Outdoor apparel retailer Macpac has delivered a strong finish to the peak winter sales period, with a total revenue lift of 15 per cent for the first seven weeks of FY25.
The retailer’s parent company Super Retail Group noted that sales momentum has accelerated in the new fiscal year, with insulation and rainwear sales benefitting from cold and wet weather. Super Retail’s portfolio also includes sporting business Rebel, alongside retail businesses BCF and Supercheap Auto.
Macpac’s recent sales boom follows a 3 per cent lift in total sales for FY24 to $222 million, reportedly driven by nine new store openings in the last financial year, alongside one closure, resulting in 97 stores.
Like-for-like sales were slightly above the prior corresponding period as a result of higher transaction volumes, which Super Retail listed as zero per cent for both the first half, second half and full year.
Like-for like sales increased by eight per cent in New Zealand but declined by four per cent in Australia due to milder weather in Australia during winter.
Backpacks, gear and accessories performed strongly, Super Retail noted, reflecting an uplift in participation in outbound tourism and travel.
Macpac’s operating profit (EBIT) fell by 28 per cent to $22 million.
Meanwhile, profit before tax (PBT) margin fell by 480 bps due to a 100 bps decline in gross margin and higher operating expenses. As a result, PBT fell by 34 per cent to $19 million.
Online sales grew by one per cent to $39 million and represented 18 per cent of total sales. Click & Collect accounted for 16 per cent of online sales.
Active club membership grew by five per cent to 800,000, with club members representing 76 per cent of total sales.
Macpac’s sales boom for the year added to Super Retail’s overall sales lift of 2 per cent to $3.9 billion. Supercheap Auto and BCF also reported single digit sales lifts, while Rebel sales fell one per cent.
Looking ahead, the group’s total sales for the first seven weeks were up five per cent.
“The Group has made a strong start to the year with positive sales momentum across all of our four core brands,” group managing director and CEO Anthony Heraghty said. “The outlook for the consumer in the year ahead remains uncertain given ongoing cost-of-living pressure on household budgets.
“We will continue to manage our costs effectively while investing in the business for future growth.
“The Group’s customer value proposition, the strength of our brands and the size of our customer loyalty club membership base means Super Retail Group remains well positioned to perform in retail market conditions where customers are carefully managing their spending and prioritising value-for-money purchases.”