Leica celebrates fourth record year with sales of 596 million Euro
Leica Camera AG continues its successful course and reports record results for the fourth time in a row for the past financial year 2024/2025.
(Image: Leica)
The Leica Group's turnover climbed by 7.6 percent to 596 million Euro in the past financial year, compared to 554 million Euro in the previous year. According to the company, the core business with photo products and the strategic expansion into the smartphone market provided significant impetus for growth.
Growth through core expertise and new segments
The core business with cameras and lenses once again proved to be the main pillar of success. However, targeted diversification into new segments also made a significant contribution to the positive result. These include the home cinema projectors marketed as “Smart Projection” and lifestyle accessories such as the watch collections and “Eyecare” lenses. According to the company, the sports optics business segment held its own in a challenging market environment and remains the second-strongest division of the traditional Wetzlar-based manufacturer.
Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG, attributes the success to consistent innovation and the strategic expansion of the global sales network. This is a response to the increasing global demand for high-quality cameras and an authentic brand experience. Key product launches in the reporting period included new camera models, the Leica Lux photo app, and the compact Leica Cine Play 1 projector.
According to Leica, the successful Leica Q3 compact camera proved to be a particularly important sales guarantor in the photo segment, whose appeal has been further enhanced since September 2024 by a variant with a 43 mm fixed focal length. According to Leica, the new SL3 and SL3-S full-frame system cameras also recorded high demand. The portfolio was also supplemented by the compact D-Lux 8. For purists, Leica presented the M11-D: a digital rangefinder camera that, in the tradition of its analog predecessors, does without a display on the back.
The strategic partnership with smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi was intensified. The Xiaomi 14T series with Leica optics presented in September 2024 was followed in March 2025 by the Xiaomi 15 series, which is equipped with newly developed Leica Summilux lenses. A further foray into the mobile sector was made in June 2024 with the launch of the Leica Lux photo app for the iPhone, which, according to the company, has already recorded over one million downloads. The mobile ecosystem was supplemented in February 2025 by the Leica LUX Grip, a camera grip for smartphones.
New paths are also being taken in sports optics to reach target groups such as “adventure seekers, urban explorers, and nature lovers” with products such as the “Ultravid Compact Colorline” binocular series. At the same time, Leica is pushing ahead with the digitalization of its portfolio, particularly with thermal imaging cameras and devices for distance measurement. The product innovations were rounded off by the new Leica ZM 12 watch model (February 2025).
Global growth and expansion of the sales network
According to the report, growth manifested itself in all relevant markets worldwide. Europe recorded the strongest increase at 7.6 percent, driven primarily by the German domestic market, which grew by 11.4 percent. Asia (+7.3 percent) and North America (+6.2 percent) also contributed to the success.
Videos by heise
This development is supported by the continuous expansion of the global sales network, with new Leica Stores opening in metropolises such as Wuhan, Tokyo, and Seoul. In addition, the online business is said to have accelerated the positive overall development with growth of 12.5 percent. Leica announced that it would continue to systematically expand its stationary retail business in the future.
(tho)
