Articles by AFP
Shein to make market debut in Hong Kong in September
Hong Kong - Shein will debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on September 1, the fast-fashion retailer said on Monday, in a long-awaited listing that would value the group at close to US$27 billion. The online retailer plans to offer 280 million shares at a price between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50, raising up to HK$13.86 billion (US$1.7 billion), it...
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Shein: heavily criticised, yet millions of customers remain
Paris - Having become the symbol of ultra-fast fashion in recent years, Shein is preparing for its stock market debut in Hong Kong in September. The company has found itself targeted by multiple European and French initiatives aimed at regulating its operations. Investigations, sanctions and controversies have not, however, prevented the Asian...
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Pope's 'couturier of the sacred' fueled by faith
Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy - Far from the solemn pomp of the Vatican, nestled under the arcades of the mountain town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, a tailor clad all in black leaned over his sketch. With a few strokes of his pencil, Filippo Sorcinelli brought to life a flowing liturgical robe -- fitting for the man whose artistry and faith...
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Online clothing retailer Boohoo fined 2.33 million euros
Paris - British online clothing chain Boohoo has been fined 2.33 million euros. The fine follows an investigation that revealed “deceptive commercial practices”, the French fraud authority announced on Thursday. The fine was for “deceptive commercial practices and non-compliance on product labelling”. It was proposed to the company with the...
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EU accuses Temu of hindering raid in Ireland
The European Union on Friday accused Temu of failing to hand over information during an inspection as part of a probe into the Chinese-owned online retailer. The EU's powerful antitrust sheriff said it carried out surprise raids between December 2 and 5, 2025, seeking evidence in an investigation looking at whether Temu received "potentially...
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Adidas apologises for plethora of pink boots at World Cup
Adidas on Thursday apologised for a surfeit of pink boots at the World Cup, saying that it was a coincidence that they were sported by a striking number of players. Asked by AFP about the unusual uniformity of boot colours during a press conference on the company's quarterly results, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said "it was an accident". "I think...
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AI glasses help propel EssilorLuxottica sales growth
Sales of AI-enabled eyeglasses, which have nearly doubled since last year, helped EssilorLuxottica accelerate second-quarter growth, the world's largest maker of eyeglasses reported Tuesday. Second quarter sales rose 7.2 percent in the three months to June to 7.7 billion euros (8.8 billion dollars). "AI glasses confirmed their exponential...
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French anti-ultra-fast-fashion law: China threatens retaliation
Beijing - China warned on Wednesday that France could face possible retaliatory measures after adopting a law aimed at countering the rise of disposable fashion, or "ultra-fast fashion". Beijing has denounced the regulation as “discriminatory” and contrary to trade principles. Adopted by the French Parliament at the end of last month, the text...
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Switzerland: watch exports see slight decline in first half
Geneva - Swiss watch exports fell by 0.7 percent in the first half to 12.8 billion Swiss francs (15.76 billion dollars), amid a downturn in the US and Chinese markets, according to statistics published on Tuesday by the Swiss watch federation. In June, Swiss watch exports grew by 11.2 percent to nearly 2.4 billion francs, driven by the US (+12.7...
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Swatch's first-half net profit misses expectations despite sales growth
Swatch Group reported a net profit for the first half that was below expectations on Tuesday. The company hopes for “a significant improvement in profitability in the second half” thanks to an acceleration in sales observed since May. For the period from January to June, the Swiss watchmaker reported a net profit of 16 million Swiss francs. This...
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