GERRY WEBER confirms international growth strategy
- Sales revenues climb 6.2% to EUR 852.0 million in financial year 2012/13
- Stable dividend of EUR 0.75 per share to be proposed
- Revenue and earnings growth projected for financial year 2013/14
At today’s annual accounts press conference, GERRY WEBER International AG confirmed the end of January 2014 published figures for the past financial year 2012/13 and its guidance for the financial year 2013/14. The Managing Board and the Supervisory Board will propose payment of an unchanged dividend of EUR 0.75 per share to the upcoming Annual General Meeting.
Against the background of the international expansion of the GERRY WEBER Group, sales revenues increased by 6.2% to EUR 852.0 million in 2012/13. Growth was primarily driven by the company’s own Retail operations, which contributed EUR 363.7 million or approximately 42.7% to total Group sales revenues (previous year: 37.3%).
The opening of 68 new company-managed Houses of GERRY WEBER as well as of 47 concession stores, most of them outside Germany, clearly shows that the company continues to implement its dynamic international growth strategy. At the end of the financial year 2012/13, a total of 568 Houses of GERRY WEBER and mono-label stores were operated by the company.
The Retail segment also comprises the 111 concession stores as well as five country-specific online shops. After the balance sheet date, more new Houses of GERRY WEBER were opened among others in Prague, Bratislava and Malmö, which means that GERRY WEBER now operates its own stores in 12 European countries. Total sales revenues in the Retail segment were up by 21.4% on the previous year. The increase is attributable not only to the new shops and stores but also to our e-commerce operations, whose revenues rose sharply by 16.5% to EUR 19.5 million.
At EUR 488.3 million, the Wholesale segment accounted for about 57.3% of the Group’s total sales revenues. 23 new franchised Houses of GERRY WEBER were opened outside Germany, including stores in Russia, the Middle East as well as the first South American store in Santiago de Chile.
The Group’s gross margin improved from 53.1% to 53.7% not least because of the Retail segment’s increased contribution to total Group sales. Against the background of the expansion of the Retail operations, the number of employees increased to roughly 4,700.