative”, says CEO Beat Hauenstein. “We have proven that our business model is resilient, and our brands, in particular the core brand Davidoff, are more relevant than ever. β€œThis is a direct result of the dedication and hard work of our employees around the world, who remain our most valuable asset. Our focus now is on scaling these proven successes. By delivering as one team with a relentless focus on brand innovation, best-in-class sales execution and market share growth, as well as operational excellence across our value chain, we are ensuring that Oettinger Davidoff remains at the forefront of the handmade premium cigar industry. Aspire727 ensures that we are not just reacting to the industry trends but setting the pace for the years to come.” 3

About Oettinger Davidoff

Oettinger Davidoff Group, with sales of over half a billion Swiss francs and over 4,000 employees around the world, traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family-owned to this day. The company is dedicated to the business of producing, marketing, distributing, and retailing premium-branded cigars, tobacco products and accessories. The premium-branded cigar business includes Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, Cusano, The Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino and Zino Platinum. Oettinger Davidoff Group is also the sole agent of many brands in several countries such as Haribo in Switzerland. Its business is anchored in a strong β€œcrop to shop” philosophy, having pursued vertical integration from the tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to its global network of 65 Davidoff flagship stores/satellites and over 700 strong appointed merchants in more than 130 countries.

About the Author: Fred Rewey

Fred started smoking cigars in the mid-90s and has been hooked on the lifestyle that came with it ever since. Author of three books, Fred is still waiting for his flying car, which he was promised in childhood, but until then, he enjoys stunt planes, golf, archery, and cooking. PSA: Don't leave your bacon unattended around him!
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