LETTER FROM BERLIN

The business model of the German currywurst is clearly more resilient than that of the combustion-powered car, as the German manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) can testify. According to a works council report, a VW-branded curry sausage was the company's best-selling product in 2024.

Volkswagen, whose restructuring plans have shaken Germany with the planned cut of 35,000 jobs nationwide, and which announced a 30% drop in annual net profit on Tuesday, March 11, has, however, set a new sales record for its in-house currywurst. The group sold 8.5 million sausages in its workplace canteens, in the Wolfsburg stadium where its headquarters are located, and in supermarkets in select regions. That's almost as many as the 9 million vehicles that will roll off the company's assembly lines in 2024, all brands combined.

"Volkswagen is synonymous with innovation – on two, four and many other wheels – and yes, also on the plate!" said HR director Gunnar Kilian enthusiastically on Monday, March 10, on the social media platform LinkedIn. The company carefully analyzed the reasons behind its popularity, highlighting the success of other options such as the hot dog sausage in 2021. They promise that more versions will follow.

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