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  • Koala Revenue Rises 20% to $332 Million as Japan Sales Jump

    Koala Revenue Rises 20% to $332 Million as Japan Sales Jump

    Australian furniture retailer Koala posted a 20 per cent rise in annual revenue to $332.3 million for the fiscal year ended June 30.

    Growth in overseas markets offset tighter consumer spending at home, lifting pro forma EBITDA by 139 per cent to $27.9 million.

    Japan and American Sales Fuel Expansion

    Domestic sales in Australia rose 10.7 per cent to $166.7 million during the twelve-month period. International divisions expanded at a much sharper clip.

    In Japan, revenue climbed 23.5 per cent to $89.4 million, carried by demand for sofa beds and mattresses. The United States registered the fastest geographic growth, where sales jumped 67.6 per cent to $74.9 million. Koala also entered the United Kingdom during the fiscal year.

    Direct-to-consumer furniture makers across the Asia-Pacific region have spent two years navigating softer home goods demand and volatile shipping rates. Koala’s performance in Tokyo shows that flat-pack formats tailored for compact urban living continue to find traction outside Australia even when consumer sentiment cools.

    Bottom Line and Public Markets

    Operating margins improved across core product lines, supported by new releases in sitting furniture. Constant-currency revenue grew 24 per cent across the group.

    “FY26 was a defining year for Koala,” chief executive and co-founder Dany Milham said, noting the completion of the company’s listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.

    Market attention now shifts to initial sales figures from the United Kingdom and customer uptake of the expanded seating lines in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.

  • Shaver Shop Posts Record FY26 Sales of AU$225.1M Before Early FY27 Slump

    Shaver Shop Posts Record FY26 Sales of AU$225.1M Before Early FY27 Slump

    Shaver Shop generated record sales of AU$225.1 million in the year ended June 30, lifting annual revenue by 3 per cent.

    Gross profit climbed 4.7 per cent to a record AU$104.2 million as the personal grooming specialist leaned on higher-margin private labels to counter inflation.

    Private brand Transform-U drove much of the margin gains, accounting for about 8 per cent of total sales compared with 3.4 per cent in the prior year. Managing director and chief executive Cameron Fox noted that strong operating execution helped offset macroeconomic headwinds that intensified during the second half.

    Store expansion and the early FY27 drop

    The retailer altered its store footprint across the twelve months by opening three new sites and shuttering one underperforming location. That brought the store network to 126 shops at the end of June, followed by a new store opening in Brighton in late July.

    Trading conditions deteriorated immediately after the financial year closed. Sales between July 1 and August 22 dropped 3.2 per cent compared to the prior corresponding period, while like-for-like sales fell 4.3 per cent.

    Management blamed the slow start on heavy promotional discounting pulled forward into June, paired with stock shortages and transport disruptions across supplier networks.

    Margin defence through private labels

    Specialty personal care and electronics chains across the region face tighter household budgets, forcing operators to rely on exclusive brand ranges rather than top-line volume growth. Shaver Shop’s strategy mirrors broader retail trends where house labels provide a vital buffer against freight costs and supplier price hikes.

    Gross margins through the first eight weeks of the new financial year tracked slightly above last year despite the top-line decline. Attention turns to whether supplier shipments stabilise before peak holiday inventory build-up begins in October.

  • Lovisa Lifts Full-Year Profit 10.7 per Cent as Network Reaches 1,136 Stores

    Lovisa Lifts Full-Year Profit 10.7 per Cent as Network Reaches 1,136 Stores

    Australian fast-fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa increased net profit after tax by 10.7 per cent to $95.6 million for the 2026 financial year.

    Total revenue rose 17.6 per cent to $938.8 million, supported by 160 store openings and a 2 per cent rise in global comparable store sales. Gross margin widened by 60 basis points to 82.6 per cent, helped by lower sourcing costs and tighter promotional spending, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation grew 20.9 per cent.

    Offshore sales outpace domestic trade

    Western markets delivered the bulk of the growth. Sales in the Americas rose 29.6 per cent, while European revenue increased 29.5 per cent over the twelve-month period.

    The company accelerated its physical expansion by launching 160 locations and shuttering 43 underperforming sites. That netted 117 additions and lifted the total footprint to 1,136 stores across more than 50 markets. Lovisa relies on small-format stores with low fitout costs to enter new territories quickly, a model that allows it to exit unprofitable leases without heavy capital losses.

    Early momentum in the new financial year

    Trading in early fiscal 2027 maintained that pace. Total sales climbed 16.4 per cent over the first eight weeks of the new financial year, with comparable store sales up 3 per cent and momentum accelerating through August.

    Management plans to add further physical and digital stores across both established and new territories. Investors will track whether store opening targets hold as the group rolls into additional franchise and company-owned markets in the first half.

  • City Chic Lifts Underlying Earnings 92% to $12.3 Million Despite US Sales Drop

    City Chic Lifts Underlying Earnings 92% to $12.3 Million Despite US Sales Drop

    City Chic Collective nearly doubled its underlying core earnings to $12.3 million in the fiscal year ended June 28, despite total group revenue slipping 3 per cent to $130.5 million.

    Margin expansion and strict operational discipline drove underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation up 92 per cent from the previous year.

    Australia and New Zealand anchored the turnaround. Revenue across the home market rose 7.6 per cent to $113.8 million, with comparable sales lifting 5.6 per cent across physical stores and digital channels. Higher average selling prices and steady customer acquisition cushioned the group while its overseas operations took a hit.

    Retreat from American Tariffs

    The United States delivered a sharp contraction. US sales plunged 42 per cent after management deliberately throttled purchasing activity to limit exposure to import tariff volatility.

    To fix the unit economics, City Chic converted its US Amazon operation from a wholesale setup to a direct marketplace model. Group inventory fell 11 per cent to $24.1 million by the close of the financial year, reflecting reduced capital tied up in North American stock.

    The Sydney-based apparel retailer has deployed automated forecasting and software tools to sharpen buying decisions and lower product return rates. Chief executive Phil Ryan said the company has built a simpler and more resilient operating base after clearing out high-risk inventory channels.

    Trading Momentum in Early FY27

    Cross-border apparel brands have faced intense margin pressure across international channels over recent reporting cycles, forcing operators to protect local margins rather than chase unprofitable foreign volume. City Chic’s retrenchment in North America reflects a broader shift among Australasian specialty chains refocusing on core domestic trade.

    Early numbers indicate the strategy is holding. Comparable store sales in Australia and New Zealand rose 11.4 per cent through the first seven weeks of FY27, with management forecasting a return to revenue and margin growth in the US during the first half.

  • Billabong’s last day on the Exchange

    Billabong’s last day on the Exchange

    Monday will be Billabong International’s last day of trading on the ASX after the Federal Court approved Quiksilver parent Boardriders Inc’s scheme of arrangement to acquire all of the issued shares in the company.

    The surf wear business will suspend from quotation and the close of trading on April 9, notifying the market that the $1.05 per share Boardriders offer was legally effective on Monday morning.

    Billabong shareholders who hold shares at the record date for the scheme (16 April) are due to receive payment under the scheme on 24 April.

    The Boardriders deal passed its major hurdle late last month when shareholders voted in favour of the scheme, despite a last-minute change to the deal that saw the price increase by 5 cents per share.

    85.87 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of the deal, passing the 75 per cent needed for the acquisition to proceed.

    Not all shareholders were happy with the outcome, with a cloud dropping over the deal around the price in the lead up to the shareholder vote, but in the end Billabong chairman Ian Pollard, a staunch advocate of the proposal, said the business would be left in “good hands”.

    “The outcome of today is that we will see the creation of one of the world’s strongest action sports companies,” Pollard said of the deal late last month.

    “I believe the brand will be in good hands following today’s vote.”

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