The British fast-fashion company said it believes Boohoo, which also owns the Debenhams, Karen Millen and PrettyLittleThing brands, is âfundamentally undervaluedâ and there is potential to âunlock valueâ for shareholders.
Shares of Boohoo fell 9% in early trading in London. The stock has lost about a quarter of its value this year.
The review comes as Boohoo reported that first-half revenue had plunged to £620 million ($809.8 million) from £729 million at the same time last year. Boohoo said itâs also signed a new £222 million debt facility to give it the âappropriate financingâ for the next phase of its development.
Boohoo has had to weather a difficult five years since Lyttle joined from Primark, its much bigger rival. Before the pandemic it was hit by a damaging minimum-wage and safety scandal at supplier factories in Leicester, England. An independent review found that Boohoo had prioritized profit and growth and ignored âred flagsâ about labor violations, but cleared the company of any direct involvement.
Under Lyttle, Boohoo also had to contend with the Covid pandemic, which initially boosted revenues as online shopping soared but then pared back rapidly as people returned to stores. Boohooâs launch into the US has also been affected by high freight costs.
Earlier this year, Boohoo had to scrap a lucrative bonus plan amid reports of a shareholder backlash following ballooning losses.
Boohoo said Friday that it has taken a number of âdecisive and robustâ strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs at the group in the past 18 months. It has also made progress in reinvigorating the Debenhams and Karen Millen brands, it said, which is why now is time to âreview options for each divisionâ to maximize value for shareholders.
Although Boohooâs refinancing is a positive development, the new facility includes a £100 million term loan that is ârepayable as soon as August 2025, which leaves relatively limited time for maneuver,â said Andrew Wade, an analyst at Jefferies.
By Jennifer Creery.
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Boohoo Dives Into Debt as Losses Soar to £160 Million and Sales Slump
The online fashion specialist said it had built up net debts of £95m in the year to the end of February â down from almost £6m of net cash a year before â after losses widened 76 percent to £160 million.
