(Yicai Global) July 5 -- Chinese home appliance maker Vatti has played down the potential cost of a recent marketing promotion linked to the success of the French national team at the World Cup in Russia.

Vatti would owe customers some CNY29 million (USD4.3 million) in reimbursements if Les Bleus claim the World Cup in Moscow next week, the Guangdong-based firm said in a statement.

As the official partner for the French team, Vatti has promised its customers full refunds on a range of products purchased in June if the team lifts the World Cup. Stocks in the firm [SHE:002035] tumbled last week following the French team's defeat of Argentina to qualify for the quarter-final stage.

"If the team does indeed win, the refund will truly be a tidy sum, but well within the annual marketing budget, and will not exert a material impact on its operations results," said Wang Zhaozhao, a Vatti securities representative.

Vatti would only need to refund customers who bought products online, the enterprise said, while regional distributors would be responsible for refunds related to offline sales. Online sales increased 20 percent annually during the June promotional period to CNY300 million. Vatti would only need to refund manufacturing and partial marketing costs of the products eligible for the campaign, totaling less than CNY29 million.

Offline sales are estimated at CNY700 million for the promotional period, up 20 percent annually. Distributors will only need to repay purchase costs and partial marketing expenses, which amount to less than CNY50 million.

Editor: William Clegg