Le Saunda Hong Kong and Macau sales plummeted 26.6 per cent in the first half of this year as tourist spending declined.

Le Saunda manufactures and sells shoes, handbags and fashion accessories and sells them in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China under the brands of Le Saunda, Le Saunda Men, Linea Rosa and CNE. The company in also involved in property, trade-mark and management services. It has 833 stores, 20 fewer than at the same time last year.

In its half year results, Le Saunda said sentiment in Hong Kong’s retail market is deteriorating, as the number of tourist arrivals in the city continued to fall and consumer confidence weakened.

“Meanwhile, unyielding rental for commercial premises further aggravated the burden of retailers.”

Le Saunda closed five stores in Hong Kong and Macau during the period, reducing the total store network in the two cities to 16.

It was a better picture in Mainland China, however, where the company achieved retail sales growth of 3.8 per cent.

Total group revenue for the six months increased by 0.4 per cent to RMB755.8 million and consolidated gross profit decreased by 0.4 per cent to RMB501.8 million. The overall gross profit margin decreased by 0.5 percentage point to 66.4 per cent.