The Chairman and Group CEO’s Address at the AGM
CHAIRMANS ADDRESS TO SHAREHOLDERS ON 21 DECEMBER 2021
RESULTS FOR FULL YEAR ENDED 1 AUGUST 2021
The Group sales for the 12 months to 1 August 2021 were $350.76 million which were +21.9% up on the
prior year ($287.76 million).
The audited net profit after tax for the 12 months was $33.32 million, an increase of 20.0% on the prior
corresponding period ($27.77 million).
During the
financial year the Group experienced multiple disruptions across its store network, including
the following:
‐ Melbourne was in lockdown from the beginning of the financial year until 28 October 2020;
‐ Auckland entered lockdown from 12 August 2020 to 30 August 2020;
‐ Melbourne and Auckland entered snap lockdowns around Valentine’s
Day 2021;
‐ Auckland entered a further snap lockdown from 26 February 2021 to 7 March 2021;
‐ Melbourne entered lockdown from 28 May 2021 to 10 June 2021, and again from 16 July 2021 to
27 July 2021;
‐ Sydney was placed in lockdown from 26 June 2021 and
would not come out until 10 October
2021.
The sales growth experienced was pleasing in an extremely challenging environment. All brands
experienced strong growth as stores reopened from the 2020 lockdowns, with the Groups inventory
management ensuring that our stores were well stocked with product the customers wanted. Online
sales continued
to grow throughout the year and were supported by the release of the Glassons App and
the establishment of a USA website to sell direct to US based customers. The increased sales on the prior
year also compares to the periods where stores were closed in 2020.
The Gross Margin
declined during the year due to a number of factors including unfavourable exchange
rates with the US Dollar in both New Zealand and Australia as well as challenges with freight costs
resulting from the ongoing global impact of COVID‐19. During the financial period additional controls
were implemented post the lockdowns
including reducing operating costs, claiming of Australian
government subsidies, working with our suppliers on payment terms where appropriate, placing capital
projects on hold, and negotiating rent relief with landlords. This resulted in costs being well controlled.
As in the previous financial year the Group continues to take steps to preserve
liquidity, most importantly
managing stock levels and costs across the business. During the financial year a number of rental
negotiations were settled with landlords for the previous lockdown periods. There are still a number of
negotiations ongoing for these and the more recent lockdowns.
Glassons – New Zealand & Australia
Sales in Glassons New Zealand for the year were $119.91 million, an increase of 16.88% on the prior year.
Net profit after tax was $11.55 million, a decrease of 5.3% on the prior year ($12.20 million, which
included a $1.01 million gain on sale of
the previous Christchurch Distribution Centre).
Over the last year the Nelson store was refurbished in June, and the Sylvia Park, Auckland store was
extended and refurbished in July. The outlet store in Onehunga, Auckland was also refurbished in July.
Sales in Australia were $133.65 million which was an increase of
38.23% on the corresponding period.
Net profit after tax was $16.42 million, an increase of 75.5% on the prior corresponding period ($9.36
million).
During the year, one new store was opened in Broadway, Sydney. The Chatswood, Sydney store was
closed and re‐opened in a new location and the Chermside, Brisbane
store was refurbished. In July, the
store in Greensborough, Melbourne was closed. The business continues to look for opportunities for new
stores in Australia with a number of sites currently under review, to support planned growth. A store in
Marion, Adelaide has been opened post year end in September.
During
the year additional space was taken adjacent to the current Fulfilment Centre in Sydney to
increase capacity and ensure that the significant growth in online sales was adequately supported.
With the large increases in online sales there has been significant investment in digital including the
launch of an omni‐channel Glassons
app in October 2020 which is now in excess of 450,000 downloads,
and a specific Glassons USA website to serve our growing US customer base. The sales to US customers
for the completed financial year were fulfilled from both New Zealand and Australia, but are presently
fulfilled just from our
Australian business.
Glassons continues to bring the latest trends that customers want to the market through stores and
online. The team have found new ways of working to ensure they are agile as well as maintaining a focus
on sustainability. Glassons carries on the focus of putting the customer first by
using digital solutions to
engage and listen. This helps Glassons to maintain a strong brand position in both established markets
and new markets.
Hallenstein Brothers
Sales for the 12 month period were $97.20 million (including Australia), an increase of 9.86% on the prior
period. Net profit after tax was $4.82
million, an increase of 7.5% on the prior year ($4.48 million).
Stores in Napier and Taupo were refreshed during the year and new fixtures to better display product
were rolled out to key stores.
Sales showed a promising increase compared to the prior year and it was pleasing to see
growth in casual
categories, which largely offset the move away in menswear from more formal dressing. Covid‐19 has
been the trigger for a significant shift in consumer habits with a far more casual approach taken to what
would traditionally be worn in the office and to events, and the business has been able to pivot and adapt
accordingly. Casual categories continue to outperform over the financial year with the
team continuing
to focus on current trends and must have products.
With product quality improved and with sustainability in mind, product continues to be essential to our
performance. Customer service and engagement continues to be integral to our success with new service
training programs introduced and better web site design.
E‐Commerce
Online sales grew over the period by 31.27% against the prior year with significant growth experienced
during periods of store closures. Online sales now represent 24.04% of total sales for the full financial
year, up from 21.88% in the prior year. The growth in online sales have continued into the new financial
year being ahead of last year, again supported by COVID‐19 enforced store closures across the network.
Investment continues in digital to ensure we are ahead of the market in our functionality and technology
as well as our web fulfillment in Distribution Centers. There is also focus
on digital marketing and
customer experience to continue to accelerate our online sales growth.
Dividend
The Directors declared and have paid a final dividend of 24 cents per share (partially imputed) (24 cents
per share last year) on the 17
th
December 2021. Together with the interim dividend of 23 cents per share
that was paid on the 16
th
April 2021, the full year dividend is 47 cents per share. The final dividend
payment is able to be maintained as the Company’s balance sheet continues to be strong, and
inventories well controlled.
Future Outlook
The new financial year got off to a disrupted start. Twelve stores in Victoria and
Fourteen stores in New
South Wales Australia were closed since restrictions were placed on the states earlier in the year. The
stores were re‐opened in line with the various State Government guidelines during October.
Following New Zealand moving to Level 4 at 11:59pm on Tuesday 17 August, all Hallenstein
Brothers and
Glassons stores in New Zealand were closed. On Wednesday 8 September, all stores outside of Auckland
were reopened as the rest of New Zealand entered Level 2. The Group was further impacted by localized
lockdowns in Northland and the Waikato. Auckland stores re‐opened in line with Government
regulations
in November, and with that marked the first time since June that all stores across the Group
had been open at the same time. Due to the various lockdowns and boarder restrictions in place the
Head Office team has not been able to travel domestically, trans‐Tasman or internationally to support the
business as often as we would like.
The first 20 weeks of the new financial year have seen Group sales decline ‐10.14% on the prior year, this
has been driven predominantly by multiple store
closures across both New Zealand and Australia in
response to the recent COVID‐19 outbreaks in both countries. The Group anticipates profitability in the
current year will be adversely impacted compared to the period just completed. While we are pleased to
have all stores operating again, we will continue to
be cautious in regard to the future impacts of COVID‐
19 on customer confidence and the spending patterns around the Christmas and New Year period. The
pre and post‐Christmas trading periods are such key trading periods for the Group in determining our
trading result for the summer season, which ends
on 1 February 2022.
In closing I would like to thank the Hallenstein Glassons Board, Executive Team and all our staff, for the
exceptional 2021 trading result. It was a tremendous effort by everyone in a very challenging and
difficult environment in both New Zealand and Australia.
We look forward
to 2022, and the certainty provided by high vaccination rates across New Zealand and
Australia and the protection frameworks in place.
Warren Bell
Chairman
21
st
December 2021
---
Group CEO’s Address – AGM 2021
INTRODUCTION
Well we thought 2020 was a challenging year but 2021 has certainly been interesting. Initially I will
provide a narrative around the 2021 Financial year and then outline some of our key strategic
initiatives.
Financial Results
The result for the financial year 2021 was
commendable, particularly in context of the ongoing
impact of the COVID pandemic including the various lockdowns across both Australia and New
Zealand, outlined by the Chairman, and the continued disruptions to our supply chain. Once again
our teams have continued to react with agility to the changing market dynamic and
have navigated
the business to strengthen our brands. Other key focuses have been enhancing digital and being
focused on operating excellence in both stores and online. I am confident that we are continuing to
develop the key building blocks to enhance the future opportunities for the business when we can
trade
in a more stable environment, hopefully in the near future.
Digital remains fundamental to the ongoing success of our business, and it is pleasing to see the
significant progress we have made across multiple fronts. From the ongoing enhancement of our
online platforms, to increased sophistication on customer insights and
delivering personalisation. A
particular highlight has been the development and launch of the Glassons App. This has provided a
key engagement tool with our customers and provides ease to the shopping experience. The
customer uptake on the Glassons App has been very strong and we will continue to further enhance.
There
have been several challenges with our supply chain due to various lockdowns in the country of
origin and the ongoing impact of freight issues. Both of which have increased product lead times
and in respect to freight we have seen an increase in costs, as we have airfreighted more product.
However, we remain fortunate to have strong partnerships with both our suppliers and logistic
companies which has allowed us to work together to minimise any negative impact on our ability to
deliver timely and affordable product for our customers.
Glassons had sales growth on both sides of the Tasman, but it
is important to acknowledge that the
growth of Glassons Australia has been very strong. The brand in New Zealand and Australia
continues to lead the way as a fashion brand, with amazing agility to respond to customer demand
and continuing to remain relevant in the market. Glassons New Zealand has
seen growth,
particularly with digital and refurbished stores. Glassons Australia continues to expand both with
physical stores and online sales and we are confident of further expansion.
Its pleasing to see Hallenstein Brothers performed well following an extensive focus on refining the
brand. The increase in casual product, and introduction of
smart casual have both assisted to offset
the challenges in the Tailored category, with less people working from the office and less events.
The website has been redesigned and there is more customer engagement through social media.
RETAIL
The physical retail experiences are important to both brands; the ability to offer personalised service
with great store fit outs
remain fundamental to providing exceptional customer experience. There
has also been investment in technology to improve the customer journey and streamline the
transactional processes.
During the year we continued to invest in the customer experience with refits in Glassons NZ in
Nelson, and in Sylvia Park and Onehunga in Auckland.
Glassons Australia has seen 2 new stores in
Broadway and Chatswood, Sydney and our store in Chermside, Brisbane has been refurbished. A
new store has opened in the new Financial Year in Marion, South Australia and initial trading is well
above plan. The Hallensteins Brother’s stores in Taupo and Napier were
refreshed. This
demonstrates the continued commitment to having good stores in the right places to enhance the
overall omnichannel experience.
Due to the various lockdowns the Head Office Team has been restricted on being able to get out to
stores but as of now all borders are open and the
Teams have been out visiting stores.
There has also been investment in training of the Store Teams, with enhanced service training and
introduction of digital based communication tools to improve Team engagement.
DIGITAL
Digital sales continue to grow exponentially with the Groups online sales growing 31% on the
previous year, now
accounting for 24% of total sales. This has continued to grow this financial year
particularly around the lockdowns. The launch of the Glassons App has been a huge success with
over 450,000 downloads. This has allowed more interaction with our customers and an easy way to
communicate direct to their
device.
An exciting development during the year was the launch of the Glassons USA website, we are very
pleased with the initial foray into this market. We continue to refine our marketing and product
offer whilst having ongoing engagement with our USA based customers. Social media and our
engagement with key
influences has also been integral to our positioning in this market. Whilst we
are continuing to learn and adapt to the market, we remain confident of the opportunity that this
presents for the Glassons brand.
The Hallenstein Brothers Website has been refined this year with improved functionality and
enhanced imagery.
There has recently been further investment in the Hallenstein Brothers digital
team with focus on social and customer engagement as well as continuing to remain committed to
enhancing the level of online sales.
Overall we are confident that online sales will continue to grow with the continued focus on digital
and technology advancements.
PRODUCT
Both Hallensteins Brothers and Glassons design, buying and production teams have been
exceptional in adapting with no international travel. The respective design teams have been
impressive at identifying new trends
and driving product innovation to lead in market. Similarly, the
production teams have significantly adapted ways of working, to operate virtually to maintain a
seamless approach to product development. From February next year we expect our Teams to start
traveling internationally again, allowing visits to our suppliers, and buying trips
to key locations.
There remains an overarching focus on sustainability, with a significant increase for both brands on
using more sustainable fabrics including organic, recycled, and traceable. This is underpinned by an
alignment with a number of certification programmes to provide transparency and authenticity to
our approach.
SUPPLY CHAIN
We have
been working closely with our suppliers over the last year to ensure the best outcomes for
both parties during these challenging times. This has allowed us to manage our stock levels and our
cash flow effectively. The strong relationship we have with our suppliers, which have been forged
over several
years have allowed us to work together on the ongoing challenges.
Our Fulfilment Centres, which we have recently invested in, have worked well for us in managing the
increased demand for digital sales. Additional space has been acquired in Sydney due to the higher
demand for the Glassons brand in the
Australian market which has allowed us to maintain service
levels.
SUSTAINABILITY
This will be the second year we have published our Made with Care Sustainability Report and I am
very proud of the steps forward the Team have made. We have learned a lot along the way, made
some mistakes
but I believe we are making positive inroads on our sustainability journey. In the 2021
Baptist / Tearfund Ethical fashion Guide we achieved an A grade rating, up from a B+ grade 2 years
ago, so it is great to see all the teams hard work being recognised externally. Fundamental to
our
strategy is to maintain our integrity and be transparent, which is ingrained in all we do. There is
more detailed information available on our plan on our websites which is regularly updated.
OUTLOOK
We are aware that there will continue to be disruption ahead, but the commitment and agility
of our
Team at Hallenstein Glasson’s enables us to be equipped to face challenges and respond proactively.
The start to the new season has been disruptive, with lockdowns in Australia for Victoria and New
South Wales since the start of the Financial Year and Lockdown in New Zealand, particularly
Auckland’s extended lockdown. This has a had an adverse impact on the first 3 months profitability
but now that all stores have re‐opened its promising to see the stores trading again.
There are several pillars
to our strategic direction, the unwavering focus on delivering great and
affordable fashion product to our customers underpinned by our sustainability ethos. The continued
drive and enhancement of our digital execution to enhance customer experience. Our ongoing
investment in physical stores to provide great service and a streamlined omni channel
experience.
This strategic direction with an overarching drive to deliver on operating excellence and continued
investment in our people provides a pathway to further enhance growth opportunities.
Specifically, in the medium term there is potential for growth in online sales in Australasia and the
USA. As well as opportunities for further
Glassons stores in the Australian market. Freight is
improving with costs coming down and less disruption and borders opening up allows our teams to
travel again allowing better interaction with suppliers and overseas buying trips.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the amazing commitment and loyalty of our team members.
They continue to go the extra mile for the business and their resilience has been commendable
which has us in great shape for the future.
Stuart Duncan
Group Chief Executive Officer
21
st
December 2021
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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