PARIS – Groupe Clarins posted fourth-quarter 2005 consolidated net sales that rose 7.1 percent to 299.5 million euros, or $363 million. At constant exchange, sales grew 4 percent in the period.
The beauty firm inched ever closer to the billion euro full-year sales mark, which came in at 998.2 million euros, or $1.21 billion, an increase of 7.1 percent over 2004. At constant exchange, sales spiked 6.7 percent.
The company said its operating margin for the year is likely to come in slightly above its initial target of 12 percent. The group’s earnings will be reported March 23.
“Mission accomplished for fiscal year 2005,” Christian Courtin-Clarins, the firm’s president and chief executive officer, said in a letter to shareholders Thursday, adding it was “a particularly satisfying performance in an environment where major European customers continued to draw down their inventories.”
