The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 May 2024.
Our strategy of bringing together the best of Momentum for our customers has continued to deliver strong growth in FY 24. Annual turnover increased by 37% and EBITDA by 30%. By combining our Instore offer with Aftermarket services and Insite tech solutions, we continue to provide a clearly differentiated proposition in the marketplace. Sustainability continues to be a primary driver for our customers and our Aftermarket service has allowed us to pioneer award winning initiatives with key clients.
We have continued to invest in our Aftermarket footprint and facilities in Loughborough. This large facility allows us to offer a full range of complimentary services to our retail customers. These include, pick, pack and collation, tester picking, secure storage, recycling, refurbishment and a full parts management and distribution service. This is a key driver in executing our strategy of offering our customers more than installation and merchandising services and being a key partner throughout the whole POS lifecycle. We are now able to offer customers a closed loop range of services both pre and post implementation. We have continued to invest in our Aftermarket offering throughout the year, both in people and additional space and will continue to do so in this growing service offering.
At the same time, we have continued to invest in “Insite” our proprietary ERP & reporting platform. Insite allows customers to manage every element of their POS journey through a single integrated platform. The business has made significant investment to improve the user interface upgrading to Insite 3.0 as well as adding a whole suite of additional functionality including a dedicated Aftermarket portal as well as new stock management, scheduling and maintenance portals.
The investment in Aftermarket and Insite has completely repositioned Momentum in the marketplace allowing us the ability to deliver our customers a single integrated service managed through a single reporting system. This repositioning has already seen Momentum make significant new contract wins which will boost sales and profitability in FY 25 and beyond.
Whilst macro-economic factors remain uncertain, we are confident that by continuing to invest in our strategy we will deliver for our customers, people, suppliers and communities. We have come through so much already and our laser focus on our strategy and delivering for customers will continue to carry us forward to transform and grow our business.
The market within which the company operates, remains highly competitive and retail clients continue to exert pressure on margins. The company continuously monitors the market and client requirements and adapts operationally to mitigate the pressures on margin.
Management aim to minimise risk by retention of key staff, focusing on higher margin generative work streams and robust overhead management.
The inflationary pressure on costs during the year has been significant but the company has continued to negotiate effectively with suppliers and control its costs well and cash flow has continued to be strong and been professionally managed throughout the year.
In the opinion of the directors the key performance indicators of the company are as follows:
Gross profit margin of 37% (2023: 41.7%). Calculated as ratio of gross profit to turnover expressed as a percentage; and
Operating profit margin of 4.3% (2023: 5%). Calculated as a ratio of operating profit to turnover expressed as a percentage.
The directors remain highly positive about the future prospects for the business. The business’s sales pipeline is strong and the company expects to maximise this pipeline over the coming years.
FY 25 builds on the positive improvements of FY 24 and the company expects to post an improvement to the reported profitability in FY 25. The company holds a positive outlook for FY 25, based on the volume of positive client enquiries and new tender wins.
The company continues to invest in its infrastructure, systems and people, to position itself for future growth opportunities identified in the market. In addition, it expects its strategic repositioning and rebranding to be very well received by customers, both existing and new, and this is expected to drive sales growth.
The positive changes and investments made during the year reinforce the directors’ positive view of the future prospects of the business.
This report was approved by the board and signed on its behalf.
The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2024.
The results for the year are set out on page 8.
Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £314,000 (2023: £294,000).
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
The auditor, Azets Audit Services, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.
We have audited the financial statements of Gleaventures Limited (the 'parent company') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 May 2024 which comprise the group statement of comprehensive income, the group balance sheet, the company balance sheet, the group statement of changes in equity, the company statement of changes in equity, the group statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group's and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the parent company'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 parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.
We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:
Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the entity through enquiry and inspection;
Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The profit and loss account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own profit and loss account and related notes. The company's profit for the year was £314,000 (2023: £294,000)
Gleaventures Limited (“the company”) is a private limited company domiciled and incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Pinewood Court, Larkwood Way, Tytherington Business Park, Tytherington, Macclesfield, United Kingdom, SK10 2XR.
The group consists of Gleaventures Limited and all of its subsidiaries.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £'000.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Turnover is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT and other sales related taxes. The fair value of consideration takes into account trade discounts, settlement discounts and volume rebates.
Turnover from a contract to provide services is recognised in the period in which the services are provided in accordance with the stage of completion of the contract when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
the amount of turnover can be measured reliably;
it is probable that the group will receive the consideration due under the contract;
the stage of completion at the end of the reporting period can be measured reliably; and
the costs incurred and the costs to complete the contract can be measured reliably.
The assets' residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted prospectively if appropriate, or if there is an indication of a significant change since the last reporting date.
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the profit and loss account.
Investments in subsidiaries are measured at cost less accumulated impairment.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
The group has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the group's balance sheet when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the group after deducting all of its liabilities.
Basic financial liabilities, including trade creditors and hire purchase agreements, are initially recognised at transaction price. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the group's contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Equity instruments issued by the group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the group.
The tax expense for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the statement of income and retained earnings, except that a charge attributable to an item of income and expense recognised as other comprehensive income or to an item recognised directly in equity is also recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity respectively.
The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date in the countries where the group operates and generates income.
Deferred tax balances are recognised in respect of all timing differences are recognised that have originated but not reversed by the balance sheet date, except that:
The recognition of deferred tax assets is limited to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits; and
Any deferred tax balances are reversed if and when all conditions for retaining associated tax allowances have been met.
Deferred tax balances are not recognised in respect of permanent differences except in respect of business combinations, when deferred tax is recognised on the differences between the fair values of assets acquired and the future tax deductions available for them and the differences between the fair values of liabilities acquired and the amount that will be assessed for tax. Deferred tax is determined using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the group is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.
Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leased asset are consumed.
Finance costs
Finance costs are charged to the statement of income and retained earnings over the term of the debt using the effective interest method so that the amount charged is at a constant rate on the carrying amount. Issue costs are initially recognised as a reduction in the proceeds of the associated capital instrument.
Dividends
Equity dividends are recognised when they become legally payable. Interim equity dividends are recognised when paid. Final equity dividends are recognised when approved by the shareholders at an annual general meeting.
In the application of the group’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.
Ongoing projects at the year end are evaluated using costs incurred to date, turnover to date and expected job margins to calculate whether extra costs need to be accrued or whether some costs need to be deferred. Deferred costs are all shown within work in progress and accrued costs are shown within accruals.
The whole of the turnover is attributable to the one principal activity of the group.
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group and company during the year was:
In addition to the note above, the group hired intermittent workers throughout the year. The average number of such workers for the year was 127 (2023: 119).
Staff costs, including directors' remuneration, were as follows:
Included within wages and salaries, social security costs and other pension costs are £2,797,000 (2023: £2,359,000), £231,000 (2023: £213,000) and £44,000 (2023: £37,000) that relate to staff costs in connection to intermittent workers.
The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:
The net carrying value of tangible fixed assets includes the following in respect of assets held under finance leases or hire purchase contracts.
Details of the company's subsidiaries at 31 May 2024 are as follows:
At the year end there was a balance due from the directors of £40,000 (2023: £20,000), this amount is included within other debtors.
Invoice discounting balances are secured by a fixed and floating charge against all assets of Momentum Instore Limited.
Obligations under finance leases are secured against the assets to which they relate.
Obligations under finance leases are secured against the assets to which they relate.
Finance lease payments represent rentals payable by the company or group for certain items of plant and machinery. Leases include purchase options at the end of the lease period, and no restrictions are placed on the use of the assets. The average lease term is 3 years. All leases are on a fixed repayment basis and no arrangements have been entered into for contingent rental payments.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where the group or company has a legally enforceable right to do so. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:
The group operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund. Included within other creditors is £46,000 (2023: £35,000) in respect of contributions to the group's defined contribution pension scheme, paid monthly in arrears.
At the reporting end date the group had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
The company has taken full advantage of the exemption under section 33 of FRS 102 from disclosing transactions with other members of the group headed by Gleaventures Limited.
At the balance sheet date the company owed Momentum Instore Limited, a 100% owned subsidiary, £1,662,000 (2023: £1,662,000).