News

R.M.Williams Special Projects Manager Daniel Aldridge offers ragtrader.com.au an insight into his position at the Australian fashion retailer.

What does your day-to-day role involve?

My average day at R.M.Williams starts with catching up on industry news to stay informed about the latest trends, developments, and happenings in the fashion and lifestyle industry. This helps me stay ahead and make informed decisions for the brand.

Collaboration is a significant part of my role as I work closely with design partners to create and develop new products. This involves brainstorming ideas, sharing concepts, and refining designs to ensure they align with R.M.Williams' brand identity and customer preferences.

Another crucial aspect of my day is ensuring key milestones for ongoing projects are on track and running according to schedule. This involves project management skills to coordinate various teams and departments involved in the production process.

What is your career highlight so far?

My most notable career highlights have been while working at R.M.Williams. Our recent collaboration with the Wallabies is a massive one. Seeing true Wallabies fans on their way to a game wearing our R.M.Williams x Wallabies jerseys, beanies and scarves brings a massive smile to my face.

Where do you see the opportunities in the market?

As sports are becoming more culturally relevant daily, I see opportunities to continue to partner and collaborate with various sports and sporting clubs, applying a new lens to the traditional fan merchandise which can be worn daily.

What is your biggest challenge currently?

One of the most significant challenges I'm currently facing is finding new craftspeople to continue creating unique Australian made products. In a fast-paced world dominated by mass-produced goods, convincing consumers of the value and authenticity of handcrafted products can be a complex endeavour. However, I believe that by effectively communicating the story behind our craftsmanship and highlighting the distinctiveness of Australian made items, we can overcome this challenge and attract a new generation of appreciators.

What projects or initiatives do you have in the pipeline at R.M.Williams?

Without giving too much away, we're currently working on a second project in collaboration with the Wallabies and continuing to explore new lifestyle categories.

Online furniture retailer Temple & Webster is the latest brand to bear the brunt of slowing spending, posting a 30 per cent drop in full-year net profit.

However, company CEO Mark Coulter said on Tuesday sales had started to pick up in the new financial year as consumers switch to more affordable home goods.

Temple & Webster shares fell almost 13 per cent after it revealed its FY23 net profit after tax had declined by 30.6 per cent to $8.3 million, while revenues slipped 7.2 per cent to $395.5 million. They closed the session at $6.57 and are still ahead by more than 40 per cent year-to-date after a strong run-up since February.

Coulter said while consumers were under pressure, the retailer’s Millennial-focused customer base was trading down on purchases, seeking out furniture staples like budget-friendly couches.

“That’s our sense – and you can see it in our [demand for our] sofas, for example,” he said.

“Furniture and homewares is less discretionary than people think – there is always going to be a need for it. And we are seeing that customers and looking for more value.”

Temple & Webster’s trading update for the start of the 2024 financial year showed stronger momentum, with the company’s revenues up by 16 per cent compared with the same time last year.

Coulter said while trading conditions were tough, the business was sticking with its long-term value proposition and targeting $1 billion in annual sales in the next three to five years.

“I think it is tough out there – people are feeling the pinch, but they’ll still need items for the home, and they just look for more value options,” he said.

Global jewellery brand Pandora has continued its global rollout of lab-grown diamonds into the Australian market.

Australia will join Mexico and Brazil in the new initiative, with lab-grown diamonds already available in Pandora’s UK, US and Canadian markets, with a further rollout into all stores in North America.

The full rollout is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, and will be available in 700 stores globally, including Australia, by August 31.

Pandora has been crafting lab-grown diamonds since August 2022.

“Consumers in North America and the UK have welcomed our lab-grown diamonds and we will continue to make them accessible to more people around the world by expanding our collections and distribution,” Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said.

“We have big ambitions for this category, aligned to our mission of providing high-quality, affordable jewellery at a very high level of craftmanship.”

The move comes as Pandora expands its lab-grown diamonds assortment with three new collections, including original designs and the brand’s take on classic jewellery styles.

The new collections include Pandora Nova - which features various cut stones and will introduce a proprietary four-prong setting that reveals more of the diamond, alongside Pandora Era and Pandora Talisman.

All collections feature near colourless, VS+ clarity lab-grown diamonds available in 0.15 to 1-carat weights and set in 14k white gold, 14k yellow gold, or sterling silver.

The three new collections will be unveiled to consumers via a campaign revealed on August 29.

“The new collections and accompanying campaign bring our unique point-of-view on diamonds to life,” Pandora CMO Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson said. “Our diamond jewellery is not only for special occasions, but something you can wear to add joyful sparkle every day and everywhere.

“This commitment to democratizing diamonds and the wonderful meaning they carry make lab-grown diamonds a perfect fit for Pandora.”

Meanwhile, Pandora's Australian market recorded a negative 5% like-for-like sales in the second quarter of 2023 compared to Q2 2022. Pandora noted this was driven by a continued weak consumer sentiment in the country.

Pandora noted its owned and operated concept stores in Australia are outperforming the wholesale channel, at 0% and negative 10% LFL respectively in Q2 2023, partly driven by tourism as well as high conversion rates in Pandora-owned and operated stores.

Bedding and homewares retailer Adairs has reported a 10 per cent lift in group sales in FY23 with the Focus on Furniture brand performing well.

For the year to June 25, group sales achieved $621.3 million, up 10.1 per cent while tax-paid profit reached $37.8 million and underlying EBIT fell 16.4 per cent to $63.9 million.

Adairs’ sales were up 2.9 per cent to $430.8 million driven by a 7 per cent increase in-store sales while online sales fell 6 per cent however accounted for 27.1 per cent of total sales.

A new Adairs brand website was launched in November last year and two stores were opened, four stores were upsized, two refurbished and three closed.

Focus on Furniture sales grew 5.3 per cent to $141.9 million despite industry-wide supply chain headwinds which prevailed for much of the year.

Mocka sales fell 24.1 per cent to $48.6 million as customers returned to in-store shopping and the brand moved on from FY22 operational issues and improved customer confidence by enhancing product design and quality.

Mark Ronan, MD and CEO of Adairs Limited, said this year’s sales performance “reflected” a strong product offering across all three brands.

“In a trend seen by virtually all retailers, sales slowed towards the end of the year as rising interest rates and broad cost of living pressures saw households tighten their budgets.

“In a tougher trading environment, the combination of exclusive products, engaged customers, attractive price points and strong service culture sees us well placed to maximise sales in the coming year.”

For the first seven weeks of FY24, group sales fell 8.9 per cent while the company has continued to implement material cost reduction initiatives that seek to manage the business amidst the anticipated trading environment.

Strand’s new luggage label Nere is set to open its first Australian bricks-and-mortar store at Melbourne Central. 

Nere first launched in Strand stores across Australia and New Zealand in July 2022. The brand is now expanding across multiple markets as a stand-alone venture, including the United Kingdom and United States. 

Nere will join eight fashion brands opening stores at Melbourne Central in the lead up to Christmas. 

Superdry, Stylerunner, Nude Lucy, Supre, LSKD, And Now This and Paper Kites will also open locations at the CBD shopping destination. 

Melbourne Central centre manager Denis Ryan said the openings come as the centre records its busiest month of foot traffic since the pandemic. 

“We’re very excited to be able to offer our customers Australian retail firsts like Jamba, Nere and Monopoly,” Ryan said. “Our diverse range of retail, dining, and entertainment offerings sets us apart from other CBD retail precincts, and we will continue to seek new and exciting retail opportunities to provide an unmatched experience for our customers.”

Melbourne Central attracts around 56 million visitors every year and over 300 stores.

Australian retailer Big W has recorded an 8% lift in sales in FY23 on FY22, but a 0.3% slip in the second half compared to the prior corresponding period.

Total sales for the low-price department store hit $4.78 billion in FY23 and $2.07 billion in just the second half. While earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) was up 165.3% for the year to $145 million, it slumped by 63.7% to $11 million in H2 FY23.

Parent company Woolworths Group noted sales were down 5.7% in the fourth quarter due to a notable softening in discretionary spending and, to a lesser extent, the timing of Easter.

Everyday essentials such as health, baby and pet care categories, and leisure products continued to see item growth but Woolworths noted discretionary areas including clothing and home were impacted by the rising cost of living on households.

eCommerce sales decreased 22.2% in FY23 to $482 million, with Woolworths citing a 31.4% decline in H1 as customers returned to shopping in-store for the decline and cycling of COVID-driven online purchasing behaviour.

eCommerce sales declined 3.3% in H2 with penetration of 10.1%.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the trading environment for Big W changed dramatically between the first half and the second half of FY23.

“After delivering a strong H1 result, we indicated in February that the H2 EBIT contribution would likely revert to more typical seasonal patterns,” Banducci said. “H2 ended up below our initial expectations as customers cut back on discretionary items, particularly in Q4, and the sector became extremely competitive with higher levels of promotions and discounts.

“While F23 EBIT of $145 million more than doubled on the prior year, H2 EBIT of $11 million was below H2 F22 due to flat sales, higher promotional activity across the market and rising unit costs driven by team wage investments.

“Pleasingly, our customer scores remained strong, including value for money metrics, and digital interactions continue to grow. We also launched Cartology in Big W during the year with 175 screens in-store by year end.”

Cartology is Big W’s exclusive retail media partner launched in June 2022, covering in-store and digital.

Woolworths also launched a select Big W range on MyDeal in August 2022, which it claimed has seen consistent sales growth on the platform since implementation

On current trading and outlook, Banducci said sales in the first eight weeks of FY24 have shown a similar trend to Q4 with growth in its food business but declines in Big W sales on the prior year.

“Big W sales momentum continues to be challenged with sales down approximately 6% in F24 to date,” Banducci said. “While Big W is being impacted by the broader discretionary spending slowdown in Australia, some categories like everyday essentials are performing strongly.

“Loyal customers are continuing to shop with Big W, and we are seeing some trading-in but customers are cautious, putting fewer items in their baskets.

“The outlook for the remainder of the year is uncertain and as always, trading in Q2 will be key to the full-year results.”

The Big W store network grew by one store during the year to 177 stores following the opening of a new space in Q1. Sales per square metre increased by 7.9% due to the strong sales growth in H1.

Pureplay online retailer Adore Beauty’s sales declined for the full year and the business says value remains a “key driver” for customers.

In its results for the year to June 30, revenue fell 9.6 per cent to $180.6 million with EBITDA of $600,000 reflecting lower operating leverage, cost inflation and reinvestment in key initiatives.

Active customers fell 8 per cent to 801,000 while returning customers increased by 4 per cent to 490,000 and contributed to 76 per cent of all revenue. The company also tripled its private label SKUs to 38 and plans to expand further.

Adore Beauty CEO, Tamalin Morton, said the business “returned to growth” in the second half despite challenging trading conditions.

“We have maintained sales momentum into FY24, up 5.9 per cent on the same period last year, and our proposition continues to resonate with customers.

“We enter the new financial year with a refined strategy, focus on customer centricity, increased brand awareness, and operational optimisation,” she said.

“New strategic initiatives already underway provide short and long-term growth levers, and include leveraging new data insights to enhance our product offering and loyalty program, real-life activations and audience expansion initiatives.”

Australian low-price accessories brand Lovisa has recorded a revenue lift of 33.1% in FY23 to $596.5 million.

Lovisa cited the implementation of price increases during the third quarter of FY22, which grew sales through the fourth quarter and continued through the first three quarters of FY23, with a reported minimal impact in sales volumes.

As the company cycled these price increases in the second half of FY23, it recorded a softening in comparable company analysis - a valuation that looks at ratios of similar public companies and uses them to derive the value of another business.

Lovisa recorded a gross margin of 80%, with a gross profit up 34.8% to $476.7 million. Net profit after tax was up 20.1% to $68.2 million, and its operating cash flow was at $188 million, up 24.8%.

Meanwhile, Lovisa expanded into 12 new markets during the financial year, opening 210 new stores totalling 801 altogether, with the accessories brand noting this as a major driver for total sales growth.

New markets include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Namibia, Botswana, Mexico, Italy, Romania, Hungary, and Spain and new franchise markets in Columbia, Peru and Morocco, following the opening of Poland and Canada at the end of FY22.

The USA market has overtaken Lovisa's Australian market as the largest store network, with 78 new stores opened in the US. The market now operates 190 stores at financial year end, above Australia's 168. Lovisa opened 17 in Australia in FY23. 

Despite this ongoing investment, the cost of doing business (CODB) was controlled according to Lovisa, helping mitigate inflationary pressures on labour and other costs. Lovisa noted it saw increased pressure on CODB as a percentage of sales as sales growth slowed in the second half.

For the first seven weeks of FY24, comparable store sales were down 5.8% on the same period in FY23.

Total sales for the same period are up 13.1%, with 21 new stores opened and eight closed.

Lovisa CEO Victor Herrero said the momentum in its global store rollout has delivered strong top-line sales growth.

“The company has been able to continue to deliver strong profit growth while investing in the structures to support our global expansion in the face of more difficult trading conditions in the second half, which leaves us well placed as we move forward with store rollout in both existing and new markets,” Herrero said.

“I want to again thank the entire global Lovisa team for their exceptional work to deliver these results.”

Australian fashion group Universal Store has recorded a 26.5% lift in total sales in FY23 compared to FY22 to $263.1 million, driven by growth across its three key brands - Thrills, Perfect Stranger and its eponymous label Universal.

Thrills recorded a revenue lift of 20.1% in FY23 to $41.8 million. Meanwhile, Perfect Stranger recorded a total sales increase of 187% to $8.9 million compared to FY22.

The company’s gross profit hit $155.3 million in FY23, up 28% on FY22. It also recorded a 23.8% lift in earnings before interest and tax to $40.4 million, and a net profit of $23.6 million, up 14.6% on the prior year.

First-half sales were up 34.5% - or 28.6% when excluding Thrills which was acquired by Universal on October 31, 2022.

However, trading in the second half of the year softened, with revenue growth of 17.8% - or 4.7% excluding Thrills.

Universal claimed this was influenced by consumer responses to the macro environment and the impact of rising living costs, exacerbated by interest rate increases. As a result, store traffic slowed but remained positive compared to the prior year.

Despite the challenges, the group achieved growth of 1.2% in like‑for‑like (LFL) sales compared to FY22, with store sales up 23.9% in FY23. Group online revenue grew 3.7% in FY23 and contributed 14.1% of total revenue.

Universal Store group CEO Alice Barbery said FY23 brought unique challenges and opportunities, transitioning from pandemic impacts to a now-dynamic and volatile consumer environment.

“During the year, we grew our store network, completed a strategically significant acquisition, moved to our new DC and Support office, and materially advanced the Perfect Stranger retail trial,” Barbery said.

“We now have three great retail brands that are well positioned for growth and a team that is excited to pursue these opportunities.”

Looking ahead, Universal will refine and expand Thrills’ direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations. The fashion label’s wholesale and DTC channels are reportedly performing well with wholesale order book indicating double-digit growth of the wholesale channel in the first half of FY24.

Despite the profit lifts overall, Universal Store’s cost of doing business (CODB) rose by 260 basis points to 33.5% of sales. The company cited an increase in employee costs, occupancy costs, and $8.6 million in expenses related to the Thrills acquisition.

The rise in employee costs was mostly driven by the Thrills acquisition, Universal noted, and having all stores trading during the period in contrast to the prior comparative period which saw lower spending due to mandated store closures.

Universal’s overall inventory increased by $6.3 million. The company cited strong demand, more appropriate stock levels held post-COVID, a larger distribution centre, new store openings and the integration of the Thrills business ($4.0 million).

Capex was at $10.2 million.

“Continuing to introduce fresh new products and brands that excite and meet our customers' ever-changing needs will be key to navigating successfully through the uncertain market conditions,” Barbery said.

“I am most pleased about the outstanding work my team is doing in refining our retail concepts, delighting our customers, approaching each challenge with a positive mindset, and readying our business for long-term growth.”

During FY23, Universal opened eight new stores, consisting of three Universal Store and five Perfect Stranger stores. When combined with the ten acquired Thrills stores, this totals 95 as of June 30, 2023.

Universal plans to open one or two new Thrills stores in FY24, four to six for Universal Store, and between five and eight new Perfect Stranger stores.

The boss of DIY giant Bunnings says the company’s push to simplify its back office should translate to a better experience for customers seeking bargains as its ongoing investment in technology starts to pay dividends.

The Wesfarmers-owned hardware chain restructured its senior management team this week, stripping out a layer of eight “regional manager” roles at the business.

Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said while the changes are part of its stated strategy to streamline communication across its teams, the hardware giant was in no rush to cut its overall workforce down to size.

“Overall, our team continues to grow as we actively recruit roles across our store network to ensure we are offering customers the best experience,” Schneider said.

Less than 10 roles will be affected by the changes, with all affected staff offered the opportunity to be deployed to other roles.

The move comes as Bunnings doubles down on projects to boost efficiency and use tech to help staff spend less time on tasks like locating stock and refreshing price tickets.

“We’re continuing to work really hard to find innovative ways to boost productivity and efficiency across our business,” Schneider said.

“We’ve invested in a number of tech-based projects that are helping us achieve this, aimed at reducing the number of hours our team spend on task[s] and reinvesting them into customer service.”

“This investment, coupled with the small changes we’ve made to our operations team, all comes down to simplifying our business. Our goal is to help our store and support teams become more efficient, productive and streamlined, leading to an even better experience for customers.

“We know that simplicity can be a really powerful asset in retail, which is why it’s a real focus for us moving forward.”

Schneider gave some examples of the retailer’s investments in tech at Wesfarmers’ strategy day in May, when he told investors that the group had used technology to remove or redeploy 2.4 million hours of “task time” since 2020.

Bunnings has been trialling electronic shelf labels to save hours spent updating paper tickets, and has also recently run trials using robots in store to scan aisles overnight and work out what stock needs replenishing.

“What we’re aiming to do here is reduce team member hours spent locating hand stock to be filled or completing gap and price checks,” Schneider said in his presentation to the investor day.

Retail analysts have been optimistic that Wesfarmers’ stable of low-cost brands, which include Bunnings, Kmart and Target, will be well-placed to benefit from the trends of consumers trading down their purchases to budget varieties.

News last week of Wesfarmers’ plans to merge the back-end and technology processes of Kmart and Target into one system further suggests the retail giant is looking to streamline its operations as it looks to capture budget-focused shoppers.

Wesfarmers boss Rob Scott said back in May that the focus on essentials at Bunnings, Kmart and Target positioned the retailer well for tougher trading conditions.

Nick Scali boss Anthony Scali says he is bracing for a tougher year ahead, warning that consumers are “very cautious” and spending on big-ticket items such as sofas is coming under pressure.

He did not provide any firm full-year guidance for the new financial year but flagged that July orders fell 8.1 per cent from strong sales in July last year to $39.7 million.

Shares rocketed up 14.5 per cent to $12.26 at lunchtime after the early update to the year was not as bad as the market had feared.

“Consumers are very cautious and looking at the CBA result this week, they talked about savings going up, so that confirms that,” Mr Scali told The Australian Financial Review.

“We have seen the volatility month by month because the consumer is going through interest rate increases. But unemployment is low. Foot traffic is down, but June was a surprise, so it is all over the place.

“We’re certainly a very highly discretionary product, particularly lounges, [they are] a big-ticket item, so you’ll see that volatility as people get concerned about things like interest rates and inflation.”

His comments came as the retailer topped expectations with sales for the 12-month period rising 15.1 per cent to $507.7 million, pushing net profit after tax to a record $101.1 million.

The double-digit gain in top-line sales was underpinned by increased deliveries, helping to reduce the order book wait time. The year also was boosted by 12 months of revenue contribution from Plush-Think Sofas, which Nick Scali acquired in November 2021.

“We are pleased with the Plush aquisition and integration is complete, and now we are focused on improving sales,” Mr Scali added.

Mr Scali called May a really tough month, with shoppers opting to wait until June for the end-of-financial-year sales when foot traffic jumped.

He said July sales were OK and he did not expect to have to discount to move stock this year.

Statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) rose 34.9 per cent to $101.1 million over 2023, ahead of market expectations of $96.3 million. Underlying NPAT climbed 4.6 per cent.

Group earnings before interest and taxes reached $154.3 million, a 23.8 per cent gain on the year before. The purchase of Plush also helped expand profit margins.

Nick Scali flagged a final dividend of 35¢ per share, in line with a year ago, to be paid on October 18.

However, sales orders in the six months to June 30 were down 16.2 per cent on the prior period amid volatile trading over the half, although they improved in June, when written sales orders totalled $51.5 million – up 4.5 per cent on the prior year.

Mr Scali has returned from a trip to the UK where he was checking out other retailers. Longer term he would like to have a presence, flagging possible acquisitions in future.

“We’d like to be in the UK, but it’s more than likely going to be an acquisition. So, I was there to make sure we understand the market,” he said.

There are 64 Nick Scali stores and 43 Plush stores around the country, with the group planning to open three new Plush stores and one new Nick Scali store by December. The group’s long-term target is to have at least 86 Nick Scali stores and up to 100 Plush stores.

In a note to clients, Citi analyst Sam Teeger said conditions were more difficult in the sector, and it was unsurprising the market expected a 37 per cent fall in NPAT for Nick Scali in the 2024 financial year.

“We expect the stock to be supported today after delivering a better-than-expected FY23 result and July 2023 not being as bad as feared,” he said.

Private equity firm L Catterton is set to launch an initial public offering of Birkenstock as soon as September that may value the iconic footwear maker at more than $8 billion ($11.9 billion), people with knowledge of the matter said.

The firm, backed by luxury French fashion house LVMH, is working with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on a potential listing of Birkenstock in the US.

A listing could value the German sandal maker at as much as $US10 billion, according to one of the people. The company’s sales have been boosted of late by the blockbuster Barbie movie, which stars Margot Robbie in the title role donning a pair of Birkenstocks in one scene, which retail for $US130 a pair.

Deliberations are ongoing and no final decisions on the size or timing of an IPO have been taken, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Representatives for Birkenstock and L Catterton declined to comment.

The world seems awash in Barbie pink at the moment. For Mattel, the company behind the iconic doll, there is much riding on the movie — primarily reviving sales of Barbie dolls and accessories. Demand for all toys boomed during the pandemic, but the industry cooled as lockdown rules were lifted and inflation and economic malaise set in.

The movie has helped lift Mattel’s shares by more than a third from their recent March low as the company looks to capitalise on Barbie’s success. The toymaker is already exploring a sequel and planning to turn more of its brands, like Hot Wheels and Barney, into major Hollywood franchises.

The movie will generate more demand for Mattel’s dolls as well as movie-related merchandise, with some product lines already selling out. Mattel also delayed some Barbie-related promotions until after the release of the film, which will benefit the brand in the third quarter.

The movie has been a big international hit, grossing more than $US500 million globally in its first week, including the year’s biggest opening weekend. More than half of the box office take so far has been outside of the US.

How well the movie does also matters more broadly to the consumer sector. Along with Birkenstock, Mattel has struck around 100 brand partnerships with the likes of Gap.

A German giant

Founded nearly 250 years ago, Birkenstock has become a high-fashion brand, launching collaborations with luxury names such as Dior, Manolo Blahnik and Valentino, and spawning variants from labels including Celine and Givenchy. Its sandals have been sold in the US since 1966.

Birkenstock saw revenue rise 29 per cent to roughly €1.2 billion ($2 billion) last year, leading to adjusted earnings of €394 million, according to a lender presentation seen by Bloomberg News. It’s been investing heavily in building out its production sites in Germany, including a new €120 million factory in Pasewalk, a town north of Berlin.

An IPO of Birkenstock would come more than two years after the L Catterton and the family investment company of billionaire Bernard Arnault acquired a majority stake in the business, valuing it at about €4 billion ($6.6 billion).

Arnault, who is one of the world’s richest people, is the French tycoon behind luxury-goods powerhouse LVMH, which operates brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy, Tag Heuer and Dior.

The US market for IPOs looks like it’s finally coming back to life after 18 months in the doldrums, boosted by the recent success of restaurant chain Cava Group’s debut. Back in June, Cava almost doubled on its trading debut, surging 99 per cent from the IPO price to give the company a market value of $US4.9 billion.

New ABS data has revealed a third consecutive quarter of declining retail sales measured by volume, effectively showing the nation’s ‘retail recession’ has now extended to nine months. 

Volume data excludes the impact of inflation on retail sales, which have been trending up for much of this year. 

The last time there were three consecutive quarters of declining retail volume sales was in 2008 – at the time of the Global Financial Crisis. 

ABS figures show a sales decline of 0.5 per cent for the June quarter, which followed declines of 0.8 per cent in the preceding quarter and 0.4 per cent in the three months to December 31. 

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said the decline demonstrates a continued slowdown in consumer spending – and adds to the pressure retailers are already under as the cost of doing business skyrockets.  

“Retailers are seeing less demand at a time where wages, rents, insurance, utilities, supply chain and materials are all increasing in cost,” said Zahra. 

“Sales volumes are a good indicator of the health of retail as sales revenue numbers can mask pricing and hence, profitability.” 

Zahra used the data as the reason why the Reserve Bank should continue to show restraint in future interest rate decisions following this week’s decision to hold the base rate.  

For the month of June, volume sales fell by 1.2 per cent year on year. By category, food retailing sales volume was down 0.7 per cent and for the first time since September 2021’s pandemic lockdowns, sales at cafes, restaurants, and takeaway food services dropped, albeit by a modest 0.1 per cent. 

Sales of household goods were down by 1.5 per cent by volume, and in department stores by 1.4 per cent. 

“Clothing and apparel sales received a sugar-hit due to increased promotional activity with heavy discounting heading into winter clearance sales events,” Zahra noted, with volume sales up by 1.1 per cent and the only category to show growth for the quarter.  

“Most other categories suffered as a result of consumers prioritising essentials like food and cutting back on discretionary spending.”

Homegrown swimwear brand Seafolly has been sold by its private equity owner, US retail specialist L Catterton, to an Asian strategic buyer in a deal valuing the famous label at about $70 million.

Despite the tough market for retail, the sale marks the second struck this week for an Australian brand, after Bondi Sands was traded by its founders for $450 million to Japan’s Kao Corporation on Tuesday.

Seafolly’s buyer is understood to be an entity called Bondi Brands Group, which was created in June, according to documents obtained from the Hong Kong Companies Registry. The key founder is apparel manufacturer Vision Brands Group, but there are other offshore shareholders attached to Bondi Brands.

The deal completes a four-month sale process led by FTI Consulting which attracted international strategic players and local family offices.

L Catterton declined to comment on its exit from Seafolly, which was founded in 1975 by Peter and Yvonne Halas.

Seafolly also offers loungewear, knits and beach cover-ups. Over the years its swimwear has been promoted by ambassadors such as Kristy Hinze, Miranda Kerr and Behati Prinsloo.

Like so many in the rag trade, Seafolly founder Peter Halas is a story of immigrant success. Born and raised in Hungary, Mr Halas arrived in Australia in the wake of Hungary’s 1956 Communist Revolution. In June 1957, he settled in Bondi Beach, where he later met his wife.

Mr Halas got a job as a manufacturer’s sales agent, flogging sportswear and swimwear on commission to hundreds of small customers. He became a partner in a swimwear manufacturer called Waterlilly. About a decade later, in 1975, he founded his own company Peter’s Folly, which later became Seafolly. Back then, Peter’s Folly was selling denim sundresses, but later reverted to swimwear.

The label remained a family business until 2014, when the Halases sold a 70 per cent stake for about $70 million to L Capital Asia, the private equity arm of global luxury goods giant LVMH.

There were plans to turn the bikini company into a global lifestyle brand, but Seafolly ran into trouble over the past decade.

L Catterton bought L Capital Asia in 2016, inheriting numerous Australian brands including Seafolly, 2xU and RM Williams. The new group changed local management in 2019, when Ondrej Ruzicka joined the firm and began dealing with the various legacy brand issues.

By 2020, Seafolly fell into administration. The Halas family had cut all ties just two years earlier. Seafolly chief executive Brendan Santamaria joined in May 2020, and administrators KordaMentha were appointed soon afterwards amid COVID-19 lockdowns. Mr Santamaria will stay on under the new owners.

The business was battling onerous supplier and lease obligations locally and globally, and the summer of bushfires had also taken a toll on sales. Seafolly’s delivery partner, Toll, suffered a series of ransomware attacks, affecting deliveries.

Rescue plan

L Catterton was the owner and major creditor of Seafolly. KordaMentha previously flagged that Seafolly was unable to pay its debts and may have been insolvent from early April 2020. Around this time, Seafolly also purchased rival swimwear group Jets, which had also collapsed, although Jets is mainly known as a wholesale and e-commerce offering.

Within months, creditors backed a “rescue” plan by L Catterton. It is believed that L Catterton pumped in another $10 million of equity in the administration process. Seafolly also found backing from financier Longreach Credit Investors, which provided funding.

Mr Ruzicka, along with Mr Santamaria, has led the turnaround at Seafolly. The store footprint has shrunk to 30 outlets from more than 60 when the brand was riding high. Seafolly is also sold to third parties in the US such as department store Nordstrom.

Seafolly has about 32 per cent of the women’s fashion swimwear market in Australia and is on track to deliver sales of $90 million in the 2023 financial year, according to buyer documents. Total sales, according to the business’ three-year financial plan, are forecast to increase to $129.7 million in the 12 months to the end of June 2026.

L Catterton also sold RM Williams to billionaire Andrew Forrest’s private investment company Tattarang for about $190 million in 2020.

As for Seafolly, former chief executive Anthony Halas, son of Peter Halas, hopes the brand can return to its place in the sun. “I hope they are good new owners and it is someone who can bring it back to its former glory,” he said.

The administrators of interior and homewares business Fenton & Fenton are looking to find a buyer for the popular brand, which has axed nearly 60 workers and left some customers hundreds of dollars out of pocket.

The Melbourne-based business, founded by Lucy Fenton in 2008, sold eclectic furniture, homewares and art. It had showrooms in Prahran and Collingwood in Melbourne, as well as an online store, which has been replaced with a notice announcing it has appointed Ernst & Young (EY) as liquidators.

EY turnaround and restructuring leader Adam Nikitins said he and fellow administrator Stewart McCallum were still assessing the business but noted it had a loyal online customer base. Fenton & Fenton has a combined 428,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.

Nikitins said he and McCallum were reaching out to impacted customers but confirmed some who made orders may not receive a refund unless they are a creditor.

“Customers will not be able to recover payments for unfulfilled orders other than through participating in any dividend in the winding up,” he told this masthead.

“There may be limited circumstances in which customer orders will be fulfilled where title to stock has already passed to a customer. The law in this area is complex and requires a specific fact pattern to be in place in order for orders to be completed. The liquidators have established a call centre to reach out to potentially impacted customers in order to accelerate the understanding and resolution of these matters.”

Customers who have outstanding credit or gift cards will not be remunerated.

“Regrettably, gift card customers will not be in a position to redeem their gift cards. Gift cardholders should make a claim as unsecured creditors in the Fenton & Fenton liquidation.”A number of customers took to Fenton & Fenton’s most recent Facebook post to query whether they would be refunded for their orders or outstanding credit. Fenton & Fenton was posting on social media as recently as Monday. It appears comments have been disabled on its Instagram account.

Nikitins said the business, which he described as “in a state of stasis”, ceased trading and terminated 58 employees on Wednesday afternoon. He said a number of interested parties had already reached out about buying the business.

“There’s been strong interest in the brand, intellectual property, the trademark and the database, so we’re pulling together necessary information to respond to those parties who have expressed interest in purchasing that,” he said.

The administrators will also assess Fenton & Fenton’s inventory and the “most appropriate form” to realise its value “for the benefit of creditors”. “We’re exploring all avenues and options available for us,” they said.

Depending on the interest, the business may be sold in its entirety, which would save the jobs of 58 employees, or in a piecemeal manner.

“There is a connection with the brand that could be enlivened if all parties were willing and able,” Nikitins said.

Lucy Fenton is the sole director of the business and has been contacted for comment.

Rising interest rates and operating costs including fuel, rent, and utility bills have put households and businesses under pressure, pushing up the number of expected insolvencies.

Entrepreneur Irene Falcone recently appointed administrators for her non-alcoholic drinks business, while chocolate maker Ernest Hillier collapsed for a second time in late June.

The shock collapse of popular wedding dress boutique The Bridal Atelier left brides-to-be across Australia stranded without their dresses, while weight loss company Jenny Craig folded in May.

Fashion has never been known for its strong links to reality, but a new trend is emerging where brands are creating digital imagery instead of real photographs to sell clothing.

Australian fashion business Jag, which is owned by APG & Co (stablemates include Sportscraft and Saba), is using enhanced digital software to create its campaign images in what it believes is a local first.

Paying models for a usage fee, the company will “sew” garments on to avatars to be used repeatedly. CEO Elisha Hopkinson calls it a “new frontier” for the company and says that “AI will play a vital role in how we work going forward”.

The brand’s latest campaign was shot using real models who were photographed in a variety of poses. Jag’s digital art team then superimposed clothing on them, cutting down the time, resources and funding required for full-scale fashion shoots, which often run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“This is a best-of-both-worlds scenario,” said Ms Hopkinson. “Models are paid for their likeness, and we can save time and money by using their images in different ways.”

To enhance the realism of the images, fabric is scanned to articulate the way it would flow and drape on a real person.

Ms Hopkinson dismissed the idea that using digital imagery was less impactful than shooting real images.

“If I was to show you two images – one that is rendered by 3D software and one that is shot by us, I doubt you’d be able to tell the difference,” she said. “There is absolutely the playfulness we want in the campaigns. But sometimes people just want pictures of a piece of clothing on a model, not necessarily a story.”

It’s a claim Kathy Ward, marketing director at Chic Model Management, rejects, saying that “authenticity is so important”.

“We believe consumers still want a real image,” she said. “This is how you build brand confidence. Seeing the way clothes actually look on models is not just important, it is necessary.”

Like many other industries, fashion is embracing AI. Wrapd, the discount sales platform founded by former Young Rich Lister Julie Stevanja and her sister, Sali Sasi, recently released an entire campaign created purely from AI. It cost just $60, compared with the $30,000 the founders spent on the first campaign they produced for Wrapd (then known as Her Black Book).

“As a start-up, we don’t have the luxury of ongoing shoot budgets,” said Ms Stevanja. Time is a factor, too.

“Creating AI campaigns was radically faster and cheaper than a real shoot,” Ms Stevanja said. “It would have taken a team months of researching, planning, casting, shooting, and retouching, not to mention the logistical wrangling. We were able to achieve shoots in locations all around the world in a single evening, something that would be physically and financially impossible in the real world.”

Ms Stevanja said she spent about 40 hours creating around 1000 separate images using AI prompts, but settled on just 30 for the final edit.

“It’s a totally different approach to a photo shoot,” she said. “You have less direct control of the outcome – for example, sometimes AI completely ignores a prompt, or does the opposite of what you ask, not to mention the absurdities you have to scrap altogether, like when the talent suddenly sprouts three legs or is sitting awkwardly on an invisible chair.”

Still, she adds, “absolutely anyone can learn the skill, because the trial and error stage is essentially free”.

Bunnings will cut 100 jobs from its New Zealand head office in a bid to become more efficient at a time when consumers are slowing their spending and seeking lower prices.

The retailer plans to cut about 30 per cent of 340 staff in areas including finance, human resources, merchandise, marketing and retail operations.

Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said the restructure would not impact more than 5000 employees at the company’s 50 stores, trade centres and distribution centres in New Zealand.

“We continue to be absolutely committed to the New Zealand business and its growth and success,” he told The Australian Financial Review.

“We have really thought about this, and it’s about improving the operating model and about leveraging scale and cost. We see this very much as helping drive more simplicity and more group alignment.”

The New Zealand business will still have localised buying and marketing.

Mr Schneider said the job cuts were considered to help drive greater alignment between the Australian and New Zealand business. Any cost savings are not material to the wider group, which will report its full-year financial results in a few weeks.

“The outcome of that is more investment into our store network, more investment into our frontline team and more investment in value for our customers as well,” he added.

Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings also recently restructured its middle management store ranks in Australia, moving from eight regional managers to four general managers. Bunnings posted $17.7 billion in sales and $2.2 billion in earnings before tax for the 12 months to the end of June 2022. The retailer remains the key contributor to Wesfarmers’ profits and cash flow.

Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott warned in May that consumers were finding it much tougher, and he was bracing for an even more difficult second half with rising costs continuing to pressure both consumers and businesses. Since then, interest rates have moved even higher.

Australia’s biggest department store Myer revealed its sales growth has almost ground to a halt over the past six months as trading conditions deteriorated after the RBA’s barrage of interest rate rises, sending its shares tumbling.

In one of the first trading updates by a major retailer this earnings season, Myer on Tuesday said sales edged up just 0.4 per cent in the six months to the end of July after double-digit growth in the preceding half, limiting its total sales growth for its financial year to 12.5 per cent.

While net profit for the year will come in at $69 million to $73 million, up as much as 21 per cent, only $4 million to $8 million was generated in the second half, it said in a statement to the ASX.

Myer’s stock plunged 14.1 per cent to 61 cents in mid-morning trade.

The company will release its audited financial results in September.

Chief executive John King said Myer had been able to secure solid sales and profit growth despite the macroeconomic headwinds that hit the retail sector in the June half.

“We continue to tightly manage costs, inventory and cash to ensure we have a strong balance sheet as we begin [the new financial year], where we expect the ongoing uncertainty around the macroeconomic environment to persist,” he said.

Retail analysts are expecting further signs of a spending slowdown during company earnings season this month, as national spending data reveals that households are continuing to reduce their expenditure to balance rising mortgage, energy and grocery costs.

There was further evidence on Tuesday that rising household expenses are having an impact on the outlook, with the Westpac-Melbourne consumer sentiment index showing confidence fell further into “deeply pessimistic” territory in August.

The index slipped 0.4 per cent for the month. Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan said pressure on family finances continued to weigh on the outlook.

The department store sector appears particularly vulnerable to a spending slowdown; turnover at the nation’s department stores fell by 5 per cent in June, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Retail analysts are continuing to prefer the supermarkets and discount department stores like Kmart over fashion retailers and businesses focused on “big ticket” purchases in the current trading environment.

“The consumer is reducing spending in aggregate and when they do spend they are trading down by price point in apparel and general merchandise,” UBS analysts said in a recent note to clients.

Myer competitor David Jones has recently conducted an efficiency review of its store operations, which will result in up to 100 redundancies as the business looks to streamline its operations under new owner Anchorage Capital.

But David Jones chief executive Scott Fyfe told this masthead last week that he expects the consumer outlook to improve in the lead-up to Christmas.

Myer has emerged from the pandemic with strong trading growth over the past two years, and the company reported its best profit result in close to ten years in 2022. Its shares are still ahead by more than 20 per cent over the past 12 months, despite plunging on Tuesday.

King, who has led the turnaround of the business, has confirmed he intends to resign from his role in 2024 and a global search is being conducted for his replacement.

Department store Myer says sales and profit are continuing to grow despite the challenging economic environment, with its online business continuing to strengthen.

In a trading update issued today based on unaudited accounts, the company said it expects to report a 12.5 per cent increase in sales to $3.4 billion for FY23 and a full-year tax-paid profit somewhere between $69 million and $73 million. While that projection marks an increase of up to 21 per cent year on year, it is less than a Refinitiv forecast of $88.5 million, leading to a decline in its share price in Tuesday trading.

Online sales accounted for 20.5 per cent of the company’s turnover. A 4.5 per cent fall in FY23 reflected increased online shopping when physical stores were closed due to Covid-related restrictions during the previous comparable period. Online sales in FY23 are up 163.2 per cent on FY19, the last full trading year prior to the advent of the pandemic.

Myer said overall second-half sales extended 0.4 per cent despite a “deteriorating” trading condition while tax-paid profit for the half is expected to range between $4 million and $8 million.

CEO John King said the business continues to “tightly” manage costs, inventory and cash to ensure a strong balance sheet as it begins its new calendar year.

“Myer’s Customer First Plan has continued to deliver both positive sales growth and positive profit growth in FY23, despite the prevailing macroeconomic headwinds that have buffeted the retail sector throughout the second half.”

King will retire in the second half of FY24 and return to the US. The company has engaged search firm Egon Zehnder to recruit his replacement.

Amazon has confirmed plans to build Australia’s largest warehouse, one which will put a fleet of robots to work in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn.

The automated fulfilment centre, which at 209,000 square metres will be the size of 11 MCGs, will be 830 square metres larger than Amazon’s robotic fulfilment centre in Kemps Creek, Western Sydney, which was its first such Australian centre. The new site is scheduled to open in 2025.

As with the Kemps Creek site, the Craigieburn facility will have robots working alongside humans. The robots will collect stock from around the warehouse and bring it to employees so they can prepare packages for shipment.

“Instead of the associate going to the items, the items are coming to the associate. That helps speed [up] order processing time,” Amazon Australia country manager Janet Menzies said.

The investment in the robotics site is another sign that the e-commerce giant, which has poured $8.4 billion into its Australian operations since its launch here, is taking a long-term view of the local retail market.

Amazon has been upbeat about its growth opportunities in Australia, despite a deluge of data that suggests household spending is contracting in the face of surging living costs.

Analysts from investment and advisory group Jarden predicted this year that the total value of merchandise sold on Amazon in Australia would hit $5 billion in 2024.

Menzies said last month that the company has experienced a jump in subscription orders for everyday grocery items. It was also upbeat about its July Prime Day sales event.

Amazon shares are up by about 12 per cent over the past month. The stock surged after the retailer surprised the market with stronger than expected quarterly earnings. The US-based company posted sales growth of 11 per cent year on year despite a global spending slowdown.

Menzies said the investment in the new Melbourne site would be a win for the retailer’s third-party sellers, who would be able to store products there.

Amazon will recruit for new types of warehouse jobs at the Craigieburn facility, including IT and engineering roles to maintain the robots. The site will employ 2000 staff once fully operational.

Increasing investment in automated warehouses across Australia’s retail sector has driven the need for a range of new logistics jobs over the past few years.

Supermarket giant Coles is also looking for a new generation of tech-savvy warehouse workers to help staff its automated grocery facility in Queensland.