LVMH still tops Deloitte top 100 luxury list

By

Dominique Muret

Susan Spies

Translated by
Susan Spies

Published
May 16, 2017

French companies continue to dominate the luxury market in terms of sales, while Italian companies were the most numerous, also posting the strongest growth over last year. These are the latest findings of the Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2017 report conducted by audit and consulting firm Deloitte, which analyzes the top 100 luxury companies in the world.

This 2017 edition establishes a ranking of luxury players according to sales in fiscal year 2015, totaling $212 billion (nearly 193 billion euros) for the 100 companies surveyed. Their business sectors comprise ready-to-wear, accessories, fine jewelry and watches, as well as cosmetics and perfumes.

The study indicates that the global luxury industry is relatively resilient, with an average sales growth of 6.8% compared to 2014. This increase in turnover marks a noticeable improvement in growth too, up 3.7% over the year prior, mainly due to favorable exchange rates, say the authors of the Deloitte report.

Once again, the study named LVMH as the world’s leading luxury company. The French conglomerate, whose portfolio includes Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Céline, recorded $22.4 billion in sales for the year in review, followed by Swiss group Richemont ($12.2 billion) and U.S. Estée Lauder ($ 11.3 billion). The top three was in fact a repeat performance of the Deloitte top 100 report last year. Bernard Arnault's LVMH group alone accounts for more than 10% of the total sales of all the top 100 companies.

A total of 15 U.S. companies made the cut for this year's report, with two others also maintaining their top ten status: the Ralph Lauren Corporation, which advanced from position 9 to 8 ($7.4 billion in sales); and PVH Corp., which held its number 10 spot with $6.3 billion in sales. Other U.S. companies include familiar names like Michael Kors, advancing from position 16 to 14, and Coach, up from 18 to 15. Fossil Group Inc. also made a strong showing, advancing ten notches up, from position 30 to 20 and sales of $3.1 billion. 

International newcomers to this year’s Deloitte ranking is Swedish brand Acne Studios, which placed 99th, thanks especially to its strong growth in 2015 (+ 24%). Other new brands, some of which do not have typical luxury profiles, are brands like British labels Barbour, Ted Baker and Charles Tyrwhitt, German brands Marc O'Polo and Marc Cain, and French label SMCP (Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot).

Another surprise in this year’s report is LVMH's primary competitor, French group Kering, which advanced from 6th to 5th place, buoyed by sales of $8.7 billion as Gucci's growth proved strong, and thus demoting Swiss watch group Swatch one place down. The Chinese watch and jewelry company Chow Tai Fook, which made a splashy entry into the top ten in last year’s report as number 7, this year dropped down two slots to spot number 9.

French luxury companies experienced the strongest growth in 2016 at an average rate of 14.9%. They also lead the country ranking in terms of sales with a total turnover of more than $ 5 billion, achieved by just ten companies. Moreover, three of the ten largest luxury groups in the world are French (LVMH, Kering, L'Oréal Luxe) and account for more than 75% of the sales of luxury products by companies based in France.

Italy is the leader in terms of the number of companies overall, with 26 Italian firms qualifying. However, their total turnover is only 1.3 billion dollars, or 16% of sales of all 100 companies. Leading the Italian contingent is Luxottica with $9.8 billion in sales, the only Italian company in the top 10 in 4th place, followed by Prada (17th) and Giorgio Armani (21st).

But Italy is a force to be reckoned with — out of the 26 Italian firms listed, six of them placed in “the Fastest 20” ranking of companies showing the strongest growths, headlined by eyewear brand Marcolin and luxury house Valentino in positions 1 and 2 respectively.