Preliminary Results.
Highlights
Total sales +6.2% to 3.6bn (2010: 3.4bn)
Like for like sales +5.1%:
- non tobacco +5.3% (2010: +6.9%)
- tobacco +4.9% (2010: +5.8%)
- sales to caterers +6.3% (2010: +9.1%)
- sales to retailers +4.6% (2010: +5.3%)
Operating prot up 15% to 76.5m
Profit before tax up 25% to 71.4m
Prot after tax up 24% to 59.1m
Basic earnings per share up 0.71 pence to 3.90 pence
Net cash of 27.1m (2010: 7.0m)
Proposed final dividend up 36% at 1.40 pence per share, making total dividend for the year of 1.67 pence per share, up 31%
Operational Highlights
Improved customer satisfaction
Customer numbers increased by 28,000 to 459,000
24 business centres converted to 'Extra' format, taking total conversions to 115 of the 172 business centres in the UK
Internet sales +29% to 526m (2010: 407m)
Booker Direct is trading well
Ritter-Courivaud and Classic, the two businesses acquired in October 2010, are making a real contribution to the Group
Our Indian business continues to progress; our business centre in Mumbai is trading well and we are in the process of opening two further business centres