Hermes to Hike US Prices to Offset Tariff Impact

FILED - 22 October 2020, Hamburg: The Hermes brand logo, can be seen at a Douglas store on Jungfernstieg. French luxury fashion brand on Thursday reported a rise in revenue for the first quarter, helped by growth across all geographical areas. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa
FILED - 22 October 2020, Hamburg: The Hermes brand logo, can be seen at a Douglas store on Jungfernstieg. French luxury fashion brand on Thursday reported a rise in revenue for the first quarter, helped by growth across all geographical areas. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa
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Hermes to Hike US Prices to Offset Tariff Impact

FILED - 22 October 2020, Hamburg: The Hermes brand logo, can be seen at a Douglas store on Jungfernstieg. French luxury fashion brand on Thursday reported a rise in revenue for the first quarter, helped by growth across all geographical areas. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa
FILED - 22 October 2020, Hamburg: The Hermes brand logo, can be seen at a Douglas store on Jungfernstieg. French luxury fashion brand on Thursday reported a rise in revenue for the first quarter, helped by growth across all geographical areas. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa

French luxury group Hermes said Thursday it would hike its prices in the United States to offset the impact of 10-percent import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

Famous for its Birkin handbag, silk scarves and leather goods, the increases would take effect on May 1, said the group's finance chief, Eric Halgouet.

Halgouet did not say by how much prices would be raised, but he said the move would "fully offset" the tariffs impact, AFP reported.

"It will be a complementary price increase that we are currently finalizing, but which will allow us to neutralize this impact," he told reporters during a quarterly earnings presentation.

Hermes, also known for the "H" logo on its belts and other goods, usually raises prices once a year and had already announced worldwide increase of between six and seven percent earlier in 2025.

Hermes overtook French rival LVMH as the world's most valuable luxury group this week after the share price of the Louis Vuitton maker sank on disappointing earnings.

Hermes posted global sales of 4.1 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2025, an 8.5 percent increase from the same period last year.

Sales in the Americas region jumped 13.3 percent to 695 million euros, with double-digit growth in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, Halgouet said.

US sales were disrupted by wildfires in Los Angeles, which forced the closure of two shops for several days, and snow storms in other states.

Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on imports from around the world this month, but he delayed higher duties on dozens of other countries, including a 20 percent levy for goods from the European Union.



Zara Owner Inditex Reports Weaker Than Expected First-quarter Sales

A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
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Zara Owner Inditex Reports Weaker Than Expected First-quarter Sales

A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)

Zara owner Inditex missed expectations for its first-quarter sales on Wednesday, adding to doubts about the ability of the fast-fashion retailer to keep delivering strong sales growth in an uncertain economic environment.

Inditex also reported a slower start to its summer sales, with revenue growth of 6% from May 1 to June 9, compared to a 12% growth in the same period a year ago, Reuters said.

The company reported revenues of 8.27 billion euros ($9.44 billion) for its first quarter ending April 30, missing analysts' average estimate of 8.36 billion euros, according to an LSEG poll.

Fears of resurgent inflation and an economic slowdown triggered by tariffs have already dampened consumers' enthusiasm for shopping in the United States and elsewhere.

Cooler weather in Spain, which accounts for 15% of Inditex's global sales, has also probably hurt the retailer's performance, according to Bernstein analysts.