Fashion
German business sentiment stalls despite slight rise in expectations
The business climate in industry has improved noticeably since the start of the year. Nevertheless, almost all sectors remain in negative territory and are still predominantly pessimistic about the future, ifo said in a press release.
Germany’s business climate showed minimal improvement in 2025, rising only 2.8 points from January to November, according to the ifo institute.
While expectations improved, most sectors remained pessimistic, with chemicals seeing the sharpest decline.
Trade sentiment stayed weak, though warehousing improved.
Despite slight industrial gains, businesses remain cautious.
Sentiment in the chemical industry deteriorated particularly in October and November. Overall, the indicator fell by 8.6 points.
“Companies are taking a sober and concerned view of economic development,” said Klaus Wohlrabe, head of ifo Surveys. “We are seeing a stabilisation of the business climate driven only by expectations, and the euphoria from the start of the year has already faded again.”
Sentiment in trade recovered somewhat but remained at a very low level at the end of the year and was worse overall than in previous years. Sentiment in warehousing and storage improved significantly by 13.1 points.
“Overall, it is evident across all sectors of the economy that it would be wrong to speak of a recovery,” added Wohlrabe.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Published
December 8, 2025
Share purchases in key companies are always interesting but we wouldn’t normally mention anyone buying a relatively small amount of shares, especially not an amount adding out to ‘only’ £75,000.
But given that the company concerned saw fit to announce the purchase itself and given that the company is in the middle of a major turnaround, it’s of more interest than it might usually be.
Dr Martens announced on Monday that Robert Hanson, who joined the board as an independent non-executive director in March, has purchased 96,000 shares in Dr Martens – worth over £75,000.
Share purchases by insiders are particularly significant given that those insiders tend to have the best view of how the company is faring with its turnaround and an individual committing a significant sum of their own money is particularly interesting.
Hanson currently serves as CEO of The Duckhorn Portfolio. His previous roles include EVP and president of Constellation Brands’ Wine & Spirits, president of Americas at Levi’s as well as CEO roles at American Eagle Outfitters and John Hardy.
He purchased 96,000 ordinary shares at a price of £0.7886 per share. The buy suggests he believes that the shares, which are much lower than their all-time high of £5+, represent good value and should rise.
Dr Martens is currently working through a recovery from a major period of weakness and it seems to be yielding results. Its first half update in November showed progress, with America recovering in particular even though EMEA still showed weakness.
A week later, it also announced the opening of its new Soho, London flagship and that’s a key development. The store “represents the most elevated expression of the… brand to date”. The first-ever ‘beacon’ store is on Brewer Street with its two floors spanning 3,400 sq ft to make it the brand’s biggest UK flagship – “built to bring the people and product of Dr Martens together”.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Published
December 8, 2025
The Comité Colbert has unanimously elected Hélène Poulit-Duquesne to be the new chair of the leading French luxury federation. Poulit-Duquesne, the CEO of Maison Boucheron, succeeds Laurent Boillot. She will take up her new responsibilities in June 2026, working alongside Bénédicte Épinay, general delegate of the Comité Colbert.
Poulit-Duquesne has been a long-term active member of the Comité Colbert. As CEO of Maison Boucheron, she has served on the association’s board of directors since 2018 and became its vice president in May 2022.
“I am proud and happy for the trust placed in me today. My roadmap is to continue supporting the Comité Colbert’s major challenges: promoting our expertise and supporting our industries, collectively promoting our values and our Houses internationally, and placing sustainable development, a future challenge for the planet and our professions, at the heart of our strategies,” said the Boucheron CEO in a release.
The Comité Colbert’s membership includes a wide variety of French luxury labels such as fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Dior, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Balmain; fine wines like Château Lafitte Rothschild and Perrier Jouët champagne; perfume brands- Frédéric Malle, Guerlain, and Francis Kurkdjian; jewellers such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Messika; and master chefs and restaurants including Yannick Alléno, Taillevent, and Guy Savoy.
“Each Maison of the Comité Colbert, beyond its individual performance and regardless of its market share and size, has a greater role to play: that of defending values that are universal and cement the foundation of our collective: the values of art, culture, and craftsmanship, the hand of man. Because they have meaning, they give meaning. They enrich the lives of millions of people and inspire them to dream,” insisted Poulit-Duquesne.
A notably experienced executive, Poulit-Duquesne has held senior positions in three of the largest luxury groups in the world- LVMH, Richemont, and Kering.
Hélène Poulit-Duquesne is a graduate of ESSEC Business School in the Paris suburbs, who began her career at LVMH before joining Cartier International, the key brand in the Richemont Group, in 1998. In 2010, she joined its Executive Committee as director of international marketing, before joining the Kering Group at the end of 2015 as CEO of Maison Boucheron.
“I am delighted at the prospect of working with Hélène Poulit-Duquesne to serve, together with our collective, the influence of an industry whose excellence and creativity are one of the major jewels in the crown of the French economy. We are committed to supporting its development, honouring its expertise, and amplifying its international influence,” added Épinay.
Created in 1954 on the initiative of famed perfumer Jean-Jacques Guerlain, the Comité Colbert is a non-profit association recognised as being of public interest, bringing together 98 French luxury houses and 17 cultural institutions. The Comité Colbert’s goal is to work together to promote the French art of living internationally, as well as to preserve and pass on French expertise and creativity.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
When large-scale orders are excluded, new orders were 0.5 per cent higher than in the previous month.
The less volatile quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) comparison showed that new orders between August to October 2025 were 0.5 per cent lower; when large-scale orders are excluded, new orders were down by 0.1 per cent QoQ.
Real new orders in German manufacturing were up by 1.5 per cent month on month (MoM) in October after price, seasonal and calendar adjustment, provisional official figures show.
The less volatile quarter-on-quarter comparison showed that new orders between August to October 2025 were 0.5 per cent lower.
Real turnover in manufacturing (seasonally- and calendar-adjusted) in October rose by 0.3 per cent MoM.
After revision of the provisional data, new orders in September 2025 increased by 2 per cent MoM, a Destatis release said.
New orders for capital goods in October were up by 4.9 per cent MoM. By contrast, new orders for intermediate goods declined by 3.4 per cent MoM, and those for consumer goods dropped by 2.2 per cent MoM.
Foreign orders in October were down by 4 per cent MoM, with orders from the euro area increasing by 0.1 per cent MoM and orders from outside the euro area falling by 6.5 per cent MoM. Domestic orders increased by 9.9 per cent MoM.
According to provisional figures, real turnover in manufacturing (seasonally- and calendar-adjusted) in October this year increased by 0.3 per cent MoM. The calendar adjusted turnover was 1.6 per cent lower year on year (YoY) in the month.
After revision of the provisional data, manufacturing turnover decreased by 2.4 per cent MoM in the month in September 2025.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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