The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — British online fashion retailer Boohoo said on Wednesday it saw a marked decrease in year-on-year sales growth in the middle of March, impacted by lockdowns due to the coronavirus crisis, though its performance has recovered in recent weeks.
Boohoo, which in line with government guidance has carried on trading through the lockdown, said on Wednesday it had seen improved year-on-year growth in group sales during April.
However, it said that given the uncertainty generated by the pandemic, it could not provide guidance for its new financial year to February 28, 2021, at this stage.
Boohoo, which sells own-brand clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty products targeted at 16 to 40-year-olds, said it had analysed a range of scenarios, factoring in a downturn in demand and the possibility of warehouse closures.
Having stress-tested its liquidity in these scenarios it was comfortable it had sufficient financial headroom, pointing to a largely variable cost base, low cash burn rate and £241 million ($297 million) of net cash.
The crisis overshadowed a stellar 2019-20 year for Boohoo Group revenue soared 44 percent to £1.24 billion, and core earnings (adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) rose 50 percent to £126.5 million.
By James Davey; editor: Estelle Shirbon and Louise Heavens
In an uncertain economic environment, brands are turning to their customers for investment. BoF unpacks how companies can benefit from this approach typically favoured by start-ups.
The luxury resale platform’s CEO John Korryl spoke with BoF exclusively about new revenue streams, consignment updates and other ways of reaching profitability after a decade of losses.
Join us on Thursday, April 13 at 16:00 BST / 11:00 EDT for a special #BoFLIVE Masterclass unpacking our latest case study The Complete Guide to Managing Markdowns with BoF retail correspondent Cathaleen Chen.
BoF Careers provides essential sector insights for fashion professionals in retail this month, to help you decode fashion’s retail landscape.