DGAP-News: Ahlers AG: Sales revenues of the Ahlers Premium

DGAP-News: Ahlers AG / Key word(s): Interim Report/Quarter Results Ahlers AG: Sales revenues of the Ahlers Premium segment up 1.3 percent. Premium segment's contribution to total sales rises to 65 percent (previous year: 61 percent). Pioneer Authentic Jeans with 7 percent sales plus. 14.10.2013 / 09:54 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 October 2013 PRESS RELEASE Sales revenues of the Ahlers Premium segment up 1.3 percent. Premium segment's contribution to total sales rises to 65 percent (previous year: 61 percent). Pioneer Authentic Jeans with 7 percent sales plus. Total third-quarter sales down 4.1 percent due to postponed deliveries. Equity ratio remains solid at 56 percent. Forecast for full year confirmed. Sales and earnings growth expected for the fourth quarter of 2013. Good order situation for 2014 spring/summer season. The first nine months of the financial year saw 1.3 percent growth in Ahlers AG's Premium segment comprising the Baldessarini, Otto Kern and Pierre Cardin brands. As segment sales rose from EUR 117 million to EUR 119 million, the Premium segment's contribution to total sales increased to 65 percent (previous year: 61 percent). This growth was primarily driven by the double-digit increase at Baldessarini. Moreover, sales of the Pioneer Authentic Jeans brand in the Jeans & Workwear segment were up by an encouraging 7 percent. The discontinuation of Gin Tonic Women decided in the previous year entailed a loss of EUR 4.7 million in sales revenues. Another EUR 4.1 million in sales revenues was lost at Gin Tonic Men as a result of branch closures and lower business with retailers. The Ahlers Group's total sales revenues declined by EUR 2.9 million (- 4.1 percent) in the third quarter of the financial year 2012/13. This was primarily due to the postponement of deliveries of pre-sold merchandise from the third to the fourth quarter. Sales revenues for the entire nine-month period declined from EUR 192.6 million to EUR 183.4 million (- 4.8 percent). Notwithstanding the closure of the Gin Tonic stores, the Retail segment of the Ahlers Group saw its sales revenues grow by 3.7 percent in the first nine months, reflecting the continued opening of new Pierre Cardin, Baldessarini and multibrand stores. Adjusted for the closed outlets, revenue growth even amounted to 11 percent. Ahlers' own Retail activities currently contribute 10.5 percent to total sales revenues (previous year: 9.6 percent). Coming in at EUR 6.1 million, consolidated net income after taxes was down compared to the same period of the previous year (EUR 9.6 million). Ahlers AG's equity ratio stood at a good 56.3 percent on August 31, 2013 (previous year: 59.3 percent). Going forward to the fourth quarter of 2013, the Management Board of Ahlers AG anticipates an increase in sales revenues, given that the company cleared the delivery backlog im September 2013 and rising sales are expected for the remaining months of the financial year 2012/13. Moreover, earnings should benefit from the non-recurrence of the restructuring provisions set aside for Gin Tonic last year. For the full year 2012/13, the Management Board maintains its forecast unchanged, expecting to more or less reach the prior year result of EUR 7.3 million - this should enable the distribution of a satisfactory dividend again. The pre-sales for the spring/summer season 2014 show an increase in the middle single-digit percentage range compared to the same season of the previous year. It is also encouraging to see Gin Tonic reporting rising order numbers following the restructuring. Summary of Ahlers Group figures: <pre> in EUR millions Q1-Q3 2012/13 Q1-Q3 2011/12 Change in % Sales revenues - continued activities 183.3 187.8 -2.4 - incl. Gin Tonic Woman 183.4 192.6 -4.8 EBITDA before special effects 12.3 18.8 -34.6 EBIT margin (in %) before special effects 4.6 7.6 -3.0 Consolidated net income after taxes 6.1 9.6 -36.5 Equity ratio (in %) 56.3 59.3 -3.0 Employees as of the reporting date 2,192 2,173 +0.9 </pre> Ahlers AG Götz Borchert Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications Phone: +49 5221 979 270 E-mail: goetz.borchert@ahlers-ag.com End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14.10.2013 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Ahlers AG Elverdisser Stra�e 313 32052 Herford Germany Phone: +49 (0)5221 979-0 Fax: +49 (0)5221 70058 E-mail: ahlers-ag@ahlers-ag.com Internet: www.ahlers-ag.com ISIN: DE0005009708, DE0005009732 WKN: 500970, 500973 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 234405 14.10.2013