Fashion
Finland’s Marimekko’s Q2 sales up 2% on retail gains, profit improves
Operating profit improved to €6.3 million, with comparable operating profit at €6.5 million, representing 14.6 per cent of net sales. The gain was driven by higher sales and improved margins, partly offset by higher fixed costs.
Marimekko’s Q2 2025 sales rose 2 per cent to €44.5 million (~$51.88 million), with Finnish retail up 3 per cent and international sales up 1 per cent despite lower licensing income.
Operating profit increased to €6.3 million.
H1 sales grew 3 per cent to €84.1 million, driven by 7 per cent international growth.
The company expects higher 2025 sales and margins but warns of global and tariff risks.
For January–June 2025, net sales rose 3 per cent to €84.1 million. International sales increased 7 per cent, while Finnish sales were flat as retail gains offset wholesale weakness. Comparable operating profit declined to €10.9 million, or 13 per cent of net sales, due to lower margins and higher fixed costs, the company said in a media release.
CEO Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko highlighted sustained omnichannel retail growth, up 6 per cent in Q2, as evidence of brand resilience in challenging markets. Strategic collaborations—such as a global footwear line with Crocs, café partnerships with Blue Bottle Coffee in the US and Asia, a design tie-up with Artek, and a capsule collection with artist Laila Gohar—boosted brand visibility. Events included Milan Design Week, Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design, Marimekko Day fashion shows in Helsinki, and the Field of Flowers exhibition in Asia.
Network expansion in Q2 included new stores in Osaka and Kuala Lumpur, an outlet in Espoo, eight Asian and Finnish pop-ups, and the launch of online stores in New Zealand and in German language. Post-period, Marimekko announced its first flagship store in Paris, opening autumn 2025, alongside pop-ups at Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette.
For 2025, the company forecasts net sales to exceed 2024’s €182.6 million, with a comparable operating profit margin of 16–19 per cent. Risks include global economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and higher US tariffs—the latter affecting a small share of sales but increasing procurement costs. Plans call for 10–15 new stores or shop-in-shops, primarily in Asia, while licensing income is expected to fall significantly from last year’s record level.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
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.
In a press conference organised yesterday by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh and 15 other trade bodies, ICC Bangladesh president Mahbubur Rahman said: “Our entrepreneurs and business chambers strongly support graduation. However, we stress the need for a three- to five-year extension.”
Top trade bodies in Bangladesh have called for delaying the country’s scheduled graduation from the LDC status by five to six years.
Though Bangladesh has fulfilled all three UN criteria, the graduation will bring with it new responsibilities and risks, and therefore, careful preparation is needed to ensure the transition leads to lasting success, ICC Bangladesh president Mahbubur Rahman said.
Though Bangladesh has fulfilled all three UN criteria—gross national income, human assets index and economic vulnerability index—in two consecutive reviews, such a graduation will bring with it new responsibilities and risks, and therefore, careful preparation is needed to ensure the transition leads to lasting success, Rahman said.
Risks include the possible loss of duty-free market access in key export destinations where tariffs of up to 12 per cent could be imposed, and that may lead to a 6-14 per cent drop in exports, he said.
“The press conference expressed optimism that the extended period would provide greater scope for export diversification, development of skilled manpower in automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and building capacity to face future challenges, thereby ensuring sustainable competitiveness in the global market,” the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) posted on Facebook.
The business leaders also raised concerns over the end of special and differential treatment by the World Trade Organization (WTO). “This will make patent rules stricter for the pharmaceutical sector and increase compliance costs,” Rahman cautioned.
Rahman noted that several countries had deferred their LDC graduation in the last.
The proposed five- to six-year deferment would offer Bangladesh the time to secure trade deals with several countries and economic blocs, he added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Son Heung-Min nails 1st pitch at Dodger Stadium
Urban Outfitters posts another record-breaking quarter on growth across all channels
Watch Our Livestream Replay: Back to School in the Age of AI
-
Business1 week agoRSS Feed Generator, Create RSS feeds from URL
-
Tech1 week agoKorea develops core radar components for stealth technology
-
Fashion1 week agoTariff pressure casts shadow on Gujarat’s textile landscape
-
Fashion1 week agoRent the Runway to swap debt for equity in revival effort
-
Fashion1 week agoUS retailers split on holiday prospects amid consumer caution
-
Tech1 week agoQi2’s Magnetic Wireless Charging Finally Arrives on Android
-
Sports1 week ago
Dan Quinn says Terry McLaurin is healthy, ‘closer’ to Commanders return
-
Tech2 days agoReview: Google Pixel 10 Series