Prada Revenues Rise Despite Struggles in Americas

People walk past a Prada store in Brussels, Belgium September 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People walk past a Prada store in Brussels, Belgium September 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Prada Revenues Rise Despite Struggles in Americas

People walk past a Prada store in Brussels, Belgium September 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People walk past a Prada store in Brussels, Belgium September 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Italian fashion group Prada reported a 10% rise in third quarter revenues on Tuesday as a strong performance in Asia and Europe helped to compensate for weakness in the Americas.

The revenue growth came in just ahead of analysts' expectations of a 9.3% rise, according to a consensus cited by Jefferies.

For the first nine months of the year net revenues totaled 3.34 billion euros ($3.6 billion), up 17% at constant exchange rates, with the ready-to-wear category showing the fastest growth and the Miu Miu brand also expanding rapidly.

"We continue to see positive momentum in the business and strong excitement around our brands, positioning us well for Q4 and vis-à-vis our ambition to deliver solid, sustainable, and above-market growth in 2023," Chief Executive Andrea Guerra said.

Guerra told a subsequent conference call that he was also happy with the way October had gone, noting that November and December were more important months for business.

Prada's rivals in the luxury sector such as Kering, owner of the Gucci brand, have also been hit by slowing demand for fashion and accessories, particularly in the United States and Europe.

The Americas region was a weak spot for Prada where retail sales fell 1.3% over the nine months, offset by double digit growth in the Asia Pacific, Japan and European markets.

Guerra said Prada and Miu Miu had raised prices by 4-6% this year and that trend was likely to be similar in 2024.

He added the company was aware of tensions in major cities in recent weeks linked to the conflict between Hamas and Israel but that had not translated into a major impact on business.

"For sure, in some cities of the world, in the past weeks we have seen a little bit more tension driven by macro, geo-political happenings. But I would say that so far we have not seen basic differences," he said.

Prada, whose brands also include classic English shoemaker Church's, is listed on the Hong Kong stock market and released its figures after the market closed on Tuesday.



Kering Posts 11% Drop in Q2 Sales, Sees Weak Second Half

The logo of luxury brand Gucci is seen in Tokyo on June 22, 2021. (AFP)
The logo of luxury brand Gucci is seen in Tokyo on June 22, 2021. (AFP)
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Kering Posts 11% Drop in Q2 Sales, Sees Weak Second Half

The logo of luxury brand Gucci is seen in Tokyo on June 22, 2021. (AFP)
The logo of luxury brand Gucci is seen in Tokyo on June 22, 2021. (AFP)

Kering reported a bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter sales and forecast a weak second half, as the French luxury group struggles to revive its key label Gucci and worries grow about a prolonged downturn in high-end spending.

Sales at the French luxury group which owns labels Gucci, Boucheron and Balenciaga, fell to 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion), an 11% drop on an organic basis, which strips out currency effects and acquisitions.

The figure was below analyst expectations for a 9% drop, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

It also said second-half operating income could fall by around 30%, following a 42% drop in the first half.

Sales at Gucci fell 19%, showing no improvement from the first quarter, and below analyst expectations for a 16% decline, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Kering has been revamping Gucci, the century-old Italian fashion house which accounts for half of group sales and two-thirds of profit.

Minimalist designs from new creative director Sabato de Sarno, which began trickling into stores earlier this year, are key to the design reset and push upmarket, in a bid to cater to wealthier clients who are more immune to economic headwinds.

Kering chief financial officer Armelle Poulou told reporters that the designs had been well received and the rollout was on track.

But the efforts have been complicated by a downturn in the global luxury market, while China's rebound - traditionally Gucci's most coveted market - was clouded by a property crisis and high youth unemployment as Western markets came down from a post-pandemic splurge.

Earnings from sector bellwether LVMH on Tuesday missed expectations as sales rose 1%, offering few signs that a pickup is around the corner, sending shares in luxury goods companies down on Wednesday. Kering traded at its lowest level since 2017.