Full Year Results for the year ended 29 March 2015
Very Good First Year as a PLC
Financial Highlights
Underlying Results
· Sales +11.8% on a constant currency basis; breaking £1 billion for the first time
· Sales +11.4% to £1,111.5 million on an actual currency basis (2014: £997.8 million),
· Like-for-like sales +2.4% (2014: +1.9%) on a constant currency basis
· Underlying EBITDA +9.9% to £59.4 million (2014: £54.0 million)
· Underlying pre-tax profits +18.6 % to £43.7 million (2014: £36.8 million)
· Underlying diluted EPS +24.4 % to 13.6p (2014: 10.9p)
Statutory Results*
· Total sales +11.9% to £1,117.0 million (2014: £997.8 million)
· Pre-tax profits +68.3% to £36.2 million (2014: £21.5 million)*
· Diluted EPS +104.7% to 11.3p (2014: 5.5p)
· Net cash of £13.9 million (2014: net debt of £4.7 million)
· Final dividend proposed of 3.0p per share (2014: nil), giving total dividend payment for the year of 4.5p per share (2014: nil)
Operational Highlights
· 60 net new stores, growing the estate in UK & Ireland to 588 stores (2014: 528)
· Retail Park stores now total 87 in the UK & Ireland (2014: 60)
· Strong FY2016 UK and Ireland store opening pipeline; at least 60 net new stores planned for next financial year
· First Dealz store opened in Spain on a trial basis; five opened at the end of the financial year; on track to open 10 stores
· New 350,000 sq.ft. warehouse operational in Harlow in September
· 5.3 million customers served a week, including nearly 300,000 in Ireland
Strategic Highlights
· Our proposed acquisition of 99p Stores Ltd (''99p Stores'') has moved to Phase 2 of the CMA review with a decision expected in October
Trading update for the 11 weeks ended 14 June 2015
· Sales for the 11 weeks ended 14 June 2015 were ahead by 4.1% on a constant currency basis.
· On an actual basis, sales increased by 3.5% to £228.9 million (2014: £221.3 million)
· This performance reflects last year's excellent Q1 trade, when sales were ahead by 18.0%, reflecting the benefits of a later Easter, good weather and the loom band craze
· We opened a net 6 stores during the period, but expect to open at least a net 40 by the end of the first half
· This leaves us very well-placed for the important Halloween and Christmas trading period
* after non-underlying items