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Summarised consolidated group results for the year ended 30 September 2022 and cash dividend declaration

Published: 2022-11-16 08:06:00 ET
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                                        SALIENT FEATURES                                                                          SUMMARY SEGMENT ANALYSIS
                                                                                      Year ended      Year ended                                                                                             The SPAR
                                                                                          30 Sep          30 Sep     %                                            Southern            Switzer-                  Group
                                        Rmillion                                            2022            2021 change           Rmillion                          Africa    Ireland    land         Poland       Ltd


    THE SPAR GROUP LTD                  Turnover¹
                                        Operating profit
                                                                                          135 609.1
                                                                                            3 428.7
                                                                                                        127 940.5
                                                                                                          3 392.6
                                                                                                                          6.0
                                                                                                                          1.1
                                                                                                                                  Profit/(loss)
                                                                                                                                  Turnover                         88 090.9   31 295.6   13 834.7     2 387.9 135 609.1
                                        Earnings per share                  (cents)         1 118.2       1 176.3        (4.9)    Gross profit                      8 829.4    4 485.1    2 547.9       436.6  16 299.0
                                        Headline earnings per share         (cents)         1 160.5       1 196.2        (3.0)    Operating profit/(loss)           2 451.7      970.5      409.5      (403.0)  3 428.7
  SUMMARISED CONSOLIDATED               Diluted headline earnings per                                                             Profit/(loss) before taxation     2 335.6      810.4      351.1      (455.4)  3 041.7
                                        share                               (cents)         1 159.1       1 193.7         (2.9)
      GROUP RESULTS                     Dividend per share
                                        Net asset value per share
                                                                            (cents)
                                                                            (cents)
                                                                                              400.0
                                                                                            5 201.0
                                                                                                            816.0
                                                                                                          4 350.5
                                                                                                                        (51.0)
                                                                                                                         19.5
                                                                                                                                  Financial position
                                                                                                                                  Total assets                     26 968.1   16 104.4   12 018.1     2 027.6      57 118.2
                                                                                                                                  Total liabilities                21 784.8   12 883.4    9 494.0     2 946.9      47 109.1
       FOR THE YEAR ENDED
      30 SEPTEMBER 2022 AND
                                        ¹ Turnover represents revenue from the sale of merchandise.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               SPAR’S COMMITMENT
                                        PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW                                                                      UPDATE ON SAP                                                                                            TO THE FUTURE OF OUR BRAND
    CASH DIVIDEND DECLARATION           SPAR delivered a resilient group performance despite various challenges across
                                        all regions. Group turnover increased by 6.0% to R135.6 billion. In constant
                                                                                                                                  As part of the group’s digital transformation, the group-wide SAP implementation
                                                                                                                                  commenced smoothly, with the successful launch of the new system at the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 AND OUR PLANET
                                        currency, turnover increased by 7.0%. Group profitability continued to be impacted        Southern African central office in October 2022. The distribution centre in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The salient dates for the payment of the final dividend are detailed below:
                                        by the consequences of the pandemic in the first half of this financial year and new      KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is due to launch the new system early in 2023, post the busy


 OUR          PURPOSE                   geopolitical circumstances which has seen all regions experiencing fuel and               Christmas-trading period. The remaining distribution centres in South Africa will              Last day to trade cum-dividend                              Tuesday, 6 December 2022
                                        energy cost pressures. In South Africa these pressures were further exacerbated           follow individually after KZN, to minimise potential business disruption. The foreign          Shares to commence trading ex-dividend                   Wednesday, 7 December 2022
                                        by the impact of ongoing electricity load shedding. The group delivered an                regions are preparing their businesses for the SAP implementation, in line with the
 to inspire people to do and be more    operating profit of R3.4 billion, increasing by 1.1%. Diluted headline earnings per       group implementation plan.                                                                     Record date                                                    Friday, 9 December 2022

                                        share decreased by 2.9% to 1 159.1 cents per share. The board of directors of                                                                                                            Payment of dividend                                        Monday, 12 December 2022
                                        SPAR (board) has declared a final dividend of 225.0 cents per share, in line with         OUTLOOK                                                                                        Shareholders will not be permitted to dematerialise or rematerialise their shares between
                                        the temporarily adjusted dividend policy reducing the dividend for a period of two        During the year, management announced a new leadership structure which will drive              Wednesday, 7 December 2022 and Friday, 9 December 2022, both days inclusive.
                                        years, to fund, inter alia, SPAR’s strategic investment in SAP.                           greater collaboration and alignment across the group. The structure includes a new             In terms of South African taxation legislation effective from 1 April 2012, and the
                                                                                                                                  chief executive officer (CEO) for the South African business, reporting to the CEO of          JSE Limited Listings Requirements, the following additional information is disclosed:
                                        SPAR Southern Africa contributed 65.0% of turnover for the group and
                                                                                                                                  the group. The leadership changes have brought renewed energy and focus to the
                                        delivered strong growth in wholesale turnover of 8.4% to R88.1 billion. This                                                                                                             • The South African local dividend tax rate is 20%;
                                                                                                                                  Southern African business and a medium-term plan to drive growth is underway. In
                                        increase was assisted by an improved core grocery business performance which
                                                                                                                                  South Africa, against the backdrop of a constrained consumer, low economic growth              • The net local dividend amount is 180.0 cents per share for shareholders
                                        generated an increase in sales of 5.3%. SPAR increased its promotional calendar
                                                                                                                                  and subdued business confidence, the trading environment is expected to remain                   liable to pay tax on dividends, and 225.0 cents per share for shareholders
                                        to continue to attract cash-strapped consumers. This increased promotional
                                                                                                                                  unchanged in the short to medium term; however, our national and regional marketing              exempt from such dividend tax;
                                        activity, continued focus on store disciplines, a better fresh offering, as well as
                                                                                                                                  teams have innovative promotional programmes geared towards helping SPAR
                                        major store upgrades were key initiatives during the reporting period. SPAR made                                                                                                         • The issued share capital of The SPAR Group Ltd is 192 602 355 ordinary
                                                                                                                                  support price-conscious consumers and the needs of their communities.
                                        excellent progress with its newly developed on-demand shopping platform                                                                                                                    shares; and
                                        SPAR2U, having gone live at 87 stores during the second half of the financial year.       BWG Group management remains cautious in their outlook for Ireland and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 • The SPAR Group Ltd’s tax reference number is 9285/168/20/0.
                                        Feedback from consumers using this new channel has been extremely positive.               South West England. There is a real concern around the quantum and level of
                                        Against the liquor trading restrictions in 2021, TOPS at SPAR delivered excellent         price increases that are coming through as global energy markets continue to be                Following the discontinuation of cheque payments by South African banks, the
                                        liquor sales growth of 42.6%, rebounding strongly and reaffirming its position as         volatile, driving energy-led price inflation throughout the supply chain. There is             company no longer issues cheques and all payments will only be made into a
                                        the number one liquor brand in South Africa. Build it delivered industry-leading          also concern that consumer demand will weaken as the cost of living increases into             nominated bank account by electronic funds transfer. Shareholders who have
                                        turnover growth of 3.1% for the financial year and reported a strong second half          the winter months. A core skill within BWG Group is taking corrective action to                not yet provided their bank account details to the transfer secretaries are
                                        performance as Build it retailers increased their market share.                           compensate for inevitable shortfalls that might occur.                                         reminded to contact them on 086 147 2644 or +27 11 713 0800 with their bank
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 account details into which the dividends can be paid electronically.
                                        BWG Group (Ireland and South West England) delivered an exceptional                       The Swiss team is cautiously confident about the new financial year. We continue
                                        performance despite many challenges, with turnover growth of 7.6% in EUR-                 to develop relationships with potential partners in the petro-convenience sector               By order of the board
WWW.THESPARGROUP.COM                    denominated currency. This business again demonstrated its resilience as it               and management is excited about the opportunity to launch another four large
                                                                                                                                  EUROSPAR supermarket formats in the year ahead. These initiatives will
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Kevin O’Brien                                                                 Pinetown
                                        continues to adapt its operations in response to the challenging economic                                                                                                                Company Secretary                                                     16 November 2022
                                        environment. BWG Foods in Ireland reported an impressive year of new store                contribute towards growing SPAR’s presence in this country.
                                        openings, and neighbourhood stores have largely retained the gains made during                                                                                                           ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

 +6.0%
                                                                                                                                  In Poland, management will focus on driving new business and improving retailer
                                        the pandemic. Foodservices and licenced trade recovered strongly from                     purchasing loyalty rates through the increased product ranges in our distribution              This short-form announcement is the responsibility of the directors and is only a
                   Group turnover¹      March 2022 onwards, having suffered further COVID-19 restrictions in the first half       centres. While the economic situation remains challenging, given Poland’s                      summary of the information in the full announcement and does not contain full and
                                        of the financial year. The group experienced rising operational costs in fuel, labour     proximity to Ukraine, management remain firm in their belief in the opportunity                complete details thereof.
                                        and utilities. The business continued to invest in strategic acquisitions and             within this market. SPAR Poland’s strategy execution and performance are closely               The full announcement can be found at
                                        acquired two cash and carry businesses in Ireland and 16 retail stores in South           monitored by the board.                                                                        https://senspdf.jse.co.za/documents/2022/jse/isse/SPP/FY22Report.pdf.


 +1.1%
                                        West England during the reporting period.
                                                                                                                                  We extend our sincere gratitude to our people for everything they do to inspire                The full announcement is also available on the company’s website at
                   Operating profit     SPAR Switzerland experienced extraordinary levels of neighbourhood support                others to do and be more, in line with SPAR’s purpose. We are humbled by the                   https://thespargroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The_SPAR_Group_Ltd_
                                        during the pandemic. As restrictions eased, consumers returned to large                   dedication, sacrifices made, and commitment of our retailers, to embed the SPAR                Summarised_consolidated_group_results_for_year_ended_30_September_2022-1.pdf
                                        supermarkets. Consequently, SPAR convenience stores have seen a retraction                brand at the heart of our communities. We are better and stronger together.                    and copies may also be requested from the company’s registered office and at the
                                        in the gains made during the pandemic with turnover declining by 3.0% in CHF-                                                                                                            office of the JSE sponsor at no charge, during office hours. Any investment decision
                                                                                                                                  Graham O’Connor                                                          Brett Botten         in relation to the company’s shares should be based on the full announcement.
                                        denominated currency, however turnover is 14.4% higher than pre-pandemic


 +19.5%
                                                                                                                                  Chairman                                                        Chief Executive Officer
                   Net asset value      levels. Swiss food inflation rates increased substantially during the latter part
                                        of the financial year, which has seen cross-border shopping returning to pre-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2022,
                                                                                                                                  DECLARATION OF ORDINARY DIVIDEND                                                               from which the full announcement has been extracted, have been audited by
                   per share            pandemic levels. While this phenomenon traditionally impacted larger                                                                                                                     PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. who expressed an unmodified opinion thereon. The
                                        supermarkets more than smaller convenience stores, Swiss consumers will                   Notice is hereby given that a gross final cash dividend of 225.0 cents                         key audit matters contained in the auditor’s report are addressed on page 5 of the
                                        continue to seek cheaper alternatives in neighbouring countries as prices                 (2021: 536.0 cents) per share has been declared by the board in respect of the                 consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2022,
                                        increase. Swiss gastronomy has fully reopened and due to normalised restaurant            year ended 30 September 2022. The dividend has been declared out of income                     which are available on SPAR’s website at https://thespargroup.com/wp-content/


 +41
                                                                                                                                  reserves. This brings the total gross dividend for the year to 400.0 cents                     uploads/2022/11/Annual_Financial_Statements_2022.pdf.
                                        trading, our TopCC cash and carry business delivered strong turnover growth.
                                                                                                                                  (2021: 816.0 cents) per ordinary share.
                   Net new stores       SPAR Poland made a great deal of progress during the reporting period, with
                                        decisive steps taken to rapidly facilitate business performance within this market.         CORPORATE INFORMATION
                                        A key area of focus for 2022 was to address the retailer loyalty issue. Assertive           Directors: GO O’Connor** (Chairman), BW Botten (Chief Executive Officer), JA Canny*, MW Godfrey, LM Koyana*, M Mashologu*, P Mnganga*, ST Naran*, AG Waller* (Lead independent)
                                        decisions were taken to terminate contracts with a group of SPAR retailers and              (* Independent non-executive) (** Non-executive)



 400
                                        restructure the distribution centres. A group of 58 retailers with low levels               Company Secretary: KJ O’Brien THE SPAR GROUP LTD: (SPAR) or (the company) or (the group) Registration number: 1967/001572/06 ISIN: ZAE000058517
                                        of purchasing loyalty, elected to leave SPAR Poland. The loss of these retailers            JSE share code: SPP Registered office: 22 Chancery Lane, PO Box 1589, Pinetown, 3600
                   Dividend per share   has negatively impacted turnover growth in the second half of the financial year
                                                                                                                                    Transfer secretaries: JSE Investor Services (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 4844, Johannesburg, 2000
                                                                                                                                    Auditors: PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc., Waterfall City Heliport, 4 Lisbon Ln, Jukskei View, Midrand, 2090 Sponsor: One Capital, 17 Fricker Road, Illovo, 2196

 cents
                                        but despite this, SPAR Poland delivered turnover growth of 8.2% in PLN-                     Bankers and corporate brokers: Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Ltd, PO Box 4130, The Square, Umhlanga Rocks, 4021




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             # 16353
                                        denominated currency terms. Operating losses for this region reduced by 9.5% in             Attorneys: Garlicke & Bousfield, PO Box 1219, Umhlanga Rocks, 4320
                                        local currency terms.