Moncler SpA released annual results “above market expectations” on Thursday afternoon as it detailed ongoing sales increases and a rise in profits, with the Moncler brand strong for much of the year and Stone Island improving in the final quarter.
Moncler
Consolidated revenues increased 7% at constant exchange rates (CER) and 4% on a reported basis, hitting just under €3.109 billion.
The Moncler brand saw its revenues rising 8% CER and 5% reported to €2.707 billion. It enjoyed a “solid performance” in the fourth quarter (up 8% CER) “mostly driven by the acceleration of the Direct-To-Consumer channel”, which was up 9% CER, “despite a tough comparable base and still volatile market trends”. Growth improved in all regions compared with the previous quarter.
Stone Island was less buoyant for the year as a whole but much stronger in Q4. For the full year, revenues actually fell 1% CER and 2% reported to €401.6 million. But in Q4, they rose 10% CER with all regions accelerating. The DTC channel was up a healthy 15% CER in the quarter and although the wholesale channel still dipped 1%, that was a better performance than the rest of the year.
So what did that all mean for profits? Group EBIT rose to €916.3 million from €893.8 million, and while the EBIT margin was down very slightly (at 29.5% compare to 30% a year earlier) it was still “resilient”, especially given the tough environment.
Group net profit rose 5% to €639.6 million and the group had a healthy cash position.
Chairman and CEO Remo Ruffini was understandably upbeat: “In 2024 our group achieved remarkable results and showed strong resilience in a complex and volatile environment… underscoring the strength of our business model and operational discipline.
Ph: Benoit Florencon
“Over the past year, we have doubled down on what makes our brands truly distinctive. The events of Moncler Grenoble in St. Moritz and Moncler Genius in Shanghai — the most impactful one in the brand’s history — brought our disruptive creativity to life, redefining the concept of brand experience. Meanwhile, Stone Island continued to reinforce its unique identity through a series of powerful brand initiatives, deepening connections with both new and loyal communities.
“As we move into 2025, while the global macroeconomic context remains uncertain, we are confident in our ability to navigate evolving market dynamics. Inspired by our heritage, our passion for innovation, and our ambition to push boundaries beyond conventions, we are shaping the future of our brands to drive sustainable growth and create long-term value.”
Inditex-owned fashion brand Stradivarius has signed to open at Newcastle’s Metrocentre, marking the brand’s first location in the North East. And for the centre’s operator, Sovereign Centros/CBRE, its impending arrival further underscores the destination’s “regional dominance in attracting the latest and most sought-after fashion brands”.
Stradivarius will open a near-10,000 sq ft space on its lower Red Mall this summer, just along from sister brand Zara while complementing the area’s already strong line-up of fashion retailers, including Reiss, Mango and the newly refurbished River Island.
The centre’s operator said Metrocentre welcomed 15.8 million visitors in 2024, a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Nearly 300,000 sq ft of deals were also completed in the last 12 months, driving a 9.2% year-on-year footfall uplift so far this year.
The strong growth in visits “reflects the centre’s ongoing success in attracting new brands while supporting the expansion of existing tenants, cementing its dominant position within the North East and contribution to the national retail landscape”, it noted.
Ben Cox, director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, Asset Manager of the Metrocentre, added: “Stradivarius signing for this regional debut is a huge statement for Metrocentre, confirming its appeal as the premier retail destination in the North East. Inditex’s decision to bring another of its leading brands to Red Mall showcases our ability to deliver the best in fashion experiences to our growing and increasingly loyal customer base.”
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he planned to impose tariffs on Canada and France over their digital services taxes on U.S. technology giants, which has been a long-standing irritant.
Reuters
Canada, seeking to address the challenge of taxing digital giants like Google parent Alphabet and Amazon.com that can book their profits in low-tax countries, began imposing the tax in June last year.
Trump tasked his economics team on Thursday with devising a plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on every country that levied duties on U.S. imports.
A White House fact sheet, stating that “only America should be allowed to tax American firms,” complained Canada and France used digital services taxes to each collect over $500 million per year from U.S. companies.
“Overall, these non-reciprocal taxes cost America’s firms over $2 billion per year. Reciprocal tariffs will bring back fairness and prosperity to the distorted international trade system and stop Americans from being taken advantage of,” said the fact sheet. It gave no further details.
Last year, under the previous Biden administration, Washington requested trade dispute settlement consultations with Canada over the tax, calling it discriminatory.
The office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not immediately available for comment.
Time seems to be running out for In the Style — the influencer-linked fashion e-tailer — with a report that it’s on the verge of an administration filing.
In The Style
Owner Baaj Capital is believed to be prepping FTS Recovery as administrator to the fast-fashion business, according to Sky News, which has a good track record of reliability on fashion and retail industry stories.
It’s only two years since the then-10-year-old business was sold and would be yet another low point in what had seemed to be a major success story not so many years ago.
Emerging from the Manchester online fast-fashion scene in 2013, it listed on the stock exchange in 2021 and at one point was valued at £105 million. But in a ‘fire sale’ to avoid administration two years later it fetched just £1.2 million.
The reborn company filed its accounts in December for the year to the end of March 2024 with a pre-tax loss of £2.6 million and a net loss of £2.61 million. Both those figures were better than the losses of the previous year but with revenue plummeting from £45.9 million a year earlier to £30.4 million this time, news that the company was selling more items at full price was scant comfort.
The brand launched its latest celebrity collab earlier this month (with BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2024 show winner Dianne Buswell) but its future looks very unclear at present.
Sky News said a source believes a pre-pack insolvency process potentially involving Baaj Capital is a possible outcome.
Baaj was also in the news recently as it was seen as the frontrunner to buy discount chain The Original Factory Shop, but was beaten by a higher offer from retail investor Modella Capital.