Swatch to open own-brand stores in India

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swatch Group plans to open between 30 and 40 shops in India after receiving permission from the country's commerce ministry, the Swiss jewelry and watchmaker said on Tuesday.

The Swatch-branded stores will open over the next three years in a country where watches currently sell via dealer networks and third-party stores.

The announcement came as Swatch shares fell nearly 5 percent amid pressure on the wider luxury goods sector due to the devaluation of the Chinese yuan.

Swatch gets a substantial portion of its sales from China and Chinese tourists traveling abroad are also large buyers of European luxury goods. A Swatch spokesman had no comment on the impact of the devaluation.

 

(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi in Zurich; Editing by Martinne Geller and David Holmes)