Natura increases investment

Natura revised from $ 450 million to $ 550 million its estimate of investments this year. In 2012, were invested R $ 436 million. The main projects that consume resources are the expansion of productive capacity in Cajamar, the installation of a factory of soaps in Pará, a new distribution center in São Paulo and developments in information technology.
Natura's revenue climbed 5.4% in Brazil in the third quarter, to $ 1.46 billion, an improvement over the 1.6% rate of the first half, but still below inflation. The company will continue to gradually accelerate sales growth in the country over the next few quarters, said yesterday the company's Vice President for finance, Roberto Pedote.
A year ago, Natura in Campinas (SP) operates an e-commerce pilot, with the participation of consultants. This month, the project was extended to São José dos Campos (SP) and, in 2014, should be moved to other regions.
The company's consolidated revenues grew 12% in the third quarter, to $ 1.77 billion. Second Pedote, the performance was driven by several factors: greater productivity (sales per consultant), the increase of investments in marketing, the launch of the line am (with cheapest prices), a father's day campaign successful and the growth of 39.5% of international operations.
Still no numbers of the beauty products market in the third quarter. But in the first half to Natura, although lost continue leading, 1.8 percentage point of market share, mainly in cosmetics and fragrances, to 20.8%.
Natura ended the third quarter with a profit of R $ EUR 183.7 million, down 22.6% compared to a year earlier. The result was affected by the marking to market of derivatives used to protect the foreign currency debt. According to the company, it wasn't such an effect, the net income would have grown 4.5%.
Gross margin fell 0.3 percentage point in the period, to 71.1%, pushed for more aggressive promotions strategy in Brazil.
At the end of September, had a net debt of Natura r $ 1.4 billion, 63.6% higher than that recorded a year earlier.