Prada Sales Remain Largely Flat
February 17 2016 - 10:30AM
Dow Jones News
MILAN—Italian luxury goods firm Prada SpA saw its 2015 sales
remain largely flat, the latest evidence of a slowdown that has
dogged the company for the past two years.
The house controlling the Miu Miu, Prada, Car Shoe and Church's
brands said Wednesday its preliminary sales for the year ending in
January 2016 stood at €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion), hampered by
China's slowing economy and a strong U.S. dollar.
Prada's sales growth only inched up 1% in 2014, a sharp slowdown
from growth of 30% in 2012 and 9% in 2013. Net profit also declined
28% in 2014 after a sixfold increase between 2009 and 2013. The
brand—once a white-hot name—has lost power in recent years, as
shoppers around the world shun traditional logos.
Last year, sales in the Asia-Pacific region fell 4% on the year
at current exchange rates, which is stripped of currency
fluctuations, and 16% at constant exchange rates.
Echoing the experience of other fashion firms, Prada suffered a
slowdown in China, as a continuing crackdown on corruption has
stymied demand in the market.
However that slump has been partially offset by Chinese
consumers' shopping in Europe and Japan, where handbags and other
luxury items are cheaper due to the exchange rate and the lack of
high import duties. European sales rose 6% at current exchange
rates.
Chief executive Patrizio Bertelli said Wednesday that volatility
in currency markets and deteriorating geopolitical conditions in
many world regions "have made prices fluctuate widely and diverted
tourist traffic in sudden and unpredictable ways."
Sales in the American market decreased 9% in real terms because
of a stronger dollar that reduced the number of tourists to the
region, the company said.
Japan continued the strong growth in revenue it has seen since
2010, with an 11% increase at current rates last year.
Prada has been responding to the cooling of its business by
making operations more efficient in an attempt to revive its
profits. However, it warned it didn't expect to record major
progress during 2015. Prada will release its full 2015 earnings in
the first half of April.
The Hong Kong-listed company is also launching new products,
particularly in the handbags division—traditionally the house's
engine of growth. These include the "Inside" model, which hit
stores last summer and marked a push into higher-price goods.
Write to Manuela Mesco at manuela.mesco@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 17, 2016 10:15 ET (15:15 GMT)
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