Hornbach Holding AG & Co KGaA

XETRA:HBH

Earnings Call Transcript 2023-Q1

[Antje Kelbert, executive]

Good morning, and welcome to our Q1 2022/'23 update call of HORNBACH Holding. My name is Antje Kelbert, Head of Communications and Investor Relations. After our pre-results disclosure on Monday, the 13th of June, we have today at 7:00 a.m. CET published the full set of figures for the first quarter 2022/'23 comprising the period from 1st of March until end of May 2022. Good morning also to our CFO, Karin Dohm, who will be our presenter today and will also take your questions. Together with us on the call are my Investor Relations colleagues, Anne Spies and Fabienne Villwock. Before we now take a closer look on the development of the past quarter, please be aware of this disclaimer, which is valid for the entire presentation as well as for the Q&A session.

And now I have the honor to hand over to our CFO, Karin Dohm.

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Thanks, Antje. And also from my side, a very good morning here for our update call. Very happy to welcome you all. A couple of figures summarizing our development over the last quarter. Sales and adjusted EBIT, as you know, have already been published via the announcement on June 13 so that part is unchanged as of today. And we saw robust sales development in part driven by inflation, but we also continue to see higher levels of demand for home improvement products than in pre-COVID times. Online sales are at 15.3% of total sales in the first quarter and, as expected, this is lower in a year-on-year comparison as the reduction is mostly related to lower Click & Collect compared to last year when stores were still closed and it was the only way to shop. So we see here as such high levels on an overall comparison to pre-COVID level and a change in mixture in relation to the opening of the stores.

Earnings are down from last year, but once again well ahead in comparison to pre-COVID levels. When we look into our expansion achievements in Q1, we have continued our physical store expansion in Europe as we announced together with our plan. In March we opened 2 new stores in Slovakia and the Netherlands and with that including, we have now 169 HORNBACH stores across a number of 9 countries. We will open 2 more stores as planned as of today in this fiscal year, 1 in autumn in Romania in Constanta and another 1 in Germany most likely towards the end of our fiscal year in February. HORNBACH Baustoff Union will take over 2 builders merchant outlets in the southwest of Germany by the end of this week. As said, customer demand remained steady in the first quarter so far. You see here an 8% growth, which is a great achievement of course on top of the already very strong growth rate that you saw at HORNBACH over the last years.

The sales of the subgroup HORNBACH Baumarkt including online retail grew by 8.2% and we had some catch-up effects outside of Germany following sales restrictions at the beginning of '21/'22 so the last year quarter, which you will see in more detail later here. HORNBACH Baustoff Union, the subsidiary has grown by 6%, also a further achievement after very strong growth last year by 20.5%. When we look into the regional split, sales here is equally split between Germany and the other European countries in which we are active. And overall, we have a strong performance in the net sales development. As said earlier, we would like to take a little bit of a deep dive to double click on the question of outside of Germany development. So the like-for-like sales, as shown here on this slide, give you good indication where we especially had strong tick-ups. You see that in the Netherlands and Czech Republic, also in Romania and Slovakia.

There were some underlying effects in comparison to Q1 '21/'22 with some catch-up effects there due to closures in the comparative months of the previous year. In some regions, our spring season was impacted by cold weather. For example specifically in Austria and Switzerland where the season was from a weather perspective not as good as we had hoped for. E-commerce, as said, has developed strongly once again way above pre-COVID levels. Nevertheless, giving you a good indication about consumption behaviors in times of closures and of non-closures. So as expected, Click & Collect was used to a lesser extent in Q1 this year since there were no restrictions for our stationery stores. On the other hand, direct delivery is still very much in high demand as customers have experienced the good service and availability there in our channels and like to take that into their considerations and behavior on an ongoing basis.

All-in e-commerce share of HORNBACH Baumarkt sales, as said earlier, was at 15.3% this quarter and as we think we have here once again a reconfirmation of our ICR strategy as we are absolutely convinced that it's best to make sure that customers can choose their channel of preference and act accordingly to make sure that they can move also smoothly between those channels. When we look outside of Germany, specifically you see here that we have been able to gain further market share in a number of countries. As you know from some of our interactions we had in previous occasions, we are really convinced that that is one of the good basis to make sure that further growth is not only driven by expansion of floors and stores and therefore of, so to say, square meters or web shop activities, but also culminate ultimately in the growth of market share.

In Germany, we saw a little bit of a downside development due to the normalization. Nevertheless, once again here we're well above the pre-COVID times with now 14.9%. The effect that you see here is that due to the reopening, some customer flows were going into more local offline business instead of online business and that's been driving that market share in Germany. Coming now to the cost structure and gross margin as well as some cost item developments when we move further into the P&L. What you see here is cost ratio with general and administration expenses remained fairly stable. There was increased selling and store expenses mainly due to higher cost for personnel and energy as well as a deliberate increase in marketing spending relating to our spring campaign where we increased spend to make sure of course that HORNBACH has the right visibility, but also very consciously as we had decreased that in the COVID years to make sure we're back to normal levels.

On a full year, that is expected to normalize then again. The gross margin was down by 1.3%. Driving factors here are number one of course, the rising purchase prices, which we partly did not pass on either because we were not willing to as we're convinced that our all-time low price strategy is ultimately the good basis for customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, as well as some transportation costs which kicks in here and that all gave us some pressure on the gross margin amongst a challenging market environment. When we look on to the EBIT, our adjusted EBIT came in well above pre-COVID levels despite of costs being in a lower level compared to previous years. Nevertheless, with EUR 148 million still way above what we saw pre-crisis. Margin is now at 8.2% for that quarter, once again also exceeding pre-COVID times clearly.

Let me give you a couple of thoughts on our cash and the funds from operations. Cash inflow from operating activities in general was now with an inflow from funds of operation at EUR 164.4 million so well above the pre-COVID levels. The change in working capital resulted in a cash inflow of roughly EUR 11.2 million. We have currently still, as you also see on our balance sheet, slightly higher inventory than we usually do have at this time of the year. In those ongoing challenging logistical times, we think that's the right way to approach things to make sure that we have availability of goods and as little stock out as possible. Of course we are monitoring that very closely to make sure that we are not creating any inefficiencies in the working capital environment. But nevertheless, we feel comfortable with the current development there and the status. CapEx was at EUR 52.3 million in Q1, approximately 72% of that was spent on land and real estate as mentioned mainly for new stores.

And allow me to remind you a lot of our other spending so into IT and components of for example our web shop and other capabilities on the digital side is mainly going through P&L directly. So you do not see that here on the CapEx side to that degree. When we look on to the financing activity side, the cash outflow totaled EUR 13.1 million in the first quarter. That was partially for the additional shares in HORNBACH Baumarkt and we also saw there some cash inflow from the bridge loan. The debt position has been now related to that additional share buyback has now been reduced to EUR 70 million in June so after the Q1 balance sheet date and we transformed that into long-term debt by issuing promissory note of EUR 100 million, which are running for 5 -- respectively, 7 years. Free cash flow ultimately at EUR 126.4 million inflow. As mentioned, balance sheet structure once again rock solid, very strong and the structure itself absolutely unchanged to what you saw before.

I mentioned the slightly higher inventories already. We had an increase in total by 4.7% and stand now at EUR 4.5 billion with an equity ratio of 41.7%. So very comfortable on that side and inventories, as said, slightly higher but not any portion of concerns on our side. Outlook for this year and for the next 3 quarters. Obviously as you also saw in our press statement this morning, we have a couple of months ahead of us where like every other company, we have reduced visibility of some of those effects kicking in. We have of course still in all of our countries where we're active high inflation rates. In some, we're moving well towards 20% when you look into specifically Eastern Europe. We have of course the ongoing publications of consumer index and sentiment observing institutions such as GSK and others who give us an indication that there is of course some gloomy mood amongst customer sentiment.

We have, of course, summer now with a couple of holiday, which is totally normal in this season, coming in. So I think you need to take into account, as said, that all gives a little bit of a blurred picture and reduces visibility of course. Nevertheless, we gave our guidance reconfirmation on the sales side. We gave you an update that we expect EBIT to come in lower than the previous year in an area of a double-digit percentage range reduction.

And of course, we reconfirm also that we keep our investments as planned. We are opening the new stores. We're also investing in further openings for the next years. Our lead time for new stores is, as said earlier, in some instances more or less between 12 and 18 months, sometimes even a bit longer. So whatever we want to open next and the following fiscal year is currently starting to be prepared. So that is all going unchanged. We also keep up investments, whether that's incremental or directly going through P&L, in our electronics side so to say into web shops and other capabilities to ensure that we are up to day and well abreast of competition. So that is unchanged by the reduced outlook.

And maybe we stop there and as said, I'm very happy to take your questions and look forward to those.

[Operator]

[Operator Instructions] And our first question is from the line of Thomas Maul from DZ Bank.

[Thomas Maul, analyst]

Maybe you can elaborate a bit more on current trading in Germany and also abroad and which factors or developments gives you confidence to reach your sales guidance. How robust is demand at the moment?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

So 2 thoughts, which drive our considerations here. On the one side, as you saw, we had good sales in Q1. We also were negatively influenced in Q4 last year. So we also see there a comparative uptick basis for this upcoming Q4 so that means December, January, February. Nevertheless, we of course see a couple of challenges specifically in, I was talking of course about our year, in our Q2 and Q3. So those are the 2, let's say, big development streams that we see the one obviously in favor of the other more against us.

[Operator]

The next question is from the line of Thilo Kleibauer from Warburg Research.

[Thilo Kleibauer, analyst]

I have 2 questions. The one is on the sales development. Maybe can you give us a little bit more insight into the 8% sales growth of Q1. So what was the number of customers, of orders so overall an indication on customer frequency and how has the average ticket size developed? And my second question is on the OpEx development. We have seen a significant increase in selling and store expenses of 10%. Should we expect this to continue for the remainder of the year? And what should we expect in terms of wage inflation in the coming quarters?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

So I think going backwards, if you allow. Wages and potential wage increases, obviously the majority of wage developments in Germany where the majority also of our employees by a sheer number is based is driven by the negotiations with Workers' Council or trade unions. So the majority of what we have in this year has been negotiated last year already and so what would come then now would more affect the next year than the current year necessarily. So therefore, that I don't see as a massive impact for this year honestly. In some other countries we had increases actually last year, which you partially also see now in the figures because -- let me take Czech Republic once again as an example where we had already last year inflation. We had some substantial wage increases there, which were totally in line with macroeconomic development. So nothing outstanding.

I would call it more a normalization actually and I think, therefore, that is not a major concern from my point because ultimately that as the tendency comes in always a little bit later than the price changes you see on the purchase and on the sales side. So I think that is not something that I would expect to turn the picture substantially. You also asked about the OpEx, the operating expenses. Of course we had specifically in Q1 the combination of both the classical logistical costs, which were increased as they were for everybody because due to fuel and other price increases. We also had of course increases in our own energy bill although our Q1 spring season is not necessarily the season where we need to heat our stores. But of course as far as logistic is concerned, you have that effect.

So to that point, I think we will honestly all be in the same boat that depends heavily on the first question of energy prices in Continental Europe throughout autumn and winter. We are of course preparing for any scarcity. We have not only reinforced our anyhow existing plans to make sure we reduce our energy consumption also independent of the Russian-Ukraine war to make sure we address some of our ESG ambitions. But specifically now of course in this situation to make sure we can go through the next winter with as little energy consumption as possible. Nevertheless, we are there, as said, in the same boat as everybody else ultimately.

[Operator]

[Operator Instructions] Our next question is from the line of Ludovic Allegre from Kepler Cheuvreux.

[Ludovic Allègre, analyst]

So I have 2 questions. The first one is it possible to have a breakdown on your sales development between the PROs and the DIY? And have you seen a difference in trends between these 2 types of customers recently? And my second question is are you seeing any signs that the rising interest rate is starting to have a negative impact on your business?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

So on the sales side, PROs versus full-time retailers, that's roughly 1/5 versus 4/5. So I would claim around 20% are PROs and the rest is really buying for themselves so do it for me versus DIY in the pure classical sense. What we see has changed is potentially in behavior. We still have increases in the shopping cart so people buy still and increasingly partially in a project focus so they buy then more things that apparently match together so the tile and the glue for the tiles or things like that. And we see less just the spontaneous small things where people just do a little shopping here and there. So it's more as things become more focused and then it's usually a larger bundle of goods than before and that of course also has influence on the size of the average checkout bill or receipt that we see happening.

[Operator]

There are no further questions at this time.

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Sorry, I think I forgot a part on the rising interest rate. Antje just corrected me. So not yet necessarily because obviously the Baumarkt business is really very, very much in this home improvement. That's not so much related to the building. Building industry of course is affected and started to become affected. Our main business on the Baumarkt side is really the home improvement so existing buildings where either individuals or an owner of potentially several flats or whatever is looking into some amelioration. And what we see for example, you see, of course, side effects of people facing their own increased energy bill. So insulation is currently [ cracked ] out of our shelves with an immense intensity. So no surprise there. So you see the correlations between what is happening outside and what we observe in the shopping behavior of our customers.

HORNBACH Baustoff Union, our subsidiary, which is more focused on -- or has a stronger relation, let's claim it that way, to the building industry, they see some effects in some instances of the increased interest rates or the less favorable refinancing for some large building associations or others. So there is a certain connection. But on the Baumarkt side itself not really, no.

[Operator]

We have another question from Johan Van Den Hooven from Value8.

[Unknown]

It's Johan from Value8. Two questions, please, looking at competition and pricing. Do you see competitors move in their pricing behavior, which might affect your pricing policy? And the second question is the gross margin, we have seen it trending down a bit and now of course we are on 34% due to the pricing impact. What do you see longer term for the gross margin as being a sustainable level?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Regarding competition, I mean it depends a little bit on the countries, it's slightly different. But in its difference, I would claim it's relatively unchanged. Fierce competition in Germany as always, less fierce in other countries where we're active. Nevertheless, we're still on that part of the journey where due to the logistical challenges due to the effect of the disturbed chains following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, you still have more scarcity and challenges in obtaining goods than in so to say the other side of the medal. Therefore, you currently do not have any race to the bottom where competition is driving each other into price decreasing spiral also.

And I think if things would change on that side so then you also would have a relaxation effect on the supply price development. So I think honestly, it might come in with some difference on the time line. But when prices change, they usually have a tendency to on average change on both sides of the building. What I'm trying to say there also is yes, of course we would like to see the gross margin going up again and there might be some unfavorable developments over the next course of the months. But I see that really as a cycle and therefore, I think it is something which is not unchanged. When you link that with competition, it's just now we're on a certain path and then afterwards comes the next wave.

[Unknown]

Okay. Perhaps an additional question on the gross margin, which has gone down a bit due to the higher share of the ICR. How do you see the gross margin developing from the shops and ICR? Is that -- can ICR sort of meet the shop margin in the future?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Yes. In general, the margin of our online sales is a little bit lower than the margin in our stores, 2 reasons for that. Number one, product mix. We sell less own or white label products in the online world than in the stores. Second, logistical costs which you can't always 100% pass on by sheer nature of the business. That means whenever we as currently have a reduction on that side, the average margin is then increasing. On the other side when the online part grows, you can scale of course the online business way more efficiently than you can scale store business. So therefore, that's one of the main reasons why we are relatively agnostic also and say look, as long as we grow, as long as we have good sales; both sides are broadly welcome.

[Operator]

We have a follow-up question from Thomas Maul from DZ Bank.

[Thomas Maul, analyst]

You just gave us an update on the basket size. So did I get it right that the basket size is increasing?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Yes, it is.

[Thomas Maul, analyst]

Okay. And just a short follow-up. So basket size is increasing and what is actually going on with regard to footfall? What about customer frequency in your stores?

[Karin Dohm, executive]

Definitely difficult to really give a straightforward answer. In some instances, we have of course -- specifically in Q1 in some instances, you have of course strongly increased footfall because strongest season springtime in those areas where we had good weather and no closures in comparison to the previous year. There was of course a strong increase in some areas. Specifically currently not Q1 but what we observe now, we have decreases because parts of Germany for example were on holiday 2 weeks in June so that brings down footfall. So difficult really to give you a clear what's the new normal answer.

[Operator]

There are no further questions at this time, and I hand back to Antje Kelbert.

[Antje Kelbert, executive]

Well, thank you very much. Thank you also for all your interest in HORNBACH and your time this morning that you participated in our call. Whenever you have remaining questions as usual, please do not hesitate to come to us to contact the Investor Relations department and we can take that up. And you see here also our financial and upcoming events. So we hope to see you at the next conferences, which are more and more now also physical and we are happy to go once again on conferences and participate in roadshows and so on. So you will always be able to find the latest version of our financials and event calendar on our Investor Relations website. So once again thank you very much for taking your time this morning and I wish you a successful and pleasant day. Goodbye.