Trading Statement

Ideal Shopping Direct PLC 17 December 2003 Ideal Shopping Direct plc Trading Statement On September 25th 2003, the Company reported that the trading results for the current year were expected to be substantially below market forecasts due to lower than projected sales coupled with costs of strategic actions undertaken to underpin key areas of our operation. Because of the high level of fixed costs associated with running our live 24-hour shopping channel, we are very sensitive to relatively small movements in turnover. However, this operational gearing does benefit the Company once sales pass the break-even mark. As previously reported, the Company did not achieve a satisfactory level of sales in July and August. At the interim stage it was highlighted that we are general retailers using television as our shop sales outlet and subject to the same vagaries as the general retail market. The Company has, however, traded profitably despite what has been a challenging and relatively difficult retail environment in September, October, November and the first two weeks of December. Despite the positive progress, however, the cumulative losses reported for the first six months announced at the interim stage, taken together with additional losses suffered in July and August, will not be fully compensated in the current year by the recent improved performance. The Company feels that it is prudent to warn that current market expectations remain too high for this financial year and although the year has not yet ended, the Company's internal forecasts anticipate that it will report a significant trading loss for the year that will end on the 31st December 2003. The Company continues to negotiate with its insurers to settle the final part of its insurance claim in respect of the devastating fire that it suffered in March 2001 and receipts from this final settlement could offset such trading losses. Our interim statement also alerted the market to a variety of operational challenges and weaknesses that the Company's progress in driving turnover growth revealed during the first six months of the year. Since the interims, considerable management energy has been expended in addressing the issues highlighted, resulting in a significant amount of restructuring within the business to provide a firm foundation for the business to be able to generate the levels of profitability that the Board believes the Company is able to achieve. Most notably, our product sourcing and buying department, effectively the fundamental heart of our operation, has been completely reshaped, bolstered and refocused. A new highly experienced Head of Buying has been recruited and a major campaign to recruit a number of additional experienced buyers is still ongoing. A number of these buyers have already joined us and we anticipate more will join us at the start of the New Year. It is believed that our investment in this crucial area will drive our growing business and improve profitability in 2004. In addition, we have completely reviewed our warehouse operations with the result that there are significant changes currently being implemented to improve both the calibre of our general warehouse management and critically many of our working practices by improving both processes and discipline, leading to enhancing our productivity tremendously. We are currently at an advanced stage of recruiting a highly experienced new Warehouse & Logistics Manager. Investors should anticipate confirmation of the new appointment at the time we publish our year-end results. Our stock levels highlighted in our interim statement were simply too high given our sales levels and our policy of buying predominantly on a sale or return basis from our suppliers. We have targeted this area for management attention and I am pleased to report positive progress is being made to reduce stocks dramatically by the year-end and turn an unacceptably high level of stock back into cash. Clearly it is a key management objective to manage this critical issue going forward. The challenges and the steep learning curve attributed to moving our call centre from Peterborough to India have now largely been met and we have now begun to see the fruits of this phase of our development by steadily improving levels of service to our customers and a significant reduction in the levels of customer churn we experienced during the initial stages of the transfer. We continue to raise our standards and expectations of this important customer facing part of our operation. In summary, much has been accomplished in recent months to strengthen and build our senior management team, which has been significantly enhanced by the recruitment of a highly experienced and focused group of new talent. Whilst this task is still ongoing, we anticipate being at full strength by the end of the first quarter of 2004. Lastly we have also expended a great deal of both time and energy in attempting to strengthen our Non-Executive Board as a matter of priority. This process of identifying and recruiting the right calibre of individual to help the Company to realise its objectives is proving difficult but is an on-going priority. The Company currently anticipates that it will report its results for the year ended 31st December 2003 in late March 2004. PAUL C WRIGHT CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE Enquiries: IKON Associates Adrian Shaw Tel: 01483 535102 Mobile: 0797 9900733 E-mail: adrian@ikonassociates.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
UK 100

Latest directors dealings