Gucci-owner Kering posts 10% drop in Q1 sales on sluggish Chinese demand

Kering had warned on March 19 that sales over the period were likely to drop by around 10%, dashing hopes it had stemmed sales declines at Gucci, the century-old Italian fashion house which accounts for half of group sales and two-thirds of profit.

French luxury group Kering reported a 10% drop in first-quarter sales on Tuesday, dragged down by a slowdown at its star label Gucci, which suffered from weakness in Asia while undergoing a design overhaul. The group said its first half operating profit would be "sharply lower" due to the revenue decline and its ongoing investment in its brands.

Sales for the three months ending in March stood at 4.5 billion euros ($4.82 billion), down 10% on a comparable basis. Kering had warned on March 19 that sales over the period were likely to drop by around 10%, dashing hopes it had stemmed sales declines at Gucci, the century-old Italian fashion house which accounts for half of group sales and two-thirds of profit.

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