14
January 2025
Ramsdens Holdings
PLC
("Ramsdens", the "Group", the "Company")
Annual Results for the year
ended 30 September 2024
Another record year with a
12% increase in Profit Before Tax to £11.4m
Ramsdens, the diversified
financial services provider and retailer, today announces its
Annual Results for the year ended 30 September 2024 (the
"Period").
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
% change
|
Revenue
|
£95.6m
|
£83.8m
|
14%
|
Gross Profit
|
£51.5m
|
£45.8m
|
13%
|
Profit before tax
|
£11.4m
|
£10.1m
|
12%
|
Net Assets
|
£53.6m
|
£48.2m
|
11%
|
Basic EPS
|
26.1p
|
24.5p
|
7%
|
Final dividend
|
7.6p
|
7.1p
|
7%
|
Full year dividend
|
11.2p
|
10.4p
|
8%
|
FY24 Highlights:
●
|
Record profit for the Group driven
by growth across all four key income streams:
|
●
|
Very strong performance delivered
by the purchase of precious metals segment, with volume and values
supported by the high gold price. Gross profit for this
segment increased 29% to £11.8m (FY23: £9.2m).
|
●
|
Foreign currency gross profit
increased 4% year on year to £14.2m (FY23: £13.6m)
|
●
|
Pawnbroking gross profit increased
16% to £11.7m (FY23: £10.0m).
|
●
|
Jewellery retail gross profit
increased 10% to £13.3m (FY23: £12.1m) with improved H2 performance
providing good momentum into FY25.
|
●
|
Investment in new Head Office to
allow greater processing capacity, improving operational
efficiencies and provide infrastructure for future growth
plans.
|
●
|
Basic EPS increased by 7% to 26.1p
per share (FY23: 24.5p) following a full year at the increased
corporation tax rate of 25%.
|
●
|
The Board is recommending a final
dividend of 7.6p per share for approval at the forthcoming AGM.
This takes the total dividend for the Period to 11.2p per share
(FY23: 10.4p) an increase of 8%, reflecting its commitment to a
progressive dividend policy.
|
Current Trading and Outlook:
The Board is pleased to provide an
update on Q1 FY25 trading (1 October to 31 December 2024). The good
momentum the Group enjoyed in H2 FY24 has continued with all
segments performing ahead of the prior year:
●
|
The purchase of precious metals
segment has continued to perform very strongly. The weight of
gold purchased has increased year on year by 5% with gross profit
increasing approximately 40%. This is due to the continued
high gold price (primarily since March 2024) and the timing of
additional gold sales in the quarter.
|
●
|
Ongoing demand for small sum short
term credit has driven an increase in the pawnbroking loan book to
£10.9m from the year end position of £10.7m. In November we
launched our new designated pawnbroking website which has started
well and is attracting new customers.
|
●
|
Jewellery retail revenue has
increased more than 15% on the prior year with strong sales of
premium watches, continuing the momentum from H2 FY24.
|
●
|
Foreign currency (FX) gross profit
increased approximately 3% on prior year. Sales of FX
continue to show good growth in terms of transaction volumes but
the reduction in the purchases of FX is limiting
growth.
|
●
|
As with many other businesses, the
Group faces rising operating costs in 2025. The main increase is in
employment costs as the Group continues to invest in our people and
remains a supporter of paying the Real Living Wage as our entry
level pay, which increased 10% in 2024 and will increase 5% from
April 2025. The Group also faces an annualised impact of c£0.8m
from the Government's decision to increase employer national
insurance contributions.
|
●
|
Following the year end, we have
opened a new store in Grantham, closed our kiosk site at Teesside
Airport, and two of our stores in central Glasgow will shortly
merge. Following this, our estate will comprise of 168 stores,
including one franchised store.
|
It is still early in the new
financial year, however, trading performance to date has been
pleasing and the Group continues to benefit from the very strong
gold price. Whilst the economic outturn for the rest of the year is
uncertain, the Group's diversified business model, strong cash
generation and cost management gives the Board confidence that the
Group will continue to grow and create value for all
stakeholders.
Peter Kenyon, Chief Executive, commented:
"Ramsdens' record performance in FY24 - with profit before
tax increasing by 12% to more than £11m - once again reflects the
strength of the Group's diversified business model. We are
pleased with the positive momentum achieved across each of the
Group's income streams, with a particularly strong performance in
our precious metals segment where we continued to benefit from the
high gold price.
"The increase in sales of foreign currency indicate we are
taking market share and - in its first full year of use - our
multi-currency card has had a very encouraging start with
opportunities for further growth in FY25 and beyond. Jewellery
retail has continued to grow and was particularly strong in H2,
with our firm focus on stock management ensuring we are generating
an optimum return on the capital employed from our investments in
recent years. Our pawnbroking loan book continues to grow
incrementally and the launch of our new Ramsdens pawnbroking
website in November, following the year end, has started well and
is already attracting new customers.
"I would like to thank the dedicated Ramsdens team who all seek to
help customers in their every-day lives, be that treating
themselves or a loved one with a jewellery purchase, exchanging
currency to enjoy a holiday, or raising cash from their jewellery
by way of a loan or a sale."
Availability of Report and
Accounts
The Company confirms that the
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30
September 2024, together with notice of the Company's 2025 annual
general meeting, will be published and posted to shareholders
shortly and will be available to view on the Company's investor
relations website: https://www.ramsdensplc.com/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations, in
accordance with AIM Rule 20.
The information contained within
this announcement is deemed by the Group to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU)
No. 596/2014 as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit)
Regulations 2019. The person responsible for making this
announcement on behalf of the Company is Peter Kenyon.
ENDS
Enquiries:
Ramsdens Holdings PLC
Tel: +44 (0) 1642
579957
Peter Kenyon, CEO
Martin Clyburn, CFO
Panmure Liberum (Nominated Adviser and
Broker)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
Richard Lindley
Will King
Hudson Sandler (Financial PR)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7796 4133
Alex Brennan
Lucy Wollam-Coles
Emily Brooker
About Ramsdens
Ramsdens is a growing,
diversified, financial services provider and retailer, operating in
the four core business segments of foreign currency exchange,
pawnbroking loans, precious metals buying and selling and retailing
of second hand and new jewellery. Ramsdens does not offer
unsecured high-cost short term credit.
Headquartered on Teesside, the
Group operates from 169 stores within the UK (including 1
franchised stores) and has a growing online presence.
Ramsdens is fully FCA authorised
for its pawnbroking and credit broking activities and as an
authorised payments institution.
www.ramsdensplc.com
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
This Annual Report covers the
12-month period to 30 September 2024 (FY24).
Further to the Group's
announcement that I would stand down as Chair of Ramsdens at the
2025 AGM, this is my final annual report statement for Ramsdens. I
have had great pleasure in contributing to the success of the
Group, during its private equity ownership to its listing on the
London Stock Exchange in February 2017 and beyond. When the
Group was first admitted to AIM, it generated underlying profit
before tax of £4m and had net assets of £23m. Seven and a half
years later, the Group has almost tripled its pre-tax
profitability, which has increased to £11.4m this year; has grown
its net assets to over £53m; added over 40 new stores and has
created almost 300 new jobs.
FY24 FINANCIAL RESULTS & DIVIDEND
HIGHLIGHTS:
£000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Revenue
|
£95,608
|
£83,805
|
Gross profit
|
£51,533
|
£45,759
|
Profit before tax
|
£11,362
|
£10,105
|
Net assets
|
£53,606
|
£48,167
|
Net cash*
|
£7,395
|
£5,039
|
|
|
|
Basic EPS
|
26.1p
|
24.5p
|
Final dividend
|
7.6p
|
7.1p
|
Full year dividend
|
11.2p
|
10.4p
|
*cash minus bank
borrowings
The Group achieved revenues of
£95.6m in FY24 (FY23: £83.8m) and profit before tax of £11.4m
(FY23: £10.1m). The Strategic Report and Financial Review
that follow provide a more in-depth analysis of the Group's trading
performance and financial results.
In line with the Group's stated
dividend policy, the Board is recommending a final dividend of 7.6p
(FY23: 7.1p) for approval at the forthcoming AGM. Pending
approval, the full year dividend of 11.2p (FY23: 10.4p) would
represent an increase of 8% year on year and 43% of the earnings
per share. Subject to shareholder approval, the final
dividend is expected to be paid on 21 March 2025 for those
shareholders on the register on 14 February 2025. The
ex-dividend date will be 13 February 2025.
ESG
The Group has strong foundations
and reset its ESG strategy in 2023. There is a simple mantra
at Ramsdens: to be good citizens and do the right thing. By
doing this and living our values, the team continues to be engaged,
motivated and looks after our customers with great skill and
care. I am hugely grateful for this dedication and commitment
and wish to publicly thank the team for their efforts and recognise
their success.
LOOKING AHEAD
Central to the Group's progress
during recent years are a number of key strengths, namely strong
cash generation from four diversified income streams, a very
talented management team, exceptional store colleagues and a
strong, trusted brand. With all these attributes, I am confident
that Ramsdens is well placed to continue to execute its proven
growth strategy and generate further shareholder returns in the
years to come. As I sign off from my role as Chair of Ramsdens, I
am certain that the future of the Group is bright.
Andrew Meehan
Non-Executive Chairman
13 January 2025
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REVIEW
The Group has had a strong year
delivering record profit before tax of £11.4m with growth across
all key income streams. The Group's diversified income streams not
only expose Ramsdens to multiple growth opportunities, but also
provide resilience in challenging times. This model has
consistently allowed the business to move forward against a
backdrop of more challenging economic climates. While the
macro-economic landscape continues to impact consumer facing
businesses with rising costs, in particular energy and employment
costs, at the same time the Group has benefitted from the high gold
price that has risen as a result of numerous global
events.
The Group's proven growth strategy
remains unchanged and the Ramsdens team have again excelled at
implementing it during FY24, allowing us to further enhance and
expand our store estate as well as growing the use of our new
multi-currency card in its first year of operation along with
progressing our new dedicated websites. I am exceptionally
proud of the team's commitment and wish to publicly thank them for
their continued effort and to recognise their success.
BUSINESS REVIEW
During the year we continued to
improve the core estate, grew our multi-currency card customer
base, expanded the store estate with seven new stores and one
acquisition, and invested in our online operations. We also
expanded into a new head office, cementing our roots in Teesside,
which will allow for greater expansion across operations, and were
authorised by the FCA as an authorised payment institution to add
to our consumer credit permissions. This authorisation will
allow Ramsdens to offer international money transfers directly for
customers and not through a third-party relationship going
forward.
The improvements in the core
estate have been supported by a programme to invest in refreshing
our stores with a range of initiatives including new LED lighting,
modern flooring, and stronger in-store branding. We relocated
three stores in Scunthorpe, Cumbernauld and Cardiff during the
period. Scunthorpe was relocated in April and all income
streams have seen transformational performance. Cumbernauld
was relocated from the old retail centre to the new centre and we
are making excellent progress in improving our retail jewellery
performance. Cardiff was relocated in September out of
necessity following issues with the previous property's
condition. All stores that have been open for more than three
years are operating profitably at a contribution to head office
costs level. Given the breadth of the estate this is testament to
the strength of our model, our store portfolio and most importantly
our teams.
We have opened 15 new stores in
the last two financial years and all are making good progress, with
further profitability to come as these stores mature. The
stores opened in FY24 were Blackburn, Central Cardiff, Poole,
Romford, Burnley, Telford, and Blackpool. Since the period
end, we opened a new store in Grantham in October 2024. We
are pleased to say that all new stores are trading well, with
several well ahead of expectations. We completed the purchase
of one of our two franchised stores (located in Bury) in March
2024. We ended the financial year with 169 stores including
one franchised store.
The performance of each of the
Group's key income streams is set out in greater detail
below.
OUR DIVERSIFIED BUSINESS MODEL: PRODUCT
OFFERING
Ramsdens operates in the four core
business segments of: foreign currency exchange;
pawnbroking; jewellery retail; and purchase of precious metals.
Foreign Currency
Exchange
The foreign currency exchange (FX)
segment primarily comprises the sale and purchase of foreign
currency notes to holidaymakers. The Group launched the Ramsdens
Mastercard® multi-currency card in September 2023. For the
last seven years, the Group has introduced customers wanting to
make international money transfers to TorFX. However, since
the year end, the Group has now been authorised by the FCA to make
international money transfers and will shortly launch an in-house
service.
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Total currency
exchanged
|
£423m
|
£408m
|
Gross profit
|
£14.2m
|
£13.6m
|
Online click and collect
orders
|
£51.7m
|
£42.0m
|
|
|
|
Percentage of FX online
|
12%
|
10%
|
Percentage of Group gross
profit
|
28%
|
30%
|
The sales of currency to customers
increased in total value and in transactional count, although the
average transaction value decreased by 5% to £406. A slight
increase in the sales margin resulted in income from sales of FX
increasing by 6%. It has also been noted that the
seasonality of sales has shifted in the last two years, with more
customers travelling outside of the traditional summer holiday
period. The growth in sales of FX cash is encouraging given
commentary about customers switching to cards and indicates that we
are taking market share.
Cash remains a great way for
consumers to budget on holiday and continues to be a necessity in
some locations where there may be uncertainty about the acceptance
of cards, however to ensure Ramsdens provides choice and meets
demands for its customers, we introduced the new Ramsdens
Mastercard® multi-currency card in September 2023 and we are
pleased to report that almost 17,000 new cards were issued to
customers during the year. The card provides customers with
competitive exchange rates and segregation from their main bank
account. We are encouraged by the value and frequency of
reloads onto the card, typically while the customer is on
holiday.
The purchases of currency from
customers have fallen in number, total value and average
transaction value. This indicates that customers are spending
almost all of their foreign currency while on holiday. In
addition, a slight reduction in margin, due to currency mix, has
resulted in income from purchases of FX falling by 13%.
Our Ramsdens currency website
continued to improve, driving 23% growth in our click and collect
sales of foreign currency notes. We are working to integrate
the sale of the new multi-currency card into the click and collect
process. Our home delivery service is growing, but remains a
less well used service.
Following the Group's approval in
October 2024 by the FCA to remit international payments, this
service will receive greater focus moving forward as it presents an
opportunity given the high numbers of customers using our foreign
currency service, our brand strength, store network and online
offer.
The Gross Profit from the FX
segment increased by over 4%, which the Board believes is a good
result given the fall in income from purchases of
FX.
Pawnbroking
Pawnbroking is a small subset of
the consumer credit market in the UK and a simple form of asset
backed lending dating back to the foundations of banking. In
a pawnbroking transaction an item of value, known as a pledge, (in
Ramsdens' case, jewellery and watches), is held by the pawnbroker
as security against a six-month loan. Customers who repay the
capital sum borrowed plus interest receive their pledged item back.
If a customer fails to repay the loan, the pawnbroker sells the
pledged item to repay the amount owed and returns any surplus funds
to the customer. Pawnbroking is regulated by the FCA in the
UK and Ramsdens is fully FCA authorised.
If consumers have assets to
pledge, pawnbroking can provide a short-term solution or give the
customer time to put in place longer term financial
arrangements. Pawnbroking is simple to understand and
is quick and easy to arrange. The customer's debt is capped
at the value of the goods pledged and therefore there are no
further debt consequences should the customer be unable to repay
the loan. Ramsdens works with its customers to try and ensure
repayment where possible so the customer is able to borrow again
should they need to.
000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Gross profit
|
£11,657
|
£10,043
|
Total loan book* (capital
value)
|
£10,677
|
£10,264
|
Past due (capital
value)
|
£882
|
£859
|
In date loan book* (capital
value)
|
£9,794
|
£9,405
|
|
|
|
Percentage of Group gross
profit
|
23%
|
22%
|
*excludes loans in the course of
realisation
Following strong customer demand
for small sum short term credit in recent years, FY24 saw lower
incremental growth against what was a strong comparable
performance. The Group has been giving additional interest
forbearance to customers in financial difficulty and has also been
successfully encouraging customers to make reductions to their loan
capital should they need more time to repay.
The average loan value as at 30
September 2024 was £347, up from £325 as at 30 September 2023, with
this figure rising to £519 in our branches in the South of
England. The demographics seen in the southern communities in
which we operate allow for higher loan values with higher carats of
gold jewellery offered as security for a loan. The median loan
value was £187 as at 30 September 2024 (FY23:
£174).
Our lending remains conservative
in line with our long-term policy, and repayment rates are in line
with long run averages.
The new pawnbroking website was
launched in November 2024, post the year end, and has made a good
start, attracting new customers, and delivering an improved SEO
performance, thereby supporting our strategy of lowering customer
acquisition costs and improving overall profitability.
Jewellery
Retail
The Group offers new and
second-hand jewellery, including premium watches, for sale. The
Board continues to believe there is significant growth potential in
this segment by leveraging Ramsdens' retail store estate and
ecommerce operations.
The retailing of new jewellery
products complements the Group's second-hand offering to give our
customers greater choice in breadth of products and price points.
In addition, new jewellery retailing enables the Group to attract
customers who prefer not to buy second-hand.
000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Revenue
|
£35,607
|
£33,474
|
Gross profit
|
£13,293
|
£12,058
|
Margin %
|
37%
|
36%
|
Jewellery retail stock
|
£23,937
|
£24,289
|
Online sales
|
£7,200
|
£6,656
|
|
|
|
Percentage of sales
online
|
20%
|
20%
|
Percentage of Group gross
profit
|
26%
|
26%
|
We are pleased with the progress
we have made in the period with a 6% increase in revenue and 10%
increase in gross profit, when considering the challenging economic
conditions during the year and the slow start in H1, which included
the major retailing periods of Black Friday, Christmas and January
sales. H2 sales were stronger than those during H1, both in
store and online.
Our online retail business
comprises online jewellery sales where goods are shipped direct to
customers, with sales of goods that are sourced online but
transacted in store accounted for within our branch profits. In
addition to being a profitable sales channel, the jewellery website
also serves as a catalogue for our branches, assisting our staff
with serving customers where stock choice in a branch may be
limited. There are over 15,000 items available on the Ramsdens
jewellery website.
Approximately 65% of all online
revenue is from premium watch sales. FY24 had a mixed online
retail performance with H1 impacted by softer premium watch sales,
a pattern also reported by other watch retailers. However, H2
was much improved and resulted in online revenue growth for the
full year of £0.5m or 8% (despite being £0.5m down in H1). This
demonstrates the strength of the H2 performance which took annual
online revenue to £7.2m (FY23: £6.7m) and delivered a profit
contribution of over £1m during the year. Given the improved
momentum of H2 we believe we have a strong foundation to continue
to scale the online retail business in the coming years.
There has been significant upward
inflationary pressure in our Jewellery Retail operations from the
increasing gold price. Second-hand jewellery and new
jewellery have been repriced accordingly and still represent
excellent value for money. In H1 there was uncertainty in the
pricing of second-hand premium watches, which led to some product
price corrections with many popular brands and models falling in
price. The Group has always maintained a focus on turning its
premium watch stock quickly and was able to realign pricing to
drive strong growth in H2. Overall margins by product
category have remained consistent, resulting in a slight increase
in overall margin to 37% which is reflective of the mix of product
sales. Retail revenue is spread across the three key
categories of premium watches (38% of revenue), new jewellery (28%)
and preowned jewellery (34%).
While the focus is always on
driving up gross profit, after several years of major investment
into our retail jewellery stock, the Group continues to focus on
having the right stock in the right quantity in the right
location. In FY24, the return on capital employed on
jewellery stock has improved from 50% to 56%. The Group will
invest more in retail jewellery stock in FY25 and beyond having
identified growth opportunities during FY24.
We believe there is an ongoing
opportunity, instore and online, across our product categories, to
develop and grow our jewellery retail business.
Purchase of precious
metals
Through our precious metals buying
and selling service, Ramsdens buys unwanted jewellery, gold and
other precious metals from customers. Typically, a customer brings
unwanted jewellery into a Ramsdens store and a price is agreed with
the customer dependent upon the retail potential, weight or carat
of the jewellery. Ramsdens has various second-hand dealer licences
and other permissions and adheres to the Police approved "gold
standard" for buying precious metals.
Once jewellery has been bought
from the customer, the Group's dedicated jewellery department
decides whether or not to retail the item through the store network
or online. Income derived from jewellery which is purchased and
then retailed is reflected in jewellery retail income and profits.
If the items are not retailed, they are smelted and sold to a
bullion dealer for their intrinsic value and the proceeds are
reflected in the Group's accounts as precious metals buying
income.
000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Revenue
|
£31,151
|
£23,522
|
Gross profit
|
£11,822
|
£9,161
|
|
|
|
Percentage of Group gross
profit
|
23%
|
20%
|
While the gold price has been high
for a number of years compared to long-term averages, this year the
gold price has achieved record levels both in US Dollars and
Sterling.
The weight purchased increased and
together with a high gold price, revenues were 32% higher at £31.1m
and gross profit increased by 29% to £11.8m.
In FY24, as part of its retail
jewellery stock review, the Group took advantage of the high gold
price to sell more purchased items for their intrinsic value rather
than refurbishing for retail.
The average 9ct gold price for
FY24 was £21.05 per gram (FY23: £18.48) and at the year-end was
£23.83.
Given the wider global political
and economic situation, we believe the gold price will remain high
in the short to medium term, supporting the Group's
margins.
Other
services
In addition to the four core
business segments, the Group also provides additional services in
Western Union money transfer and receives franchise fees.
Following the acquisition of the Bury franchise in March
2024, the Group had one remaining franchisee.
Up to April 2023, the Group also
received income for cheque cashing services and small commissions
for credit broking of £0.2m, however these services were stopped to
enable greater focus on the key services.
000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Revenue
|
£563
|
£849
|
Gross Profit
|
£563
|
£849
|
|
|
|
Percentage of Group gross
profit
|
1%
|
2%
|
STRATEGY
The Board believes that its
existing strategy remains the right one to grow our business and
deliver sustainable value for all our
stakeholders.
We continue to concentrate
on:
1. Improving the
performance of the existing store estate
2. Developing our
online proposition
3. Expanding the
Ramsdens branch footprint in the UK
4. Acquisition
opportunities
5. Focusing on
sustainability through our ESG strategy
1. Improving
the performance of the existing store estate
The Group has an ethos of
continuous improvement and believes that every store has an
opportunity to grow further. At the same time, the younger
stores will continue to mature, the relocated stores continue to
grow and this will add to Group profitability.
Our mission statement is to have a
great customer offering backed up by fantastic service leading to
customers being ambassadors for Ramsdens. This remains a
focus for the Group because recommendations from family and friends
continues to be the biggest source of new
customers.
We are extremely proud of our
5-star Trustpilot ratings for our retail jewellery and foreign
currency services.
Our cross-sell penetration rates
are growing but remain low in absolute terms, which is a great
indicator of the significant opportunity that exists. For
example, only 2.2% of FX customers bought jewellery from Ramsdens
in FY24.
In addition, we continually aim to
improve the performance of our key income streams:
Foreign currency:
· The
three key drivers for foreign currency remain trust, convenience
and price.
o Trust - stock availability and transparent pricing continue
to build trust among consumers.
o Convenience - our stores are conveniently located in high
footfall areas, on high streets and in shopping
centres.
o Price - our exchange rates are competitive online and in
store and we can continue to be competitive as we can spread our
operating expenses across more services.
· The
sales of our foreign currency have strong momentum from
FY24.
· The
growing reach of Ramsdenscurrency.co.uk has driven a 30% increase
in click and collect transactions in our stores. While the
average commission rate is lower online, the average transaction
value is 60% greater, plus we have the opportunity to cross sell
our other services.
· Our
market-leading multi-currency travel card customer base is
growing. We are confident this will grow in FY25 and beyond
as customers maximise the competitive exchange rates on offer and
the flexibility and ease of using the card and the accompanying
app. This allows the Group to capture more of our customers'
holiday spend while abroad.
· The
International Money Transfer service will be relaunched in FY25
following the Group's approval by the FCA as an Authorised Payment
Institution. Our branch network will be able to facilitate
smaller value payments for customers in addition to a digital offer
for the service. This service will need to grow over the
coming years, and has potential in time to be a significant income
stream for the Group.
Pawnbroking:
· We
will continue to build on the trust and high repeat customer
volumes earned by providing a high level of service and grow the
customer base through word-of-mouth recommendations, alongside our
other marketing initiatives.
· Our
loan to value ratios are continuously reviewed in line with second
hand retail pricing and the customer's history of repaying
loans. This may allow more to be lent to customers but the
Group's ethos is to have prudent lending policies.
· Our
new dedicated website will create new business for the stores by
creating awareness of the pawnbroking service available at
Ramsdens. The website will also be focusing on attracting
higher value lending and the Group will use its experienced branch
and area managers to offer a bespoke service.
· We
will maintain focus on giving customers a fair deal and will
continue where required to reduce interest rates to support
customers in financial difficulty to get their pledged goods
back.
· Customers who require longer term support will continue to be
encouraged to repay part of their capital borrowed so that the loan
has an improved chance of being repaid and the pledged jewellery
being returned to the customer.
· Where in some cases customers default, we will continue to
use our growing retail expertise to obtain the best price possible
for their pledged items.
Jewellery retail:
· The
focus in FY24 on stock levels, quality and price and the progress
made in H2 gives confidence and optimism that the Group is on track
for future growth in its retail jewellery segment.
· The
investment in the new head office will allow greater processing
capacity which will assist improvements in the replenishment of
each store's stock.
· The
concept window design roll out was completed in FY24 and this
brings greater efficiency in stock replenishment.
· We
are continuing to invest in our retail website which acts as a
stock catalogue for our branches to facilitate further in store
sales while allowing customers to fully transact online.
· Where appropriate, we will relocate to higher footfall
locations and improve the jewellery offer with larger window
display areas, often at similar rents to current
locations.
Purchase of precious metals:
· We
are increasing the awareness amongst our existing customer base,
primarily foreign currency exchange customers who are unaware of
the service or the value held in damaged, unwanted or unworn
jewellery. In FY24, 2.5% of our FX customers sold unwanted
jewellery to the Group.
· When
launched, our new gold buying website will seek to attract new
customers who may be unaware of the service or the value of their
unwanted or unworn jewellery.
Our people are key to implementing
our strategy. We invest heavily in staff training and
communication, focussing on the necessary product skills but also
the customer conversation. We are pleased to say that the
excellent feedback we receive in our staff engagement surveys has
resulted in greater staff retention. With more experienced
staff, customer interactions improve, driving improved customer
service, revenue and ultimately branch profitability. The people in
our business live and breathe the Ramsdens ethos and we are
committed to ensuring that our staff not only remain productive but
also feel valued and rewarded in their careers at
Ramsdens.
The changes in the Budget, announced in October 2024, will increase
staffing costs from April 2025. The change to the employer's
national insurance rate and threshold, will increase costs by £0.8m
per annum. The Government also increased the National Living
Wage (NLW) by 6.7% for those over 21 to £12.21 per hour. The
Group will continue to pay the Real Living Wage (RLW), which has
increased by 5% to £12.60 per hour, as its minimum pay for staff,
effective from April 2025. Our 2025 pay review will result in our
people receiving an above inflation pay review.
Furthermore, our fixed price
energy contract was renewed in February 2024 for two years.
The full year impact in FY25 will add an additional £0.25m over
FY24. All of our electricity supply comes from renewable
sources.
The Group believes that it can
continue to make progress despite the aforementioned increased
costs.
We continue to negotiate rents
downwards where there is an opportunity to do so, balanced with a
desire for flexibility with lease expiry and break
dates. Our property portfolio has
been purposefully managed to be as flexible as possible to provide
risk mitigation in case any of our stores become isolated and
performance deteriorates.
We believe our store estate
performance is complemented by a strong online
proposition.
2. Developing
our online proposition
We see the development of our
online capabilities as being complementary to our store estate and
both will benefit as the store estate expands and the websites
generate increased brand recognition.
Jewellery retail website
www.ramsdensjewellery.co.uk
Revenue from the online retail
jewellery website increased by 8% to £7.2m (FY23: £6.7m). H2
performance was particularly strong with revenue growth of £1m over
FY23 following a slower than anticipated H1. This performance
excludes jewellery sales in branches, which use the in-store
digital facility to access the website as a catalogue of stock of
over 17,000 items.
The website is continually
reviewed for search engine optimisation, pay per click return on
investment and affiliate schemes. Each area is refined on an
ongoing basis to drive future success. The jewellery website
will undergo a platform refresh in 2025.
The retail website revenue is
still low when compared to other retail jewellery websites and
therefore provides an opportunity for growth.
Foreign currency website
www.ramsdenscurrency.co.uk
The currency website continues to
grow. Click and collect sales generated by the website grew
by 23% in FY24 to £51.7m (FY23: £42.0m) and now represents 12%
(FY23: 10%) of all currency sales. Home delivery volumes are
low but offered to complement the services.
The currency website includes the
ability to order and reload the Ramsdens Mastercard® Multi-Currency
Card. Online card sales are still only a small proportion of
all card sales and we are working with Mastercard to improve the
online buying journey.
The currency website is also the conduit for attracting leads for
International Money Transfers and the digital gateway to making a
payment.
Pawnbroking website
www.ramsdenspawnbrokers.co.uk
The pawnbroking website was
launched in November 2024 and has two areas of focus.
Firstly, it provides customers with 24/7 access to repay their loan
when it is convenient for them and secondly, it is a lead generator
for customers wanting to use their assets to borrow
cash.
We are investing in developing SEO
and pay per click campaigns for this service now that it is on a
standalone website. The first few weeks since launch have
been encouraging.
Gold buying website
www.ramsdensgoldbuyers.co.uk
This new website is dedicated to
gold buying and will launch in Q1 2025.
While Ramsdens buys a lot of
unwanted gold jewellery from customers, a significant number of
consumers are unaware of the value in their unworn and potentially
damaged jewellery. This website will benefit branches as well
as develop into a profitable online income stream.
Legacy website
www.ramsdensforcash.co.uk
The ramsdensforcash.co.uk website
will become a portal to the above four individual websites for each
of our key income streams as well as providing background
information to who we are and what we do.
3. Expanding the Ramsdens branch footprint in the
UK
The Group ended the financial year
with a portfolio of 169 stores offering the same services in small
towns and larger cities. While the proportion attributed to
each key income stream differs across the estate, the sum of the
parts is that all mature stores are profitable and immature stores
will grow their income streams and in turn, increase
profitability.
This tried and tested operating
model can be replicated in new locations and allows for leveraging
off the centralised costs of the head office support
services.
There are c.350 towns and cities
with a population of 30,000 or more in the UK. We believe
that there are significant opportunities to grow the store
footprint over coming years given we have proven, successful stores
in towns with a population of less than 15,000 where we have
successfully established a community of returning
customers.
A typical new store is an
investment of approximately £0.5m, split equally into the store
design and appearance and working capital assets such as jewellery
and cash. We will continue to open new stores on a geographic
rippling basis to leverage our existing operational strength and
capacity.
During the year, we opened seven
greenfield sites and acquired our franchised store in Bury.
Romford opened in the South East, as well as stores in Poole to
complement Boscombe in Dorset, in Cardiff city centre, in Telford
to expand towards the Midlands and in Blackpool, Burnley and
Blackburn in the North West.
We are very happy with the
progress made by the FY24 new store cohort.
Grantham opened following the year
end in October 2024 and its early weeks of trading have been
encouraging.
We have a strong pipeline of
researched towns where we are awaiting the right unit to become
available. Units in towns are identified by taking into
account footfall and adjacent retailer quality. The
challenges at present are the state of some high streets and
shopping centres with significant temporary lets and
voids. We continue to hope for a
full reform of the non-domestic rates system which may encourage
more retailers to open stores and recreate vibrant high streets.
For these reasons, we have reduced the planned number of store
openings in FY25 to a further four, however, we expect to increase
new store openings in FY26 and beyond.
4.
Acquisition opportunities
We continue to look for
acquisition opportunities in the market, considering any potential
acquisition against the alternative of opening a new store using
our successful branch model.
Historically we have benefited
from acquiring pawnbroking businesses, however, the industry is
quite fragmented and often businesses are under invested and
generate lower returns on the capital employed. The number of
pawnbrokers operating in the UK continues to fall. The main
reasons for closures tend to be the cost of regulatory compliance
as well as a lack of internal succession structures at what are
typically one store, family businesses. We remain active in
speaking to pawnbroking businesses who may potentially be looking
to sell in the upcoming years and are well positioned should
opportunities arise.
We have previously converted
independent jewellery stores into successful Ramsdens branches, but
recent opportunities have not been attractive with them holding too
much obsolete stock.
We have and will continue to
consider vertical diversification with repair or watch repair
businesses and if the right opportunity presents itself at the
right price, we would be interested.
We purchased our Bury franchisee
in March 2024. This business has performed in line with
expectations since acquisition with the franchisee remaining with
the Group as the branch manager.
5. Focusing
on sustainability through our ESG strategy
We know that our long-term
strategic aims will only be delivered if we maintain our good
sustainable practices built on firm foundations.
Our foundations are:
· Environment - we are very conscious of the impact of our
activities on the environment and our aim is to minimise our energy
use and recycle where we can
· Social - our people. How we look after our people,
their wellbeing, our inclusiveness and creating opportunities for
all staff to learn, develop and progress their careers is critical
in how we then serve and help our customers
· Social - our communities in which we operate. How we
look after customers, suppliers and the wider community including
supporting local charitable organisations helps define our
business
· Governance - we are committed to having the highest standards
of governance throughout the business. We have a strong
structure of oversight covering what we do and how we do it, using
our market leading in house bespoke software to provide the
necessary controls and reporting.
OUTLOOK
Underpinned by its strong, trusted
brand and diversified income streams the Group is well positioned
for the year ahead. We will build on the continuous improvement
culture we have and will always strive to do the right thing for
the long term good of the Group's stakeholders.
We are fortunate to have
investment choices from our strong cash generation and see a
blended strategy as the way to progress.
Our H2 performance in the retail
jewellery segment gives us confidence and momentum as we enter
FY25. Our continued growth in sales of foreign currency
indicates that we are taking market share and we believe we can
capitalise on this with the currency card and in time the
international money transfer service. We believe the gold
price will remain high in the short to medium term and as a
consequence assist the pawnbroking and the precious metals
segments.
As with many other businesses, due
to the increases in the Real Living Wage and Employers' National
Insurance the Company faces rising operating costs in 2025.
However, the Group will seek to recover these costs by improving
the scale of the Group and focusing on its value for money,
competitive pricing strategy.
As a result, the Board is
confident that Ramsdens is well placed to continue to make progress
for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Peter Kenyon
Chief Executive Officer
13 January 2025
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER'S REVIEW
FINANCIAL RESULTS
For the year ended 30 September
2024, the Group increased Revenue by 14% to £95.6m (FY23: £83.8m)
with growth across each of the four key income streams. Gross
profit increased by 13% to £51.5m (FY23: £45.8m).
The Group's administrative
expenses increased by 11% to £39.1m (FY23: £35.1m), reflecting an
increase in staff costs with the RLW increasing by 10% and the
additional stores which were opened or acquired in the current and
prior year. Finance costs have increased by 33% to £1.1m
(FY23: £0.8m) due to having an increased bank facility and a higher
interest base rate.
Profit before tax increased to
£11.4m (FY23: £10.1m), a record for the business, as the Group
benefited from the high gold price and its diversified
offering.
The Group's cash position remains
strong with £7.4m net cash at the year-end (FY23: £5.0m).
Investments have been made in new stores and the growth of the
pawnbroking loan book.
The table below shows the headline
financial results:
£000's
|
FY24
|
FY23
|
Revenue
|
£95,608
|
£83,805
|
Gross profit
|
£51,533
|
£45,759
|
Profit before tax
|
£11,362
|
£10,105
|
Net assets
|
£53,606
|
£48,167
|
Net cash*
|
£7,395
|
£5,039
|
|
|
|
Basic EPS
|
26.1p
|
24.5p
|
*Cash less bank
borrowings
EARNINGS PER SHARE AND DIVIDEND
The statutory basic earnings per
share for FY24 was 26.1p, up from 24.5p in the previous
year.
The Board is recommending a final dividend of 7.6p in respect of FY24
(FY23: 7.1p). Subject to approval at the AGM, the final
dividend is expected to be paid on 21 March 2025 for those
shareholders on the register on 14 February 2025. The
ex-dividend date will be 13 February 2025. This would bring
the total dividend for FY24 to 11.2p (FY23: 10.4p). This
dividend is in line with the Board's progressive dividend policy
reflecting the cash flow generation and earnings potential of the
Group.
This dividend represents a 43%
pay-out ratio of FY24 basic EPS (FY23: 42%). The long-term dividend
strategy is to move towards approximately 50% of post-tax profits
being distributed subject to the financial performance and growth
opportunities.
FINANCIAL POSITION
At 30 September 2024, cash and
cash equivalents amounted to £15.8m (FY23: £13.0m) and the Group
had net assets of £53.6m (FY23: £48.2m).
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
During the reporting period, the
Group invested in the store estate by opening seven new stores, one
store acquisition and relocating three existing stores. Capital
expenditure for the year was £2.6m (FY23: £2.7m) and acquisitions
were £0.6m (FY23: £0.3m).
The Group also purchased a new
head office building for £1.0m on a long leasehold with 995 years
remaining. The purchase is recognised within lease payments
in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.
CASH FLOW
Working capital outflows in the
year include a £1.9m increase in inventories and growth of the
pawnbroking loan book which has resulted in trade and other
receivables increasing by £1.0m. Trade and other payables
increased by £0.9m. The net cash flow from operating
activities for the year was £11.9m (FY23: £3.3m)
Net cash at the year-end was £7.4m
(FY23: £5.0m).
During the year
the Group secured a
new £15m revolving credit facility (RCF) with Bank of
Scotland PLC with a 5-year term, which replaces
the £10m RCF with Virgin Money on more attractive
terms. The new facility expires in March 2029 and has three
covenants: flexible cash cover to the amount drawn, a cash and
jewellery stock cover in relation to amount drawn, and gross
borrowings ratio in relation to EBITDA. As at 30 September
2024, this facility was £8.5m drawn to support the currency cash
held. The cash position and headroom on
the bank facility provide the Group with the funds required to
continue to deliver its current stated strategy.
TAXATION
The tax charge for the year was
£3.1m (FY23: £2.3m) representing an effective rate of 27% (FY23:
23%). The increase is due to the 25% corporation tax rate applying
for the full year, compared to only half of the prior year. A
full reconciliation of the tax charge is shown in note 10 of the
financial statements.
SHARE BASED PAYMENTS
The share-based payment expense in
the year was £504,000 (FY23: £462,000). This charge relates to the
Long-Term Incentive Plans (LTIP) and Company Share Option Plans
(CSOP). Both schemes are discretionary share incentive
schemes through which the Remuneration Committee can grant options
to purchase ordinary shares. The shares under option in the
LTIP scheme can be purchased at a nominal 1p cost to Executive
Directors and other senior management, subject to certain
performance and vesting conditions. The shares under option
in the CSOP scheme can be purchased at their issue prices of
200.5p, 230.0p and 205.0p.
During the year, the LTIP award
from 2021 partially met the performance criteria and 341,250 share
options vested. 180,000 share options were exercised during
the year with 161,250 fully vested options remaining
unexercised.
GOING CONCERN
The Board has conducted an
extensive review of forecast earnings and cash over the next 12
months, considering various scenarios and sensitivities given the
ongoing economic challenges and has concluded that it has adequate
resources to continue in business for the foreseeable future.
For this reason, the Board has been able to conclude the going
concern basis is appropriate in preparing the financial
statements.
Martin Clyburn
Chief Financial Officer
13 January 2025
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income
|
|
|
For the year ended 30 September 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
Notes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
5
|
|
95,608
|
83,805
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expected credit loss
charges
|
|
|
(1,751)
|
(1,834)
|
Other cost of sales
|
|
|
(42,324)
|
(36,212)
|
Total cost of sales
|
5
|
|
(44,075)
|
(38,046)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
5
|
|
51,533
|
45,759
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income
|
|
|
-
|
300
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrative expenses
|
|
|
(39,068)
|
(35,126)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating profit
|
|
|
12,465
|
10,933
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finance costs
|
6
|
|
(1,103)
|
(828)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before tax
|
|
|
11,362
|
10,105
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
|
10
|
|
(3,065)
|
(2,349)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit for the year
|
|
|
8,297
|
7,756
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other comprehensive
income
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive income
|
|
|
8,297
|
7,756
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic earnings per share in
pence
|
8
|
|
26.1
|
24.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted earnings per share in
pence
|
8
|
|
25.7
|
24.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position
|
|
|
|
|
As at 30 September 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
Notes
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
11
|
|
|
8,853
|
7,949
|
|
Right-of-use assets
|
11
|
|
|
10,066
|
9,615
|
|
Intangible assets
|
12
|
|
|
903
|
673
|
|
Investments
|
13
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
19,822
|
18,237
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inventories
|
15
|
|
|
29,649
|
27,662
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
16
|
|
|
16,432
|
15,355
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
17
|
|
|
15,782
|
13,022
|
|
|
|
|
|
61,863
|
56,039
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
|
81,685
|
74,276
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
18
|
|
|
7,225
|
6,305
|
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
18
|
|
|
8,387
|
7,983
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
18
|
|
|
2,350
|
2,462
|
|
Income tax payable
|
18
|
|
|
1,731
|
1,225
|
|
|
|
|
|
19,693
|
17,975
|
|
Net current assets
|
|
|
|
42,170
|
38,064
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
19
|
|
|
7,328
|
7,661
|
|
Contract liabilities
|
19
|
|
|
-
|
50
|
|
Deferred tax
liabilities
|
19
|
|
|
158
|
96
|
|
Provisions
|
21
|
|
|
900
|
327
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,386
|
8,134
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
|
28,079
|
26,109
|
|
Net assets
|
|
|
|
53,606
|
48,167
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issued capital
|
22
|
|
|
319
|
317
|
|
Share premium
|
|
|
|
4,892
|
4,892
|
|
Retained earnings
|
|
|
|
48,395
|
42,958
|
|
Total equity
|
|
|
|
53,606
|
48,167
|
|
The financial statements of
Ramsdens Holdings PLC, registered number 08811656, were approved by
the directors and authorised for issue on 13 January
2025.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
|
|
|
For the year ended 30 September 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issued
capital
|
Share
premium
|
Retained
earnings
|
Total
|
|
Notes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 1 October 2022
|
|
316
|
4,892
|
36,635
|
41,843
|
Profit for the year
|
|
-
|
-
|
7,756
|
7,756
|
Total comprehensive
income
|
|
-
|
-
|
7,756
|
7,756
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transactions with
owners:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends paid
|
23
|
-
|
-
|
(1,994)
|
(1,994)
|
Issue of share capital
|
22
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
Share based payments
|
26
|
-
|
-
|
462
|
462
|
Deferred tax on share-based
payments
|
|
-
|
-
|
99
|
99
|
Total transactions with
owners
|
|
1
|
-
|
(1,433)
|
(1,432)
|
As at 30 September 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
317
|
4,892
|
42,958
|
48,167
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 1 October 2023
|
|
317
|
4,892
|
42,958
|
48,167
|
Profit for the year
|
|
-
|
-
|
8,297
|
8,297
|
Total comprehensive
income
|
|
-
|
-
|
8,297
|
8,297
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transactions with
owners:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends paid
|
23
|
-
|
-
|
(3,298)
|
(3,298)
|
Issue of share capital
|
22
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
Share based payments
|
26
|
-
|
-
|
504
|
504
|
Deferred tax on share-based
payments
|
|
-
|
-
|
(66)
|
(66)
|
Total transactions with
owners
|
|
2
|
-
|
(2,860)
|
(2,858)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 30 September 2024
|
|
319
|
4,892
|
48,395
|
53,606
|
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
|
|
|
|
|
For the year ended 30 September 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Operating activities
|
Notes
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before tax
|
|
|
11,362
|
10,105
|
Adjustments to reconcile profit
before tax to net cash flows:
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and impairment of
property, plant
|
|
|
|
|
and equipment
|
11
|
|
1,644
|
1,383
|
Depreciation and impairment of
right-of-use assets
|
11
|
|
2,270
|
2,214
|
Profit on disposal of right-of-use
assets
|
7
|
|
(48)
|
(72)
|
Amortisation and impairment of
intangible assets
|
12
|
|
141
|
137
|
Loss on disposal of property,
plant and equipment
|
7
|
|
49
|
62
|
Share based payments
|
26
|
|
504
|
462
|
Finance costs
|
6
|
|
1,103
|
828
|
Working capital
adjustments:
|
|
|
|
|
Movement in trade and other
receivables and prepayments
|
|
|
(889)
|
(1,996)
|
Movement in inventories
|
|
|
(1,925)
|
(4,692)
|
Movement in trade and other
payables
|
|
|
870
|
(2,638)
|
Movement in provisions
|
|
|
563
|
327
|
|
|
|
15,644
|
6,120
|
Interest paid
|
|
|
(1,199)
|
(828)
|
Income tax paid
|
|
|
(2,565)
|
(2,010)
|
Net cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
11,880
|
3,282
|
Investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of property,
plant and equipment
|
|
|
-
|
15
|
Purchase of property, plant and
equipment
|
11
|
|
(2,576)
|
(2,721)
|
Payment for acquisition
|
27
|
|
(631)
|
(298)
|
Net cash flows used in investing activities
|
|
|
(3,207)
|
(3,004)
|
Financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Issue of share capital
|
22
|
|
2
|
1
|
Dividends paid
|
23
|
|
(3,298)
|
(1,994)
|
Payment of principal portion of
lease liabilities
|
20
|
|
(3,117)
|
(2,041)
|
Increase in bank
borrowings
|
20
|
|
500
|
1,500
|
Net cash flows used in financing activities
|
|
|
(5,913)
|
(2,534)
|
Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
|
2,760
|
(2,256)
|
Cash and cash equivalents at 1
October
|
|
|
13,022
|
15,278
|
Cash and cash equivalents at 30 September
|
17
|
|
15,782
|
13,022
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to the consolidated financial
statements
1. Corporate information
Ramsdens Holdings PLC (the
"Company") is a public limited company incorporated and domiciled
in England and Wales. The registered office of the Company is Unit
16, Parkway Shopping Centre, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, TS8 0TJ.
The registered company number is 08811656. A list of the Company's
subsidiaries is presented in note 13.
The principal activities of the
Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group") are the supply of
foreign exchange services, pawnbroking, jewellery sales, and the
sale of precious metals purchased from the general
public.
2. Changes in accounting policies and
presentation
There are no changes to accounting
policies in the current year. There are no known future
changes in accounting standards which are expected to materially
impact the Group.
There is a change in presentation
within the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income with
regards to the disclosure of expected credit loss charges. These
charges have been disclosed separately within cost of
sales.
Given cost of sales represent the
material costs per segment these have been disclosed within the
segmental analysis in note 5 following the July 2024 IFRIC agenda
decision.
3. Significant accounting policies
3.1 Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial
statements of the Group have been prepared in accordance with UK
adopted international accounting standards.
The consolidated financial
statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis. The
consolidated financial statements are presented in pounds sterling
which is the functional currency of the parent and presentational
currency of the Group. All values are rounded to the nearest
thousand (£000), except when otherwise indicated.
The financial information set out herein does not constitute the
Group's statutory accounts for the year ended 30 September 2024 or
the year ended 30 September 2023 within the meaning of sections 434
of the Companies Act 2006, but is derived from those accounts. The
audited accounts for the year ended 30 September 2024 will be
posted to all shareholders in due course and will be available on
the Group's website. The auditors have reported on those accounts
and expressed an unmodified audit opinion which did not contain a
statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act
2006.
The financial information for the
year ended 30 September 2023 is derived from the statutory accounts
for that year, which have been delivered to the Registrar of
Companies. The auditors have reported on those accounts and
expressed an unmodified audit opinion which did not contain a
statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act
2006
3.2 Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial
statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and
all of its subsidiary undertakings (as detailed above). The
financial information of all Group companies is adjusted, where
necessary, to ensure the use of consistent accounting
policies. In line with IFRS10, an investor controls an
investee when it is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns
from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to
affect those returns through its power over the
investee.
3.3 Going concern
The Group has prepared the
financial statements on a going concern basis, with due
consideration to the present economic situation.
The Board have conducted an
extensive review of forecast earnings and cash for the period to 31
January 2026 considering various scenarios and sensitivities given
the ongoing uncertainty around the future economic
environment.
At 30 September 2024 the Group has
significant cash balances of £15.8m, readily realisable stock of
gold jewellery and access to the £6.5m unutilised element of a £15m
revolving credit facility with an expiry date of March 2029. In the
year ended 30 September 2024 the Group has traded profitably and
generated cash from operations.
The Board have been able to
conclude that they have a reasonable expectation that the Group has
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the
foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Group continues to adopt the
going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. The
going concern assessment covers the period to 31 January
2026.
3.4 Business combinations and goodwill
Business combinations are
accounted for using the acquisition method. The consideration
transferred in the acquisition is measured at fair value, as are
the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities incurred.
Acquisition related costs are expensed as incurred and included in
administrative expenses.
Goodwill is initially measured at
cost, being the excess of the aggregate of the consideration
transferred over the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired
and liabilities assumed. If the fair value of the net assets
acquired is in excess of the aggregate consideration transferred,
the Group re-assesses whether it has correctly identified all of
the assets acquired and all of the liabilities assumed and reviews
the procedures used to measure the amounts to be recognised at the
acquisition date. If the reassessment still results in an excess of
the fair value of net assets acquired over the aggregate
consideration transferred, then the gain is recognised in the
Statement of Comprehensive Income as a gain on bargain
purchase.
After initial recognition,
goodwill is measured at cost less any accumulated impairment
losses. For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in
a business combination is, from the acquisition date, allocated to
each of the Group's cash generating units (CGU) that are expected
to benefit from the combination, irrespective of whether other
assets or liabilities of the acquiree are assigned to those
units.
3.5 Intangible assets
Intangible assets acquired
separately are measured on initial recognition at cost. The cost of
intangible assets acquired in a business combination is their fair
value as at the date of acquisition. Following initial recognition,
intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation
and accumulated impairment losses, if any. Internally generated
intangible assets, excluding capitalised development costs, are not
capitalised and expenditure is recognised in the Statement of
Comprehensive Income when it is incurred.
The useful lives of intangible
assets are assessed as either finite or indefinite and at each date
of the Statement of Financial Position only goodwill assets are
accorded an indefinite life.
Intangible assets with finite
lives are amortised over their useful economic lives and assessed
for impairment whenever there is an indication that the intangible
asset may be impaired. The amortisation period and the amortisation
method for an intangible asset with a finite useful life are
reviewed at least at the end of each reporting period.
Amortisation is calculated over
the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:
|
•
Customer relationships - 40% reducing balance
|
•
Software - 20% straight line
|
Changes in the expected useful
life or the expected pattern of consumption of future economic
benefits embodied in the asset are accounted for by changing the
amortisation period or method, as appropriate, and are treated as
changes in accounting estimates. The amortisation expense on
intangible assets with finite lives is recognised in the Statement
of Comprehensive Income in the expense category consistent with the
function of the intangible assets.
3.6 Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are
stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and accumulated
impairment losses (if any). All other repair and maintenance
costs are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income as
incurred.
Depreciation is calculated over
the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:
|
· Freehold property - 2% straight line
· Leasehold improvements - straight line over the lease
term
|
· Fixtures & fittings - 20% and 33% reducing
balance
|
· Computer equipment - 25% and 33% reducing balance
|
· Motor vehicles - 25% reducing
balance
|
|
An item of property, plant and
equipment is derecognised upon disposal or when no future economic
benefits are expected from its use or disposal. Any gain or loss
arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference
between the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the
asset) is included in the Statement of Comprehensive Income when
the asset is derecognised.
The residual values, useful lives
and methods of depreciation of property, plant and equipment are
reviewed at each financial year end and adjusted prospectively, if
appropriate.
3.7 Impairment of non-financial
assets
The Group assesses at each
reporting date whether there is an indication that an asset may be
impaired. If any indication exists, or when annual impairment
testing for an asset is required, the Group estimates the asset's
recoverable amount. An asset's recoverable amount is the higher of
an asset's or CGU's fair value less costs of disposal and its value
in use. It is determined for an individual asset, unless the asset
does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of
those from other assets or groups of assets. Where the carrying
amount of an asset or CGU exceeds its recoverable amount, the asset
is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable
amount.
In assessing value in use, the
estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value
using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market
assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to
the asset. In determining fair value less costs of disposal, recent
market transactions are taken into account. If no such transactions
can be identified, an appropriate valuation model is
used.
The Group bases its impairment
calculation on detailed budgets and forecasts which are prepared
separately for each of the Group's CGUs to which the individual
assets are allocated, which is usually taken to be each individual
branch store and the jewellery retail website, based on the
independence of cash inflows. Central costs and assets are
allocated to CGUs based on revenue. These
budgets and forecast calculations are estimated for three years and
extrapolated to cover a total period of ten years.
Impairment losses of continuing
operations are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income
in those expense categories consistent with the function of the
impaired asset.
For assets excluding goodwill, an
assessment is made at each reporting date as to whether there is
any indication that previously recognised impairment losses may no
longer exist or may have decreased. If such indication exists, the
Group estimates the asset's or CGU's recoverable amount. A
previously recognised impairment loss is reversed only if there has
been a change in the assumptions used to determine the asset's
recoverable amount since the last impairment loss was
recognised.
The reversal is limited so that
the carrying amount of the asset does not exceed its recoverable
amount, nor exceed the carrying amount that would have been
determined, net of depreciation or amortisation, had no impairment
loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. Such reversal is
recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income unless the
asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal
is treated as a revaluation increase.
Goodwill
Goodwill is tested for impairment
at the end of each accounting period and when circumstances
indicate that the carrying value may be impaired.
Impairment is determined for
goodwill by assessing the recoverable amount of each CGU (or group
of CGUs) to which the goodwill relates. Where the recoverable
amount of the cash-generating unit is less than their carrying
amount, an impairment loss is recognised. Impairment losses
relating to goodwill cannot be reversed in future periods. Goodwill
is allocated to CGUs based on the price paid of the relevant
acquisition.
3.8 Inventories
Inventories comprise of retail
jewellery and precious metals held to be scrapped and are valued at
the lower of cost and net realisable value.
Cost represents the weighted
average purchase price plus overheads directly related to bringing
the inventory to its present location and condition.
When the Group takes title to
pledged goods on default of pawnbroking loans up to the value of
£75, cost represents the principal amount of the loan plus term
interest.
Net realisable value is the
estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less
estimated costs of completion and estimated costs to
sell.
3.9 Financial instruments
A financial instrument is any
contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity and a
financial liability or equity instrument of another
entity.
Financial
assets
Financial assets are all
recognised and derecognised on a trade date basis. All recognised
financial assets are measured and subsequently measured at
amortised cost or fair value depending on the classification of the
financial asset.
Classification of financial assets
Financial assets that meet the
following criteria are measured at amortised cost:
· the
financial asset is held within the business model whose objective
is to hold financial assets in order to collect contractual cash
flows; and
· the
contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified
dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and
interest on the principal amount outstanding.
In accordance with IFRS 9
Financial Instruments the Group has classified its financial assets
as amortised cost.
The amortised cost of a financial
asset is the amount at which the financial asset is measured at
initial recognition less the principal repayments, plus the
cumulative amortisation using the effective interest method of any
difference between that initial amount and the maturity amount,
adjusted for any loss allowance. The gross carrying amount of a
financial asset is the amortised cost of a financial asset before
adjusting for any loss allowance.
Cash and cash
equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents in the
Statement of Financial Position comprise cash at banks and on hand,
foreign currency held for resale and short-term deposits held with
banks with a maturity of three months or less from inception. Debit
/ credit card receipts processed by merchant service providers are
recognised as cash at point of transaction. Foreign currency bank
notes are ordered for next day delivery and are recognised once the
control of these has been transferred, which is usually on
receipt.
For the purpose of the
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, cash and cash equivalents
consist of cash, foreign currency held for resale and short-term
deposits as defined above, net of any outstanding bank
overdrafts.
Impairment of financial
assets
The Group recognises a loss
allowance for expected credit losses on financial assets that are
measured at amortised cost. The amount of credit losses is updated
at each reporting date to reflect changes in credit risk since
initial recognition of the respective financial
instrument.
The Group recognises lifetime
expected credit losses when there has been a significant increase
in credit risk since initial recognition. However, if the credit
risk on the financial instrument has not increased significantly
since initial recognition, the Group recognises the 12 month
expected credit losses. As pawnbroking loans are typically over a
six-month term the lifetime credit losses are usually the same as
the 12 month expected credit losses.
In assessing whether the credit
risk on a financial instrument has increased significantly since
initial recognition, the Group compares the risk of a default
occurring on the financial instrument at the reporting date with
the risk of a default occurring on the financial instrument at the
date of initial recognition. In making this assessment, the Group
considers both quantitative and qualitative information that is
reasonable and supportable including historical
experience.
The measurement of expected credit
losses is a function of the probability of default, and the loss
(if any) on default. The assessment of the probability of default
is based on historical data. The loss on default is based on the
assets gross carrying amount less any realisable security held. The
expected credit loss calculation considers both the interest income
and the capital element of the pawnbroking loans. Interest on loans
in default is accrued net of expected credit losses. Details
of the key assumptions for pawnbroking expected credit losses are
given in note 4.
Derecognition
The Group derecognises a financial
asset only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the
asset expire, or when it transfers the financial asset to another
entity. On derecognition of a financial asset measured at amortised
cost, the difference between the assets carrying amount and the sum
of the consideration received and receivable is recognised in the
Statement of Comprehensive Income. Pawnbroking loans in the
course of realisation continue to be recognised as loan receivables
until the pledged items are realised.
Financial
liabilities
Debt and equity instruments are
classified as either financial liabilities or equity in accordance
with the substance of the contractual arrangements and the
definitions of a financial liability and equity
instrument.
All financial liabilities are
recognised initially at amortised cost or at fair value through
profit and loss (FVTPL).
The Group's financial liabilities
include trade and other payables, loans and borrowings including
bank overdrafts, and derivative financial instruments.
After initial recognition,
interest bearing loans and borrowings are subsequently measured at
amortised cost using the effective interest rate method (EIR).
Gains and losses are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income when the liabilities are derecognised as well as through the
(EIR) amortisation process. Amortised cost is calculated by taking
into account any discount or premium on acquisition and fees or
costs that are an integral part of the EIR. The EIR amortisation is
included in finance costs in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income.
Given interest bearing loans and
borrowings are short-term with a typical maturity period of three
months or less, individual drawdowns and repayments are presented
on a net basis through the Consolidated Statement of Cash
Flows.
Only the Group's derivative
financial instruments are classified as financial liabilities at
fair value through profit or loss.
Financial liabilities at fair
value through profit or loss are stated at fair value, with any
resultant gain or loss recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income. The net gain or loss recognised in the Statement of
Comprehensive Income incorporates any interest paid on the
financial liability.
Derecognition
A financial liability is
derecognised when the obligation under the liability is discharged
or cancelled or expires. When an existing financial liability is
replaced by another from the same lender on substantially different
terms, or the terms of an existing liability are substantially
modified, such an exchange or modification is treated as a
derecognition of the original liability and the recognition of a
new liability. The difference in the respective carrying amounts is
recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.
Offsetting of financial instruments
Financial assets and financial
liabilities are offset with the net amount reported in the
Statement of Financial Position only if there is a current
enforceable legal right to offset the recognised amounts and intent
to settle on a net basis, or to realise the assets and settle the
liabilities simultaneously.
3.10 Fair value measurement
The Group measures financial
instruments, such as derivatives, at fair value at the date of each
Statement of Financial Position.
Fair value is the price that would
be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an
orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement
date.
The fair value of an asset or a
liability is measured using the assumptions that market
participants would use when pricing the asset or liability,
assuming that market participants act in their economic best
interest.
The Group uses valuation
techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which
sufficient data are available to measure fair value, maximising the
use of relevant observable inputs and minimising the use of
unobservable inputs.
All assets and liabilities for
which fair value is measured or disclosed in the financial
statements are categorised within the fair value hierarchy. This is
described, as follows, based on the lowest level input that is
significant to the fair value measurement as a whole:
•
Level 1 - Quoted (unadjusted) market prices in
active markets for identical assets or liabilities
•
Level 2 - Valuation techniques for which the
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value
measurement is directly or indirectly observable
•
Level 3 - Valuation techniques for which the
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value
measurement is unobservable
3.11 Taxation
Current
tax
The tax currently payable is based
on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net
profit as reported in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income because it excludes items of income or expense that are
taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items
that are never taxable or deductible. The Group's liability for
current tax is calculated using tax rates and laws that have been
enacted or substantively enacted by the date of the Statement of
Financial Position.
Deferred
tax
Deferred tax is the tax expected
to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying
amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and
the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable
profit, and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability
method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all
taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are
recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits
will be available against which deductible temporary differences
can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if
the temporary difference arises from the initial recognition of
goodwill or from the initial recognition (other than in a business
combination) of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that
affects neither the taxable profit nor the accounting
profit.
The carrying amount of deferred
tax assets is reviewed at the date of each statement of financial
position and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable
that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or
part of the asset to be recovered.
Deferred tax is calculated at the
tax rates and laws that are expected to apply in the period when
the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is
charged or credited in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income, except when it relates to items charged or credited
directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt
with in equity. Deferred tax is recognised on an undiscounted
basis.
Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to
set off current tax assets against current tax liabilities when
they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority
and the Group intends to settle its current tax assets and
liabilities on a net basis.
3.12 Leases
At inception of a contract, the
Group assesses whether a contract is, or contains, a lease. A
contract is, or contains, a lease if the contract conveys the right
to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in
exchange for consideration. To assess whether a contract conveys
the right to control the use of an identified asset, the Group
assesses whether:
· The
contract involves the use of an identified asset - this may be
specified explicitly or implicitly and should be physically
distinct or represent substantially all of the capacity of a
physically distinct asset. If the supplier has a substantive
substitution right, then the asset is not identified;
· The
Group has the right to obtain substantially all of the economic
benefits from use of the asset throughout the period of use;
and
· The
Group has the right to direct the use of the asset. The Group has
this right when it has the decision-making rights that are most
relevant to changing how and for what purpose the asset is used. In
rare cases where the decision about how and for what purpose the
asset is used is predetermined, the Group has the right to direct
the use of the asset if either:
o The Group has the right to operate the asset; or
o The Group designed the asset in a way that predetermines how
and for what purpose it will be used.
As a lessee
The Group recognises a right-of-use
asset and a lease liability at the lease commencement date. The
right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which comprises
the initial amount of the lease liability adjusted for any lease
payments made at or before the commencement date, plus any initial
direct costs incurred and an estimate of costs to dismantle and
remove the underlying asset or to restore the underlying asset or
the site on which it is located, less any lease incentives
received.
The right-of-use asset is
subsequently depreciated using the straight-line method from the
commencement date to the earlier of the end of the useful life of
the right-of-use asset or the end of the lease term. The estimated
useful lives of the right-of-use assets are determined on the same
basis as those of property and equipment. In addition, the
right-of-use asset is periodically reduced by impairment losses, if
any, and adjusted for certain remeasurements of the lease
liability.
The lease liability is initially
measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not
paid at the commencement date, discounted using the interest rate
implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily
determined, the Group's incremental borrowing rate. Generally, the
Group uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount
rate.
Lease payments included in the
measurement of the lease liability comprise the
following:
· Fixed
payments, including in-substance fixed payments;
· Variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate,
initially measured using the index or rate as at the commencement
date;
· Amounts expected to be payable under a residual value
guarantee; and
· The
exercise price under a purchase option that the Group is reasonably
certain to exercise, lease payments in an optional renewal period
if the Group is reasonably certain to exercise an extension option,
and penalties for early termination of a lease unless the Group is
reasonably certain not to terminate early.
The lease liability is measured at
amortised cost using the effective interest method. It is
remeasured when there is a change in future lease payments arising
from a change in an index or rate, if there is a change in the
Group's estimate of the amount expected to be payable under a
residual value guarantee, or if the Group changes its assessment of
whether it will exercise a purchase, extension or termination
option.
When the lease liability is
remeasured in this way, a corresponding adjustment is made to the
carrying amount of the right-of-use asset, or is recorded in profit
or loss if the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset has been
reduced to zero.
Short-term leases and leases of low-value
assets
The Group has elected not to
recognise right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term
leases that have an initial lease term of 12 months or less and
leases of low-value assets, including IT equipment. The Group
recognises the lease payments associated with these leases as an
expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
3.13 Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the
Group has a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a result
of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of resources
embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the
obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the
obligation. Provisions are measured using the directors' best
estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at
the date of each statement of financial position.
If the effect of the time value of
money is material, provisions are discounted using a current
pre-tax rate that reflects, when appropriate, the risks specific to
the liability. When discounting is used, the increase in the
provision due to the passage of time is recognised as a finance
cost.
The majority of the Group's
premises are leased and include an end of lease rectification
clause to return the property to its original state. The Group
provides for rectification costs throughout the life of the lease
as required. The Group maintains stores to a high standard and
completes any necessary repairs and maintenance on a timely basis
using the in-house property department and external contractors.
These repair costs are expensed as incurred.
3.14 Pensions and other post-employment
benefits
The Group operates a defined
contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held and
administered separately from those of the Group. Contributions
payable for the year are charged in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income. Total contributions for the year are disclosed in note 9 to
the accounts. Differences between contributions payable in the year
and contributions actually paid are shown as either accruals or
prepayments in the Statement of Financial Position.
3.15 Employee share incentive plans
The group grants equity settled
share option rights to the parent entity's equity instruments to
certain directors and senior staff members under a LTIP (Long-term
Incentive Plan) and a CSOP (Company Share Option Plan).
The employee share options are
measured at fair value at the date of grant by the use of either
the Black-Scholes Model or a Monte Carlo model depending on the
vesting conditions attached to the share option. For market based
vesting conditions the expense recognised over the vesting period
reflects the extent to which the vesting period has expired. For
non-market based vesting conditions the expense recognised over the
vesting period reflects the extent to which the vesting period has
expired and the Group's best estimate of the number of share
options that will ultimately vest. The expense is recognised in the
entity in which the beneficiary is remunerated. Further details are
provided in note
26.
3.16 Revenue recognition
The major sources of revenue come
from the following:
· Pawnbroking
· Foreign currency exchange
· Purchase of precious metals
· Retail jewellery sales
· Income from other financial services
Pawnbroking revenue is recognised
in accordance with IFRS 9, whereas revenue from other sources is
recognised in accordance with IFRS 15.
Pawnbroking revenue
Revenue from pawnbroking loans
comprises interest earned over time by reference to the principal
outstanding and the effective rate applicable, which is the rate
that discounts the estimated cash receipts through the expected
life of the financial asset to that asset's net carrying
value. When a customer defaults on a pawnbroking loan, the
pledged goods held as security are sold to repay the customer
debt. As a pawnbroking loan has a single repayment, an
increase in credit risk occurs at the point the loan becomes
overdue. Once overdue the loan is classified as in default and
interest income is accrued net of expected credit losses. At
the start of the realisation process the expected credit loss
calculation is re-performed based on the expected cash flows of the
retail process, with any increase in expected credit losses
recognised as a cost of sale. Further details of the expected
credit loss calculations are provided in note 4.1 and note
14.
Foreign currency exchange income
Revenue is earned in respect of
the provision of Bureau de Change facilities offered and represents
the margin earned which is recognised at the point the currency is
collected by the customer as this represents when the service
provided under IFRS 15 has been delivered.
Sale of precious metals acquired via over the counter
purchases
Revenue is recognised when control
of the goods has transferred, being at the point the goods are
received by the bullion dealer and a sell instruction has been
issued. If a price has been fixed in advance of delivery, revenue
is recognised at the point the goods are received by the bullion
dealer.
Jewellery retail sales
Revenue is recognised at the point
the goods are transferred to the customer. Customers either pay in
full at the time of the transaction and receive the goods, purchase
goods online using a third party finance provider and receive the
goods by delivery once the finance has been authorised or pay by
layby in instalments and receive the goods once the sale is fully
paid. Instalment payments are recognised as a creditor until the
item is fully paid. The Group has a 7-day refund policy in store,
and a 14-day refund policy online reflecting the distance selling
regulations. Premium watches are sold with a limited 12-month
warranty. A provision for warranties is recognised when the
underlying products are sold, based on management's best estimate,
and is included as a cost of sale.
Other financial income
Other financial income comprises
of agency commissions.
3.17 Administrative expenses
Administrative expenses include
branch staff and establishment costs.
4. Key sources of estimation uncertainty and significant
accounting judgements
The preparation of the Group's
consolidated financial statements requires management to make
judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities, and the
accompanying disclosures, and the disclosure of contingent
liabilities. Uncertainty about these assumptions and estimates
could result in outcomes that require a material adjustment to the
carrying amount of assets or liabilities affected in future
periods.
4.1 Key sources of estimation uncertainty
Revenue recognition -
pawnbroking loans interest and impairment
The Company recognises interest on
pawnbroking loans as disclosed in note 3.15.
For active pawnbroking loans
(loans not in the course of realisation) the Company estimates the
expected credit losses. An assessment is made on a pledge by
pledge basis of the carrying value represented by original capital
loaned plus accrued interest to date and its corresponding
realisation value on sale of unredeemed pledges to identify any
credit losses. The key estimates within the expected credit loss
calculation are;
· Non-redemption rate - This is based upon current and
historical data held.
· Realisation value - This is based upon either;
o The estimated proceeds from the sale of the metal content via
disposal through a bullion dealer.
o The expected resale value of the pledged goods that can be
retailed.
For pawnbroking loans in the
course of realisation the Company estimates the expected credit
losses based on the expected outcome from selling the pledged
goods. The key estimates within the expected credit loss
calculation are;
· Proceeds of sale - This is based upon the retail price the
goods are offered for sale at.
· Time
to sell - This is based upon current and historical data in respect
of the average time to sell and is assumed to be 12
months.
See note 14 for further details on
pawnbroking credit risk and provision values, including
sensitivity.
Impairment of property,
plant and equipment, right-of-use assets and intangible assets
estimate
Determining whether property,
plant and equipment, right-of-use assets and intangible assets are
impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the CGU to
which the assets have been allocated. The value in use calculation
requires the Group to estimate the future cash flows expected to
arise from the CGU and select a suitable discount rate in order to
calculate present value. The review is conducted annually, in the
final quarter of the year. The impairment review is conducted at
the level of each CGU, which is usually taken to be each individual
branch store.
Management have determined that the
key sources of estimation uncertainty, to which the impairment
analysis of property plant and equipment, right-of-use assets and
intangible assets is most sensitive, relate to the following
assumptions:
1. The
Group prepares pre-tax cash flow forecasts for each branch. Cash
flows represent management's estimate of the revenue of the
relevant CGU, based upon the specific characteristics of the branch
and its stage of development.
2. The
Group has discounted the forecast cash flows at a pre-tax, risk
adjusted rate of 16%.
Whilst the impairment review has
been conducted based on the best available estimates at the
impairment review date, the Group notes that actual events may vary
from management expectation. If outcomes
within the next financial year are different from the assumptions
made in relation to future cash flows, this could lead to a
material adjustment to the carrying amount of the assets affected.
The carrying amounts for tangible assets, right-of-use assets and
intangible assets are disclosed in notes 11 and 12.
Where the recoverable amount of
the CGU was estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the
carrying amount of the CGU was reduced to the estimated recoverable
amount.
Reinstatement
provision
The Group recognises a provision
for reinstatement of leasehold property as disclosed in note 21.
This provision reflects management's best estimate of the costs
required to restore leased properties to their original condition
at the end of expected occupation, as required by the lease
agreements, discounted to the present value.
The reinstatement provision is
calculated using the following key estimates:
1. Scope and cost of
reinstatement work required.
2. The expected
occupation and therefore time until the reinstatement works are
required.
3. The time value of
money used to discount the future expected cost of reinstatement
work.
4.2 Significant accounting judgements
In the process of applying the
Group's accounting policies, management has made the following
judgements, which have the most significant effect on the amounts
recognised in the consolidated financial statements:
Lease
terms
For leases which contain a break
clause an assessment is made on entering a lease on the likelihood
that the lease break would be exercised. If the lease break is not
expected to be exercised the break clause is ignored in
establishing the lease term.
5. Segmental analysis
The Group's revenue from external
customers is shown by geographical location below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Revenue
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|
95,394
|
83,805
|
Other
|
|
|
214
|
-
|
|
|
|
95,608
|
83,805
|
The Group's assets are located
entirely in the United Kingdom therefore, no further geographical
segments analysis is presented. The Group
is organised into operating segments, identified based on key
revenue streams, as detailed in the CEO's review.
The Group's revenue is analysed
below between revenue from contracts with customers and other
sources which comprises interest income earned on pawnbroking
loans.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Revenue
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contracts with
customers
|
|
|
82,200
|
71,928
|
Pawnbroking interest
income
|
|
|
13,408
|
11,877
|
|
|
|
95,608
|
83,805
|
Pawnbroking interest income is
recognised over time as each loan progresses whereas all other
revenue is recognised at a point in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Revenue
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pawnbroking
|
|
|
13,408
|
11,877
|
Purchases of precious
metals
|
|
|
31,151
|
23,522
|
Retail jewellery sales
|
|
|
35,607
|
33,474
|
Foreign currency
|
|
|
14,879
|
14,083
|
Income from other financial
services
|
|
|
563
|
849
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
95,608
|
83,805
|
Cost of sales
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Pawnbroking
|
|
|
(1,751)
|
(1,834)
|
Purchases of precious
metals
|
|
|
(19,329)
|
(14,361)
|
Retail jewellery sales
|
|
|
(22,314)
|
(21,416)
|
Foreign currency
|
|
|
(681)
|
(435)
|
Income from other financial
services
|
|
|
-
|
-
|
Total cost of sales
|
|
|
(44,075)
|
(38,046)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Pawnbroking
|
|
|
11,657
|
10,043
|
Purchases of precious
metals
|
|
|
11,822
|
9,161
|
Retail jewellery sales
|
|
|
13,293
|
12,058
|
Foreign currency
|
|
|
14,198
|
13,648
|
Income from other financial
services
|
|
|
563
|
849
|
Total gross profit
|
|
|
51,533
|
45,759
|
Other income
|
|
|
-
|
300
|
Administrative expenses
(*)
|
|
|
(39,068)
|
(35,126)
|
Finance costs (*)
|
|
|
(1,103)
|
(828)
|
Profit before tax
|
|
|
11,362
|
10,105
|
Revenue from the purchases of
precious metals is currently from one bullion dealer. There is no
reliance on key customers in other revenue streams.
Income from other financial
services comprises of agency commissions.
(*) The Group is unable to
meaningfully allocate administrative expenses, or financing costs
or income between the segments. Accordingly, the Group is unable to
meaningfully disclose an allocation of items included in the
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive income below gross profit,
which represents the reported segmental results.
In addition to the segmental
reporting on products and services the Group also manages each
branch as a separate CGU and makes local decisions on that
basis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Other information
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Tangible & intangible capital
additions (*)
|
|
|
2,967
|
2,759
|
Depreciation and amortisation
(*)
|
|
|
4,055
|
3,734
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Pawnbroking
|
|
|
15,220
|
14,262
|
Purchases of precious
metals
|
|
|
5,708
|
3,373
|
Retail jewellery sales
|
|
|
24,296
|
24,647
|
Foreign currency
|
|
|
8,262
|
6,061
|
Income from other financial
services
|
|
|
40
|
44
|
Unallocated (*)
|
|
|
28,159
|
25,889
|
|
|
|
81,685
|
74,276
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Pawnbroking
|
|
|
494
|
596
|
Purchases of precious
metals
|
|
|
2
|
5
|
Retail jewellery sales
|
|
|
1,771
|
1,744
|
Foreign currency
|
|
|
729
|
453
|
Income from other financial
services
|
|
|
369
|
339
|
Unallocated (*)
|
|
|
24,714
|
22,972
|
|
|
|
28,079
|
26,109
|
(*) The Group cannot meaningfully
allocate this information by segment due to the fact that all
segments operate from the same stores and the assets in use are
common to all segments.
Fixed assets and sterling cash and
cash equivalents are therefore included in the unallocated assets
balance.
6. Finance costs
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
Interest on debts and
borrowings
|
|
566
|
368
|
Lease charges (note 20)
|
|
537
|
460
|
Total finance costs
|
|
1,103
|
828
|
7. Profit before taxation has been arrived at after
charging/(crediting)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
Items reported within cost of sales -
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of inventories recognised as
an expense
|
|
41,643
|
35,777
|
|
Pawnbroking expected credit
losses
|
|
1,751
|
1,834
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Items reported within administrative expenses
-
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation of property, plant
and equipment (note 11)
|
|
1,644
|
1,383
|
|
Depreciation of right-of-use
assets (note 11)
|
|
2,270
|
2,209
|
|
Profit on disposal of right-of-use
assets (note 11)
|
|
(48)
|
(72)
|
|
Amortisation of intangible assets
(note 12)
|
|
141
|
137
|
|
Loss on disposal of property,
plant and equipment (note 11)
|
|
49
|
62
|
|
Staff costs (note 9)
|
|
22,739
|
20,107
|
|
Foreign currency exchange
losses
|
201
|
318
|
|
Auditor's remuneration - audit
fees
|
195
|
175
|
|
Auditor's remuneration - non-audit
fees
|
7
|
6
|
|
Short term lease
payments
|
546
|
418
|
|
Share based payments (note
26)
|
504
|
462
|
|
|
|
|
|
8. Earnings per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
Profit for the year
|
|
8,297
|
7,756
|
Weighted average number of shares
in issue
|
|
31,805,807
|
31,679,095
|
Basic earnings per share
(pence)
|
|
26.1
|
24.5
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of
dilutive shares
|
|
509,450
|
622,907
|
Effect of dilutive shares on
earnings per share (pence)*
|
|
(0.4)
|
(0.5)
|
Fully diluted earnings per share
(pence)
|
|
25.7
|
24.0
|
*All dilution relates to share
options
9. Information regarding directors and
employees
Directors' emoluments (£'000)
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
Salary/
bonus/PHI
|
Pension
|
LTIP*
|
Total
|
Salary/
bonus/PHI
|
Pension
|
LTIP*
|
Total
|
Executive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter Kenyon
|
472
|
10
|
-
|
482
|
385
|
10
|
37
|
432
|
Martin Clyburn
|
352
|
10
|
-
|
362
|
266
|
10
|
18
|
294
|
Non Executive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Meehan
|
75
|
-
|
-
|
75
|
69
|
-
|
-
|
69
|
Simon Herrick
|
55
|
-
|
-
|
55
|
51
|
-
|
-
|
51
|
Karen Ingham
|
44
|
-
|
-
|
44
|
37
|
-
|
-
|
37
|
Steve Smith
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
14
|
-
|
-
|
14
|
Total
|
998
|
20
|
-
|
1,018
|
822
|
20
|
55
|
897
|
*represents gains made by
Directors on the exercise of share options
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Included in administrative expenses:
|
|
|
|
Wages and salaries
|
|
20,034
|
17,640
|
Social security costs
|
|
1,710
|
1,571
|
Share option scheme
|
|
504
|
462
|
Pension costs
|
|
491
|
434
|
Total employee benefits expense
|
|
22,739
|
20,107
|
The average number of staff
employed by the Group during the financial period amounted
to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
No.
|
No.
|
|
|
|
|
Head office and
management
|
|
148
|
131
|
Branch counter staff
|
|
679
|
653
|
|
|
827
|
784
|
10. Income tax
The major components of income tax expense
are:
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Current income tax:
|
|
|
|
Current income tax
charge
|
|
3,100
|
2,364
|
Adjustments in respect of current
income tax of previous year
|
|
(31)
|
(60)
|
|
|
3,069
|
2,304
|
Deferred tax:
Relating to origination and
reversal of temporary differences
|
|
(4)
|
45
|
Income tax expense reported in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income
|
|
3,065
|
2,349
|
A reconciliation between tax
expense and the product of accounting profit multiplied by the UK
domestic tax rate is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before income tax
|
|
11,362
|
10,105
|
UK corporation tax rate at 25%
(2023: 22%)
|
|
2,841
|
2,223
|
Expenses not deductible for tax
purposes
|
|
255
|
186
|
Prior period adjustment
|
|
(31)
|
(60)
|
Income tax reported in the Statement of Comprehensive
Income
|
|
3,065
|
2,349
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred tax
Deferred tax relates to the
following:
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Deferred tax liabilities
|
|
|
|
Accelerated depreciation for tax
purposes
|
|
432
|
403
|
Other short-term
differences
|
|
(274)
|
(307)
|
Deferred tax liabilities
|
|
158
|
96
|
Reconciliation of deferred tax (asset) / liabilities
net
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
Opening balance as at 1 October
|
|
96
|
149
|
Deferred tax recognised in the
Statement of Comprehensive Income
|
|
(4)
|
46
|
Other deferred tax
|
|
66
|
(99)
|
Closing balance as at 30 September
|
|
158
|
96
|
Factors affecting tax charge
The standard rate of UK corporation
tax for the year was 25% (2023: 22%). The UK corporation tax rate increased from 19% to 25% on 1
April 2023.
11. Property, plant and equipment
|
Freehold
property
|
Leasehold
improvements
|
Fixtures &
Fittings
|
Computer
equipment
|
Motor
vehicles
|
Total
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
695
|
7,013
|
4,181
|
596
|
53
|
12,538
|
Additions
|
-
|
1,590
|
928
|
157
|
46
|
2,721
|
Acquisition
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
Disposals
|
-
|
(492)
|
(278)
|
(144)
|
(26)
|
(940)
|
At 1 October 2023
|
695
|
8,111
|
4,838
|
609
|
73
|
14,326
|
Additions
|
-
|
1,633
|
767
|
148
|
28
|
2,576
|
Acquisition (note 27)
|
-
|
-
|
20
|
-
|
-
|
20
|
Disposals
|
-
|
(135)
|
(369)
|
(209)
|
-
|
(713)
|
At 30 September 2024
|
695
|
9,609
|
5,256
|
548
|
101
|
16,209
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
11
|
3,523
|
2,046
|
249
|
28
|
5,857
|
Depreciation charge for the
year
|
14
|
726
|
525
|
108
|
10
|
1,383
|
Disposals
|
-
|
(440)
|
(265)
|
(138)
|
(20)
|
(863)
|
At 1 October 2023
|
25
|
3,809
|
2,306
|
219
|
18
|
6,377
|
Depreciation charge for the
year
|
14
|
895
|
605
|
116
|
14
|
1,644
|
Disposals
|
-
|
(135)
|
(342)
|
(188)
|
-
|
(665)
|
At 30 September 2024
|
39
|
4,569
|
2,569
|
147
|
32
|
7,356
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net book value
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024
|
656
|
5,040
|
2,687
|
401
|
69
|
8,853
|
At 30 September 2023
|
670
|
4,302
|
2,532
|
390
|
55
|
7,949
|
Right-of-use
assets
Cost
|
Leasehold
property
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
14,299
|
|
|
Additions
|
2,846
|
|
|
Disposals
|
(2,373)
|
|
|
At 1 October 2023
|
14,772
|
|
|
Additions
|
3,039
|
|
|
Disposals
|
(2,031)
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024
|
15,780
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
|
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
4,753
|
|
|
Depreciation charge for the
year
|
2,209
|
|
|
Disposals
|
(1,805)
|
|
|
At 1 October 2023
|
5,157
|
|
|
Depreciation charge for the
year
|
2,270
|
|
|
Disposals
|
(1,713)
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024
|
5,714
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Book Value
|
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024
|
10,066
|
|
|
At 30 September 2023
|
9,615
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12. Intangible assets
|
|
Customer
relationships
|
Website
|
Goodwill
|
Total
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Cost
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
|
2,407
|
105
|
526
|
3,038
|
Acquisition
|
|
31
|
-
|
-
|
31
|
At 1 October 2023
|
|
2,438
|
105
|
526
|
3,069
|
Acquisition (note 27)
|
|
177
|
-
|
194
|
371
|
At 30 September 2024
|
|
2,615
|
105
|
720
|
3,440
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortisation
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
|
2,096
|
90
|
73
|
2,259
|
Amortisation charge for the
year
|
|
132
|
5
|
-
|
137
|
At 1 October 2023
|
|
2,228
|
95
|
73
|
2,396
|
Amortisation charge for the
year
|
|
136
|
5
|
-
|
141
|
At 30 September 2024
|
|
2,364
|
100
|
73
|
2,537
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net book value
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024
|
|
251
|
5
|
647
|
903
|
At 30 September 2023
|
|
210
|
10
|
453
|
673
|
13. Investments
The Group has a minor holding in
Big Screen Productions 5 LLP.
Big Screen Productions 5 LLP,
whilst still trading, has wound down its operations and made a
capital distribution equivalent to the value of the carrying value
of the investment in 2015. The investment now has a £nil carrying
value.
Group Investments
Details of the investments in
which the group and company holds 20% or more of the nominal value
of any class of share capital are as follows:
Name of company
|
Holding
|
Proportion of voting rights and shares held
|
Activity
|
Subsidiary undertaking
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ramsdens Financial
Limited
(Registered office: Unit 16
Parkway Centre, Coulby Newham, TS8 0TJ)
|
Ordinary Shares
|
100%
|
Supply of foreign exchange
services, pawnbroking, purchase of precious metals, jewellery
retail and other financial services.
|
14. Financial assets and financial
liabilities
At 30 September 2024
|
Financial assets at
amortised cost
|
Financial liabilities at
amortised cost
|
Book value
|
Fair value
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Financial assets
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
15,708
|
-
|
15,708
|
15,708
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
15,782
|
-
|
15,782
|
15,782
|
Financial liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
-
|
(7,508)
|
(7,508)
|
(7,508)
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
-
|
(8,387)
|
(8,387)
|
(8,387)
|
Lease liabilities
|
-
|
(9,678)
|
(9,678)
|
(9,678)
|
Net financial assets/(liabilities)
|
31,490
|
(25,573)
|
5,917
|
5,917
|
At 30 September 2023
|
Financial assets at
amortised cost
|
Financial liabilities at
amortised cost
|
Book value
|
Fair value
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Financial assets
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
14,698
|
-
|
14,698
|
14,698
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
13,022
|
-
|
13,022
|
13,022
|
Financial liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
-
|
(5,834)
|
(5,834)
|
(5,834)
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
-
|
(7,983)
|
(7,983)
|
(7,983)
|
Lease liabilities
|
-
|
(10,123)
|
(10,123)
|
(10,123)
|
Net financial assets/(liabilities)
|
27,720
|
(23,940)
|
3,780
|
3,780
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial assets at amortised cost
shown above comprises trade receivables, other receivables and
pledge accrued income as disclosed in note 16.
Trade and other payables comprise
of trade payables, other payables as disclosed in notes 18 and
19.
Loans and
receivables are
non-derivatives financial assets carried at
amortised cost which generate a fixed or variable interest income
for the Group. The carrying value may be affected by changes in the
credit risk of the counterparties.
Management have assessed that for
cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, trade payables, bank
overdrafts and other current liabilities their fair values
approximate to their carrying amounts largely due to the short-term
maturities of these instruments. Book values are deemed to be a
reasonable approximation of fair values.
Financial risks
The Group monitors and manages the
financial risks relating to the financial instruments held. The
principal risks include credit risk on financial assets, and
liquidity and interest rate risk on financial liability borrowings.
The key risks are analysed below.
Credit risk
Pawnbroking
loans
Pawnbroking loans are not credit
impaired at origination as customers are expected to repay the
capital plus interest due at the contractual term. As a pawnbroking
loan has a single repayment, an increase in credit risk occurs at
the point the loan becomes overdue. Once overdue the loan is
classified as in default and interest income is accrued net of
expected credit losses. The Group is exposed to credit risk through
customers defaulting on their loans. The key mitigating factor to
this risk is the requirement for the borrower to provide security
(the pledge) in entering a pawnbroking contract. The security acts
to minimise credit risk as the pledged item can be disposed of to
realise the loan value on default.
The Group estimates that the
current fair value of the security is equal to the current book
value of pawnbroking receivables.
In addition to holding security,
the Group further mitigates credit risk by:
1) Applying strict lending
criteria to all pawnbroking loans. Pledges are rigorously tested
and appropriately valued. In all cases where the Group lending
policy is applied, the value of the pledged items is in excess of
the pawn loan.
2) Seeking to improve
redemption ratios. For existing customers, loan history and
repayment profiles are factored into the loan making decision. The
Group has a high customer retention ratio and all customers are
offered high customer service levels.
3) The
carrying value of every pledge comprising the pawnbroking loans is
reviewed against its expected realisation proceeds should it not be
redeemed and expected credit losses are provided for based on
current and historical non redemption rates.
The Group continually monitors, at
both store and at Board level, its internal controls to ensure the
adequacy of the pledged items. The key aspects of this
are:
- Appropriate details are
kept on all customers the Group transacts with;
- All pawnbroking contracts comply
with the Consumer Credit Act 2006;
- Appropriate physical security
measures are in place to protect pledged items; and
- An internal audit department
monitors compliance with policies at the Group's stores.
Expected credit
losses
The Group measures loss allowances
for pawnbroking loans using IFRS 9 expected credit losses model.
The Group's policy is to begin the disposal process one month after
the loan expiry date unless circumstances exist indicating the loan
may not be credit impaired.
2024
2023
Category
|
Gross
amount
£'000
|
Loss
allowance
£'000
|
Net carrying
amount
£'000
|
Gross
amount
£'000
|
Loss
allowance
£'000
|
Net carrying
amount
£'000
|
Performing
|
11,822
|
(202)
|
11,620
|
11,299
|
(203)
|
11,096
|
Default
|
4,626
|
(1,026)
|
3,600
|
4,227
|
(1,061)
|
3,166
|
Total
|
16,448
|
(1,228)
|
15,220
|
15,526
|
(1,264)
|
14,262
|
The pawnbroking expected credit
losses which have been provided on the period end pawnbroking
assets are:
|
|
|
Pawnbroking loans
|
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
|
At 1 October 2022
|
|
|
1,022
|
|
Statement of Comprehensive Income
charge
|
|
1,834
|
|
Utilised in the period
|
|
(1,592)
|
|
At 30 September 2023
|
|
|
1,264
|
|
Statement of Comprehensive Income
charge
|
|
1,751
|
|
Utilised in period
|
|
(1,787)
|
|
Balance at 30 September
2024
|
|
|
1,228
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A 1% increase/(decrease) in the
Group's redemption ratio is a reasonably possible variance based on
historical trends and would result in an impact on Group pre-tax
profit of £7k/(£7k). A one month increase/(decrease) in the
Group's time to sell assumption is a reasonably possible variance
based on historical trends and would result in an impact on Group
pre-tax profit of (£130k)/£130k.
Cash and cash
equivalents
The cash and cash equivalents
balance comprise cash at banks and on hand, foreign currency held
for resale and short-term deposits held with banks with a maturity
of three months or less from inception. The bank balances are
subject to very limited credit risk as they are held with banking
institutions with high credit ratings assigned by international
credit rating agencies. The cash floats are subject to risks
similar to any retailer, namely theft or loss by employees or third
parties. These risks are mitigated by the security systems,
policies and procedures that the Group operates at each store, the
Group recruitment and training policies and the internal audit
function.
Market risk
Pawnbroking trade
receivables
The collateral which protects the
Group from credit risk on non-redemption of pawnbroking loans is
principally comprised of gold, jewellery items and watches. The
value of gold items held as security is directly linked to the
price of gold. The Group is therefore exposed to adverse movements
in the price of gold on the value of the security that would be
attributable for sale in the event of default by the
borrower.
The Group considers this risk to
be limited for a number of reasons. First of all, the Group applies
conservative lending policies in pawnbroking pledges reflected in
the margin made on retail sales and scrap gold when contracts
forfeit. The Group is also protected due to the short-term value of
the pawnbroking contract. In the event of a significant drop in the
price of gold, the Group could mitigate this risk by reducing its
lending policy on pawnbroking pledges, by increasing the proportion
of gold sold through retail sales or by entering gold hedging
instruments. Management monitors the gold price on a constant
basis.
Considering areas outside of those
financial assets defined under IFRS 9, the Group is subject to
higher degrees of pricing risk. The price of gold will affect the
future profitability of the Group in three key ways:
i)
A lower gold price will adversely affect the scrap disposition
margins on existing inventory, whether generated by pledge book
forfeits or direct purchasing. While scrap profits will be impacted
immediately, retail margins may be less impacted in the short
term.
ii)
While the Group's lending rates do not track gold price movements
in the short term, any sustained fall in the price of gold is
likely to cause lending rates to fall in the longer term thus
potentially reducing future profitability.
iii)
A lower gold price may reduce the attractiveness of the Group's
gold purchasing operations.
Conversely, a lower gold price may
dampen competition as lower returns are available and hence this
may assist in sustaining margins and volumes.
Financial
assets
The Group is not exposed to
significant interest rate risk on the financial assets, other than
cash and cash equivalents, as these are lent at fixed rates, which
reflect current market rates for similar types of secured or
unsecured lending, and are held at amortised cost.
Cash and cash equivalents are
exposed to interest rate risk as they are held at floating rates,
although the risk is not significant as the interest receivable is
not significant.
The foreign exchange cash held in
store is exposed to the risks of currency fluctuations. The
value exposed is mainly in Euro and US dollars. There is the daily
risk of buying today, receiving the currency the next day, and
subsequently selling it and being susceptible to movements in the
exchange rate. The Company uses monthly forward contracts to hedge
against adverse exchange rate movements in its two key currencies,
Euros and US dollars. There are no contracts in place at the
year-end (2023: none). A 1% adverse movement in exchange rates
would result in a reduction to cash and cash equivalents of
£82,000.
Liquidity risk
Cash and cash
equivalents
Bank balances are held on short
term / no notice terms to minimise liquidity risk.
Trade and other
payables
Trade and other payables are
non-interest bearing and are normally settled on 30 day terms, see
note 18.
Borrowings
The maturity analysis of the
undiscounted cash flows from the Group's borrowing arrangements
that expose the Group to liquidity risk are as follows:
As at 30 September 2024
|
<3
months £'000
|
3-12
months £'000
|
1-5
years £'000
|
>5
years £'000
|
Total
£'000
|
Lease liabilities
|
638
|
1,857
|
7,016
|
1,745
|
11,256
|
Trade payables
|
3,257
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3,257
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
8,500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8,500
|
Total
|
12,395
|
1,857
|
7,016
|
1,745
|
23,013
|
As at 30 September 2023
|
<3
months £'000
|
3-12
months £'000
|
1-5
years £'000
|
>5
years £'000
|
Total
£'000
|
Lease liabilities
|
641
|
1,821
|
6,872
|
2,447
|
11,781
|
Trade payables
|
2,936
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2,936
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
8,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8,000
|
Total
|
11,577
|
1,821
|
6,872
|
2,447
|
22,717
|
The interest charged on bank
borrowings is based on a fixed percentage above Bank of England
base rate. There is therefore a cash flow risk should there be any
upward movement in base rates. Assuming the £15million
revolving credit facility was fully utilised then a 1% increase in
the base rate would increase finance costs by £150,000 pre-tax and
reduce post-tax profits by £112,500.
15. Inventories
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
New and second-hand inventory for
resale (at lower of cost or net realisable value)
|
|
|
29,649
|
27,662
|
16. Trade and other receivables
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Trade receivables -
pawnbroking
|
|
|
15,220
|
14,262
|
Trade receivables -
other
|
|
|
484
|
431
|
Other receivables
|
|
|
4
|
5
|
Prepayments
|
|
|
724
|
657
|
|
|
|
16,432
|
15,355
|
Trade receivables - pawnbroking is
disclosed net of expected credit losses, details of which are shown
in note 14.
17. Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Sterling cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
|
7,602
|
6,990
|
Other currency cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
|
8,180
|
6,032
|
|
|
|
15,782
|
13,022
|
Cash and cash equivalents comprise
cash held by the Group and short-term bank deposits.
Further details on financial
instruments, including the associated risks to the Group and
allowances for expected credit losses is provided in note
14.
18. Trade and other payables (current)
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Trade payables
|
|
|
3,257
|
2,936
|
Other payables
|
|
|
805
|
781
|
Other taxes and social
security
|
|
|
617
|
521
|
Accruals
|
|
|
2,513
|
2,027
|
Contract liabilities
|
|
|
33
|
40
|
Subtotal
|
|
|
7,225
|
6,305
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease liabilities (note
20)
|
|
|
2,350
|
2,462
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
|
|
8,387
|
7,983
|
Income tax liabilities
|
|
|
1,731
|
1,225
|
|
|
|
19,693
|
17,975
|
Terms and conditions of the above
financial liabilities:
· Trade
and other payables are non-interest bearing and are normally
settled on up to 60-day terms
· Trade
and other payables include amounts received from customers in
relation to layby jewellery purchases of £1,174,000 (2023:
£1,120,000). Materially all of the prior year balance was released
to revenue in the current year
For explanations on the Group's
liquidity risk management processes, refer to note 14.
Bank borrowings
During the year the Group secured
a revolving credit facility with Bank of Scotland PLC, replacing
the previous revolving credit facility with Virgin Money. Details
of the facility are as follows:
Key Term
|
Description
|
|
|
|
|
|
Facility
|
Revolving Credit Facility with
Bank of Scotland PLC
|
Total facility size
|
£15m
|
Termination date
|
March 2029
|
Utilisation
|
The £15m facility is available
subject to financial covenants covering:
- the ratio of total debt to EBITDA
- the ratio of cash at bank/in hand (inclusive of currency
balances) to total debt
- the ratio of the sum of cash at bank/in hand (inclusive of
currency balances) and jewellery/precious metals value to total
debt
|
Interest
|
Interest is charged on the amount
drawn down at 2.15% above base rate when the initial drawdown is
made. For unutilised funds interest is charged at 0.7525% from the
date when the facility was made available
|
Interest Payable
|
Interest is payable at the end of
a drawdown period which is typically between one and three
months
|
Repayments
|
The facility can be repaid at any
point during its term and re-borrowed
|
Security
|
The facility is secured by a
debenture over all the assets of Ramsdens Financial Ltd and cross
guarantees and debentures have been given by Ramsdens Holdings
PLC
|
Undrawn facilities
|
At 30 September 2024 the Company
had available £6.5m of undrawn committed facilities
|
19. Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Lease liabilities (note
20)
|
|
|
7,328
|
7,661
|
Contract liabilities
|
|
|
-
|
50
|
Deferred tax (note 10)
|
|
|
158
|
96
|
Provisions (note 21)
|
|
|
900
|
327
|
|
|
|
8,386
|
8,134
|
20. Changes in liabilities arising from financing
activities
|
|
|
Lease
liabilities
|
Bank
borrowings
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 1 October 2022
|
|
|
9,957
|
6,443
|
Cash flows
Financing cash flows
|
|
|
(2,041)
|
1,500
|
Interest paid
|
|
|
(460)
|
(368)
|
Non-cash flows
|
|
|
|
|
New leases
|
|
|
2,846
|
-
|
Disposed leases
|
|
|
(639)
|
-
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
460
|
368
|
Other movement
|
|
|
-
|
40
|
As at 1 October 2023
|
|
|
10,123
|
7,983
|
Cash flows
|
|
|
|
|
Financing cash flows
|
|
|
(3,117)
|
500
|
Interest paid
|
|
|
(537)
|
(662)
|
Non-cash flows
|
|
|
|
|
New leases
|
|
|
3,039
|
-
|
Disposed leases
|
|
|
(367)
|
-
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
537
|
566
|
As at 30 October 2024
|
|
|
9,678
|
8,387
|
Short term lease payments
recognised in administrative expenses in the year total £546,000
(2023: £418,000). The maturity analysis of lease liabilities is
disclosed in note 14, the finance cost associated with lease
liabilities is disclosed in note 6, and the depreciation and
impairment of right-of-use assets associated with lease liabilities
are disclosed in note 11.
21. Provisions
|
|
|
Reinstatement
provision
£'000
|
At 1 October 2023
|
|
|
327
|
Statement of Comprehensive Income
charge
|
|
|
563
|
Fair value on
acquisition
|
|
|
10
|
Utilised in the period
|
|
|
-
|
At 30 September 2024
|
|
|
900
|
The Group provides for the
reinstatement cost of returning leased properties to their original
state. Further details are included in note 4.1.
22. Issued capital and reserves
Ordinary shares issued and fully paid
|
|
|
No.
|
£'000
|
At 30 September 2023
|
|
31,714,982
|
317
|
Issued during the year
|
|
181,650
|
2
|
At 30 September 2024
|
|
31,896,632
|
319
|
Capital risk
management
The Group manages its capital to
ensure that entities in the Group will be able to continue as going
concerns while maximising the return to stakeholders through the
optimisation of the debt and equity balance. The capital structure
of the Group consists of cash and cash equivalents and equity
attributable to the equity holders of the parent, comprising issued
capital, reserves and retained earnings. The Group has a debt
facility as disclosed in note 18.
23. Dividends
Amounts recognised as
distributions to equity holders in the year:
|
2024
£'000
|
2023
£'000
|
|
|
|
Final dividend for the year
ended 30 September 2023 of 7.1p per share
(year ended 30 September 2022 of 6.3p per share)
|
2,252
|
1,994
|
Interim dividend for the
year ended 30 September 2023 of 3.3p per share
|
1,046
|
-
|
|
3,298
|
1,994
|
Amounts paid and not
recognised:
|
|
|
Interim dividend for the year
ended 30 September 2024 of 3.6p per share paid in October
2024
(year ended 30 September 2023 of
3.3p per share paid in October 2023)
|
1,148
|
1,046
|
Amounts proposed and not
recognised:
|
|
|
Final dividend for the year ended
30 September 2024 of 7.6p per share
(year ended 30 September 2023 of
7.1p per share)
|
2,424
|
2,252
|
The proposed final dividend is
subject to approval at the Annual General Meeting and accordingly
has not been included as a liability in these financial
statements.
24. Pensions
The Group operates a defined
contribution scheme for its directors and employees. The assets of
the scheme are held separately from those of the Group in an
independently administered fund.
The outstanding pension
contributions at 30 September 2024 are £93,000 (2023:
£2,000)
25. Related party disclosures
Ultimate controlling
party
The Company has no controlling
party.
Transactions with related parties
Transactions between the Company
and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been
eliminated on consolidation and are not disclosed in this
note.
Transactions with key management personnel
The remuneration of the directors
of the Company, who are the key management personnel of the Group,
is set out below in aggregate:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
Short term employee
benefits
|
|
|
998
|
823
|
Post employment
benefits
|
|
|
20
|
20
|
Share based payments
|
|
|
224
|
200
|
|
|
|
1,242
|
1,043
|
26. Share based payments
The Group operates a Long-term
Incentive Plan (LTIP) and Company Share Option Plan (CSOP). The
charge for the year in respect of the schemes was:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
|
|
£'000
|
£'000
|
LTIP
|
|
|
446
|
420
|
CSOP
|
|
|
58
|
42
|
|
|
|
504
|
462
|
The LTIP is a discretionary share
incentive scheme under which the Remuneration Committee of Ramsdens
Holdings PLC can grant options to purchase ordinary shares at
nominal 1p per share cost to Executive Directors and other senior
management. A reconciliation of LTIP options is set out
below:
|
|
Number of
conditional Shares
|
Weighted
average exercise price in pence
|
Outstanding at the beginning of
the year
|
|
1,152,650
|
|
Granted during the year
|
|
350,000
|
|
Lapsed/Forfeited during the
year
|
|
(134,750)
|
|
Exercised during the
year
|
|
(181,650)
|
1
|
Outstanding at the end of the
year
|
|
1,186,250
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 30 September 2024 a total of
161,250 share options have met the required performance conditions
and are exercisable.
The options vest according to the
achievement against two criteria:
Total Shareholder Return - TSR - 50%
of options awarded
Earnings per Share - EPS - 50% of
options awarded
The fair value of services received
in return for share options granted is based on the fair value of
share options granted and are measured using the Monte Carlo method
for TSR performance condition as this is classified as a market
condition under IFRS2 and using the Black Scholes method for the
EPS performance condition which is classified as a non- market
condition under IFRS2. Volatility has been calculated based on the
historical volatility of the Group's shares over a 2.5 year period.
The fair values have been computed by an external specialist and
the key inputs to the valuation model were:
|
TSR condition
|
EPS condition
|
TSR condition
|
EPS condition
|
TSR condition
|
EPS condition
|
Model
|
Monte Carlo
|
Black Scholes
|
Monte Carlo
|
Black Scholes
|
Monte Carlo
|
Black Scholes
|
Grant date
|
18/04/24
|
18/04/24
|
05/04/23
|
05/04/23
|
17/03/22
|
17/03/22
|
Share price
|
£2.00
|
£2.00
|
£2.30
|
£2.30
|
£1.67
|
£1.67
|
Exercise price
|
£0.01
|
£0.01
|
£0.01
|
£0.01
|
£0.01
|
£0.01
|
Vesting period
|
2.5 years
|
2.5 years
|
2.5 years
|
2.5 years
|
2.5 years
|
2.5 years
|
Risk free return
|
4.4%
|
4.4%
|
3.5%
|
3.5%
|
1.4%
|
1.4%
|
Volatility
|
31.9%
|
31.9%
|
33.6%
|
33.6%
|
53%
|
53%
|
Dividend yield
|
5.0%
|
5.0%
|
5.0%
|
5.0%
|
3.5%
|
3.5%
|
Fair value of option (£)
|
0.73
|
1.76
|
0.98
|
2.02
|
0.77
|
1.51
|
Early exercise of the options is
permitted if a share award holder ceases to be employed by reason
of death, injury, disability, or sale of the Group. The maximum
term of the share options is 10 years.
The CSOP is a discretionary share
incentive scheme under which the Remuneration Committee of Ramsdens
Holdings PLC can grant options to purchase ordinary shares at an
agreed exercise price subject to certain conditions.
The CSOP schemes in place at 30
September 2024 were as follows:
|
|
Grant date
|
Exercise price
(pence)
|
Number of share options
(after forfeits)
|
Earliest date of
exercise
|
Expiry
date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CSOP 2022
|
|
23/06/2022
|
200.50
|
104,500
|
23/06/2025
|
23/06/2032
|
CSOP 2023
|
|
05/04/2023
|
230.00
|
142,500
|
05/04/2026
|
05/04/2033
|
CSOP 2024
|
|
18/04/2024
|
205.00
|
142,500
|
18/04/2027
|
18/04/2034
|
27.
Fair value of acquisition
On 13 March 2024 the Group purchased
the trade and certain assets of Cantwells The Jewellers Limited for
a total consideration of £631,000, which was fully paid in cash.
The fair value of the assets acquired were as follows:
|
£'000
|
Tangible fixed assets (fixtures
& fittings)
|
20
|
Intangible assets (customer
relationships)
|
177
|
Intangible assets
(goodwill)
|
194
|
Trade receivables -
pawnbroking
|
188
|
Inventories
|
62
|
Reinstatement provision
|
(10)
|
Net assets acquired
|
631
|
28. Post Balance Sheet Events
There were no post balance sheets
events that require further disclosure in the financial
statements.