2007 Off to a Strong Start: PPR Revenues Up 5.6% in the First Quarter

PARIS, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first quarter of 2007, PPR posted revenues of EUR 4.4 billion, up 5.6% at comparable structure and exchange rates on the first quarter of 2006. Revenues outside France were up 9.3% and accounted for 57% of the Group's total sales.

Francois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PPR, stated:

"In the first quarter, the PPR group successfully pursued its growth and its international expansion. All of the brands of Gucci Group achieved strong growth, once again underscoring the robustness and complementarity of our portfolio of brands. Fnac and Conforama started the year on very positive notes, Redcats pursues the transformation of its business model, and CFAO's efficiency enabled it to post another outstanding quarterly performance. These achievements reinforce our confidence for the rest of the year."

    
    (in EUR million)                              Change      Change
                            Q1 2007     Q1 2006   Actual  Comparable (1)
    Fnac                      1,067      1,016   + 5.1%         + 5.2%
    Redcats Group             1,049      1,070   - 1.9%         - 5.1%
    Conforama                   802        756   + 6.0%         + 2.6%
    CFAO                        594        547   + 8.5%        + 17.6%
    Gucci Group                 937        846  + 10.7%        + 15.9%
    Inter-company sales and
    other                        -2          -       ns             ns
    PPR                       4,447      4,235   + 5.0%         + 5.6%

    (1) On a comparable basis in terms of Group scope and exchange rates.

Fnac

Fnac recorded a highly satisfactory start to the year, posting a 5.2% increase in sales on a comparable basis, driven notably by strong growth outside of France (+12%). Sales of Fnac France were up 3.8%, reflecting continuing growth in sales of technical products (+11%) and confirmation of the success of its out-of-town store format, with a second store opening in Bayonne in February. Eleven new Fnac stores will open in France and elsewhere by the end of 2007.

Redcats Group

Redcats Group recorded a 1.9% decline in revenues on a reported basis and a 5.1% decline on a comparable basis in a challenging environment. La Redoute posted strong performances in and outside France, as did The Sportsman's Guide and large-size brands in the US. Regarding other brands which are in the process of being repositioned, Redcats deliberately reduced its catalog circulation and cut back on promotional activities, resulting in lower revenues. Redcats Group pursued the strong growth of its Internet activities, with on-line sales accounting for 39% of mail order sales in the first quarter of 2007.

Conforama

Conforama achieved promising first quarter sales, up 6.0% on an actual basis and 2.6% on a comparable basis. Sales in France were up 3.5%, driven in particular by household electrical goods, satisfactory results in furniture and strong growth in decorative items (+14%). The company's international activities outside Italy posted strong growth at +7%. In Italy, the decline in sales at Emmezeta stores slowed down (-7.7%), while activity at Conforama stores under the new format was up 3.6%.

CFAO

CFAO posted an outstanding first quarter, up 17.6% on a comparable basis. This growth was mainly due to excellent performance in the Automotive division (+24.5%), driven in particular by sales in North Africa (+49%) and sub-Saharan Africa (+26%).

Gucci Group

Gucci Group's activity in the first quarter of 2007 again posted a sharp rise despite an unfavorable currency impact. This excellent sales performance was reflected in a 15.9% increase in revenues on a comparable basis over the strong base of Q1 2006. These results confirm the success of Gucci Group's multi-brand strategy.

Gucci Group posted double digit growth in all regions, particularly in North America (+16%), China (+87%) and Japan (+10%).

The Gucci brand recorded a satisfactory 10.2% increase in sales during the quarter, on top of the strong comparison base in Q1 2006. The brand's sales benefited from strong growth in leather goods, mainly in North America and the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan, and from the success of its ready-to-wear and footwear collections.

Bottega Veneta again recorded strong growth (+55.3%) in all product categories and geographical areas. The brand continued to expand its sales network and opened four new stores in the first quarter.

Yves Saint Laurent sales rose sharply in the first quarter of 2007, up 35.5%, mainly reflecting the excellent response to the 2007 Spring-Summer collections and sustained growth in leather goods. All geographical areas benefited from this momentum, notably Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (+49%) and North America (+47%).

YSL Beaute recorded very strong growth of 10,1% (+15% excluding licence disposals and terminations). Sales were driven by Yves Saint Laurent-branded products and Stella McCartney fragrances. Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Japan were key contributors to this performance.

Other brands: Balenciaga, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, Bedat & Co, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen - again posted strong growth at +22.4%, reflecting the Group's creative and sales momentum.

    
    CONFERENCE CALL

    PPR will hold a conference call for analysts, investors and journalists:
at 3 pm (Continental Europe); 2 pm (UK); 9 am (East Coast time, USA), on
Thursday April 26, 2007.

    EUROPE: +33-(0)1-70-99-42-86
    Replay: +33-(0)1-71-23-02-48

    UK: +44-(0)20-7365-1851
    Replay: +44-(0)20-7806-1970

    USA: +1-718-354-1152
    Replay: +1-718-354-1112

    Replay access code: 3758649 # (until May 10, 2007)

    PODCAST of the conference call available at: www.ppr.com

    PRESENTATION

    The slides (PDF format) will be available before the
    conference call at www.ppr.com

About PPR

PPR is a global player in Retail and Luxury Goods, with approximately 78,000 employees in 75 countries. Through its Retail businesses Redcats Group, Fnac, Conforama and CFAO, and the Luxury brands of Gucci Group (Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, YSL Beaute, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, BEDAT & CO, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney), PPR generated sales of EUR 17.9 billion in 2006. PPR shares are listed on Euronext Paris (# 121485, PRTP.PA, PPFP). For more information: www.ppr.com

Website: www.ppr.com

Appendix 1 : Sales in Q1 2007

    
    (in EUR million)                                   Change      Change
                               Q1 2007     Q1 2006     Actual  Comparable (1)
    Fnac                       1,067.2     1,015.7     + 5.1%       + 5.2%
    Redcats Group              1,049.2     1,070.0     - 1.9%       - 5.1%
    Conforama                    801.6       755.9     + 6.0%       + 2.6%
    CFAO                         593.7       547.3     + 8.5%      + 17.6%
    Gucci Group                  936.8       846.4    + 10.7%      + 15.9%
    Gucci                        530.5       508.3     + 4.4%      + 10.2%
    Bottega Veneta                84.8        58.5    + 45.0%      + 55.3%
    Yves Saint Laurent            55.2        42.4    + 30.2%      + 35.5%
    YSL Beaute                   152.3       141.8     + 7.4%      + 10.1%
    Other brands                 114.0        95.4    + 19.5%      + 22.4%
    Inter-company sales 
    and other                     -1.5        -0.4        ns           ns
    PPR - Continued activities 4,447.0     4,234.9     + 5.0%       + 5.6%
    Discontinued activities (2)    0.7       198.3

    (1) On a comparable basis in terms of Group scope and exchange rates.
    (2) Mainly France Printemps for 182 M in 2006. 

Appendix 2: Sales by region

    
    Fnac
 
    (in EUR million)                                  Change      Change
                               Q1 2007     Q1 2006    Actual   Comparable (1)
    France                       775.9       754.4     + 2.9%     + 2.8%
    Spain, Portugal, Belgium     205.9       186.1    + 10.6%    + 10.6%
    Brazil, Switzerland, Italy    85.4        75.2    + 13.7%    + 16.6%
    International                291.3       261.3    + 11.5%    + 12.3%
    TOTAL                      1,067.2     1,015.7     + 5.1%     + 5.2%
 
    Redcats Group
 
    (in EUR million)                                Change      Change
                              Q1 2007     Q1 2006   Actual    Comparable (1)
    France                      481.5      509.8    - 5.6%        - 5.6%
    United Kingdom              106.0      118.2   - 10.4%       - 12.4%
    Scandinavia                  89.6       90.0    - 0.4%        - 1.0%
    United States               288.9      272.7    + 5.9%        - 5.3%
    Other countries              83.2       79.3    + 4.9%        + 5.9%
    International               567.7      560.2    + 1.3%        - 4.6%
    TOTAL                     1,049.2    1,070.0    - 1.9%        - 5.1%
 
    Conforama
 
    (in EUR million)                               Change       Change
                              Q1 2007    Q1 2006   Actual     Comparable (1)
    France                      573.8     526.5    + 9.0%         + 3.5%
    Italy                        97.4     105.2    - 7.5%         - 7.5%
    Switzerland                  66.8      61.4    + 8.8%        + 12.8%
    Other countries              63.6      62.8    + 1.3%         + 1.5%
    International               227.8     229.4    - 0.7%         + 0.3%
    TOTAL                       801.6     755.9    + 6.0%         + 2.6%
 
    (1) On a comparable basis in terms of Group scope and exchange rates.

Appendix 3: Sales- Gucci Group

    
    Gucci Group
 
    Breakdown by region
 
    (in EUR million)                                          
                                Q1 2007    Q1 2006  Change      Change
                                                    Actual    Comparable (1)
    Europe                        408.6     347.7   + 17.5%       + 17.5%
    North America                 171.9     158.2    + 8.7%       + 16.1%
    Japan                         140.5     146.7    - 4.3%        + 9.5%
    Asia-Pacific excl. Japan      170.1     154.9    + 9.8%       + 16.1%
    Other countries                13.3      12.7    + 4.7%       + 10.3%
    Royalties and other            32.4      26.2   + 23.7%       + 26.4%
    TOTAL                         936.8     846.4   + 10.7%       + 15.9%
 
    Gucci Brand
 
    Breakdown by product category
 
    (in EUR million)                                          
                                Q1 2007     Q1 2006    Change    Change
                                                       Actual  Comparable (1)
    Leather Goods                 291.6       294.3    - 0.9%     + 5.3%
    Shoes                          84.1        70.2   + 19.8%    + 24.4%
    Ready-to-wear                  74.6        62.6   + 19.1%    + 24.3%
    Royalties and other products   80.2        81.2    - 1.3%     + 4.4%
    TOTAL                         530.5       508.3    + 4.4%    + 10.2%

    (1) On a comparable basis in terms of Group scope and exchange rates.



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