Fashion
Germany’s Hugo Boss sees Q2 growth amid volatility, sales hit $1.2 bn
While the reported revenue declined 1 per cent due to adverse currency effects, EBIT jumped 15 per cent to €81 million (~$93.15 million), lifting the EBIT margin by 120 basis points (bps) to 8.1 per cent.
Germany’s Hugo Boss has reported solid Q2 2025 results, with currency-adjusted sales up 1 per cent to €1,002 million (~$1.16 million) and EBIT rising 15 per cent to €81 million (~$93.15 million).
Growth was driven by Boss Menswear and digital sales, offsetting declines in Asia and other segments.
The company reaffirmed its 2025 outlook, projecting sales growth between –2 per cent and +2 per cent.
Brand-wise, Boss Menswear remained the company’s main growth driver, with currency-adjusted sales up 5 per cent. In contrast, Boss Womenswear and Hugo declined by 8 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, as the company undertakes strategic adjustments in these segments.
Regionally, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the Americas returned to growth with 3 per cent and 2 per cent increases respectively, while the Asia/Pacific region lagged, down 5 per cent, largely due to weak consumer sentiment in China.
The digital business grew by 7 per cent and wholesale by 3 per cent, though brick-and-mortar retail saw a slight 1 per cent dip.
The gross margin held steady at 62.9 per cent in Q2, aided by sourcing efficiencies and improved product costs. Operating expenses declined 3 per cent, reflecting stringent cost discipline across selling, marketing, and administrative functions.
Notably, selling and marketing costs dropped 4 per cent, with marketing investments down 10 per cent YoY in Q2, though largely due to timing shifts.
The net income of the company rose 28 per cent to €50 million (~$57.5 million), with earnings per share (EPS) increasing by 27 per cent to €0.68. Financial expenses declined 27 per cent, benefitting from favourable currency developments.
Trade net working capital (TNWC) remained stable at €839 million, though up 5 per cent currency-adjusted, due to increased inventories and trade receivables. This rise was a strategic move to mitigate tariff uncertainties. The TNWC ratio, based on a four-quarter moving average, improved to 19.7 per cent from 21.2 per cent last year.
“The second quarter (Q2) of 2025 was once again marked by a challenging macroeconomic and industry environment, with global consumer confidence remaining at a low level. Against this backdrop, we delivered solid top and bottom-line improvements, supported by further efficiency gains through our rigorous and sustainable cost discipline,” said Daniel Grieder, chief executive officer (CEO) at Hugo Boss. “Importantly, we remain committed to our long-term ambition of strengthening brand relevance over short-term gains. The successful launch of our Beckham X Boss collection in April is just one example of how we are continuing to drive brand momentum, even in a volatile environment.”
For full year 2025, Hugo Boss is expecting group sales between €4.2 billion and €4.4 billion (–2 per cent to +2 per cent), and EBIT between €380 million and €440 million, marking a projected rise of 5 to 22 per cent. The EBIT margin is forecasted between 9 per cent and 10 per cent.
Sales are anticipated to remain stable in EMEA and the Americas, while Asia/Pacific is expected to witness a moderate decline. Capital expenditure for the year is projected between €200 million and €250 million, lower than €286 million in 2024.
Despite ongoing geopolitical and economic volatility, Hugo Boss aims to drive high-quality growth by executing new brand campaigns and fashion shows in the second half of 2025, reinforcing its global relevance and customer engagement.
“Based on our performance in the first half of 2025, we confirm our full-year outlook for both sales and operating profit. As we enter the second half of the year, our focus remains on exciting consumers, unlocking additional business opportunities and maintaining a consistent focus on high-quality growth. I am particularly excited about our upcoming Fall/Winter 2025 collections and the launch of our new brand campaigns later this month, which are set to further boost brand relevance,” added Grieder.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
By
Reuters
Published
August 29, 2025
Gap on Thursday reported comparable sales below Wall Street estimates as customers pulled back on discretionary spending, and it said U.S. tariffs would squeeze its margins in the current quarter.
Shares of the company were down about 2% in extended trading.
Inflationary prices and uncertainty arising from the Trump administration’s trade policy have curbed consumer spending, challenging CEO Richard Dickson’s turnaround efforts to revitalize its brands.
For the quarter ended August 2, Gap’s comparable sales rose 1%, missing estimates of 2.26% growth, while net sales rose slightly to $3.73 billion, almost in line with analysts’ estimates, according to data compiled by LSEG.
In the quarter, net sales in its cheaper Old Navy and namesake Gap brands ticked up 1% each. But sales fell in its pricier brands Banana Republic and Athleta. Sales in the athleisure brand continued their decline, falling 11%.
“Dickson has delivered on his promise to reinvigorate the Gap brand, though it remains to be seen if or how he can do the same for Athleta, where sales continue to decline,” said Sky Canaves, analyst at EMarketer.
Gap, like rivals including American Eagle, opens new tab and Levi Strauss, has pushed its denim line with a new viral “Better in Denim” campaign featuring the global girl group KATSEYE to bump up sales.
The campaign comes weeks after American Eagle’s “Great Jeans” denim campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney.
The company now expects annual operating margin to be between 6.7% and 7%, compared with 7.4% in 2024.
The forecast includes a tariff impact in the range of 100 to 110 basis points, which translates to a hit of $150 million to $175 million.
Canaves said the company’s profit margins could deteriorate as the year progresses.
“Tariff impacts, combined with a heavily promotional environment during the holidays, squeeze margins further.”
In May, Gap announced $250 million to $300 million in tariff-related costs and aimed to mitigate more than half of that amount while working to reduce exposure to countries struck with high tariffs on imports to the United States.
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
Published
August 28, 2025
Urban Outfitters, Inc. on Wednesday posted record-breaking earnings and sales in the second quarter, thanks to solid sales growth across all brands including its struggling Urban Outfitters chain.
The Philadelphia-based company said sales for the three months ended July 31 surged 11.3% to a record $1.50 billion, with total retail segment sales up 7.8%, and comparable retail segment sales lifting 5.6%.
By brand, comparable sales increased 6.7% at Free People, 5.7% at Anthropologie and 4.2% at Urban Outfitters.
Elsewhere, subscription segment sales skyrocketed by 53.2%, primarily driven by a 48.1% increase in average active subscribers in the current quarter. Wholesale segment sales jumped 18.1%, driven by a 19.5% increase in Free People wholesale sales, thanks to an increase in sales to specialty customers.
As a result of the sales growth, the U.S. company posted a record net income of $143.9 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.58 for the three months ended July 31.
“We are proud to announce record revenues, profits, and earnings per share for the quarter,” said Richard Hayne, chief executive officer, Urban Outfitters, Inc.
“Our success was broad-based, with all five brands achieving positive comparable sales across all geographies. We saw exceptional performance across all of our segments – retail, subscription, and wholesale – and believe these results reflect the strength of our brands, the effectiveness of our strategy, and the talent of our teams. We are confident in our continued momentum.”
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Published
August 28, 2025
Ssense is reportedly filing for bankruptcy protection following a move by creditors to initiate the sale of the Canadian luxury retailer, as per a letter sent to employees on Thursday.
In an email sent to staff, the Montreal-based company said the protection move follows the filing of an application to sell the company by its main creditor, without consent from the retailer, under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), according to a B0F report.
Chief executive Rami Atallah explained that Ssense will in response file its own CCAA application within 24 hours “to protect the company, keep control of our assets and operations, and fight for the future of the company,” according to the memo.
“Recently, we have worked closely with financial and legal advisors to develop our own restructuring plan to stabilize the business and rebuild it for the future,” said Atallah, as cited by BoF.
“The court will decide which path we follow, likely within the next week. Until then, our focus remains clear: protect value, stabilize the business, and set up a restructuring plan to secure our future.”
It is unknown which creditor pulled the sale trigger.
The retailer’s CEO went on to explain the headwinds facing his company following the Trump administration’s recent trade policies, which have imposed 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada.
Ssense also cited the closure of the “de minimus” exemption, which allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty free as a hit operationally for the company.
The bankruptcy protection news follows layoffs at Ssense earlier this year, including 100 positions in May, as the firm tries to lower overheads amid the luxury slowdown affecting demand for high-price goods, especially more younger, aspirational luxury shoppers — Ssense’s target market.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
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