RCS - Christie Group PLC - Christie & Co Launch New Buyer Registration Index

ChristieAnnouncement

27/07/2020 07:05

RNS Number : 0689U
  
Christie Group PLC
  
27 July 2020
  
 

27 July 2020
Christie Group plc

("Christie Group" or the "Company")
 
 Christie & Co's new Buyer Registration Index shows a 70% increase in buyer website registrations since the initial easing of lockdown restrictions
 
Christie Group plc (CTG.L), the leading provider of Professional & Financial Services and Stock & Inventory Systems & Services to the hospitality, leisure, healthcare, medical, childcare & education and retail sectors, is pleased to announce that Christie & Co, its specialist provider of agency and advisory services, has launched the first edition of a new Buyer Registration Index. The data which is derived from front end buyer activity on Christie & Co's website, provides a real time indicator of new buyer interest in the care, medical, child centric, hotel, hospitality, specialist retail and leisure sectors. For additional context relative to the UK's transition out of the nationwide lockdown, the results http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/0689U_1-2020-7-24.pdf are overlaid against vehicle traffic data. 
 
Despite the challenges of the last quarter, the Index shows a positive correlation between website derived new buyer activity and vehicle traffic movements. These have grown by 70% and 89%, respectively, since 27th April. 
 
With the recent easing of lockdown restrictions across the hotel, hospitality, leisure and non essential retail sectors, we expect this general trajectory of increased activity to be maintained, particularly as banks begin to more actively focus on new lending. 
 
The percentage increase in new buyer website registration activity from the 27th April to the 22nd June, by sector, are as follows: 
 
·    Child Centric: 140% 
·    Leisure/Development 89% 
·    Hotels: 84% 
·    Restaurants: 67% 
·    Retail: 65% 
·    Pubs: 64% 
·    Care: 58% 
·    Medical: 57% 
 
Darren Bond, Global Managing Director of Christie & Co comments, "Despite the enormous economic and health challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is very encouraging to note this positive increase in new buyer activity for opportunities in Christie & Co's sectors. The data demonstrates the resilience of the sectors and, with many being 'needs driven', the appetite for investment is strong, whether from those within the sector or new entrants. It is also important to note the nuances associated with specific sectors with care and medical, for example, remaining very active but with transactions being concluded to a wide range of buyers who are already well known to Christie &Co, as existing operators or investors as opposed to new entrants, resulting in lower new buyer registration activity."
 
Mike Hodges, Managing Director within Christie & Co's Consultancy division adds, "The new index was launched following requests from investors, operators and banks for guidance on the extent of buyer appetite and liquidity relative to the specialist sectors which Christie & Co operates within. With our business transacting a high proportion of deals across all our specialist sectors, we realised that our front end KPI's provide a unique indicator of activity and sentiment at a time when there is a relative lack of evidence involving completed deals since the lockdown. We will be very pleased to engage with operators, investors and lenders who would like to chat through the trends in further detail."
 
Enquiries:
 
Christie Group plc
Darren Bond
Christie & Co Global Managing Director                                                                                  020 7227 0771 
 
Mike Hodges
Christie & Co Managing Director- Care Consultancy sector                                                 020 7227 0784
 
Charlotte French
Company Secretary                                                                                                                     01908 920594
 
Shore Capital
Antonio Bossi
Nominated Advisor and Broker                                                                                                 020 7408 4090
 
Notes to Editors:
Christie Group plc, quoted on AIM, is a leading professional business services group with 43 offices across the UK, Europe and Canada, catering to its specialist markets in the hospitality, leisure, healthcare, medical, childcare & education and retail sectors.
 
Christie Group operates in two complementary business divisions: Professional & Financial Services (PFS) and Stock & Inventory Systems & Services (SISS). These divisions trade under the brand names: PFS - Christie & Co, Pinders, Christie Finance and Christie Insurance: SISS - Orridge, Venners and Vennersys.
 
Tracing its origins back to 1846, the Group has a long-established reputation for offering essential services to client companies in agency, valuation services, investment, consultancy, project management, multi-functional trading systems and online ticketing services, stock audit and inventory management. The diversity of these services provides a natural balance to the Group's core agency business.
 
For more information, please go to www.christiegroup.com.


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