Johannesburg - The CEO of top-end food and clothing retailer Woolworths says its customers are offloading debt, shifting to necessities and trading down in the muted economic climate.
"We're seeing enormous amounts of deleveraging," said Woolworths CEO Simon Susman at a presentation of the company's half-year results to end-December 2008. "Our customers are thinking: 'I've got a big fat bond, two cars to pay off and kids at school or varsity. I have to trade down'."
Susman said customers of top-end retailers worldwide "have been hit the hardest", while value fashion retailers "are pumping".
"The key question for Woolworths is how to redefine itself in a market that will be slow for some time to come," said Susman.
Woolworths says it is holding onto quality and innovation but lowering its opening price points and cutting costs. South African retail sales have contracted for nine consecutive months to December, the latest month for which data is available.
In 2008, retail sales registered their first fall in nine years as consumers reeled from the effects of high food and fuel prices and increased debt-servicing costs following a cumulative 350 basis-point increase in interest rates since June 2006.
Turnover for the 26 weeks to end-December 2008 rose by 8.1% to R10.5bn. Susman said the company went into the festive trading season with conservative stock levels: "We underestimated the demand for our value and core products; we experienced significant volume growth in fleece products and R130 jeans, for example."
Cannibalisation a creeping concern
Sales at Woolworths' clothing business were flat, while sales at stores open for longer than a year (like-for-like sales) contracted by 4.1%. Andrew Jennings, the MD of retail, said Woolworths did not maximise the potential volume on value items, and didn't update styling quickly enough for the classic customer. "We're dissatisfied with growth over the past six months. Price has become very important to the consumer," he said.
Woolworths is focusing efforts on improving availability, value and quality in its offering. It will continue to manage stock control tightly, said Jennings.
At its food business, sales rose by 9.5% overall, but like-for-like sales increased by 0.3%. Susman said Woolworths has pulled back its plans to expand trading space in the food division as it is concerned about cannibalisation of sales (that is, a new store taking sales from an existing store in close proximity).
Analysts have highlighted this concern since Woolworths embarked on its aggressive drive to roll out food stores in certain areas.
Susman said Woolworths had experienced more cannibalisation than expected, especially in lower income and over-densified areas. "In lower-income areas, the second year of trading is good, however." He said there are only five unprofitable food stores, three of which are new: "One will grow, while we're looking to close the other two," he said.
The group is working towards changing perceptions of high prices among customers of its food business, having lowered prices on 245 lines earlier in February and running promotions on key items. "We have invested in margin, and now want to get it back through sales," said Jennings.
Jennings said the company's womenswear ranges disappointed overall, but there was good trade in swimwear, activewear and the Twist and Re brands. Childrenswear and beauty were good performers, but supply continuity of private label cosmetics affect trade.
Woolworths' Australian business, Country Road, has dropped prices by 40% over three years. Operating profit for the division rose by 86.9% to R91.2m. Country Road's classic offering, Trenery, will replace the W Collection offering in South Africa. The brand will be launched in 26 Woolworths stores in August 2009.
In May 2008, Woolworths sold 50% plus one share of its financial services business to Absa. Bad debts in the business remain stable but rose from 10.9% for the first six months of financial 2007 to 13.5% in the Visa credit card business.
Headline earnings per share rose by 10.4% to 62.8c. The group's operating margin moved from 10.1% for the first half of 2007 to 9.9% in 2008.
By Thursday 10:15, Woolworths shares were trading 0.8% lower on Wednesday's close at 1 260c apiece.
* The author holds shares in Woolworths.
- Fin24.com