RNS Number : 0818C
SuperGroup PLC
14 January 2015

SuperGroup Plc

Trading Statement

Strong Christmas Trading

SuperGroup Plc ("SuperGroup" or "the Group") today provides its trading update covering the 11-week period from 26 October 2014 to 10 January 2015.

Retail division - Strong LFL growth

A strong performance over the peak Christmas period saw total Retail sales for the 11 weeks increase by 17.8%. Like-for-like sales grew by 12.4% against softer comparatives than the first half. Although all channels and geographies have performed well, the performance of e-commerce was particularly notable in the run up to Christmas. Many customers chose to shop online with growing confidence in the Group's delivery promise, resulting in a record trading period from the e-commerce platform. The cold weather from Boxing Day onwards helped to deliver strong sales from outerwear and knitwear, areas that have proved difficult throughout the mild autumn, and there has been a consistent performance across both menswear and womenswear.

Whilst there are still 15 weeks of trading remaining in the current financial year, this performance underpins confidence in the Group's expected profit outcome for the full year of £60-£65m despite the weakening Euro and one of the Group's important wholesale customers going into administration.

Wholesale division - guidance unchanged

The Group's spring summer Wholesale season guidance remains unchanged at 3.3% in constant currency.

Euan Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"I am pleased to report a very strong set of results over the peak trading period. Our upgraded infrastructure was tested to the full by Black Friday and in the busy lead up to Christmas and has proven to be resilient and effective. A record performance from e-commerce combined with strong store operations led to what became a truly multi-channel Christmas."

The Group will hold a capital markets event in the afternoon of Thursday 26 March in central London.

Mav Wynn will join the business as Head of Investor Relations with effect from Monday 19 January.

14 January 2015

Notes

1.    The Board considers market expectations for the financial year ending 25 April 2015 are best defined by taking the range of forecasts of PBT published by analysts who consistently follow the Group. Excluding one outlier, the current range of PBT forecasts as at 14 January 2015 of which the Board is aware is £58.0m to £62.0m with consensus at £60.7m.

2.    Like-for-like sales ("LFL") is defined as the year-on-year growth for stores and concessions open for more than one year and include ecommerce revenues.

3.    Order book growth rates are stated using constant foreign exchange rates. A proportion of the order book is invoiced in Euros and therefore actual growth rates may be higher or lower depending upon the prevailing exchange rate at the time the goods are sold.

Conference call

SuperGroup will be hosting a conference call for analysts and institutional investors at 08:15 hours GMT today. Please call Mark Reed at Instinctif Partners for dial-in details on 020 7457 2017 or email mark.reed@instinctif.com. There will be a play back facility available later in the day and a recording of the call will be posted on the Company's corporate website.

Forthcoming news flows

Capital markets update

26 March 2015

Q4 trading update

7 May 2015

Preliminary results

9 July 2015

AGM

9 September 2015

Cautionary statement

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition and operational results of SuperGroup plc. These statements and forecasts involve risk, uncertainty and assumptions because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made only as at the date of this announcement. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast. Except as required by law, SuperGroup Plc has no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to correct any inaccuracies therein.

For further information:

SuperGroup

Euan Sutherland

Chief Executive Officer

44 (0) 1242 586464

Shaun Wills

Chief Financial Officer

44 (0) 1242 586747

Instinctif Partners

Matthew Smallwood

44 (0) 20 7457 2020

Mark Reed

Notes to the editors

SuperGroup is the owner of the Superdry brand and operates in the branded fashion sector. Superdry targets the young fashion market with affordable premium quality clothing and accessories for both men and women in the 15 to 25 age bracket, although the brand has become increasingly appealing to a much broader group as it develops its breadth of product ranges.

Since the first Superdry store opening in 2004, the business has grown rapidly and now operates 526 branded locations. There are 96 owned stores and 64 concessions in the UK. There are 50 owned stores, 126 franchised and 13 concessions in Europe. The remainder of the estate is made up of franchised and licensed stores in the rest of the world.

The Group also has a successful ecommerce business. In addition to superdry.com, the Group operates 20 country specific Superdry websites.

The Group's strategy is to further internationalise the business, with the focus of its future roll out of owned stores on mainland Europe.

The latest photographs are available from www.superdrypress.com


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