Demand for new designer's ranges lifts Burberry sales and shares

Riccardo Tisci's twists on classic products appear to have struck a chord

London

STRONG demand for designer Riccardo Tisci's new fashion ranges helped revenue at British label Burberry grow faster than expected in the first quarter, sending its shares soaring as a high stakes overhaul showed early signs of promise.

The luxury brand said sales to Chinese consumers in particular had picked up, boosted in part by younger shoppers' response to its revamped, logo-strewn products. It had previously lagged rivals' performance among this key clientele.

Burberry shares were up 13.1 per cent at 1001 GMT, on course for their best day in seven years. Other luxury stocks also outperformed the pan-European STOXX 600, including Hermes, Louis Vuitton owner LVMH and Gucci parent Kering, which are due to report sales for the April to June period next week against the backdrop of enduring US-China trade tensions.

More than a year after CEO Marco Gobbetti hit the reset button on Burberry in a bid to promote a more upmarket image, the plan faced its biggest test yet with new Tisci products accounting for half the wares on offer in its shops by the end of June.

So far, his edgier twists on classic Burberry products like the trench coat appear to have struck a chord.

Same store sales rose by 4 per cent in the period, topping market expectations of around 2 per cent after lacklustre growth of one per cent in the previous three months. "The consumer response was very promising, delivering strong growth in our new collections," Mr Gobbetti said.

Chief financial officer Julie Brown told reporters that items like the new monogram collection - based on a new logo-style print in a step away from Burberry's camel, red and black check trademark - had sold well with millennials, or roughly 23- to 38-year-olds, from China.

The redesign, with a pattern of interlocking "Ts" and "Bs" from the initials of founder Thomas Burberry, was a gamble in an industry saturated with logos at a time when brands are jostling for visibility, especially on social media.

Burberry is also experimenting with monthly product launches on platforms like Instagram, in line with rivals trying to keep younger shoppers hooked by turning over collections more rapidly.

One of these "drops" in April, a black leather pair of pull-on puff sleeves, sold out in 20 minutes globally, Ms Brown revealed.

Despite the buzz, Burberry still has some way to go in its turnaround. "It remains to be seen whether the commercial success of Burberry's new brand identity can be sustained into the remainder of the year on a much-larger share of the offering," Citi analyst Thomas Chauvet said.

About 75 per cent of all products in Burberry stores will be Tisci designs by March 2020. Even as its Q1 exceeded forecasts, the company maintained its goal for broadly stable revenue and operating margin at constant exchange rates for the 2020 financial year. It said markdowns on clothing and other items towards the end of its financial year would be less than in the previous 12 months, weighing on same store sales growth.

The brand is also closing some stores and overhauling others, as well as withdrawing from some US department stores which don't fit with its attempt to build a more upmarket image.

Britain's looming exit from the European Union presents another challenge and the company is preparing for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit which would disrupt its supply chains, Ms Brown added. REUTERS

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