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7 December 2022

MOONPIG GROUP PLC

HALF YEAR RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022


Resilient business model with high profitability and robust cash generation Summary H1 FY23 financial results


Six months ended 31

October 2022

Six months ended 31

October 2021

Six months ended 31

October 20193

H1 FY23

Year-on-year growth %

H1 FY23

Three year growth %3

Group revenue (£m)

142.8

142.6

66.3

0.1%

115.4%

Gross profit (£m)

77.2

69.9

35.2

10.5%

119.3%

Gross margin (%)

54.1%

49.0%

53.1%

5.1%pts

1.0%pts

Adjusted EBITDA (£m)1

34.6

35.0

15.0

(1.2%)

129.6%

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)1

24.2%

24.5%

22.7%

(0.3%pts)

1.5%pts

Reported profit before taxation (£m)

9.1

18.7

9.4

(51.3%)

(3.2%)

Adjusted profit before taxation (£m)1

18.9

24.1

9.8

(21.6%)

92.9%

Basic earnings per share (pence)2

1.7

4.5

n/a

(62.2%)

n/a

  1. Before adjusting items of £9.8m in H1 FY23 and £5.4m in H1 FY22. See Adjusting Items at Note 3 and definition of Alternative Performance Measures at Note 20.

  2. Earnings per share not disclosed for periods arising prior to the Group's formation because of the pre-IPO reorganisation in February 2021.

  3. Three-year growth included to contextualise the impact of Covid-19 in H1 FY22.


    Results summary


Hence, whilst full year FY23 revenue is now expected to be approximately £320 million (remaining above expectations at the time of the IPO, including on an organic basis), our expectations for absolute FY23 Adjusted EBITDA remain unchanged.


The Group is cash generative by virtue of its business model. We expect to deleverage in the second half of the financial year such that the ratio of net debt to last twelve months' pro forma Adjusted EBITDA is between approximately 1.9x and 2.0x at 30 April 2023. The Group's senior facilities are committed until January 2026. There is significant headroom against financial covenant thresholds. We have hedged floating rate exposure to movements in SONIA for interest on broadly three quarters of our current expected future senior debt (net of cash) until 30 November 2024.


Financial performance – Group



Six months ended 31

October 2022

Six months ended 31

October 2021

Six months ended 31

October 20194

H1 FY23

Year-on-year growth %

H1 FY23

Three year growth %4

Revenue (£m)

142.8

142.6

66.3

0.1%

115.4%

Gross profit (£m)

77.2

69.9

35.2

10.5%

119.3%

Gross margin (%)

54.1%

49.0%

53.1%

5.1%pts

1.0%pts

Adjusted EBITDA (£m)1

34.6

35.0

15.0

(1.2%)

129.8%

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)1

24.2%

24.5%

22.7%

(0.3%pts)

1.5%pts

Reported profit before taxation (£m)

9.1

18.7

9.4

(51.3%)

(3.2%)

Adjusted profit before taxation (£m)1

18.9

24.1

9.8

(21.6%)

92.9%

Earnings per share – basic (pence)2

1.7

4.5

n/a

(62.2%)

n/a

Earnings per share – diluted (pence)2

1.7

4.4

n/a

(61.4%)

n/a

Net debt (£m)3

208.8

113.0

33.9

84.8%

515.2%

  1. Before adjusting items of £9.8m in H1 FY23 and £5.4m in H1 FY22. See Adjusting Items at Note 3 and definition of Alternative Performance Measures at Note 20.

  2. Earnings per share not disclosed for periods arising prior to the Group's formation because of the pre-IPO reorganisation in February 2021.

  3. Net debt is defined as total borrowings, inclusive of lease liabilities, less cash and cash equivalents.

  4. Three-year growth included to contextualise the impact of Covid-19 in H1 FY22.


    The Group delivered revenue of £142.8m in the first half of FY23, representing three-year growth of 115.4% against pre-Covid comparatives for H1 FY20. Revenue was flat year-on-year, reflecting annualisation against the prior year impact on sales from lockdown restrictions, offset in part by the initial consolidation of £11.7m revenue from Experiences from 13 July 2022 onwards.


    Trading at Moonpig and Greetz reflected the more challenging conditions seen from October onward and was also impacted in the UK by industrial action at Royal Mail during September and October, which affected last-minute card-only orders around each strike day.


    Trading at Experiences has been resilient, in line with our expectations at the time of acquisition. Stated on a pro forma basis (as if the segment had been controlled by the Group in each relevant period), Experiences revenue for the six months ended 31 October

    2022 was £18.0m (H1 FY22: £15.1m). This represents growth of 30.9% on a three-year basis against pre-Covid comparative revenue of £13.7m in H1 FY20.


    Gross margin rate has increased year-on-year reflecting management action to improve intake margin, the category mix impact of prioritising resources towards higher-margin cards, AI-powered personalisation of promotions and the impact of the acquisition of the Experiences segment.


    Adjusted EBITDA was £34.6m (H1 FY22: £35.0m), with an Adjusted EBITDA margin rate of 24.2% (H1 FY22: 24.5%). Reported profit before taxation was £9.1m (H1 FY22: £18.7m) with the year-on-year decrease impacted by an increase in finance costs, one- off transaction costs related to the acquisition of Experiences, an increase in amortisation (reflecting the full year impact of investment in technology development which underpins our future growth) and the commencement of depreciation of fit-out costs and the right-of-use assets relating to the Group's new leasehold operational facilities.


    Orders and Average Order Value ("AOV")



    Six months ended 31

    October 2022

    Six months ended 31

    October 2021

    Six months ended 31

    October 2019

    H1 FY23

    Year-on-year growth %

    H1 FY23

    Three year growth %

    Moonpig and Greetz orders (m)

    16.9

    19.5

    9.5

    (13.3%)

    76.8%

    Moonpig and Greetz AOV (£ per order)

    7.8

    7.3

    6.9

    6.0%

    11.9%

    Moonpig and Greetz revenue (£m)

    131.1

    142.6

    66.3

    (8.1%)

    97.7%


    Moonpig revenue (£m)


    103.0


    108.5


    47.1


    (5.1%)


    118.7%

    Greetz revenue (£m)

    28.1

    34.1

    19.2

    (17.7%)

    46.3%

    Moonpig and Greetz revenue (£m)

    131.1

    142.6

    66.3

    (8.1%)

    97.7%

    Experiences revenue (£m)

    11.7

    -

    -

    n/a

    n/a

    Group revenue (£m)

    142.8

    142.6

    66.3

    0.1%

    115.4%


    Group revenue was flat year-on-year (growth of +0.1%) reflecting annualisation against the prior year impact on sales from lockdown restrictions, offset in part by the initial consolidation of Experiences from 13 July 2022 onwards.

    Moonpig and Greetz revenue decreased year-on-year by 8.1%, reflecting:



Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion

The Group is cash generative on an annual basis, with cash inflows strongly weighted into the second half of each financial year. This is reflected in Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion of 3% (H1 FY22: 38%). Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion for the Group excluding Experiences was 30% (H1 FY22: 38%). Cash outflows at Experiences reflect payments to merchants made in the ordinary course, with voucher redemptions by recipients seasonally exceeding new voucher sales to customers in the period.



Six months ended

Six months ended 31

31 October 2022

October 2021

£m

£m

Profit before taxation

9.1

18.7

Add back: Finance costs

5.8

4.9

Add back: Adjusting items (excluding share-based payments)

6.3

1.9

Add back: Share-based payments

3.5

3.5

Add back: Depreciation and amortisation

9.8

6.0

Adjusted EBITDA

34.6

35.0

Less: Capital expenditure (fixed and intangible assets)

(14.2)

(4.1)

Adjust: Impact of share-based payments1

0.9

-

Add back: (Increase) / decrease in inventories2

(1.1)

2.9

Add back: Decrease in trade and other receivables2

1.8

1.4

Add back: Decrease in trade and other payables2

(20.9)

(21.8)

Operating cash flow3

1.1

13.4

Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion

3%

38%

Add back: Capital expenditure

14.2

4.1

Add back: Loss on disposal of non-current assets

-

0.3

Add back: Increase / (decrease) in debtors and creditors with undertakings formerly under common control

0.3


(1.2)

Less: Adjusting items (excluding share-based payments)

(6.3)

(1.9)

Less: Research and development tax credit

(0.3)

(0.1)

Cash generated from underlying operating activities

9.0

14.6

  1. Reflecting the non-cash share-based payment charge recognised within Adjusted EBITDA, net of NI on the share-based payments recognised below EBITDA.

  2. Working capital movements for the six months ended 31 October 2022 have been adjusted for the opening balances arising upon acquisition of Experiences.

  3. Operating cash flow excludes settlement of legacy incentive obligations associated with the acquisition, which were fully provided for in the opening balance sheet.

Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as operating cash flow divided by Adjusted EBITDA, expressed as a ratio. Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion informs management and investors about the cash operating cycle of the business and how efficiently operating profit is converted into cash.


Capital structure

When we announced the acquisition of Experiences, we stated that we expected Group net debt to last twelve months' pro forma Adjusted EBITDA to peak at approximately 2.8x at 31 October 2022. The actual ratio at this date was 2.45x and we expect it to decrease until it is between approximately 1.9x and 2.0x at 30 April 2023, driven by operating cash flows.


Net debt is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as total borrowings, inclusive of lease liabilities, less cash and cash equivalents. Group net debt as at 31 October 2022 was £208.8m (October 2021: £113.0m). The year-on-year increase in net debt reflects financing for the acquisition of Experiences, together with additional leases taken out in respect of new operational facilities at Tamworth in the UK and Almere in the Netherlands.


The Group's senior facilities of £255.0m comprise a Term Loan of £175.0m with a bullet repayment profile, an original revolving credit facility ("Original RCF") of £20.0m and an additional RCF ("Additional RCF") of £60.0m. Arrangement fees capitalised on the balance sheet as at 31 October 2022 were £5.2m (October 2021: £5.6m).


These senior facilities are committed until 6 January 2026. They are subject to a single covenant of total net debt to last twelve months' Adjusted EBITDA of 4.00x until 30 April 2023 and 3.50x thereafter, which is tested on a semi-annual basis. The senior facilities agreement specifies that for covenant purposes, Adjusted EBITDA is measured on a pro forma basis, including the pre- acquisition profits of the Experiences segment. As the Senior Facilities Agreement was put in place under a previous ownership structure, the definition of Adjusted EBITDA for covenant purposes includes several favourable add-backs that are more typical of an acquisition finance facility, for instance to include the anticipated pro forma impact of any planned cost reduction actions, and to exclude recurring share based expenses that are not treated by the Group as an Adjusting Item for reporting purposes.


Our short-term priority is deleveraging. Our medium-term capital allocation priorities are unchanged. Our priority remains organic investment to drive growth, and we continue to invest in technology and data, in our brands and in our operational capabilities. Our policy is not to pay dividends, which remains under review and may be revised from time to time.


Outlook

Trading conditions have become progressively more challenging through October and November, and given the continued macroeconomic uncertainty, we now expect revenue for FY23 to be approximately £320 million. The actions that we have taken in response to the current environment mean that our expectations for full year absolute Adjusted EBITDA remain unchanged.

The business is highly cash generative on an annual basis, and we expect deleveraging in the second half of the financial year such that the ratio of net debt to pro forma Adjusted EBITDA is between approximately 1.9x and 2.0x at 30 April 2023.


We remain confident in the structural growth opportunity in our markets, as well as the fundamental strength, resilience and agility of our business.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES


The directors confirm that these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with UK adopted International Accounting Standard 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting' and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority and that the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7 and DTR 4.2.8, namely:



On behalf of the Board


Nickyl Raithatha Andy MacKinnon

Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer

6 December 2022 6 December 2022

Condensed Consolidated Income Statement

For the six-month period ended 31 October 2022



Note

Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Revenue

2

142,793

142,649

Cost of sales


(65,552)

(72,771)

Gross profit


77,241

69,878

Selling and administrative expenses


(62,959)

(46,984)

Other income


661

717

Operating profit


14,943

23,611

Finance costs

4

(5,849)

(4,884)

Profit before taxation


9,094

18,727

Taxation

5

(3,268)

(3,361)

Profit after taxation


5,826

15,366

Profit attributable to:

Equity holders of the Company


5,826

15,366

Earnings per share (pence)

Basic

6

1.7

4.5

Diluted

6

1.7

4.4


All activities relate to continuing operations.


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.


Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

For the six-month period ended 31 October 2022



Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Profit for the period


5,826

15,366

Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations


(179)

186

Cash flow hedge:




Fair value changes in the period

16

2,354

-

Cost of hedging reserve

16

225

-

Fair value movements on cash flow hedges transferred to profit and loss

16

(148)

-

Total other comprehensive income


2,252

186

Total comprehensive income for the period


8,078

15,552


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.

As at 31 October 2022



Note

At 31 October

At 31 October

At 30 April


2022

2021

2022


£000

£000

£000

Non-current assets





Intangible assets

8

212,893

35,489

34,028

Property, plant and equipment

9

33,139

16,149

21,241

Other non-current assets

11

2,178

1,389

1,928

Non-current financial derivatives

16

3,253

-

-



251,463

53,027

57,197

Current assets





Inventories

10

12,601

12,041

10,117

Trade and other receivables

11

10,073

3,794

4,292

Current tax receivable


1,977

748

256

Cash and cash equivalents


40,972

67,400

101,677



65,623

83,983

116,342

Total assets


317,086

137,010

173,539

Current liabilities





Trade and other payables

12

98,241

37,856

43,302

Provisions for other liabilities and charges


1,486

1,527

1,837

Contract liabilities


2,862

2,691

2,247

Lease liabilities

13

3,087

2,328

2,151

Borrowings

13

162

323

213



105,838

44,725

49,750

Non-current liabilities





Trade and other payables

12

7,331

3,152

6,312

Borrowings

13

229,751

169,359

169,950

Lease liabilities

13

16,735

8,381

13,169

Deferred tax liabilities


11,535

2,720

2,168

Provisions for other liabilities and charges


2,709

816

1,509



268,061

184,428

193,108

Total liabilities


373,899

229,153

242,858

Equity





Share capital

15

34,211

34,211

34,211

Share premium

15

278,083

277,837

278,083

Merger reserve


(993,026)

(1,000,586)

(993,026)

Retained earnings


583,068

565,549

576,507

Other reserves

15

40,851

30,846

34,906

Total equity


(56,813)

(92,143)

(69,319)

Total equity and liabilities


317,086

137,010

173,539


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



Note

Share

capital

Share

premium

Merger

reserve

Retained

earnings

Other

reserves

Total

equity


£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

Balance at 1 May 2021


34,211

277,837

(1,000,586)

550,183

27,015

(111,340)

Profit for the period


-

-

-

15,366

-

15,366

Other comprehensive expense


-

-

-

-

186

186

Total comprehensive income for the period


-

-

-

15,366

186

15,552

Share-based payments

14

-

-

-

-

3,645

3,645

As at 31 October 2021


34,211

277,837

(1,000,586)

565,549

30,846

(92,143)

Profit for the period


-

-

-

16,073

-

16,073

Other comprehensive income


-

-

-

-

4

4

Total comprehensive income for the period

Group relief reclassification


-


-

-


-

-


7,560

16,073


(5,115)

4


-

16,077


2,445

Share-based payments

14

-

-

-

-

4,056

4,056

Proceeds from IPO share issue

15

-

246

-

-

-

246

As at 30 April 2022


34,211

278,083

(993,026)

576,507

34,906

(69,319)

Profit for the period


-

-

-

5,826

-

5,826

Foreign currency translation reserve reclassification

Other comprehensive income:

Exchange differences on translation


-


-

-


-

-


-

735


-

(735)


(179)

-


(179)

of foreign operations

Cash flow hedges:








Fair value changes in the period


-

-

-

-

2,354

2,354

Cost of hedging reserve


-

-

-

-

225

225

Fair value movements on cash flow

hedges transferred to profit and loss


-

-

-

-

(148)

(148)

Total comprehensive income for the period


-

-

-

6,561

1,517

8,078

Share-based payments

14

-

-

-

-

4,428

4,428

As at 31 October 2022


34,211

278,083

(993,026)

583,068

40,851

(56,813)


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



Note

Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Cash flow from operating activities

Profit before taxation


9,094

18,727

Adjustments for:

Depreciation and amortisation


8,9


9,788


5,908

Loss on disposal of non-current assets


-

244

Finance costs

4

5,849

4,884

R&D tax credit


(300)

(115)

Share-based payment charges

Changes in working capital:

(Increase)/decrease in inventories

14

4,428


(1,103)

3,695


2,841

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables


(1,385)

1,412

Decrease in trade and other payables


(30,847)

(21,798)

Net decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables and payables

with undertakings formerly under common control


270

(1,215)

Cash (used in)/generated from operating activities


(4,206)

14,583

Income tax paid


(5,036)

(4,314)

Net cash (used in)/generated from operating activities


(9,242)

10,269

Cash flow from investing activities

Capitalisation of intangible assets

8

(6,665)

(3,746)

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

9

(7,574)

(390)

Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired

7

(88,598)

-

Net cash used in investing activities


(102,837)

(4,136)

Cash flow from financing activities

Proceeds from increases in borrowings

13

60,000

-

Payment of fees related to borrowings


(988)

-

Payment of interest rate cap premium


(940)

-

Interest paid on borrowings

13

(4,879)

(3,315)

Interest paid on swap derivatives


(148)

-

Lease liabilities paid

13

(1,195)

(1,260)

Interest paid on leases

13

(423)

(328)

Net cash generated from/(used in) financing activities


51,427

(4,903)

Net cash flows (used in)/generated from operating, investing, and financing activities

Differences on exchange


(60,652)


(53)

1,230


150

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents in the period


(60,705)

1,380

Net cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period


101,677

66,020

Net cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period


40,972

67,400


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.

1 General information

Moonpig Group plc (the "Company") is a public limited company incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies Act 2006, whose shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. The Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements of the Company as at and for the period ended 31 October 2022 comprise the Company and its interest in subsidiaries (together referred to as the "Group"). The Company is domiciled in the United Kingdom and its registered address is Herbal House, 10 Back Hill, London, EC1R 5EN, United Kingdom. The Company's LEI number is 213800VAYO5KCAXZHK83.


Basis of preparation

The annual financial statements of Moonpig Group plc will be prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The annual financial statements will also comply with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as adopted by the United Kingdom. These Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements for the six-month period ended 31 October 2022 have been prepared in accordance with UK adopted International Accounting Standard ("IAS") 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting' and the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority.

These Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements do not constitute statutory accounts as defined by the Companies Act 2006, Section 435. This report should be read in conjunction with the Group's Annual Report and Accounts as at and for the year ended 30 April 2022 ("last Annual Report and Accounts"), which were prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the United Kingdom. The last Annual Report and Accounts have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditors’ report on these accounts was unqualified.


All figures presented are rounded to the nearest thousand (£000), unless otherwise stated.

The Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements have been prepared on a going concern basis and under the historical cost convention.


The Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 6 December 2022 and have been reviewed and not audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the auditors, and its report is set out at the end of this document.


Going concern

These Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The group ended the six month period with a cash and cash equivalents balance of £40,972,000 (30 April 2022: £101,677,000). The Group has a Senior Facilities Agreement which is committed until 6 January 2026 and comprises a Term Loan of £175,000,000, an Original RCF of

£20,000,000 and an Additional RCF of £60,000,000. As at 31 October 2022, the Additional RCF was drawn down in full whilst the Original RCF remains undrawn.


The Term Loan and any amounts drawn under the Original RCF and Additional RCF bear interest at a floating rate (which was linked to LIBOR until 8 December 2021 and linked to SONIA since that date) plus a margin. On 1 August, the Group executed two interest rate derivative agreements, with the intention of hedging its exposure to increases in SONIA for broadly three quarters of its current expected future senior debt (net of cash) until November 2024. The agreements comprise: (1) an interest rate swap at a rate of 2.4725% with a floor strike rate of 0% on £90m notional until 1 December 2022 and £55m notional until the term expires on 30 November 2023; and (2) an interest rate cap with a cap strike rate of 3.0000% on £70m notional with a term that expires on 30 November 2024.


The Senior Facilities Agreement is subject to a Total Net Debt to last twelve months' pro forma Adjusted EBITDA covenant of 4.00x until 30 April 2023 and 3.50x thereafter. It is tested on a semi-annual basis, with Total Net Debt and Adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Senior Facilities Agreement. The Group has complied with all covenants from entering the Senior Facilities Agreement until the date of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and is forecast to comply with these during the going concern assessment period.


The Directors have reviewed a downside scenario, which is considered to be severe but plausible, and the impact resulting on the Group's performance and position. The scenario models the impact of the possibility that a downturn in consumer demand could lead to a sustained adverse impact on trading. In this scenario, the Group continues to have sufficient resources to continue in operational existence. In the event that more severe impacts occur, mitigating actions are available to the Group should they be required.


The Directors also reviewed the results of reverse stress testing performed to provide an illustration of the extent to which existing customer purchase frequency and levels of new customer acquisition would need to deteriorate in order that their cumulative effect should either trigger a breach in the Group's covenants under the Senior Facilities Agreement or else exhaust liquidity. The probability of this scenario occurring was deemed to be remote given the resilient nature of the business model and strong cash conversion of the Group.


After making enquiries, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for at least 12 months from the date of signing these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.


Accounting policies

The Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 124-130 of the Group's Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 30 April 2022. Owing to changes in the current reporting period, specifically the acquisition of Experience More Limited and use of financial derivatives as part of the Group’s financial risk management strategy, additional accounting policy disclosures are required as set out below:


Revenue recognition

In addition to the revenue recognition policy as described in the Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 30 April 2022, the below accounting policy is applicable for the six-month period ended 31 October 2022.


The Experiences segment operates a platform for the distribution of vouchers that may be redeemed for a wide choice of experiences provided by third party merchant partners. Revenue is primarily generated through the sale and issue of these vouchers, which may be gifted or kept for a consumer's own use.


Revenue is recognised when a consumer purchases a voucher, with the Experiences segment acting as an agent at the point of sale. At this point the Group's obligations are substantially complete, subject to a provision for refunds as stipulated in the terms of the sale, as gift experience services are provided by the Group's merchant partners, following redemption either through the Group's websites or directly with the voucher recipient's chosen merchant partner.

The amount of revenue recognised primarily comprises the expected value of fees and any other income receivable by the Experiences segment in accordance with its contracts with third party merchant partners, rather than the gross value of vouchers purchased. This includes an estimate of the revenue to be recognised in relation to vouchers which are not redeemed based on historical rates.

Each voucher is multi-purpose and can be exchanged for any experience at any point until redemption, on account of which merchants are not paid a share of the gross value of a voucher until after redemption. The expected value of future amounts that will become payable to merchants is included within trade and other payables on the Balance Sheet. Where a recipient does not redeem the voucher prior to its expiry date, the Group recognises revenue from unredeemed vouchers and derecognises the accrued merchant payable shortly after its legal obligations to the merchant expires.

Financial Instruments

Derivative financial instruments are used to manage risks arising from changes in interest rates relating to the Groups external debt. The Group does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. The Group uses the derivatives to hedge highly probable forecast transactions and therefore, the instruments are designated as cash flow hedges.


Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a contract is entered into and are subsequently remeasured at their fair value at each reporting date. At inception of designated hedging relationships, the Group documents the risk management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedge. The Group also documents the economic relationship between the hedged item and the hedging instrument, including whether the changes in the cash flows of the hedged item and hedging instrument are expected to offset each other.


The effective element of any gain or loss from remeasuring the derivative instrument is recognised in Other Comprehensive Income ("OCI") and accumulated in the hedging reserve (presented in "Other Reserves" in the Statement of Changes in Equity). Any change in the fair value of time value of the derivative instrument is also recognised in OCI as part of cash flow hedges and accumulated in the cost of hedging reserve (presented in "Other Reserves" in the Statement of Changes in Equity). Any element of the remeasurement of the derivative instrument that does not meet the criteria for an effective hedge is recognised immediately in the Group Income Statement within finance costs.


When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, or when a hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative gain or loss existing in OCI at that time remains in OCI and is recognised when the forecast transaction is ultimately recognised in the Income Statement. When a forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, the cumulative gain or loss that was reported in OCI is recycled to the profit or loss. The full fair value of a hedging derivative is classified as a non-current asset or liability if the remaining maturity of the hedged item is more than 12 months or, as a current asset or liability, if the remaining maturity of the hedged item is less than 12 months.

Taxation

Taxes on income in the interim periods are accrued using the effective tax rate that would be applicable to expected annual profit or loss.


Critical accounting judgements and estimates

In preparing these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements, management has made judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of the accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to estimates are recognised prospectively.


Critical accounting judgements and estimates (continued)

The area of judgement which has the greatest potential effect on the amounts recognised in these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements is the capitalisation of internally generated assets, whilst the areas of estimates and assumption that have the greatest potential effect are the useful life of internally generated assets and the merchant accrual. Capitalisation and the useful life of internally generated assets are consistent with matters disclosed on page 124 in the FY22 Annual Report and Accounts.

The merchant accrual has been identified as a significant estimate following the acquisition of the Experiences segment. The Experiences segment acts as an agent at the point of sale. Therefore, when a voucher is purchased, the expected value of future amounts that will become payable to merchant providers is recorded within Trade and Other Payables on the Balance Sheet. The Group takes into account historical redemption rates when estimating future payments to merchant providers, with the span between the upper and the lower ends of the range in historical trends for these rates equivalent to a £2,600,000 movement in the amount recognised in revenue. The estimates are trued up for actual customer utilisation rates in the period.


2 Segmental analysis

The chief operating decision maker ("CODM") reviews external revenue and Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources to the overall business.

"Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP measure. Adjustments are made to the statutory IFRS results to arrive at an underlying result which is in line with how the business is managed and measured on a day-to-day basis. Adjustments are made for items that are individually important to understand the financial performance. If included, these items could distort understanding of the performance for the year and the comparability between periods. Management applies judgement in determining which items should be excluded from underlying performance. See Note 3 for details of these adjustments.

The three segments (Moonpig, Greetz and Experiences) are the reportable segments for the Group, with Moonpig and Experiences based in the UK and Greetz in the Netherlands. The Experiences segment, consisting of and trading under the Red Letter Days and Buyagift brands, became an operating segment of the Group on acquisition on 13 July 2022 and has been consolidated into the Group's overall position and performance since this date. The three segments form the focus of the Group’s internal reporting systems and are the basis used by the CODM for assessing performance and allocating resources. Finance costs are not allocated to the reportable segments, as this activity is managed centrally.

Most of the Group's revenue is derived from retail to consumers in the cards and gifting markets. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of the Group's revenue. In common with many retailers, revenue and trading profit are subject to seasonal fluctuations and are weighted towards the second half of the financial year which includes the key peak periods for the business.


Segment analyses

The following table shows revenue by segment that reconciles to the consolidated revenue for the Group.



Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Moonpig

103,018

108,509

Greetz

28,085

34,140

Experiences

11,690

-

Total external revenue

142,793

142,649


The following table shows revenue by key geography that reconciles to the consolidated revenue for the Group. The geographical split of revenue is based on the ordering website location:



Six months ended

Six months ended

31 October 2022

31 October 2021

£000

£000

UK and Ireland

111,985

106,653

Netherlands

28,085

33,422

Rest of the world1

2,723

2,574

Total external revenue

142,793

142,649

1 Rest of the world revenue includes the USA and Australia.


The following table shows the information regarding assets by segment that reconciles to the consolidated results of the Group.



Six months ended

Six months ended


31 October 2022

31 October 2021


£000

£000

Moonpig

Non-current assets1

40,893

28,982

Capital expenditure

(5,563)

(116)

Intangible expenditure

(6,415)

(3,746)

Depreciation and amortisation

(4,883)

(4,084)

Greetz

Non-current assets1

27,319

22,656

Capital expenditure2

(7,353)

(274)

Intangible expenditure

-

-

Depreciation and amortisation

(2,115)

(1,899)

Experiences

Non-current assets1

177,820

-

Capital expenditure

(15)

-

Intangible expenditure

(250)

-

Depreciation and amortisation

(2,790)

-

Group

Non-current assets1

246,032

51,638

Capital expenditure2

(12,931)

(390)

Intangible expenditure

(6,665)

(3,746)

Depreciation and amortisation

(9,788)

(5,983)

1 Comprises intangible assets and property, plant and equipment.

2 Includes ROU asset capitalised in the period.


The Group's measure of segment profit, Adjusted EBITDA, excludes the adjusting items set out at Note 3; refer to Alternative Performance Measures ("APMs") at Note 20 for calculation.



Six months ended

Six months ended

31 October 2022

31 October 2021

£000

£000

Adjusted EBITDA



Moonpig

26,090

27,814

Greetz

4,600

7,174

Experiences

3,861

-

Group Adjusted EBITDA

34,551

34,988

Depreciation and amortisation



Moonpig

4,883

4,084

Greetz1

2,115

1,899

Experiences2

2,790

-

Group depreciation and amortisation

9,788

5,983

1 Includes amortisation arising on consolidation of intangibles forming part of the Greetz Cash Generating Unit ("CGU").

2 Includes amortisation arising on consolidation of intangibles forming part of the Experiences CGU.


The following table shows Adjusted EBITDA that reconciles to the consolidated results of the Group.



Note

Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Adjusted EBITDA

20

34,551

34,988

Depreciation and amortisation

8,9

(9,788)

(5,983)

Adjusting items

3

(9,820)

(5,394)

Operating profit


14,943

23,611

Finance costs

4

(5,849)

(4,884)

Profit before taxation


9,094

18,727

Taxation

5

(3,268)

(3,361)

Profit for the period


5,826

15,366



Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Pre-IPO bonus awards

(1,899)

(1,895)

Pre-IPO share-based payment charges

(3,530)

(3,499)

M&A related transaction costs

(4,391)

-

Total adjustments made to operating profit

(9,820)

(5,394)


Pre-IPO bonus awards

Pre-IPO bonus awards are one-off cash-settled bonuses, and the cash component of the Pre-IPO schemes, awarded in relation to the IPO process that completed during the year ended 30 April 2021.


Pre-IPO share-based payment charges

Pre-IPO share-based payment charges relate to the Legacy Schemes and Pre-IPO awards that were granted in relation to the IPO process that completed during the year ended 30 April 2021.


M&A related transaction costs

M&A related transaction costs relate to fees and costs incurred in relation to the acquisition of the Experiences segment, the UK’s leading gift experiences platform.

Cash paid in relation to adjusting items in the period totalled £5,419,000 (H1 FY22: £Nil).


  1. Finance costs



    Six months ended 31 October 2022

    £000

    Six months ended 31 October 2021

    £000

    Interest payable on leases

    (423)

    (328)

    Bank interest payable

    (4,965)

    (3,336)

    Amortisation of capitalised borrowing costs

    (790)

    (676)

    Amortisation of interest rate cap premium

    (117)

    -

    Net foreign exchange gain/(loss) on financing activities

    446

    (544)

    Total finance costs

    (5,849)

    (4,884)


  2. Taxation



    Six months ended

    Six months ended

    31 October 2022

    31 October 2021

    £000

    £000

    Total current tax

    3,897

    3,921

    Total deferred tax

    (629)

    (560)

    Total tax charge in the income statement

    3,268

    3,361

    Effective tax rate %

    35.9%

    18.0%

    The Finance Bill 2021 included legislation to increase the main rate of corporation tax from 19% to 25% from 1 April 2023. This rate change is included above as the Finance Bill 2021 has been substantively enacted.

    According to the 2023 Tax Plan, the general corporate income tax rate will remain 25.8% for the year 2023 whereby the first EUR 200K profit is taxed at 19%. The Tax Plan was adopted by the Lower House and is currently being discussed in the Upper House.


  3. Earnings per share

    Basic earnings per share

    Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year. Basic EPS is calculated based on the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period of 342,111,621 less 3,075,329 shares subject to potential repurchase.


    Diluted earnings per share

    For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion of all potentially dilutive ordinary shares. The Group has potentially dilutive ordinary shares arising from share options granted to employees under the share schemes as detailed in Note 14 of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.


    Adjusted earnings per share

    Earnings attributable to ordinary equity holders of the Group for the period, adjusted to remove the impact of adjusting items and the tax impact of these; divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.



    Adjusted

    IFRS

    Adjusted

    IFRS


    Six months

    Six months

    Six months

    Six months

    Adjusted

    IFRS

    ended 31

    ended 31

    ended 31

    ended 31

    Year ended

    Year ended

    October

    October

    October

    October

    30 April

    30 April

    2022

    2022

    2021

    2021

    2022

    2022

    Earnings attributable to equity







    holders of the Company (£000):

    Profit for the period

    14,6281

    5,826

    20,4481

    15,366

    41,6741

    31,439

    Number of shares:







    Weighted average number of

    339,036,292

    339,036,292

    339,036,292

    339,036,292

    339,036,292

    339,036,292

    ordinary shares - Basic







    Weighted average number of

    349,088,615

    349,088,615

    345,993,719

    345,993,719

    345,993,719

    345,993,719

    ordinary shares - Diluted







    Earnings per share attributable to







    equity holders of the Company -







    continuing operations:







    Basic earnings per share (pence)

    4.3

    1.7

    6.0

    4.5

    12.3

    9.3

    Diluted earnings per share (pence)

    4.2

    1.7

    5.9

    4.4

    12.0

    9.1

    1 Refer to the Alternative Performance Measures section at Note 20 for reconciliation. Adjusting Items are listed summarised at Note 3.


  4. Acquisition of subsidiary

    On 13 July 2022, the Group acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Experience More Limited (formerly Smartbox Group UK Limited), the UK's leading gift experiences platform. The total outflow of cash to acquire the subsidiary was £88,598,000, comprising cash consideration of £124,313,000 net of cash balances acquired of £35,715,000.


    Details of the purchase consideration, provisional goodwill and the provisional fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities acquired are as follows:



    Book value

    Fair value

    adjustment

    Final fair value

    £000

    £000

    £000

    Intangible assets

    1,177

    41,517

    42,694

    Tangibles assets

    834

    -

    834

    Right-of-use asset

    2,105

    (800)

    1,305

    Investments

    528

    (528)

    -

    Inventories

    1,335

    46

    1,381

    Trade and other receivables

    4,939

    (22)

    4,917

    Trade and other payables

    (87,141)

    209

    (86,932)

    Lease liability

    (2,286)

    1,298

    (988)

    Current tax asset

    474

    -

    474

    Provision

    (95)

    (651)

    (746)

    Deferred tax asset / (liability)

    176

    (10,006)

    (9,830)

    Total

    (77,954)

    31,063

    (46,891)

    Goodwill recognised as a result of the acquisition is as follows:







    £000

    Cash consideration



    124,313

    Less: cash balances acquired



    (35,715)

    Outflow of cash to acquire subsidiary, net of cash acquired



    88,598

    Fair value of identifiable liabilities



    46,891

    Goodwill



    135,489

    Intangible assets:

    Development costs




    1,177

    Customer relationships



    33,831

    Brand names



    7,686

    Total



    42,694


    None of the goodwill acquired is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. The goodwill constitutes the value of revenue synergies and a high-quality complementary business that will significantly enhance the Group's overall gifting proposition, unlock innovation through digital gifting and provide a profitable presence in the standalone gifting market.


    The Experiences segment contributed £11,690,000 of revenue and £686,000 on a profit before taxation basis for the period between the date of acquisition and the Balance Sheet date.


    If the acquisition of the Experiences segment had been completed on the first day of the financial year, Group revenue for the period would have been £6,282,000 higher and Group profit before taxation for the period would have been £13,003,000 lower (before amortisation of intangible assets arising on consolidation). This profit before taxation impact includes a pre-acquisition charge of £13,533,000 (recognised as a liability in the opening balance sheet) relating to cash bonuses payable to the Experiences management team which vested upon completion of the acquisition in accordance with an incentive scheme established by the vendor.

    Acquisition costs of £5,300,000 arose as a result of the transaction, of which £909,000 were incurred in the year ended 30 April 2022 and £4,391,000 were incurred in the six months ended 31 October 2022. These have been recognised as Adjusting Items within operating profit in the Condensed Consolidated Income Statement (see Note 3).


  5. Intangible assets




    Goodwill


    Trademark

    Technology

    and development

    costs


    Customer relationships


    Software


    Total

    £000

    £000

    £000

    £000

    £000

    £000

    Net Book Value ("NBV") at 1 May

    6,459

    6,523

    11,922

    11,054

    364

    36,322

    2021







    Additions

    -

    -

    3,746

    -

    -

    3,746

    Disposals

    -

    -

    -

    -

    (152)

    (152)

    Amortisation charge for the period

    -

    (438)

    (2,455)

    (775)

    (83)

    (3,751)

    Foreign exchange

    (189)

    (257)

    (100)

    (132)

    2

    (676)

    NBV at 31 October 2021

    6,270

    5,828

    13,113

    10,147

    131

    35,489

    Additions

    -

    35

    4,516

    -

    -

    4,551

    Disposals

    -

    -

    -

    -

    73

    73

    Amortisation charge for the period

    -

    (328)

    (3,064)

    (2,432)

    (126)

    (5,950)

    Foreign exchange

    (34)

    (134)

    -

    34

    (1)

    (135)

    NBV at 30 April 2022

    6,236

    5,401

    14,565

    7,749

    77

    34,028

    Additions

    -

    -

    6,657

    -

    8

    6,665

    Additions from acquisition of subsidiary

    135,489

    7,686

    1,177

    33,831

    -

    178,183

    Amortisation charge for the period

    -

    (709)

    (3,431)

    (2,348)

    (43)

    (6,531)

    Foreign exchange

    130

    177

    -

    241

    -

    548

    NBV 31 October 2022

    141,855

    12,555

    18,968

    39,473

    42

    212,893


    1. Goodwill

      Goodwill of £6,366,000 relates to the acquisition of Greetz in 2018, recognised within the Greetz CGU.


      Goodwill of £135,489,000 relates to the acquisition of the Experiences segment and is allocated to the Experiences CGU.


    2. Trademark

      £5,098,000 of the asset balance are trademarks relating to the acquisition of Greetz with finite lives. The remaining useful economic life at 31 October 2022 of the trademarks is 5 years 10 months (October 2021: 6 years 10 months).

      £7,457,000 of trademark assets relate to the brands valued on the acquisition of the Experiences segment. The remaining useful economic life at 31 October 2022 on these trademarks is 9 years and 9 months.


    3. Technology and development costs

      Technology and development costs of £17,909,000 relate to internally developed assets. The costs of these assets include capitalised expenses of employees working full time on software development projects and third-party consulting firms.


      Technology and development costs of £1,059,000 relate to the acquisition of the Experiences segment and are allocated to the Experiences CGU. The remaining useful economic life at 31 October 2022 is 2 years and 9 months.


    4. Customer relationships

      £7,484,000 of the asset balance relates to the valuation of existing customer relationships held by Greetz on acquisition. The remaining useful economic life at 31 October 2022 on these customer relationships is 7 years 10 months (October 2021: 8 years 10 months).


      £31,989,000 of customer relationship assets relates to those valued on the acquisition of the Experiences segment. The remaining useful economic life at 31 October 2022 on these customer relationships ranges between 6 years and 9 months and 11 months.


    5. Software

Software intangible assets include accounting and marketing software purchased by the Group and software licence fees from third-party suppliers.



Right-of-

Right-of-


use

use




Fixtures



assets

assets


Freehold

Plant and

and

Leasehold

Computer

plant and

land and


property

machinery

fittings

Improvements

equipment

machinery

buildings

Total


£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

NBV at 1 May 2021

2,068

2,851

486

2,459

911

508

8,718

18,001

Additions

-

269

-

-

121

-

-

390

Disposals

(57)

(10)

(2)

(4)

(19)

-

-

(92)

Depreciation charge









for the period

(80)

(491)

(145)

(197)

(206)

(232)

(806)

(2,157)

Foreign exchange

-

(29)

-

3

(15)

76

(28)

7

NBV at 31 October

1,931

2,590

339

2,261

792

352

7,884

16,149

2021









Additions

-

534

94

11

415

-

6,571

7,625

Disposals

-

-

-

-

(19)

(43)

-

(62)

Modifications

-

-

-

-

7

-

-

7

Depreciation charge

(77)

(539)

(145)

(202)

(296)

(104)

(1,138)

(2,501)

for the period









Foreign exchange

-

(11)

-

-

(9)

1

42

23

NBV at 30 April 2022

1,854

2,574

288

2,070

890

206

13,359

21,241

Additions

-

2,203

5

4,960

406

24

5,333

12,931

Acquired additions

-

-

692

-

143

371

933

2,139

Disposals

-

-

6

(6)

-

-

-

-

Transfers

-

-

(81)

205

(124)

-

-

-

Depreciation charge

(78)

(666)

(147)

(285)

(294)

(185)

(1,602)

(3,257)

for the period









Foreign exchange

-

31

-

9

13

5

27

85

NBV at 31 October

1,776

4,142

763

6,953

1,034

421

18,050

33,139

2022









10 Inventories










At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Raw materials and consumables

2,434

2,395

2,109

Finished goods

12,318

11,210

9,987

Total inventory

14,752

13,605

12,096

Less: Provision for write off of:

Raw materials and consumables

(10)

(210)

(194)

Finished goods

(2,141)

(1,354)

(1,785)

Net inventory

12,601

12,041

10,117


The cost of inventories recognised as an expense and included in cost of sales during the period amounted to £21,595,000 (H1 FY22: £34,751,000).


11 Trade and other receivables


At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Current:

Trade receivables

1,742

125

138

Trade receivables with entities formerly under common control

-

1,090

-

Less: provision for impairment of receivables

(408)

(44)

-

Trade receivables - net

1,334

1,171

138

Other receivables

4,354

1,010

1,944

Other receivables with entities formerly under common control

150

-

458

Prepayments

4,235

1,613

1,752

Total current trade and other receivables

10,073

3,794

4,292


At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Non-current other receivables

Other receivables

2,178

1,389

1,928

Total non-current trade and other receivables

2,178

1,389

1,928


Non-current other receivables relate to security deposits in connection with leased property.


12 Trade and other payables


At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Current




Trade payables

23,150

14,065

19,402

Other payables

418

-

-

Other taxation and social security

6,325

4,801

4,370

Accruals

19,079

16,632

19,530

Merchant accrual

49,269

-

-

Other payables to entities formerly under common control

-

2,358

-

Total current trade and other payables

98,241

37,856

43,302



At


At


At


31 October

31 October

30 April


2022

2021

2022


£000

£000

£000

Non-current




Other payables

6,005

1,876

4,207

Other taxation and social security

688

638

1,338

Accruals

-

-

129

Other payables to entities formerly under common control

638

638

638

Total non-current trade and other payables

7,331

3,152

6,312

13 Borrowings



At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Current

Lease liabilities

3,087

2,328

2,151

Borrowings

162

323

213

Non-current

Lease liabilities

16,735

8,381

13,169

Borrowings

229,751

169,359

169,950

Total borrowings and lease liabilities

249,735

180,391

185,483


The Group's sources of borrowing for liquidity purposes include the Senior Facilities Agreement executed on 7 January 2021. Liabilities arising from the Group's lease arrangements are also reported in borrowings. The Senior Facilities Agreement comprises a Sterling (GBP) Term Loan of £175,000,000 and the Original RCF of £20,000,000, provided by a syndicate of banks.


In connection with the acquisition of Experience More Limited, certain existing lenders committed £60,000,000 of Additional RCF in an agreement executed on 22 June 2022, which formed part of the Group’s Senior Facilities Agreement since this date.

All facilities provided under the Senior Facilities Agreement are committed until 6 January 2026. As at 31 October 2022,

£60,000,000 of the Additional RCF was drawn down in full. The Original RCF remained undrawn.

The Term Loan and any amounts drawn down under the Original RCF and Additional RCF (referred to when drawn as the Group's "senior debt") bear interest at a floating rate (which was linked to LIBOR until 8 December 2021 and linked to SONIA since that date) plus a margin. On 1 August, the Group executed two interest rate derivative agreements, with the intention of hedging its exposure to increases in SONIA for broadly three quarters of its current expected future senior net debt (net of cash) for the period until November 2024. The agreements comprise: (1) an interest rate swap at a rate of 2.4725% with a floor strike rate of 0% on

£90m notional until 1 December 2022 and £55m notional until the term expires on 30 November 2023; and (2) an interest rate cap with a cap strike rate of 3.0000% on £70m notional with a term that expires on 30 November 2024.


The Senior Facilities Agreement is subject to a Total Net Debt to last twelve months' Adjusted EBITDA (stated pro forma to include a full year's profit from acquired businesses) covenant of 4.00x until and including the year ended 30 April 2023 and 3.50x thereafter, tested semi-annually, with Total Net Debt and Adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Senior Facilities Agreement.


Borrowings are repayable as follows:



At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Within one year

162

323

213

Within one and two years

-

-

-

Within two and three years

-

-

-

Within three and four years

229,751

-

169,950

Within four and five years

-

169,359

-

Beyond five years

-

-

-

Total borrowings

229,913

169,682

170,163


Total borrowings include £162,000 in respect of accrued unpaid interest and are shown net of capitalised borrowing costs of

£5,249,000 (H1 FY22: £5,641,000).


Lease liabilities are repayable as follows:



At

31 October

At

31 October

At

30 April

2022

2021

2022

£000

£000

£000

Within one year

3,658

2,868

2,798

Within one and two years

3,570

2,029

2,680

Within two and three years

3,412

1,934

2,670

Within three and four years

3,392

1,926

2,667

Within four and five years

3,184

1,926

2,667

Beyond five years

5,745

1,698

4,259


22,961

12,381

17,741

Effect of discounting

(3,139)

(1,672)

(2,421)

Total lease liability

19,822

10,709

15,320


The table below details changes in liabilities arising from financing activities, including both cash and non-cash changes.



Borrowings

Lease

liabilities

Total

£000

£000

£000

1 May 2021

169,071

12,032

181,103

Cash flow

(3,315)

(1,588)

(4,903)

Foreign exchange

-

(63)

(63)

Interest and other1

3,926

328

4,254

31 October 2021

169,682

10,709

180,391

Cash flow

(3,136)

(1,517)

(4,653)

Foreign exchange

-

(5)

(5)

Interest and other1

3,617

6,133

9,750

30 April 2022

170,163

15,320

185,483

Cash flow

55,121

(1,618)

53,503

Foreign exchange

-

31

31

Interest and other1

4,629

6,089

10,718

31 October 2022

229,913

19,822

249,735

1 Interest and other within borrowings comprises amortisation of capitalised borrowing costs and the interest expense in the period. Interest and other within lease liabilities comprises interest on leases as disclosed in Note 4, as well as the lease liability addition in relation to the new Netherlands facility and office and the lease liability acquired on acquisition of the Experiences segment.


Legacy schemes

Prior to Admission to the London Stock Exchange during the year ended 30 April 2021, share and cash-based incentives were awarded by the Former Parent Undertaking (Horizon Holdco Limited, the parent entity of the previous private group which the Group was a part of) in relation to legacy compensation agreements for certain employees, senior management and Directors. Such shares have been converted into separate shares in Moonpig Group plc and other companies formerly under common control. These were accounted for in accordance with IFRS 2 and disclosed in the Prospectus, which can be found at www.moonpiggroup/investors. The awards included 3,075,329 shares in Moonpig Group plc that did not vest at the date of Admission, and which are due to vest on 7 January 2023. In respect of these shares, there were non-cash charges of £3,260,000 in FY22 and £1,643,000 in H1 FY23, and we expect further non-cash charges of £607,000 in the remainder of FY23. National Insurance is not included on these schemes as they operated at an unrestricted tax market value.


Pre-IPO awards

Awards were granted on 27 January 2021 and comprise two equal tranches, with the first tranche vesting on 30 June 2023 and the second tranche on 30 April 2024. The share awards vesting is subject to the achievement of revenue and Adjusted EBITDA performance conditions and participants to remain employed by the Company over the vesting period. Given the constituents of the scheme, no attrition assumption has been applied. On 19 May, 6 September and 25 October 2022 new share awards were granted under the existing scheme and will vest on 30 April 2024, the below tables give the assumptions applied to the options granted in the period and the shares outstanding:



May 2022

September 2022

October 2022

Valuation model

Black-Scholes

Black-Scholes

Black-Scholes

Weighted average share price (pence)

236.20

189.80

127.00

Exercise price (pence)

0

0

0

Expected dividend yield

0%

0%

0%

Risk-free interest rate

1.52%

3.10%

3.30%

Volatility

34.64%

32.86%

33.97%

Expected term (years)

1.95

1.65

1.51

Weighted average fair value (pence)

236.20

189.80

127.00

Attrition

0%

0%

0%

Weighted average remaining contractual life

1.50 years

1.50 years

1.50 years



Pre-IPO awards

Number of shares


image

Outstanding at the beginning of the period 2,546,859

Granted 52,498

Exercised -

Forfeited (7,143)

image

Outstanding at the end of the period 2,592,214

image

Exercisable at the end of the period -

image


Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP")

Awards were granted on 1 February 2021 and will vest on 30 June 2024. Half of the share awards vesting is subject to a relative Total Shareholders Return ("TSR") performance condition measured against the constituents of the FTSE 250 Index (excluding Investment Trusts). The other half of the share awards vesting is subject to the achievement of an Adjusted Basic Pre-Tax EPS performance condition (calculated as Adjusted Profit Before Taxation, divided by the undiluted weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year). Participants are also required to remain employed by the Company over the vesting period, with Executive Directors to 30 April 2026. Given the constituents of the scheme, no attrition assumption has been applied. On 5 July 2022 and 25 October 2022 new awards were granted under the existing scheme and will vest on 5 July and 25 October 2025 respectively. Consistent with the existing scheme, participants are required to remain employed by the Company over the vesting period, with the Executive Directors to 5 July 2027. The below tables give the assumptions applied to the options granted in the period and the shares outstanding:



July 2022

October 2022

Valuation model

Stochastic, Black-Scholes and Chaffe

Stochastic and Black-Scholes

Weighted average share price (pence)

211.20

127.00

Exercise price (pence)

0

0

Expected dividend yield

0%

0%

Risk-free interest rate

1.64%/1.76%

3.43%

Volatility

35.10%/34.38%

34.84%

Expected term (years)

3.00/2.00

3.00

Weighted average fair value (pence)

211.20/131.70

127.00/62.30

Attrition

0%

0%

Weighted average remaining contractual life

2.70/1.70

2.99 years

LTIP awards


Number of shares

Outstanding at the beginning of the period


871,275

Granted

Exercised Forfeited


2,296,209

-

-

Outstanding at the end of the period


3,167,484

Exercisable at the end of the period


-


Deferred Share Bonus Plan ("DSBP")


The Group has bonus arrangements in place for Executive Directors and certain key management personnel within the Group whereby a proportion of the annual bonus is subject to deferral over a period of three years with vesting subject to continued service only.


On 6 August 2021, 92,970 shares were granted in relation to the deferred element of the FY21 bonus. These shares will vest on 6 August 2024. On 5 July 2022, 299,319 shares were granted in relation to the deferred element of the FY22 bonus. These shares will vest on 5 July 2025.


The outstanding number of shares at the end of the period is 392,289 (H1 FY22: 92,970).


July 2022

image

Valuation model Black-Scholes

Weighted average share price (pence) 211.20

Exercise price (pence) 0

Expected dividend yield 0%

Risk-free interest rate 1.64%

Volatility 35.10%

Expected term (years) 3.00

Weighted average fair value (pence) 211.20

Attrition 0%

Weighted average remaining contractual life 2.70

image

DSBP awards Number

of shares

image

Outstanding at the beginning of the period 92,970

Granted 299,319

Exercised -

Forfeited -

image

image

Outstanding at the end of the period 392,289

Exercisable at the end of the period -

image


Save As You Earn ("SAYE")

The Group entered a SAYE scheme for all eligible employees under which employees are granted an option to purchase ordinary shares in the Company at an option price set at a 20% discount to the average market price over the three days before the invitation date, in three years' time, dependent on their entering into a contract to make monthly contributions into a savings account over the relevant period.


The FY22 awards were granted on 3 September 2021 and will vest on 1 October 2024, with a six-month exercise period following vesting. The awards are subject only to service conditions with the requirement for the recipients of awards to remain in employment with the Company over the vesting period. FY23 awards were granted on 8 September 2022 and will vest on 1 October 2025, they are subject to the same conditions as the FY22 grant. The below tables give the assumptions applied to the options granted in the period and the shares outstanding:



SAYE

Valuation model

Black-Scholes

Weighted average share price (pence)

194.90

Exercise price (pence)

162.00

Expected dividend yield

0%

Risk-free interest rate

2.93%

Volatility

34.47%

Expected term (years)

3.25

Weighted average fair value (pence)

59.11

Attrition

15%

Weighted average remaining contractual life

2.9 years


SAYE Number of

shares

image

Outstanding at the beginning of the period 318,021

Granted 692,957

Exercised -

Forfeited (186,864)

image

image

Outstanding at the end of the period 824,114

Exercisable at the end of the period -

image

The fair value of awards under the Pre-IPO and DSBP awards are equal to the share price on the date of award as there is no price to be paid and employees are entitled to dividend equivalents.


For awards with a market condition, volatility is calculated over the period commensurate with the remainder of the performance period immediately prior to the date of grant. For all other conditions, volatility is calculated over the period commensurate with the expected term. As the Company had only recently listed, a proxy volatility equal to the median volatility of the FTSE 250 (excluding Investment Trusts) over the respective periods has been used. Consideration has also been made to the trend of volatility to return to its mean by disregarding extraordinary periods of volatility.

Share-based payment charges recognised in the income statement:



Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Year ended 30 April 2022

£000

Legacy schemes

1,643

1,643

3,260

Pre-IPO awards

1,887

1,856

3,778

LTIP

833

410

822

SAYE

258

11

79

DSBP

160

58

369

Share-based payment charges1

4,781

3,978

8,308

1 The £4,781,000 (H1 FY22: £3,978,000) stated above is presented inclusive of NI of £353,000 (H1 FY22: £284,000).


15 Share capital and reserves

The Group considers its capital to comprise its ordinary share capital, share premium, merger reserve, retained earnings, share- based payments reserve, hedging reserve and foreign exchange translation reserve. Quantitative detail is shown in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity. The Directors' objective when managing capital is to safeguard the Group's ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for the shareholder and benefits for other stakeholders.


Called-up share capital

Ordinary share capital represents the number of shares in issue at their nominal value. Ordinary shares in the Company are issued, allotted and fully paid up.


The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared from time to time and are entitled to one vote per share at meetings of the Company. The shareholding as at 31 October 2022 is:

Number of shares £000

image

Allotted, called-up and fully paid ordinary shares of £0.10 each 342,111,621 34,211

image

As at 31 October 2022, ordinary share capital represents 342,111,621 (H1 FY22: 342,111,621) ordinary shares with a par value of

£0.10 (H1 FY22: £0.10).


Share premium

Share premium represents the amount over the par value which was received by the Company upon the sale of the ordinary shares. Upon the date of listing the par value of the shares was £0.10 but the initial offering price was £3.50. Share premium is stated net of direct costs of £736,000 (H1 FY22: £982,000) relating to the issue of the shares. The movement in direct costs from H1 FY22 is in relation to the final settlement of held back funds by the sponsor to cover potential tax liabilities. This has resulted in additional net proceeds of £246,000 being received by the Company.


Merger reserve

The merger reserve arises from the Group reorganisation accounted for under common control. In the prior year to 30 April 2022

£7,560,000 has been reclassified between the merger reserve and retained earnings (net of £2,445,000 included within other creditors) in relation to group relief settled with the Former Parent Undertaking in FY21.


Other reserves

Other reserves represent the share-based payment reserve, hedging reserve and the foreign currency translation reserve.


Share-based payment reserve

The share-based payment reserve is built up of charges in relation to equity-settled share-based payment arrangements which have been recognised within the Condensed Consolidated Income Statement.


Hedging reserve

The hedging reserve comprises the effective portion of the cumulative net change in the fair value of cash flow hedging instruments related to hedged transactions that have not yet occurred and the cumulative net change in the fair value of time value on the cash flow hedging instruments.

Foreign currency translation reserve

The foreign currency translation reserve represents the accumulated exchange differences arising since the acquisition of Greetz from the impact of the translation of subsidiaries with a functional currency other than Sterling.



Share-based

payment reserve

Foreign currency translation

reserve


Hedging reserve


Total other reserves

£000

£000

£000

£000

At 1 May 2021

27,240

(225)

-

27,015

Other comprehensive income

-

186

-

186

Share-based payment charge (excluding National

Insurance)

3,645

-

-

3,645

At 31 October 2021

30,885

(39)

-

30,846

Other comprehensive income

-

4

-

4

Share-based payment charge (excluding National Insurance)

4,056

-

-

4,056

At 30 April 2022

34,941

(35)

-

34,906

Other comprehensive income:





Foreign currency translation reserve reclassification

-

(735)

-

(735)

Cash flow hedges:

Fair value changes in the period

-

-

2,354

2,354

Cost of hedging reserve

-

-

225

225

Fair value movements on cash flow hedges

-

-

(148)

(148)

transferred to profit and loss

Exchange differences on translation of foreign

-

(179)

-

(179)

operations

Share-based payment charge (excluding National

4,428

-

-

4,428

Insurance)





At 31 October 2022

39,369

(949)

2,431

40,851


The amounts in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and related notes that are accounted for as financial instruments and their classification under IFRS 9, are as follows:



Note

At 31 October 2022

£000

At 31 October 2021

£000

At 30 April 2022

£000

Financial assets





Financial assets at amortised cost:

Trade and other receivables1

11

8,017

3,570

4,468

Cash


40,972

67,400

101,677

Financial assets measured at fair value





Interest rate cap used for hedging


2,220

-

-

Interest rate swap used for hedging


1,033

-

-



52,242

70,970

106,145

Financial liabilities





Financial liabilities at amortised cost:

Trade and other payables2

12

98,559

36,207

43,906

Lease liabilities

13

19,822

10,709

15,320

Borrowings

13

229,913

169,682

170,163



348,294

216,598

229,389

1 Excluding prepayments.





2 Excluding other taxation and social security.






The interest rate cap and swap derivatives are valued using market data to construct a forward interest rate curve which govern the future flows under the derivative. These are then discounted back at the requisite discount curve.


To the extent that financial instruments are not carried at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, the carrying values approximate fair values at 31 October 2022, 30 April 2022 and 31 October 2021, except for borrowings where the fair value of bank loans is determined using a discounted cash flow valuation technique calculated at prevailing interest rate of 5.19%. This is an unobservable input and therefore can be considered as a level 3 fair value as defined within IFRS 13. There have been no changes to classifications in the current or prior period.


  1. Commitments and contingencies

    1. Commitments

      The Group entered a financial commitment in respect of floristry supplies of £91,000 (H1 FY22: £93,000) and rental commitments of £12,000 (H1 FY22: £161,000) which are due within one year.


    2. Contingencies

      Group companies have given a guarantee in respect of the external bank borrowings of the Group which amounted to

      £255,000,000 at 31 October 2022. This includes the Term Loan of £175,000,000, an undrawn revolving credit facility of

      £20,000,000 and a fully drawn revolving credit facility of £60,000,000.


  2. Related party transactions

    Transactions with related parties

    The Group has transacted with entities formerly under common control which are presented below.



    Six months ended

    Six months ended

    31 October 2022

    31 October 2021

    £000

    £000

    Other income from other related parties formerly under common control

    661

    717


    At the balance sheet date, the Group had the following balances with entities formerly under common control:


    At 31 October 2022

    image

    £000

    At 31 October 2021

    £000

    At 30 April 2022

    £000

    Trade and other receivables from other related parties formerly under common control

    Trade and other payables to other related parties formerly under common control

    150 1,090 465

    (638) (2,996) (638)

    image

    There is no expected credit loss provision recognised in relation to the above receivables as the probability of default and any corresponding expected credit loss are immaterial to the Group.

  3. Events after the balance sheet date

    There were no adjusting or non-adjusting events after the balance sheet date.


  4. Alternative Performance Measures

Adjusted EBITDA


Adjusted EBITDA is a measure of the Group's operating performance and debt servicing ability. It is calculated as operating profit adding back depreciation and amortisation and adjusting items (Note 3 of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements).


Depreciation and amortisation can fluctuate, is a non-cash adjustment and is not linked to the ongoing trade of the Group.


Adjusting items are excluded as management believe their nature distorts trends in the Group's reported earnings. This is because they are often one-off in nature or not related to underlying trade.


A reconciliation of operating profit to Adjusted EBITDA is as follows:



Six months ended

Six months ended


31 October 2022

£000

31 October 2021

£000

Operating profit

14,943

23,611

Depreciation and amortisation

9,788

5,983

Adjusting items

9,820

5,394

Adjusted EBITDA

34,551

34,988


Adjusted EBIT



Adjusted EBIT is calculated as operating profit before adjusting items as follows:




Six months ended

Six months ended


31 October 2022

31 October 2021


£000

£000

Operating profit

14,943

23,611

Adjusting items

9,820

5,394

Adjusted EBIT

24,763

29,005


Adjusted PBT



Adjusted PBT is the profit before taxation and before adjusting items.




Six months ended

Six months ended


31 October 2022

31 October 2021


£000

£000

PBT

9,094

18,727

Adjusting items

9,820

5,394

Adjusted PBT

18,914

24,121


Adjusted PAT




Adjusted PAT is the profit after tax, before adjusting items and the tax impact of these adjustments. The adjusted PAT is used to calculate the adjusted basic earnings per share in Note 6 of these Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



Six months ended

Six months ended

31 October 2022

31 October 2021

£000

£000

PAT

5,826

15,366

Adjusting items

9,820

5,394

Tax impact of the above

(1,018)

(312)

Adjusted PAT

14,628

20,448

Net debt


Net debt is a measure used by the Group to reflect available headroom compared to the Group's secured debt facilities. The calculation is as follows:



At 31 October 2022

£000

At 31 October 2021

£000

At 30 April 2022

£000

Borrowings

(229,913)

(169,682)

(170,163)

Cash and cash equivalents

40,972

67,400

101,677

Lease liabilities

(19,822)

(10,709)

(15,320)

Net debt

(208,763)

(112,991)

(83,806)


Ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDA





The ratio of Net Debt to Last Twelve Months' pro forma Adjusted EBITDA helps management to measure its ability to service debt obligations. The calculation is as follows:



At 31 October 2022

£000

At 31 October 2021

£000

At 30 April 2022

£000

Net debt

(208,763)

(112,991)

(83,806)

Pro forma Adjusted EBITDA1

85,142

85,903

74,883

Total Net debt to Last Twelve Months' Adjusted EBITDA

2.45:1

1.32:1

1.12:1

1 Pro forma Adjusted EBITDA is stated pro forma to include a full year of profit from acquired businesses.




Adjusted operating cash conversion





Adjusted operating cash conversion is operating cash flow divided by Adjusted EBITDA, expressed as a ratio. The calculation of adjusted operating cash conversion is as follows:



Six months ended 31 October 2022

£000

Six months ended 31 October 2021

£000

Profit before taxation

9.1

18.7

Add back: Finance costs

5.8

4.9

Add back: Adjusting items (excluding share-based payments)

6.3

1.9

Add back: Share-based payments

3.5

3.6

Add back: Depreciation and amortisation

9.8

6.0

Adjusted EBITDA

34.6

35.0

Less: Capital expenditure (fixed and intangible assets)

(14.2)

(4.1)

Adjust: Impact of share-based payments1

0.9

-

Add back: (Increase) / Decrease in inventories2

(1.1)

2.9

Add back: Decrease in trade and other receivables2

1.8

1.4

Add back: Decrease in trade and other payables2

(20.9)

(21.8)

Operating cash flow3

1.1

13.4

Adjusted Operating Cash Conversion

3%

38%

Add back: Capital expenditure

14.2

4.1

Loss on disposal of non-current assets

-

0.3

Add back: Increase / (decrease) in debtors and creditors with undertakings formerly under common control


0.3


(1.2)

Less: Adjusting items (excluding share-based payments)

(6.3)

(1.9)

Less: Research and development tax credit

(0.3)

(0.1)

Cash generated from underlying operating activities

9.0

14.6

Settlement of M&A related employee bonuses at Experiences

(13.2)

-

Cash (used in) / generated from operating activities

(4.2)

14.6

  1. Reflecting the non-cash share-based payment charge recognised within Adjusted EBITDA, net of NI on the share-based payments recognised below EBITDA.

  2. Working capital movements for the six months ended 31 October 2022 have been adjusted for the opening balances arising upon acquisition of Experiences.

  3. Operating cash flow excludes settlement of legacy incentive obligations associated with the acquisition, which were fully provided for in the opening balance sheet.

    PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES


    The Board of Directors has collective overall responsibility for the identification and management of the principal and emerging risks to the Group. The Board has carried out a robust assessment of such risks. This included an assessment of the likelihood of each risk identified and of the potential impact of each risk after taking into account mitigating actions being taken. Risk levels were reviewed and modified where appropriate to reflect the Board's current view of the relative significance of each risk.


    The principal risks and uncertainties identified are detailed below. Additional risks and uncertainties for the Group, including those that are not currently known or are not considered material, may individually or cumulatively also have a material effect on the Group's business, results of operations and/or financial condition.


    The Board has approved amendments of the Group's assessment of principal risks since the prior year:



Risk

Description

Management and mitigation

1. Downward pressure on consumer demand

In the context of current macroeconomic conditions, there is downward pressure on consumers' disposable incomes in the UK and the Netherlands. This may have adverse consequences upon consumer demand for discretionary goods and services.


Indeed, we have seen a year-on-year reduction in H1 FY23 gifting revenue at Moonpig and Greetz.


There is a risk that the downturn in consumer demand accelerates during winter 2022 because of consumer price inflation and rising interest rates.

The overall UK greeting card market has historically proven resilient to recession, demonstrating growth through the 2008-2009 downturn (Source: OC&C, June 2022). In addition, Moonpig delivered growth in revenue through this period.


At Moonpig and Greetz, our approach is focused around acquiring loyal customer cohorts that drive recurring annual revenue and 90% of revenue at these brands was generated from existing customers (H1 FY22: 89%).

The "sticky" nature of these customer cohorts is underpinned by our data and technology platform, including a database of over 79m reminders (October 2021: over 60m) which enables us to communicate directly with customers at times of maximum purchase intent.

2. Data protection and technology security

As a digital platform business, the Group is reliant on its IT infrastructure to continue to operate. Any downtime of the Group's systems resulting from a technology security breach would cause an interruption to trading.


Either a technology security breach or a failure to appropriately process and control the data that the Group's customers share, (whether because of internal failures or a malicious attack by a third party), could result in reputational damage, loss of customers, loss of revenue and financial losses from litigation or regulatory action.

The Group has a disaster recovery and business continuity plan in place which is regularly reviewed and tested. The Group's platforms are cloud-based, hosted by leading technology firms.


The Group's Technology Security team performs regular security testing of the key platform and applications and reviews internal processes and capabilities. The Group subscribes to bug bounty schemes that reward friendly hackers who uncover security vulnerabilities.


Quarterly health checks are performed on critical security tools to ensure they are configured and operating appropriately.


The Group works closely with suppliers to ensure that they only receive and store the minimum data for the purposes required; security audits are performed to confirm these suppliers operate at a high standard to protect and manage data.


Annual GDPR training is mandatory for all employees.

3. Input cost inflation

The Group has not seen significant inflation in overall cost of goods sold, but has exposure to rising costs, for instance labour costs in its fulfilment operations.


The Group has seen instances of its postal service providers increasing wholesale charges

The largest cost of sale for greeting cards is postage, which the Group passes on to card customers as part of the annual increase to the retail price of a stamp.

Consumers have historically accepted postage price increases above inflation.



ahead of the annual increase to retail stamp prices, the consequence of which is a delay before costs are passed through to consumers.


The Group's direct energy use is not significant in the context of its overall cost base, however there is potential for rising energy prices to feed through into wider input cost inflation.

There is significant substitutability between gifting product lines. The Group exists to help our customers fulfil missions (for instance, seeking to recommend the ideal gift for a mother's birthday) rather than to fulfil demand for products of a specific category.

4. Brand strength and reputation

The Group's business depends on the strength of its brands: Moonpig, Greetz, Red Letter Days and Buyagift. If events occur that damage the Group's reputation or brands, this could have a material adverse effect on the Group's business, results of operations, financial condition, or prospects.

The Group has market-leading brands, with high levels of brand awareness. Ongoing investment in brand marketing maintains the brand in consumers' minds.

The Group's brands are further strengthened by the network that is created with each customer interaction.


The Group's investment in data protection and technology security helps to protect us from the adverse impact of a data breach or cyber-attack.

5. Securing, development and retention of talent

The Group's delivery against its strategic objectives is dependent upon it being able to attract, recruit, motivate and retain its skilled workforce.


Competition remains strong, albeit there are indicators of a softening relative to the levels of intensity seen earlier in calendar year 2022.

The Group has competitive reward schemes in place for all employees. For senior management, these include a blend of short and long-term incentives.


The Group performs ongoing succession planning and invests in leadership development.

On an ongoing basis, management works to strengthen the culture of the Group, which generates employee engagement.


Digital marketing, commercial and technology employees operate from three hubs in London, Amsterdam and Manchester. This, together with the option for full remote working at any location within the UK and the Netherlands, provides the Group with access to a broad pool of talent.

6. Disruption to operations

Any disruption to in-house or third-party facilities within the Group's production and fulfilment network could have an adverse effect on trading.


The Group uses select third-party suppliers for certain solutions on its platforms and any disruptions, outages or delays in these would affect the availability of, prevent or inhibit the ability of customers to access or complete purchases on its platforms.

Moonpig and Greetz operate flexible fulfilment technology with application programming interface ("API") based data architecture, allowing the addition of third-party suppliers to the production and fulfilment network with relative speed.

Orders for UK and Dutch greeting cards and gifts are fulfilled from multiple locations for resilience. Flowers are fulfilled by a single supplier in both the UK and the Netherlands, however there is partial substitutability of demand between flowers and other gifting product categories.


The Experiences segment offers digital voucher fulfilment, meaning that it could continue to trade in the event of disruption to its operations.


The Group carries out due diligence on all key suppliers at the onset of a relationship. This includes technology and data protection due diligence and checks on financial viability.

Independent review report to Moonpig Group plc

Report on the condensed consolidated interim financial statements

Our conclusion

We have reviewed Moonpig Group plc's condensed consolidated interim financial statements (the "interim financial statements") in the Half Year Results Announcement of Moonpig Group plc for the 6 month period ended 31 October 2022 (the "period").

Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the interim financial statements are not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with UK adopted International Accounting Standard 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting' and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority.

The interim financial statements comprise:


The interim financial statements included in the Half Year Results Announcement of Moonpig Group plc have been prepared in accordance with UK adopted International Accounting Standard 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting' and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority.


Basis for conclusion

We conducted our review in accordance with International Standard on Review Engagements (UK) 2410, 'Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity' issued by the Financial Reporting Council for use in the United Kingdom. A review of interim financial information consists of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures.

A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) and, consequently, does not enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion.

We have read the other information contained in the Half Year Results Announcement and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the information in the interim financial statements.


Conclusions relating to going concern

Based on our review procedures, which are less extensive than those performed in an audit as described in the Basis for conclusion section of this report, nothing has come to our attention to suggest that the directors have inappropriately adopted the going concern basis of accounting or that the directors have identified material uncertainties relating to going concern that are not appropriately disclosed. This conclusion is based on the review procedures performed in accordance with this ISRE. However, future events or conditions may cause the group to cease to continue as a going concern.


Responsibilities for the interim financial statements and the review

Our responsibilities and those of the directors

The Half Year Results Announcement, including the interim financial statements, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the Half Year Results Announcement in accordance with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority. In preparing the Half Year Results Announcement, including the interim financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the group or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our responsibility is to express a conclusion on the interim financial statements in the Half Year Results Announcement based on our review. Our conclusion, including our Conclusions relating to going concern, is based on procedures that are less extensive than audit procedures, as described in the Basis for conclusion paragraph of this report. This report, including the conclusion, has been prepared for and only for the company for the purpose of complying with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving this conclusion, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.


PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Chartered Accountants London

6 December 2022