Inditex’s Zara to Launch Second-Hand Platform in France on Sept 7

The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
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Inditex’s Zara to Launch Second-Hand Platform in France on Sept 7

The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Spanish fashion retailer Zara will expand its service to sell, repair or donate second-hand clothes in France from Thursday, its owner Inditex (ITX.MC) said on Wednesday.

The service, which will be available through Zara's stores, its website and a mobile app, already exists for its British customers since last October. The company's chief executive Oscar Garcia Maceiras has said it will be launched in Germany also this year.

The company aims to extend the life of customers' Zara clothes, contribute to the reduction of waste and the consumption of new raw materials, it said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Zara has also said 40% of clothing pieces will be made with recycled fibres by 2030 and it is backing charities such as Moda Re which manage textiles waste. The company seeks to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and by 90% by 2040.

Zara is following other fast fashion brands such as its main competitor H&M (HMb.ST) in offering products for resale at a time when the global second-hand apparel market is growing.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.