8 January 2020
Topps Tiles Plc
Q1 Trading Update
Trading
Topps Tiles Plc (the "Group"), the UK's largest tile specialist, announces a trading update for the 13 week period ended 28 December 2019.
Like-for-like retail revenues for the first 13 weeks of the current financial year decreased by 5.4% (2019: decreased by 1.4%). As announced on 26 November 2019, retail like-for-like revenues across the first eight weeks of the quarter decreased by 7.2%. For the final five weeks of the quarter performance improved significantly, with the decrease in retail like-for-like revenues reducing to 1.4%.
Strategic Progress
· | Group - the Group continues to focus on its core purpose to inspire customers through our love of tiles. We are also maintaining a tight focus on costs and on maximising the conversion of turnover into free cash flow. During the quarter the success of our "Leading People" strategy was recognised by Glassdoor who presented Topps Tiles with an 'Employees' Choice' award in the Best Places to Work category for 2020, where we were the highest placed retailer, finishing ninth overall. |
· | Retail - our overall customer satisfaction score continues to improve, with 88% of customers telling us that they were "highly satisfied" across the quarter. The Group continues to actively manage its store portfolio - ending the period with 361 stores, having closed one store and relocated another. |
· | Commercial - our entry into Commercial has approximately doubled our addressable market and our strategy of creating a new market leader continues to make good progress. Commercial sales for the quarter were £2.3 million, an increase of c.250% year on year (or c.150% on a comparable basis) and we remain encouraged by our progress towards our target of a broadly breakeven outcome for the current financial year. |
Rob Parker, CEO, said: "Our first quarter performance reflects the full impact of the heightened political and economic uncertainty evident in the run up to December's General Election, which we first noted in our 2019 full year results announcement. Trading conditions remained challenging throughout the period and, against this backdrop, we ensured that we continued to offer our customers excellent value for money. As expected, the retail like-for-like sales decline began to return to its pre-election trend towards the end of the quarter.
"As we enter 2020, we remain confident that our market-leading retail offer and growing commercial operations give us a strong platform from which to deliver sustainable growth over the medium and long term."
Topps Tiles will hold its Annual General Meeting on 22 January 2020. In line with previous practice, no further update on trading will be given at this point.
The Company will announce a trading update for the 26 weeks ended 28 March 2020 on 1 April 2020.
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Enquiries:
Topps Tiles Plc | 0116 282 8000 |
Rob Parker, Chief Executive Officer |
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Citigate Dewe Rogerson | 020 7638 9571 |
Kevin Smith / Nick Hayns |
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Note to editors
Topps Tiles Plc is the UK's largest specialist supplier of tiles and associated products, targeting the UK domestic refurbishment and commercial market and serving a retail and trade customer base from 361 nationwide retail stores and four commercial showrooms.
Since opening its first store in 1963, Topps has maintained a simple operating philosophy - inspiring customers with unrivalled product choice and providing exceptional levels of customer service.
For further information, please visit http://www.toppstilesplc.com/
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