British online fashion retailer Asos delivers sales warning             

Shares in Asos, which sells fast-fashion aimed at teens and 20-year-olds, plunged 14% on the news, after already falling more than 40% this year. File picture

Asos, the British online fashion retailer, has warned that logistics costs and supply chain disruptions could reduce 2022 profit by more than 40% and said its chief executive Nick Beighton was stepping down with immediate effect.

Shares in Asos, which sells fast-fashion aimed at teens and 20-year-olds, plunged 14% on the news, after already falling more than 40% this year.

Mr Beighton has been with Asos for 12 years, including six as CEO, and the company said his immediate departure would enable it to find new leadership to accelerate international growth.

"Looking ahead, while our performance in the next 12 months is likely to be constrained by demand volatility and global supply chain and cost pressures, we are confident in our ability to capture the sizeable opportunities ahead," said Mat Dunn, chief operating ffficer and CFO, who will take charge of day-to-day operations while a new CEO is found.

The company, whose fiscal year begins in September, reported a 36% rise in 2020-2021 adjusted pretax profit to £193.6m (€226m), driven by a boost from the pandemic when shoppers bought leisurewear, rather that partywear options for a night out, some of which were then returned.

It said the lower return rates led to a "Covid-19 tailwind" of £67.3m. 

Pressure

Adding to the pressure, Asos said the supply chain pressures that have hit the movement of container ships and trucks globally since the pandemic would continue into the first half of its 2021-2022 year, resulting in longer lead times for stock and constrained supply from partner brands.

It said it was also seeing higher inbound freight costs, extra duty costs following Brexit, higher outbound delivery costs and labour inflation.

Analysts at Jefferies said the mid-point of the new adjusted profit guidance for 2021-2022, of £110m to £140m, was 35% below the current consensus of £193m.

"Although many of the headwinds are understandable and, hopefully, transitory, we suspect investors will struggle to put much credibility on the mid-term targets," they said.

Asos shares wiped out gains seen early during the pandemic when people shifted to online shopping. 

Katy Mecklenburgh, currently director of group finance, will become interim chief financial officer.

Mr Beighton will remain available to the board until the end of 2021.

Ian Dyson, Asos's senior independent non-executive director, will become chairman at the end of November, succeeding Adam Crozier, who is becoming chairman of BT.

Mr Crozier said the management and board had spent time developing a new strategic plan to accelerate international growth.

"Key to that is ensuring that we have the right leadership in place for the next phase," he said. 

— Reuters