Devanlay, the major distributor of Lacoste around the world, declines to comment on a report that it is negotiating the acquisition of a 50 percent stake in the distribution of the brand in Spain. Basi, a Spanish company that also markets its own Armand Basi collection, has been the national licensee of Lacoste since 1962. Basi has closed many of its stores and laid off more than 100 employees in the last months because of the difficult market situation in Spain, which led it to a 23.3 percent drop in its sales to €75.8 million in 2009.

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