Esprit Q1 turnover slips 15 per cent to HK $4.7 billion

Clothing retailer Esprit Holdings Ltd reported a 14.9 percent slide in first-quarter turnover on Monday as sales in Europe lagged and it cut its store footprint.

Turnover in Hong Kong dollar terms fell to HK$4.7 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30, while the company cut its total controlled floor space by 7.6 percent.

Turnover in Germany, which is the company’s biggest market and accounts for nearly half of its business, fell 15.5 percent. Turnover in the rest Europe – its second biggest market – fell 15.4 percent.

In local currency terms, turnover fell 0.4 percent.

The majority of the floor space reduction was in Esprit’s wholesale business. Retail floor space was reduced by just 1.3 percent and comp store sales growth was 10.8 percent.

Esprit shares closed up 3.54 percent at HK$6.72 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier in the day.