Oroton earnings hit

 

OrotonOroton Group has increased annual revenue by one per cent but the earnings of its namesake chain have been significantly hit.

The group’s like for life sales are up one per cent for financial year 2013, however, Oroton’s were down by four per cent.

Its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were $40.2 million, in line with the group’s warnings to investors last month.

The group’s performance was buoyed by the now-defunct Ralph Lauren license agreement, which ended in June this year.

The result includes a one-off $1.5 million gain from the loss of Ralph Lauren.

Overall, the group’s full year profit increased by more than 10 per cent to $27.5 million, up from $24.9 million the year before.

The group described its performance as “consistent”, but also cited international retailers as a reason for its “softer than expected” trade.

It attributed its overall drop in margins to “increased discounting, retail price reductions, channel and category mix”.

Oroton now has 59 stores in Australia, as well as seven in Asia and two in New Zealand.

The chain has opened 11 new stores in the last year, with it focusing on larger formats to showcase its newly expanded range.

Oroton was founded as an accessories brand in 1938 but expanded into clothing for the first time in 2012.

The group last month warned that its Asian expansion would hit its top line, leading to a 10 per cent drop in share prices.

Asian sales now represent three per cent of Oroton’s takings; a roughly one per cent increase from financial year 2012.

Net investment costs for the Asian expansion in the last year were around AU$2 million.

The group will open its first Middle Eastern store in Dubai next month, as well as an Abu Dhabi store in mid-2014.

It also expects to open further Asian stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong in the next financial year.

The group says Oroton’s online has stabilised to 10 per cent of sales, with a Chinese-specific e-commerce website to launch in October.

You have 7 articles remaining. Unlock 15 free articles a month, it’s free.