阿玛尼的新烦恼

阿玛尼的新烦恼

由于销售额下滑，奢侈品公司乔治·阿玛尼决定将其旗下的七个品牌合并为三个，以适应正在经历转型阵痛的奢侈品市场。随着数字化时代的到来，奢侈品行业也在经历着改变。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

eponymous使得名的，齐名的[ɪ'pɒnɪməs]

geopolitical地理政治学的[ˌdʒiːəʊpə'lɪtɪkl]

dilute冲淡，稀释[daɪ'luːt]

allure诱惑力，吸引力[ə'lʊə(r)]

consolidation巩固，合并[kənˌsɒlɪ'deɪʃən]

rationalization合理化[ˌræʃnəlaɪ'zeɪʃn]

throes剧痛[θrəʊz]

Giorgio Armani rationalises brands as revenues fall（548 words）

By Rachel Sanderson

Italian luxury group Giorgio Armani announced plans to slash the number of brands it sells and restructure its store network as it reported group sales fell 5 per cent in 2016.

The shake up sees Armani group's seven design lines reduced to three: high end Giorgio Armani, midmarket Emporio Armani and lower priced Armani Exchange. Haute couture Giorgio Armani Prive and interiors brand Armani/ Casa will be folded into Giorgio Armani, while mid market Armani Collezioni and Armani Jeans will be absorbed into Emporio Armani, the Milan-based group said.

Mr Armani, 83-year old founder and owner of the eponymous Milan-based luxury group, said in a statement that “2016 proved to be a difficult year for the fashion and luxury industry”.

Armani group revenues fell to €2.51bn in 2016, squeezing margins “compared to the previous three years”, the privately held group said. Net profit rose to €271m up from €241m in 2015 due to cost control, it added without providing further details.

Mr Armani put the company's revenue fall down to macro and geopolitical concerns and also “a general change in purchasing behaviours and attitudes”.

But luxury groups Kering, LVMH and Hermes all reported revenue increases for 2016 of 5 per cent or more, despite a tough first half.

Luxury analyst and executives have for several years questioned Armani Group's strategy of selling through several different lines, especially in the mid market, arguing it was diluting the allure of Armani as a luxury brand. Competitors such as LVMH's Louis Vuitton have successfully boosted revenues by pushing into more expensive luxury goods and cutting lines of lower priced items.

Former deputy chairman John Hooks said in an interview in 2012 that Armani's rapid expansion into the mid-range was one of reasons he left in 2011.

Mr Armani said the company was “continuing along the path of consolidation and rationalisation of the group, operating as always with a view to continuity and long term perspective,” Mr Armani said.

Armani, which was an early mover into luxury e-commerce in China but was slow to embrace social media, said from mid September it would have separate dedicated accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange.

Luca Solca, analyst at Exane BNP Paribas, argued Armani — similarly to Ralph Lauren — is confronting the structural challenge of being a fashion and ready to wear brand.

Mr Solca said there has been a “huge increase” in competition in the last decades from mid priced brands like Sandro, Maje, Pinko or Liu Jo.

Meanwhile, at the top end “designer brands are losing out in terms of brand appeal to accessories brands — like Louis Vuitton or Gucci — as they have much lower control of their distribution,” Mr Solca added.

Armani's restructuring comes as the global luxury industry is in the throes of adapting to epochal changes in shopping behaviour brought about by social media and the internet.

The luxury market is set to grow 2 per cent to 4 per cent in 2017 at constant exchange rates but the gap between winners and losers will widen, consultants Bain said in May.

The momentum of digital transformation continues to reshape the luxury industry and online sales will have the highest growth of any retail channel in the sector, Bain added.