Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]What does streamlining of products range mean? Removing less profitable products, or what? /Hans >An article in this morning's Financial Times said that Leica is to cut >costs after sales dropped by 47% in Asia. It noted that sales and profits >fell sharply in the closing months of 1997 and that the company was about >to embark on cost-cutting and streamlining of its product range. According >to the FT, cameras originally destined for Asia were diverted putting >pressure on prices in the US and Europe. The Minox division was singled >out as encountering particular difficulties. They claim that Leica will >reduce capacity to counter the sales trend. The article closes by noting >that the Minox operation will be restructured to focus on core products >with both job cuts and a move of production to Portugal. > >This is a bit hard to square with news of the new M6 and the new 28-35-50 >lens. It may explain the long lag in getting replacement lenses recently >reported by a number of people on the LUG. > >Steve > > >