Kering Appoints LVMH Fragrance Chief Spitzer as New Bottega Veneta CEO

The logo of French luxury group Kering is seen at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is seen at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
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Kering Appoints LVMH Fragrance Chief Spitzer as New Bottega Veneta CEO

The logo of French luxury group Kering is seen at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is seen at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)

French luxury group Kering has appointed Romain Spitzer as the new CEO of Bottega Veneta, it said on Wednesday.

Spitzer, currently president and CEO of Fragrance Group LVMH Beauty, will ‌join the ‌Italian fashion ‌brand ⁠from September 1, the ⁠company said in a statement.

Bottega Veneta had been without a CEO since March 31.

The previous ⁠CEO, Bartolomeo Rongone, left ‌the ‌label earlier this year to ‌lead Italy's Moncler.

Spitzer ‌is a fragrance industry veteran.

His career includes stints at Jean Paul Gaultier, ‌Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and LVMH.

He ⁠was ⁠promoted in October 2025 to lead the Fragrance business at LVMH Beauty.

Kering said Spitzer will focus on enhancing Bottega Veneta's desirability, deepening connections with clients worldwide and driving retail excellence across markets.



Shein Eyes Company Valuation of Around $25 Billion in Hong Kong IPO

FILED - 29 April 2024, Berlin: FILE PHOTO - The Shein logo can be seen on a smartphone. Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa
FILED - 29 April 2024, Berlin: FILE PHOTO - The Shein logo can be seen on a smartphone. Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa
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Shein Eyes Company Valuation of Around $25 Billion in Hong Kong IPO

FILED - 29 April 2024, Berlin: FILE PHOTO - The Shein logo can be seen on a smartphone. Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa
FILED - 29 April 2024, Berlin: FILE PHOTO - The Shein logo can be seen on a smartphone. Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa

Online fast-fashion retailer Shein is eyeing a company valuation of around $25 billion in its Hong Kong IPO, said three people with knowledge of the matter, down from nearly $100 billion four years ago due to challenging business conditions.

Singapore-headquartered Shein, known for selling $5 ⁠dresses and $10 jeans to ⁠shoppers in about 160 countries, is aiming to launch its much-awaited initial public offering later this week, Reuters has reported.

One of ⁠the three sources said that the company, which was founded in China in 2012, was looking at a valuation of between $25 billion and $28 billion based on the marketing price band for the offering.

The sources declined to be ⁠named ⁠as they were not authorized to speak to the media ahead of a public announcement of the deal terms. A spokesperson for Shein did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.


Birkenstock Raises Annual Revenue Forecast on Strong Demand

Shares of the German sandal maker were up ‌7% in ‌premarket trading.  (Getty Images)
Shares of the German sandal maker were up ‌7% in ‌premarket trading. (Getty Images)
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Birkenstock Raises Annual Revenue Forecast on Strong Demand

Shares of the German sandal maker were up ‌7% in ‌premarket trading.  (Getty Images)
Shares of the German sandal maker were up ‌7% in ‌premarket trading. (Getty Images)

Birkenstock raised its full-year sales growth forecast on Wednesday, banking on resilient full-price demand for its premium sandals from affluent shoppers.

Shares of the German sandal maker were up ‌7% in ‌premarket trading.

A pullback in ‌US ⁠discretionary spending has ⁠weighed on much of the apparel and footwear sector, but brands such as Birkenstock catering to wealthier consumers have largely held up, benefiting from ⁠strong pricing power and ‌brand loyalty.

While ‌the Middle East conflict continues ‌to create uncertainty in the Gulf ‌region, the impact on the quarter was more contained than initially anticipated, the company said.

It now ‌expects fiscal year 2026 revenue growth of 15% ⁠on ⁠a constant currency basis, compared with its earlier forecast of a 13% to 15% rise.

The company posted third-quarter revenue of 719.5 million euros ($829.08 million), compared with analysts' estimate of 713.4 million euros, according to data compiled by LSEG.


Jeweller Pandora Raises 2026 Guidance as New Designs Draw in Shoppers

A view of the Pandora sign on one of the branches of the Danish jewellery maker Pandora in central Copenhagen, Denmark, August 13, 2025. (Reuters)
A view of the Pandora sign on one of the branches of the Danish jewellery maker Pandora in central Copenhagen, Denmark, August 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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Jeweller Pandora Raises 2026 Guidance as New Designs Draw in Shoppers

A view of the Pandora sign on one of the branches of the Danish jewellery maker Pandora in central Copenhagen, Denmark, August 13, 2025. (Reuters)
A view of the Pandora sign on one of the branches of the Danish jewellery maker Pandora in central Copenhagen, Denmark, August 13, 2025. (Reuters)

Jeweller Pandora raised its 2026 guidance for organic growth and profit margin on Wednesday, saying new designs and marketing were helping attract shoppers, and also reported second-quarter operating profit (EBIT) above analysts' expectations.

Pandora said EBIT for the April-June period came in at 1.46 billion Danish crowns ($225.35 million), against an average estimate of 1.10 billion expected by analysts in a company-compiled poll, reflecting partial refunds of previously paid ‌U.S. tariffs.

"We are ‌making progress in re-energizing Pandora's ‌growth engine," ⁠CEO Berta de ⁠Pablos-Barbier said in a statement.

"There is more work ahead, but we are moving in the right direction and raising our 2026 guidance for both growth and profitability," she added.

The company now expects organic growth at between 0% and 3% in ⁠2026, up from a previous range ‌of -1% to 2%, ‌and an operating profit margin between 22% and 23%, up ‌from 21% to 22%.

In the top job ‌since January, de Pablos-Barbier is leading a drive to release new designs, with its Pandora Wonders line - featuring pearl charms shaped like a frog, a pufferfish, or ‌a mushroom - launching in July in Paris during Haute Couture week.

Pandora's share price ⁠has ⁠been highly volatile over the past two years as the price of silver surged, prompting de Pablos-Barbier to announce in February a shift towards platinum-plated jewellery as a way of reducing its reliance on silver.

Pandora said on Wednesday it started pilot testing a limited range of platinum-plated jewellery in the Netherlands in July, and would do broader tests across markets in the fourth quarter, before scaling up the rollout next year.