In Brief: Sanofi
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Sanofi: Beauty sales increased 4.3% to $649.7 mil. (3.96 bil. FFr) for 1997. Boosted by the introduction of the women's scent So, Oscar de la Renta sales grew 40%, the company reported. Yves Saint Laurent sales, however, remained flat "in the absence of a fragrance launch" during the year. The smaller fragrance businesses, Van Cleef & Arpels, Roger & Gallet and Krizia/Fendi, all posted sales increases for the 12 months. In North America, sales slipped due to the flat fragrance market "situation in major U.S. department stores." European sales (excluding France) increased for the year, while sales in Southeast Asia were down. Yves Rocher saw a 3% sales increase during the year to $1.31 bil. (8 bil. FFr). Sanofi owns a controlling interest in the catalog and mass marketer. The company sold its other partially owned business, Nina Ricci, to Antonio Puig, S.A. on Jan. 8 ("The Rose Sheet" Dec. 22, 1997, In Brief). Consolidated sales for the year grew 8.6% to $4.21 bil. In the face of rumors to the contrary, Sanofi continues to deny its beauty business is for sale...