DGAP-News: TOM TAILOR Holding SE

• Implementation of the RESET programme is going faster than planned
   
• Group turnover in the nine-months period slightly lower due to product, country and store closures, falling to EUR 686.2 million (9M 2016: EUR 695.1 million)
   
• Gross margin has grown from 53.6 to 56.7 percent; Group EBITDA increased by 66.6 percent to EUR 52.8 million (9M 2016: EUR 31.7 million); EBIT has grown significantly in the nine month period from EUR minus 4.0 million in the prior year period to EUR 26.1 million'
   
• Operating cash flow increased to EUR 28.9 million (9M 2016: EUR 0.1 million)
   
• Investments in key projects such as a new eShop and SAP accelerated, first results visible
   

Hamburg, 9 November 2017. The TOM TAILOR GROUP has confirmed that its positive trend continued through the third quarter of 2017. Thanks to the consistent implementation of measures to optimise costs and processes under its RESET programme, the Hamburg-based fashion company was able to present distinct profitability effects in the first nine months. While Group sales declined slightly - due to the discontinuation of products, countries and stores - by 1.3 percent to EUR 686.2 million (9M 2016: EUR 695.1 million), there was a notable improvement in the results. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose in the nine-month period by 66.6 percent to stand at EUR 52.8 million (9M 2016: EUR 31.7 million). Group earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) significantly improved in the same period from negative EUR 4.0 million to EUR 26.1 million. The gross profit margin also developed positively with a plus of 0.8 percentage points - standing currently at 56.7 percent, after 55.9 percent in the prior year period. Operating cash flow increased to EUR 28.9 million (9M 2016: EUR 0.1 million). Thus, the TOM TAILOR GROUP can look back at a successful nine months.

"Our results demonstrate that we have set many important points for a sustainably profitable development of the TOM TAILOR GROUP in these past several months", comments Dr. Heiko Schäfer, Chief Executive Officer of TOM TAILOR Holding SE. "We are well on the way to achieving the goals we set ourselves for 2017 with our RESET programme and in some areas we are close to surpassing them. This is why we have begun, in the second half of the year, to drive further pioneering projects forward that will play a key role in the future development of the TOM TAILOR GROUP - as an example the digitalisation of our business processes."
TOM TAILOR Segments Retail and Wholesale continue to grow
The positive trend of the TOM TAILOR GROUP is mainly reflected in the TOM TAILOR brand, that has grown more strongly in the channels Retail and Wholesale than the overall market. In the first nine months of the year, TOM TAILOR Retail was able to increase its turnover by 1.1 percent to EUR 213.6 million (9M 2016: EUR 211.3 million) and the gross profit by 5.0 percent to EUR 123.5 million (9M 2016: EUR 117.6 million).

In the Wholesale area, sales grew in the nine-month period by 2.9 percent to EUR 270.7 million (9M 2016: EUR 262.9 million) and the gross profit by 3.5 percent to EUR 127.9 million (9M 2016: EUR 123.6 million). EBITDA in the reference period even rose by 53.6 percent to EUR 40.4 million (9M 2016: EUR 26.3 million).
BONITA significantly increases EBITDA
In the first nine months the BONITA brand recorded a decline in sales of 8.6 percent to EUR 201.9 million (9M 2016: 220.8 Mio. EUR) - this was due to conscious cleanup decisions in the context of the RESET programme. Meanwhile, EBITDA in the reporting period decreased noticeably to stand at EUR 10.5 million now (9M 2016: EUR minus 0.8 million). In the third quarter alone, the gross margin rose to 69.9 percent (Q3 2016: 65.7 percent). At the same time, the number of BONITA stores fell further to 830 (Q3 2016: 982).
 

TOM TAILOR GROUP invests in key projects
In order to drive this positive development forward in the future, the TOM TAILOR GROUP laid the cornerstones in the second half of the year that will play a key role in the continuing realignment of the group. Firstly, the digitalisation of business processes with the changeover to SAP throughout the company has started well and has been concluded in the area of product development. Secondly, the TOM TAILOR e-shop in Germany was launched in September and will offer a much better user experience and will further increase the income from the online business.

Apart from this, the company is strengthening the awareness of the TOM TAILOR brand across all channels with the "Say YES" campaign. At BONITA not only were the CRM activities intensified, but in five locations a new store concept was introduced, which is better adapted to the changed consumer preferences. In connection with further online campaigns, the first positive signals will be used for the targeted positioning of the brand.
 

Further positive outlook for the fiscal year 2017

"The growing profitability of our operating business shows that with RESET we have been turning at the right screws so far", explains Thomas Dressendoerfer, Chief Financial Officer of TOM TAILOR Holding SE. "Even if 2017 remains a year of transformation, we can ascertain that the measures taken already show visible success and we have taken the right direction."

For the remainder of the business year, the TOM TAILOR GROUP again confirms its forecast as adjusted in the first quarter as a result and assumes there will be a sharp year-on-year increase in reported EBITDA compared with the prior year. Because of the discontinuation of products, countries and branches under the RESET programme as well as the licensing of the Kids devision, the management still expect a lower group turnover for the benefit of operating profitability.

¹ 2016: Excluding the inventory write-downs of EUR 15.6 million carried out as part of the RESET cost and process optimisation programme.

² 2016: Excluding the one-off expenses of EUR 49.0 million incurred as part of the RESET cost and process optimisation programme.

About TOM TAILOR GROUP
TOM TAILOR GROUP is an international, vertically integrated fashion company focussed on casual wear in the medium price segment. The product portfolio is complemented by an extensive range of fashionable accessories. With its brands TOM TAILOR and BONITA, the company covers the various core segments of the fashion market.

The TOM TAILOR brand is marketed through the retail and wholesale segments, and thus through single-label stores as well as wholesale partners. These include 454 TOM TAILOR stores and 191 franchise stores, 2,439 shop-in-shops and around 7,447 multi-label points of sale. The brand is present in more than 35 countries.

Along with its 830 retail stores, BONITA now has 51 shop-in-shop spaces.

The collections of both brands are also available through their respective online shops.

Information is also available at www.tom-tailor-group.com and www.BONITA.eu

Media contact
Lena Christin Wulfmeyer
Head of Corporate Communications
TOM TAILOR GROUP

Phone: +49 (0) 40 58956-420
Email: lena.wulfmeyer@tom-tailor.com

Investor contact
Viona Brandt
Head of Investor Relations
TOM TAILOR GROUP

Phone: +49 (0) 40 58956-449
Email: viona.brandt@tom-tailor.com