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Sunday, 31 October 2010 23:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
DUBAI (Reuters) - Chanel’s sales have improved since the summer, and business in the United States is recovering but has yet to return to pre-crisis levels, the French luxury company’s supervisory board president said last week.
Francoise de Montenay, speaking in Dubai on the sidelines of a fashion event sponsored by the French luxury lobby group Comite Colbert, said the luxury sector would continue to see growth despite the global financial crisis.
“This year we are really facing a huge, huge increase in our sales -- both in fashion and perfume and beauty,” Montenay told Reuters in an interview at the high-end “fashion avenue” section of the Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest.
“Even last year was a good year for fashion and fine jewelry. It was a little more difficult for perfume and beauty.”
Chanel, famous for its woolen suits and long pearl necklaces, is one of the 75 members of Comite Colbert that generate about a quarter of world luxury sales.
Montenay would not comment on the company’s plans in the Middle East, but said the region had always been very important to Chanel. She said she expects sales in the United States to maintain a recovery which began in February.
“It’s not what it was before, but it’s really recovering, with new customers with a good appetite for nice products and good quality.” Montenay also said that although she believes companies should declare where the greater portion of a product is made, she does not believe there should be European Union legislation to force companies to do so.
“The problem is that sometimes spare parts come from other countries where that part is made best,” she said. “I think for the moment it’s too complicated, because we’re 27 countries and first we have to make things clear with each other.”
