Hermès: Company Profile, History and Key Figures

Hermès International is a French luxury house that makes leather goods, saddlery, ready-to-wear, silk, jewellery, watches, perfume, beauty products and objects for the home. It is based at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris and is listed on the Paris stock exchange.

In 2025 its revenue passed 16 billion euros for the first time, with a recurring operating margin of 41%.

Hermès: Paris House of Leather Goods, Silk and Craft Objects — The Maison Hermès building in Ginza, Tokyo, 2019. Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview and Founding

Hermès began in 1837, when the harness-maker Thierry Hermès opened a workshop in Paris. For its first decades the business made harnesses and saddles.

In 1880 the workshops moved to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, where an adjoining store opened. The address remains the home of the house today.

Between the two world wars Hermès widened its range as travel changed. In 1922 it obtained exclusive rights in France to the zip fastener, which it used on luggage and bags, and in 1937 it created its first silk scarf.

The company floated its shares on the stock exchange on 3 June 1993. It describes itself as an independent, family-run house of craftspeople, now led by the sixth generation of the founding family.

Key Milestones

1837: Thierry Hermès opens a harness workshop in Paris.
1880: The workshops and a store move to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.
1937: The first silk scarf is created.
1956: A bag first made in 1930 is named the Kelly.
1984: The Birkin bag is created.
1993: Hermès International lists on the stock exchange.
2013: Axel Dumas is appointed Executive Chairman.
2018: Hermès International joins the CAC 40 index.
2021: Hermès International enters the Euro Stoxx 50 index.

What It Does

Hermès organises its work into metiers, or business lines. Leather goods and saddlery is the largest, with 7.1 billion euros of revenue in 2025, or 44% of the total.

Ready-to-wear and accessories brought in 4.5 billion euros, or 28%, in 2025. Silk and textiles, perfume and beauty, watches, jewellery and the home universe make up most of the rest.

The house makes most of its products itself. About 55% of its objects come from its own exclusive workshops, and 75% are made in France, where it runs 63 production and training sites.

Its 24th leather goods workshop opened in September 2025 at L’Isle-d’Espagnac in Charente. New sites are planned at Loupes in 2026, Charleville-Mezieres in 2027 and Colombelles in 2028. Outside leather, the group plans to expand its watchmaking site at Le Noirmont in Switzerland by 2028.

The workforce grew by more than 1,300 people in 2025, including about 800 in France. Over the past three years Hermès has created nearly 6,200 jobs.

Hermès sells through 294 exclusive stores in 45 countries, 234 of which it runs as branches. Branches account for more than 92% of revenue, and the house also sells through its own e-commerce sites.

Asia-Pacific is the largest region, with 52% of 2025 revenue, followed by Europe with 25% and the Americas with 19%. The area that mainly covers the Middle East grew 15% at constant exchange rates in 2025.

Gulf markets are drawing more attention from Paris houses, as Saudi Arabia emerges as a luxury retail destination. Hermès competes with large groups such as LVMH, led by Bernard Arnault, and with private houses such as Chanel.

The group also trains its own craftspeople. The Ecole Hermès des Savoir-Faire had 12 training facilities by the end of 2025, after two new schools opened in France.

Hermès has also worked with partners outside fashion. The Apple Watch Hermès, made with Apple, was launched in 2015, and the house launched beauty, its 16th metier, in 2020.