Domino's UK announces new chair and reports mixed financial results for 2024

Domino's pizza boxes inside a restaurant kitchen

Domino's Pizza Group, the UK arm of Domino's Pizza Inc, has announced the appointment of a new Chair who will assume the role in April.

The company also reported a slight decrease in revenue but saw higher sales and an increased dividend, as reported by City AM.

In the 52 weeks leading up to December 29, sales rose by two percent to £1,571.5 million, up from £1,540.5 million the previous year.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for the firm, which operates in both the UK and Ireland, climbed by 6.4 percent to £143.4 million.

However, revenue dipped by 0.4 percent, from £667 million to £664 million, while profit after tax fell sharply by 21.6 percent to £90.2 million.

Domino's attributed the significant drop in post-tax profit to the comparative base of 2023 when the company divested its stake in a German joint venture, receiving £79.9 million.

The company proposed a final dividend of 7.5p per share, increasing its total 2024 dividend by 4.8 percent year-on-year to 11p.

CEO Andrew Rennie commented on the results: "Today's results show the benefits of our long-term strategy," adding, "We've capitalised on our competitive strengths, agreed a new five-year framework with our franchise partners and opened 54 stores."

Rennie also noted that "Our trading momentum accelerated as the year progressed, our delivery channel returned to growth and we delivered strong underlying earnings growth."

Domino's is focusing on store and digital expansion, aiming to achieve £2 billion in sales from over 1,600 stores by 2028.

Despite this, analyst Dan Lane from Robin Hood cautioned: "Uncertainty seems to be the theme today at Domino's."

Shares in the UK division of Domino's Pizza appear to be significantly undervalued when compared to its US counterpart, making it one of the most shorted stocks in the UK market.

"To get back into the market's good books, profits really need to start motoring under the new five-year framework. If they don't, investors are likely to pile even more pressure on the pizza brand," stated Lane.

Domino's expects that its underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for 2025 will align with current expectations of the market.

In other news, Domino's has declared the appointment of Ian Bull as the new Chair of the company, effective post-AGM on April 24, 2025.

Bull, who took up the role of Senior Independent Director at Domino's in September 2019, has a rich background serving as CFO across various leisure and hospitality businesses, such as Greene King, Ladbrokes, and Parkdean Resorts.

Matt Shattock, the outgoing chair who has served for five years and is based in the US, highlighted the need for a UK-based chairmanship at Domino's.

Ian Bull expressed his anticipation for his upcoming tenure, "Domino's today is a very different business to five years ago and Matt's guidance and leadership have been hugely valuable, helping stabilise the business initially and moving it onto the strong footing for future growth it has today."

Bull further shared his enthusiasm, saying, "I'm delighted to be stepping into the role and look forward to working with my fellow Board members, our CEO Andrew Rennie and all our team members and franchise partners as we take the business to the next level."

Shoe retailer Office doubles profit to over £100m as it creates hundreds of jobs

The group that operates shoe retailer Office has reported a significant hike in profits, surpassing £100m as it continued to expand with new store openings and created numerous jobs. In the year leading to 30 June, 2024, the business— which also owns Offspring— declared a substantial pre-tax profit of £102.4m, as reported by City AM. This announcement marks considerable growth from the previous financial year's pre-tax profit of £47.7m. Office has witnessed a consistent profit increase since recording a pre-tax loss of £131.9m in June 2020, followed by a loss of £114m the preceding year. According to freshly submitted records at Companies House, the group saw an upsurge in revenue from £265.3m to £294.3m. By the close of the financial term, the group was running a total of 75 stores, an uptick from 70, as well as 11 concessions throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, the average headcount in the group rose from 1,617 to 1,830 employees over the year. With an ambitious eye on further expanding its retail presence, Office has stepped up plans for opening additional stores. The board, in a statement, noted: "Trading conditions were much improved in the period under review." The board observed, "Although still negative, consumer confidence has improved steadily since the start of the period." They also commented on the ongoing fiscal pressures, stating: "However, consumer spending remained under pressure as a result of the fall in real disposable incomes that the UK has experienced since late 2021 combined with relatively high interest rates and modest economic growth." Despite facing macroeconomic headwinds, the board highlighted the robust performance of their product category, concluding that "Despite the macro challenges, the branded fashion footwear sold by Office proved to be a resilient category and traded well throughout the period. "The group continued to invest in its new store development and remodelling programme throughout the period, adding eight new stores to the portfolio, closing three and renovating, relocating and extending three further stores. "The investment in stores has been a success as they have exceeded the group's trading expectations and capital expenditure investment criteria." Regarding its future prospects, Office stated: "Economic growth forecasts for the UK have been raised for 2025, with the retail sector expected to experience tailwinds from improving sentiment, age increases again outpacing inflation, the prospect of further interest rate relief and the sustained low inflation environment. "Office will continue to leverage its strong relationships with the world's leading footwear brands, its loyal customer base across the Office and Offspring brands and ongoing investment in digital marketing. "Growth in the year ahead will be driven by a strong online presence and the expansion of the Office store portfolio through new store openings and the remodelling and extension of existing stores in strategic retail locations." Office was founded in 1981 and was acquired at the end of 2015 by South African clothing retailer Truworths. The latest accounts for Office come after City AM reported in November 2024 that rival Schuh had created almost 400 jobs in its latest financial year to push its headcount past where it was before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The turnover of the footwear retailer, headquartered in Scotland, also saw an increase from £354.4m to £380.8m, while its pre-tax profit leapt from £13.4m to £21m. In May 2024, City AM reported that despite its revenue increasing to nearly £1bn during the year, Clarks suffered a loss of almost £40m in 2023. The historic company, based in Somerset, reported a pre-tax loss of £39.8m after making a pre-tax profit of £35.9m in the 48 weeks leading up to the end of 2022.

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Historic Coventry shop to close after 100 years as owner says 'retail is also not as nice as it used to be'

A historic Coventry shop is set to close its doors permanently after more than a century in business. Tobacconist and lighter repair specialist Salts was founded by Harry Salt in Parkside, Coventry, in 1916 before relocating to New Union Street in 1961.It was run by the Salt family until it was taken over by Mark Kendall in 2019. Mark, a Coventry local, said he was "really sad" about the impending closure on March 29. He revealed that the decision to shut down was reluctantly made due to several factors. In an interview with Coventry Live, 49 year old Mark said: "Footfall never came back after COVID. Retail is also not as nice as it used to be because there are the issues of break-ins and theft and all those things that happen in city centres to retailers." He also highlighted the challenges posed by the illegal tobacco trade in the city. He said: "Coventry is rife with illegal stuff so the people selling it legally cannot compete." Despite the sadness surrounding the closure, Mark said he had relished his time at Salts. He said: "I have loved it! I always wanted to run a shop, so I have really enjoyed it." Customers have been sharing their 'fond memories' of visiting Salts. Many nostalgically recalled trips to the city centre with their grandparents many years ago, Mark said. He added: "It is quite generational, so a lot of people have fond memories of relatives, they used to come here as children with their grandparents, so obviously it holds a lot of sentiment... and a lot of granddaughters and grandsons just remembering when times were more simple, and you remember stuff about your childhood and your now-departed relatives, so a lot of moments for people." Mark added: "We have had a blast! Thanks for all of the support we have had from our regulars, they will be missed."

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Women risk being left without a pension for 14 years

Women could risk emptying their pension pots 14 years too soon – and a decade earlier in their lifetime than men – according to modelling by a financial services provider. The research, released ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8, found that, based on current pension withdrawal rates, women could empty their private pension savings by the age of 73. Legal & General (L&G), which published the research, said that, with the average life expectancy of a 60-year-old woman in the UK sitting at 87, some female retirees could be left with a 14-year shortfall between their private pension funds running out and the end of their lives. By comparison, men could see their pots run dry by the age of 83, the research indicated. With the average life expectancy of a 60-year-old man in the UK at 85, men could have two years of retirement without any leftover private pension savings. Katharine Photiou, managing director of workplace savings at L&G, said that, after decades of saving, the ability to withdraw money from a pension can create a “lottery effect”. But she cautioned: “What seems like financial freedom now might turn into uncertainty later.” The modelling used Office for National Statistics (ONS) life expectancy calculations as well as an Opinium survey among 3,000 people aged over 50 carried out in December 2024. The calculations made various assumptions about inflation and investment returns and that people would start making regular withdrawals when they turned 67 until their private pension pot ran out. It was also assumed that people had no other sources of income, such as property wealth or a guaranteed pension income based on someone’s salary. People will also be entitled to the state pension, the size of which depends on factors such as national insurance (NI) contributions. The research indicated that women are typically withdrawing less from their pension than men but have less money saved into it to start with, at £40,000 versus £87,500 for men. Of those receiving income from an income drawdown pension, women are receiving £625 per month on average, compared with £875 for men. However, women were more likely than men to have increased their withdrawal rate since they first started making withdrawals. More than a quarter (27%) of women making withdrawals had increased their withdrawal rate, compared with less than a fifth (19%) of men. The research was released as a survey of 2,000 people for savings and investment app Moneybox, which found that nearly one in 10 (9%) women plan to start investing this year, while 13% intend to increase their investments. Investing more was found to be the top financial goal among women aged 25 to 34 years old, the survey by OnePoll found. More than half (59%) of women who invested last year did so to grow wealth, 47% wanted to secure a comfortable retirement, and 34% were aiming to provide for family in future. Nearly a fifth (18%) of women who invested did so because they enjoyed it and treated it like a hobby. London and Northern Ireland had the highest rates of female first-time investors last year, the Moneybox research indicated. Lower, part-time salaries and caring responsibilities can be obstacles to some women – and some men – being able to save adequately for later life. Another study from money platform Intuit Credit Karma found that over half (59%) of parents have taken on new debt to afford maternity or shared parental leave, borrowing an average of £2,658. A quarter (25%) of these parents said they were still in debt when their child had started school. Women were less likely than men taking parental leave to say they had moved to a job with enhanced parental benefits. A fifth (21%) of men taking shared parental leave had switched jobs to an employer offering enhanced benefits, compared with 9% of women taking maternity leave, the OnePoll survey of 2,000 people across the UK found.

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Debenhams is back as Boohoo makes major announcement

Boohoo has announced it is rebranding as Debenhams Group as the online fashion firm hailed the turnaround of the department store brand it bought out of administration three years ago. Boohoo said it has successfully completed a turnaround of Debenhams over the past few years and that it is now a “majority contributor to group profitability”. It said it will roll out the operating model at Debenhams across the wider firm, using the overhaul at the brand as a “blueprint for the wider turnaround of the group”. “Reflective of this major strategic change, the group will go forward as Debenhams group with immediate effect,” Boohoo said. Dan Finley, group chief executive of Boohoo, said: “Debenhams is back. The iconic British heritage brand, bought out of administration, has been successfully turned around. “Rebuilt for the future and transformed into Britain’s leading online department store.” He added: “We go forward as Debenhams Group. This is a defining moment in our journey, reflective of our new strategy, new leadership and new beginnings.” In 2019, Debenhams entered administration for the first time. Several of its stores were closed, and it sought buyers. The pandemic significantly worsened its financial situation. With stores closed during lockdowns and consumer spending down, Debenhams saw a further drop in sales. In 2020, Debenhams went into administration for a second time, and Boohoo Group, an online fashion retailer, acquired Debenhams' brand and intellectual property. However, Boohoo did not purchase Debenhams’ physical stores. After the Boohoo deal, Debenhams began closing its remaining stores, marking the end of its long history on the British high street. The closures continued into 2021, and the company officially ceased trading in physical locations.

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Gong Cha: Bubble tea brand to open 225 new UK stores in nationwide expansion

Bubble tea aficionado Gong Cha has unveiled ambitious expansion plans to launch over 225 stores in the UK, a move set to generate nearly 2,000 jobs, following a franchise agreement with Costa Coffee heavyweight Jinziex. Originating from Taiwan in 2006 and now headquartered in London, Gong Cha's partnership with Jinziex is a key part of its global strategy to hit 10,000 outlets by 2032, as reported by City AM. Jinziex, a nascent venture, is steered by a trio of industry experts: Diljit Brar of Goldex, Azha Rehman from Kaspa's Desserts, and Steve Falle, managing director at WY&SF Ltd. With a presence in 28 countries through more than 2,100 locations, Gong Cha currently operates 13 stores within the UK. Despite facing financial challenges as reported by City AM in September 2024, with sales declines in Korea, the US, and Australia, Gong Cha remains optimistic about its UK prospects. The first batch of Jinziex's Gong Cha stores are slated to open their doors in April, with locations including Sidcup, Gravesend, Romford, and Hornchurch. Paul Reynish, the global CEO of Gong Cha, expressed his enthusiasm for the UK market, stating: "Across Europe we continue to see fantastic interest from potential franchisees keen to bring the world's fastest-growing tea brand to their market." He added, "But where it mattered most to us was the UK, which is one of the most exciting markets for us globally." Reynish concluded with confidence in their new partnership: "After a careful selection process, we're delighted to partner with Jinziex – a proven and highly respected food and beverage franchise operator – who match our ambitions to become the clear bubble tea market leader in the UK. "As a market, the UK has huge potential for us. It's a market that is constantly evolving, ripe with innovation, and made up of consumers willing to try new and exciting products." "We firmly believe it is one of the most significant markets in the global F&B industry, and one of the reasons we relocated our global HQ to London in 2019." "Now, with our expanded footprint, we want to play a leading role in shaping the next decade of the UK's food and beverage industry, while cementing Gong Cha as a household name. We can't wait to show the UK how tea is meant to be." Diljit Brar, CEO of Goldex, added: "Gong Cha is a fantastic global brand with a truly unique customer offer that plays into the heart of changing consumer tastes and trends."

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Just Eat launches first drone deliveries in UK and it could change takeaways forever

Just Eat Takeaway has initiated its first drone-operated food deliveries, marking the beginning of a significant rollout in collaboration with Manna Drone Delivery. The initial location for the rollout will be Dublin. Customers ordering from participating restaurants can now choose drone delivery and receive their meals in as little as three minutes, as reported by City AM. The service is designed to enhance efficiency and reduce delivery times during peak hours and is anticipated to expand across the food delivery giant's international markets. Manna's drone network currently operates under European Union aviation safety agency (EASA) regulations, and the company is actively collaborating with local authorities to extend the service to more countries. Jessica Hall, chief product officer at Just Eat, expressed: "We're very excited to be working with Manna to offer an alternative form of delivery, ensuring customers receive what they want, when they want it." She added: "This partnership is the latest in our commitment to testing innovative solutions that enhance convenience and improve user experience". Bobby Healy, Manna's CEO, described the partnership as a "major milestone for drone delivery in Europe", adding that "by combining Manna's expertise in scalable drone operations with Just Eat Takeaway.com's vast customer base and logistics network, we're setting the standard for sustainable, convenient and safe food delivery." This crucial drone initiative forms part of Just Eat's wider push for innovation.

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Asos shares plunge as investors 'lose confidence' in retailer's turnaround plan

Asos shares have plummeted over 8% in early trading, exacerbating losses accumulated over several months as investors' faith in the retailer's recovery strategy has dwindled. The e-commerce company's share price has fallen by a third in the past month and has halved since the start of the year, with a 15% decline in the last five days alone, as reported by City AM. Currently, Asos shares are trading at 233p per share, a significant drop from the mid-pandemic high of 5,772p per share in April 2021. Analysts attribute this decline to a post-pandemic downturn in the e-commerce sector, which has also impacted fellow retailers boohoo and Pretty Little Thing. "The COVID boom sparked overinvestments across staff, stock and infrastructure that are still being unwound," noted Jeffries analysts Andrew Wade and Grace Gilberg. "That unwind has been in part funded by reclaiming value from customers [via] range, delivery and proposition). The external data... suggests that these changes, coupled with competition, continue to impact demand," they added. Asos reported an operating loss of £331.9m for the year ending September 1, 2024, up £83.4m from a loss of £248.5m in 2023. AJ Bell analyst Dan Coatsworth observed that Asos, like JD Sports, has been affected by a broader slowdown in consumer demand, further contributing to its struggles. "Consumers bored at home during the pandemic merrily spent money but they have since taken their foot off the pedal as it looked like interest rates would stay higher for longer," Coatsworth observed. Earlier this year, analysts from Panmure Liberum suggested that Asos "will struggle to turn around its declining sales trend this year... in the current demand environment." At the beginning of the year, Panmure warned investors about Asos, labelling it their least-preferred stock for 2025. "Multiple inventory write-offs, a refinancing, an equity raise, and sale of a key asset later, Asos is seeing few signs of sales declines relenting and still finds itself on an unsure path," stated Panmure analyst Anubhav Malhotra. He also noted that "Its competitive position worldwide has been eroded due to improved multi-brand online propositions from the likes of NEXT, M&S [and] JD Sports, competition from China, and pulling back on the consumer offering in international markets." "It appears the identity of the Asos brand isn't as pronounced and distinct as was previously perceived."

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Goldie Lookin' Chain rapper launches new record shop venture

Rapper with the band Goldie Lookin’ Chain Graham Taylor has team up with novelist and presenter Gary Raymond to launch a new record shop business in Monmouth. With a mutual love for vinyl records the pair have opened Grinning Soul Records located at White Swan Court in the town. The new business has been supported with a micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales to part-fund the kit out of their shop and purchase stock. Having been close friends since their school days in Newport, Mr Taylor and BBC presenter and author Mr Raymond had a childhood ambition to open a record shop. Mr Raymond said: “Music fans come from all over the world to visit Monmouth as the home of Rockfield Studios, the legendary Welsh recording studios. Bohemian Rhapsody was recorded here yet there was no record shop in the town. Grinning Soul Records will give local people and visitors like the opportunity to buy traditional vinyl records that were made here in Monmouth. This is our childhood dream come true.” Donna Strohmeyer, investment executive with the Development Bank of Wales, said: “Gary and Graham are both passionate about music and have a great opportunity to capitalise on the booming vinyl industry and the international market created by Rockfield Studios. Indeed, Grinning Soul Records is already proving to be a popular hub for music lovers in the Monmouthshire area and beyond. It’s a great addition to the vibrant market town of Monmouth.”

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Deliveroo called 'underappreciated' after quitting Hong Kong as rivals 'muscle it out'

London brokerage firm Panmure Liberum has hailed Deliveroo as "underappreciated" following its strategic withdrawal from the Hong Kong market. The firm downplayed concerns that the takeaway behemoth might be ousted from other markets by wealthier rivals, labelling such worries as mere "noise". This morning, Deliveroo disclosed its departure from Hong Kong, offloading some assets to Foodpanda and winding down others, as reported by City AM. The London-traded delivery service explained that persisting in Hong Kong "would not serve shareholders' best interests" Panmure Liberum analysts believe that Deliveroo's financial performance will see a positive impact from this move: "Both earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and group GTV growth [revenue] are set to benefit from this market exit," they commented. "[We think] Deliveroo can generate a level of cash flow over the long-term that is currently underappreciated by the market," Panmure further stated. While acknowledging the narrative that Deliveroo could be forced out of smaller markets by larger, better-funded competitors, analysts insisted that such fears should be considered "noise around the investment case." Keeta, an aggressive on-demand delivery titan from China known for its price-cutting tactics, entered the Hong Kong scene in May 2023 and swiftly dominated order volumes by the following May. Data from Measurable AI indicates that by January 2025, Keeta had captured a commanding 55.2 per cent market share. Analysts have noted: "With Hong Kong one of the most discount sensitive markets in Deliveroo's portfolio, it's clear that Meituan's Keeta has been able to muscle it out of the market through discount spend." In 2024, Hong Kong accounted for five per cent of Deliveroo's revenue and negatively impacted international revenue growth by five percentage points. Deliveroo reported a six per cent rise in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024, aligning with its projected growth of between five and nine per cent.

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DFS upgrades profit expectations as credit deals and new products spur demand

Cost savings, interest free credit options and changes to product ranges have helped furniture retailer DFS to upgrade full year profit expectations. New interim results for the Doncaster-based chain, which has about 115 stores across the UK and Ireland, show reported pre-tax profits leapt from £15.8m in the 26 weeks to the end of December 2024, compared with just £900,000 in the same period of 2023. Underlying pre-tax profit was £17m, up from £8.2m the year before. DFS made the gains despite revenue falling 0.1% during the period to £504.5m, which was due to use of interest free credit offers to entice customers. Gross sales were up 1.4% to £675.6m. Bosses said product innovation and partnerships with brands such as La-Z-boy had pleased customers and range changes across the firm's Sofology brand - acquired in 2017 - had driven higher order volumes. Order intake growth was 10.1% in a market said to be in slight decline. Meanwhile cost saving efforts meant the business is on track to make £50m annualised savings by its 2026 financial year. Tim Stacey, DFS group CEO, said falling interest rates will reduce interest free credit costs, helping the firm on its way towards its gross margin target and pre-pandemic level of 58%. He also said falling interest rates would help demand - which is about 20% below pre-pandemic levels - to recover thanks to more house sales. The performance means DFS has upgraded expectations of profit before tax and brand amortisation to between £25m and £29m, providing there is no further supply chain disruption of the type experienced in the Red Sea. Mr Stacey said: "Our improved profit performance in the first half is testament to the strength of our customer proposition, the dedication of our colleagues and our collective focus on operational excellence, evidenced through increased market shares and customer satisfaction scores.

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