EQS-News: ABOUT YOU Holding SE
/ Key word(s): Half Year Report
PRESS RELEASE ABOUT YOU RAISES OUTLOOK FOR ADJUSTED EBITDA IN FY 2024/2025
Hamburg | October 10, 2024 – In H1 2024/2025, ABOUT YOU Holding SE solidified its position as one of the leading e-commerce groups in Europe. The strong performance of the two strategic business units – ABOUT YOU, Europe's most personal online fashion store, and SCAYLE, one of the fastest growing enterprise shop systems globally – lifted adjusted EBITDA to EUR 12.8 million. Consequently, the Management Board narrows its full-year guidance for FY 2024/2025 and raises its adjusted EBITDA expectations. “With a significantly improved EBITDA and growing revenue, we achieved convincing financial results despite the seasonally weaker second quarter, which usually has lower margins. Our efficiency measures are taking effect, while we continue to make targeted investments in marketing to drive our growth. With success – as our growth rates are above the industry average and the number of active customers is rising again,” states Tarek Müller, the ABOUT YOU Group's Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “Both our performance in the first half of the financial year and the strong start to the fall/winter season confirm our strategy and allow us to raise our earnings outlook for the full year.” CONTINUED STRENGTHENING OF PROFITABILITY Combined with lower inventory levels, the increased EBITDA improved free cash flow to EUR -32.0 million in the second quarter. For H1 2024/2025, free cash flow clearly remained in positive territory at EUR 13.9 million. These improvements are the outcome of the strategic and operational measures taken. In the second quarter, optimized inventory levels and a lower discount intensity in the online fashion market led to an increased gross margin of 37.9%. Strict cost discipline and operational efficiency gains reduced administrative expenses by 15.7% to EUR 19.2 million, and in relation to revenue to 4.3%. Marketing costs of EUR 49.8 million were allocated to targeting and activating both new and existing customers. COLLECTIONS, CAMPAIGNS, AND EVENTS INCREASE BRAND APPEAL One element of its success is its portfolio of exclusive celebrity brands and collections in collaboration with influencers and celebrities. In the second quarter, ABOUT YOU launched new drops of existing brands such as Daahls by Emma Roberts and 'florence by mills' exclusively for ABOUT YOU with Millie Bobby Brown. New brands were launched, like noar studios with Luisa Lion and Cheyenne Ochsenknecht co-created by ABOUT YOU. The ABOUT YOU Fashion Circus, which took place in July during Berlin Fashion Week in collaboration with Circus Theater Roncalli, thrilled 1,300 guests on site, including numerous content creators and celebrities. Ten brand shows were presented in the circus tent, combining fashion, art, as well as spectacular performances with acrobatics and magic. The spectacular fashiontainment event reached around 67 million impressions via ABOUT YOU's digital channels and a potential 334 million through media. REVENUE GROWTH IN COMMERCE BUSINESS FUELED BY INCREASING CUSTOMER BASE Both reporting segments in the Commerce business generated revenue growth. In the online fashion stores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH segment), revenue rose by 8.6% compared to the second quarter of the previous year, equivalent to EUR 225.1 million. Germany, as the largest market, reported strong growth. Adjusted EBITDA in the DACH segment amounted to EUR 1.1 million, with a margin of 0.5%. In the Rest of Europe (RoE) segment, revenue grew slightly by 0.2% to EUR 212.5 million and adjusted EBITDA improved to EUR -12.3 million with a margin of -5.8%. After the quarter ended, the fall/winter season got off to a dynamic start in September. The cold fall weather drove double-digit growth rates, compared to the previous financial year when a mild September delayed sales of the collections. DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS UNIT The Media sub-segment is growing again. Sponsored products, the sponsorship of the ABOUT YOU Fashion Circus and the ABOUT YOU Pangea Festival, as well as creator-generated outfits were the most successful channels. SCAYLE, the intuitive and flexible enterprise shop system that empowers business-to-consumer brands and retailers to create outstanding customer experiences, continued to grow consistently in the Tech sub-segment. In H1 2024/2025, its annual recurring revenue surged by over 20% year-on-year. In the second quarter alone, new online stores went live for SNIPES, babymarkt, and Perfectly Basics. In addition, SCAYLE extended its pipeline and vertical base by winning new enterprise customers, such as the Swedish-based Pierce Group, specialized in selling motorcycle and snowmobile gear, parts, and accessories. SUBSIDIARY OF THE ABOUT YOU GROUP RECEIVES PAYMENT SERVICES LICENSE RAISED GUIDANCE FOR ADJUSTED EBITDA IN FY 2024/2025 All documents related to the reporting, including the Half-Year Report, are available on the Investor Relations website. ABOUT YOU Holding SE will publish its third-quarter results in the Quarterly Statement on January 9, 2025.
Q2 2024/2025 ended on August 31, 2024. Please refer to ABOUT YOU's Half-Year Report 2024/2025 for definitions. THE ABOUT YOU GROUP For further information, please visit: corporate.aboutyou.de/en. MEDIA CONTACT Sinah Brending | Financial Communications INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT DISCLAIMER Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" that involve several risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable using the words "may", "will", "should", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "project", "goal", or "target" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, forecasts, estimates, projections, opinions, or plans that are inherently subject to significant risks, as well as uncertainties and contingencies that are subject to change. No representation is made or will be made by ABOUT YOU Holding SE that any forward-looking statement will be achieved or will prove to be correct. The actual future business, financial position, results of operations, and prospects may differ materially from those projected or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. Neither ABOUT YOU Holding SE nor any of their respective affiliates assume any obligation to update, and do not expect to publicly update, or publicly revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. 1EBITDA adjusted for (i) equity-settled share-based compensation expenses, (ii) restructuring costs, and (iii) one-time effects 2Last twelve months
10.10.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. |
Language: | English |
Company: | ABOUT YOU Holding SE |
Domstraße 10 | |
20095 Hamburg | |
Germany | |
Phone: | +49 40 638 569 – 0 |
E-mail: | info@aboutyou.de |
Internet: | https://corporate.aboutyou.de |
ISIN: | DE000A3CNK42 |
WKN: | A3CNK4 |
Listed: | Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange |
EQS News ID: | 2005469 |
End of News | EQS News Service |
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2005469 10.10.2024 CET/CEST
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