Archives: January 2008

Fortune Brands: Does Bourbon Mix with Hardware?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 30, Categories: The Booze Biz

Fortune Brands could use a shot. At a time when people buffeted by the economy are most in need of a stiff drink, it would seem logical that liquor...

Seeing Into Luxottica's Future

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 30, Categories: Fashion Business

Luxottica's share price is down sharply since the end of 2007 Are Luxottica's glasses fogged? The Milanese eyewear giant announced its annual results on Jan. 29, reporting consolidated sales...

How do you say Holiday Inn in Mandarin?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 29, Categories: Meanwhile back in China...

As part of their push to expand their already considerable market share as well as to continue to grow the Holiday Inn brand, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced it...

Hilfiger Holds, Is Prada Next?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 25, Categories: Fashion Business

Tommy Hilfiger has put his planned European IPO on hold amid concerns about a global slowdown in consumer spending, according to a report today in the New York Post. Apax...

Good Times at Gucci

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 24, Categories: Fashion Business

Have rumors of the death of the luxury sector been greatly exaggerated? In recent days many of the best-known and biggest companies in the sector, such as Richemont and Luxottica,...

Richemont Watches Its Share Price Fall

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 23, Categories: Wealth Watch

Geneva-based luxury conglomerate Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA warned of a slowdown coming in the U.S. despite posting a third-quarter sales increase of 8% to €1.67 billion ($2.42 billion). The company,...

Will Canada Feel the Economic Freeze?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 22, Categories: Wealth Watch

As the markets are poised to potentially take a historic tumble, this might seem like small beer but an interesting report in the Globe and Mail this morning says that...

Pass on the Cognac

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 18, Categories: The Booze Biz

Too fancy for tough times. A report in Bloomberg this morning says that Remy-Cointreau SA, France's second-largest liquor maker, saw its shares slide 4.81 euros, or 11%, to 38.73...

Burberry's Checkered Quarter

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 16, Categories: Fashion Business

What are they all looking at? Not bigger profits. A report this morning in the Wall Street Journal says that British luxury retailer Burberry Group PLC(BRBY) may miss its...

Retailers at Risk?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 10, Categories: Fashion Business

Even the rich are keeping their hands in their pockets. A report from Bloomberg this morning says that owing to an unexpected decline in December sales at Marks & Spencer...

The Travel Industry in 2008

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 09, Categories: Travel Trends

The nice folks over at Deloitte & Touche were good enough to send me their new report looking at what trends to look for in the travel, hospitality and leisure...

Diageo's Sober Outlook

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 09, Categories: The Booze Biz

The wonderful world of Diageo. Normally January is a good time for the wine and spirits industry. Coming off what is usually their most profitable quarter, thanks to the...

George MacDonald Fraser, Ave Atque Vale

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 08, Categories: Off the Subject

The first Flashman. I was dismayed to read last week of the death of George MacDonald Fraser, the author of the collected "Flashman Papers," from cancer at the age...

Tommy Designs an IPO

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 08, Categories: Fashion Business

Tommy Hilfiger; Public figure Most fashion designers are lucky if they can take their brand public once but not Tommy Hilfiger. The big-toothed, Elmira, N.Y., native who won the...

Porsche Goes Green

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 08, Categories: Hybrids

The Cayenne Hybrid For years Porsche has paid millions of dollars annually to the U.S. government for its failure to adhere to corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for...

Polo Anyone?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 07, Categories: Fashion Business

Polo Ralph Lauren (nyse: RL) has been on a roller coaster this year as the stock price scooted down from an all-time high of $102.58 in July to just...

Harper's Top Hideaways

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 07, Categories: Traveling in Style

The Abbaye de la Bussiere in Burgundy. Winner of Andrew Harper's Hideaway of the Year. I love Andrew Harper. What Rober M. Parker is to wine, Harper is to...

Getting the Point

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 02, Categories: Haute Hotels

The Point is one of the Adirondack's gems Everyone's--or at least my--favorite romantic, luxury Adirondack hotel, the Point, is now even more exclusive than ever. According to Andrew Harper's...

Shorting Orient-Express?

Posted by: Charles DuBow on January 02, Categories: Haute Hotels

The Docking Pier at the Hotel Cipriani. From Venice's Hotel Cipriani to New York's 21 Club, the properties owned by luxury travel company Orient-Express Hotels (OEH) may be among...