BERLIN & SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marley Spoon AG (“Marley Spoon” or the “Company” ASX: MMM), a leading global subscription-based meal kit provider, is pleased to share with investors its highlights from the quarter ended 31 December 2021 (“Q4 2021”) and guidance for FY 2022.
Conference Call
Management will present a business update to investors on a conference call at 6.00 pm AEDT on 31 January, the details of which have been released separately to ASX.
Highlights
- FY2021 net revenue at €322m, delivered within guidance range: +27% growth year-on-year
- Q4 2021 net revenue at €85m, +24% growth year-on-year resulting in a 2-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 56% on a reported basis
- Global Contribution Margin (CM) in Q4 at 31.0%, up 2.1pts versus the previous year thanks to operational improvements. FY 2021 CM at 28.5%, in-line with guidance
- Q4 Operating EBITDA loss of €4.8m due to disciplined growth investments
- Year-end cash balance of €39m providing balance sheet capacity to fund growth strategy
-
Chefgood Pty Ltd acquisition in Australia completed in January 2022, accelerating strategy to expand customer choice and increase ARPU
Marley Spoon CEO, Fabian Siegel, highlighted, "Q4 net revenue was in line with our expectations as growth accelerated again compared to the prior quarter. Overall FY 2021 revenue grew 27% landing at €322 million.
We are particularly pleased with our team’s strong operating performance leading to the highest quarterly contribution margin of 31% in a challenging operating environment.
The contribution margin performance was aided by successful price increases, demonstrating the pricing power our brands enjoy. We also improved our marketing efficiency allowing us to acquire more customers at costs in-line with previous years despite significant CPM inflation.
The contribution margin expansion and disciplined investment in marketing led to an improvement in Operating EBITDA versus previous quarters, landing at €(4.8m), in line with our expectations.
I would like to thank our teams for going the extra mile in a challenging year that was impacted by supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures, among others. Through these many headwinds, we ended the year with accelerated growth and our highest contribution margin globally. I would also like to welcome the Chefgood team that joined us at the beginning of the year.”
Q4 & FY 2021 BUSINESS UPDATE
FY 2021 net revenue grew 27% vs. the PCP to €322.4m, in-line with guidance. For the fourth quarter of 2021, Marley Spoon reported net revenue of €85.2 million, an increase of 24% vs. the PCP (+56% 2-year CAGR).
The Q4 net revenue growth was driven by Australia (+52%) and the United States (+15%), as the Company continued to invest in increasing its subscriber base and in offering more product choices.
CM landed at 28.5% for FY 2021, also in-line with guidance. Q4 2021 CM landed at 31.0%, up 2.1pts year-on-year. Operating Contribution Margin (Operating CM), defined as CM excluding the impacts of marketing vouchers and fixed costs such as expenses relating to site leases, reached 39.2% globally in Q4, up 2.6pts year-on-year. The quarterly margin performance was supported by operational improvements as well as the successful implementation of the Q3 2021 price increases to offset inflation, particularly in the US.
The improved margin performance at a bigger scale led to an improved Operating EBITDA margin and an Operating EBITDA loss of €(4.8m) for the quarter. The FY 2021 Operating EBITDA loss was €(32m), in line with expectations.
| Consolidated Income Statement (unaudited) | |||||||||||
| € in millions | Q4 2021 | Q4 2020 | % vs. PY | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | % vs. PY | |||||
| Revenue | 85.2 |
|
68.6 |
|
24% |
|
322.4 |
|
254.0 |
|
27% |
| Cost of goods sold | 44.3 |
|
36.4 |
|
22% |
|
173.2 |
|
133.3 |
|
30% |
| % of revenue | 52.1% |
|
53.1% |
|
(1 pt) |
|
53.7% |
|
52.5% |
|
1.3 pts |
| Gross Profit | 40.8 |
|
32.2 |
|
27% |
|
149.1 |
|
120.7 |
|
24% |
| % of revenue | 47.9% |
|
46.9% |
|
1 pt |
|
46.3% |
|
47.5% |
|
(1.3 pts) |
| Fulfilment expenses | 14.4 |
|
12.4 |
|
17% |
|
57.3 |
|
46.6 |
|
23% |
| % of revenue | 16.9% |
|
18.0% |
|
(1.1 pts) |
|
17.8% |
|
18.3% |
|
(0.6 pts) |
| Contribution margin (CM) | 26.4 |
|
19.8 |
|
33% |
|
91.8 |
|
74.1 |
|
24% |
| % of revenue | 31.0% |
|
28.9% |
|
2.1 pts |
|
28.5% |
|
29.2% |
|
(0.7 pts) |
| Marketing expenses | 16.7 |
|
8.0 |
|
108% |
|
71.2 |
|
39.3 |
|
81% |
| % of revenue | 19.6% |
|
11.7% |
|
8 pts |
|
22.1% |
|
15.5% |
|
7 pts |
| G&A expenses | 18.1 |
|
12.8 |
|
42% |
|
63.8 |
|
42.3 |
|
51% |
| % of revenue | 21.3% |
|
18.6% |
|
3 pts |
|
19.8% |
|
16.6% |
|
3 pts |
| EBIT | (8.4) |
|
(1.0) |
|
(7) |
|
(43.2) |
|
(7.4) |
|
(36) |
| Operating EBITDA | (4.8) |
|
1.2 |
|
(6) |
|
(32.4) |
|
(0.4) |
|
(32) |
| % of revenue | (5.7%) |
|
1.7% |
|
(7 pts) |
|
(10.1%) |
|
(0.2%) |
|
(10 pts) |
SEGMENT REVIEW
United States
- Q4 2021 net revenue up 15% year-on-year, or 62% on a 2-year CAGR basis
- Q4 2021 CM at 29.5%, up nearly 4 pts vs. Q4 2020; Operating CM reached 38.1%, also 4pts better vs. Q4 2020
- Operating EBITDA was a loss of €(1.6m) in Q4 2021
Revenue grew 15% (+10% on a constant currency basis) primarily driven by retention-driving initiatives and price increases implemented to offset food, labour and fuel inflation. Orders per active subscriber declined compared to the PCP due to higher skip rates during the holiday season compared to the prior year.
The company successfully ramped up production in its new California manufacturing centre, supporting the overall strong CM and Operating CM performance. Operational improvements despite a volatile operating environment also contributed to the margin performance.
Australia
- Q4 2021 net revenue up 52% year-on-year and 55% on a 2-year CAGR basis
- Q4 2021 CM at 35.4%, down 50bps vs. the PCP, while Operating CM reached 43%, up 60bps vs. the PCP
- Operating EBITDA totalled €2.5m in Q4 2021
Active Subscribers grew 45% year-on-year (+52% 2-year CAGR), and meals ordered grew 52%, leading to the strong YoY revenue growth.
CM was slightly down year-over-year, primarily impacted by higher investments in customer acquisitions.
Operations were also expanded during the quarter, with the recent launch of the Marley Spoon brand in WA, making both of the Company’s meal kit brands available in all states and mainland territories across the country. Marley Spoon completed its acquisition of Chefgood, which will start contributing to the Company’s results as of January 2022.
Europe
- Q4 2021 net revenue flat year-on-year (+40% 2-year CAGR)
- Q4 2021 CM at 24.1%, (1pt) below the PCP, and Operating CM at 33.5%, in-line with the PCP
- Operating EBITDA loss of €(5.7m) in Q4 2021
Active Subscribers grew 18% year-on-year though sales remained flat, driven by an increase in skip rate during the holiday season and a shift in sales mix toward Dinnerly. Europe also experienced a volatile supply chain environment as well as wage and food cost inflation. Nevertheless, the Company was able to maintain stable Operating CM versus the previous year.
KEY OPERATING METRICS
Q4 2021 active subscribers grew 18% compared to the PCP, driven mainly by Australia (+45%) and Europe (+18%).
The Company's Active Subscribers generated on average 6.2 orders in the quarter, down 9% versus the PCP due to higher skip rates during Thanksgiving and the December holiday break. However, the Company saw a sizable increase in average order value, reaching €51.2, a 15% increase versus the PCP largely due to activities to increase choice for customers and a successful price increase to offset input cost inflation.
| preliminary & unaudited | Q4 2021 | Q4 2020 | Variance % | ||
| Group | |||||
| Active customers (k) | 376 |
|
327 |
|
15% |
| Active subscribers (k) | 268 |
|
226 |
|
18% |
| Number of orders (k) | 1,662 |
|
1,536 |
|
8% |
| Orders per customer | 4.4 |
|
4.7 |
|
(6)% |
| Orders per subscriber | 6.2 |
|
6.8 |
|
(9)% |
| Meals (m) | 14.4 |
|
12.8 |
|
13% |
| Avg. Order value (€, net) | 51.2 |
|
44.6 |
|
15% |
| Avg. Order value (€, net) in CC | 49.5 |
|
44.6 |
|
11% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Australia |
|
|
|
|
|
| Active customers (k) | 146 |
|
99 |
|
47% |
| Active subscribers (k) | 96 |
|
66 |
|
45% |
| Number of orders (k) | 647 |
|
466 |
|
39% |
| Orders per subscriber | 6.7 |
|
7.0 |
|
(4)% |
| Meals (m) | 6.2 |
|
4.1 |
|
52% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| USA |
|
|
|
|
|
| Active customers (k) | 158 |
|
161 |
|
(2)% |
| Active subscribers (k) | 115 |
|
112 |
|
3% |
| Number of orders (k) | 712 |
|
760 |
|
(6)% |
| Orders per subscriber | 6.2 |
|
6.8 |
|
(9)% |
| Meals (m) | 5.8 |
|
6.3 |
|
(7)% |
| Europe | |||||
| Active customers (k) | 72 |
|
67 |
|
8% |
| Active subscribers (k) | 57 |
|
49 |
|
18% |
| Number of orders (k) | 303 |
|
310 |
|
(2)% |
| Orders per subscriber | 5.3 |
|
6.4 |
|
(17)% |
| Meals (m) | 2.3 |
|
2.4 |
|
(2)% |
Active Customers are customers who have purchased a Marley Spoon or Dinnerly meal kit at least once over the past 3 months. |
Active Subscribers are customers who have ordered or skipped a Marley Spoon or Dinnerly meal kit, on an average weekly basis, during the quarter. |
CASH FLOW
Marley Spoon ended Q4 2021 with a cash balance of €38.7m. Cash from operating activities was €(4.8m) driven in part by an outlay of cash for marketing activities anticipated in Q1 2022. Cash from investing activities was €(4.3m), approximately half of which was for equipment for the Company’s new California manufacturing facility which opened in September 2021 and became fully operational in Q4.
In terms of financing activity in Q4 2021, the Company drew down the remainder of the Runway Tranche 1 funding US$15M (€12.9M) and secured a US$8.1M (€7.2M) extension to the group’s existing debt facility with Runway Growth Capital to support funding the Chefgood acquisition. The €7m extension was subsequently used to pay the first tranche payment to Chefgood upon the completion of the acquisition in January 2022. In addition to the secured debt extension, a €5m equity raise with a long term-oriented European institutional investor, executed in January 2022, may be used for future funding of the Chefgood acquisition.
For FY 2021, Marley Spoon’s cash from operations was €(15m) compared to Operating EBITDA losses of €(32m). The Company ended the year with nearly €40m in cash, an amount sufficient to fund future growth plans.
Finally, for the fourth quarter, cash payments to related parties of the entity were €305 thousand in aggregate. These payments were personnel compensation for key executive management including the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.
2022 Full Year Outlook and Guidance
The Company's 2022 strategy will focus on continued growth within its current balance sheet capacity. Marley Spoon does expect continued volatile customer behaviour, supply chain volatility and inflation, but does aim to maintain attractive contribution margins while managing costs and operating with financial discipline.
Guidance, excluding the contribution of Chefgood, is as follows:
- Mid-to-high teens YoY net revenue organic growth plus full year contribution from Chefgood
- Contribution Margin in-line with 2021
- Operating EBITDA better than €(15m)
INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL
An investor conference call will be held at 6.00 pm AEDT on 31 January 2022. Pre-registration links and dial-in details have been released separately.
This announcement has been authorised for release to ASX by the Board of Directors of Marley Spoon AG.
About Marley Spoon
Marley Spoon (MMM:ASX, GICS: Internet & Direct Marketing Retail) is a global direct-to-consumer brand company that is solving everyday recurring problems in delightful and sustainable ways. Founded in 2014, Marley Spoon currently operates in three primary regions: Australia, United States and Europe (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands).
With Marley Spoon’s meal-kits, you decide what to eat, when to eat, and leave behind the hassle of grocery shopping. To help make weeknights easier and dinners more delicious, our meal kits contain step-by-step recipes and pre-portioned seasonal ingredients to cook better, healthy meals for your loved ones.
As consumer behaviour moves towards valuing the convenience aspect of online ordering, Marley Spoon’s global mission through its various brands, such as Marley Spoon, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, and Chefgood is to help millions of people to enjoy easier, smarter and more sustainable lives.
