With demand for luxury goods slowing both in China and the U.S., major luxury brands have been counting on sales to foreign travelers in Europe’s major cities. Friday’s attacks on Paris may change that.
“It’s a concern for all business,” said Fabrizio Ferraro, professor of strategic management at IESE Business School in Barcelona. “The key question is how big an impact these events will have on tourist flows. Consumption in the industry in Europe depends on tourism.”
France is the most popular destination for tax-free shopping, accounting for about 20 percent of the market, according to Global Blue. The country accounts for 10 percent of sales for LVMH and about 15 percent for Hermes, which said last week that sales growth accelerated in France in the third quarter.
“Some of the spend may revert to the home market or translate into discretionary purchases elsewhere, though we suspect the mood for buying will remain subdued,” said John Guy, an analyst at MainFirst Bank AG. Investors probably will knock 5 percent to 10 percent off their valuation of luxury-goods stocks, he said.
Kering, which owns the Gucci brand, among others, reopened its Paris stores today after closing them over the weekend. “Last Friday’s terrorist attacks are a clear negative on what was already a difficult market for luxury goods,” said Luca Solca, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas.
adapted from Bloomberg
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