Superdry Shares Plunge 28.4% on Weak H1 Fiscal 2024 Revenues

The Superdry PLC (LON: SDRY) share price plunged a maximum of 28.4% as of 0840 GMT after providing an update on its performance for the fiscal year 2024, covering the 26 weeks up to October 28, 2023, and the subsequent 6-week period ending December 10, 2023.

The company noted that it was on track with its cost-saving initiative, aiming to achieve £35 million in savings within the year. Superdry is also exploring additional ways to lower its fixed costs. The inventory reduction efforts are progressing smoothly, focusing on clearing older stock.

After deducting costs and taxes, Superdry has strengthened its balance sheet by securing £28.3 million from an intellectual property joint venture and selling assets in the South Asian market to Reliance Brands.

A new secondary credit line of up to £25 million from Hilco Capital Limited has been arranged, enhancing liquidity and supporting the company's recovery and cost-saving plans. Effective cash management remains a critical focus.

The company is strategically closing and reconfiguring stores, alongside optimising store space to boost profitability. Despite current challenges, Superdry's restructuring plan aims to reposition the company for long-term success and return it to profitability.

The first half of 2024 saw a challenging retail environment, with unusually warm autumn weather affecting the demand for the Autumn/Winter 2023 collection:

Retail sales decreased by 13.1% year-over-year, with both physical stores and e-commerce affected by the mild weather and a delayed summer sale. E-commerce also faced a decline due to reduced spending on digital marketing.

Wholesale revenues fell by 41.1% year-over-year. This decline was partly anticipated due to the exit from the U.S. wholesale market and was further influenced by timing issues and underperformance in this sector.

Julian Dunkerton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The unseasonal weather through the early autumn led to a delayed uptake of our Autumn/Winter range, and this impacted sales in the first half of the year. Whilst we have seen modest signs of improvement through the recent spell of colder weather, current trading has remained challenging, and this is reflected in the weaker-than-expected business performance. The operational progress we have made in the first half has been more encouraging with the IP sale for the South Asian region and strong progress on our cost efficiency programme.”

Superdry share price. 

The Superdry share price plunged 28.40% to trade at 29.0p from Monday’s closing price of 40.5p.