Dr. Oetker saw an increase in net sales from 2007 to 2008, with the largest growth coming from beer and non-alcoholic beverages at 31.7% and shipping at 24%. However, investments decreased overall by 12.3% due to the financial crisis, with the hardest hit being banking and insurance which saw a 42.4% decrease in employees. The number of employees grew by 8.8% overall, though new products and acquisitions required more hiring that was offset by cuts in banking and insurance due to the crisis.