Rebel Sport New Zealand Reports Strong Q4 Growth

Sales at its New Zealand’s largest sporting goods retailer increased 9.92 percent in the fourth quarter ended Jan. 26. Briscoe Group Limited said sales at its 33 franchised Rebel Sport stores reached NZD$46.2 million ($38 mm) compared with a year earlier on a 9.47 percent increase in comparable store sales.

For the full year ended Jan. 26, Rebel Sport’s sales reached NZD$156.8 million ($129 mm), up 7.68 percent on a 6.27 percent increase in comp- store sales. Online sales doubled.

“This growth which appears to have had no adverse impact on in-store sales,” Briscoe Group Managing Director Rod Duke said of rapid online sales growth across both its Rebel Sport and Briscoes Homeware chains. “There is clearly considerable potential for strong on-going growth in our online sales for the foreseeable future.”

Rebel Sport stores in New Zealand average about 17,500-square feet of retail space and offer a wide selection of apparel, footwear and gear for action, ball and team sports, as well as fitness and fishing.

Duke said sales were steady in the run up to Christmas and particularly strong immediately prior to and following Christmas.

“Margins have been under pressure all year for retailers and while we will finish just behind last year’s gross profit margin percentage for the full year [40 percent], the deficit for the second half of this year has improved in relation to the first half,” said Duke.

Briscoe Group will not release its final, audited financial report for the periods until March 6. The company franchises Rebel Sport from Super Retail Group Ltd (SRG), Australia’s largest sporting goods retailer. Earlier this month, SRG reported sales at its Sports Division increased 6.2 percent on a 5.5 percent increase in comp store sales in the six months ended Dec. 28, 2013, but said discounting hurt fourth quarter margins.

By press release