BIC and ACCO Brands Q1 results
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Improvements in North America helped BIC’s Human Expression division return to organic growth in the first quarter of 2026.
Q1 revenue at the division was €141 million ($165 million), a reported decline of 7.7%.
As can be seen in BIC’s commentary below, it was a mixed quarter for its various operating regions:
In Europe, net sales were relatively flat. Growth was driven by solid performance in key countries such as France and Spain, where BIC had strong commercial execution on iconic products like 4-Color pens, as well as distribution gains. In Q1, the modern mass market and e-commerce channels drove the performance, while net sales declined in specialised stores and discounters.
In North America, organic growth was significantly up. This performance was mainly driven by strong growth in e-commerce and at specialised retailers, with a particularly successful contribution from key products such as correction tapes, ball pens and mechanical pencils.
ACCO Brands pivots to tech peripherals
ACCO Brands has reported an eight per cent increase in Q1 sales – ahead of its outlook – following the acquisition of tech brand EPOS and stabilising demand.
CEO Tom Tedford said: “While the operating environment remains dynamic, we remain confident in our ability to deliver future value creation for our shareholders. We continue to focus on pivoting our portfolio to faster-growing technology peripherals, supporting our category leading brands and executing and integrating acquisitions like EPOS, while maintaining strong cost discipline.”
Technology peripherals – which include brands such as Kensington, PowerA and EPOS –accounted for 24 per cent of group revenue on a pro forma basis in 2025, and this figure is expected to edge up further this year.
The acquisition of EPOS, which closed at the end of January, is a core component of that strategy. ACCO expects the audio brand to contribute around US$80 million in sales this year and has identified opportunities to expand it globally – particularly by pairing it with its Kensington portfolio to offer enterprise customers a one-stop solution.
Group sales were US$343.7 million for the first quarter, up 8.3 per cent from US$317.4 million in 2025.
The reported operating loss was US$10.4 million for the quarter versus an operating loss of US$6.7 million in 2025.
For more on this story and other global news from OPI, go to https://www.opi.net/news/region/001-north-america/acco-above-expectations/
Date Published:
5 May 2026