LVMH Scores Big in 2012

LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) had a good year. Its net profit for 2012 rose 12% to $4.6 billion (€3.4 billion). Revenue jumped 19% to $38.1 billion (€28.1 billion).

The luxury marketer features perfume, makeup and skin care. Brands include Christian Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, Kenzo, Benefit, Fresh, Acqua di Parma, Parfums Loewe, Fendi and Pucci.

The Perfumes & Cosmetics business group recorded organic revenue growth of 8%. Profit from recurring operations increased by 17%. Parfums Christian Dior saw excellent performance driven by the strength of flagship lines, notably Miss Dior and J’adore. Dior Addict Lipstick confirmed its leadership position in its main markets and the skin care line Prestige continued its sustained growth. Guerlain continued to see strong growth momentum attributed notably to the performance of its new fragrance La Petite Robe Noire. Parfums Givenchy saw strong growth in its makeup line due to broader distribution and the success of its mascara Noir Couture. Benefit, Make Up For Ever and Fresh continued their strong growth.

Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, said: “2012 was another remarkable year for LVMH, especially in the context of the economic slowdown in Europe. All of our businesses demonstrated excellent momentum driven by innovation and the quality of their products, thereby strengthening their positions in traditional markets while continuing to develop in new ones. Looking beyond the appeal of our brands, it is the talent of our teams and their motivation that enables us to so effectively execute our strategy. In 2013, LVMH intends to further strengthen its global leadership position in high quality products by relying on its sound, long-term strategy.”