Damartex: Revenue down 8% in first quarter, hit by weather and inflation
The decline affects Damartex's entire portfolio, but with marked disparities: from -3.2% for the "Healthcare" division to -11.1% for the "Home & Lifestyle" division. The Roubaix-based group attributes this decline to a combination of high summer temperatures in September, weakened confidence among European households due to the return of inflation, and geopolitical tensions.
For a distributor whose autumn-winter collection constitutes, in its own terms, a "key season", the shift in purchases at this start of the fiscal year concentrates attention on the months that follow.
€98.6M in quarterly sales, down 8.0% at actual exchange rates
Damartex published on October 15, 2026 consolidated revenue of €98.6M for the first quarter of its 2026/2027 fiscal year, compared to €107.1M a year earlier. The decline reached 8.0% at actual exchange rates and 8.3% at constant exchange rates.
The "Fashion" division, which groups together Damart and Xandres, achieved €74.4M in sales, down 7.7% at actual rates (7.9% at constant rates). It thus represents approximately three-quarters of the group's activity for the period.
The "Home & Lifestyle" division stood at €17.2M, down 11.1% at actual rates (11.5% at constant rates). The "Healthcare" division recorded €7.0M, down 3.2% at actual rates as well as at constant rates.
Damart down 8.4%, Xandres and healthcare decline less
The Damart brand saw its sales decline by 8.4% at actual rates (8.7% at constant rates). The group explains this notably by a postponement of autumn-winter collection purchases in France, in a French clothing market that experienced its worst performance in five years in September, according to the press release. The store network showed greater resilience, according to the company.
Xandres achieved €11.0M in revenue, down 3.4%. The group links this gap with Damart to the premium positioning of the brand, a segment which it says shows better performance than the mass market.
In the "Home & Lifestyle" division, Coopers of Stortford declined 12.6% and 3Pagen fell 9.9% at actual rates, under pressure on purchasing power. On the health side, Santéol lost 3.4%, with high temperatures leading many patients to reduce their treatment time, which reduced compliance and thus billing. Almadia declined 5.2% for the quarter, with September revenue stable year-on-year.
Development in mass distribution and tender calls
Since October, Damart has been present for the first time in mass distribution, with a range specifically designed for this channel. The brand is also continuing its development in the tender market in France and Belgium, with textile ranges intended for certain professions, such as public safety and defense. Xandres intends for its part to continue its development in the Netherlands and Germany during the coming quarters.
When publishing its annual results on September 17, 2025, the group had already adopted a cautious tone. It indicates today that instability related to climate and geopolitical events reinforces this approach, and that it is pursuing tight management of its activities in order to best preserve its profitability.
This management is part of the strategic roadmap "Drive to perform, Care to transform 2030", which aims to strengthen the coherence of the portfolio, clean up the balance sheet and concentrate investments on higher value-added activities. The group's next meeting is its general assembly, scheduled for November 19, 2026.
