LONDON (Reuters) – Burberry’s sales flatlined in the second quarter due to bad weather and COVID-19 travel restrictions in China, taking the shine off the fashion brand’s better than expected profit.
Shares in the company fell as much as 10% in early Thursday trading, giving up the gains they have made since mid-October after it reported flat like-for-like second-quarter store sales compared to two years ago, before the pandemic struck.
Chief Financial Officer Julie Brown said footfall in China dropped in August but it recovered in September and October was in line with expectations.
China is Burberry’s biggest market, and growth in the country, along with South Korea and the United States drove its revenue to pre-pandemic levels in the first half of its financial year.
The company, which recently poached Versace boss Jonathan Akeroyd to be its new chief executive, reported revenue of 1.21 billion pounds ($1.64 billion) for the six months to Sept. 25, up 45% at constant exchange rates.
Adjusted operating profit came in at 196 million pounds, nearly four times the level achieved a year ago and beating expectations.
Chairman Gerry Murphy said Burberry was seeing an acceleration in performance in countries less impacted by travel restrictions and it remained confident of achieving its medium-term goals.
The company, known for its camel, black and red check and new “TB” monogram, said full-price sales almost doubled in the Americas, while South Korea grew almost 80%, and mainland China was up over 40%.
Other regions, such as Europe, remained under pressure from reduced tourist levels, it said.
Akeroyd will join Burberry next April, succeeding Marco Gobbetti, who announced his departure in June, midway into a multi-year turnaround to take the brand further up-market.
($1 = 0.7389 pounds)
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