--FILE--Vue sur la vitrine d'une boutique de Hermes dans Shanghai, Chine de l'est de la province de Jiangsu, 9 août 2012. Le groupe de luxe français Herm¨¨s Inte
--FILE--View of the showcase a boutique of Hermes in Nanjing city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, 9 August 2012. The French luxury group Herm¨¨s International on Friday (29 August 2014) said its profit rose 8 percent for the first six months of 2014, despite signs of slowing growth in China. Herm¨¨s, famed for its Birkin and Kelly handbags and vibrant silk scarves, recorded a net profit of 413 million euros, or $544 million, for the six months of the year, up from €382 million a year earlier. Group sales rose 8 percent to €1.9 billion, bolstered by stronger sales in the United States and Japan, which helped to offset the weaker performance in China. Half-year operating profit rose 6 percent to €621 million. Herm¨¨s, along with many other purveyors of high-end fashion and luxury goods, such as Burberry of Britain and Richemont, the Swiss conglomerate that owns luxury jewelry brands like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, have begun to feel the pinch this year of a slowdown in spending on luxury goods in mainland China, one of the world¯s largest markets for such goods, as the Beijing government has cracked down on lavish gift giving.
