Can Burberry put its chequered past behind it?

PITY EUROPE’S luxury giants. On July 15th Swatch Group, a Swiss watchmaker, said its revenues and operating profit ticked down in the six months to June, by 14% and 70% year on year, respectively. The next day Hugo Boss, a German fashion house, cut its earnings forecast for 2024 and Richemont, another Swiss group, reported that its quarterly sales in China, which accounts for a quarter of the $1.6trn annual global luxury market, plunged by 27% compared with last year. All eyes are now on the world’s luxury colossus, LVMH, which will report results on July 23rd.