Essanelle Hair Group presents results of the first half-year

ESSANELLE HAIR GROUP AG / Half Year Results

23.08.2010 09:50

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Essanelle Hair Group presents results of the first half-year
Sales revenues registered at EUR 62.3 million after EUR 63.7 million in the
previous year
Earnings before taxes reach EUR 1.2 million

Düsseldorf, 23 August 2010 - The Essanelle Hair Group AG generated sales
revenues of EUR 62.3 million in the first half year of 2010, being 2.2%
behind the previous year's results of EUR 63.7 million. Reasons for this
are a rather slowly improving situation of the retail industry and a weak
department store environment.

Achim Mansen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Essanelle Hair Group AG,
stated: 'We have already opened 27 new salons in the first six months, but
this cannot just yet compensate completely for the lost sales revenues of
the salons we had to close last year. This applies especially with respect
to the situation at our department store locations as well as against the
background of a generally weak retail industry environment, which, despite
an upward trend, registered less sales revenues in real terms in the first
half year compared to last year.'

Looking at the individual salon concepts, HairExpress shows the largest
growth with an increase of 10.6% to EUR 16.9 million (previous year: EUR
15.3 million). Super Cut was able to increase its sales revenues by 1.6% to
EUR 10.3 million after EUR 10.1 million in the previous year. The
'essanelle Ihr Friseur' concept, which was affected the most by the closure
of 19 salons, reached sales revenues of EUR 29.3 million after EUR 32.3
million (-9.4%). The brand TOP TEN totalled sales revenues of EUR 2.5
million after EUR 2.7 million. The Beauty Hair Shops, which specialise in
the retail of products exclusive to hairdressers, registered sales revenues
of EUR 3.2 million, thus reaching the same level as the previous year.

Earnings below previous year's level

The declining sales revenues also affected the earnings of Essanelle Hair
Group AG in the first half year. The earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) decreased from EUR 4.6 million to
EUR 3.9 million compared to the previous year. The earnings before taxes
(EBT) are registered at EUR 1.2 million after the first six months of 2010
after EUR 1.7 million in the previous year. The earnings per share amount
to EUR 0.17 after EUR 0.22 in the previous year.

'An improved development of sales revenues compared to the first half year
still remains a prerequisite for an earnings increase for the full year. We
will contribute our share to improve sales revenues and earnings with the
opening of about 60 new salons this year and a strict cost management.
However, in consideration of the developments in the retail industry and a
difficult department store environment, we are still cautious in giving
short term prognoses - but in the medium-term we are optimistic to show a
continuous growth again,' Mansen commented.

For further details to the first half year of 2010 please refer to the
Quarterly Report 2/2010 on the company's website
www.essanelle-hair-group.com.

Contact details:
Haubrok Investor Relations
Michael Müller
+49 2156 4965-195
m.mueller@haubrok.de


23.08.2010 Ad hoc announcement, Financial News and Press Release
distributed by DGAP.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de

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Language:     English
Company:      ESSANELLE HAIR GROUP AG
              Himmelgeister Straße 103-105
              40225 Düsseldorf
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (0)211 3 01 26-0
Fax:          +49 (0)211 3 01 26-172
E-mail:       investor@essanelle-hair-group.com
Internet:     www.essanelle.de
ISIN:         DE0006610314
WKN:          661031
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Hamburg, München, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart
 
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
 
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