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THG Sales Surpass £1bn on Continued Profit Growth and Major Investment
10-06-2020
Athletic lady in gym attire

RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2019

The Hut Group (“THG” or the “Group”), the Manchester-based Consumer brand & technology group, pre-eminent in Beauty & Wellness, today announces results for the year ended 31 December 2019.

The full report can be viewed here.

 

Financial highlights
 


Operational highlights
 


THG Ingenuity

Over the last three years, THG has invested more than £600m to enhance its leading proprietary ecommerce technology engine, while significantly expanding its client base of leading international retailers. THG also continued to invest to develop its physical assets, including over £60m in 2019 on a freehold owned Polish Fulfilment Centre, which provides a full Brexit hedge and complements its facility in Cheshire, England. THG Ingenuity’s global fulfilment network now consists of 12 centres across the world, serviced by over 150 different final mile delivery options.

THG Ingenuity’s technology platform is continually enhanced by a team of more than 400 in-house technical experts, who delivered over £37m of enhancements to the platform in 2019 alone, which range from courier and payment method integrations to functionality development and security enhancements.

In April 2020, THG Ingenuity announced a major agreement with Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) to deliver a fully serviced, global ecommerce platform, to internationally scale a number of NHSc’s brands. The partnership will provide NHSc with a single service-point, through the THG Ingenuity platform, to launch and scale brands online in 20 territories across North America, Europe and Asia.
 


THG Experience

The Group maintained its focus on becoming a global leader in connecting content creators and influencers with brands, as part of its innovative approach to consumer engagement in both the online and offline environment.

THG continued to invest in its experiential marketing infrastructure, acquiring two prestigious Manchester property assets: Eclectic Hotel Group, which comprised the King Street Town House and Great John Street Hotel, and 100 King Street, an iconic 12,000 sq. ft. building, offering unique entertainment and event space in Manchester city centre. The properties build on THG’s existing portfolio and are used to host immersive Influencer and Brand Partnership events.

THG continued to grow its partnership network which now features more than 4,500 creators working across markets and platforms. The expanding network helps THG to drive deeper relationships and continued customer engagement with its global customer base.
 


THG Talent highlights

By the end of 2019, THG employed more than 7,000 people having created approximately 1,500 new roles in the year. In March 2020, the Group also created more than 500 new positions across its manufacturing and distribution sites with a particular focus on applicants in the North West who had lost their jobs as result of the economic pressures surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak.

THG continues to build upon, and invest heavily in, its diverse pool of talent. THG employs colleagues representing 108 nationalities and is on course to create a further 2,000 new jobs in 2020.
 


THG in the Community

The Group has a commitment to wider social responsibility and plays a pivotal role in the community, most notably in the North West of England, which has been home to the Group since its inception 15 years ago, and where the Group has created over 4,500 jobs. On 2 April 2020, THG announced a £10 million aid package to support vulnerable communities, key workers and emergency services in Manchester, the UK and other markets during the Covid-19 crisis. This was followed by an additional donation of 3.5million units of PPE to the health and care system in Greater Manchester; a project costing over £2m.

Matthew Moulding, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Hut Group, said: “It has been a year of significant progress across the Group. We have continued to make huge investments to develop our infrastructure, technology, brands and people, which continue to deliver substantial growth, with Group Sales of £1.1bn in 2019.

“THG has continued to develop our end-to-end technology platform, THG Ingenuity, which powers both our own brands and a growing number of major global consumer groups. We have significantly expanded our global fulfilment capability, broadening our reach to customers in 169 countries. THG has also made important investments in our THG Experience portfolio, expanding the offering of our influencer platform, bringing over 5,000 influencers currently to both our own and our partner brands.

“Our people are the key to our success, and we have continued to invest in our talented teams. The development of the THQ business campus continues at pace and demonstrates our commitment to investing in our people. THG has an excellent platform for growth with an outstanding portfolio of prestigious brands, powered by THG Ingenuity.”

ENDS


For more information, please contact:

Hut Group (THG): Viki Tahmasebi

viki.tahmasebi@thehutgroup.com 07966 028340

Notes to Editors

1Adjusted EBITDA is operating profit before depreciation, amortisation, share based payments and exceptional items

About The Hut Group 

The Hut Group (THG) is an international online retailer and technology company. Founded in 2004 by CEO Matthew Moulding, Manchester-based THG now operates 178 localised websites, retailing goods in 169 countries. In the year to 31 December 2019, the Group grew sales by 24% to £1.14bn, with 66% of sales generated internationally. More than half of THG’s sales come from its own brand products. THG owns  Lookfantastic and Myprotein amongst other brands operating primarily in the beauty and wellbeing sector. 

About THG Ingenuity 

THG Ingenuity is THG’s end-to-end ecommerce platform, powering THG’s own business as well as those of brands and retailers around the world. THG Ingenuity comprises access to THG’s international infrastructure across warehouse fulfilment, digital content studios and event spaces, an end-to-end proprietary software solution required to operate and scale retail brands, and a suite of in-house consultative and management services across trading, marketing and brand strategy. It is one of the only platforms that is underpinned by proven expertise as it has demonstrably scaled brands globally and now powers 3rdparty brands on a SAAS basis. 

THG Ingenuity is partnered with leading retailers across the globe, including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Groupe L’Occitane, PZ Cussons Beauty and Nintendo. THG Ingenuity helped the Group dispatch over 80 million items during the year ended 31 December 2019 to customers across the world and saw THG reach the top of the Sunday Times profit track for two consecutive years. 

Talent

The Hut Group is the #1 place for ambitious young talent. By the end of 2019, THG employed over 7,000 people, more than double compared to 2016, with 1,500 jobs created in 2019.