Britain's Burberry Hit by Slowdown in Luxury Spending

Foreign tourists speak to each other in front of logo of Burberry on a shop-window of closed Burberry retail store in the State Department Store GUM at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 13 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
Foreign tourists speak to each other in front of logo of Burberry on a shop-window of closed Burberry retail store in the State Department Store GUM at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 13 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
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Britain's Burberry Hit by Slowdown in Luxury Spending

Foreign tourists speak to each other in front of logo of Burberry on a shop-window of closed Burberry retail store in the State Department Store GUM at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 13 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV
Foreign tourists speak to each other in front of logo of Burberry on a shop-window of closed Burberry retail store in the State Department Store GUM at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 13 November 2023. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

Britain's Burberry said it was being hit by a global slowdown in luxury spending and it would struggle to meet its annual revenue forecast of low double-digit growth, with a knock-on impact on profit, if it continued.

The company, which launched the first collection by designer Daniel Lee in September, reported a sharp slowdown in comparable store sales growth in its second quarter to 1%, down from 18% in the first, as growth in China evaporated.

Rising inflation and economic uncertainty have curbed shoppers' appetite for luxury after years of blockbuster demand, prompting investors to trim forecasts, Reuters reported.

LVMH, the world's biggest luxury group with brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Tiffany, reported a slowdown in quarterly sales in October, as did Kering with its Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta brands.

Cartier-owner Richemont has also predicted an easing in growth.

Burberry said on Thursday that early indicators of demand for its Winter '23 collection were "encouraging", and it had achieved a good performance in the key categories of outerwear and leather goods in its first half.

Demand in China, however, fell away in the second quarter from a strong bounce back from the impact of COVID lockdowns. Burberry said spending by Chinese luxury consumers had shifted overseas from mainland China.

Tourist growth benefited European destinations, it said, with just over half of spending in the region coming from international visitors.

But a weak performance in the Americas worsened in the quarter, with comparable store sales down 10%.

Chief Executive Jonathan Akeroyd said: "While the macroeconomic environment has become more challenging recently, we are confident in our strategy to realize our potential as the modern British luxury brand, and we remain committed to achieving our medium and long-term targets."



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.