The Chairman and Group CEO's Address at the AGM
CHAIRMANS ADDRESS TO SHAREHOLDERS ON 10 DECEMBER 2024
RESULTS FOR FULL YEAR ENDED 1 AUGUST 2024
Group sales for the 12 months to 1 August 2024 were $435.6 million, an increase of 6.3% on the prior
year ($409.7 million), with an improved gross margin of +2.1%.
The audited net profit before tax for the 12 months was $52.1 million, an increase of +14.7% on the prior
corresponding period ($45.4 million).
Group audited net profit after tax was $34.5 million (prior year $32.0 million). This includes a net non‐
cash deferred tax expense of $1.1 million connected
to changes in tax legislation on the deductibility of
depreciation on non‐residential buildings. This is a pleasing result given the difficult retail environment in
Australasia, and in particular New Zealand.
Gross margin at 59.4% grew from 57.3% in the prior year. Margin growth was due to a focus of
onboarding
new suppliers, an improvement in freight costs, and most significantly well controlled stock
levels resulting in more full‐price sales and lower discounting. This is despite a challenging foreign
exchange rate for inventory purchases, which was lower than the prior corresponding period.
The Group continued to focus on improved product
and sourcing, as well as managing operating costs
wherever possible given the current economic environment. Inventory levels were tightly managed,
improving stock turn year on year, driving improved liquidity. This gives the Group the flexibility needed
to adjust to the trading environment and consumer preferences while executing our core business
strategy.
The Group maintains a strong balance sheet with a cash balance of $45.9 million at the end of FY24, up
$13.4 million on the previous year.
Glassons Australia ‐ which has 38 stores across Australia
Sales in Australia were $218.1 million which was an increase of +14.1% on the prior corresponding
period. Net profit after tax was $19.5 million, an increase of +14.0% on the prior year ($17.1 million).
Two new stores were opened during the year. A store in Knox, Victoria opened in November 2023,
followed by the March 2024 opening of Rundle Mall, our second Adelaide store. Throughout the financial
year, the Bondi Junction store in New South Wales and the Fountain Gate store in Victoria were both
extended and refurbished. The Warringah store in New South Wales was also refurbished. In total we
have 38 stores in Australia, and we continue to explore new store opportunities and larger format
stores
to better showcase our product offering and improve customer experience as we continue to expand in
the Australian market.
New Zealand – which has 34 stores in New Zealand
Sales in New Zealand for the year were $110.1 million, a decrease of ‐2.1% on the prior corresponding
period. Net profit after tax was $10.8 million, a decrease of ‐1.0% on the prior corresponding period
($10.9 million), reflective of a challenging
trading environment.
Over the last year, the Albany and Christchurch CBD stores were both relocated to improved locations
from which we have seen sales growth from both. After careful consideration, the Blenheim and
Chartwell stores were both closed during the year. Post year end our Lynn Mall store was refurbished,
the Timaru store has closed, and a new store has been opened at the Manawa Bay Outlet Centre near
Auckland Airport.
The Glassons brand’s relentless commitment to stay on trend, remain agile and provide high quality
fashion at accessible price points has enabled the brand to grow successfully, despite operating in
the
most challenging retail environment in many years. Glassons remains focused on creating exciting and
engaging store experiences, maintaining a sustainable and ethical supply chain and is well placed to
capitalise on the future recovery in consumer sentiment.
Hallenstein Brothers – which currently has 42 stores in New Zealand and
5 stores in Queensland,
Australia
Sales for the 12‐month period were $107.5 million (including Australia), an increase of +1.3% on the prior
corresponding period. Net profit after tax was $5.3 million, an increase of +37.4% on the prior
corresponding period ($3.9 million).
During the year, our new concept design was
rolled out in the Manukau store, which has delivered sales
growth since reopening. The Timaru store was also refurbished, and the Queenstown store was closed in
July. Post year end, Hallensteins opened a store in the new Manawa Bay outlet mall near Auckland
Airport, and in November 2024 opened a
new store in Silverdale. In Australia we now operate 5
Hallenstein stores, the Garden City store opened in a new location in November 2023 and has seen
significant sales growth since reopening. A pop‐up store in Robina, Gold Coast was opened in the lead up
to last Christmas.
Hallensteins is
also working with relevant content creators and brand ambassadors with a focus on what
matters to our customers, to increase brand awareness both in New Zealand and Australia. Partnerships
with the New Zealand Warriors rugby league team has provided great content and strong brand
recognition, and we look forward to
continuing the partnership into the new financial year.
E‐Commerce and Digital
The Group continues with a customer‐centric focus to ensure that customers have a positive experience
whichever way they choose to shop and to support this, we continue to invest in people, technology and
marketing. Online sales now represent 18.2% of total sales for the full financial year, broadly in line with
the 18.3% reported in the prior corresponding period.
Digital investment is sustained to ensure that growth continues. The Hallensteins App was released in the
second half of the year and the Glassons App now has over 1.9 million downloads. User experience is
paramount, so the websites and apps continue to be developed and improved to ensure they are
catering
to their users and deliver a seamless experience.
Dividend
In regard to our final dividend, the Directors have declared a final dividend of 26.5 cents per share
(partially imputed at 75.6%) (24 cents per share partially imputed at 75.0% last year) to be paid on 13th
December 2024. Together with the interim dividend of 24 cents per share that was paid on 18th April
2024, the full year dividend is 50.5 cents per share. The dividend payment has grown as the Company’s
balance sheet continues to remain strong, and inventory levels well controlled.
Future Outlook
In the first 18 weeks of the new financial year, Group sales have increased by 10.1% compared to the
same period last year. This positive result is largely attributed to strong performance in the Australian
market, along with a favorable exchange rate due to the stronger Australian dollar. However, the New
Zealand market continues to face
challenges, as ongoing economic conditions and cost‐of‐living pressures
are affecting consumer spending patterns across both brands.
Alongside the two new stores just opened in Manawa Bay in September and the new Hallensteins store
in Silverdale, the Group has additional refurbishment and new store opportunities to support growth in
2025.
We continue to look for operational and cost efficiencies, while remaining flexible with our product
offerings to ensure we are well positioned for the upcoming Christmas period.
In closing I would like to thank the Hallenstein Glassons Board, our Executive Teams and all our staff, for
their dedication and continued
efforts. The team has delivered a great result in what has been a very
challenging and difficult trading environment in both New Zealand and Australia.
Warren Bell
Chairman
10th December 2024
---
GROUP CEO ADDRESS – AGM 2024
Financial Year 2024: A Record Year for the Group
The 2024 Financial Year has been a milestone for the Group, with sales surpassing $435 million for
the first time. Our team’s relentless efforts have driven significant growth, even in one of the most
challenging retail environments in recent history. We are
proud to have achieved such a strong
performance against these headwinds.
Despite an unfavourable foreign exchange rate, we expanded our gross margin by 210 basis points.
This success was made possible through close collaboration with existing suppliers and the
introduction of new partners, allowing us to diversify our supplier base
and enhance capabilities.
Our teams have been laser focused on improving supplier lead times and buying closer to the
market, resulting in reduced clearance activity and discounting. Consequently, we have achieved an
overall inventory reduction, despite our sales growth. The ongoing challenge remains to balance
speed to market with the increasing
costs associated with logistics.
Operating costs remain a key focus, particularly given the significant impacts of minimum wage
increases, persistent domestic freight pressures, and rising international freight costs due to
geopolitical tensions. We continue to invest in labour to support sales growth and strengthen the
Group’s capabilities, all while maintaining
a keen focus on operating leverage.
The first half of the year saw improvement following a challenging first quarter, where consumers
faced high interest rates and inflationary pressures. We saw a significant uptick in trade from Black
Friday onwards in both Australia and New Zealand as consumers were looking for value,
especially in
the New Zealand market.
Our second half trade was very pleasing, particularly out of Australia, where Glassons delivered
record‐breaking sales and underlying profit in the second half. It is a real credit to James and the
Glassons Australia team to drive such a result, against the overall
trend in the market. This
performance was driven by our ability to capitalise on key events, and our agility in responding to
consumer fashion trends. It was also encouraging to see positive signals from Hallensteins with our
stores located in Queensland.
Glassons continues to solidify its position as a leading women’s
fashion brand in both Australia and
New Zealand, with a strong track record of launching on‐trend fashion edits and understanding high‐
demand product categories. We continue to invest in Brand activations and collaborations to
support our growing market position in Australia and expand our store network, with a disciplined
focus on stores which enhance our brand position and deliver strong returns for the Group.
Hallensteins has seen exceptional success with its Leisure Club range and other casualwear
categories, while still catering to its core customer base and essential product lines. Strategic brand
partnerships, such as with the New Zealand Warriors, have bolstered brand awareness.
Both brands remain well‐positioned to meet customer needs, offering quality
clothing at accessible
price points. This strategy is particularly valuable in the current economic climate and positions us
well to capitalise on any recovery in consumer spending as the outlook improves.
RETAIL
We remain committed to maintaining a fleet of stores that reflect the quality of our brands while
delivering
compelling customer experiences and retail excellence. In line with this, we continue to
invest in new store openings and refurbishments across Australia and New Zealand and refine our
store concepts to elevate store experiences.
Over the past financial year, we opened two new Glassons stores in Australia and refurbished three
existing
locations. In New Zealand, we relocated two Glassons stores and refurbished another, with
one new store already completed in the first few months of the new season.
For Hallensteins, we refurbished two stores over the last year. In Australia, we completed one store
relocation, while in New Zealand, we achieved
both a store relocation and the opening of two new
stores within the first few months of the new financial year. This includes the introduction of an
exciting new store concept, which has been very well received by our customers and charts the
course for future stores.
Retail Stores remain the
most important representation of our Brands, and we are continuously
refining our store concepts to stay aligned with the latest retail and design trends, ensuring our
stores remain innovative and inviting for our customers.
DIGITAL
Digital sales have remained strong, accounting for 18.2% of total Group sales, while also growing
in
total dollar terms. As consumer expectations for superior online experiences continue to rise, our
investment in digital platforms remains essential.
The Glassons app has now surpassed 1.9 million downloads, with new functionalities regularly
introduced to enhance user experience. These updates make it easier for customers to seamlessly
switch between online
and in‐store purchases, strengthening our omnichannel approach.
For Hallensteins, a strong focus on customer engagement has significantly boosted their social media
following in both New Zealand and Australia. Combined with continued investment in their website,
this has led to increased online sales, particularly in the Australian market.
We have strengthened our digital teams with a mixture of external and internal talent, enabling a
step‐change in our digital offering. I am excited with their progress to date and the opportunities
which lie ahead.
New investment has been made in AI to improve our operational capability and responsiveness and
is progressively being introduced throughout the Group. We are also well into our program of
utilising the latest RFID technology to improve our inventory management and further support our
unified commerce strategy for the Group, as we look to further enhance our customer interactions
and offer a seamless experience between
our physical and digital offerings. This is a differentiating
factor to global online players.
SUSTAINABILITY
With brands that have thrived for over 100 years, our commitment to sustainability is not just a goal
but a core principle. It forms the foundation of building a long‐term, sustainable business that
creates value
for both shareholders and other stakeholders alike. We have strengthened our targets
for an ethical and transparent supply chain, and recently have published our targets around Scope 1
and 2 carbon emissions, as part of our legislated climate related disclosures.
We continue to work closely with our suppliers to enhance
standards and quality while increasing
visibility and auditing efforts deeper into the supply chain, with a particular focus on Tier 2 suppliers.
These two priorities are closely interconnected and mutually beneficial. We have updated our
targets to maintain 100% audit coverage for Tier 1 suppliers and increasing transparency and audits
of
our Tier 2 suppliers.
The materials we source and the ways we manufacture them are also at the core of our
sustainability strategy. As part of our journey toward a circular product cycle and minimal waste, it
was important to align our product with internationally recognised certifications of our
commitment,
therefore we have introduced clear targets for 50% of certified sustainable materials
by 2027.
Sustainability is a long and enduring commitment, where significant challenges remain to be
resolved. We will continue to update you on our progress with transparency and integrity. For more
detailed information, our latest sustainability report and climate
disclosures can be found on our
corporate website.
OUTLOOK
Looking ahead, we anticipate that the retail sector will continue to face challenges, driven by
restrictive interest rates and geopolitical tensions, which are expected to add pressure on freight
and supply chains.
Despite these obstacles, we have had a positive start to the financial year and are well positioned to
adapt to market conditions. For the first 18 weeks of the 2025 financial year Group turnover is up
+10.1%, although cycling a weaker FY 2024 comparison. This trading period includes the recent Black
Friday promotional event. Encouragingly, despite a broader market trend of deeper and more
prolonged discounting compared to last year, our gross margin percentage has remained stable.
With the crucial four weeks of Christmas trading still ahead, this result shouldn’t be taken as
indicative of the full season.
With the current
foreign exchange headwinds and ongoing cost pressures on freight, we continue to
monitor and adapt our model as necessary. Our ongoing digital and data investment will support
our drive for improved efficiency and productivity, especially out of our retail network as we
maintain our focus on operating costs.
Our investment in
new stores continues, opening 3 new stores in New Zealand and two relocations
for Hallensteins and Glassons Australia. Our strategic growth opportunities remain in Australia
across our brands, and we will continue our approach of disciplined store openings into 2025 that
meet our return on capital requirements with locations which
best represent our Brands.
For FY2024 we posted record profits and dividends for shareholders, despite the most challenging
retail environment in decades. I have been inspired by the dedication, commitment, and resilience
of all our teams, and thank them for their hard work which has delivered this result. I would like
to
also thank the Board for their ongoing and relevant support during the year.
In my first year with the Group, I’ve been incredibly impressed by the retail expertise and deep
market understanding of our executive and operational teams. By maintaining a straightforward
approach and a responsive culture to customer
needs, the Group is well positioned to navigate the
complexities of the current environment and achieve our growth objectives.
Chris Kinraid
Group CEO
10
th
December 2024
Data sourced from publicly available filings. Our datasets may not be complete. Automated analysis can produce errors. If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@nzxplorer.co.nz. For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
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