In Brief: Wella
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Wella: Gucci Envy generates approximately $52 mil. in sales ($1=DM 1.7286) during the fragrance's first year on the market, the company said. The women's scent, which made its debut in the U.S. in March, is expected to generate about $64 mil. in 1997 sales. Envy boosted revenues for Wella's Cosmetic and Scents division, which rose 5.1% in the nine months ended Sept. 30. Net sales for the company increased 11.2% to roughly $1.74 bil. Excluding the effects of divestitures, sales would have increased 13.4%, the German firm noted. The company exited the salon cosmetics business in September with the management buyout of its Paris-based salon company Rene Garraud S.A. ("The Rose Sheet" Sept. 8, In Brief). On constant exchange rates, sales would have risen 9%. Earnings through nine months jumped 26% to about $61 mil. Hair care product revenues within the Professional division climbed 3.8%, while hair care sales in the Retail division increased 11.5%. Within the Professional division, Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Sebastian experienced a 6%-8% sales increase, driven by European and Latin American markets. The company also acquired 100% of its Dzerzhinsk production facility, a Russian-German joint venture. The facility manufactures approximately 10 mil. units of Wella products a year...