“This acquisition marks a strategic step for Kering and illustrates our ambition in the jewellery sector”: for his first acquisition at the helm of Kering, Luca de Meo, CEO of the French luxury group since September, has opted for an Italian player. On Thursday, the group announced the “phased” acquisition of Raselli Franco Group, an Italian company specialising in the manufacture of jewellery, with the aim of taking full ownership by 2032.
Kering to gradually increase its stake in the Raselli Franco Group – Raselli Franco
The first stage of this progressive acquisition will take place in 2026, in a transaction that values the company— a long-standing Kering partner based in Valenza, between Milan and Turin, with offices in Paris, the United States, Canada, China and Hong Kong— at around 575 million euros.
“The acquisition will be carried out in several stages, starting with an initial stake of 20% in the first quarter of 2026, for an amount of 115 million euros,” the group said in a statement, stressing that the agreement envisages full ownership by 2032.
“By securing essential production capacity for our jewellery business, this partnership will strengthen our value chain and accelerate the growth of our Houses,” said de Meo in the press release. Kering owns the Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo and Qeelin jewellery brands.
Founded in 1969, Raselli Franco Group is internationally recognised for its expertise and capacity for innovation in jewellery prototyping and manufacturing, according to Kering.
The company spans the entire value chain, from sourcing raw materials and precious stones to research and development, design, component creation, assembly and quality control, the luxury group said.
In the first nine months of the year, Kering’s sales fell by 14% to 11 billion euros, but in the third quarter, the jewellery brands posted “very solid momentum, with double-digit revenue growth”, the group said when presenting its results. The segment recorded double-digit growth, with Boucheron cited as the growth driver, performing particularly well in the United States and Asia-Pacific. As for Pomellato and Qeelin, commentary was positive on the development of both brands.
With AFP
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Zurich-based Skincode AG- renowned for its 100% vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free medical skincare products- has just opened its first pop-up in VilaNova de Gaia. The launch took place on Wednesday, December 17, inside Farmácia Gaia Jardim, located in the Gaia Jardim Shopping Centre, specifically at 399 Avenida dos Escultores. The initiative marks a strengthening of Skincode’s physical presence in Portugal.
@skincode_portugal / Instagram
According to a statement issued by AICEP, the pop-up was entirely designed, produced and installed by the Portuguese company Decorpublic, based in Famões, Odivelas, which specialises in point-of-sale (POS) marketing and advertising decor solutions.
The statement also notes that the design of this debut pop-up store is intended to reflect the brand’s Swiss tradition, combining precision and purity with scientific excellence. It adds that, in creating the space, Decorpublic combined high-gloss lacquer finishes, crisp white surfaces, integrated lighting, and backlit displays. Decorpublic also states that the result captures Skincode’s clinically tested approach to dermocosmetics.
@skincode_portugal / Instagram
Skincode’s CEO and founder, Prinz Niclas Massalsky, said, “A big thank you to Farmácia Gaia Jardim for the honour of a fantastic collaboration, and to Decorpublic for producing and installing this impressive display/retail unit.” He said in another statement, “We couldn’t be happier and prouder.”
The Swiss dermocosmetics brand, headquartered in Zurich, is present in Portugal through pharmaceutical distribution channels and strategic physical points of sale. The Essentials (sensitive skin) and Exclusive (cellular anti-ageing) ranges can be found in pharmacies and parapharmacies such as Farmácia Triunfo, as well as through distribution networks such as Pharmashop. They are also available online in stores including Care to Beauty, Makeupstore.pt, and BeautyTheShop.
@skincode_portugal / Instagram
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Iconic Italian luxury lifestyle brand Etro is entering a new phase of development. A consortium of industrial investors comprising Rams Global, Mathias Facchini (Swinger International), and banker Giulio Gallazzi (through SRI Group) has acquired the minority stake previously held by the Etro family. L Catterton remains the majority shareholder and will continue to actively support the brand’s long-term growth strategy.
Etro’s new investor consortium
The transaction is intended to strengthen Etro’s industrial and strategic capabilities, while underscoring strong external confidence in the brand’s positioning and future potential. Financial terms were not disclosed. However, the implied valuation exceeds that of L Catterton’s original investment, confirming the value created since it came on board.
Through their respective platforms, Rams Global, Facchini, and Gallazzi chose to invest in Etro after identifying significant untapped potential in both existing and new markets. These partners will contribute industry expertise, networks, and industrial know-how to support the next phase of international expansion and category development.
The current CEO, Fabrizio Cardinali, will remain a central figure in the company’s future, continuing to lead the execution of the strategic plan with the new investors. Faruk Bülbül, representing Rams Global, will be appointed chairman of the Board of Directors and will work closely with the CEO and shareholders to support the next phase of growth.
Etro SS26
Rams Global has over 36 years of experience across 11 business areas, from luxury residences to hospitality and gastronomy, with an established international presence in numerous countries and major global cities.
Swinger International S.p.A. is an Italian fashion group specialising in apparel, footwear, bags, and accessories in the ready-to-wear and contemporary segments. The company manages its own brands, including the women’s ready-to-wear label Genny, as well as licensed collaborations with leading international fashion houses.
Giulio Gallazzi is president & CEO of SRI Group, a private equity investor focused on SMEs. He has extensive experience in international business development, corporate finance, and corporate governance. Under his leadership, SRI Group has completed several strategic acquisitions and has become one of the main shareholders of the Banca del Fucino Group.
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Black Friday and all the discounts in the period leading up to it are supposed to boost retail sales, right? Well, not so much in the UK as official statistics on Friday showed that volume-wise, they actually fell by 0.1% in November from October. Analysts had expected sales to rise by 0.4% month-on-month.
Reuters
Coming after they’d already fallen (again, month-on-month) in October by 0.9%, it wasn’t good news. The month also saw sales volumes fall as shoppers pulled back from online shopping specifically.
The Office for National Statistics figures aren’t as useful as they used to be — they frequently get revised up or down and the headline doesn’t include a value-based percentage anymore. Plus it focuses mainly on quarterly readings as it says monthly ones are too volatile.
Confused? Let’s try to make it clearer. As mentioned, sales volumes dipped marginally month-on-month despite understandable expectations of a Black Friday-driven rise.
Volumes rose 0.6% in the quarter up to and including November compared to the previous quarter (the three months to August). And the quarter was up 0.7% compared to same period in 2024.
Volumes were also down by 3% compared with their pre-Covid pandemic level in February 2020.
We’re told that clothing stores maintained a strong three-monthly performance.
Online retail grabbed a bigger share of overall sales but the numbers still dipped. The ONS said non-store retailing was down 2.9% for the month and 0.8% for the three months.
Jonathan Moyes, Head of Investment Research at Wealth Club, called it “another grim reading on the health of the UK economy. The credit for these numbers will surely go to the Chancellor, who spent much of the month running what little confidence the UK consumer had into the ground. Clearly consumers are hurting and higher taxes will only make matters worse, potentially hampering economic growth and risking an economic doom loop”.
And Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK and chair of ICAEW’s Retail Group, added: “Speculation around potential tax hikes and the wettest weather seen this year dampened retail sales in November. The drop in sales compounded a bleak start to the all-important Golden Quarter, not even Black Friday deals could entice shoppers to splurge ahead of Christmas, with the biggest fall in online.”