While the rest of the world is worrying about the health and environmental fallout from the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, the folks are Salvatore Ferragamo are concerned about their sales.
The luxury label’s chief executive officer Michele Norsa says sales of their handbags and ties at duty free stores are suffering as airports across Europe are shut.
“I’m beginning to worry because it’s an important week. People are being sent away and therefore aren’t entering the stores,” she complains.
The important week she refers to is Golden Week, a Japanese public holiday which typically attracts many traveling tourists. I’m sure the brand will take a hit as a result of these lost sales, but let’s put it in perspective.
Salvatore Ferragamo has around 130 duty free stores around the world, which account for 11% of its total annual sales. Hardly enough to cause the business major damage, unlike the air carriers losing billions of dollars each day. To say nothing of the passengers who may find themselves out of pocket if travel insurance firms manage to invoke the act of God clause.
All Salvatore Ferragamo has done with this PR bungle is appear self absorbed. So many people are doing it tough following the volcano’s eruption after all.
[Image Source: Fridgeirsson/Flickr]
