REG - TheWorks.co.uk PLC - FY24 Interim Results and Christmas Trading Update
18/01/2024 07:00
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RNS Number : 0751A TheWorks.co.uk PLC 18 January 2024
18 January 2024
TheWorks.co.uk plc
("The Works", the "Company" or the "Group")
Interim results for the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023 and trading update for
the 11 weeks ended 14 January 2024.
Pressures on sales and profitability seen in H1 FY24 continued into H2.
Short-term focus is on margin growth and cost reduction. Guidance for FY24
maintained.
The Works, the family-friendly value retailer of books, arts and crafts,
stationery, toys and games, announces its interim results for the 26 weeks
ended 29 October 2023 (the "Period" or "H1 FY24") and an update on current
trading for the 11 weeks ended 14 January 2024.
H1 FY24 Financial summary
· Delivered total revenue growth of 3.1% to £122.6m (H1 FY23: £118.9m) and
total LFL sales growth of 1.6% against a challenging backdrop with softened
consumer demand.
o Maintained store sales growth, with LFL sales up 3.5%. Strong sales delivered
in the early summer months after which the rate of growth slowed, primarily
due to sector-wide reduced footfall.
o Online sales declined by 12.2%, echoing broader retail trends. Performance
improved throughout the Period, reflecting website improvements and increased
demand driven by promotional activity.
· Pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA loss of £8.5m (H1 FY23: loss of £6.4m) and
Adjusted loss before tax of £7.8m (H1 FY23: loss of £7.3m).(1)
o Faced tough cost headwinds due to inflation and increase in National Living
and Minimum Wages.
o Product gross margin increased to 57.2% (H1 FY23: 56.3%), albeit less than
anticipated, with lower freight costs partially offset by product mix and
market-driven promotional activity towards the end of the Period.
· The Group had net bank borrowings of £2.5m at the Period end, reflecting the
build-up of stock prior to the peak trading season, and the corresponding low
point in cash levels.
· Given pressures on sales and profitability and uncertain trading outlook,
focus is now on cost reduction and margin growth in the short-term, with
decisive action already underway.
· The Board's expectation for the full year (pre IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA of
approximately £6.0m), currently remains unchanged.
· The Board is not proposing a dividend or share buyback in the short-term.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
(Restated)(2)
Revenue £122.6m £118.9m
Revenue growth 3.1% 2.4%
LFL sales growth(3) 1.6% 0.6%
Pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA (£8.5m) (£6.4m)
Loss before tax (£14.8m)(4) (£7.3m)
Adjusted(5) loss before tax (£7.8m) (£7.3m)
Basic loss per share (17.6p) (8.4p)
Net (debt)/cash at bank(6) (£2.5m) £7.0m
H1 FY24 Operational summary
· Improved customer proposition through new toys and games ranges, which saw
double digit growth, as well as strong performance of summer and extended
Halloween seasonal ranges.
· Delivered website improvements to enhance the customer experience, which have
resulted in an improvement in key site-performance metrics.
· Optimised store estate with 5 new store openings, 19 refits, 3 relocations and
10 closures. Delivered annual rent savings of £0.5m on lease renewals
completed in the Period.
· Operational investments in merchandising team and a new picking process at the
Distribution Centre, have been slower than expected in delivering benefits and
efficiencies.
· Piloted new EPOS solution, replacing existing end-of-life solution, with
rollout to the wider estate planned for the first half of 2024.
· Strengthened leadership team with the appointment of new Commercial Director
and Marketing Director in H1, as well as CFO succession early in H2.
Trading update
Overall, LFL sales declined by 4.9% in the 11 weeks ended Sunday, 14 January
2024. This was lower than anticipated and was primarily a result of the
challenging consumer environment and subdued demand over the festive period.
Family finances were under pressure, meaning many customers prioritised spend
on food and essentials, whilst cutting back on gifting. The extended period of
discounting seen across the sector continued throughout November and December,
resulting in a highly competitive market and pressure to maintain promotional
activity.
In addition to the external challenges faced, some ranges, such as kids'
books, did not deliver as expected. We also experienced some teething problems
at our Distribution Centre following the implementation of a new pick-process
(expected to deliver significant savings in the long-term), which
intermittently disrupted the flow of stock. Trading has improved
post-Christmas in part reflecting a more impactful January sale, and the
operational challenges in the DC have eased.
Outlook
We entered the new calendar year with stock levels in line with our original
plans, having taken action to reduce planned intake and with seasonal stock
selling through as expected. Our cash position improved following Christmas,
with £18.4m of cash as of 14 January 2024 and we expect to end the financial
year debt-free.
Pressure on profitability from lower sales and margins has increased since our
last trading update and we have pivoted to focus on resetting our cost base,
growing our gross margin and scaling back non-essential investments and spend
in the short-term. The action undertaken is already having the desired impact,
albeit with most of the cost savings to be realised in the next financial
year.
Given the more positive sales trajectory in recent weeks, coupled with
expected benefits from cost action and new ranges, the Board's expectation for
FY24 pre IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA of approximately £6.0m currently remains
unchanged. We remain mindful that the outlook for consumer spend remains
unpredictable and of uncertainty relating to external factors such as stock
delays and increased freight costs as a result of supply chain disruption in
the Red Sea.
Gavin Peck, Chief Executive Officer of The Works, commented:
"Market conditions have been persistently challenging, putting pressure on our
sales and profit performance in the first half and throughout the festive
period. It is clear that many families celebrated Christmas on tighter budgets
this year, and whilst we offered excellent value, we were not immune to this
reduced spend. I am proud of the way that our colleagues have rallied together
to deliver for customers during these challenging times.
"We have started the new calendar year on an improved sales trajectory, with a
strengthened leadership team to drive forward our strategy and exciting Easter
and summer toy ranges due to land later this year. However, we are also
mindful of external challenges, including recent supply chain disruption in
the Red Sea.
"Our focus for the remainder of the year will be on cost reduction, rebuilding
margin and profitability, and conserving cash. It is necessary to take this
action now to stabilise the profitability of the business during this
challenging period, however we remain confident that our "Better, not just
Bigger" strategy is the right direction for the business and will enable a
return to sustainable growth in the long term."
Interim results presentation
A presentation for sell-side analysts will be held today at 9.30am via video
conference call. A copy of the presentation will shortly be made available on
the Company's website (www.corporate.theworks.co.uk/investors
(https://corporate.theworks.co.uk/) ).
Enquiries:
TheWorks.co.uk plc
Gavin Peck, CEO via Sanctuary Counsel
Rosie Fordham, CFO
Sanctuary Counsel
Ben Ullmann (0)20 7340 0395
Rachel Miller theworks@sanctuarycounsel.com
Kitty Ryder
Footnotes:
(1) Refer to Note 4 of the attached condensed unaudited financial statements.
(2) Refer to Note 13 of the attached condensed unaudited financial statements.
(3) The like for like (LFL) sales increase has been calculated with reference to
the FY23 comparative sales figures.
(4) HY24 loss before tax includes a £6.9m net impairment charge. See Financial
Report for more details.
(5) Adjusted profit figures exclude Adjusting items. See Note 5 of the attached
condensed unaudited financial statements for details of Adjusting items.
(6) Net (debt) / cash at bank, excluding lease liabilities.
Notes for editors:
The Works is one of the UK's leading family-friendly value retailers of books,
arts and crafts, stationery, toys and games, offering customers a
differentiated proposition as a value alternative to full price specialist
retailers. The Group trades from over 520 stores in the UK & Ireland and
online.
Chief Executive's Report
Trading performance
The first half of FY24 was characterised by a challenging consumer retail
environment, with high inflation and cost of living pressures resulting in
softened consumer demand. Against this backdrop The Works delivered total
revenue growth of 3.1% and a total LFL sales increase of 1.6%.
Stores delivered a LFL sales increase of 3.5%. We saw stronger sales during
the early summer months, driven by soft comparatives with H1 FY23 (due to the
impact of the cyber security incident) and a good performance of new toys and
games and summer "Out to Play" ranges. Key product categories struggled in
late summer and the market became increasingly difficult from mid-late
September onwards, resulting in more competition and extensive discounting
across the sector, which we responded to with increased levels of promotional
activity. Reduced footfall caused by unseasonable weather towards the end of
the period further impacted sales, although our extended Halloween range
performed well, with further opportunity to grow and refine our offering for
this increasingly significant seasonal event in 2024.
Online sales declined by 12.2%. Although weaker than stores overall,
consistent with the broader trend seen across the sector,(1) our online
performance gradually improved throughout the Period. This was a result of
improvements made to the customer experience of the website and the strong
performance of online promotional activity implemented in October. The poor
weather seen towards the end of the period also saw some customers shift from
shopping in store to online, which provided a temporary boost.
Profitability was constrained in the first half with a pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted
EBITDA loss of £8.5m (H1 FY23: £6.4m loss) and Adjusted loss before tax of
£7.8m (H1 FY23: £7.3m loss).(2) The main impacts on profitability were
higher business costs due to inflation and the significant increase in the
National Living and Minimum Wages. Profitability was further constrained by
operational investments in our merchandising team and a new way of picking at
the Distribution Centre being slower than expected to deliver benefits and
efficiencies. Product gross margin increased to 57.2% from 56.3% in H1 FY23
but was lower than expected, reflecting the benefit of lower freight rates
throughout the Period being partially offset by the product mix (strong sales
of lower margin toys, games and fiction books) and elevated levels of
market-driven promotional activity towards the end of the Period.
Given the persistent pressure on our sales and profitability, towards the end
of the Period we took decisive action to reduce costs across the business.
This includes reducing the number of labour hours in stores, reassessing
marketing spend and keeping other discretionary costs to a minimum. We are
targeting further rent reductions, particularly on low-profit stores, and have
strengthened middle-management in the Distribution Centre to drive the
expected efficiency savings from the new ways of working. At the same time we
have identified opportunities to accelerate margin growth through cost
reduction and supplier rationalisation. We are pleased with the action already
taken, with some positive impact over the remainder of the current year, but
given the lead time for these measures to fully bed in we expect that most of
the cost savings will materialise in FY25.
The Group had net bank borrowings of £2.5m at the Period end (H1 FY23: £7m
net cash), reflecting the build of stock prior to peak trading season, and the
corresponding low point in cash levels. There was £17.5m of headroom within
our £20.0m bank facility.
Strategy
Our "better, not just bigger" strategy provides The Works with a clearer
purpose and a more focussed brand identity and customer proposition to drive a
step-change in sales growth, as well as enabling us to improve the operations
of the business. Although the aims of this strategy, to make The Works a more
customer-focussed and efficient retailer, are relatively straightforward, the
extent of change required across our business to deliver it has always been
extensive and complex in nature.
Since launching the strategy we have made good progress in key areas, but did
not anticipate facing such a persistently challenging external environment,
which has hindered our ability to deliver as expected in recent years. We
still believe this is the right strategic direction for the business and are
confident that we have made the right investments. However, the combination of
an adverse trading environment, significant cost headwinds and slower than
expected progress have meant we have now entered an unforeseen and temporary
interim period between investment and return. Our present focus is on
delivering returns on those investments and cutting costs where we can, which
will see us scaling back non-essential investments. This is a short-term,
corrective course to stabilise the profitability of the business to see us
through a difficult period.
Updates on our strategic pillars in H1 FY24 include:
· Develop our brand and increase customer engagement: We hired a new Commercial
Director to improve our product proposition and key categories where we
believe there is scope to deliver growth, as well as a new Marketing Director,
who will drive our plan to bring our purpose to life and improve customer
engagement. New toys and games ranges delivered strong, double-digit, growth
despite the broader YoY decline of the toy market. Conversely, changes to our
core art, craft and stationery ranges have not delivered the expected sales
uplift and books have struggled, partially reflecting the challenging market
segment, but also the underperformance of our adult non-fiction and kids'
ranges. In spring 2024, we will replan and refocus our kids' book offering
alongside further refinement of our adult non-fiction range.
· Enhance our online proposition: We delivered improvements to the website to
enhance the customer experience, supported by new analytical tools, including
revamping our homepage, optimising product pages and improving navigation
across the site. These changes have seen an improvement on all key metrics,
including conversion. Whilst our online channel is important, representing
c.10% of sales, we are a predominantly store-based retailer and will continue
to be for the foreseeable future. A review of online priorities for the next
12 to 18 months will be complete by the end of Q1 2024, balancing any
investment with necessary cost reductions across the business.
· Optimise our store estate: We continued to optimise our store estate with 5
new openings, 19 refits, 3 relocations and 10 closures, meaning we traded from
521 stores at the end of the period. We continue to aggressively target rent
reductions on low-profit stores which has seen us deliver rent savings on our
existing estate, saving c.£0.5m in annual rent on the 36 lease renewals in H1
(an average saving of 22% on headline rent). The new, simplified store labour
structure we introduced at the beginning of FY24 has embedded well and will
allow us to drive more efficient use of our store labour budget. In turn, this
will help support planned reductions to store labour hours as we move into
FY25. Given profitability constraints, we will cut back capital expenditure
for the remainder of the year to only essential, or already committed, works.
· Drive operational improvements: We strengthened Distribution Centre
middle-management to help embed new ways of working and deliver the expected
benefits and efficiencies in 2024. We agreed with iForce, our third-party
provider for e-commerce, to move to a more modern distribution centre with
much higher levels of automation which took place in early-January 2024 and is
expected to save us c.£1m per annum in operating costs. Following a review of
our business operating model in early 2023, we have improved ways of working
across our Buying and newly formed Merchandising teams and identified tactical
system improvements. In early 2024 we will have a clear roadmap for future
system requirements, although the pace of investment will be balanced with the
need to manage costs and cash in the short-term. We also piloted new EPOS
software across 19 stores, which will be rolled out to all stores and replace
the current end-of-life software in the first half of 2024.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
As a business we are committed to "Doing Business Better" and our dedicated
ESG steering group continues to meet quarterly to ensure we are fulfilling our
mission to make positive and sustainable changes for our people, our
communities and our planet which will enable us to continue to inspire
reading, learning, creativity and play for generations to come.
Progress during the period includes:
· Phased out plastic packaging on cards and roll wrap at Christmas and reworked
the packaging on our re-launched core art and craft ranges to be more
environmentally friendly.
· Developed a new charity partnership with the National Literacy Trust to help
equip children and young people with the literacy skills they need to succeed
and thrive. This charity is much better aligned with our purpose, replacing
our previous partnership with Cancer Research UK, and customers and colleagues
will start to fundraise for the National Literacy Trust alongside our other
existing charity partner, Mind.
· Launched a trial takeback scheme with Barnardo's, a children's charity, in 20
stores with the potential to rollout to all eligible stores (c.400) in 2024.
Customers can donate new or pre-loved books, toys, games and stationery in our
stores, which are collected by Barnardo's and sold in their stores.
· Sustained our strong colleague engagement scores to place 15(th) in the 'Best
Big Companies to Work For' and 10(th) in Retail Week's 'Top 50 happiest
retailers to work for'.
Leadership changes
Following the announcement of the CFO succession at our preliminary results,
Rosie Fordham has now been appointed CFO and joined the Board effective 31
December 2023. Together with the appointment of Lynne Tooms as Commercial
Director and Simon Peck as Marketing Director, we now have a strengthened
leadership team to help steer the business through the next phase of
development.
Outlook
The Board's expectation for the full year results currently remains
unchanged.(3) Our trading performance in the run up to Christmas was lower
than expected, however this is balanced by an improving sales trajectory in
recent weeks and optimism about new ranges landing in the spring. Furthermore,
operational investments in our merchandising team and a new way of picking at
the Distribution Centre are expected to start delivering results in the
remainder of the Period, supporting the cost action we have already taken. In
line with the normal working capital cycle, we have exited Christmas with
significant levels of cash and expect to end the financial year debt-free.
However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as we move into 2024. We
continue to face significant cost headwinds, the consumer outlook remains
unpredictable and the supply chain disruption caused by recent attacks on
ships in the Red Sea creates the potential for stock delays and increased
freight costs, which we are carefully monitoring.
Shareholder return of capital and consultation exercise
Following resolution 2 relating to the declaration of the final dividend not
passing at the last AGM on 4 October 2023, we conducted a shareholder
consultation exercise. This consultation covered alternative forms of capital
distributions, with some of our major shareholders expressing a preference for
share buybacks over the payment of dividends at the AGM. The consultation also
covered resolutions 13, 14 and 15 as set out in our notice of AGM. We are
required under the UK Corporate Governance Code to provide an update within
six months of an AGM where more than 20% of votes were cast against a
resolution.
We have listened to the views of our shareholders in relation to the above
resolutions and taken this consultation exercise into consideration. In light
of current trading, we are now focused on retaining cash within the business
and the Board will therefore not be proposing any form of shareholder returns
in the short-term. The Board will continue to consider shareholder feedback on
returns of capital within the context of the Company's cash position on an
ongoing basis.
Gavin Peck
Chief Executive Officer
18 January 2024
Footnotes
(1) Data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows a decline in online
non-food sales for every month of the period from May through October:
https://brc.org.uk/insight/market-insight-hub/?topic=Retail%20Sales#9
(2) The seasonality of the business typically results in a loss in the first half
of the financial year, with all profit being substantially generated through
Christmas trading in H2. The loss before tax in H1 FY24 was greater than the
previous year as a result of a £6.9m net impairment charge.
(3) Revised guidance was announced in the 9 November 2023 trading update. The
Company compiled estimate of the market's expectation for the FY24 and FY25
pre IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA result is approximately £6.0m and £8.5m
respectively.
Financial Report
Overview
This report covers the 26 week period ended 29 October 2023 ("H1 FY24", "H1"
or "the Period") and refers to the comparative "H1 FY23" period of the 26
weeks ended 30 October 2022.
The result for the Period was an Adjusted loss before tax of £7.8m compared
with a restated loss before tax of £7.3m for H1 FY23. The pre-IFRS 16
Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of £8.5m (H1 FY23: loss of £6.4m). The result
reflects the impact on sales and significant cost headwinds faced in the
challenging macro-economic environment. The seasonality of the business
typically results in a loss in the first half of the financial year, with all
profit being substantially generated through Christmas trading in H2.
The table below summarises the movements between the H1 FY23 and H1 FY24
EBITDA results. Revenue increased by 3.1% and the margin rate improved
slightly (albeit less than expected) but there were cost headwinds such as the
increase in National Living and Minimum Wages (NLMW) and electricity along
with investment in IT infrastructure and support centre headcount which more
than offset this. Further details are provided below.
£m
H1 FY23 EBITDA(1) (6.4)
Additional margin from year-on-year sales increase 2.0
Higher product gross margin percentage 1.1
Variable web running costs 1.2
Payroll Inflation across Stores and Support Centre (2.0)
Store Distribution costs (1.7)
IT infrastructure (0.8)
Electricity (inflation) (0.7)
Support centre labour investment (0.7)
Other (0.4)
H1 FY24 EBITDA(1) (8.5)
At the balance sheet date the Group had net debt of £2.5m (H1 FY23: net cash
of £7.0m) (excluding lease liabilities). Stock was purchased earlier compared
to the prior Period to mitigate the risk of delays to key seasonal lines that
we experienced in FY23 and the cash position at the end of the Period fully
reflects this build of stock.
(1) The Group tracks a number of alternative performance measures ("APMs")
including pre-IFRS 16 EBITDA, pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA and like for like
("LFL") sales, as it believes these provide stakeholders with additional
helpful information. These are described more fully in Note 1(c) and 4 of the
condensed unaudited financial statements.
Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this document may not add up
precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the
absolute figures.
Revenue
Total revenue during the Period increased by 3.1% to £122.6 million (H1 FY23:
£118.9 million). LFL sales increased by 1.6%, with store LFLs increasing by
3.5% and online sales decreasing by 12.2%.
The number of stores trading decreased by five, from 526 to 521 at the end of
the Period. Five new stores were opened, ten were closed and three stores were
relocated to new sites.
The table on the following page shows an analysis of sales and a
reconciliation to statutory revenue.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23 £m Variance £m Variance %
£m
Total LFL sales for Period 130.3 128.2 2.1 1.6%
Non LFL sales 8.7 6.1 2.6 43.2%
Total Gross Sales 139.0 134.3 4.7 3.5%
VAT (15.6) (14.5) (1.1) (7.9%)
Loyalty points redeemed (0.8) (0.9) 0.1 7.6%
Revenue (per statutory accounts) 122.6 118.9 3.6 3.1%
The effective VAT rate was higher than in H1 FY23 due to the higher sales mix
of toys and games compared to the mix of zero rated books in the comparative
year.
Gross profit
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
(Restated - Note 13)
£m % of revenue £m % of revenue £m Variance % Variance
Revenue 122.6 118.9 3.6 3.1
Less: Cost of goods sold (52.5) (52.0) (0.5) (0.9)
Product gross margin 70.1 57.2 66.9 56.3 3.2 4.7
Overhead costs charged to statutory cost of sales
Store payroll (24.8) (20.2) (23.0) (19.4) (1.7) (7.6)
Store property and establishment costs (25.4) (20.8) (25.2) (21.2) (0.3) (1.0)
Store PoS & transaction fees (1.2) (1.0) (0.9) (0.8) (0.3) (32.9)
Store depreciation (excluding IFRS 16) (1.4) (1.1) (2.2) (1.8) 0.8 37.0
Online variable costs (7.0) (5.7) (8.2) (6.9) 1.2 14.4
IFRS16 impact (excluding Adjusting items) 5.4 4.4 4.0 3.4 1.3 33.4
Adjusting items (net impairment charges) (6.9) (5.7) 0.0 0.0 (6.9) (100.0)
Gross profit per financial statements 8.6 7.0 11.4 9.6 (2.8) (24.2)
· Product gross margin increased to 57.2% from 56.3% last year.
This was due to:
o A significant reduction in 2023 container freight rates versus 2022 rates.
This more than offset the negative margin impact of the factors outlined
below.
o The hedged FX rate on payments made in US dollars during H1 was adverse
year on year and continues to be a headwind in H2. Margin was further impacted
from the unwind of the adverse hedging adjustment recognised in stock held at
FY23 year end.
o New toys and games ranges delivered as part of improving our customer
proposition saw double digit growth in the Period, however these attract a
lower margin percentage.
o Increased promotional activity, particularly in October, also moderated
gross margin percentage.
· Store payroll costs increased due to the 9.7% increase in the
NLMW and the corresponding retail management increases. These were partially
mitigated by the changes to our store labour structure implemented at the
start of the Period.
· Store property and establishment costs increased by £0.3m due
to:
o A £0.7m increase in electricity costs year on year as a result of adverse
hedged prices and higher non consumption rates due to inflation.
o Service charges were £0.5m higher than the prior year which included the
headwind of £0.2m of one off credits received in the prior Period.
o Total rent charges were broadly in line with the previous year.
o £1.3m favourable business rates as a result of the rates revaluation
offset the majority of the above increases.
· Online variable costs (marketing and fulfilment) in H1 FY24 were
primarily lower due to lower sales volumes, however further cost savings
resulted from improvements in the order profile; average order value and
average ticket price increased. Efficiencies continued to be delivered as a
result of improvements made to the online fulfilment picking process during
the prior Period.
· The IFRS 16 impact in the table above (and in the Administration
costs table below) represents the additional IFRS 16 depreciation on the
notional right of use asset created, less rent, which is not recognised under
IFRS 16. The difference in the size of the adjustment compared with H1 FY23 is
due to the FY23 store impairment of Right of Use Assets ("RoUAs") resulting in
a gain on modification of leases. Note 4 of the financial statements provides
a reconciliation between pre and post IFRS 16 profit.
Store distribution costs
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
£m % of revenue £m % of revenue £m variance % variance
Distribution costs (6.7) (5.5) (5.0) (4.2) (1.7) (34.0)
Depreciation (0.1) (0.1) (0.0) (0.0) (0.1) (100.0)
Distribution costs (6.8) (5.6) (5.0) (4.2) (1.8) (36.1)
Store distribution costs increased by £1.7m to £6.7m. Note that online
fulfilment costs are included within the cost of sales.
· Labour costs in our retail distribution centre increased by
£1.4m as a result of the 9.7% increase in the NLMW and a higher mix of agency
staff, (which incurs a higher hourly rate).
· Stock was brought into the business earlier to mitigate the risk
of delays to key seasonal lines that we experienced in FY23, this resulted in
increased volumes, and increased labour costs in September and October.
However, costs were further impacted by adverse performance metrics due to;
increased average size of product stored and shipped; the higher mix of agency
staff, along with inefficiencies as a result of the implementation of a new
grid picking process.
· Third party delivery charges increased by £0.3m, primarily due
to increased product cube which resulted in higher outbound pallet volumes.
Administration costs
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
£m % of revenue £m % of revenue £m variance % variance
Administration costs (13.3) (10.9) (10.9) (9.2) (2.4) (21.9)
Depreciation (1.1) (0.9) (0.5) (0.4) (0.6) (111.2)
IFRS 16 impact 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 36.4
Administration costs (14.2) (11.6) (11.3) (9.5) (2.9) (25.7)
Administration costs increased by £2.4m to £13.3m.
· Support centre payroll costs increased by £1.0m, £0.3m of which
was due to inflationary payrises, which includes the impact of the 9.7% NLMW
increase. The remaining increase is due to the annualisation of structural
changes made in FY23 (a new Merchandising team was recruited in late FY23).
· £0.8m increase in IT infrastructure costs which included dual
running costs as we piloted the new EPOS software, continued investment in the
strengthening of our IT security and higher costs as more software transitions
to a SaaS basis.
Adjusting items
Due to the challenging macroeconomic environment and the existence of a
material brought forwards impairment charge, all cash generating units (CGUs)
other than stores which have been open for less than 12 months have been
assessed for impairment at the Period end. No impairment review was performed
during the 26 weeks ended 30 October 2022 and therefore no impairment charges
or reversals were recognised in the comparative interim financial statements.
During the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023, an impairment charge of £10.1m was
recognised against 284 stores. An impairment reversal of £2.6m relating to 73
stores and £0.6m relating to the website has also been recognised. The net
impact is an impairment charge of £6.9m. Refer also to Note 5 of the
condensed unaudited financial statements.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
£'m £'m
Impairment charges (10.1) -
Impairment reversals 3.2 -
Total adjusting items (6.9) -
Net financing expense
Net financing costs in the Period were £2.4m (H1 FY23: £2.3m), mostly
relating to IFRS 16 notional interest on the calculated lease liability.
Interest relating to bank facilities was £0.3m (H1 FY23: £0.3m) and
comprised facility availability charges and amortisation of the cost of
setting up the facility.
Loss before tax
The loss before tax was £14.8m (H1 FY23: £7.3m loss) which includes the
£6.9m (H1 FY23: Nil) impairment charge recognised in Adjusting items
(described above). Due to the seasonality of the business, the first half of
the financial year is typically loss making, although the loss for the year
was worse than the prior year as a result of the net impairment charge in
Adjusting items (H1 FY23: Nil) and the cost variances described above.
Tax
The Group's total income tax credit in respect of the Period was £3.76
million (H1 FY23: £1.99 million). The effective tax rate on the total loss
before tax was 25.4% (H1 FY23: 27.4%), the Adjusted tax rate was 32.9% (H1
FY23: 27.4%).
The difference between the total effective tax rate and the Adjusted tax rate
relates to certain costs and depreciation charges (including impairment) being
non-deductible for tax purposes.
Earnings per share
The basic and diluted losses per share for the Period was 20.5 pence (H1 FY23
restated: 8.4 pence loss).
Capital expenditure
Capital expenditure in the Period was £3.1 million (H1 FY23: £2.5m).
Lower leasehold contributions from landlords compared to H1 FY23 resulted in
higher new store capex.
The other notable area of capital expenditure was on store refits (19
undertaken in the Period).
Capital expenditure for the full year is still expected to be approximately
£6.5m.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23 Variance
£'m £'m £m
New stores and relocations (0.6) (0.0) (0.6)
Store refits and maintenance (1.6) (1.2) (0.4)
IT hardware,software, projects (0.9) (1.3) 0.4
Total capital expenditure (3.1) (2.5) (0.6)
Stock
Stock was valued at £56.1m at the end of the Period (H1 FY23: £53.6m), an
increase of £2.5m.
The operating cycle of the business causes maximum stock levels to occur prior
to the Christmas sales peak, and therefore stock levels typically increase at
the half year end compared with the levels at the year end. In addition to
this seasonal build, the stock value was higher than normal at the end of H1
FY23 due to the following:
· Stock was purchased earlier to mitigate the risk of delays to key
seasonal lines that we experienced in FY23, such as diaries and calendars.
· The cost value per unit of stock was approximately 3% higher than
in the prior year, primarily reflecting inflationary increases in cost prices.
· Stock provision values are lower than the prior year due to the
introduction of full '4-wall' counts in FY23 and the subsequent reduction in
the obsolescence provision.
The higher stock level at the end of H1 is expected to unwind in the second
half of the year resulting in the year end stock value being broadly in line
with the prior year.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23
£m £m
Gross stock 50.5 46.6
Less: provisions (1.7) (3.2)
Stock net of provisions 48.8 43.4
Stock in transit 7.3 10.2
Stock per balance sheet 56.1 53.6
Cashflow
The Group ended the period with net debt of £2.5m. The timing of the October
month end (29(th) October 2023) resulted in payments falling into H2 FY24,
thereby creating a favourable timing difference (£3.0m). The cash position at
the end of the Period fully reflects the build of stock prior to the peak
trading season.
The net cash outflow for the Period was £12.8m (H1 FY23: outflow of £9.3m).
The size of the outflow during H1 FY24 was increased by the larger increase in
stock as described above, along with increased capital expenditure on new
stores.
The table below shows an abbreviated summarised cashflow analysis.
H1 FY24 H1 FY23 Variance
£m £m £m
Operating cash flows before changes in working capital 5.1 5.6 (0.5)
Deduct from statutory presentation: rent payments (13.9) (14.3) 0.4
Deduct from statutory presentation: RCF drawdown (5.0) (4.0) (1.0)
Non IFRS cashflow before working capital movements (13.8) (12.6) (1.1)
Net movements in working capital (0.2) 3.8 (4.0)
Capex (3.1) (2.5) (0.6)
Tax paid 0.0 (1.5) 1.5
Interest and financing costs (0.4) (0.6) 0.2
Cashflow before loan movements (17.5) (13.4) (4.1)
Drawdown of RCF 5.0 4.0 1.0
Exchange rate movements (0.1) 0.3 (0.4)
Purchase of treasury shares by EBT (0.1) (0.1) 0.0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (12.8) (9.3) (3.5)
Opening net cash balance excluding IAS 17 leases 10.2 16.3
Closing net (debt)/cash balance excluding lease liabilities (2.5) 7.0
Bank facilities
The Group's bank facilities comprise an RCF of £20.0m expiring 30 November
2026. The facility includes financial covenants in relation to the level of
net debt to LTM EBITDA and 'Fixed Charge Cover' or ratio of LTM EBITDA prior
to deducting rent and interest, to LTM rent and interest.
£5.0m was drawn under the Group's RCF facility during October 2023.
Dividends
At the AGM shareholders expressed a preference for share buybacks over
dividends and we have continued to consult with our major shareholders. In
light of current trading we are focused on retaining cash within the business
and the Board is not proposing an interim dividend.
When conditions, such as trade, profit levels and liquidity support returning
cash to shareholders we will re-visit the capital distribution policy.
Rosie Fordham
Chief Financial Officer
18 January 2024
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Income Statement
For the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
26 weeks to 29 October 2023 26 weeks to 30 October 2022 52 weeks to 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
Adjusted Adjusting items Total Adjusted Adjusting items Total Adjusted Adjusting items Total
Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Revenue 3 122,575 - 122,575 118,932 - 118,932 280,102 - 280,102
Cost of sales 5 (106,986) (6,949) (113,935) (107,541) - (107,541) (231,150) (5,052) (236,202)
Gross profit 15,589 (6,949) 8,640 11,391 - 11,391 48,952 (5,052) 43,900
Other operating income 4 - 4 4 - 4 8 - 8
Distribution expenses (6,846) - (6,846) (5,031) - (5,031) (10,284) - (10,284)
Administrative expenses (14,173) - (14,173) (11,278) - (11,278) (24,197) - (24,197)
Operating (loss)/profit (5,426) (6,949) (12,375) (4,914) - (4,914) 14,479 (5,052) 9,427
Finance income 6 17 - 17 23 - 23 227 227
Finance expense 6 (2,411) - (2,411) (2,364) - (2,364) (4,648) - (4,648)
Net financing expense (2,394) - (2,394) (2,341) - (2,341) (4,421) - (4,421)
(Loss) / profit before tax (7,820) (6,949) (14,769) (7,255) - (7,255) 10,058 (5,052) 5,006
Tax 9 2,573 1,184 3,757 1,986 - 1,986 265 - 265
(Loss) / profit for the period (5,247) (5,765) (11,012) (5,269) - (5,269) 10,323 (5,052) 5,271
(Loss) / profit before tax and IFRS 16 4 (11,311) (2,215) (13,526) (9,445) - (9,445) 3,025 (1,488) 1,537
Basic (loss)/earnings per share (pence) 10 (8.4) (17.6) (8.4) (8.4) 16.5 8.4
Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (pence) 10 (8.4) (17.6) (8.4) (8.4) 16.4 8.4
All results arise from continuing operations. The loss for the period is
attributable to equity holders of the Parent company.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
For the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
26 weeks to 26 weeks to 52 weeks to
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
£000 £000 £000
(Loss) / profit for the period (11,012) (5,269) 5,271
Items that may or may not be recycled subsequently into profit and loss
Cash flow hedges - changes in fair value 2,423 (498) (2,862)
Cash flow hedges - reclassified to profit and loss (278) (1,258) (62)
Cost of hedging reserve - changes in fair value (357) 56 (162)
Cost of hedging reserve - reclassified to profit and loss 135 47 91
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income (525) - 262
Other comprehensive income / (expense) for the period, net of income tax 1,398 (1,653) (2,733)
Total comprehensive (expense) / income for the period attributable to equity (9,614) (6,922) 2,538
shareholders of the Parent
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at 29 October 2023
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
Note £000 £000 £000
Non-current assets
Intangible assets 12 1,583 1,920 916
Property, plant and equipment 13 9,426 10,161 11,733
Right of use assets 13 57,602 73,852 67,463
Deferred tax assets 8,087 6,694 4,854
76,698 92,627 84,966
Current assets
Inventories 14 56,118 53,571 33,441
Trade and other receivables 9,390 10,469 7,507
Derivative financial assets 18 1,134 1,775 -
Current tax asset 1,170 747 1,149
Cash and cash equivalents 2,458 10,971 10,196
70,270 77,533 52,293
Total assets 146,968 170,160 137,259
Current liabilities
Interest bearing loans and borrowings 15 5,000 4,000 -
Lease liabilities 15 22,110 23,830 23,449
Trade and other payables 60,028 66,948 34,479
Provisions 16 276 204 565
Derivative financial liabilities 18 84 - 1,048
87,498 94,982 59,541
Non-current liabilities
Lease liabilities 15 66,713 81,128 74,766
Provisions 16 893 767 1,298
67,606 81,895 76,064
Total liabilities 155,104 176,877 135,605
Net (liabilities) / assets (8,136) (6,717) 1,654
Equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent
Share capital 17 625 625 625
Share premium 17 28,322 28,322 28,322
Merger reserve (54) (54) (54)
Share based payment reserve 2,782 2,512 2,780
Hedging reserve 1,035 290 (331)
Retained earnings (40,846) (38,412) (29,688)
Total equity (8,136) (6,717) 1,654
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
Attributable to equity holders
Share based
Share Share Merger Hedging payment Retained Total
capital premium reserve reserve(1) reserve earnings equity
For the 26 Weeks Ended 29 October 2023 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
At 30 April 2023 625 28,322 (54) 2,780 (331) (29,688) 1,654
Total comprehensive income / (expense) for the period
Loss for the period - - - - - (11,012) (11,012)
Other comprehensive income - - - - 1,398 - 1,398
Total comprehensive income / (expense) for the period - - - - 1,398 (11,012) (9,614)
Hedging gains and losses and costs of hedging transferred to the cost of - - - - (32) - (32)
inventory
Transactions with owners of the Company
Share-based payment charges - - - 2 - - 2
Acquisition of treasury shares - - - - - (146) (146)
Total transactions with owners - - - 2 - (146) (144)
Balance at 29 October 2023 625 28,322 (54) 2,782 1,035 (40,846) (8,136)
For the 26 Weeks Ended 30 October 2022 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
As at 1 May 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,252 2,227 (11,741) 21,631
Cumulative adjustment to opening balance (Note 13) - - - - - (21,253) (21,253)
Restated balance at 1 May 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,252 2,227 (32,994) 378
Total comprehensive expense for the period
Loss for the period - - - - - (5,269) (5,269)
Other comprehensive expense - - - - (1,653) - (1,653)
Total comprehensive expense for the period - - - - (1,653) (5,269) (6,922)
Hedging gains and losses and costs of hedging transferred to the cost of - - - - (284) - (284)
inventory
Transactions with owners of the Company
Share-based payment charges - - - 260 - - 260
Acquisition of treasury shares - - - - - (149) (149)
Total transactions with owners - - - 260 - (149) 111
Balance at 30 October 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,512 290 (38,412) (6,717)
For the 52 Weeks Ended 30 April 2023 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Balance at 1 May 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,252 2,227 (32,994) 378
Total comprehensive (expense) / income for the period
Profit for the period - - - - - 5,271 5,271
Other comprehensive expense - - - - (2,733) - (2,733)
Total comprehensive (expense) / income for the period - - - - (2,733) 5,271 2,538
Hedging gains and losses and costs of hedging transferred to the cost of - - - - 175 - 175
inventory
Transactions with owners of the Company
Share based payment charges - - - 528 - - 528
Dividend - - - - - (1,492) (1,492)
Own shares purchased by employee benefit trust - - - - - (473) (473)
Total transactions with owners - - - 528 - (1,965) (1,437)
Balance at 30 April 2023 625 28,322 (54) 2,780 (331) (29,688) 1,654
(1 ) Hedging reserve includes £391k in relation
to changes in forward points which are recognised in other comprehensive
income and accumulated as a cost of hedging within the hedging reserve (£NIL
for the 26 weeks ended 30 October 2022, £170k for the 52 weeks ended 30 April
2023).
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
For the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
26 weeks to 26 weeks to 52 weeks to
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
£000 £000 £000
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
(Loss) / profit for the period (11,012) (5,269) 5,271
Adjustments for:
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 2,420 2,249 4,458
Impairment of property, plant and equipment 2,787 - 944
Reversal of impairment of property, plant and equipment (293) - (574)
Depreciation of right-of-use assets 14,789 8,000 14,840
Impairment of right-of-use assets 6,874 - 6,126
Reversal of impairment of right-of-use assets (2,140) - (2,562)
Amortisation of intangible assets 374 452 878
Impairment of intangible assets 450 - 1,118
Reversal of impairment of intangible assets (729) - -
Derivative exchange loss / (gain) 344 (390) (721)
Financial income (17) (23) (227)
Financial expense 275 330 518
Interest on lease liabilities 2,136 2,034 4,130
(Profit) / loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment (174) (18) 149
Profit on disposal of right of use assets and lease liability (2,583) (39) (1,105)
Profit relating to lease modifications (4,595) - -
(Profit) / loss on disposal of intangible assets (67) - 14
Share based payment charges 2 260 528
Taxation (3,757) (1,986) (265)
Operating cash flows before changes in working capital 5,084 5,600 33,520
(Increase) / decrease in trade and other receivables (1,823) (1,706) 1,033
Increase in inventories (23,217) (24,030) (3,129)
Increase / (decrease) in trade and other payables 25,559 29,706 (1,443)
(Decrease) / increase in provisions (694) (146) 746
Cash inflows from operating activities 4,909 9,424 30,727
Corporation tax paid - (1,487) (1,508)
Net cash from operating activities 4,909 7,937 29,219
Cash flows from investing activities
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (3,092) (2,744) (7,296)
Capital contributions received from landlords 659 971 1,928
Acquisition of intangible assets (695) (755) (1,309)
Interest received 17 23 227
Net cash outflows from investing activities (3,111) (2,505) (6,450)
Cash flows from financing activities
Payment of finance lease liabilities (capital element) (11,788) (12,223) (22,672)
Payment of finance lease liabilities (interest) (2,136) (2,028) (4,130)
Payment of RCF costs (60) (336) (336)
Other interest paid (349) (304) (321)
RCF drawdown 5,000 4,000 4,000
Repayment of bank borrowings - - (4,000)
Dividend paid - - (1,492)
Purchase of treasury shares (146) (149) (473)
Net cash from financing activities (9,479) (11,040) (29,424)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (7,681) (5,608) (6,655)
Exchange rate movements (57) 299 571
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of Period 10,196 16,280 16,280
Cash and cash equivalents at end of Period 2,458 10,971 10,196
Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
1 Accounting Policies
(a) General Information
TheWorks.co.uk plc ('the Company') is a public limited company domiciled in
the United Kingdom and its registered office is Boldmere House, Faraday
Avenue, Hams Hall Distribution Park, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 1AL. These
unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements ('interim
financial statements') as at and for the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
comprise the results of the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to
as 'the Group').
(b) Basis of preparation
The interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34
Interim Financial Reporting, and should be read in conjunction with
TheWorks.co.uk plc financial statements for the 52 weeks ended 30 April 2023.
The interim financial statements do not include all of the information
required for a complete set of IFRS financial statements. However, selected
explanatory notes are included to explain events and transactions that are
significant to an understanding of the changes in the Group's financial
position and performance since the last annual financial statements.
The consolidated financial statements are presented in pounds sterling and all
values are rounded to the nearest thousand (£000), except when otherwise
indicated.
(i) Going concern
The unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared on a going
concern basis, which the Directors consider appropriate for the reasons set
out below.
The Directors have assessed the prospects of the Group, taking into account
its current position and the potential impact of the principal risks which
have been identified through the Group's risk evaluation process.
In preparing its FY23 Annual Report and financial statements (which were
approved on 30 August 2023), the Group prepared a cash flow forecast. On 9
November 2023, the Group issued its half year trading update and included a
revision to the profit forecast reflecting the adverse impact on sales and
significant cost headwinds faced in the challenging macro-economic
environment. The revised forecast covers a period of 18 months from the date
of approval of these unaudited condensed financial statements, and is
henceforth referred to as the 'Base Case' scenario. In addition, a 'severe but
plausible' 'Downside Case' sensitivity was prepared to support the Board's
conclusion regarding going concern, by stress testing the Base Case to
indicate the financial headroom resulting from applying more pessimistic
assumptions.
In assessing the basis of preparation the Directors considered:
• The external environment.
• The Group's financial position including the quantum and
expectations regarding availability of bank facilities.
• The potential impact on financial performance of the principal
risks.
• The output of the Base Case scenario, which represents the Group's
estimate of the most likely financial performance over the forecast period.
• Measures to maintain or increase liquidity in the event of a
significant downturn in trading.
• The resilience of the Group to these risks having a more severe
impact, evaluated via the Downside Case which shows the impact on the Group's
cash flows, bank facility headroom and covenants.
• The response to situations in which consumer market conditions are
more severe than the Downside Case.
These factors are described below.
External environment
The risks which are considered the most significant to this evaluation relate
to the economy and the market, specifically their effect on the strength of
trading conditions, and the Group's ability to successfully execute its
strategy. The risk of weaker consumer demand is considered to be the greater
of these risks, due to the continued high level of inflation and its potential
effect on economic growth and consumer spending.
An emerging risk has been noted in relation to the possible effects of climate
change, but this is not expected to have a material financial impact on the
Group during the forecast period.
Financial position and bank facilities
At the Period end the Group held net debt (excluding lease liabilities) of
£2.5m (HY23: £7.0m) (Note 15).
The Group's bank facilities comprise a £20.0m revolving credit facility (RCF)
which terminates at the end of November 2026. The facility includes two
financial covenants which are structured in a way that is typical for a retail
business of this size and are tested quarterly:
1. The level of net debt to LTM (last twelve months') EBITDA (maximum
ratio 2.5x).
2. The "Fixed Charge Cover" or ratio of LTM EBITDA prior to deducting
rent and interest, to LTM rent and interest (minimum ratio 1.20x until 31
October 2025, 1.25x until 31 October 2026 and 1.30x thereafter). In December
2023, the Group agreed an Amendment to the facility agreement which resulted
in a reset of the fixed charge cover. Prior to the amendment, the ratios were,
minimum ratio 1.20x until 31 October 2024, 1.25x until 31 October 2025 and
1.30x thereafter).
Potential impact of risks on Base Case and Downside Case scenarios
The 'Principal risks and uncertainties' section of the Strategic report on
pages 49 to 53 of the Group's FY23 Annual Report, sets out the main risks that
the Board considers relevant.
It is considered unlikely that all the risks would manifest themselves to
adversely affect the business at the same time. The Directors have estimated
what the most likely combination of risks might be that could materialise
within the going concern assessment period and how the business might be
affected; this combination of risks is reflected in the Base Case assumptions.
As noted above, the most prominent risk in the near term is considered to be
the risk of lower consumer spending due to a weakened economy, which could
affect sales, costs and liquidity.
The Downside Case scenario takes into consideration the same risks as the Base
Case but assumes that their effects are more severe, especially if consumer
spending weakens further.
Base Case scenario
The Base Case scenario assumptions reflect the following factors:
· The Base Case sales growth in H2 FY24 reflects the trading
results over the Christmas period to end of December 2023.The remaining
forecast period reflects a stabilising consumer environment, and product
proposition changes and operational improvements, offset with supply chain
risk
· The Base Case gross margin percentage reflects the expected
continuation of discounting, offset with favourable freight rates from stock
purchased earlier in the year. FY25 and FY26 margin reflects improvements as a
result of implementing operational changes in the buying team following the
appointment of the new commercial director, favourable hedged FX rates, offset
with temporarily higher ocean container freight costs expected as a result of
the disruption in the Red Sea.
· Anticipated further inflationary effects, in particular the
increase in the National Minimum Wage. In respect of other costs, notably
property occupancy costs, it is not expected that there will be further
significant inflationary effects during FY25, following the significant
increases (for example in electricity costs) already experienced.
· Capital expenditure levels are in line with the Group's strategic
plan. A significant proportion of the Group's capital expenditure is
discretionary, particularly over a short-term time period. As a result, if
required, it can therefore be reduced substantially, for example, in the event
the Group needing to preserve cash.
· The anticipated costs of the Group's net zero climate change
commitments have been incorporated within the Base Case model. As set out in
the climate related disclosures in the annual report, the impact on the
Group's financial performance and position is not expected to be material in
the short term.
Under the Base Case scenario, the Group expects to make routine operational
use of its bank facility each year as stock levels are increased in
September-October, prior to peak sales occurring.
The output of the Base Case model scenario indicates that the Group has
sufficient financial resources to continue to operate as a going concern and
for the financial statements to be prepared on this basis.
Measures to maintain or increase liquidity in the event of a significant
downturn in trading
If necessary, mitigating actions can and would be taken in response to a
significant downturn in trading such as is described below, which would
increase liquidity.
These include, for example, delaying and reducing stock purchases, stock
liquidation, reductions in capital expenditure, the review of payment terms
and the review of dividend levels. Some of these potential mitigations have
been built into the Downside Case model, and some are additional measures that
would be available in the event of that scenario, or worse, actually
occurring.
Severe but plausible Downside Case scenario
The Downside Case makes the following assumptions to reflect more adverse
macroeconomic conditions compared to the Base Case:
· Store LFL sales are assumed to be 0.5% lower than the Base case
for the remaining year to go in FY24),4.5% lower than the Base Case in FY25
and 4.3% lower in FY26.
· In this scenario online sales are assumed to be lower than in the
Base Case during the forecast Period by 4.4% in FY25 and 4.1% in FY26.
· The product gross margin assumptions are 1.0 percentage lower
than the Base Case for FY25 and 1.2% lower than FY26, reflecting a scenario of
increased and extended disruption in the Red Sea adversely impacting container
freight rates. The majority of expected FX requirements are hedged until the
end of FY25. Other gross margin inputs are relatively controllable, including
via the setting of selling prices to reflect any systematic changes in the
cost price of goods bought for resale.
· Volume related costs in the Downside Case are lowered where they
logically alter in a direct relationship with sales levels, for example,
forecast online fulfilment and marketing costs. The model also reflects
certain steps which could be taken to mitigate the effect of lower sales,
depending on management's assessment of the situation at the time. These
include adjustments to stock purchases, reducing capital expenditure,
reductions in labour usage, a reduction in discounts allowed as part of the
Group's loyalty scheme and the suspension of FY25 capital contribution
payments.
o The combined financial effect of the modified assumptions in this scenario
compared with the Base Case, during the forecast period, including
implementing some of the mitigating activities available, would result in a
reduction in store net sales of approximately £13.9m.
o a reduction in online net sales of approximately £1.4m.
o a reduction to EBITDA of approximately £6.5m.
Under the Downside Case scenario, the Group expects to make routine
operational use of its bank facility each year as stock levels are increased,
prior to peak sales occurring.
The bank facility financial covenants are complied with during the period.
On the basis of this Downside Case scenario with the "severe but plausible"
set of assumptions as described, the business would continue to have adequate
resources to continue in operation.
However, the Fixed charge covenant headroom at the quarterly testing points
falling within the going concern period is limited, and there are reasonably
plausible scenarios in which this headroom could be eroded and create a
borrowing requirement. For example, if sales decreased by a further 1% during
the going concern period compared with the Downside Case, a breach of the
covenant could arise, however the Group would likely be in a net cash position
at this point. The Group has a strong relationship with its bank, HSBC, and
has a recent track record of working collaboratively with the bank to resolve
potential covenant issues, for example, a waiver was agreed by HSBC in 2021 as
noted in the Group's FY21 Annual Report and, as noted above, in December 2023
a covenant amendment was agreed. Despite this strong relationship with the
bank and the recent evidence of successfully managing comparable situations,
if a borrowing requirement arose when the financial covenants are not complied
with, there is a risk that the Group would not be able to utilise its
borrowing facilities if required.
The Directors believe that, should such a situation arise in practice, it
would have time before a potential breach to mitigate further, and potentially
to make arrangements with the bank, as has occurred previously, to adjust the
covenant levels to prevent a breach. Furthermore, the Group has successfully
managed through challenging conditions during the COVID pandemic, and the
Directors believe it unlikely that comparably challenging conditions will be
experienced during the forecast period, despite the concerns regarding the
current macroeconomic conditions. Nevertheless, despite the Directors'
confidence in relation to these matters, there is no certainty as to whether
the mitigating actions would provide the level of liquidity required in the
time available to implement them, nor whether the bank would make adjustments
to the financial covenants.
Conclusion regarding basis of preparation
Based on all of the above considerations the Directors believe that it remains
appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis.
However, these circumstances indicate the existence of a material uncertainty
related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group's
and the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, that
the Group and Company may be unable to realise their assets and discharge
their liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statements
do not include any adjustments that would result from the basis of preparation
being inappropriate.
(ii) Accounting policies
The interim financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with
the accounting policies published in the Group's financial statements for
FY23.
(c) Alternative performance measures and Adjusting items
The Group tracks a number of alternative performance measures (APMs) in
managing its business, which are not defined or specified under the
requirements of IFRS because they exclude amounts that are included in, or
include amounts that are excluded from, the most directly comparable measure
calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS, or are calculated using
financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with IFRS.
The Group believes that these APMs, which are not considered to be a
substitute for or superior to IFRS measures, provide stakeholders with
additional helpful information on the performance of the business. They are
consistent with how the business performance is planned and reported
internally, and are also consistent with how these measures have been reported
historically. Some of the APMs are also used for the purpose of setting
remuneration targets.
The APMs should be viewed as supplemental to, but not as a substitute for,
measures presented in the consolidated financial statements prepared in
accordance with IFRS. The Group believes that the APMs are useful indicators
of its performance but they may not be comparable with similarly titled
measures reported by other companies due to the possibility of differences in
the way they are calculated.
The key APMs that the Group uses include: like-for-like sales growth (LFL);
Pre-IFRS 16 Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation
(Pre-IFRS 16 EBITDA), Profit before tax and IFRS 16, Pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted
EBITDA, Adjusted Profit; and Adjusted earnings per share. The APMs used by the
Group and explanations of how they are calculated and how they can be
reconciled to a statutory measure where relevant, are set out in Note 4.
"Adjusted" measures are calculated by adding back or deducting Adjusting
Items. Adjusting items are material in size and unusual in nature or incidence
and, in the judgement of the Directors, should therefore be disclosed
separately on the face of the financial statements to ensure that the reader
has a proper understanding of the Group's financial performance and that there
is comparability of financial performance between periods.
Refer to Note 5 for information regarding items that were treated as
Adjusting.
(d) Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires the Group to make estimates and judgements that affect the application of policies and reported amounts.
Critical judgements represent key decisions made by management in the application of the Group's accounting policies. Where a significant risk of materially different outcomes exists, this will represent a key source of estimation uncertainty.
Estimates and judgements are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
Key sources of estimation uncertainty which are material to the interim financial statements are described in the context of the matters to which they relate, in the following notes:
Description Note
Going concern 1
Impairment of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and 13
right-of-use assets
2 Segmental reporting
IFRS 8 requires segment information to be presented on the same basis as is
used by the Chief Operating Decision Maker for assessing performance and
allocating resources.
The Group has one operating segment with two revenue streams, bricks and
mortar stores and online. This reflects the Group's management and reporting
structure as viewed by the Board of Directors, which is considered to be the
Group's Chief Operating Decision Maker. Aggregation is deemed appropriate due
to both operating segments having similar economic characteristics, similar
products on offer and a similar customer base.
3 Revenue
The Group's revenue is derived from the sale of finished goods to customers.
The following table shows the primary geographical markets from which revenue
is derived.
26 weeks ended 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Sale of goods
- UK 120,588 116,933 275,305
- EU (Republic of Ireland) 1,987 1,999 4,797
Total revenues 122,575 118,932 280,102
Seasonality of operations
The Group's revenue is subject to seasonal fluctuations as a result of peaking
during the approach to Christmas, from October to December. Therefore, the
first half of the financial year, from April to October, typically produces
lower revenue and profit than the second half.
4 Alternative performance measures ("APMs")
Like-for-like ("LFL") sales
LFL sales are defined by the Group as the year-on-year growth in gross sales
from stores which have been trading for a full financial year prior to the
current year and have been trading throughout the current financial period
being reported on, and from the Company's online store, calculated on a
calendar week basis. The measure is used widely in the retail industry as an
indicator of sales performance. LFL sales are calculated on a gross basis to
ensure that fluctuations in the VAT rates of products sold are excluded from
the like-for-like sales growth percentage figure.
Pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA (EBITDA) and Adjusted profit after tax
EBITDA is defined by the Group as pre-IFRS 16 earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation, amortisation and profit/loss on the disposal of fixed assets,
after adding back or deducting Adjusting items. See Note 5 for a description
of Adjusting items. Pre-IFRS 16 EBITDA is used for the bank facility LTM
EBITDA covenant calculations.
The table provides a reconciliation of pre-IFRS 16 EBITDA to profit/(loss)
after tax and the impact of IFRS 16:
26 weeks ended 29 October 2023 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
£000 £000 £000
Pre-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA (8,486) (6,389) 9,000
Income statement rental charges not recognised under IFRS 16 13,179 12,242 24,865
Foreign exchange differences on euro leases 45 (123) (152)
Post-IFRS 16 Adjusted EBITDA 4,738 5,730 33,713
Profit on disposal of right-of-use assets and lease liability recognised under 2,583 39 1,105
IFRS 16
Profit on modification of leases recognised under IFRS 16(1) 4,595 - -
Profit / (loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment 174 18 (149)
Profit / (loss) on disposal of intangible assets 67 - (14)
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (2,420) (2,249) (4,458)
Depreciation of right-of-use-assets (14,789) (8,000) (14,840)
Amortisation (374) (452) (878)
Finance expenses (2,411) (2,364) (4,648)
Finance income 17 23 227
Tax credit / (charge) 2,573 1,986 265
Adjusted (loss) / profit after tax (5,247) (5,269) 10,323
Adjusting items (including impairment charges and reversals) (6,949) - (5,052)
Tax (charge) / credit in relation to Adjusting items 1,184 - -
(Loss) / profit after tax (11,012) (5,269) 5,271
1 Brought forward impairment charges result in a large discrepancy between the
right-of-use asset and the lease liability for impaired stores. As such, where
lease modifications arise due to a reduction in rental charges or lease term,
any reduction to the lease liability must also be applied to the right-of-use
asset. Where this reduction takes the right-of-use asset below zero, the
credit is taken to the statement of comprehensive income.
Profit before tax and IFRS 16
The following tables provides a reconciliation of (loss)/profit before tax and
IFRS 16 adjustments to (loss)/profit before tax.
26 weeks ended 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
Adjusted Adjusting items Total Adjusted Adjusting items Total Adjusted Adjusting items Total
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
(Loss) / profit before tax before IFRS 16 adjustments (11,311) (2,215) (13,526) (9,445) - (9,445) 3,025 (1,488) 1,537
Remove rental charges not recognised under IFRS 16 13,117 - 13,117 12,172 - 12,172 24,737 - 24,737
Remove hire costs from hire of equipment 62 - 62 70 - 70 128 128
Remove depreciation charged on the existing assets - - - 104 - 104 151 - 151
Remove interest charged on the existing liability 14 - 14 19 - 19 34 - 34
Depreciation charge on right of use asset (14,789) - (14,789) (8,057) - (8,057) (14,840) - (14,840)
Interest cost on lease liability (2,136) - (2,136) (2,034) - (2,034) (4,130) - (4,130)
Profit on disposal of right-of-use assets and lease liability 2,583 - 2,583 39 - 39 1,105 - 1,105
Profit on modification of leases 4,595 - 4,595 - - - - - -
Foreign exchange difference on euro leases 45 - 45 (123) - (123) (152) - (152)
Additional net impairment charge under IAS 36 - (4,734) (4,734) - - - - (3,564) (3,564)
Net Impact of IFRS 16 on (loss) / profit before tax 3,491 (4,734) (1,243) 2,190 - 2,190 7,033 (3,564) 3,469
(Loss) / profit before tax (7,820) (6,949) (14,769) (7,255) - (7,255) 10,058 (5,052) 5,006
Other adjusted profit metrics
Other key profit measures including operating profit, profit before tax,
profit for the period, and earnings per share are also calculated on an
Adjusted basis by adding back or deducting Adjusting items. These adjusted
metrics are included within the consolidated income statement and statement of
other comprehensive income, with details of Adjusting items included below in
Note 5.
5 Adjusting items
During the period, the items analysed below have been classified as Adjusting:
26 weeks ended 29 October 2023 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Within cost of sales
Impairment charges(1) 10,110 - 8,188
Impairment reversals(1) (3,161) - (3,136)
Total within cost of sales 6,949 - 5,052
Total Adjusting items before tax 6,949 - 5,052
(1) These relate to fixed asset impairment charges and reversals of impairment
charges.
6 Finance income and expense
26 weeks ended 29 October 2023 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Finance income
Bank interest receivable 17 23 227
Total finance income 17 23 227
Finance expense
Bank interest payable (210) (147) (295)
Amortisation of capitalised loan costs (65) (183) (223)
Interest payable on lease liabilities (2,136) (2,034) (4,130)
Total finance expense (2,411) (2,364) (4,648)
7 Share based payments
During the Period, 2,716,687 shares were awarded under "TheWorks.co.uk 2018
Long Term Incentive Plan" and 1,416,375 warded under the Save As You Earn
Scheme. (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: nil and nil, 52 weeks ended 30 April
2023: 2,682,726 and 2,349,307 respectively).
During the Period, 856,250 restricted stock awards were granted to key
management and senior employees (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: nil, 52 weeks
ended 30 April 2023: 1,097,879).
Expense recognised in the income statement
The IFRS 2 charge recognised during the Period was as follows:
26 weeks ended 29 October 2023 26 weeks ended 52 weeks ended
30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
LTIP -- Share based payment (credit) / expense (155) 119 275
RSA - Share based payment expense 121 94 199
SAYE - Share based payment expense 36 47 54
Total IFRS 2 charges 2 260 528
8 Employee benefits
The Group operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The pension charge
for the period represents contributions payable by the group to the scheme and
amounted to £484k (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: £431k; 52 weeks ended 30
April 2023: £890k).
9 Tax
The income tax expense or credit is determined by multiplying the loss before
tax for the interim reporting period by management's best estimate of the
weighted average annual income tax rate expected for the full financial year,
adjusted for the tax effect of certain items recognised in full in the interim
period. As such, the effective tax rate in the interim financial statements
may differ from management's estimate of the effective tax rate for the annual
financial statements.
The Group's total income tax credit in respect of the Period was £3.76
million (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: £1.99 million, 52 weeks ended 30
April 2023: £0.27m). The effective tax rate on the total loss before tax was
25.4% (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: 27.4%; 52 weeks ended 30 April 2023:
(5.3%)), the Adjusted tax rate was 32.9% (26 weeks ended 30 October 2022:
27.4%, 52 weeks ended 30 April 2023: (2.6%)).
The difference between the total effective tax rate and the Adjusted tax rate
relates to certain costs and depreciation charges (including impairment) being
non-deductible for tax purposes.
10 Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit or loss for the
period attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of
ordinary shares in issue during the period.
Diluted earnings per share uses the weighted average number of shares in issue
for the period, adjusted for the dilutive effect of potential ordinary shares.
Potential ordinary shares represent employee share incentive awards. In the
event that there are losses per share, diluted EPS is deemed to be the same as
Basic EPS.
The Group has chosen to present an Adjusted earnings per share measure, with
profit adjusted for Adjusting items (see Note 5 for further details) to
reflect the Group's underlying (loss) / profit for the Period.
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
(Restated - Note 13)
Number Number Number
Number of shares in issue 62,500,000 62,500,000 62,500,000
Number of dilutive share options (nil in the event of a loss) - - 621,130
Number of shares for diluted earnings per share 62,500,000 62,500,000 63,121,130
£000 £000 £000
(Loss) / profit for the financial period (11,012) (5,269) 5,271
Adjusting items 5,765 - 5,052
Total Adjusted (loss) / profit for Adjusted earnings per share (5,247) (5,269) 10,323
Pence Pence Pence
Basic (loss) / earnings per share (17.6) (8.4) 8.4
Diluted (loss) / earnings per share (17.6) (8.4) 8.4
Adjusted basic (loss) / earnings per share (8.4) (8.4) 16.5
Adjusted diluted (loss) / earnings per share (8.4) (8.4) 16.4
11 Dividends
Pence per share 29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
Final dividend for the year ended 1 May 2022 2.4p - - 1,492
Total dividend paid to shareholders during the year - - 1,492
12 Intangible assets
Goodwill Software Total
£000 £000 £000
Cost
Balance at 30 April 2023 16,180 9,310 25,490
Additions - 695 695
Disposals - (2) (2)
Balance at 29 October 2023 16,180 10,003 26,183
Amortisation / Impairment
Balance at 30 April 2023 16,180 8,394 24,574
Amortisation charge - 374 374
Impairment charge - 450 450
Impairment reversal (729) (729)
Disposals - (69) (69)
Balance at 29 October 2023 16,180 8,420 24,600
Net book value
At 30 April 2023 - 916 916
At 29 October 2023 - 1,583 1,583
13 Property, plant and equipment
RoUA - RoUA - Plant & Land and Plant & Fixtures &
Property Equipment buildings equipment fittings Total
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Cost
Balance at 30 April 2023 154,051 2,434 7,408 3,656 19,195 186,744
Additions 8,324 - 159 28 2,246 10,757
Disposals (6,632) (1,109) (316) 4 (352) (8,405)
Balance at 29 October 2023 155,743 1,325 7,251 3,688 21,089 189,096
Depreciation and impairment
Balance at 30 April 2023 87,257 1,765 5,648 2,972 9,906 107,548
Depreciation charge 14,643 146 536 121 1,763 17,209
Impairment charges 6,874 - 432 260 2,095 9,661
Impairment reversals (2,140) - (123) (87) (83) (2,433)
Disposals (7,970) (1,109) (238) (75) (525) (9,917)
Balance at 29 October 2023 98,664 802 6,255 3,191 13,156 122,068
Net book value
At 30 April 2023 66,794 669 1,760 684 9,289 79,196
At 29 October 2023 57,079 523 996 497 7,933 67,028
Impairment of tangible and intangible assets
The carrying amounts of the Group's tangible and intangible assets with a
measurable useful life are reviewed at each balance sheet date to determine
whether there is any indication of impairment to their value. If such an
indication exists, the asset's recoverable amount is estimated and compared to
its carrying value. Where the asset does not generate cash flows that are
independent from other assets, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of
the CGU to which the asset belongs. The Directors consider an individual
retail store to be a cash generating unit (CGU), as well as the Company's
website.
The recoverable amount of an asset is the greater of its fair value less
disposal cost and its value in use (the present value of the future cash flows
that the asset is expected to generate). In determining value in use, the
present value of future cash flows is discounted using a discount rate that
reflects current market assessments of the time value of money in relation to
the period of the investment and the risks specific to the asset concerned.
The carrying value represents each CGU's specific assets, as well as the IFRS
16 right-of-use asset, plus an allocation of corporate assets where these
assets can be allocated on a reasonable and consistent basis.
Where the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount an impairment loss is
established with a charge being made to the income statement. When the reasons
for a write down no longer exist, the write down is reversed in the income
statement up to the net book value that the relevant asset would have had if
it had not been written down and if it had been depreciated.
Measuring recoverable amounts
The Group estimates the recoverable amount of each CGU based on the greater of
its fair value less disposal cost and its value in use (VIU), derived from a
discounted cash flow model which excludes IFRS 16 lease payments. In assessing
the fair value less disposal cost the ability to sublease each store has been
considered and it is concluded that this is not applicable for the majority of
the store estate. Where it is deemed reasonable to assume the ability to
sublet the potential cash inflows generated are insignificant, therefore the
VIU calculation is used for all stores. A proportion of 'click and collect'
sales are included in store cash flows to reflect the contribution stores make
to fulfilling such orders. The key assumptions applied by management in the
VIU calculations are those regarding the growth rates of sales and gross
margins, medium-term growth rates, central overhead allocation and the
discount rate used to discount the assumed cash flows to present value.
Projected cash flows for each store are limited to the useful life of each
store as determined by its current lease term unless a lease has already
expired or is due to expire within 12 months of 29 October 2023 where the
intention is to remain in the store and renew the lease. For these leases, an
average lease term is used for cash flow projections.
Projected cash flows for the website are limited to 60 months as this is in
line with the average useful economic life of the assets assigned to the web
CGU.
Impairment triggers
Due to the challenging macroeconomic environment and the existence of a
material brought forwards impairment charge, all CGUs other than stores which
have been open for less than 12 months have been assessed for impairment.
Key assumptions
The key financial assumptions used in the estimation of the recoverable amount
are set out below. The values assigned to the key assumptions represent
management's assessment of current market conditions and future trends and
have been based on historic data from external and internal sources.
Management determined the values assigned to these financial assumptions as
follows:
The pre-tax discount rate is derived from the Group's weighted average cost of
capital, which has been estimated using the capital asset pricing model, the
inputs of which include a company risk-free rate, equity risk premium, Group
size premium, a forecasting risk premium and a risk adjustment (beta). The
discount rate is compared to the published discount rates of comparable
businesses and relevant industry data prior to being adopted. The pre-tax
discount rate has been calculated on a post-IFRS 16 basis.
29 October 2023
Pre-tax discount rate 12.78%
Medium term growth rate 1.0%
While the online CGU is in a different stage of establishment to that of the
store CGUs, the same pre-tax discount rate has been used in the impairment
assessment. Given that the website is not performing in line with
expectations, all assets relating to the web CGU are fully impaired, as such
an increase in the pre-tax discount rate used for the web assessment would not
increase the impairment charge recognised.
Cash flow forecasts are derived from the most recent Board-approved corporate
plans that form the Base Case on which the VIU calculations are based. These
are described in Note 1 (Going concern).
The assumptions used in the estimation of future cash flows are:
• rates of growth in sales and gross margins, which have been
determined on the basis of the factors described in Note 1(b)(i) (Going
concern);
• central costs are reviewed to identify amounts which are
necessarily incurred to generate the CGU cash flows. As a result of the
analysis performed at 29 October 2023, 91% (FY23: 87%) of central costs have
been allocated by category using appropriate volumetrics.
Cash flows beyond the corporate plan period have been determined using the
medium-term growth rate; this is based on management's future expectations,
reflecting, amongst other things, current market conditions and expected
future trends and has been based on historical data from both external and
internal sources. Immediately quantifiable impacts of climate change and costs
expected to be incurred in connection with our net zero commitments, are
included within the cash flows. The useful economic lives of store assets are
short in the context of climate change scenario models therefore no medium to
long-term effects have been considered.
Impairment charge
During the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023, an impairment charge of £10,111k
was recognised against 284 stores with a recoverable amount of £32,704k (52
weeks ended 30 April 2023: an impairment charge of £7,572k was recognised
against 209 stores with a recoverable amount of £24,055k, and an impairment
charge of £616k was recognised against the website). An impairment reversal
of £2,577k has been recognised during the 26 weeks ended 29 October 2023
relating to 73 stores with a recoverable amount of £16,544k and an impairment
reversal of £585k was recognised relating to the website (52 weeks ended 30
April 2023: an impairment reversal of £3,136k was recognised relating to 100
stores with a recoverable amount of £18,090k). No impairment review was
performed during the 26 weeks ended 30 October 2022 and therefore no
impairment charges or reversals were recognised in the comparative interim
financial statements.
A net impairment charge of £6,949k (52 weeks ended 30 April 2023: £5,052k,
26 weeks ended 30 October 2022: nil) has therefore been shown on the face of
the consolidated income statement. In line with the previously adopted
treatment, impairment charges and reversals have been shown as Adjusting
items.
Sensitivity analysis
Whilst the Directors believe the assumptions adopted are realistic, reasonably
possible changes in key assumptions could still occur, which could cause the
recoverable amount of certain stores to be lower or higher than the carrying
amount. The impact on the net impairment charge recognised from reasonably
possible changes in assumption are detailed below:
• a reduction in sales of 5% from the Base Case plan to reflect
a potential Downside Scenario would result in an increase in the net
impairment charge of £4,498k. An increase in sales of 5% from the Base Case
plan would decrease the net impairment charge by £5,600k;
• a reduction in gross margin of 2% would result in an increase
in the net impairment charge of £907k. An increase in gross margin of 2%
would decrease the net impairment charge by £871k;
• a 200 basis point increase in the pre-tax discount rate would
result in an increase in the net impairment charge of £1,558k, while a 200
basis point decrease in the pre-tax discount rate would result in a decrease
in the net impairment charge of £1,714k;
• a 100 basis point decrease in the medium-term growth rate
would result in an increase in the net impairment charge of £631k, while a
100 basis point increase in the medium-term growth rate would result in an
increase in the net impairment charge of £744k;
• increasing the percentage of central costs allocated across
CGUs from 91% to 100% would result in an increase in the net impairment charge
of £2,617k. Decreasing the percentage of central costs allocated across CGUs
from 91% to 81% would result in a decrease in the net impairment charge of
£1,306k.
Prior period restatements
The following adjustments were identified when completing the FY23 full year
financial statements, and therefore adjustments have been made to the FY23
half year comparatives.
Leasehold assets useful economic
lives
In prior years, leasehold assets were being depreciated over a life longer
than the life of the lease they relate to. To correct this, leasehold
improvements depreciation has been restated. The FY22 closing accumulated
depreciation was increased by £2,305k with a corresponding decrease in
closing FY22 reserves.
The FY23 half year depreciation charge has increased by £273k, reducing
adjusted profit before tax and closing property, plant and equipment net book
value. In the consolidated cash flow statement, the FY23 half year adjustment
has increased the 'depreciation of property, plant and equipment' by £273k,
however there is no overall impact on net cash flows from operating, financing
and investing activities or on 'net increase in cash and cash equivalents'.
Lease incentives received and initial direct costs incurred at the inception
of a lease
In prior years, landlord capital contributions, and capitalised legal fees
incurred upon negotiation of lease agreements were recorded within leasehold
improvements rather than included within the initial measurement of the IFRS
16 right-of-use asset. Therefore, the costs and accumulated depreciation
amounts relating to these assets have been reclassified from 'leasehold
improvements' into 'RoUA property', resulting in a £1,410k reduction in the
right-of-use asset NBV at 30 October 2023, with a corresponding increase in
the NBV of leasehold assets. This adjustment has no impact on the consolidated
income statement or consolidated cash flow
statement.
Central cost allocation within fixed asset impairment
assessment
In prior years, when assessing the impairment of right-of-use assets,
property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, central costs were not
allocated to each cash generating unit (CGU). During FY23 H2, the directors
reconsidered the allocation of central costs and based on the existence of a
consistent store estate and cost base, concluded that certain costs can be
allocated to individual CGUs on a reasonable and consistent basis. The
directors additionally considered whether a consistent allocation was
appropriate in earlier periods and concluded that an allocation became
appropriate following the change in strategy to "Better not just Bigger", the
implementation of which occurred following the appointment of Gavin Peck as
CEO in January 2020 over a protracted period as a result of COVID-19, that
ultimately resulted in a more consistent store estate and cost base. The
directors have applied judgement to conclude that the effect of the revised
allocation of central costs in 2023 should be reflected by restating the
impairment opening
balances.
The FY22 closing impairment balance relating to right-of-use assets was
increased by £26,853k, the closing impairment balance relating to property,
plant and equipment has increased by £6,117k, and the closing impairment
balance relating to intangible assets has increased by £1,657k. The
adjustment to closing H1 FY23 reserves is therefore
£34,627k.
No additional impairment review was performed at H1 FY23, and therefore this
adjustment has no impact on the statement of profit or loss or statement of
other comprehensive income for the comparative half year period.
Depreciation reduction due to impairment
restatement
As a result of the impairment adjustment detailed above the net book value of
fixed assets was lower at the start of the FY21, FY22 and FY23, resulting in
the depreciation charge in FY21, FY22 and H1 FY23 being overstated. The FY22
closing accumulated depreciation was reduced by £9,867k relating to
right-of-use assets, £3,604k relating to property, plant and equipment and
£602k relating to intangible assets, with a corresponding increase in closing
FY22 reserves.
The FY23 H1 year depreciation charge has decreased by £3,115k relating to
right-of-use assets, £491k relating to property, plant and equipment, and
£74k relating to intangible assets, increasing adjusted profit before tax by
£3,680k. These adjustments decrease the 'depreciation of property, plant and
equipment', 'depreciation of right-of-use assets' and 'amortisation of
intangible assets' balances in the consolidated cash flow statement, however
there is no overall impact on 'net increase in cash and cash
equivalents'.
Corporation tax restatement
The above adjustments have resulted in restatements to the corporation tax
charges, current tax assets / liabilities and the deferred tax
asset.
The following tables summarise the impact of the above restatements on the
Group's consolidated financial statements including the impact of current and
deferred corporation tax.
Summarised consolidated income statement
Adjustments
Per FY23 H1 financial statements Leasehold asset useful economic life reduction Landlord contributions and legal fees incorporation within RoUA Impairment charge increase Depreciation charge Taxation impact FY23 H1 restated balance
reduction of restatements
Income statement
Revenue 118,932 - - - - - 118,932
Cost of sales (111,004) (217) - - 3,680 - (107,541)
Gross profit 7,928 (217) - - 3,680 - 11,391
Other operating income 4 - - - - - 4
Distribution expenses (5,030) (1) - - - - (5,031)
Administrative expenses (11,223) (55) - - - - (11,278)
Operating profit (8,321) (273) - - 3,680 - (4,914)
Net financing expense (2,341) - - - - - (2,341)
Profit before tax (10,662) (273) - - 3,680 - (7,255)
Taxation 1,986 - - - - - 1,986
Profit after tax (8,676) (273) - - 3,680 - (5,269)
Summarised consolidated statement of financial position
Adjustments
Per FY23 H1 financial statements Leasehold asset useful economic life reduction Landlord contributions and legal fees incorporation within RoUA Impairment charge increase Depreciation charge Taxation impact FY23 H1 restated balance
reduction of restatements
Non-current assets
Intangible assets 2,901 - - (1,657) 676 - 1,920
Property, plant and equipment 13,351 (2,578) 1,410 (6,117) 4,095 - 10,161
Right-of-use assets 89,133 - (1,410) (26,853) 12,982 - 73,852
Deferred tax assets 5,463 - - - - 1,231 6,694
110,848 (2,578) - (34,627) 17,753 1,231 92,627
Current assets
Tax asset 372 - - - - 375 747
Other current assets 76,786 - - - - - 76,786
77,158 - - - - 375 77,533
Total assets 188,006 (2,578) - (34,627) 17,753 1,606 170,160
Total liabilities (176,877) - - - - - (176,877)
Net (liabilities) / assets 11,129 (2,578) - (34,627) 17,753 1,606 (6,717)
Equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent
Retained earnings (20,566) (2,578) - (34,627) 17,753 1,606 (38,412)
Other reserves 31,695 - - - - - 31,695
Total equity 11,129 (2,578) - (34,627) 17,753 1,606 (6,717)
Summarised consolidated statement of changes in equity
Attributable to equity holders of the Company
Share Share Merger Share-based Hedging Retained Total
capital premium reserve payment reserve (1) earnings equity
£000 £000 £000 reserve £000 £000 £000
£000
Reported balance at 30 October 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,512 290 (20,566) 11,129
Cumulative adjustment - - - - - (17,846) (17,846)
Restated balance at 30 October 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,512 290 (38,412) (6,717)
Attributable to equity holders of the Company
Share Share Merger Share-based Hedging Retained Total
capital premium reserve payment reserve (1) earnings equity
£000 £000 £000 reserve £000 £000 £000
£000
Reported balance at 1 May 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,252 2,227 (11,741) 21,631
Cumulative adjustment - - - - - (21,253) (21,253)
Restated balance at 1 May 2022 625 28,322 (54) 2,252 2,227 (32,994) 378
14 Inventory
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Goods for resale 50,530 46,626 31,278
Less: stock provisions for shrinkage and obsolescence (1,682) (3,214) (1,037)
Goods for resale net of provisions 48,848 43,412 30,241
Stock in transit 7,270 10,159 3,200
Inventory 56,118 53,571 33,441
A provision of £1.7m for stock obsolescence and shrinkage is included in the
balance sheet at the Period end (30 October 2022: £3.2m, 30 April 2023:
£1.0m). The provision is an estimate, which is based on stock ageing and
historical trends and is reviewed by management during the year.
15 Borrowings and cash
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Non-current liabilities
Lease liabilities 66,713 81,128 74,766
Non-current liabilities 66,713 81,128 74,766
Current liabilities
Revolving credit facility (RCF) 5,000 4,000 -
Lease liabilities 22,110 23,830 23,449
Current liabilities 27,110 27,830 23,449
The Group's bank facilities comprise an RCF of £20.0m expiring 30 November
2026. The facility includes financial covenants in relation to the level of
net debt to LTM EBITDA and 'Fixed Charge Cover' or ratio of LTM EBITDA prior
to deducting rent and interest, to LTM rent and interest.
None of the Group's cash and cash equivalents (FY22: £Nil) is held by the
trustee of the Group's employee benefit trust in relation to the share schemes
for employees.
Net debt reconciliation
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Net debt (excluding unamortised debt costs)
RCF 5,000 4,000 -
Cash and cash equivalents (2,458) (10,971) (10,196)
Net debt / (cash) at bank 2,542 (6,971) (10,196)
Non IFRS 16 lease liabilities 139 362 268
Non IFRS 16 net debt / (cash) 2,681 (6,609) (9,928)
IFRS 16 lease liabilities 88,684 104,596 97,946
Net debt including IFRS 16 lease liabilities 91,365 97,987 88,018
16 Provisions
HMRC VAT Provision Property Total
£000 £000 £000
Balance at 30 April 2023 514 1,349 1,863
Provisions made during the period - - -
Provisions used during the period - (327) (327)
Provisions released during the period (367) - (367)
Balance as at 29 October 2023 147 1,022 1,169
Property provision
In accordance with IAS 37 Provisions, the Group recognises provisions for the
cost of reinstating certain Group properties at the end of their lease term,
based on the conditions set out in the terms of the individual leases. The
timing of the outflows will match the ends of the relevant leases, which range
from 1 to 10 years for stores and 12.7 years for the head office. The average
remaining term of the store estate is 5.2 years.
HMRC VAT provision
HMRC initiated a VAT review in August 2022 in respect of FY19 to FY22 and have
reviewed 4 years of sales data. In the initial output of their review, HMRC
have identified a number of areas where they disagree with the VAT treatment
applied by the business.
Management accepts that there is a possibility that the VAT rate charged is
incorrect for some SKUs under review, predominantly activity sets that include
books and activity resources, and that the rate may be concluded to be mixed
or standard rate. HMRCs view is that these rates are not zero, and therefore
we believe it appropriate to recognise a provision for a potential liability
for £147k following a detailed review, allocating a revised VAT rate to each
SKU under review.
17 Share Capital
As at 29 October 2023, 30 October 2022 and 30 April 2023 the company had the
following share capital:
£000
Share capital 625
Share premium 28,322
18 Financial Instruments
The following table details the Group's expected maturities for its financial
liabilities based on the undiscounted contractual maturities of the financial
liabilities, including interest that will be payable.
Within 1 year 2-5 years 5+ years Total
Contractual maturity of financial liabilities £000 £000 £000 £000
29 October 2023
Non Derivative
Interest bearing 5,000 - - 5,000
Non-interest bearing 65,532 893 - 66,425
Undiscounted lease liabilities 25,785 43,110 19,928 88,823
Derivative
Forward currency contracts 84 - - 84
96,401 44,003 19,928 160,332
30 October 2022
Non Derivative
Interest bearing 4,000 - - 4,000
Non-interest bearing 62,219 - - 62,219
Undiscounted lease liabilities 24,902 60,820 19,236 104,958
Derivative
Forward currency contracts - - - -
91,121 60,820 19,236 171,177
30 April 2023
Non Derivative
Interest bearing - - - -
Non-interest bearing 31,950 760 538 33,248
Undiscounted lease liabilities 27,163 63,094 21,718 111,975
Derivative
Forward currency contracts 1,048 - - 1,048
60,161 63,854 22,256 146,271
Fair value measurements
Financial instruments carried at fair value are measured by reference to the
following fair value hierarchy, based on the extent to which the fair value is
observable;
· Level 1 fair value measurements are derived from quoted prices
(unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
· Level 2 fair value measurements are derived from inputs other
than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset
or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived
from prices); and
· Level 3 fair value measurements are those derived from valuation
techniques that include inputs for the asset or liability that are not based
on observable market data (unobservable inputs).
Derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value under a Level 2
valuation method. All other financial instruments carried at fair value are
measured using the Level 1 valuation method.
There were no transfers between the levels during the current or prior period.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The fair value of derivative financial instruments at the Balance Sheet date
is as follows:
29 October 2023 30 October 2022 30 April 2023
£000 £000 £000
Net Derivative Financial Instruments
Foreign exchange contracts 1,050 1,775 (1,048)
Classification of financial instruments
The tables below show the classification of financial assets and liabilities
as at 29 October 2023. The fair values of financial instruments have been
assessed to be approximately equivalent to their carrying values.
Financial
Cash flow assets at Other
hedging amortised financial
instruments cost liabilities
£000 £000 £000
Financial assets measured at fair value
Derivative financial instruments 1,134 - -
Financial assets not measured at fair value
Trade and other receivables - 9,390 -
Cash and cash equivalents - 2,458 -
Financial liabilities measured at fair value
Derivative financial instruments (84) - -
Financial liabilities not measured at fair value
RCF - - (5,000)
Lease liabilities - - (88,823)
Trade and other payables - - (60,028)
As at 29 October 2023 1,050 11,848 (153,851)
Financial
Cash flow assets at Other
hedging amortised financial
instruments cost liabilities
£000 £000 £000
Financial assets measured at fair value
Derivative financial instruments 1,775 - -
Financial assets not measured at fair value
Trade and other receivables - 10,469 -
Cash and cash equivalents - 10,971 -
Financial liabilities not measured at fair value
RCF - - (4,000)
Lease liabilities - - (104,958)
Trade and other payables - - (66,948)
As at 30 October 2022 1,775 21,440 (175,906)
Cash flow Financial Other
hedging assets at Financial
instruments amortised cost Liabilities
£000 £000 £000
Financial assets not measured at fair value
Trade and other receivables - 7,507 -
Cash and cash equivalents - 10,196 -
Financial liabilities measured at fair value
Derivative financial instruments (1,048) - -
Financial liabilities not measured at fair value
Lease liabilities - - (98,215)
Trade and other payables - - (34,479)
As at 30 April 2023 (1,048) 17,703 (132,694)
19 Related parties
Identity of related parties with which the Group has transacted
Balances and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are
related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not disclosed
in this note. There were no transactions with related parties who are not
members of the Group during the financial period.
20 Contingent liabilities
There were no contingent liabilities noted at the end of the Period.
Responsibility statement of the Directors in respect of the interim financial
statements
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:
· the condensed unaudited set of financial statements has been
prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as adopted for
use in the UK;
· the interim management report includes a fair review of the
information required by:
(a) DTR 4.2.7R of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, being an
indication of important events that have occurred during the first half of the
financial year and their impact on the condensed set of financial statements;
and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining
half of the year; and
(b) DTR 4.2.8R of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, being
related party transactions that have taken place in the first half of the
current financial year and that have materially affected the financial
position or performance of the entity during that period; and any changes in
the related party transactions described in the last annual report that could
do so.
By Order of the Board
Rosie Fordham
Chief Financial Officer
18 January 2024
Principal risks and uncertainties
There are a number of risks and uncertainties which could have a material
negative impact on the Group's performance over the remainder of the current
financial year. These could cause actual results to differ materially from
historical or expected results. The Board does not believe that these risks
and uncertainties are materially different to those published in the Group's
Annual Report for the period ended 30 April 2023.
These risks are associated with:
1. Economy
2. Design and execution of strategy
3. Supply chain
4. Liquidity
5. IT systems and cyber security
6. Brand and reputation
7. Seasonality of sales
8. People
9. Environmental (including climate change)
10. Regulation and compliance
11. Business continuity
Detailed explanations of these risks are set out on pages 50 to 53 of the FY23
Annual Report which is available at
https://corporate.theworks.co.uk/application/files/6616/9341/6897/30.08.23_WRKS_AR23_pdf_for_web.pdf
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