Core Viewpoint - Estée Lauder is facing significant challenges in its recovery path, with a decline in net sales and operating income amid economic downturns and geopolitical factors [1][3]. Financial Performance - For the fiscal year 2025, Estée Lauder reported a net sales decline of 8% year-over-year, totaling $14.33 billion (approximately ¥1028.01 billion) [1][2]. - The company's gross profit decreased by 5% to $10.60 billion, with a gross margin of 74.0% [2]. - Operating income turned into a loss of $785 million, marking a significant decline from a profit of $970 million in the previous year [2][6]. - The diluted net loss per share was $3.15, compared to earnings of $1.08 per share in the prior year [2]. Business Segment Performance - The only category to show growth was the fragrance segment, which remained flat with a slight increase, while skincare, makeup, and hair care categories experienced declines of 12%, 6%, and 10% respectively [4][6]. - The skincare segment's decline was attributed to decreased sales of brands like Estée Lauder and La Mer, alongside a drop in Asian travel retail sales [7][11]. - The makeup segment's downturn was primarily due to poor performance from brands like M·A·C and Too Faced [7][8]. Regional Performance - All regions reported declines in net sales, with the EMEA region experiencing the largest drop of 12%, followed by Asia/Pacific at 7% and the Americas at 4% [10][11]. - In mainland China, net sales fell by 6%, influenced by a challenging retail environment and low consumer sentiment [11][14]. Strategic Initiatives - Estée Lauder is undergoing a restructuring plan (PRGP) aimed at restoring profitability, which has already led to over 3,200 job cuts, with projections of total cuts reaching between 5,800 to 7,000 positions [19][22]. - The company anticipates that the restructuring will incur pre-tax costs between $1.6 billion to $3.3 billion [19]. Future Outlook - Despite current challenges, Estée Lauder's management expressed confidence in achieving organic sales growth in fiscal year 2026 and aims to rebuild operational profitability [3][22]. - The company plans to report its financials based on a new geographical structure starting Q1 of fiscal year 2026, which will include China as a separate reporting region [11][19].

Group 1: Retail Sales Data - In April, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 37,174 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.1% and a month-on-month increase of 0.24% [2][4] - From January to April, the total retail sales amounted to 161,845 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 4.7% [2][4] - The retail sales of cosmetics in April reached 30.9 billion yuan, growing by 7.2%, which is higher than the overall retail sales growth [2][4] Group 2: Shiseido's Performance - Shiseido's net sales for Q1 2025 decreased by 8.5% to 228.24 billion yen (approximately 11.1 billion yuan), while operating profit was 7.20 billion yen (approximately 0.35 billion yuan) [6] - The decline in net sales was attributed to a deteriorating economic environment affecting consumer spending, particularly in China and the Americas [6][8] - Shiseido's restructuring efforts and cost management partially offset the profit decline from travel retail [6] Group 3: Market Strategy and Consumer Trends - Shiseido has integrated its China market and travel retail business into a unified management unit to enhance resource efficiency and market responsiveness [8] - Online channels in China showed strong performance, with double-digit growth during promotional periods, indicating a recovery in high-end product demand [8] - The company noted that Chinese consumers are increasingly focused on brand strength and efficacy in skincare products, with decreasing price sensitivity [8] Group 4: Competitor Insights - L'Oréal reported a 4.4% year-on-year increase in sales for Q1 2025, with its luxury cosmetics division growing by 7.3% [11] - Despite challenges in travel retail, L'Oréal's performance in the Chinese market was strong, with both online and offline channels performing well [11] - Estée Lauder's total revenue for Q3 2025 fell by 10% to $3.55 billion, with a significant decline in net profit, but the Chinese market showed some growth in online sales [12]