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LVMH: The world's largest fashion house

LVMH: The world's largest fashion house

With geopolitical turmoil, soaring inflation and sinking stock markets, you might not imagine the current economic landscape would make the best backdrop for luxury goods spending sprees. LVMH’s latest results, however, strongly suggest otherwise.

Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) reported on Tuesday that its sales had jumped 28% in the first 9 months of 2022, a remarkable growth rate on a year (2021) that was already the company’s best ever. Sales in their Fashion and Leather Goods division jumped a particularly impressive 31%.

If you think of a random high-end luxury product, there’s a reasonable chance it is owned by LVMH. The company’s 75 brands, which LVMH calls "houses", include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Tag Heuer, Loro Piana, Bulgari, Hublot and — the most recent addition — Tiffany & Co..

Wolf in cashmere

Founded in 1987 following the merger of Louis Vuitton and Moët et Chandon and Hennessy, LVMH’s CEO Bernard Arnault has been a prolific dealmaker in the luxury space, with, ironically, an eye for a bargain. The company’s ~$16bn acquisition of Tiffany & Co. last year, roughly doubled the size of their Watches & Jewelry division, in a classic run of the company’s buy-scale-diversify playbook.

However, Arnault, who has been dubbed the "wolf in cashmere", isn't resting on his laurels. LVMH has recently acquired a minority stake in Queens based brand Aimé Leon Dore and has even been rumored as a potential buyer of Ralph Lauren — more deals to pop their own champagne to.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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