De Rigo Reports Sales Results for the First Six Months of 2005 LONGARONE, Italy, July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- De Rigo S.p.A. (NYSE: DER) posted net sales of EUR 267.5 m(1) for the first six months of 2005, a decrease of 3.0% as compared with the same period last year. Highlights of the Group's unaudited sales results for the first six months of 2005 include: - Consolidated net sales were EUR 267.5 m, as compared with EUR 275.9 m posted in the first six months of 2004. Foreign currency effects had a negative impact of 1.2% on net sales.(2) - Wholesale & manufacturing sales amounted to EUR 79.4 m, a decrease of 4.1% from EUR 82.8 m posted in the first six months of 2004. Foreign currency effects had a negative impact of 0.4% on wholesale & manufacturing sales. - Sales through the retail companies amounted to EUR 195.0 m, a decrease of 1.9% from EUR 198.7 m posted in the first six months of 2004. Foreign currency effects had a negative impact of 1.6% on retail sales. In this release, De Rigo is reporting net sales on a consolidated basis, as well as sales for each of its two principal business segments. In calculating its consolidated net sales, De Rigo has eliminated the intercompany sales between the Group's business segments, as detailed in the following table: SALES BY BUSINESS SEGMENT (Euro in millions) 1H 2004 1H 2005 1H 2005 1H 2005 % change Effect of Sales at % Sales Sales application constant of constant exchange change exchange rates rates (Non-GAAP) Wholesale & Manufacturing 82.8 79.4 -4.1% 0.3 79.7 -3.7% Retail 198.7 195.0 -1.9% 3.2 198.2 -0.3% - D&A 127.3 120.5 -5.3% 3.2 123.7 -2.8% - GO 71.4 74.5 +4.3% 0.0 74.5 +4.3% Elimination of -5.6 -6.9 +23.2% 0.0 -6.9 +23.2% Intercompany Sales Consolidated net sales 275.9 267.5 -3.0% 3.5 271.0 -1.8% Consolidated net sales The Group's consolidated net sales of EUR 267.5 m were broken down as follows: eyewear sales of EUR 122.6 m, lens sales of EUR 80.0 m, contact lens sales of EUR 39.6 m and other sales and revenues of EUR 25.3 m, as compared with sales of EUR 129.3 m, EUR 82.8 m, EUR 38.3 m and EUR 25.5 m, respectively, for the first six months of 2004. Foreign currency translation differences had a negative effect on consolidated net sales, particularly with regard to the translation into Euro of sales made in Pounds Sterling, Japanese Yen and Hong Kong Dollars, as the average exchange rate for these currencies in the first six months of 2005 was less favourable to the Group than that during the first six months of 2004. Analysing consolidated net sales by geographic area, net sales in Europe amounted to EUR 238.0 m, a decrease of 3.8%, primarily as a result of lower sales through the Group's retail companies and a decline in wholesale sales in certain markets. Net sales in the Rest of the World increased by 5.0% to EUR 25.4 m, reflecting the Group's positive results in certain Far Eastern markets. Net sales in the Americas amounted to EUR 4.1 m, a decrease of 6.8%, primarily as a result of lower sales in the US market. De Rigo's overall consolidated net sales results reflected the contribution of each of the Group's principal business segments: Wholesale & manufacturing Wholesale & manufacturing sales amounted to EUR 79.4 m, a decrease of 4.1% from EUR 82.8 m posted in the first six months of 2004. Wholesale & manufacturing sales in the first six months continued to be impacted by the expiry of the Group's license agreement with Fendi as of the end of 2004. Management expects that the negative impact on the segment's sales of the expiry of the Fendi license will eventually be more than offset by increased sales under the new license agreements De Rigo signed with Chopard, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada and Jean Paul Gaultier during the last quarter of 2004 and first quarter of 2005. However, deliveries of Chopard and Escada-branded eyewear have only started recently, while those of Ermenegildo Zegna and Jean Paul Gaultier products have not yet started. As a result, sales of the new brands contributed less to the segment's sales during the first six months of 2005 than those of Fendi-branded eyewear during the first six months of last year. Retail Sales through the retail companies amounted to EUR 195.0 m, a decrease of 1.9% from EUR 198.7 m posted in the first six months of 2004. The following table sets forth certain data on the sales and store network of De Rigo's two retail chains: Dollond & Aitchison ("D&A"), one of the leading retailers in the British optical market and General Optica ("GO"), the leading retail chain in the Spanish optical market. 30 Jun 30 Jun 30 Jun 30 Jun 04 05 04 05 1H 2004 1H 2005 % Owned Owned Unit Franchised Franchised Unit EUR in millions Change stores stores change stores stores change D&A 127.3 120.5 -5.3% 232 235 +3 141 140 -1 GO 71.4 74.5 +4.3% 146 153 +7 15 22 +7 Total Retail 198.7 195.0 -1.9% 378 388 +10 156 162 +6 D&A's sales were EUR 120.5 m, a decrease of 5.3% as compared with sales of EUR 127.3 m posted in the first six months of 2004. Sales declined by 2.9% in Pound Sterling terms, less than in Euro Terms, reflecting the decrease of the Pound Sterling's value against the Euro. Same store sales per working day in Pound Sterling terms decreased by 3.8%. Sales of franchised stores during the period amounted to EUR 32.3 m, a decrease of 8.0%; in Pound Sterling terms, sales of franchised stores decreased by 5.6%. D&A's results were negatively affected by declines in sales in both value and volume terms, which reflected a general downturn in the British optical market. At June 30, 2005, D&A operated a network of 235 owned shops and 140 franchised shops. GO's sales increased by 4.3% to EUR 74.5 m from EUR 71.4 m posted in the first six months of 2004, as a result of positive same store sales, which rose by 1.1% on top of the 7.8% increase posted in the first six months of 2004, as well reflecting the impact of the opening of new owned and franchised stores. At June 30, 2005, GO operated a network of 153 owned shops and 22 franchised shops, having opened a net total of 7 owned shops and 7 franchised shops during the last twelve months. De Rigo is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of premium eyewear, the major optical retailer in Spain through General Optica, one of the leading retailers in the British optical market through Dollond & Aitchison and a partner of the LVMH Fashion Group for the manufacture and distribution of Celine, Givenchy and Loewe eyewear. De Rigo also manufactures and distributes the licensed brands Chopard, Escada, Etro, Fila, Furla, La Perla and Mini, as well as its own brands Police, Sting and Lozza. De Rigo will begin manufacturing eyewear under the Jean Paul Gaultier and Ermenegildo Zegna licensed brands in the second half of 2005. (1) The Group reports its results in Euro. On July 26th, 2005, the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange rate, as fixed by the European Central Bank, was EUR 1 = USD 1.1987. The financial results reported in this press release have not been audited by the Group's independent public accountants and are presented on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in Italy ("Italian GAAP"). (2) In addition to reporting its Italian GAAP results, the De Rigo Group uses certain measures of financial performance that exclude the impact of fluctuations in currency exchange rates in the translation of its operating results into Euro. In doing so, the Group has calculated its sales for the first six months of 2005 on the basis of the same average exchange rates used to calculate sales for the first six months of 2004. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to both management and investors by allowing a comparison of sales performance on an exchange rate neutral basis. See the table on page 2 of this release. The De Rigo Group's method of calculating sales performance excluding the impact of changes in exchange rates may differ from methods used by other companies. DATASOURCE: De Rigo S.p.A. CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Maurizio Dessolis, Chief Financial Officer, Tel +39-0437-7777, Fax +39-0437-770727, e-mail:

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