British Retailer ASOS Moves to Recover US Tariff Costs

FILE PHOTO: Branded shopping bags are displayed in an ASOS pop-up store in London, Britain, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Branded shopping bags are displayed in an ASOS pop-up store in London, Britain, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
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British Retailer ASOS Moves to Recover US Tariff Costs

FILE PHOTO: Branded shopping bags are displayed in an ASOS pop-up store in London, Britain, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Branded shopping bags are displayed in an ASOS pop-up store in London, Britain, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

ASOS said on Thursday it has started seeking refunds for the 7 million pounds ($9.44 million) of US tariffs paid during the first half of the year, as the British retailer pursues a margin-focused turnaround plan to revive demand.

Thousands of companies around the world are filing lawsuits challenging US President Donald Trump's ⁠sweeping tariffs and seeking ⁠refunds on duties paid, after the levies were deemed illegal by the US Supreme Court in February.

Online fashion retailers such as ASOS are particularly vulnerable to duty ⁠costs on imported goods as they work to rebuild profitability after the pandemic-era expansion gave way to weakening consumer demand.

Once a standout survivor of the dotcom burst, ASOS has been trying to win back shoppers and cut costs amid stiff competition from cheaper Chinese rivals, Reuters reported.

Global retailers are now bracing ⁠for ⁠an impact from the Iran war as customer spending declines and a surge in energy prices and supply-chain snags compound costs further.

ASOS said it has taken proactive actions to help mitigate such impact, but gave no details on said actions.

The company confirmed its outlook for the full year.



Frasers Withholds Outlook as Hugo Boss and Accent Bids Cloud Forecast

People walk past a Flannels store in London, Britain, December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
People walk past a Flannels store in London, Britain, December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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Frasers Withholds Outlook as Hugo Boss and Accent Bids Cloud Forecast

People walk past a Flannels store in London, Britain, December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
People walk past a Flannels store in London, Britain, December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

British retailer Frasers on Thursday withheld its fiscal 2027 outlook, saying ongoing takeover bids for German fashion house Hugo Boss and Australian footwear chain Accent made it difficult to forecast the year ahead.

The announcement, which accompanied news that the group had missed profit forecasts for the year to April 26, ‌sparked a near 6% ‌drop in the Mike Ashley-owned sportswear and ‌fashion retailer's ⁠shares in early ⁠trade.

The results highlight the growing complexity of CEO Michael Murray's acquisition-led strategy, which has expanded the Sports Direct owner's global footprint but also generated heavy goodwill writedowns and operating costs.

"We think (Frasers') complexity and its lack of liquidity will continue to weigh on its valuation, and we think its proposed acquisition of Hugo Boss may add ⁠to execution risk and its financial leverage," said ‌RBC Capital Markets analyst Richard Chamberlain.

The ‌group said adjusted pre-tax profit fell 4% to £538 million ($727.9 million) in fiscal 2026, ‌missing its own forecast of £550 million to £600 million and analysts' ‌consensus of £564.2 million, according to LSEG data.

BIDS YET TO YIELD RESULTS

Hugo Boss earlier this month rejected Frasers' takeover bid as "financially inadequate", while an independent committee of Accent's board also recommended that a takeover proposal from the group ‌be rejected.

Frasers booked £249.9 million of impairment charges in fiscal 2026, up sharply from a £9.6 million reversal ⁠in the prior ⁠year, after fully writing down goodwill assigned to Nordic sports retailer XXL, Dutch chain Twinsport and own-brand Everlast.

It also partially impaired goodwill relating to its South African acquisition Holdsport due to weaker growth expectations.

Frasers has also been hit by challenging market conditions, subdued consumer confidence and excess inventory in recent months, which it said continued through the second half of the year and into the starting months of fiscal 2027.

"These pressures are weighing on the entire sector, creating a prolonged and challenging environment, meaning the full potential of this progress has not yet been realised," the company said in a statement.


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.


Cartier-Owner Richemont’s Jewellery Sales Boom Boosts Q1 Sales

The Cartier store in New York City, US July 7, 2026. (Reuters)
The Cartier store in New York City, US July 7, 2026. (Reuters)
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Cartier-Owner Richemont’s Jewellery Sales Boom Boosts Q1 Sales

The Cartier store in New York City, US July 7, 2026. (Reuters)
The Cartier store in New York City, US July 7, 2026. (Reuters)

Cartier jewellery owner Richemont reported better-than expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday, helped by booming growth in Asia and the Americas.

The company, which also owns Swiss watch brands Piaget and IWC, said its sales rose ‌by 20% ‌when measured in ‌constant currencies ⁠to €6.33 billion ($7.24 billion) ⁠in the three months to the end of June.

The figure beat analyst forecasts for €5.90 billion in a consensus compiled by Visible Alpha.

The growth was driven ⁠by the company's jewellery ‌business, which also ‌includes Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati and ‌Vhernier, where sales rose by 24%, ‌much better than the 11.5% rate expected by analysts.

Specialist watchmakers also increased their sales by 8% during the ‌period.

Regionally, Richemont continued to show strong growth in ⁠the Americas ⁠and Asia regions during the April to June period.

Sales in the Americas region increased by 27% up from the 18% growth rate in the previous three months, while the Asia/Pacific sales - which include China - increased by 21% compared with a growth rate of 14% previously.