EU Hits Pierre Cardin and Licensee with $6 Mln Antitrust Fine

Flags of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine fly together with flags of EU member states outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France November 26, 2024.  REUTERS/Yves Herman
Flags of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine fly together with flags of EU member states outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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EU Hits Pierre Cardin and Licensee with $6 Mln Antitrust Fine

Flags of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine fly together with flags of EU member states outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France November 26, 2024.  REUTERS/Yves Herman
Flags of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine fly together with flags of EU member states outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The EU Commission on Thursday said it had handed a total fine of 5.7 million euros ($6 million) to French fashion house Pierre Cardin and German clothing maker Ahlers for breaching EU antitrust rules.
The commission said the companies between 2008 and 2011 had anticompetitive agreements to shield Ahlers from competition in European countries where it held a Pierre Cardin license.
The move by the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, followed dawn raids on Pierre Cardin in 2021 and charges imposed against the company last year.
"These illegal practices prevent retailers from being able to freely source products in member states with lower prices and artificially partition the internal market," the commission said.
Pierre Cardin was fined for 2.2 million euros, while Ahlers has to pay 3.5 million euros.
The fine confirmed an earlier report by Reuters.



Ralph Lauren Hikes Annual Sales Forecast on Strong Demand for High-end Apparel

A man walks past Ralph Lauren Corp.'s flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, US, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A man walks past Ralph Lauren Corp.'s flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, US, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Ralph Lauren Hikes Annual Sales Forecast on Strong Demand for High-end Apparel

A man walks past Ralph Lauren Corp.'s flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, US, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A man walks past Ralph Lauren Corp.'s flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, US, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Ralph Lauren raised its annual sales forecast after topping quarterly revenue estimates on Thursday, on steady demand for its cable-knit sweaters and Oxford shirts in North America, Europe and China, sending shares of the company 6% up in premarket trading.
Wealthy customers continue to splurge on high-end leather handbags and Polo sweat-shirts, boosting demand across Ralph's direct-to-customer channels and helping it counter a muted wholesale business and soft e-commerce sales in North America.
The results are in contrast to a pullback in the broader luxury sector, primarily in the key China market, which has hurt larger European fashion houses such as Hugo Boss, Kering and luxury bellwether LVMH.
The Club Monaco owner now expects fiscal year 2025 revenue to increase about 3% to 4% compared with a prior forecast of a 2% to 3% rise.
The luxury retailer's net revenue rose 6% to $1.73 billion in the second quarter ended Sept. 28 from a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $1.68 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.