Hamburg, 02 July 2015 – The distribution of a dividend of EUR 3.00 per common share for the past financial year was resolved during the Annual General Meeting held today.
In addition, the Chairman of the Management Board, Roland Werner, informed the Annual General Meeting of the successful introduction of the market of the business model “the P. cookery”, which had been introduced in September 2014. “There are already six “the P. cookery” locations and we will also open additional stores in future. We will gain new customers, who will love our concept.”
The Management Board also provided an initial assessment of the current business development. There was a downward trend in sales in the first five months of the current financial year. This development resulted, among other reasons, from the continued decline in foot traffic in German retail as well as the shift to online sales. The development of the segments in which the store network was streamlined significantly is noteworthy. As a result, the Southern European segments in particular form a solid foundation for additional sales developments. Adjusted for stores that have been closed, Spain, the most important foreign segment, showed a slight growth in sales. The “Other countries” segment also showed initial signs of recovery.
Detailed business figures for the first six months of 2015 will be published in the half-year financial report at the end of August.
At the end of the AGM, the Management Board discussed how business might develop at Bijou Brigitte during the current financial year. Taking into account the development of the business to date in this financial year, the company is anticipating sales of between EUR 315 and 325 million for 2015 and earnings before income taxes of between EUR 20 and 30 million. Investment is expected to be between EUR 10 million and EUR 15 million and will be utilised primarily for the optimisation and expansion of the store network in the company’s core markets.