VF Corp reported a smaller-than-expected drop in first-quarter revenue on Tuesday, helped by improvement in its China business as well as leaner inventory levels, sending its shares up about 7 percent in extended trading.

Along with several global apparel retailers such as H&M and Zara, VF Corp has been facing some disruptions due to political unrest in Bangladesh. About 15 percent of its production comes out of the country, a company executive said in an earnings call.

Sales in the company’s Greater China business were up 4% on a constant currency basis, as the company benefited from a better product assortment and newer styles.

From the time he took the helm in June 2023, VF CEO Bracken Darrell has made big changes to the leadership team and sold streetwear brand Supreme, as he works on a plan to turn the business around.

The company reported a 21 percent fall in sales for its Vans brands, while The North Face brand saw a 2 percent decline in the quarter ended June 29.

As noted by Guggenheim analysts, the addition of executives such as Sun Choe as global brand president for Vans and Caroline Brown as global brand president of The North Face is seen to have boosted VF Corp’s strategic and business transformation.

Its revenue fell 8.6 percent, to $1.91 billion from a year ago, compared with analysts’ estimate of an 11.5 percent drop to $1.85 billion, according to LSEG data.

VF Corp posted an adjusted loss of 33 cents per share, compared with analysts’ estimated loss of 37 cents per share.

The company’s quarterly gross margins were down 80 basis points to 52 percent, after declining 52.8 percent a year ago.

Its inventories in the first quarter were down 24 percent, compared with the previous year.

By Anuja Bharat Mistry; Editor: Pooja Desai

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VF Corp Misses Quarterly Revenue Estimates, Posts Loss

Shares of the North Face owner, which have declined 34.5 percent so far this year, were down nearly 8 percent in extended trading.