In response to global demand, Hermès opens 27th leather goods workshop in France

Paris - French luxury group Hermès announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new leather goods workshop in Colombelles (Normandy) “with the creation of 260 artisan jobs, in the long term” to support “the success of its leather goods and saddlery collections”.

Hermès, which continues to achieve record results and whose sales jumped by 8.5 percent to 4.1 billion euros in the first quarter, in a context of a slowing luxury market, will open this 27th leather goods workshop “by 2028”, according to the statement.

This new project is in addition to the three other leather goods projects currently under development in L'Isle d'Espagnac (Charente), Loupes (Gironde) and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes).

Hermès, known for its Birkin and Kelly bags, “is preparing this new site in Colombelles with the support of the Caen-la-Mer Urban Community, Normandie Aménagement and the Colombelles Town Hall”, the group stated.

For the recruitment of its artisans, Hermès “will be supported by the École Hermès des savoir-faire, the France Travail teams and several local employment partners”.

“In line with its sustainable development ambitions, Hermès will build its new leather goods workshop on a plot belonging to the former site of the Société Métallurgique de Normandie (SMN), a former industrial flagship which operated in Normandy from 1917 to 1993”, according to the group.

Hermès has opened 13 leather goods workshops in France since 2010 and states that its leather goods workshops “are all located in France”.

In 2024, Hermès achieved another record year with net profit up 6.8 percent to 4.6 billion euros and sales exceeding 15 billion euros (+13 percent). Sales of leather goods and saddlery, its core business, jumped by 16.4 percent to 6.46 billion euros.