受新冠疫情的影响，全球最大的奢侈品集团LVMH今年上半年营收同比下降28%。其营运利润为16.71亿欧元，较2019年同期下跌68.4%，而净利润为5.44亿欧元，暴跌84.9%。
该集团拥有众多著名酒类品牌，包括酩悦、库克和凯歌三大香槟品牌、轩尼诗干邑和滴金酒庄。与2019年前6个月相比，其有机销售额下降了28%，原因是疫情造成的全球停摆和婚礼等庆祝活动的取消。
不过，该集团的葡萄酒和烈酒品牌受封锁的影响最小。与去年同期相比，珠宝和手表的有机销售额下降了近40%，而葡萄酒和烈酒的销售额仅下降了23%。6个月期间的经常性业务利润下降了29%，降至5.51亿欧元(6.46亿美元)，低于2019年的7.72亿欧元(9.05亿美元)。
该集团在声明中表示，第二季度比第一季度情况更糟糕，因为封锁在全球范围内生效，关闭了酒吧、餐馆和非必需品商店，下降的趋势在香槟业务方面尤为显著。
不过，该集团在第二季度表现出非凡的韧性，这主要归功于轩尼诗干邑在6月份的反弹以及中国的销售增长。LVMH提到，亚洲的趋势有了明显的改善，特别是中国市场出现强劲反弹。财报数据显示，亚洲市场在中国的反弹推动下出现了明显的改善，跌幅较一季度的32%收窄至13%。
去年，该集团收购了两个普罗旺斯葡萄酒品牌——蝶之兰酒庄和佳路佩酒庄的多数股权。在封锁期间，桃红酒在英国和美国的零售业务中表现良好。LVMH在2020年上半年将其完全整合到葡萄酒产品组合中，巩固了酩悦轩尼诗在不断增长的高端桃红葡萄酒市场中的地位。
LVMH董事长兼首席执行官伯纳德•阿诺特表示，该公司的高管将“在今年余下的时间保持警惕”，小心第二波疫情引发即饮渠道的关闭并进一步损害公司的销售。
阿诺特表示，该集团的品牌在采取措施调整成本，加快在线销售增长方面表现出了显著的灵活性。“虽然我们看到6月以来的复苏迹象显著，但在今年下半年，我们将保持高度警惕。我们将继续以长远的眼光、深刻的企业责任感和对环境保护、包容和团结的坚定承诺为动力。在目前的情况下，我们仍然更坚定地致力于展示集团在以上领域取得的持续进展。”
“得益于旗下品牌稳固的实力与快速响应能力，我们对 LVMH集团获得复苏充满信心，我们希望在下半年能取得显著成果，并在2020年进一步巩固我们奢侈品行业领军者的地位。” 阿诺特说。
徐菲远 译自 The Drinks Business
LVMH’s sales fall 28% during lockdown
Luxury goods group LVMH has suffered a major setback this year after the fallout from the coronavirus put consumers off spending.
The company, which owns Champagnes Moët & Chandon, Krug, and Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy Cognac and Bordeaux label Château d’Yquem, saw organic sales down by 28% compared to the first six months of 2019, as global lockdowns and cancelled weddings left little cause for celebration.
However, the company’s wine and spirits brands were the least affected by lockdown. While sales of jewellery and watches fell close to 40% organically compared to the same period last year, wine and spirits fell just 23%. Profit from recurring operations was down 29% during the six-month period to €551m (US$646m), down from €772m (US$905m) in 2019.
The second quarter was worse than the first as lockdowns went into effect worldwide, shutting bars, restaurants and non-essential stores, the company said, with declines seen “particularly for the Champagne business”, the company said.
LVMH’s sales in the US showed “resilience” in the second quarter thanks to the performance of Hennessy Cognac, which rebounded in June, as well as more sales growth in China, where social ，
The company acquired majority stakes in two Provence wine brands – Château d’Esclans and Château du Galoupet – last year. Rosé wine sales have performed well in retail in the UK and US during lockdown. LVMH spent the first half of 2020 fully integrating them into the wine portfolio, “strengthening Moët Hennessy’s position in the growing market for high-end rosé wines”.
Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, said the company’s executives will “remain very vigilant for the rest of the year”, in case a second wave prompts further on-trade closures and further damages the company’s sales.
Arnault said the company’s brands “have shown remarkable agility in implementing measures to adapt their costs and accelerate the growth of online sales. While we have observed strong signs of an upturn in activity since June, we remain very vigilant for the rest of the year. We continue to be driven by a long-term vision, a deep sense of responsibility and a strong commitment to environmental protection, inclusion and solidarity. In the current context, we remain even more firmly dedicated to showing continuous progress in these areas.
“Thanks to the strength of our brands and the responsiveness of our organisation, we are confident that LVMH is in an excellent position to take advantage of the recovery, which we hope will be confirmed in the second half of the year, and to strengthen our lead in the global luxury market in 2020.”