This will change how you think of Morocco October 22, 2024 THE LOCATION When the Portuguese landed on the stony face of the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century, they stopped at El Jadida, a Moroccan port just an hour south of Casablanca. To protect trade routes between Europe and Asia during their two-and-a-half-century occupation, they built a stronghold known as Mazagan. The centrepiece of [...]
Burberry, LVMH and Kering: Rebound of travel and China to boost luxury market October 22, 2024 Analysts have stressed the problems in the luxury market are cyclical, not structural, and predicted an upswing at brands like Burberry, LVMH and Kering as international travel looks set to rebound past pre-pandemic levels. The downturn in the luxury market, which has been suffering from the cost-of-living crisis in the West and a slowdown in [...]
Mulberry rejects ‘untenable’ second offer from Mike Ashley’s Frasers October 22, 2024 The board of Mulberry has unanimously rejected the second bid from retail giant Frasers as “untenable”. Frasers launched its first bid on 1 October for £83m, which was subsequently rejected as too low by Mulberry, and its second of £111m on 11 October. Mulberry reiterated its statement from the first time it rejected Frasers’ bid: [...]
This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
The Dorchester Hotel owner struggles with rising costs and fewer guests October 14, 2024 The group that includes The Dorchester Hotel in London fell into the red in 2023 as it struggled with rising costs and fewer guests. The Dorchester Group has reported a pre-tax loss of £5.2m for its latest financial year, having made a pre-tax profit of £17m in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show [...]
Mulberry to ponder bid from Mike Ashley’s Frasers despite lack of interest from majority shareholder October 14, 2024 British retailer Mulberry has announced that it is evaluating Frasers’ second bid for the firm, despite a lack of interest from its majority shareholder, Challice. In light of Frasers’ £111m bid, the luxury brand is “working with advisers to consider the company’s position,” it said, despite Challice’s public snub of the deal. Challice, which is [...]
Gucci: Profit halved as ‘high competition’ eats into sales October 11, 2024 Profit at the UK arm of luxury fashion brand Gucci has cut almost in half during its latest financial year after “high competition” impacted its sales. The West Sussex-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £4.8m for 2023, down from the £9m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its [...]
Rolex: Sales at luxury watch maker rise time after time October 10, 2024 Sales at the UK arm of Rolex rose by almost £80m during 2023, for the 17th consecutive year. The London-headquartered division has reported a turnover of £685.2m for the 12 months, up from the £608.1m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its pre-tax profit increased from £59.4m to £65.8m [...]
Property market 2025 predictions: Greener and healthier October 10, 2024 Predicting the prevailing winds in the super-prime property market can be a thankless task, given how it is at the behest of factors both national and international. Nevertheless, I have grabbed my crystal ball to make some predictions about the emerging and developing trends, from the continued rise in at home wellness to an ever-increasing [...]
Stefano Cantino: Who is Gucci’s new boss tasked with turning the luxury brand around? October 9, 2024 First Mulberry, then Burberry, and now Gucci – reshuffles at the very top of luxury businesses are definitely in vogue. Gucci, owned by Kering, has announced the appointment of Stefano Cantino as its new chief executive. He will take over from interim boss Jean-Francois Palus on 1 January 2025. Much like Mulberry and Burberry’s new [...]