Richemont’s sales slump 47% in first quarter amid pandemic, store closures
Its shares fell almost 5% on the JSE in early trade.
Time out: sales at Swiss luxury giant Richemont, whose brands include German watchmaker A. Lange & Soehne, fell sharply in April and June as coronavirus lockdowns kept consumers away. AFP/File/Fabrice COFFRINI
Luxury goods group Richemont saw its first quarter sales plummet to almost half due to the effects of Covid-19.
The group, founded by Johann Rupert, reported in a trading update on Thursday that sales for the quarter ended June 30 fell 47% to €1.99 billion (about R38 billion at current exchange rates) from €3.74 billion (R71 billion) the year before.
Its shares fell almost 5% on the JSE in early trade.
The owner of Cartier and Montblanc said the the slump was caused by widespread closures of stores and fulfilment centres due to the pandemic.
While sales contracted across all regions, the Asia Pacific sector fared better than others due to a 47% sales increase in China. Sales in the Americas contracted by 61%, while sales in Africa and the Middle East fell 38%.
As of June 30, the group said that all its all distribution centres and most stores were open again, with the exception of the Americas region and in travel retail.
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