Shoppers walk into a Burberry store at Fashion Valley, an upscale shopping mall on December 13, 2024 in San Diego, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Shares of Burberry jumped as much as 16% on Friday after the company reported a shallower-than-expected dip in sales in the fiscal third quarter, providing a first glimpse of CEO Joshua Schulman’s efforts to revamp the beleaguered British fashion house.
Comparable sales declined 4% in the three months to December. Analysts had anticipated a 12% decrease in a company-compiled consensus estimate.
Shares were pared gains slightly to trade up 12.9% by 10:00 a.m. London time, with other luxury stocks tracking higher.
Total revenue over the festive shopping period was £659 million ($816 million), down 7% year-on-year at reported exchange rates.
Sales were subdued in Asia Pacific and in the European, Middle East, India and Africa region — down 9% and 2%, respectively — but ticked up by 4% in the Americas, reflecting a broader resurgence in U.S consumer spend across the luxury sector.
The company said it was now “more likely” that is second-half results would broadly offset its first-half adjusted operating loss.
Burberry
Schulman said he was “encouraged” by the response from customers to Burberry’s latest campaigns, but noted that the brand’s transformation was still in its early stages and that “there remains much to do.”
“Since launching Burberry Forward in November, we have moved at pace to advance our strategy to reignite brand desire, improve our performance and drive long-term value creation,” he said in a statement out Friday.
“The acceleration of our core categories reinforces our belief that Burberry has the most opportunity where we have the most authenticity and that our strategic plan will deliver sustainable, profitable growth over time.”
Chief Financial Officer Kate Ferry said that the company had not set a timeframe for the overhaul, but that it hoped to return to the success of its recent past in the near-term.
“That’s absolutely where we intend to get back to. At this point, it’s early days,” she said in response to a CNBC question during an earnings call.
Ferry also said that the company may hope to benefit from “encouraging macro trends” boosting U.S. consumption, but that it was not currently factoring that into its forecasts. It comes as analysts have predicted a continued uptick in U.S. sales, as consumers benefit from a stronger dollar, crypto gains and a President Donald Trump-induced market rally.
Schulman in November announced urgent plans to “course correct” after a prolonged period of underperformance for the company amid waning sales and a slew of management changes.
The plans — which Schulman said were intended to return the brand to its “original purpose” — sent Burberry shares to an all-time high, and the stock has since continued to track higher on renewed investor confidence.
The announcement was delivered alongside Burberry’s results for the first half ending on Sept. 28, 2024, during which sales contracted by 20% for the second consecutive quarter.
The strategic overhaul marks the latest iteration of the 169-year-old retailer. Schulman joined in July from Michael Kors, becoming the brand’s fourth CEO in the last decade.
Pedestrians walk past the window display of the store of British fashion label Burberry, in central London, on September 2, 2024.
Henry Nicholls | Afp | Getty Images
Analysts welcomed the results as a positive initial signal for the brand, with RBC pointing to particular efforts to streamline stores and collections.
“We view these results as a first (and early) step in the right direction. Easy fixes relating to store layout and presentation, refocus on core product categories, and certainly contribution from markdown activity have all contributed to the improvement,” RBC analysts Piral Dadhania and Richard Chamberlain wrote in a Friday note.
The results come amid a broader uptick in luxury sales over the holiday period, with Cartier-owner Richemont last week reporting its “highest ever” quarterly sales figure, boosting hopes of a long-anticipated turnaround in the ailing luxury market.
“There are several factors that have contributed to this positive surprise. Firstly, Richemont’s recent results indicated an overall improvement in demand across all countries, and Burberry has also experienced a sequential improvement across all regions, especially in the U.S.,” Mamta Valechha, consumer discretionary analyst at Quilter Cheviot, said.
“Additionally, Burberry’s efforts to clear out inventory through substantial discounts have helped boost sales and manage stock levels effectively. It’s also encouraging to see that Burberry’s back-to-basics strategy might be starting to show positive results, resonating well with consumers,” she added.