Burberry Announces Turnaround Plan as Sales Continue to Slide

FILED - 22 August 2018, England, London: A general view of the Burberry logo displayed on the facade of its store in New Bond Street. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa
FILED - 22 August 2018, England, London: A general view of the Burberry logo displayed on the facade of its store in New Bond Street. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa
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Burberry Announces Turnaround Plan as Sales Continue to Slide

FILED - 22 August 2018, England, London: A general view of the Burberry logo displayed on the facade of its store in New Bond Street. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa
FILED - 22 August 2018, England, London: A general view of the Burberry logo displayed on the facade of its store in New Bond Street. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa

Burberry's new CEO Joshua Schulman announced a turnaround strategy for the struggling British luxury brand on Thursday, as sales continued to slide in its second quarter.
Burberry suspended its dividend for 2025 and announced a 40 million pound ($50.73 million) cost savings program. According to Reuters, Schulman said the brand needed to focus back on outerwear and its core customer.
"Today, we are acting with urgency to course correct, stabilize the business and position Burberry for a return to sustainable, profitable growth," Schulman said in a statement.
Sales in Burberry's second quarter ending Sept. 28 fell at the same pace as the first, with revenue for the first half down 20% in constant currency.



Zalando Sales and Profit Margin Rise on Stronger Demand

Zalando packaging from an online delivery is seen discarded in a cardboard box in Galway, Ireland, August 27, 2020. Picture taken August 27, 2020. (Reuters)
Zalando packaging from an online delivery is seen discarded in a cardboard box in Galway, Ireland, August 27, 2020. Picture taken August 27, 2020. (Reuters)
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Zalando Sales and Profit Margin Rise on Stronger Demand

Zalando packaging from an online delivery is seen discarded in a cardboard box in Galway, Ireland, August 27, 2020. Picture taken August 27, 2020. (Reuters)
Zalando packaging from an online delivery is seen discarded in a cardboard box in Galway, Ireland, August 27, 2020. Picture taken August 27, 2020. (Reuters)

German online fashion retailer Zalando on Tuesday reported a higher profit margin for the third quarter thanks to stronger consumer demand, as it focuses on pricier brands to fend off fierce competition in the mass market.

Zalando has also been scaling up its logistics business, through which it sells its platform and network to other retailers and brands, as it pursues new growth drivers.

Quarterly revenue from its online fashion platform rose 4.3% to 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion), and revenue from its logistics business, which added British retailer ASOS as a customer, grew 11% on the year to 239.7 million euros.

Zalando's operating profit margin increased by 2.9 percentage points to 3.9%, and the average order value on its platform was 61.1 euros ($66.50) in the third quarter, up from 58.8 euros a year ago.

Bryan Garnier analyst Clement Genelot said Zalando benefited from a rainy September in Europe that helped boost sales of autumn/winter garments across the sector.

"Zalando will have to prove its ability to continue to accelerate growth, beyond temporary weather-related tailwinds, in the coming quarters to please investors," he said.

Zalando confirmed its growth and profit outlook for the year, which it hiked in early October. It expects gross merchandise volume - a key revenue metric for the total value of all goods sold on the platform - to grow between 3% and 5% this year, and revenue to increase between 2% and 4%.

Zalando's shares were up 2.8% in pre-market trading. The stock, up 30% since Jan. 1, has had a bumpy few years, surging during the pandemic when online shopping boomed and falling rapidly after COVID restrictions eased.