The luxury goods group said 2017 fourth-quarter sales were down 8.4 percent at current exchange rates, hit by adverse currencies and an ongoing planned clearance of its product inventory.

Since launching a plan last year to make the brand more contemporary and appealing, the Florence-based company's core profit margins have been falling year-on-year. In December the group said it could not confirm its medium-term targets.

Like-for-like sales last year were down 1.7 percent.

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Elisa Anzolin)