Growth in China offsets domestic losses for Shiseido
Shiseido has reported a marked rise in net profits helped by an increase in sales in China and elsewhere in Asia, helping to offset the currently lacklustre state of the Japanese domestic market.
Shiseido has reported a marked rise in net profits helped by an increase in sales in China and elsewhere in Asia, helping to offset the currently lacklustre state of the Japanese domestic market.
Shiseido's net earnings rose 40.2% in 2007-08 (April 2007-March 2008) to reach €227m. Operating profits rose 26.9% to €407m on sales up 4.2% at €4.6bn (¥723.4bn). The company said sales in Japan were down on the previous year and reflected a decline in consumer confidence in the second half. Sales abroad in contrast had been buoyant, especially in China and had been helped by yen weakness. Cosmetics sales in Japan were down 1.9% in the reporting period while those abroad were up 17.6% overall.
China is currently the best of the Asian markets. The company says in addition that skin creams have done well in Asia as have anti-ageing care products in Europe and the US. More modest growth is expected in the current year owing to the rapid appreciation of the yen in relation to the US dollar. The forecast is for net profits to rise 2% in 2008-09 to ¥36bn with operating earnings growing by around 2% to ¥65bn. Sales are forecast to move up only 1% to ¥730bn.