At EUR 47.7 million, sales of the younger TAIFUN label were up 4.1 percent on the previous year's EUR 45.8 million. The Group's second largest brand contributed 20.3 percent to total brand revenues. The niche brand for plus sizes, SAMOON, booked sales of EUR 14.0 million (previous year: EUR 14.9 million), accounting for 6.0 percent of total brand revenues.
A 23.1 percent increase in sales again made the retail operations the fastest-growing segment of the GERRY WEBER Group. Retail revenues rose from EUR 42.9 million in the previous year to EUR 52.8 million in the first six months of 2007/2008, with the increase attributable both to the opening of many new HOUSES OF GERRY WEBER and to sales growth in the existing stores.
In the first half of 2007/2008, the company opened 40 new HOUSES OF GERRY WEBER, of which eleven are operated by the company itself. As of 30 April 2008, a total of 217 multi-brand stores were open for business worldwide, including 97 in Germany. Aggregating the revenues of the 77 company-managed HOUSES OF GERRY WEBER in Germany as well as the revenues of the foreign distribution companies in the UK, Spain and Austria, the retail segment allows the GERRY WEBER Group to implement the insights gained at the point of sale more effectively to the benefit of both its retail partners and its own stores.
As part of the GERRY WEBER Group's expansion strategy, the number of shop-in-shops also increased in the first six months of 2007/2008, namely by 84 to 1,282. The stronger presence at the point of sale allows the GERRY WEBER Group to further strengthen its market position vis-à-vis the retail sector. A total of 300 new shop-in-shop outlets will be opened in the current fiscal year, of which about one third will be located abroad.
The continued strong growth of the company was also reflected in its headcount. As of 30 April 2008, the GERRY WEBER Group employed 2,166 people, 211 more than in the previous year. The new jobs were created primarily in the retail segment, i.e. the HOUSES OF GERRY WEBER operated by the company itself.
The excellent performance of the GERRY WEBER Group in the first six months of 2007/2008 supports the company's sales and earnings projections for the full year. The sales target of EUR 575 million to EUR 580 million and the projected EBIT margin of 11.0 percent show that the company aims for new records.
Moreover, the corporate income tax reform will lead to a disproportionate increase in net profit. The GERRY WEBER Group projects double-digit sales and earnings growth also for the financial year 2008/2009. Sales are expected to climb to EUR 1 billion over the next four years, with the EBIT margin rising to 15 percent at the same time.
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GERRY WEBER International AG
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