For immediate release

30 September 2021

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the company to constitute inside information stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of the domestic law of the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended) ("UK MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

boohoo group plc - interim results for the six months ended 31 August 2021

"Leading the fashion eCommerce market"

Record first half sales of £976 million and Investing for the Future

  • Doubled market share in the UK and US over the last two years. Total group sales +73% since 1H20
  • Significantly enhanced target addressable market, with up to 500 million potential customers in key markets
  • Integration and relaunch of four new brands in the first half, including Debenhams marketplace
  • Increased warehousing and distribution capacity, capable of supporting over £4 billion of net sales
  • £85 million of Adjusted EBITDA, down 5% vs. exceptional levels of profitability last year, and up +40% since 1H20, despite £26 million of freight and logistics cost inflation
  • Record capital expenditure of £172 million in H1, putting in place the platform for future growth
  • Opening a new distribution centre in North America in 2023, significantly strengthening our proposition

6 months

6 months

Change

6 months

Change

to 31

to 31

2021 on

to 31

2021 on

August

August

2020

August

2019(1)

2021

2020

2019

(1H22)

(1H21)

(1H20)

£ million

£ million

£ million

Revenue

975.9

816.5

+20%

564.9

+73%

Gross profit

533.3

449.2

+19%

306.6

+74%

Gross margin

54.6%

55.0%

-40bps

54.3%

+30bps

Adjusted EBITDA(2)

85.1

89.8

-5%

60.8

+40%

% of revenue

8.7%

11.0%

-230bps

10.8%

-210bps

Adjusted EBIT(3)

64.2

79.0

-19%

51.3

+25%

% of revenue

6.6%

9.7%

-310bps

9.1%

-250bps

Adjusted profit before tax(4)

63.8

79.4

-20%

51.9

+23%

Adjusted diluted earnings per share(5)

3.84p

4.53p

-15%

2.91p

32%

Net cash(6) at period end

98.4

344.9

-246.5m

207.3

-108.9m

John Lyttle, Group CEO, commented:

"Looking back over the last 18 months the Group has delivered an excellent operational and robust financial performance, and that is a testament to all who have helped deliver this. We are delighted to have doubled our market share in key markets such as the UK and US, have significantly expanded our target addressable market through selective acquisitions and are excited about the global potential for all of our brands. In the first half of this financial year, our teams have yet again delivered: integrating four new brands, launching two new warehouses and strengthening our infrastructure in a manner that will allow our multi-brand platform to scale as planned. Entering the second half of the year, the Group is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and our confidence in the Group's medium term targets remain unchanged. We will continue to invest across our platform, people and technology as we look to further cement our position as a leader in global fashion ecommerce."

1

Summary of H1 2022 performance

The Group has made significant progress in the first half, generating strong revenue growth, and a robust EBITDA performance, all whilst heavily investing into key growth enablers such as our brands, infrastructure and platform to support the Group's future growth ambitions.

Revenues have increased 73% vs. the corresponding period in 1H20, and grew 20% year on year in the first half. Performance in the second quarter was impacted by UK returns rates returning to pre-pandemic levels, physical stores reopening, consumer uncertainty in markets that we operate in resulting in the loss of key events and holidays, as well as continued COVID-19 related disruption across the Group's key international markets, which has impacted international delivery timeframes.

Adjusted EBITDA at £85m, remains robust and represents an increase of 40% since 1H20. This is however slightly lower than the exceptional levels of profitability achieved in the first half of the prior financial year. Profitability was impacted by a number of cost headwinds driven by short-term factors largely relating to the pandemic and our investment as we scale our newly acquired brands. These include: increased marketing investments in key markets and our new acquisitions, two warehouse operational moves, returns rates normalising and materially higher shipping costs. COVID-19-related distribution cost increases totalled approximately £26 million in the first half, or 270 basis points of margin.

Financial highlights

  • Revenue £976 million, up 20% on 1H21 (up 20% CER(7)) and up 73% on 1H20
  • Avoiding comparatives against the exceptional growth in 1H21 due to the effect of the pandemic on consumer behaviour, revenue across two years from 1H20 reveals consistent high growth across geographies, with UK +81% and international +63%, including US +126%
  • Adjusted EBITDA £85 million, 5% lower compared to exceptional levels of profitability achieved in the first half of the prior financial year and an increase of 40% compared to 1H20
  • Adjusted EBITDA includes volume-adjusted shipping costs £26 million higher than pre-pandemic levels
  • Robust balance sheet with net cash of £98 million (1H21: £345 million), healthy operating cash flow of £21
    million (1H21: £147 million) and net cash outflow of £128 million, after capital expenditure of £172 million
    (1H21: inflow £100 million)

Operational highlights

  • Relaunch of Debenhams, adding a new dimension of a digital department store to the Group's portfolio and extending the Group's target addressable market
  • Integration and relaunch of the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands, complementary additions to the Group's scalable, multi-brand platform
  • Additional distribution centres in Wellingborough and Daventry in operational use, supporting the next phase of growth
  • Purchase of new offices in the heart of London's West End, housing our London-based brands

Sustainability and governance highlights

  • Further progress of Agenda for Change, with publication of UK and international supplier lists and new responsible sourcing team delivering enhanced supplier audits and compliance
  • Publication of the Group's sustainability strategy and significant progress made against our 2021 goals
  • More sustainable clothing ranges added across our brands
  • Economic impact assessment conducted, highlighting the significant contribution we make to the UK economy, and a commitment to invest over £500 million and create in excess of 5,000 jobs over the next five years
  • Announcing PLT marketplace, a resale platform launching in 2022

2

Demand accelerating in September

Consumer demand has been improving through August, principally in the UK but also in key overseas markets such as Ireland and France, where there has been a re-acceleration in the rate of growth. This has again improved in September, where the rate of gross sales growth has increased compared to that achieved in the second quarter of the financial year.

Full year outlook

Our expectation is for full year sales growth of 20% to 25%, implying sales growth of 20% to 30% in the second half of the financial year. As we have indicated above, we have seen a re-acceleration in the rate of growth compared to that achieved in the second quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margins are expected to remain robust, and the Group will continue to invest in its existing and new brands in order to facilitate the long-term growth opportunity. Elevated short-term cost headwinds experienced in the first half are expected to continue in H2 alongside recent freight inflation in our supply chain and wage inflation within our distribution centres. Consequently, adjusted EBITDA margins are now expected to be 9% to 9.5%, compared to 9.5% to 10% as previously guided. Reflecting ongoing investments across our technology, offices and infrastructure (including the initial phase of the international distribution centre), capex is now expected to be around £275million for the year, slightly above the top end of previous guidance of approximately £250 million.

The COVID-19 factors impacting EBITDA this financial year are expected to normalise over the medium term. Recent inflation in freight, logistics, and labour costs are expected to reduce from elevated levels in time, particularly as the Group invests in its own infrastructure through implementing more advanced automation in its existing distribution centres, global travel capacity increases and our first global distribution centre opens in North America.

Longer-term competitive positioning and opportunity to take market share unchanged

The Group expects to emerge from the pandemic in a far stronger position compared to two years ago. Reflecting significant investments in its platform, brands and people, the Group has:

  • A broader portfolio of brands and a significantly larger target addressable market with 500 million potential customers in key markets
  • Greater infrastructure capacity capable of supporting in excess of £4 billion of net sales, with automation investments driving future efficiencies
  • Committed to opening a new distribution centre in North America, significantly strengthening our customer proposition
  • Significantly improved supply chain visibility
  • 19 million customers globally
  • Numerous growth opportunities through our direct to consumer offer and strategic partnerships.

We remain extremely confident in the Group's future growth prospects, and as short-term demand uncertainty and material cost headwinds as a result of the pandemic unwind, we believe that the Group continues to be capable of executing its strategy aimed at leading the fashion ecommerce market with medium term guidance of sales growth of 25% per annum and adjusted EBITDA margin of 10% remaining unchanged.

Investor and analyst webcast

boohoo group plc will today host a presentation video webcast for analysts and investors at 9.15am (UK time) via the following link: https://webcasting.buchanan.uk.com/broadcast/6152263c19e5bc59de7ba56f

A replay will subsequently be available the same day via the same link.

boohoo group plc's interim results are available at www.boohooplc.com.

Enquiries

boohoo group plc

Neil Catto, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +44 (0)161 233 2050

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Alistair Davies, Investor Relations

Tel: +44 (0)161 233 2050

Clara Melia, Investor Relations

Tel: +44 (0)20 3289 5520

Mark Mochalski, Investor Relations

Tel: +44 (0)20 3239 6289

Zeus Capital - Nominated adviser and joint broker

Nick Cowles / Andrew Jones

Tel: +44 (0)161 831 1512

Benjamin Robertson

Tel: +44 (0)20 3829 5000

Jefferies - Joint broker

Philip Noblet / Max Jones

Tel: +44 (0)20 7029 8000

Buchanan - Financial PR adviser

boohoo@buchanan.uk.com

Richard Oldworth / Kim Looringh-van Beeck / Toto Berger /

Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000

Sophie Wills

Notes:

  1. Change on 2019 (1H20) is more representative of the medium-term business growth as it smooths out the exceptional growth in 1H21 due to the onset of the pandemic, when new customer acquisition was exceptional, and the effect of international shipping costs increasing materially.
  2. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as profit before tax, interest, depreciation, amortisation, share-based payments charges and exceptional items.
  3. Adjusted EBIT is calculated as profit before tax, interest, share-based payments charges, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and exceptional items.
  4. Adjusted profit before tax is calculated as profit before tax, excluding share-based payments charges, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and exceptional items.
  5. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is calculated as diluted earnings per share, adding back amortisation of acquired intangible assets, share-based payments charges and exceptional items.
  6. Net cash is cash less bank borrowings.
  7. CER designates Constant Exchange Rate translation of foreign currency revenue, which gives a truer indication of the performance in international markets by removing year-to-year exchange rate movements when local currency sales are converted to sterling.

About boohoo group plc

"Leading the fashion eCommerce market"

Founded in Manchester in 2006, boohoo is an inclusive and innovative global brand targeting young, value- orientated customers, pushing boundaries to bring its customers up-to-date and inspirational fashion, 24/7.

In 2017, the group extended its customer offering through the acquisitions of the vibrant fashion brand PrettyLittleThing and free-thinking brand Nasty Gal. In March 2019, the group acquired the MissPap brand, in August 2019 the Karen Millen and Coast brands and in June 2020 the Warehouse and Oasis brands, all complementary to the group's scalable, multi-brand platform. In January 2021, the group acquired the intellectual property assets of Debenhams, with the goal of transforming a leading UK fashion and beauty retailer into a digital department store and marketplace through a new capital-light and low-risk operating model. In February 2021, the group acquired the intellectual property assets of UK brands Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton. As at 31 August 2021, the boohoo group had 19 million active customers across all its brands around the world.

Cautionary Statement

Certain statements included or incorporated by reference within this announcement may constitute "forward-looking statements" in respect of the group's operations, performance, prospects and/or financial condition. Forward-looking statements are sometimes, but not always, identified by their use of a date in the future or such words and words of similar meaning as "anticipates", "aims", "due", "could", "may", "will", "should", "expects", "believes", "intends", "plans", "potential", "targets", "goal" or "estimates". By their nature, forward- looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions and actual results or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any particular expectation will be met and reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement. Additionally, forward-looking statements regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. No responsibility or obligation is accepted to update or revise any forward-looking statement resulting from new information, future events or otherwise. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase any shares or other securities in the Company, nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or commitment or investment decisions relating thereto, nor does it constitute a recommendation regarding the shares or other securities of the Company. Past performance cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser. Statements in this announcement reflect the knowledge and information available at the time of its preparation. Liability arising from anything in this announcement shall be

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governed by English law. Nothing in this announcement shall exclude any liability under applicable laws that cannot be excluded in accordance with such laws.

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Boohoo.com plc published this content on 30 September 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 30 September 2021 07:31:06 UTC.