RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Cleaning frenzy buoys Godfreys

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 24-Feb-15

Listed vacuum cleaner retailer Godfreys has posted a 20140-15 interim underlying pro-forma net profit of $A6.4m, with sales of $A90.6m. Godfreys has forecast a full-year profit of $A12.2m. CEO Tom Krulis notes that sales of cleaning products tend to be higher during the month of January, as consumers typically clean more often. He adds that Godfreys plans to expand its product range to include air purifiers

CORPORATES
GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, ARCADE FINANCE PTY LTD

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards: announcing Australia’s retail superstars

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Feb-15

Roy Morgan Research announced the winners of its 2014 Customer Satisfaction Awards for the retail industry on 18 February 2015. David Jones was named the Department Store of the Year, while Target won the award for Discount Department Store of the Year. The Reject Shop won the award for Discount Variety Store of the Year, and The Good Guys took out the award for Furniture/Electrical Store of the Year for a fourth consecutive year

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS, THE GOOD GUYS, AUTOBARN PTY LTD, GUARDIAN CHEMISTS, SUZANNE GRAE, MICHEL’S PATISSERIE, TRUE VALUE HARDWARE LIMITED, DYMOCKS PTY LTD, CRUST GOURMET PIZZA BAR PTY LTD, GULL PETROLEUM PTY LTD, BETTS AND BETTS PTY LTD, BETTS KIDS, SPORTSPOWER, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Pacific Brands: hope after loss

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 18-Feb-15

Restructuring costs and impairment charges contributed to Pacific Brands’ $A108.7m for the first six months of 2014-15. Revenue was six per cent higher at $A391.8m, and its Bonds brand achieved sales of $A176.3m. CEO David Bortolussi warns that the recent fall in the Australian dollar will force all underwear manufacturers to increase their prices in 2016. Some market watchers have suggested that prices could rise by 10-15 per cent

CORPORATES
PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, BONDS INDUSTRIES LIMITED, HARD YAKKA, KING GEE CLOTHING COMPANY, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, SHERIDAN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TONTINE BEDDING, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GROSBY FOOTWEAR, VOLLEY, BRAND COLLECTIVE

David Jones profit up 10.3 per cent under new owners

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 13-Feb-15

David Jones has posted an operating profit of $A107m for the five months to December 2014, which is 10.3 per cent higher than previously. Its department stores division recorded earnings of $A100m, an increase of 14.9 per cent. Woolworths Holdings stablemate Country Road posted 9.4 per cent growth in operating profit. South Africa-based Woolworths has reported a 2014-15 interim pre-tax profit of R9.2bn ($A320m), an increase of 29.8 per cent

CORPORATES
DAVID JONES LIMITED, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

Woolies’ supermarket growth revised

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Original article by Sue Mitchell, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Feb-15

Shares in Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group have risen by 15 per cent so far in 2015. However, the listed property trust has reported that growth in sales at supermarkets in its shopping centres slowed to 4.2 per cent in the December 2014 quarter. Some analysts believe that this may have implications for the sales growth of grocery giants Coles and Woolworths, which will report their results later in February

CORPORATES
SHOPPING CENTRES AUSTRALASIA PROPERTY GROUP – ASX SCP, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

$A unlikely to take shine off Lovisa

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 10-Feb-15

Lovisa Holdings has posted a 2014-25 interim net profit of $A12.3m, which is 66.2 per cent higher than previously. The fast-fashion jewellery retailer’s sales were 33.3 per cent higher at $A73.3 million. Lovisa’s earnings and sales for the half-year exceeded prospectus forecasts, and Dean Fergie of Cyan Investment Management says it is on track to meet its full-year forecasts. Lovisa shares closed $A0.035 higher at $A2.395 on 9 February 2015

CORPORATES
LOVISA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LOV, CYAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

‘Keep penalties, but cut them’

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Original article by John Ferguson, Paige Taylor
The Australian – Page: 1 : 29-Jan-15

The Australian Retailers Association supports the retention of the penalty rates system for people who work on weekends and public holidays. However, executive director Russell Zimmerman argues that penalty rates for casual workers should be reduced in order to encourage employers to hire more staff and to trade on weekends and public holidays. He adds that consumers want to be able to shop at times that suit their needs

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Aldi liquor and food sales beat Coles, Woolies

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 16 : 21-Jan-15

The Australian arm of German grocery retailer Aldi has posted food and liquor sales of $A6bn for calendar 2014, which is 13 per cent higher than previously. Supermarket rivals Coles and Woolworths achieved sales growth of 4.6 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively. Aldi Australia opened 25 stores in 2014, and now boasts 366. MD Tom Daunt notes that Aldi has a market share of about 11 per in the eastern states, and says its expansion into South Australia and Western Australia could eventually lift this to around 15 per cent

CORPORATES
ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, ALDI EINKAUF GMBH & CO OHG, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Gerry Harvey upbeat on retail sales outlook

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Original article by Carrie LaFrenz
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 15-Jan-15

Citigroup’s Craig Woolford estimates that Australian retailers generally enjoyed same-store sales growth of 2-3 per cent during the 2014 Christmas and New Year period. Harvey Norman recorded strong growth in sales, according to chairman Gerry Harvey, and he is optimistic about the group’s prospects for 2015. Harvey Norman shares closed $A0.23 higher at $A3.69 on 14 January, and Merrill Lynch has upgraded its share price target to $A4

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, INCU PTY LTD, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, PETER ALEXANDER SLEEPWEAR PTY LTD, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, PORTMANS PTY LTD, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, NET-A-PORTER.COM LIMITED, MR PORTER

Man to Man closes 20 stores, sheds 100 staff

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 16 : 9-Jan-15

Ferrier Hodgson’s Brendan Richards is hopeful that a buyer will emerge for failed menswear retailer Man to Man, with indicative offers due by 9 January 2015. The retail chain will continue to operate 62 stores following the closure of 20 outlets, which will result in the loss of nearly 100 jobs. Man to Man has debts of $A28m, and went into voluntary administration in late 2014

CORPORATES
MAN TO MAN FASHION MENSWEAR, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, DEUTSCHE BANK AG