PARIS — Barbara Bui posted a small net loss in 2009, putting an end to four years of growth, as the global economic downturn triggered a 26 percent drop in wholesale turnover.
The Parisian fashion house registered a net loss of 326,000 euros, or $454,649, on total sales of 30.2 million euros, or $42.2 million, last year.
Dollar figures are calculated at average exchange rates for the period in question.
Sales in its own stores fell 5 percent for the year as a whole, with a marked improvement in the fourth quarter, the company said.
In the first quarter of this year, they were up by 5 to 10 percent, while wholesale turnover was expected to drop 15 percent during the first three months of the year, reflecting orders placed last year.