Soaring Christian Dior Sales Boost LVMH

    French luxury goods giant LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA on Tuesday posted a welcome 2.2 per cent climb in nine month

revenue to 8.85 billion euros from 8.66 billion euros in the year-ago period.



The company said in a news release that excluding exchange-rate fluctuations, revenue would have shown an increase of 5.4

per cent, and it continues to see a "very significant" rise in full-year 2002 operating profit.



Nnine-month sales of fashion and leather products, which make up more than a third of total revenues, rose to 3.028 billion

euros from 2.647 billion in 2001, with revenue at its Christian Dior Couture fashion house up 46 per cent to 361 million

euros.



Christian Dior added its sales growth accelerated in the third quarter with sales at its 138 Dior boutiques surging more than

50 per cent since the start of the year.