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FISH Fishing Rep.

5.00
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Last Updated: 01:00:00
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Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Fishing Rep. LSE:FISH London Ordinary Share GB00BY7RY763 ORD 1P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  0.00 0.00% 5.00 0.00 01:00:00
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
0 0 N/A 0

Fishing Republic PLC Interim Results (6352R)

25/09/2017 7:00am

UK Regulatory


Fishing Rep. (LSE:FISH)
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TIDMFISH

RNS Number : 6352R

Fishing Republic PLC

25 September 2017

25 September 2017

AIM: FISH

FISHING REPUBLIC PLC

("Fishing Republic" or "the Company" or "the Group")

A leading UK fishing tackle retailer

Interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2017

KEY POINTS

Operational

-- Excellent progress with growth strategy to build out 'destination' store format and online presence

-- Store network significantly increased - 5 stores opened in H1, and a further 2 in August. Total store estate now stands at 19

   -    total store sales up 83% to GBP3.17m with like-for-like sales up 21% 

- 'destination' stores opened in Milton Keynes, Ipswich, Reading, Kings Lynn, Clavering Lakes in Essex, Gloucester and Huntingdon

   -    geographic reach extended into new regions, including South East Midlands and East Anglia 
   --     Transition to own website sales (from third party platform sales) progressing well 
   -    own website sales up 140% and accounted for 57% of all online sales (2016: 29%) 
   -    enhanced www.fishingrepublic.net site launched on 1 March 2017 

Financial

   --     Results in line with management expectations 
   --     Revenues up 64% to GBP4.09m (2016: GBP2.50m) - with like-for-like sales up by 22% 

-- Capital investment of GBP0.88m (2016: GBP0.28m) to support store expansion and online strategy

-- Loss before tax of GBP0.12m (2016: profit before tax of GBP0.16m) - reflected accelerated investment into store and online initiatives

   --     Reported loss per share of 0.25p (2016: earnings per share of 0.47p) 

-- Group remains very well-positioned for further growth, with acquisitions under active consideration

James Newman, Chairman, commented:

"Fishing Republic continues to deliver on its ambitions to materially expand its presence, both physically and online, in the fishing tackle marketplace. This is evident in the strong revenue growth achieved in the first half of the year, as store sales rose by 83% and sales via the Company's own website grew by 140% in the period.

"The opportunity for Fishing Republic to establish a dominant position in its highly fragmented sector is exciting and the Group remains very well-positioned for ongoing growth, both in store and online."

Steve Gross, CEO, commented:

"I am delighted with the progress we have made so far this year. We have continued with the expansion of our 'destination' store network, opening five new stores in the period with a further two opened in August. Our estate now stands at 19 stores and covers new geographic regions, including South East Midlands and East Anglia, which will also help to support our online strategy.

"Online sales are also a key focus and we continue to transition away from third party platforms to our own websites, particularly www.fishingrepublic.net. Sales via our own sites grew by 140% and we are supporting them with significant new investment in our site functionality and services. The average customer basket value on our own site was GBP70.59, compared to GBP14.54 average basket generated by third party marketplaces.

"We remain excited about the opportunity for consolidation, given the fragmented nature of the sector, and continue to consider complementary acquisitions, as well as organic growth opportunities.

"We look forward to a second half of continuing strong progress."

 
 Enquiries: 
 
  Fishing Republic plc                         T: 020 3178 6378 
  Steve Gross, Chief Executive                 (today) 
  Russell Holmes, Finance Director             T: 01709 722590 
 KTZ Communications Limited                  T: 020 3178 6378 
  Katie Tzouliadis / Irene Bermont-Penn / 
  Emma Pearson 
 
   Northland Capital Partners Limited          T: 020 3861 6625 
   Nominated Adviser and Broker 
   Matthew Johnson / David Hignell / Jamie 
   Spotswood (Corporate Finance) 
   John Howes (Corporate Broking) 
 

About Fishing Republic plc

www.fishingrepublic.net

Fishing Republic is one of the largest fishing tackle retailers in the UK by floor space. Established in 1985, the Company caters for all types of anglers: coarse, carp, game and sea fishing. It operates a chain of 'destination' retail stores and has an online presence both through third party online retailers and its own websites (www.fishingrepublic.net and www.yorkshiregameangling.co.uk). Its comprehensive product offering includes own-brand ranges, such as Klobba and Theseus

JOINT REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Introduction

Fishing Republic has made very encouraging progress with its growth strategy and we are pleased to report on the Company's continuing development as we execute our plans to scale the business and significantly increase our share of the highly fragmented fishing tackle market.

Results for the first six months of the year were in line with management expectations, with Group revenues up by 64% to GBP4.1m. This reflected both strong organic growth and our new store openings. As expected, the Group generated a loss before tax, reflecting the number of new stores opened in the first six months. However, we anticipate moving back into profitability for the full year as the high level of investment in stores and online in the first half begins to pay off in the second half of the year.

The main focus in the period was on both store openings, as we extended the Group's presence into new geographic regions, and on developing our own website sales, continuing our move away from sales via third party sites. More detail on what we have achieved in the period is contained in our Review of Operations.

Looking ahead, we continue to see substantial growth opportunities for the Group, and believe that our multi-channel model, which combines 'destination' stores offering an extensive product range and a leading online offering, supports our growth ambitions. With more than 2,000 mainly owner-managed operators in the market, there is also significant potential for value-accretive acquisitions and we are continuing to actively pursue such opportunities.

Financial Results

Revenues for the six months to 30 June rose by 64% to GBP4,094,700 (H1 2016: GBP2,503,200), with growth generated both organically and through new store openings. On a like-for-like basis (which measures the sales performance of stores operating for six months in H1 2016 with same stores operating for six months in H1 2017), store sales increased by 21% year-on-year. This is very encouraging, with the significant improvement a direct result of our initiatives to extend the product range, and further investment in marketing to grow the Fishing Republic brand. Like-for-like revenues, including online sales, increased by 22% to GBP2,528,000 (H1 2016: GBP2,070,000).

Gross profit rose by 17% to GBP1,462,200 (H1 2016: GBP1,254,700). To support the new openings, we utilised discount offers to promote high value capital items. This led to a negative mix effect in the period as the balance between higher margin consumables and lower margin capital items changed, resulting in the Group gross profit margin in the first half reducing to 35.7% (H1 2016: 50.1%). We anticipate a more normal sales mix, with a higher proportion of consumables sales, in the second half of the year, which also includes the busiest fishing months.

Both selling and distribution, and administrative expenses increased in the first half, by 35% and 57% year-on-year respectively, as additional costs from the prior year's openings were included for the entirety of H1 2017. They were also amplified by investments associated with H1 2017 store openings, and development and marketing activities designed to further accelerate growth in our digital platforms.

As expected, the operating loss in the period was GBP107,700 (H1 2016: profit of GBP165,700). After finance costs of GBP9,800 (H1 2016: GBP8,400), the loss before tax was GBP117,500 (H1 2016: profit of GBP157,300). Reported basic loss per share was 0.25p (H1 2016: 0.47p earnings per share).

Capital expenditure totalled GBP883,000 in the period, with most of the investment directed towards new store fit-outs, upgrades to existing stores, further website development (including the launch of a significantly enhanced www.fishingrepublic.net website), and new management and operating systems. GBP475,800 was invested in working capital in the period (H1 16: GBP217,500), with the majority of the increase attributable to building inventories for the new stores in part offset by higher payables.

At the end of the first half of 2017, the Group's net cash position (being cash and bank balances less loans and borrowings) was GBP681,400 (H1 16: GBP3,651,400), as the Company utilised its cash for new store openings and other investments in the business.

Dividend

The Board remains of the opinion that any surplus cash generated by the business should continue to be reinvested in the Group and therefore, in the short term, the Directors do not recommend dividend payments. This policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Review of Operations

Stores

As previously reported, we opened three new stores in the first quarter of 2017, in Milton Keynes, Ipswich and Reading, and a further two in the second quarter, in Kings Lynn and Clavering Lakes. Between them, these stores have helped us expand our presence in some regions, including East Anglia, and serve as flagship entries into others, such as Essex. They will also help to drive our online sales and so aid in the execution of our multi-channel growth model.

All the new stores replicate our 'destination' store format, catering for all types of fishing disciplines (coarse, carp, game and sea fishing) with an extensive product range, and are located out-of-town, typically in light-industrial estates with convenient access and good car parking facilities. Offering an extensive product range is a key sales driver, with customers prepared to travel significant distances to our stores. We have therefore continued to expand our relationships with leading brands and have introduced new brands across our store estate.

With the total number of stores at 17 by 30 June 2017 (H1 2016: 10 stores), our store sales grew by 83% to GBP3,165,000 (H1 2016: GBP1,732,000) and accounted for 77% of Fishing Republic's sales in the period. It is especially pleasing to report the strong like-for-like store sales growth of 21%, which was driven by continued marketing activities and a broader product range.

Since the end of this reporting period, we opened two additional stores in August 2017, in Gloucester and Huntingdon. Together with the five stores opened in the first half, these new stores will benefit sales in the second half of 2017 and beyond. At the end of July, we also introduced a customer loyalty card, which has seen very encouraging take up by customers. We expect these numbers to grow, especially as we develop our loyalty offering further.

Online

Historically, online sales have been generated through third party websites. However, since last year, we have been focusing on transitioning the majority of our online sales to our own websites.

As hoped, we saw our own website sales accelerate in the first half of 2017, with sales up by 140% year-on-year. These now account for 57% of all online sales, which compares to 29% in H1 2016. Total online sales, including revenues through third party platforms, rose by 23% to GBP929,400 (H1 2016: GBP753,000), with sales through third party platforms decreasing by 25% in the period.

The advantages of transitioning to online sales via our own sites are two-fold. Firstly, margins tend to be higher when selling straight to the consumer, and, secondly, it enables us to nurture a direct relationship with our customers, giving us the ability to capture not only their details, but also preferences. We are then better able to target those customers in the future, and so encourage incremental and repeat sales as they browse our sites.

We launched our significantly upgraded website (www.fishingrepublic.net) on 1 March 2017. The new site provides for an improved customer experience with new functionality, as well as a more customisable platform and architecture. Along with our comprehensive product range, we now offer Click & Collect and Click, Try, Buy services. Our investment in the new site is yielding results and we anticipate continuing good progress.

Own-brand products

Own-brand sales were GBP278,600 in the period (H1 2016: GBP325,400) and accounted for 7% of Group sales (H1 2016: 13%). The decrease of GBP46,800 was due to our decision to refine our own brand offering as part of our marketing drive to spotlight the increased range of leading brands, both within our new and existing stores. Our own-brand offering remains an important component of our overall offering, and we intend to continue to develop new products under our own brand names.

Staff

We would like to welcome all new staff, who have joined the Fishing Republic team in the first six months of 2017, and thank all our employees for their hard work and dedication.

The Board

On 1 March 2017, we were very pleased to welcome Iain McDonald to the Board as a Non-executive Director. Iain has over 20 years' experience in investment, particularly in retail and e-commerce. He has been investing directly in the online and technology sectors for over a decade, and a number of his long-term investments have become some of the most successful e-commerce businesses in Europe.

Outlook

Prospects for the Group remain very positive. We have already opened a further two stores since the end of June and are pleased with the encouraging response we have received from new customers. We are also making good progress in establishing our new main website as the primary route for online sales, and are working on further developing our online offering.

We will continue to review potential new locations for our 'destination' stores, and believe that there is a significant opportunity to scale the business further, both organically and through accretive acquisitions. Acquisitive growth is a key element of our long-term strategy and we continue to actively review potential targets.

We consider that the Group remains well-positioned to continue to grow and build its market presence, and look forward to reporting on further progress.

James Newman OBE

Chairman

Steve Gross

Chief Executive

Income Statement

for the six months ended 30 June 2017

 
 
                                 Six months         Six months               Twelve 
                                      to 30              to 30               months 
                                       June          June 2016                to 31 
                                       2017          Unaudited             December 
                                  Unaudited                                    2016 
                                                                            Audited 
                                        GBP                GBP                  GBP 
-----------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  -------------- 
 
 Revenue                          4,094,653          2,503,175            5,799,065 
 
 Cost of sales                  (2,632,451)        (1,248,445)          (3,038,895) 
-----------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  -------------- 
 
  Gross profit 
                                  1,462,202          1,254,730            2,760,170 
  Other income 
                                     11,006              3,013                5,155 
  Selling and distribution 
  costs                           (814,088)          (604,714)          (1,303,721) 
 Administrative expenses          (766,849)          (487,298)          (1,041,638) 
-----------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  -------------- 
 
 Operating (Loss)/ profit         (107,729)            165,731              419,966 
 
 Finance costs                      (9,815)            (8,383)             (17,065) 
 
 
 (Loss)/ profit on ordinary 
  activities before taxation      (117,544)            157,348              402,901 
 
 Income tax                          23,509           (31,470)             (82,130) 
-----------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  -------------- 
 
 
   (Loss)/ profit after 
   taxation                        (94,035)            125,878              320,771 
 
 Basic (loss)/ earnings              (0.25)               0.47                 0.99 
  per share (pence) 
  Diluted (loss)/ earnings           (0.24)               0.46                 0.96 
   per share (pence) 
-----------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  -------------- 
 
 

Statement of Comprehensive Income

for the six months ended 30 June 2017

 
                                 Six months   Six months         Twelve 
                                         to           to         months 
                                    30 June      30 June             to 
                                       2017         2016    31 December 
                                  Unaudited    Unaudited           2016 
                                                                Audited 
                                        GBP          GBP            GBP 
------------------------------  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
 
 
  Profit for the period            (94,035)      125,878        320,771 
------------------------------  -----------  -----------  ------------- 
  Other comprehensive 
   income                                 -            -              - 
 
  Total comprehensive 
   (loss)/ profit for 
   the period attributable 
   to the equity shareholders      (94,035)      125,878        320,771 
==============================  ===========  ===========  ============= 
 

Statement of Financial Position

at 30 June 2017

 
 
                                        As at              As at               As at 
                                      30 June            30 June         31 December 
                                         2017               2016                2016 
                                    Unaudited          Unaudited             Audited 
                                          GBP                GBP                 GBP 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 Non-current assets 
 Intangible assets                    613,880            154,092             445,283 
 Property, plant & equipment        1,412,847            365,762             795,495 
                                    2,026,727            519,854           1,240,778 
 
 
 Current assets 
 Inventories                        5,286,718          3,293,632           4,256,630 
   Trade and other receivables        453,261            183,536             205,678 
 Cash and cash equivalents            681,409          3,907,419           2,055,699 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
                                    6,421,388          7,384,587           6,518,007 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
   Total assets                     8,448,115          7,904,441           7,758,785 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
 
   Non-current liabilities 
   Interest bearing loans                   -            231,977                   - 
   and borrowings 
 
 
   Current liabilities 
 Trade payables                     1,599,443            722,633             800,437 
  Other payables and accruals          82,237            206,959              79,369 
  Deferred Tax Liability               17,880                  -              41,389 
  Non-interest bearing 
   loans from directors                   250             76,425                 250 
  Interest bearing loans 
   and borrowings                           -             24,000                   - 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
                                    1,699,810          1,030,017             921,445 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
 Total liabilities                  1,699,810          1,261,994             921,445 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
 Equity 
 Called up share capital              378,562            378,268             378,268 
  Share premium                     5,057,639          5,052,933           5,052,933 
 Reserves                           1,312,104          1,211,246           1,406,139 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 
                                    6,748,305          6,642,447           6,837,340 
 
 Total equity and liabilities       8,448,115          7,904,441           7,758,785 
-------------------------------  ------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------- 
 

Statement of Changes in Equity

For the six months ended 30 June 2017

 
 
                                       Share 
                         Share       Premium      Retained 
                       Capital       account        Profit         Total 
                           GBP           GBP           GBP           GBP 
------------------  ----------  ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 At 1 January 
  2016                 268,750     1,574,649     1,085,368     2,928,767 
 Profit for the 
  period                     -             -       125,878       125,878 
 Share issue           109,518     3,676,108             -     3,785,626 
 Share issue 
  costs                      -     (197,824)             -     (197,824) 
 
 At 30 June 2016       378,268     5,052,933     1,211,246     6,642,447 
 Profit for the 
  period                     -             -       194,893       194,893 
 
 At 31 December 
  2016                 378,268     5,052,933     1,406,139     6,837,340 
 Loss for the 
  period                     -             -      (94,035)      (94,035) 
 Share issue               294         4,706             -         5,000 
 
 
  At 30 June 2017      378,562     5,057,639     1,312,104     6,748,305 
------------------  ----------  ------------  ------------  ------------ 
 

Statement of Cash Flows

for the six months ended 30 June 2017

 
 
                                     Six months         Six months             Twelve 
                                          to 30              to 30             months 
                                           June               June              to 31 
                                           2017               2016           December 
                                      Unaudited          Unaudited               2016 
                                                                              Audited 
                                            GBP                GBP                GBP 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 Operating activity 
 
 Operating (loss)/ profit             (117,544)            157,348            402,901 
 Depreciation and Amortisation           97,214             27,153             70,962 
 Interest expense                         9,815              8,383             17,065 
 (Increase/decrease in 
  inventories                       (1,030,088)          (846,727)        (1,809,725) 
 (Increase)/decrease in 
  receivables                         (247,583)             62,060             30,645 
 Increase/(decrease) in 
  payables                              801,874            567,122            517,339 
 
 
 Net cash generated from 
  operations                          (486,312)           (24,661)          (770,813) 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 
 Investing activity 
 
 Purchase of property, 
  plant and equipment                 (713,941)          (203,924)          (612,100) 
 Acquisition of intangible 
  assets                              (169,222)           (76,805)          (220,901) 
  Outflows in respect of 
   business combinations                      -                  -          (212,462) 
 
 Net cash used in investing 
  activities                          (883,163)          (280,729)        (1,045,463) 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 
 Financing activity 
 
 Issue of share capital 
  (net of expenses)                       5,000          3,587,802          3,587,802 
 Loan repayments                              -           (11,700)          (267,677) 
  Interest paid                         (9,815)            (8,383)           (17,065) 
   Repayment of amount 
   due to directors                           -            (1,213)           (77,388) 
 
 Net cash (outflow/) inflow 
  from financing activities             (4,815)          3,566,506          3,225,672 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 
 Net increase in cash 
  and cash 
  equivalents                       (1,374,290)          3,261,116          1,409,396 
 
 Cash and cash equivalents 
  at start of period                  2,055,699            646,303            646,303 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 
 
   Cash and cash equivalents 
   at end of period                     681,409          3,907,419          2,055,699 
-------------------------------  --------------  ---  ------------  ---  ------------ 
 

Notes to the Interim Statement

   1.         Basis of preparation 

The interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies that are expected to be adopted in the Company's full financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2017. These policies are not expected to be significantly different to those set out in Note 1 of the Group's audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2016. They are based on the recognition and measurement principles of IFRS in issue as adopted by the European Union (EU) and are effective at 30 June 2017. The financial information has not been prepared (and is not required to be prepared) in accordance with IAS 34.

The financial information in this statement relating to the six months ended 30 June 2017 and the six months ended 30 June 2016 has neither been audited nor reviewed by the Auditors, pursuant to guidance issued by the Auditing Practices Board. The financial information presented for the year ended 31 December 2016 does not constitute the full statutory accounts for that period. Full audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2016 are available on the company's website.

The Directors prepare annual budgets and cash flow projections that extend beyond 12 months from the date of this report. These projections take account of the timing of expected cash inflows and financial commitments over that period. Based upon these projections and the availability of financial resources as required over this period, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the company will meet its future obligations as they fall due and therefore believe that the going concern basis is appropriate for the preparation of the financial statements.

   2.         Earnings per share 

Earnings per share has been calculated on the attributable profit for the period and the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period.

 
 
                             Six months   Six months            Twelve 
                                  to 30        to 30            months 
                                   June         June    to 31 December 
                                   2017         2016              2016 
                              Unaudited    Unaudited           Audited 
 
 (Loss)/ profit for 
  the period (GBP)             (94,035)      125,878           320,771 
 Weighted average shares 
  in issue (no.)             37,828,088   27,060,597        32,473,108 
 Weighted average share 
  options (no.)               1,506,182    1,681,382         1,596,097 
 Basic (loss)/ earnings 
  per share (pence)              (0.25)         0.47              0.99 
 Diluted (loss)/ earnings 
  per share (pence)              (0.24)         0.46              0.96 
--------------------------  -----------  -----------  ---------------- 
 
 

The earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders is profit after tax. The weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during each reporting period is used for the purpose of calculating basic earnings per share. Diluted earnings per share takes into account share options in issue throughout the period as follows;

Unapproved share options for 406,207 shares

EMI share options total 1,099,975 shares

Diluted earnings per share has been calculated using the Treasury Method.

   3.         Share capital 

During the six months to 30 June 2017 the following share issue took place:

An issue of 29,411 ordinary shares at 17 pence per share upon the exercise of options held in the company (23 June 2017).

   4.         Interim report 

Copies of this interim report are available from Fishing Republic plc, Vulcan Works, Chesterton Road, Eastwood Trading Estate, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S65 1SU and on the company's website at www.fishingrepublic.net

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

IR EXLFLDKFXBBF

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 25, 2017 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)

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