Angling Direct : Interim Results

14 October 2020

Angling Direct PLC

('Angling Direct' or the 'Company' of the 'Group')

Half-yearly results for the six months ended 31 July 2020

Angling Direct PLC​(AIM: ANG), the largest specialist fishing tackle and equipment retailer in the UK, is pleased to announce its unaudited financial results for the six months ended 31 July 2020. These results demonstrate the operational resilience and growth potential of the business, as well as its ability to generate cash despite the Covid-19 pandemic and temporary closure of its store network.

The Group continues to adapt in response to the ever-changing nature of the challenges presented by the pandemic and its impact on customers, suppliers and colleagues. The Board is now of the view that there is sufficient visibility to reinstate guidance for the current year outturn and confirms that the Group is trading in line with market expectations for the year ending 31 January 2021 ('FY21'). With the Group's growing multi-channel offering and the strength of the balance sheet, the Board remains optimistic about the growth prospects and overall success of the business.

Financial highlights:

• Revenue of £32.1m (H1 20: £26.5m) - up 21%
• Sales across all channels from 15 June 2020 (the date our stores re-opened) to 31 July 2020 - up 95%
• Gross profit of £10.8m (H1 20: £8.5m) - up 27%
• Gross margin improved by 140 bps to 33.5%
• EBITDA of £2.9m (H1 20: £1.2m) - up 142%
• Pre-IFRS16 EBITDA of £2.1m (H1 20: £0.8m) - up 163%
• Profit Before Tax of £1.4m (H1 20: £0.4m) - up 250%
• Net cash and cash equivalents at 31 July 2020 of £21.0m (31 July 2019: £13.3m)
• Operating cash generation of £11.3m (H1 20: £1.8m) - up 528%
• Successful placing in June 2020 completed with certain existing and new institutional investors, raising £5.5m (gross) to strengthen the balance sheet and provide funds to invest in the Group's growth

Operational highlights:

• Online: Material growth in revenue and customer numbers: UK revenues up 62% to £14.8m (H1 20 £9.2m)
  Native language international country revenues up 51% to £1.6m (H1 20 £1.0m) UK unique website visitors up 54% to 3.7m (H1 20 2.4m)
  Native language unique website visitors up 150% to 1.0m (H1 20 0.4m)
• Stores: Resilient sales despite enforced government 12-week closure

Revenue up 2% to £14.2m (H1 20 £14.0m)

23% reduction in like for like store sales including the impact of closure during lockdown

All stores safely and successfully reopened, with like-for-like sales growth of 75% between 15 June 2020 to 31 July 2020

New stores opened in Warrington (February 20), Bristol (June) and Northampton (July)

Current trading and outlook:

• Current trading both online and in-stores proving resilient
• Closely monitoring government guidance and continuing to operate stores safely and effectively and will review further government restrictions and financial packages available as circumstances change
• Leicester store opened in September 2020, with total count of 38 stores anticipated at the year end
• Guidance reinstated for FY21 and on track to meet current year market expectations

Martyn Page, Executive Chairman, said​:

"The Group's first-half performance demonstrates considerable resilience, with strong growth achieved through our online business at a time when Covid-19 has posed significant challenges. The like-for-like sale growth of our store network since reopening has also been hugely encouraging. Importantly our focus on our core UK and European territories with a refined trading strategy, as well as further enhancements made to customer experience, has lifted margins and driven greater profitability.

Whilst the broader economic outlook and the risks associated with the ongoing pandemic remain uncertain over the coming months, based on the Group's performance so far and its strong start to the second half of the financial year, the Board

believes it is on track to meet market expectations for the current financial year. With a strong balance sheet we are also well positioned to withstand any further challenges that may arise."

For further information:
Angling Direct PLC	+44	(0)	1603 258658
Martyn Page, Executive Chairman
Andy Torrance, Chief Executive Officer
Steven Crowe, Chief Financial Officer
N+1 Singer - NOMAD and Broker	+44	(0)	20 7496 3000
Peter Steel, Alex Bond (Corporate Finance)
Tom Salvesen (Corporate Broking)
Yellow Jersey PR - Financial PR
Charles Goodwin	+44	(0)	7747 788 221
Georgia Colkin	+44	(0)	7825 916 715
Annabel Atkins

About Angling Direct PLC:

Angling Direct is the largest specialist fishing tackle retailer in the UK. The Company sells fishing tackle products and related equipment through its network of retail stores, located throughout the UK as well as through its own websites (www.anglingdirect.co.uk, .de, .fr and .nl) and other third-party websites.

The Company currently sells over 21,500 fishing tackle products, including capital items, consumables, luggage and clothing. The Company also owns and sells fishing tackle products under its own brand 'Advanta', which was formally launched in March 2016.

From 1986 to 2003, the Company's founders acquired interests in a number of small independent fishing tackle shops in Norfolk and, in 2003, they acquired a significant premise in Norwich, which was branded Angling Direct. Since 2003, the Company has continued to acquire or open new stores, taking the total number up to 36 retail stores. In 2015, the Company opened a 30,000 sq. ft central distribution centre in Rackheath, Norfolk, where the Company's head office is also located. The Company has an established, and rapidly growing, presence in Europe with native language websites set up in key regions to address demand.

Angling Direct PLC shares are traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ANG.L.

For further information, please visit ​www.anglingdirect.co.uk

Chief Executive Officer's Review

The Group delivered a strong set of results in the period despite the challenges presented by Covid-19. This is credit to the Angling Direct team, and I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their ongoing commitment, agility and good-natured resilience. This has allowed the Board to remain focused on delivering its long-term strategy of profitable growth and the Company has made good progress in the key areas of:

• Developing margin
• Increasing own brand sales penetration
• Improving working capital
• Leveraging efficiencies from previous supply chain investments.

The unprecedented challenges during the period serves to underline further how well-positioned the Company is to leverage the strength and uniqueness of its multi-channel business model, as well as the continued strength of the fishing tackle markets both in the UK and Europe.

Results

Revenue increased by 21% to £32.1m for the six months ended 31 July 2020 (H1 2020: £26.5) for the Group. Gross profit

increased by 27% to £10.8m (H1 2020: £8.5m). Pre IFRS 16 EBITDA grew by 163% to £2.1m (H1 2020: £0.8m) as the Company's web distribution centre continued to operate safely during lockdown, facilitated by drawing on existing stock levels as well as stock held in closed retail stores.

Since restrictions were lifted and all stores safely re-opened on 15 June, sales across all channels have continued to grow strongly, exhibiting growth between 15 June 2020 and 31 July 2020 of 95% compared with the previous year. The impact of lockdown has created an exceptional sales period, with new and pent-up demand, along with the 'staycation' effect. It is very pleasing to see that the number of angling annual licences issued by the Environment Agency has increased by 16% and that mainstream media has covered this uptake from new and lapsed anglers.

As trading restrictions have changed, we have returned our store colleagues from furlough, adopted working practices to protect staff welfare and as yet not lost any further full trading days.

Due to the strength of trading, associated cash conversion and working capital timing, the Company's cash position at 31 July 2020 grew strongly to £21.0m. In April 2020, the Company arranged a £2.5m short-term credit facility which expired undrawn on 30​th September. In July 2020, the Company also completed a placing of new ordinary shares, raising gross proceeds of £5.5m.

Operational Review

Online

The Company was very pleased to achieve strong online sales both in the UK and internationally, aided partially by the retail shutdown across Europe. Consequently, online sales in the period grew by 43% to £17.9m (H1 2020: £12.5m) which, alongside continued momentum in the UK, reflected further progression of the Company's native language international web platforms. Sales to Germany grew by 33%, France by 62% and Netherlands by 81%. As the Company continues to focus on expanding more profitable web channels, other international sales, eBay and insurance sales decreased by £0.8m, to £1.5m.

The number of unique visitors to the Company's UK website increased by 1.3m to 3.7m for the period, an increase of 54% with over 79,000 new customers across all of the Group's websites (H1 2020: 44,000) completing a purchase. Despite increased browsing during lockdown, UK conversion held up at 5.5%, a decrease of 20bps. European conversion recorded an improvement of 80bps to 2.7% as continued investment starts moving this metric nearer to UK levels.

The Company is well-positioned to benefit from the pandemic driven accelerated adoption of e-commerce channels. A key priority for management is to delight and retain our new customers as well as continuing to develop online margins. To this end we continue to develop, trial and release new customer facing web functionality made possible through last year's investment in our Magento II web platform.

Retail Stores

All retail stores were closed between 24 March 2020 and 14 June 2020 due to enforced Government Covid-19 restrictions. Total store sales in the period increased 1.6% to £14.2m (H1 2020: £14m). Like-for-like ('L4L') store sales were down by

23% for the period, as a consequence of the unavoidable impact of store closures. However, this has recovered strongly in the period since re-opening, with L4L growth of 75% from 15 June 2020 to 31 July 2020.

Working in accordance with Government lockdown restrictions, the Company opened three new stores in the period: Warrington (Feb 2020), Bristol (June 2020, with enhanced sea fishing ranges) and Northampton (July 2020), contributing £0.9m to sales. A fourth store, Leicester, opened in September 2020 and will trial some of the early concepts emerging from our new category management approach.

Trading

In line with our stated strategy, gross margin improved by 140bps to 33.5% as our renewed focus on pricing and promotional discipline started to take effect. The Board continues to assess and implement further operational efficiencies with a view to maintaining profitable sales growth, a key on-going priority to build shareholder value. In order to complement our extensive range and differentiated service levels, we remain committed to being broadly price competitive.

Increased stock investment year on year has led to an improved sales participation of our own brand, higher margin product range, Advanta, accounting for 5.6% of total sales in the period (H1 2020: 3.0%), with sales of £1.8m (H1 2020: £0.8m). Inventory reduced in the period by over £1m, reflecting strong trading and improving more targeted purchasing. Consequently, stock turn improved to 3.6x from 2.5x, driven particularly by online trade and pleasing sell through of slower moving items. Continuing warehouse efficiency improvements generated an equivalent saving of £0.2m versus prior year.

Despite rapid growth and operational pressures On-Time-In-Full deliveries to customers improved to 92% (H1 2020: 87%).

Organisational Development

To support further profitable sales growth, we have taken steps to reconfigure our office based teams, investing in new hires in category management, web development, IT and finance decision support. In stores, we have reviewed the appropriateness and flexibility of payroll costs to further improve profitability.

Placing

In June 2020, the Group completed a placing raising gross proceeds of £5.5m from new and certain existing shareholders. The proceeds of the placing have strengthened the Company's balance sheet to provide a buffer against any further uncertainty created by Covid-19 and provided the funding to invest in key growth areas.

Current Trading and Outlook

Trading in the second half of the financial year to date has continued strongly across all channels.

Looking ahead, the Board believes that with Angling Direct's growth and established competitive advantage, it is well-placed within its market to benefit from the heightened interest in angling as customers seek to take advantage of the pastime's numerous well-being benefits. We will continue to invest in both online and in-store growth and in improving awareness of our brand in the UK and Europe. In the last two years Angling Direct has issued over 16,000 free start fishing kits to under 16 -year-olds.

Whilst it is not yet clear the extent to which some of the exceptional trends of the last few months will continue longer-term, especially with renewed uncertainty as to the Covid-19 effect on consumers (and some moderate supply chain disruption), the Board is expecting sales to begin reverting to more normal trading patterns during the remainder of the year. The strong balance sheet means that the Company is well positioned to withstand any further challenges, and continue investing in key profitable growth areas.

Based on current performance, the Board is of the view that there is sufficient visibility to reinstate guidance for the current year outturn and confirms that the Group is trading in line with market expectations for FY21. Beyond that we remain cautious but optimistic about the future growth of the business.

Andy Torrance

Chief Executive Officer

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