Financial Performance - Consolidated net sales for the first half of 2024 reached 1,768.5million,a2.81,768.5 million, a decrease of 0.4% but an increase of 2.8% on a constant currency basis compared to the same period in 2023[46][48] - Gross profit margin reached a record 60.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, up from 58.8% in the same period in 2023, driven by increased direct-to-consumer sales and disciplined promotional discounts[46][48] - Operating profit for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 314.7million,animprovementof2.6 million or 0.8% (+5.6% constant currency) compared to the same period in 2023[46][48] - Profit for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 179.1million,animprovementof7.7 million or 4.5% (+11.9% constant currency) compared to the same period in 2023[46][48] - Profit attributable to equity holders was 164.3millionforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024,animprovementof11.8 million or 7.7% (+16.1% constant currency) compared to the same period in 2023[46][48] - Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 333.5million,adecreaseof0.8 million or 0.3% but an improvement of 4.3% on a constant currency basis compared to the same period in 2023[46][48] - Adjusted Net Income for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 174.0million,anincreaseof3.1 million or 1.8% (+9.3% constant currency) compared to the same period in 2023[46] - Adjusted EBITDA margin for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 18.9%, slightly up from 18.8% in the same period in 2023[46] - Diluted earnings per share for the six months ended June 30, 2024, were 0.113,anincreaseof6.73.1 million, or 1.8% (+9.3% constant currency), to 174.0millionforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024[49]−FreeCashFlowincreasedby18.2 million to 81.6millionforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024[49]−ConsolidatednetsalesforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024,were1,768.5 million, a 2.8% increase year-on-year, but marginally lower compared to 1,776.2millioninthefirsthalfof2023duetonegativeforeigncurrencytranslationeffects[56]−NetsalesinAsiaincreasedby2.01,768.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%[57] - Asia's net sales grew by 2.0% in the first half of 2024, despite weak consumer sentiment in China and intensified price competition in India[57] - Europe and Latin America saw net sales growth of 4.6% and 20.3% respectively in the first half of 2024[57] - The Samsonite brand achieved a year-on-year net sales increase of 5.8% in the first half of 2024, with growth across all regions[58] - The Group's direct-to-consumer channel net sales increased by 4.7% and accounted for 38.1% of total net sales in the first half of 2024[58] - Gross profit margin expanded by 140 basis points to a new first half record of 60.2% in 2024[59] - Marketing investment increased to 117.4million,or6.617.3 million year-on-year to 425.5millioninthefirsthalfof2024,accountingfor24.181.6 million in the first half of 2024, an increase of 18.2millioncomparedtothefirsthalfof2023[65]−Netsalesforthefirsthalfof2024increasedby2.818.2 million year-on-year to 81.6million,withnetdebtdecreasingto1.0 billion and a total net leverage ratio of 1.39x[100] - Direct-to-consumer (DTC) net sales grew by 4.7%, contributing to 38.1% of total net sales, a first-half record[97][101] - The Samsonite brand saw net sales increase by 5.8% year-on-year, with growth in all regions: Asia (+5.7%), North America (+2.6%), Europe (+6.8%), and Latin America (+23.9%)[92] - Tumi brand net sales grew by 0.3%, driven by increases in Asia (+2.7%) and Latin America (+31.8%), offset by declines in North America (-1.5%) and Europe (-1.1%)[92] - American Tourister brand net sales decreased by 0.9%, with Latin America growing by 24.0%, Asia remaining flat, Europe declining by 1.5%, and North America falling by 11.9%[92] - The Group's brick-and-mortar retail and DTC e-commerce net sales grew by 2.8% and 10.0% respectively compared to the same period in 2023[97] - Marketing investment increased to 6.6% of net sales, a 20-basis point increase from the first half of 2023, while fixed SG&A expenses rose by 17.3millionto425.5 million[99] - The company-operated retail store fleet expanded to 1,083 stores, a net increase of 82 stores compared to June 30, 2023[99] - Marketing investment increased to 6.6% of net sales in H1 2024, up 20 basis points compared to H1 2023[102] - Fixed SG&A expenses increased by 17.3millionYoYto425.5 million in H1 2024, but remained flat compared to H2 2023 despite adding 31 new retail stores[102] - Free cash flow increased by 18.2millionYoYto81.6 million in H1 2024, with net debt reduced to 1.0billionandtotalnetleverageratioimprovingto1.39x[103][108]−AdjustedEBITDAmarginimprovedby10basispointstoarecord18.9333.5 million, essentially unchanged YoY[104][109] - Profit attributable to equity holders increased by 11.8million(7.7164.3 million in H1 2024, driven by a 11.3millionreductioninnetfinancecosts[105]−Inventoriesdecreasedby58.2 million to 637.7millionasofJune30,2024,comparedtoDecember31,2023,withnetworkingcapitalefficiencyimprovingto14.615.5 million YoY to 41.2millioninH12024,drivenbyopening48newcompany−operatedretailstores[107][111]−Netsalesgrowthslowedto1.57.7 million (0.4%) but increased by 2.8% on a constant currency basis for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023[134] - Net sales for the first half of 2024 decreased by 7.7millionor0.41,160.8 million) and non-travel products accounted for 34.4% (US607.7million)oftotalnetsalesforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024[153]−Wholesalechannelnetsalesincreasedby1.510.8 million) to US190.8millionforthesixmonthsendedJune30,2024,representing10.86.2 million or 1.3% (2.8% increase on a constant currency basis) for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023[163] - The company added 48 new self-operated retail stores and closed 17, resulting in a net increase of 31 stores, bringing the total to 1,083 stores as of June 30, 2024[163] - DTC e-commerce sales increased by 10.8millionor6.0190.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023[164] - Net sales in Asia increased by 2.0% on a constant currency basis during the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023[167] - Net sales in China increased by 3.8% (146.2million)inthefirsthalfof2024comparedtothesameperiodin2023,drivenbyrecoveryinleisureandbusinesstravel[170][172]−NetsalesinIndiadecreasedby14.8 million or 11.7% (10.6% decrease on a constant currency basis) for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023[171][172] - Net sales in Hong Kong (including Macau) decreased by 7.6millionor12.8162.3 million, with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.9%[167] - Total net sales in Asia for the six months ended June 30, 2024, were 680.0million,a2.096.4 million) in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023[172] - Net sales for the six months ended June 30, 2024, were 680.0million,adecreaseof2.0693.9 million in the same period in 2023, but a 2.0% increase on a constant currency basis[177] - Samsonite brand net sales increased by 1.4% to 305.7million,representing45.00.3 million (0.2%) to 207.7million,witha6.11.6 million (2.3%) to 70.1million,witha6.6608.3 million, a slight decrease of 0.5% compared to 611.3millioninthesameperiodin2023[184][188]−AdjustedEBITDAforthefirsthalfof2024was121.5 million, with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 20.0%[185] - The Group added 22 new company-operated retail stores in Asia during the six months ended June 30, 2024, partially offset by the closure of 10 stores, resulting in a net addition of 12 stores[181] - Same-store retail net sales in Asia decreased by 2.2% on a constant currency basis for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023[181] - Wholesale net sales in Asia decreased by 3.2% to 472.3million,whileDTCnetsalesincreasedby0.9207.7 million[180] - Net sales in the United States for the first half of 2024 were 575.0million,aslightdecreaseof0.2576.3 million in the same period in