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Tag: Sales

  • Luxottica sales hit by China restructure

    Luxottica sales hit by China restructure

    Luxottica announced a decrease in first-quarter sales for fiscal 2018, hurt by a slump in European revenues due to bad weather, and distribution restructuring in China.

    The maker and distributor of luxury eyewear said first-quarter revenue plummeted 10.7 percent to 2.13 billion euros, compared with 2.39 billion euros in the same period the previous year. With the effect of currency swings, sales were down 0.8 percent.

    For the three months ended March 31, the Italian firm’s wholesale channel recorded an 11.1 percent to 830 million euros, or 4.2 percent at constant exchange rates, hurt by bad weather in Europe, which delayed orders by several weeks.

    For the quarter, retail sales were down 10.4 percent to 1.3 billion euros, but grew 1.3 percent at constant exchange rates, while comparable-store sales decreased 0.6 percent, said the firm.

    By region, Asia-Pacific sales declined 9.3 percent to 279 million euros, representing 13 percent of total sales for the quarter.

    The dive was driven by China’s negative performance, as Luxottica continues to restructure its distribution channel, taking it to a more direct-to-consumer model.

    The overall China downfall was offset by Australia, Japan and India, as well as travel retail, benefitting from stellar retail performances at Sunglass Hut at OPSM in Australia and LensCrafters and Ray-Ban stores in China.

    By comparison sales in North America were down 13 percent to 1.19 billion euros, accounting for 56 percent of total revenues; Europe retail sales decreased 5.5 percent to 489 million euros, after twelve consecutive quarters of growth; and sales in Latin America decreased 9.8 percent to 131 million euros.

    Looking ahead, the Italian company confirmed its full-year guidance and remains in the process of merging with French lens maker Essilor. The merger has been cleared by antitrust authorities in 18 separate countries but awaits approval from China still.

    Luxottica is licensed to make eyewear frames for luxury fashion brands such Armani, Michael Kors and Prada, and is the owner and maker of sunglass brands Ray-Ban, Oakley and Oliver Peoples.

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  • Vietnam’s April car sales fall 4 pct on-year

    Vietnam’s April car sales fall 4 pct on-year

    Toyota remained the leading brand last month, with sales rising 3 percent from a year earlier to 4,234 units. Vietnam’s car sales fell slightly in April, declining 4 percent from a year earlier to 20,557 units, according to data released by the Vietnam Automotive Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

    Sales in April were 2 percent lower than in March, VAMA said in a statement.

    Toyota remained the leading brand last month, with sales rising 3 percent from a year earlier to 4,234 units.

    Truong Hai (Thaco) group, the local assembler and distributor of brands such as Kia, Mazda, Peugeot and Hyundai and a significant player in the commercial vehicle segment, reported a 0.5 percent rise in group sales to 8,679 units in April.

    Ford’s sales were 47 percent lower at 1,359 units in April while Honda sales rose four-fold to 2,815 units.

    For the first four months of this year, total car sales in the country fell 2 percent from a year earlier to 79,115 units, VAMA said.

  • China smartphone sales fall sharply in Q1

    China smartphone sales fall sharply in Q1

    Chinese smartphone shipments suffered a steep decline in the first quarter, according to estimates from two separate research firms. Canalys estimates that shipments had their biggest ever decline during the quarter, falling more than 21% year-on-year to 91 million units – the lowest sales since the fourth quarter of 2013.

    Eight of the top 10 smartphone vendors recorded annual declines in shipments, with Gionee, Meizu and Samsung’s sales shrinking to less than half of their sales figures from the same quarter a year ago, the company said.

    Market leader Huawei recorded a modest growth rate of 2% to 24 million units, while second placed Oppo saw a decline of 10% to 18 million units and third ranked Vivo saw shipments decline 10% to 15 million units.

    But Xiaomi managed to buck the trend with a shipment growth of 37% to 12 million units, overtaking Apple to take fourth place. Canalys Research analyst Mo Jia said the results show that the Chinese smartphone market is increasingly becoming a four-horse race..

    “The level of competition has forced every vendor to imitate the others’ product portfolios and go-to-market strategies,” he said.

    “But the costs of marketing and channel management in a country as big as China are huge, and only vendors that have reached a certain size can cope. While Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi must contend with a shrinking Chinese market, they can take comfort from the fact that it will continue to consolidate, and that their size will help them last longer than other smaller players.”

    Counterpoint: Chinesee smartphone market faced its steepest ever decline during the quarter

    Meanwhile Counterpoint estimates that the Chinese smartphone market fell 8% year-on-year and 21% sequentially, with the top five brands capturing a record 82% of the market.

    The company predicts that Xiaomi recorded 51% growth and increased its market share to 13.1%, but still placed Apple ahead with a market share of 14.3%.

    The research firm’s top three rankings mirror that of Canalys, with Huawei on top with a market share of 21.6%, followed by Oppo at 17.6% and Vivo at 15.5%.

    Looking ahead, Canalys has predicted that the Chinese smartphone market will return to growth in the second quarter.

    “The inventory issues that Oppo and Vivo suffered in Q4 and Q1 are now behind them. New smartphones will definitely entice people to upgrade, but vendors are more careful of avoiding oversupply in the channel,” Jia said.

    “China’s smartphone market may see a short period of stagnancy as vendors refocus on research and development, relying on new use cases to excite refreshes rather than spending heavily on the channel and marketing.”

  • Massive rebound in Hong Kong retail sales

    Massive rebound in Hong Kong retail sales

    Hong Kong retail sales for the first two months of this year soared 15.7 per cent against the same period of last year, the first double-digit increase in years.

    Census and Statistics Department figures just released showed a 29.8 per cent increase in February, which reflects the shifting of Lunar New year from January last year to February this year. That followed a revised figure of 4.2 per cent growth for January, a month when a decline might well have been expected given New Year’s timing.

    But while many retailers were providing anecdotal reports of improved fortunes for the start of this year, no one predicted an increase of more than 15 per cent for the two month period.

    The value of retail sales in February was provisionally estimated at $45.2 billion. After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisionally estimated increase of the volume of retail sales for the first two months of this year was 13.9 per cent.

    A government spokesperson said retail sales have strengthened visibly this year, thanks to favourable job and income conditions and a further pick-up in visitor arrivals.

    Luxury leads

    Predictably, sales of jewellery, watches and valuable gifts drove the first two months sales growth, rising 21 per cent.

    Apparel sales rose 19.5 per cent, medicines and cosmetics by 17.4 per cent, electrical goods by 27.9 per cent and accessories by 18.2 per cent. Food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco sales were up 10.5 per cent, department store sales up 10.9 per cent and footwear and accessories by 18.2 per cent.

    The only category showing a decline in the first two months was books, newspaper and stationery, down 1.3 per cent.

    The government spokesperson said the outlook for retail sales should remain positive in the near term, underpinned by upbeat local consumer sentiment amid a full employment situation and by continued improvement in inbound tourism.

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  • Weak sales brought H&M to bad raport

    Weak sales brought H&M to bad raport

    Swedish fashion retailer H&M has posted a decline in its first quarter profit and has warned that it may need to cut prices to clear unsold stock.

    H&M posted a 61 per cent drop in profit for the three months to February. Pretax profit fell to 1.26 billion crowns ($154 million). The clothing retailer’s net profit of 1.37 billion crowns was boosted by a one-off positive tax income of 399 million crowns related to US tax reform.

    The company had warned recently that markdowns due to weak demand in its main H&M brand stores would hit earnings, and this month said quarterly sales had fallen by two per cent.

    Online sales increased by approximately 20 per cent year on year.

    “As communicated previously, the start of the year has been tough,” said Karl-Johan Persson, company CEO. “2018 is a transitional year for the H&M group, as we accelerate our transformation so that we can take advantage of the opportunities generated by rapid digitalisation.”

    “The weak sales development combined with substantial markdowns had a significant negative impact on results in the first quarter,” Persson said.

    But, the retailer had said it expected sales and profits to return to growth.

    “Many of our ongoing initiatives are giving good indications and results, even though they have not yet been implemented at a large enough scale to have a decisive effect on the overall results,” Persson added.

    This year, H&M announced it is planning to open 220 new stores. Most will be H&M stores, but 90 will be its newer spin-offs including & Other Stories, Cos and Monki.

  • Is hype gone for AmorePacific?

    Is hype gone for AmorePacific?

    AmorePacific seems to be in a quandary, with the country’s fair trade watchdog investigating the cosmetics giant amid declining performance.

    According to AmorePacific’s auditory filing, the company logged 731.5 billion won (US$685.2 million) in operating profit last year, down 32.4 percent from a year earlier. Its sales also declined to 6.29 trillion won, down 10 percent during the same period.

    Its share price also nearly halved from two years earlier.

    In the first half of 2016, AmorePacific hovered over 400,000 won per share, but started to decline, falling as low as 236,500 won last Sept. 29, and did not rise above 350,000 won. It ended at 278,000 won on Tuesday.

    The situation is quite similar for AmorePacific Group (Amore G), which is the holding firm of AmorePacific. It has been on a downturn for the past two years, falling from 215,000 won on July 3, 2015, to 127,000 won on Tuesday.

    On the fall of the titan, analysts and other observers cited the diplomatic friction between Korea and China, due to the former’s decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.

    They said China’s cap on the number of items purchased at duty free shops directly affected the revenues of domestic cosmetics firms, whose sales to Chinese tourists account for a significant portion of their entire sales.

    However, some others say blaming the THAAD issue as the sole cause of AmorePacific’s fall may be unfair, given LG Household & Health Care’s (LG H&H) surge last year.

    In January, LG H&H said it posted 6.3 trillion won in sales and 930 billion won in operating profit last year, up 2.9 percent and 5.6 percent from 2016, respectively.

    LG H&H explained it has overcome the harsh market environment, in which overall market growth faced headwinds due to a sharp decline in inbound Chinese traffic, due to its luxury brand strategy and robust sales in the onshore Chinese market.

    With the handsome numbers, LG H&H overtook AmorePacific to become Korea’s top cosmetics company.

    As the two companies show stark differences while suffering the same THAAD issue, analysts interpreted the performances of their luxury brands as the decider.

    According to LG H&H, its Whoo brand logged 1.4 trillion won in sales last year, up 200 billion won from a year earlier. Though AmorePacific did not disclose its luxury brand Sulwhasoo’s sales, Kiwoom Securities analyst Lee Hee-jae assumed Sulwhasoo posted 1.15 trillion won in sales last year, down 245 billion won from 2016.

    AmorePacific denied the assumption, saying it cannot disclose the amount but Sulhwasoo outperformed Whoo in sales last year.

    Further data showing AmorePacific products’ popularity is the market share in duty free shops. According to a Daishin Securities report, AmorePacific’s duty free market share declined from 12 percent in the first half of last year to 5 percent in the fourth quarter.

    Amid doubts on the competitiveness of AmorePacific products, with its fairness in business also questioned, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) investigated Amore G and its subsidiaries.

    During the five-day investigation that started Feb. 21, the watchdog looked into internal trading between Amore G’s affiliates on suspicion the group unfairly helped affiliates in which Suh Min-jung, the eldest daughter of AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae, owns stakes.

    Despite the negative issues, Amore G and AmorePacific decided to pay dividends worth more than 40 billion won to the Suh family. Of them, Chairman Suh will take approximately 39 billion won thanks to his more than 70 percent stake in Amore G and 11 percent stake in AmorePacific.

    Unlike the owner family, AmorePacific employees did not receive incentives, which they normally receive every six months, throughout last year.

  • Strong sales growth posted by Hermès Asia

    Strong sales growth posted by Hermès Asia

    Hermes Asia sales grew 11.3 per cent last year to €1.946 billion (US$2.4 billion) as the luxury retailer set a new record for gross retail margin.

    The company said the retail market was improving in Hong Kong and Macau, with the Asian market “pursuing its upward curve” and positive outlooks in Mainland China and South Asian countries.

    Growth was aided by store revamps at Sogo Fuxing in Taiwan, Elements mall in Hong Kong and at Kuala Lumpur.

    Sales in Japan (separated from Asia results) rose 4 per cent to €724.1 million, despite a high comparison figure from last year, which the company described as “a sustained increase” in what is a mature market, citing a selective distribution network.

    Group sales totalled €5.549 billion (US$6.863 billion), up 9 per cent at constant exchange rates. Operating income rose 13 per cent, to €1.922 billion, representing a record 34.6 per cent gross margin, while net profit rose 11 per cent to €1.221 billion.

    “Hermes achieved a new year of historic results, thanks to the quality of our know-how, the success of our creations and especially the incredible commitment of the women and men of Hermes,” said executive chairman Axel Dumas.

    Hermes will ramp up its online offer in the region this year, with a new website scheduled to go live in China at the end of this year.

    Meanwhile, the company said the sale of the Galleria building in Hong Kong’s Central district, which previously housed its flagship store, would likely generate a net capital gain of €50 million this year.

    Leather drives growth

    By category, Hermes’ leather goods proved the strongest performer last year, sales rising 10 per cent globally, reflecting increased production capacity as demand rose for its handbags.

    The ready-to-wear and accessories division grew 9 per cent, driven by the success of new collections, fashion accessories and particularly shoes.

    Sales of silk and textile products grew 6 per cent and of perfumes by 10 per cent, largely due to the successful launch of Twilly d’Hermes.

    Watch sales grew just 1 per cent with what Hermes described as “good sales” in company-owned stores. Other Hermes business lines- jewellery, Art of Living and Hermes Table Arts, grew sales by 11 per cent.

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  • Furla Asia sales boosts its global growth

    Furla Asia sales boosts its global growth

    Furla Asia sales soared a stunning 50 per cent last year, powering the brand’s global sales to €499 million (US$618 million).

    Revenue from Asia-Pacific now accounts for 24 per cent of global sales and that share is steadily rising.

    Sales in Japan, a separate reporting division, increased by 15.4 per cent, while sales in its largest region, Europe, Middle East and Africa, were up 12.9 per cent, now representing 46 per cent of global sales.

    In Australia, where Furla purchased back the distribution rights to its brand from Luxury Retail Group (LRG) last year, sales rose 60 per cent. Earlier this year the company revealed plans to double its store presence Down Under from its 15 initial locations on the east coast.

    Globally Furla’s earnings increased by 34.1 per cent last year on sales up 20 per cent.

    “The 500 million euros goal is something to be very proud of and motivation to keep evolving,” said CEO Alberto Camerlengo. “The organic sales growth data is the most relevant, as it confirms that the company is on solid financial ground, thanks to the excellence of the brand and the quality of the product and Italian design we offer our customers. The company’s widespread growth across all markets reflects our efforts in further strengthening our distribution network and investing in research and product innovation.”

    Meanwhile, Furla continues to buy back distributorships around the world, the latest market being Singapore. Camerlengo said the brand will increase its store count in the city state, hoping to attract Chinese tourists as well as local shoppers.

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  • Hollister sales hits US$2 billion as A&F rebounds

    Hollister sales hits US$2 billion as A&F rebounds

    Hollister sales helped drive a strong fourth quarter for parent Abercrombie & Fitch in both revenue and profit.

    In the past year, Hollister sales broke the US$2 billion sales threshold for the first time, rising 19 per cent in the final quarter to February 3, to $709.2 million.

    All of the Abercrombie & Fitch brands posted increased sales in the quarter, as did all geographical markets.

    Net sales were $1.193 billion, up 15 per cent for the quarter, which included an extra week. The company said the additional week benefited fourth-quarter net sales by approximately 4 per cent.

    Comparable sales rose 9 per cent and comparable operating income doubled, according to CEO Fran Horowitz.

    “We are pleased by our performance. Our focus on staying close to our customer, executing to our playbook and maintaining our disciplined approach to expense management delivered a strong performance on both the top and bottom line,” she said.

    The company’s main brand, Abercrombie, returned to positive sales for the quarter after a series of declines, in part reflecting the success of a new store format now being rolled out across the US and in selected international markets, including Hong Kong. Global sales rose 9 per cent.

    The company also recorded record digital sales across all brands.

    “We continue to improve the customer experience with ongoing investments in loyalty programs, stores, direct-to-consumer and omnichannel capabilities,” said Horowitz.

    “We have a strong balance sheet, proven cost management discipline and a clear plan for building on the foundations we laid last year. This year, we will continue to focus our attention and our investments on engaging our customers with compelling assortments and new experiences, in clearly defined brand voices, positioning our business for sustainable long-term growth.”

    US sales rose 13 per cent and international sales by 20 per cent,with direct-to-consumer sales accounting for 34 per cent of total company sales, up from 31 per cent in the same period last year.

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  • Fewer sales, but more profit for Bonia

    Fewer sales, but more profit for Bonia

    While Malaysian fashion retailer Bonia sold fewer handbags in its second quarter, it did manage to grow its net profit.

    It achieved a net profit of RM11.99 million (US$3 million) for the period, to the end of December, up 8 per cent. It attributes the upswing to lower running costs and improved gross profit margins.

    Quarterly revenue dropped 7 per cent to RM160.34 million, Bonia saying this had been anticipated because of the closure of counters as part of a rationalisation process.

    However, the lower revenue was offset by improved gross profit margins, up 5 per cent.

    Year-end sales and the festive season boosted revenue and operating profit to RM15.35 million.
    Business in Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam was hit by weak consumer sentiment.

    Still, the quarterly growth was not enough to stem the fall on its half-year earnings, which saw net profit slide 31 per cent to RM13.3 million. Revenue contracted by 10 per cent to RM279.23 million.

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  • Honda aims to double market share in India

    Honda aims to double market share in India

    Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co plans to double its market share in India within the next few years, the head of its local unit said, as it looks to boost its presence in the world’s fifth-largest car market.

    To be a major player and have a meaningful presence, Honda needs to achieve a 10 percent market share, Yoichiro Ueno, managing director of the carmaker’s India unit, said during the country’s biennial auto show.

    Honda, which sells cars such as the City sedan and CR-V sport-utility vehicle in India, has seen its market share fall to about 5 percent at the end of 2017 from 7 percent three years ago, industry data show, thanks to a slew of new launches from rivals Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor.

    Annual passenger vehicle sales in India crossed 3 million units last year and the country is expected to become the world’s third-largest car market by 2020, trailing only China and the United States.

    One of the challenges for Honda is that lower taxes on small cars in India make them a preferred choice for buyers, and the carmaker has few small cars to offer.

    “Our global line up is different so it is a bit difficult to utilise global resources,” Ueno said, adding car taxation policy in India needed to change to encourage carmakers to bring in products from their global portfolio.

    The Japanese carmaker is utilising only 70 percent of its annual production capacity of 300,000 units in India and needs to ramp up output to be efficient, Ueno said.

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  • Imported beer sales at convenience stores on rise

    Imported beer sales at convenience stores on rise

    Sales of imported beer at South Korean convenience stores have risen sharply, store operators Sunday, as more consumers opt for variety and a growing number of people drink at home.

    BGF Retail Co., the operator of CU, South Korea’s largest convenience store chain, said sales of foreign beer brands accounted for 60.2 percent of the total in the two months of this year.

    The figure has steadily increased from 58.3 percent in 2015, with numbers surpassing the 60 percent mark for the first time ever.

    Industry insiders said the rise of single-person households also boosted the trend of demand for light alcoholic beverages. This has resulted in rising demand for imported beer sales at discount chains and convenience stores.

    “A total of US$250 million worth of beer were imported last year to set a new record,” said a CU official, noting that discounts on imported beer have also reduced the price gap with domestic beers.

    Local convenience stores have recently offered aggressive price promotions for foreign beers to meet strong demand for various flavors beyond the lager-dominated domestic brands.

     

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  • Under Armour Asia saves the brand globally

    Under Armour Asia saves the brand globally

    Under Armour Asia sales soared 61 per cent in the 12 months to December – a highlight in the US-headquartered sportswear retailer’s year in which it lost US$48 million.

    Global revenue was up a mere 3 per cent to $5 billion with the company losing ground in the wholesale sector, but raising its direct sales – which now account for 35 per cent of turnover – by 14 per cent.

    Asia was by far Under Armour’s top-performing market, with sales in Latin America up 28 per cent and in Europe, Middle East and Africa, by 42 per cent. It is in the company’s core North American market where the damage is being done – sales fell 5 per cent

    The loss was caused by restructuring costs and impairments of $124 million. Those excluded, Under Armour achieved an operating surplus of $87 million.

    While noting a small improvement in the company’s fourth quarter, retail analyst Neil Saunders, MD of GlobalData Retail, said the results “show signs of a company in difficulty”.

    Fourth-quarter sales rose 4.6 per cent, a sharp turnaround from the 4.5 per cent decline of the preceding quarter, but that growth came entirely from overseas markets, led by Under Armour Asia, up 66 per cent.

    “While overseas growth is to be applauded, it carries investment costs and also accounts for just 25 per cent of group revenue,” noted Saunders. “As such, Under Armour is reliant on its North American operation to drive performance on both the top and bottom lines. Unfortunately, the North American division had a lamentable quarter and is the main source of Under Armour’s woes.”

    Saunders said the brand has “lost power” in North America.

    “Compared to last year, Under Armour was firmly off the radar for holiday gifting. Far fewer people thought of or requested the brand for gifts, and consequently fewer people bought into it. Under Armour has spent too much time trying to expand its footprint and product coverage, and too little time building connections with customers.”

    He said Under Armour was failing in terms of customer experience.

    “Customer service at some of its own stores leaves a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, expansion into retailers like Kohl’s has weakened exclusivity and made the brand feel commoditised and ubiquitous.”

    GlobalData Retail’s consumer data reveals Under Armour has lost its way, with consumers unsure what the brand stands for, what it specialises in, and why they should use it.

    “For many, it has become something of an also-ran,” said Saunders. “These shallow roots are dangerous: they leave Under Armour vulnerable to competition and the vagaries of changing market conditions.”

    In contrast, rival Lululemon has a very clear sense of identity, and its approach is more disciplined and focused, which has helped it maintain price integrity and remain a destination of choice for many consumers.

    “While we do not believe that Under Armour should simply emulate Lululemon, we do think it can learn some lessons from its playbook.”

    Saunders said Under Armour has already warned of further full-year revenue decline in North America this year and operating profit will also be weak thanks to restructuring and impairment costs.

    “For all of this, Under Armour still has potential; but it needs to use the year ahead to regroup and rethink its strategy. The company that once believed it could challenge Nike has come down to earth with a bump. Humble reflection is now the order of the day.”

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  • Asia boosts Hermes international sales

    Asia boosts Hermes international sales

    Hermes international sales showed strong growth last year, pushed by an upward curve in Asia.

    Sales for the French fashion brand were up 9 per cent at constant exchange rates, with consolidated revenues reaching €5.5 billion (US$6.7 billion). After adjustment for the negative currency effect resulting from the year-end strengthening of the euro, the increase was 7 per cent.

    In the final quarter growth was sustained at 5 per cent at constant exchange rates.

    During the year Hermes continued to improve its distribution network, renovating and extending almost 20 stores. It launched websites in Canada and the US, to be followed by China at the end of this year.

    Asia, excluding Japan, saw sales rise 11 per cent with a positive outlook in Mainland China and South Asia.

    Hermes says the context is improving in Hong Kong and Macau. Regional stores were extended and renovated – the Sogo Fuxing store in Taiwan, Kowloon Elements in Hong Kong and the Kuala Lumpur store.

    Despite a high comparison basis, Japan recorded a sustained increase of 4 per cent thanks to its selective distribution network.

    All sectors recorded growth, with a “remarkable” performance by the ready-to-wear and accessories, perfumes and other sectors.

    Leather goods and saddlery sales grew 10 per cent to meet demand for such bags as Constance, Halzan, Lindy and Verrou. Shoes particularly boosted sales in the ready-to-wear and accessories division, up 9 per cent, silk and textiles had a  6 per cent rise, while the perfumes division posted 10 per cent growth with the launch of Twilly d’Hermes.

    There was a 1 per cent rise in watch sales, while other Hermes business lines ‒ encompassing jewellery, Art of Living and Hermes Table Arts ‒ rose 11 per cent.

    Currency fluctuations had a negative impact of €100 million on revenues.

    The company will publish its annual results next month.

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  • Lotte Shopping swings to loss in 2017 due to THAAD row

    Lotte Shopping swings to loss in 2017 due to THAAD row

    Lotte Shopping Co., the retail affiliate of South Korea’s fifth-largest conglomerate Lotte Group, said Thursday it swung to the red in 2017 from a year earlier amid a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system here.

    Its losses reached 20.6 billion won (US$18.9 million) on a consolidated basis last year, compared to a net profit of 246.9 billion won posted in 2016, the company said in a regulatory filing. The firm operates Lotte’s key retail units, including its department store and hypermarket chains.

    Operating income stood at 530.3 billion won, down 30.5 percent on-year, and sales dropped 24.6 percent to 18.2 trillion won during the cited period, it said.

    The numbers reflect the performance of Lotte Shopping and its subsidiaries, including Lotte HiMart Co., which specializes in electronics and home appliances.

    The drop in the revenue was largely expected following Beijing’s apparent retaliation over Seoul’s deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on its soil. Lotte Shopping was one of the most affected companies from the economic retaliation after it signed a land-swap deal with the Seoul government to host the missile shield system.

    Shares of Lotte Shopping soared 4.17 percent to close at 250,000 won on the main bourse Thursday, with the broader KOSPI index gaining 0.46 percent. The earnings results were released after the stock market closed.

     

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