L'Occitane International booms in China, Brazil

By

Lucile Deprez

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Nov 20, 2017

For the first half of the 2017-18 fiscal year, closed on 30th September, L’Occitane International reported a 1.1% rise in sales, up to €548.2 million. The result was notably driven by strong performances in overseas markets, especially Brazil and China.

In the 2016-17 fiscal year, the cosmetics group, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, had already reported double-digit growth in both countries. In the first half of the new fiscal year, revenue in China rose by 22.7%, reaching €60.041 million, thanks notably to a triple-digit leap on T-mall.

In Brazil, L’Occitane International reported a revenue of €26.703 million, generated through its 122 stores (35 of which feature the L'Occitane au Brésil concept, specific to Brazil), equivalent to a 13.2% increase. Japan and Hong Kong also contributed to the group's growth, with revenue rises respectively of 1.8% and 2.6%.

In France, after a weak performance in the 2016-17 fiscal year, L’Occitane International sales picked up again, reaching €44.664 million (+1.1%) in the first six months of the new fiscal year. The group has chosen the Champs-Elysées in Paris as the location of its next flagship store, which will feature a new retail concept in collaboration with pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, net income fell after what the group defined a "record" result in 2016-17 (+16.6%). Net income decreased in fact to €10.7 million, compared to €26.4 million in the same period last year. L'Occitane International blamed the downturn on the business' strong seasonality, on exceptional factors and unfavourable exchange rates.