Published On : 10/05/2023

Jewellery retailer Pandora raises growth targets, shares jump

By Helen Reid

LONDON (Reuters) -Jewellery retailer Pandora raised its growth targets on Thursday, saying investments in the brand and store network were paying off, although it sounded a note of caution on China.

Pandora’s shares jumped 5.9% in early trading after the company gave its updated outlook, ahead of a capital markets day in London on Thursday, and also said it would enter the Indian market and expand in other Asian countries.

Pandora, an “affordable luxury” brand selling jewellery from silver charm bracelets to lab-grown diamonds, now targets a compound annual growth rate of 7-9% for the 2023-2026 period and an EBIT margin of 26-27% by 2026.

It now aims for a like-for-like compound annual growth rate of 4-6%, up from 3-5%, and a higher contribution from the expansion of its store network of around 3%, up from 1-2%.

Pandora’s shares are up around 45% this year as investors bet on the success of its “Phoenix” strategy launched in 2021 which has seen it increase marketing spend and open more stores.

“We have fundamentally changed how we work, and the organisation is much stronger,” Pandora’s CEO Alexander Lacik said in a statement.

In China, Pandora said it still sees long-term growth potential but “building a sizeable business there will be a longer journey than originally anticipated”. In 2021 Pandora said it aimed to triple revenue in China from the 2019 levels.

A property slump, weak consumer spending and high debt levels are weighing on China’s economy, hurting many Western brands and retailers with a big exposure to China.

Pandora, which aims to open between 225 and 275 new concept stores in 2024-2026, said it would enter the Indian market and expand in Japan and South Korea where it has a small presence.

Pandora’s biggest market is the United States, accounting for 30% of its revenue in 2022, with the UK in second place with 14%. China accounted for 3% of revenue.

Globally the company targets revenue of 34 billion-36 billion Danish krone ($4.79 billion-$5.08 billion) in 2026, up from around 27 billion krone expected for 2023.

($1 = 7.0908 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Susan Fenton)

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