Halfords Group plc Group Halfords Annual Report & Accounts 2009 number Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 Resilient ROBUST Dynamic Halfords is the UK’s leading retailer, on the basis of turnover, in each of the three product markets in which it operates. Car Maintenance Car Enhancement Leisure Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 NUMBER ONE NUMBER ONE RETAILER OF RETAILER OF CAR PARTS CYCLES OUR PERFORMANCE OUR ACCOUNTS Financial and Operational Highlights 01 Independent Auditors’ Report (“the Group”) 55 Halfords at a Glance 02 Consolidated Income Statement 56 Chairman’s Statement 04 Consolidated Balance Sheet 57 Business Review 08 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 58 CONTENTS Finance Director’s Report 20 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 59 OUR GOVERNANCE Notes to Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 60 Corporate Social Responsibility 24 Accounting Policies 61 The Board 36 Notes to the Financial Statements 67 Directors’ Report 38 Five Year Record 86 Corporate Governance 41 Independent Auditors’ Report (“the Company”) 87 Directors’ Remuneration Report 47 Company Balance Sheet 88 Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities 54 Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders’ Funds 88 Accounting Policies 89 Notes to the Financial Statements 90 Shareholder Information IBC Company Information IBC NUMBER ONE RETAILER OF TRAVEL AND TOURING Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 01 FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS +7.2% +1.5% +8.0% +3.0% +9.1% +4.9% £809.5m £104.0m +8.6% £797.4m +13.1% £101.0m £744.0m £93.5m Revenue Operating £89.1m £809.5m £681.7m Profi t before exceptional items £104.0m Our Performance 2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009 Revenue up 1.5%, with a like-for-like decline of 3.3% Sponsorship of the Great Britain Olympic cycling squad First Polish store opened in 2008 466 Halfords stores now trading including 22 in the Republic of Ireland, 5 in the Czech Republic and 1 in Poland 21 new store openings Our Governance +11.5% +4.7% +8.0% +5.1% +3.6% £90.2m -14.1% +8.4% £94.4m +3.6% £90.2m Profi t £80.9m Profi t before £83.5m £77.0m £77.5m before tax tax and £77.0m £77.5m exceptional costs £94.4m 2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009 +10.9% +5.3% +9.0% +13.6% 32.5p +8.6% 15.90p +6.3% 15.10p +9.3% 29.3p Basic +0.4% Dividend 13.85p Our Accounts earnings 25.8p per ordinary 12.75p per share 23.6p share 32.5p 15.90p 2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009 Halfords Group plc 02 Annual Report & Accounts 2009 HALFORDS AT A GLANCE Car Maintenance The car maintenance category represents the largest market that Halfords participates in, with servicing consumables such as car bulbs, wiper blades, batteries and oils driving our market leading offer with unrivalled range and availability. It continues to be the resilient backbone of our business given the needs driven nature of the product range combined with our unique fitting service and high level of colleague expertise. Car Enhancement Halfords continues to retain its position as market leading retailer for car enhancement products ranging from car cleaning products and in-car accessories through to styling and technology products. Halfords also remains the number one destination retailer for sat nav products including the world’s best selling Garmin Nuvi 200. Leisure The majority of our leisure sales are driven from our cycling category. Once again, Halfords maintains a leading position in this market, selling around one in three cycles in the UK. The Apollo brand is firmly established as the UK’s biggest cycle brand whilst our Carrera own label tops the premium cycle market. Travel solutions, which includes tents, roof boxes, child seats, roof bars and cycle carriers, continues to deliver strong growth in sales and profitability, with improved in-store displays, new ranges and outstanding customer service underpinned by a store wide training programme engaging over 2,000 store colleagues. Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 03 Our Performance THE NATURAL DESTINATION Halfords’ management team is focused on delivering additional sales Our Governance growth and improving operating margins by: Investing in the store portfolio Leveraging the Halfords brand Improving the supply chain Our Accounts Halfords Group plc 04 Annual Report & Accounts 2009 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT DENNIS MILLARD CHAIRMAN I am delighted to be joining Halfords at a time when it has once again My predecessor Richard Pym resigned in August 2008 to take up demonstrated its resilience, has delivered a strong set of results and an executive position in the financial services industry. On behalf of continued to make good progress against each of its strategic priorities. the Board, I would like to thank Richard for his valuable contribution to Halfords in the two years he was Chairman and wish him well. The strength of the Halfords brand is testament to the leading positions I would also like to thank Nigel Wilson, our Senior Independent Director, it holds in its core markets and is sustained by a high service based who took up the reins as Acting Chairman until my appointment and to customer proposition, unique and extensive product offerings and a the remainder of the Board for their considerable efforts during the year. multi-channel sales approach. Knowledgeable store-based colleagues In particular, I would like to thank Nick Wharton and Paul McClenaghan who are dedicated to achieving service excellence for our customers who operated most effectively as joint Managing Directors in the six further underpins the attractiveness of Halfords and the opportunities it months prior to David Wild’s appointment in addition to discharging has for further growth in both its UK and European markets. their other executive duties. It is pleasing to report that sales growth has been achieved in each of Halfords has approximately 10,000 loyal and dedicated colleagues in our core categories despite the challenging economic conditions we its store network, head office and distribution centres, all of whom have faced, particularly in the retail and automotive sectors. Together with responded positively to a challenging retail environment. The results for meaningful margin expansion and proactive cost control on a 52-week the year just ended are a credit to the hard work and enthusiasm of the comparable basis, growth in both underlying earnings before tax of entire Halfords team and their dedication to serving our customers. 2.4% and in earnings per share of 8.5% was achieved. Importantly, On behalf of the Board I would like to thank them. cash generation was strong and the Group’s financial position remains sound. The Board believes that the general economic and consumer environment is likely to remain challenging for the remainder of 2009. These results and our confidence in the future prospects for Halfords However, through its unique market-leading position and customer enable the Board to maintain its progressive dividend policy. The Board proposition, Halfords is well positioned to deliver further earnings has therefore recommended a final dividend of 10.90 pence, which growth in the year ahead. would amount to a total of 15.90 pence for the year and represents an increase of 5.3% over last year’s dividend of 15.1 pence. DENNIS MILLARD In August 2008, the Board appointed David Wild as Chief Executive CHAIRMAN 10 JUNE 2009 Officer, following the resignation of Ian McLeod in February of that year. David brings to Halfords a wealth of retail and new business development experience that he gained in Tesco and Wal Mart across a number of business disciplines and territories. David has already made an excellent The Board believes that and telling contribution since joining Halfords and has assembled and is the general economic and supported by a strong and talented management team. consumer environment is likely to remain challenging for the remainder of 2009. However, through its unique market-leading position and customer proposition, Halfords is well positioned to deliver further earnings growth in the year ahead. Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 05 Our Performance Our Governance Our Accounts THET E NATURALNA DESTINATION Left: Halfords has approximately 10,000 loyal and dedicated colleagues, all of whom have responded to a challenging retail environment through 2008 and 2009. Halfords Group plc 06 Annual Report & Accounts 2009 PERFORMANCE REVIEW OUR STORES STORE CO 466 Stores Now Trading 401 39 26 Superstores Metro Stores Neighbourhood Stores “Halfords are committed to +3.6% +5.6% the longer-term opportunities +4.4% +2.5% 466 present in the Central European 450 426 Store 408 markets, which we estimate Growth to be in excess of 150 stores, whilst continuing to open between 10 and 15 stores per annum in the UK.” 3.6% 2006 2007 2008 2009 The Group operates from 466 stores and the strategic focus remains in the development of the two formats of choice, the superstore and the smaller format Compact store, previously referred to as Neighbourhood. Compact stores provide a comprehensive Halfords offer, carrying some 6,000 of the 10,000 lines available within an average superstore, to smaller catchments where a full superstore would not be viable. Halfords Group plc Annual Report & Accounts 2009 07 OVERAGE Our Performance Locations 1 14 2 17 Superstores 16 Superstores UK&Eire 1 Neighbourhood Store 1 Neighbourhood Store 460 Stores 2 15 16 Superstores 17 Superstores 1 Neighbourhood Store 4 Neighbourhood Stores 1 1 Metro Store 3 16 4 22 Superstores 11 Superstores