The Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) share price will be on watch this morning following the release of the retailer's first full year results since its transformative acquisition of the Rip Curl business.
How did Kathmandu perform in FY 2020?
For the 12 months ending 31 July 2020, Kathmandu reported a 48.7% increase in sales to NZ$801.5 million. This was driven by a nine-month contribution from the Rip Curl business and strong online sales growth. The latter was up 63% over the 12 months to NZ$106.4 million.
Kathmandu's sales would have been notably stronger had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic. Management estimates the COVID-19 impact to its sales to be ~NZ$135 million. This comprises NZ$80 million retail and NZ$55 million wholesale.
On an underlying basis, Kathmandu's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came in 15.3% lower to NZ$83.4 million. This excludes the impact of IFRS 16 and one-off transaction and abnormal costs.
Statutory net profit after tax was down sharply to NZ$8.9 million. However, this includes NZ$18 million of one-off transaction costs, NZ$4.6 million of restructuring costs, and a NZ$2.6 million impact from the implementation of the IFRS 16 leasing standard.
In light of this profit decline, the company will not be paying a final dividend.
"A transformational year."
The company's CEO, Xavier Simonet, notes that FY 2020 was a transformational year for Kathmandu.
He said: "It has been a transformational year for us with the acquisition of Rip Curl and we are pleased with its integration into the Group over the last nine months. Unfortunately the Group faced significant unexpected challenges with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns."
"We took decisive action early to reduce costs, adjust the operating structure of the business, and raised $207 million of equity. These initiatives have resulted in a strong balance sheet and healthy inventory level, which position us well for the future," he added.
Despite the challenges, Mr Simonet was pleased with the way the company was able to adjust to the new normal thanks to its omni-channel strategy.
He explained: "Our omni-channel strategy and infrastructure capacity allowed us to rapidly scale up to meet the surge in online demand from March. In addition, following the easing of lockdown restrictions, we saw retail sales for Rip Curl and Kathmandu perform strongly in our core markets of Australasia, Europe and California, as consumers trended towards outdoor and recreation activities. Both Rip Curl and Kathmandu also enjoyed an exceptional post-lockdown winter sales performance in Australia and New Zealand."
Outlook.
The company has had a mixed start to FY 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Management advised that its performance has been impacted during the first seven weeks of FY 2021 due to Melbourne, Auckland, Hawaii, Bali, and airport store closures. This has led to a mixed same store sales performance over the period.
Though, it feels confident that demand will return to normal in these markets when stores reopen.
Mr Simonet commented: "Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the business remains strong financially and operationally. The balance sheet was significantly strengthened by the recent equity raise, our brands are well-positioned to capitalise on increased participation in outdoor, beach and surfing activities following the end of the lockdowns, and our investment into omni-channel capabilities allows us to quickly respond to shifts in consumer habits and strong growth in online demand."
"Beyond the short-term impacts from lockdowns, our long-term strategy remains unchanged. Product innovation, brand differentiation, a key focus on sustainability, and a step change in digital transformation, will enable us to continue answering the needs of our customers and also inspiring them," he concluded.
