Sales at Tiffany & Co. were flat at $1.01 billion in the third fiscal quarter as increases in mainland China compensated for weak spending in the US and Hong Kong.
Revenue declined 4% to $422.5 million in the Americas region as sales to tourists fell, while local customers also trimmed their spending, the jeweler said Thursday the 5th. Asia-Pacific sales were unchanged at $294.1 million amid “double-digit” growth in mainland China and the negative effect of protests in Hong Kong. Sales rose in Japan, but fell in Europe.
“Our underlying business remains healthy, with sales attributed to local customers on a global basis growing in the third quarter,” Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliolo said in a statement Thursday.
The depreciation of the Chinese yuan currency also lowered the sales total for the Asia-Pacific region in dollar terms. Excluding the impact of exchange-rate fluctuation, global same-store sales rose 1%, but still missed analysts’ estimate of a 1.4% increase, according to Reuters. Net profit slid 17% to $78.4 million due to increased costs and a higher rate of income tax.
The results for the three months ending October 31 came a week and a half after European luxury group LVMH agreed to acquire the New York-based retailer for $16.2 billion. The takeover will give Tiffany “support, resources and momentum” to help it grow, Bogliolo said following the deal.
“We are very excited about the recently announced transaction with LVMH and, pending the required approvals, look forward to becoming part of the LVMH family of exceptional luxury brands,” the executive added Thursday.
