Final Results

RNS Number : 8017X
ASOS PLC
30 June 2008
 
FOR RELEASE
7.00 AM
30 JUNE 2008
 
ASOS plc
('ASOS’ or ‘Group')
A leading Internet based fashion retailer
 
Final Results for the year ended 31 March 2008
 
RESULTS
 
 
2008
2007
 
 
£’000
£’000
Increase
 
 
 
 
Revenue
81,044
42,614
90%
Profit before tax
7,311
3,370
117%
Profit before tax (underlying)
8,245
2,988
176%
Earnings per share (fully diluted)
6.6p
3.3p
                     99%
Earnings per share (underlying)
7.4p
2.9p
154%
 
 
 
 
 
Key business highlights
 
*         Record sales, profits and earnings per share
*         Move to new warehouse completed successfully
*         Sales for 13 weeks to 27 June 2008 up 95%
*         ASOS.com registered users 1.65m (following database cleansing) at 27 June 2008
*         A number of new initiatives to drive growth
*         Further investment in management and infrastructure
*         Confident of another strong year for ASOS
 
For further information:
ASOS plc                                                                                              Tel: 020 7756 1000
Nick Robertson, Chief Executive
Jon Kamaluddin, Finance Director
Cubitt Consulting                                                                                Tel: 020 7367 5100
Brian Coleman Smith / James Verstringhe / Nicola Krafft  
JPMorgan Cazenove                                                                                      
Luke Bordewich / Gina Gibson                                                     Tel: 020 7588 2828
Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander
Nicholas How / Brad Cheng                                                           Tel: 020 3205 5000
 
ASOS plc is an Internet Retail business, established in June 2000 and admitted to AIM in October 2001. ASOS.com is the UK’s largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer. Aimed primarily at internet savvy 18-34 year olds, ASOS offers over 10,900 fashion products across womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery and beauty.  ASOS.com attracts over 3.4 million unique visitors a month and has 1.65 million registered users (following database cleansing) as at 27 June 2008. www.asos.com



ASOS PLC

CHAIRMAN'S statement

for the YEAR ended 31 MARCH 2008



I have great pleasure in presenting another set of excellent results for ASOS plc. The company has produced record sales, up 90% to £81.0m and record profits (before tax), up 117% to £7.3m in a year when a number of retail businesses were reporting tough trading conditions.


The board's strategy of investment has been vindicated. The business increased its market share, out-performed its peers, and delivered more than double the growth of the overall online market. ASOS is now firmly established as the UK's premier online fashion business.


Dividend


With a number of organic initiatives and infrastructure reviews planned, some requiring capital investment, the board has again decided that no dividend will be paid. This policy remains under constant review.


Colleagues


On behalf of the board I would like to thank our colleagues for their continued enthusiasm and often superhuman efforts for the business. To win Retail Week's 2008 'Online Retailer of the Year' for the second year running was a fantastic achievement and of one which we are all very proud.


Our thoughts are also with the families and friends of Mick Roberts and John Blackhurst, two respected colleagues who sadly passed away during the year.


Outlook


The year has again started extremely well. Sales for the 13 weeks to 27 June 2008 are 95% ahead  year on year. This compares to 85% for the same period last year. Whilst it's too soon to suggest that this performance will continue for the full year, we are confident that 2008/09 will be another strong year for ASOS.



Lord Alli 

Chairman

  

ASOS PLC

Chief executive's statement

for the YEAR ended 31 MARCH 2008



Business Review


I am pleased to report on another strong year's trading and the continued investment in the ASOS brand.  


Sales grew 90% for the year ending March 2008, and we have now achieved compound annual growth of over 75% per year for the last four years. Profits (before tax) for the year ending March 2008 grew by 117%. Both have been achieved on a purely organic basis.  


Whilst the macro economic conditions appear to be deteriorating, I believe we have, and will continue to benefit from the significant migration to online shopping, especially amongst our core customer base. This is reflected in the record number of unique visitors we now receive to the website. In May 2008 we had 3.4 million unique visitors, a 60% increase year on year. 


According to Hitwise, ASOS is the second most visited website in the UK clothing and apparel category. Clothing is the fastest growing product category online and Verdict predictthat by 2010, 10% of clothes will be bought online, up from 4% in 2007. 

                

Key Performance Indicators

07/08

06/07

Increase

Sales (in £ '000)

81,044

42,614

90%

Retail margin (excludes 3rd party and postage receipts

47.6%

44.3%

-

Average basket value (in £, inc. VAT)

53.0

42.8

24%

Average units per basket

2.54

2.53

-

Average selling price per unit (in £, inc. VAT)

20.89

16.92

24%

Returns % to sales (by value)

26.1%

21.7%

-

% International sales

10.0%

10.5%

-

Number of orders ('000)

2,235

1,402

60%


Product Choice 


Product choice is at the core of the ASOS proposition. At the end of May 2008, customers could choose from over 10,908 different lines - up from 4,324 in May 2007. The number of brands available on ASOS will increase from 255 in Autumn / Winter 2007 to around 600 by Autumn / Winter 2008. Our own label styles will also increase from 2,530 to around 5,000 over the same time period.


Currently we introduce over 500 new styles a week, up from 200 this time last year. Stock management is key and I am pleased to report our stock continues to turn very quickly at just over every 10 weeks.  


During the year we introduced our petites range with 20 lines. This will be increased to around 200 lines this year. Similarly we introduced size 18 into our own label mix last year and we plan to introduce size 20 this year. We will also be introducing 3 additional leg lengths into our own label ranges as well as a full maternity range.


Our 'Independent designer section', which we established to provide a shop window to new design talent, has been very successful, and we plan to add an additional 30 designers to the 16 designers with whom we currently work.


The most significant development in 2008/9 however, will be the launch of our branded clearance section, ASOS Red. eBay has proved that the internet can be a very efficient channel for clearing end of season and markdown stock. We also know from research that eBay and other sites, where this type of stock is available, are popular with our customers.  We firmly believe that by applying the ASOS presentation techniques to this end of season stock we will be able to enhance the image of the brands and the product and provide an overall better customer experience.  The offer will initially consist of approximately 20 brands, expanding to around 50 brands within 6 months.


Presentation


The website is evolving constantly as we find better ways of presenting our products. In June 2008 we launched an application that allows our customers to 'virtually' try on our premium sunglasses. In Autumn / Winter we will be introducing catwalk for our premium men's ranges, and our shoes and bags will be visible online through 360 degrees. 


The ASOS magazine was voted 'Customer Magazine of the Year' in 2008 by the Periodical Publishers Association as well as receiving its first Audit Bureau of Circulation figure of 370,636.  


In April 2008 we launched the first of three men's magazines scheduled for this year. 


Over the year, our twice weekly email to customers generated 9% of sales. We have now invested in Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) which means from August we will be able to manage our database much more effectively and our e-mails will become more targeted. Early trials have shown we can expect to see a significant return on the investment. 


Promotional tie-ups and associations are very important to ASOS. In June 2008 we launched our Limited 100 design collaboration with the London College of Fashion. A capsule collection of 100 one-off pieces each sold on the ASOS website. The promotion received fantastic media coverage including two full page features in the National Press. The collection sold out in minutes. 


Service 


Working with our logistics partner Unipart, we have been able to improve the speed and accuracy of our deliveries to customers. Today, 95% of all orders placed before 2.30pm leave the warehouse the same day, even if the customer has not opted for next day delivery. This has had the effect of moving our standard delivery terms from 3-4 days to 1-2 days.


In October 2008 we will introduce a number of new delivery options. These include a named day service, including Saturday and both a.m. and p.m. delivery options. We will also introduce a same day service within the M25. Further enhancements including text alerts are being trialled.


We have invested in a customer contact management system which will enable us to respond to our customer care emails quicker and more efficiently. We are also extending the customer care working hours to enable us to reduce the average response time from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.  


Managing Growth


In light of our continued sales and profit growth, it is more important than ever that we continue to invest in the business to enable it to reach its full potential.


The management team


During the year we made a number of key appointments to strengthen the Operating Board. Stefan Pesticcio joined us from Debenhams as Buying Director for Menswear. Hash Ladha joined us from New Look as Marketing and Operations Director. Gary Mudie joined us from Borders Group as IT Director and Caren Downie joined us from Topshop as Buying Director Womenswear.  


Warehouse and logistics 


In May 2008 we moved into our new 158,250 square feet facility at Hemel Hempstead. We believe the capacity of the new warehouse to be sufficient to satisfy annual sales of approximately £350m. The move, managed by Unipart was a complete success and we were able to fulfil all our customer delivery guarantees over the move period.

 

 London office


At the year end there were 196 employees in the London office. With a re-design, we have managed to accommodate 300 desks in the space and have taken a further 80 desks in serviced space locally to see us through the anticipated growth in 2008/9.

  

Systems and Infrastructure


As well as both the customer relationship and customer contact systems we are also implementing a new reporting suite to run across the business. The first release is scheduled for September 2008.  


We are also extending our disaster recovery solution by splitting the website hardware across two locations.  


The next generation of the website is already being developed by a dedicated internal team. We will also review other key functions such as buying and merchandising and finance to ensure we have the capacity for growth.


Summary and Prospects


Our continued record of sales and profit growth highlights the accelerating appeal of both online fashion, and ASOS as a leader within the sector.


Despite the economic conditions, we have experienced no noticeable slow-down in our business growth and sales for the 13 weeks to 27 June 2008 are 95% ahead of last year.   


With three quarters of the year to go, including Christmas, it is too early to assess whether this performance will continue for the full year. That said I believe ASOS can look forward to another year of strong progress and business development



Nick Robertson

Chief Executive

  


ASOS PLC

FINANCE DIRECTOR'S REVIEW

for the YEAR ended 31 MARCH 2008



2007/08 has been another exceptional year for ASOS. Our investment in people, marketing, systems and warehousing have allowed us to continue to expand and improve our product ranges and to cope with a 60% increase in order volumes. Profit (before tax) for the year ended March 2008 increased from £3.4m to £7.3m, or by 115%. Our underlying profits increased by 176% from £3.0 million to £8.2 million.


Revenues


An analysis of revenues is shown below:


£'000

2007/08

2006/07

Increase

Retail sales 

71,685

37,720

90%

Delivery receipts 

8,117

4,238

92%

Third party revenues* 

1,242

656

89%

Total Revenues

81,044

42,614

90%

* Third party revenues arise from onsite advertising, marketing inserts into outgoing parcels and advertising in the ASOS magazine.  


Trading during the year accelerated from the first half to the second. Having increased 83% in the first half, sales advanced 95% in the second half.


Third party revenues increased in line with sales.


Gross margin


Our Retail Sales margin improved from 44.3% to 47.6% in 2007/08 driven by better inventory management and improved terms with our suppliers. 

 

The total gross margin increased from 42.5% in 2006/07 to 46.0% in 2007/08.


During 2008/09, we are planning improvements to our delivery proposition, the cost of which we are not planning to pass onto our customers.


Operating costs


During the year there was a non recurring charge of £0.9m relating to a provision taken on our old warehouse to cover future rent and rates charges and the estimated cost of dilapidations. On an underlying basis, before the provision for our old warehouse, costs increased by £14.1 million to £29.4 million.


£'000 

2007/08

2006/07

Increase

Payroll & staff costs 

10,279

5,813

77%

Warehousing 

9,992

5,435

84%

Marketing 

5,117

1,867

174%

Other operating costs 

3,954

1,680

135%

Depreciation

980

467

110%

Statutory operating costs

30,322

15,262

99%

Less provision for warehouse

934

-

100%

Underlying operating costs 

29,388

15,262

93%

 % of sales 

36.3%

35.8%



As planned, we strengthened all of the key disciplines across the business resulting in a 77% increase in payroll and staff costs. Our headcount increased from 124 at the start of the year to 222 at the end of the year.


We are planning further recruitment this year in order to support and maintain our growth rates. Headcount will rise to approximately 370 by the end of March 2009.  


Warehousing costs before the warehouse provision increased by £3.6m from the prior year. The fixed element of warehousing costs rose from £0.6m to £1.3m as a result of taking on a new warehouse with six times the capacity of the old one. Efficiency within the warehouse operation improved and variable warehousing costs fell from 12.9% to 10.8% of Retail Sales.


Marketing costs rose significantly in the year, mostly as a result of an increased investment in our magazine. We increased the number of issues in the year from 5 to 11, the number of pages and its circulation. By March 2008 we were dispatching 400,000 copies per month. Marketing costs also include the cost of creating imagery for the web site and this rose in line with the increase in product choice over the year. Marketing costs represented 6.3% of sales.


Other operating costs include IT, head office costs and credit card fulfilment costs. The most significant change in 2007/08 resulted from a head office move in May 2007, when we increased our office space by nearly four times to 24,000 square feet. During 2008/09 we will require additional office capacity and have secured space on a short term licence in order to maintain our flexibility. Credit card fulfilment costs increased in line with Retail Sales.


Whilst we are mindful of the current economic background and the increasing costs for businesses, we are confident that we will be able to manage our growth and our costs as we have done in the past. In total we anticipate that our operating costs will increase broadly in line with Retail Sales in 2008/09 as we continue to invest in building and supporting our growing business.  


Operating profit


Operating profit for the year ending March 2008 increased from £3.2 million to £7.0 million, or by 114%. However, adjusted for the provision for our old warehouse, underlying operating profit increased 176% to £7.9m. The underlying operating margin for the year amounted to 9.7%, which compares to 6.7% in the prior year.


Interest


Financial income increased from £0.1m in 2006/07 to £0.3m in the year ending March 2008.  


Taxation


The effective tax rate for the group was 30.9%. 


Earnings per share


Fully diluted earnings per share grew by 100% to 6.6p. Fully diluted earnings per share on an underlying basis grew by 154% to 7.4p.


Capital expenditure


Capital expenditure in the year amounted to £4.7m and comprised:


£ '000

Actual 2007/08

Indicative 2008/09

IT 

944

4,000 

Warehouse

2,942 

3,200 

Office fixtures and fit-out

854 

300 

Total

4,740 

7,500 


The majority of this expenditure in 2007/08 related to the first phase of the fit out of our new warehouse in Hemel Hempstead


Capital expenditure for 2008/09 is expected to rise to approximately £7.5m of which £3.2m will be required for phase two of our warehouse fit out. Further investment will be required in future years in order to maximise the capacity of the site. 


We are also currently reviewing our IT systems and infrastructure in order to ensure we are in a strong position to maximise our growth potential, and exploit new opportunities as they arise. We have allocated £4.0m in 2008/09 for this purpose.


Cash flow and net cash


The Group continues to be cash generative and all investment continues to be funded from cash flow. Between 31 March 2007 and 31 March 2008, the Group's cash position increased by £5.0 million to £10.4 million. Major sources of cash inflow included cash from operations, which consisted of EBITDA of £7.9m and an increase in other creditors of £8.7m. We anticipate that half of the increase in other creditors will unwind during the current year.  


During the period share options under the Group's share option schemes were exercised raising £0.2m.

Surplus funds are invested in short-term deposits with the objective of maximising fixed interest rate returns whilst providing the flexibility to fund on-going operations. It is not the Group's policy to engage in speculative activity or to use complex financial instruments. 


Reconciliation of statutory to underlying operating profits


£ '000

2007/08

2006/07

Increase

Operating profit

6,962

3,246

115%

  • Plus warehouse provision

934

-

-

  • Less insurance proceeds

-

570

-

  • Plus goodwill

-

188

-

Underlying operating profit

7,896

2,864

176%


Reconciliation of statutory to underlying profits before tax


£ '000

2007/08

2006/07

Increase

Profit before tax

7,311

3,370

117%

  • Plus warehouse provision

934

-

-

  • Less insurance proceeds

-

570

-

  • Plus goodwill

-

188

-

Underlying profit before tax

8,245

2,988

176%


Reconciliation of statutory to underlying net profit and EPS


£'000 (except where otherwise stated)

2007/08

2006/07

Increase

Net profit

5,053

2,419

109%

Plus warehouse provision, taxed at effective tax rate

646

--

-

Less insurance proceeds, taxed at effective tax rate

-

409

-

Plus goodwill 

-

188

-

Underlying net profit

5,699

2,198

160%

Weighted average number of shares, fully diluted (in million)

77.140

75.522

-

EPS, fully diluted

6.6p

3.3p

99%

Underlying EPS, fully diluted

7.4p

2.9p

154%



Jon Kamaluddin

Finance Director

ASOS PLC

Consolidated INCOME STATEMENT

for the YEAR ended 31 MARCH 2008







Year ended

Year ended




31 March

31 March




2008

2007




£'000

£'000






Revenue 



81,044

42,614

Cost of sales



(43,760)

(24,488)






Gross profit



37,284

18,126











Administration expenses



(30,322)

(15,262)

Insurance proceeds



-

570

Goodwill impairment



-

(188)






Operating profit



6,962

3,246






Finance income



349

124






Profit before tax



7,311

3,370






Taxation



(2,258)

(951)






Profit for the year from continuing operations



5,053

2,419






Discontinued operations










Profit after tax on discontinued operations



-

65






Profit for the year



5,053

2,484






Earnings per share










Basic



6.9p

3.4p

Fully diluted



6.6p

3.3p







  

  

ASOS PLC

Consolidated Balance Sheet

AS AT 31 MARCH 2008




 
 
                    31 March
 
31 March
 
 
                    2008
 
2007
 
 
   £’000
 £’000
 
£’000
Non-current assets
 
 
 
 
 
Goodwill
 
 
1,060
 
1,060
Property, plant and equipment
 
 
5,590
 
2,086
Deferred tax asset
 
 
2,876
 
490
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9,526
 
3,636
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current assets
 
 
 
 
 
Inventories
 
11,694
 
 
5,683
Trade and other receivables
 
4,778
 
 
1,669
Cash and cash equivalents
 
10,369
 
 
5,379
 
 
26,841
 
 
12,731
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current liabilities
 
 
 
 
 
Trade and other payables
 
(18,648)
 
 
(7,230)
Current tax liabilities
 
(1,095)
 
 
(752)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(19,743)
 
 
(7,982)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net current assets
 
 
7,098
 
4,749
 
 
 
 
 
 
Provisions for other liabilities and charges
 
 
(680)
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets
 
 
15,944
 
8,385
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Equity
 
 
 
 
 
Called up share capital
 
 
2,564
 
2,544
Share premium
 
 
3,356
 
3,128
Treasury shares
 
 
(943)
 
(236)
Retained earnings
 
 
10,967
 
2,949
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total equity
 
 
15,944
 
 8,385
 
 
 
 
 
 


  

ASos PLC

Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

for the YEAR ended 31 MARCH 2008







Year ended

Year ended




31 March

31 March




2008

2007




£'000

£'000






Operating profit



6,962

3,246

Adjusted for





Goodwill impairment



-

188

Depreciation charge



963

467

Loss on disposal of fixed assets



17

15

Increase in inventories



(6,011)

(3,119)

(Increase)/Decrease in trade and other receivables



(3,109)

169

Increase in trade and other payables



11,418

1,822

Increase in provision for other liabilities and charges



680

-

Share options charge



477

328

Impairment of fixed assets



254

-






Cash generated from operations



11,651

3,116






Taxation paid



(1,811)

-






Finance income



349

124











Net cash generated from operating activities


10,189

3,240







Cash flow from investing activities





Payments to acquire fixed assets



(4,740)

(1,621)

Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets



-

43






Net cash from investing activities



(4,740)

(1,578)






Cash flow from financing activities 





Proceeds from issue of ordinary shares



248

149

Purchase of own shares by EBT



(707)

(236)






Net cash outflow from financing activities



(459)

(87)






Net cash inflow from continuing operations


4,990

1,575







Net cash inflow from discontinued operations


-

60







Net increase in cash and cash equivalents



4,990

1,635


  

ASOS PLC

statement of changes in equity

for the year ended 31 MARCH 2008







Share Capital

  Share Premium

Retained Earnings

Treasury Shares

Total


£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000







Balance as at 1 April 2007

2,544

3,128

2,949

(236)

8,385







Shares allotted in the year

20

228

-

-

248

Purchase of shares by EBT

-

-

-

(707)

(707)

Share options charge

-

-

477

-

477

Profit for the year

-

-

5,053

-

5,053

Tax on share options

-

-

2,488

-

2,488







Balance as at 31 March 2008

2,564

3,356

10,967

(943)

15,944


Balance as at 1 April 2006

2,517

3,007

(2)

-

5,522







Shares allotted in the year

27

121

-

-

148

Purchase of shares by EBT

-

-

-

(236)

(236)

Share options charge

-

-

328

-

328

Profit for the year

-

-

2,484

-

2,484

Tax on share options

-

-

139

-

139







Balance as at 31 March 2007

2,544

3,128

2,949

(236)

8,385

  Notes to the financial information

BASIS OF PREPARATION


The financial information contained in this announcement does not constitute the Group's statutory financial statements within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. The Group's auditors have issued an unqualified report on the statutory financial statements for the 12 months ended 31 March 2008 and have not made any statement under section 237(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 1985. A copy of the Group's statutory financial statements will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies in due course. Statutory accounts for the 12 months ended 31 March 2007, which were prepared under IFRS and on which our auditors expressed an unqualified opinion, have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. 


The directors approved this announcement on 27 June 2008.


This financial information has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the accounting policies set out in the Group's 2007 Annual Report. 

The Group has adopted IFRS 7, 'Financial Instruments: Disclosures', in the period. This standard introduces new disclosures relating to financial instruments and does not have any impact on the classification and valuations of the Group's financial instruments, or the disclosures relating to trade and other receivables, taxation and trade and other trade payables. 


EARNINGS PER SHARE


Basic earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders of the parent by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year.


Diluted earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders of the parent by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year, adjusted for the effects of potentially dilutive share options.


The dilution effect is calculated on the full exercise of all ordinary share options granted by the Group, including performance-based options which the Group considers to have been earned.


The calculations of earnings per share are based on the following:


2008

2007


£'000

£'000




Profit attributable to shareholders (continuing  operations) 

5,053

2,419


Earnings per share (pence)



6.9


3.4

Weighted Average number of shares




For basic earnings per share

72,865,070

72,089,825

For diluted earnings per share

77,140,316

75,522,076





There have been no transactions involving ordinary shares between the reporting date and the date of the approval of these financial statements which would significantly change the earnings per share calculations shown above

  

Segmental Analysis




2008

2007



£'000

£'000

Internet retailing




UK


73,044

38,127

North America


659

568

Rest of the world


7,341

3,919







81,044

42,614

Marketing services




UK (Discontinued)


-

488



Revenue consists primarily of internet and advertising sales as well as postage and packaging receipts. Revenue is recorded net of returns, relevant vouchers, and value added tax when the significant risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the buyer.


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
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