Volkswagen faces challenges in its core business, but finds unexpected success in a surprising area. While car sales are stagnating, one of the brand's iconic products is breaking all records: the VW currywurst sausage.
In a difficult economic climate for the German automotive industry, Volkswagen is finding a glimmer of hope in an unexpected product. Indeed, in 2024, the manufacturer sold more than 8.5 million currywurst sausages, setting a new sales record for this iconic product of the brand. This success contrasts sharply with the group's performance in its core business. While vehicle sales fell by 2.3% in 2024, reaching 9.03 million units across all brands, the VW sausage established itself as the company's flagship product. For the Volkswagen brand alone, the 8.5 million sausages sold far exceeded the 5.2 million cars and utility vehicles sold over the same period. Also read: Volkswagen finally lifts the veil on the ID. EVERY1, the electric city car for "the people" at 20,000 euros
A culinary heritage that lives on
The VW currywurst, introduced in 1973, is much more than just a snack for factory employees. Produced by Volkswagen's in-house butchery, it even has its own part number (199 398 500 A) in the manufacturer's catalog. Its popularity extends beyond company canteens, and is also available in many supermarkets in Lower Saxony.
Gunnar Kilian, Volkswagen's Head of Human Resources, welcomed the success on social media: "With more than 8 million Volkswagen Original currywursts sold, we are celebrating a new sales record." This result is all the more remarkable as it represents an increase of 200,000 units compared to the previous year.
The company attributes this performance to the introduction of new variants, such as the hot dog sausage launched in 2021, which found its audience with nearly 2.18 million units sold. The classic recipe, however, remains the most popular, with 6.317 million sausages sold.
This culinary success comes at a crucial time for Volkswagen, which is facing major challenges in its automotive business. The group recently announced a 30.6% drop in net profit in 2024, mainly due to high production costs and a drop in sales in China. In this context, the success of the currywurst offers a positive note and recalls the diversity of the group's activities beyond simple automobile production. The manufacturer is already planning new variants of its famous sausage.
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