Member Info for Reardon95

NEW DIRECTION

Analysts at Panmure Liberum observed: ‘Results for the year ending February 2025 signal change. A new C-suite and strategy has led to significant exceptional costs. It is rare on the public markets that such decisive actions are taken but there is a plan and the funding to execute this plan (with refinancing recently concluded).

‘The plan is to create a stock light, capital light marketplace across all areas of the group and deliver a sustainable growth model. While noise in the financials will continue in full year 2026, guidance is for EBITDA progress and the first half of full year 2026 has gotten off to a solid start.

‘The proposed sale of PLT (PrettyLittleThing) should further clarify the direction of travel and the significantly reduced net debt shows that cash is the key focus with capex, inventory, and working capital all materially down year-on-year.’

Nice to bounce some ideas around. There is lox in the mixer at the moment here. Surely Mike will make his move imminently. 14p is just chump change to the Frasers Group.

I've got a feeling PLT will be sold, debt paid off. Will the Group foray into bricks and mortar? It has been mentioned of several beauty showrooms being opened. Less and less mention to Britain's online department store too. Will all youth fashion brands eventually be sold?

Interesting take from an accountant on Linkein.

This played out exactly how I said it would.

> In my view - The Pretty Little Thing rebrand was never about creating premium product lines to unlock growth. It was an accountancy move to justify writing down the financial value of stock against 12,000 Skus.

https://lnkd.in/eYer5qDA

> Also in my view - the follow up action to make Debenhams the master brand and Boohoo & PLT sub-brands within the group wasn't because Debenhams was the headline brand that had a successful turnaround and was achieving growth (as its often communicated) but rather to create the opportunity to sell PLT.

https://lnkd.in/eNZ_smBw?

Debenhams Group also owns; Nasty Gal, MissPap, Karen Millen, Coast, Oasis, Warehouse, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, and Burton.

If the group wanted to offload a brand in order to streamline the business then strategically the best move, right now, would be to offload Karen Millen, Oasis or Warehouse.

Topshop is making a come back and there will be a bunch of investment companies that would be interested in buying a "90s high-street fashion retailer" with the goal of relaunching back onto the high street in the same way that Topshop are making a comeback.

Boohoo acquired the online business and IP rights of Karen Millen and Coast for £18.2 million in 2019. As a comparison - Boohoo purchased the remaining 34% of PLT in May 2020 for circa £270 million.

If the group was serious about the PLT rebrand (which only went live March 2025) then they would hold onto brand for longer because it takes longer than 5 months to see the value of a rebrand.

Post it GG.

Not as distressed as many thought. Positive shoots are emerging and the minimal risk model is working.

Delivering the significant benefits of these changes will take time and we are excited by the opportunity scale our existing marketplaces, led by continued strong growth in the Debenhams brand OUTLOOK

During H1 FY26, we continue to see strong and profitable growth in our Debenhams brand.

All our brands are now trading profitably in terms of Adjusted EBITDA.

We are focused on right-sizing our Youth Brands. Under new leadership, our priorities are now cash generation and profitability.

We expect 1H FY26 Adjusted EBITDA for continuing operations to be ahead of 1H FY25.

The medium-term opportunity is significant for the Group. We continue forward as Debenhams Group under new leadership, with a new strategy, and a new direction

There's a 4m UT in there!

I think the name of the game here: Sell PLT for £200m plus. Invest this money in paying off all debt. Buy beauty brands for DEBS marketplace and BOOHOO marketplaces. Invest in AI and develop our own AI platforms so we have to stop using third parties. Push Debs ads and delivered by DEBS to increase gross margin %. Further Sublet the US and Burnley warehouses. Hopefully there is a deal with Shein where they take both warehouses and PLT.

Double digit margin %*

They will keep KM. Double digit market and fits DEBS demographic. I thought PLT would be the casualty. If anyone checked there website there are barely any other brands listed.

Looks like PLT is already sold. Risky for the shorts here now. Any transaction has to happen at arms length. Could be a serious breach if Umar tries to nick this on the cheap.

Expecting an imminent bid from Ashley now. He wants to keep all brands.

Looks like we are binning out of Burney and PLT. Hopefully we get £200 + for PLT. Clear all debt. Be back in a really strong place after that. Finley and Ellis the wizards.

That's exactly what we needed. Company was set up previously for pure vanity. Growing revenue but margins shrinking year by year. AI deployed with concise marketing strategies, business now running lean to focus on profit and growing sustainably. Stocking risk taken by our third parties not us. REVB to shoulder the risk of developing beauty products for us. Quite a genius plan unfolding. Only got the 98% brand recognition with DEBS to utilise!

New website looks great. Lucky to have Big Dan Finley!

Apple Stocks / Yahoo saying earnings report is tomorrow.

BFD it's a great outcome for BOO. Takes all the risk off BOO developing their own beauty products when we have our own proven "subsidiary" ready to supply us with all of our own branded products at a preferential rate.

Looks like results are coming tomorrow.

Well they’ve paid at least 31p in the last raise.

It’s almost like the BOO board are doing everything they can to antagonise Big Mike into making a bid. It’s almost become great sport for them, winding him up.