Gerry Weber steps up expansion with Hallhuber brand

German fashion group Gerry Weber will step up its international expansion by opening more Hallhuber stores catering to younger female shoppers this year than previously planned, it said as it published quarterly results on Monday.

Gerry Weber bought Hallhuber last year to complement its Gerry Weber and Taifun lines which cater to women in their mid-30s and older, and the Samoon brand of plus-sized womenswear.

It expects to add 50 to 60 new Hallhuber stores in the financial year to the end of October, up from previous plans for 37 outlets, it said in a statement.

Most of the new stores will be opened in Germany, Britain, Spain and Scandinavia in the second half of the year.

Its shares rose 2 percent to 33.79 euros in early trade, outpacing Germany's MDAX index which was up 0.4 percent.

It posted group sales up 1.1 percent to 192.4 million euros ($202.75 million) for its fiscal first quarter, but retail revenue excluding shops added over the past year was down 2.3 percent as mild winter weather prompted retailers to discount winter clothing earlier than usual.

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell 4.5 percent to 17.4 million euros on investments in new stores and costs related to the Hallhuber acquisition.

Gerry Weber still expects the consolidation of Hallhuber from Feb. 1 to help boost 2014/15 group EBIT to 118-126 million euros from 108.9 million last year.

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