PARIS, Feb 17 Reuters Birkin bag maker Hermes posted a 22.9 rise in fourth quarter sales, lifted by brisk business in the United States, and flagged no fundamental change in trends in China despite COVID19 disruptions over the period.

European luxury brands have benefited from a strong, postpandemic rebound as shoppers drew on savings during lockdowns to treat themselves to designer label fashion.

Much of the industry however took a hit in China, the world39;s secondlargest economy, at the end of last year, due to lockdowns and the country39;s subsequent exit from its zeroCOVID policy, which caused a surge of infections.

But Hermes executive chairman Axel Dumas told analysts on Friday We continued to see strong desirability in China over the fourth quarter.

Hermes did not give a breakdown of its sales in China.

Globally, sales for the three months to endDecember came to 2.99 billion euros, outpacing analyst expectations for 17 growth at constant rates, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Hermes has ploughed through the Covid19 related issues in 4Q22, and produced a very solid beat to consensus, Bernstein analyst Luca Solca said.

In the United States, where the company opened a sprawling store on Madison Avenue in New York in September, sales jumped 40.8.

The performance marked a contrast with some rivals that experience weaker sales there as business shifted to Europe, with travelling Americans taking advantage of the strong dollar.

Hermes said it would…