Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers Drop in Profit in 2023

The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
TT

Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers Drop in Profit in 2023

The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Operating profit at Italian fashion house Valentino dropped 18% last year, to 99 million euros ($105.7 million), the company said on Tuesday.
Last year French luxury group Kering, which is struggling to revive sales at its star brand Gucci, bought a 30% stake in Valentino, with an option to purchase the whole of company's share capital by 2028.
Valentino added its 2023 revenues dropped 3% at constant exchange rate, to 1.35 billion euros ($1.44 billion).
Earlier this year Valentino hired former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele as creative director, after the departure of longtime incumbent Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Direct sales, which include e-commerce and represents 66% of total sales, rose 3% last year, boosted by a positive performance in Asia Pacific and Japan, the company said.
The second half of the year was challenging for the European market, while the Americas showed "encouraging signs" in the same period, the fashion house added.



UK's JD Sports Warns on Profit in 'Challenging' Market

A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
TT

UK's JD Sports Warns on Profit in 'Challenging' Market

A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo

British sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion downgraded its profit forecast after weaker trading in Britain and the United States and promotional activity at competitors hurt sales, and it warned the outlook was "cautious".
Shares in JD plunged 12% in early deals to a near five-year low of 84 pence, Reuters reported.
JD Sports, which has over 4,500 stores globally, said underlying revenue fell 1.5% in November and December in what it called a "challenging and volatile market".
It cut its profit forecast by as much as 40 million pounds ($48.9 million), or 4%.
The stock had already lost 27% of its value in the last three months on worries about consumer spending and amid a downturn in demand for Nike products, which account for about 45% of JD's sales.
"Market headwinds were higher than we anticipated," Chief Executive Régis Schultz said in a statement on Tuesday. "With these trading conditions expected to continue, we are taking a cautious view of the new financial year."
Peel Hunt analysts said JD's strategy of not discounting to match competitors was the right one.
"The long-term strategy is correct, and JD will continue to lead the market, but we must rein in short-term hopes," they said, adding that JD will benefit from any recovery at Nike.
Nike has warned its turnaround will be a slog after it lost ground in recent years to rivals, including Roger Federer-backed On and Deckers' Hoka, which have lured consumers with fresher and more innovative styles.
JD said while trading during December was stronger, November dragged, and for the 12 months to the beginning of February it expected pretax profit before adjusted items to come in between 915 million and 935 million pounds.
Its previous lower end of guidance had been 955 million pounds. It made 917.2 million pounds in its 2023/24 year.