JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys: satisfaction guaranteed?

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Sep-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that more than three million Australians aged 14+ made at least one purchase from JB Hi-Fi in an average four weeks in the year to June 2016. Over a million made at least one purchase from The Good Guys, while Harvey Norman, attracted nearly 1.3 million customers in the same time period. The survey also shows that JB Hi-Fi customers have a mean household income of $A115,000, compared with $A107,000 for Harvey Norman customers and $A98,000 for The Good Guys customers. Meanwhile, The Good Guys has triumphed in the Furniture/Electrical Store category of the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards every month this year with scores consistently over 90 per cent, and JB Hi-Fi has been close behind it in second place (also with scores hovering around 90 per cent and above).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, THE GOOD GUYS, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

JB Hi-Fi bets big on Good Guys

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 14-Sep-16

JB Hi-Fi will finance the acquisition of The Good Guys via a capital raising and a $A450m debt facility. The listed consumer electronics and home entertainment group will raise $A394m from investors, with the new stock to be issued at $A26.20 apiece. JB Hi-Fi anticipates annual cost savings of between $A15m and $A20m as a result of the $A870m acquisition of The Good Guys. The deal will increase JB Hi-Fi’s sales to $A6bn a year and lift its share of the consumer electronics and household appliances market.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, THE GOOD GUYS, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, OPHIR ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Harvey Norman brushes off rival threat

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 25-May-16

Steinhoff International currently has two POCO stores in Australia, which sell a range of household appliances, furniture and home renovation products. Steinhoff is believed to be planning to expand its POCO chain to at least 45 stores in the next several years, and may seek to acquire some Masters sites. Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey has downplayed the impact that the POCO expansion will have on his company, arguing that they offer a different product mix.

CORPORATES
STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, POCO AUSTRALIA, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, THE GOOD GUYS, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, FREEDOM FURNITURE, SNOOZE SLEEP WELL PTY LTD, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, BEST AND LESS PTY LTD, HARRIS SCARFE HOLDINGS LIMITED, CONFORAMA, HARVEYS, PEP CORPORATION, POSTIE PLUS GROUP LIMITED, RETRAVISION (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, CLIVE ANTHONYS PTY LTD, BRASHS PTY LTD, RICK HART DISCOUNTS, CLIVE PEETERS, BREVILLE GROUP LIMITED – ASX BRG, ROBINHOOD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EVERDURE, BLANCO PTY LTD

Good Guys sees earnings surge if IPO proceeds

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 24-May-16

Consumer electronics retailer The Good Guys has appointed three lead managers to handle a potential IPO, which is expected to raise up to $A900m. However, chairman Andrew Muir is retaining options such as a trade sale. The Good Guys boasts 100 stores, and Muir aims to complete the purchase of 56 joint venture stores by the end of 2015-16. The group has forecast pro forma EBITDA of $A85m for the financial year.

CORPORATES
THE GOOD GUYS, THE MUIR ELECTRICAL COMPANY PTY LTD, JJB SPORTS, STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BAIN CAPITAL LLC, TPG CAPITAL LP, KKR AND COMPANY LP

Dick Smith customers get ‘opt-out’ offer

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 16-Mar-16

Kogan’s acquisition of Dick Smith Holdings’ online business includes a database of about one million members of its customer loyalty program. Ferrier Hodgson, acting as receivers and managers of Dick Smith, has advised the failed group’s customers that they must request the removal of their personal details from the database by 22 March 2016 if they do not want to receive offers from Kogan. The company’s founder, Ruslan Kogan, plans to undertake a $A300m IPO.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH

Dick Smith brand to be resurrected by e-commerce pioneer

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 15-Mar-16

Australian businessman Ruslan Kogan has bought Dick Smith Holdings’ intellectual property through an auction run by the receiver of the failed consumer electronics retailer. The size of the deal has not been disclosed. The site DickSmith.com.au will operate independently of Kogan.com. Kogan wants to list his company on the Australian stock exchange and raise $A300 million from investors.

CORPORATES
KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Harvey Norman takes a look at Dick Smith’s Move stores

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 1-Mar-16

The financial accounts of Dick Smith Holdings show that it posted a loss of $A60.5m in November 2015 and $A100.3m in December. Meanwhile, rival retailer Harvey Norman has indicated that it might be interested in taking over Dick Smith’s four Move stores that are located at airports. Executive chairman Gerry Harvey says he usually shuns airport stores due to high rents and overheads, adding that he would only be interested in taking over the Move leases if the stores are profitable.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, MOVE, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, CLIVE PEETERS, RICK HART DISCOUNTS

JB Hi-Fi grabs bigger share after Dick Smith’s demise

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 9-Feb-16

Listed consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A95.2m, which is 7.5 per cent higher than previously. Sales were 7.7 per cent higher at $A2.12bn, while same-store sales rose by 5.2 per cent. CEO Richard Murray has forecast that the group’s full-year profit will be within the range of $A143m to $A147m, with expectations that sales will total $A3.9bn. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.63 per share.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

New Dick Smith CEO hopes to find a buyer

Original article by Patrick Hatch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 13-Jan-16

Receiver Ferrier Hodgson has received more than 40 expressions of interest in buying failed consumer electronics retailer Dick Smith. Meanwhile, Don Grover has been appointed as interim CEO following the resignation of Nick Abboud. He had the led the company since its acquisition by Anchorage Capital Partners in 2012. The slump in Dick Smith’s share price prior to its collapse had reduced the value of Abboud’s shareholding by almost $A30m.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, FUSION RETAIL BRANDS PTY LTD, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, DIANA FERRARI (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, WILLIAMS SHOES, MATHERS SHOES PTY LTD, COLORADO GROUP LIMITED, FORAGER FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McGRATH NICOL AND PARTNERS SERVICES PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Rivals to gain from Dick Smith’s demise

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 7-Jan-16

Thomas Kierath of Morgan Stanley expects the collapse of Dick Smith to boost the annual sales of JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman by around $A200m apiece, and lift their net profits by up to $A20m. David Thomas of CLSA says JB Hi-Fi is likely to gain the most benefit from the closure of any Dick Smith stores, although Matthew Felsman of APP Securities notes that signs of slowing demand for Apple’s iPhone may hit JB Hi-Fi.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, APP SECURITIES PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, THE GOOD GUYS, WOW SIGHT AND SOUND PTY LTD, FORAGER FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD