Continued Gross Profit Margin and Net Operating Cash Flow improvements albeit difficult market conditions
HONG KONG SAR -
Media OutReach Newswire - 26 June 2025 -
HONMA Golf Limited ("HONMA"; together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; HKEx stock code: 6858), one of the world's most prestigious golf brands, announces its consolidated annual results for the year ended 31 March 2025 (the "Period").
Financial Highlights- Due to economic slowdown and challenges, increased competition within the industry, and weakened consumer confidence, the Group's revenue for the Period decreased by 17.4% to JPY21,672 million (equivalent to USD142.9 million).
- Nonetheless, retail revenue grew by 11.0% and 8.9% respectively in Mainland China and Taiwan during the Period and revenue from Europe increased by 16.4%, rising from JPY361.8 million for the year ended 31 March 2024 to JPY421.0 million.
- Gross profit margin expanded by 3.2 percentage points, reaching 54.4%, following improvements in Japan's gross margin command.
- Net operating cash flow increased by 1.5% to JPY5,497 million (equivalent to USD36.2 million).
Major Achievements For the year ended 31 March 2025, the golf industry witnessed increased market competition and adjustments in both participation and purchase intent resulting from economic slowdowns and challenges in certain parts of the world. Despite unfavorable market conditions, HONMA continued to implement its long-term business strategies by investing into its product development, distribution footprint and brand marketing efforts while carefully protecting its financial strength and cash flow.
Strategic Focus on Super-Premium and Premium-Performance Segments Amidst downward adjustments in the global golf industry, HONMA remained focused on cultivating its home markets in Asia and further consolidated and streamlined its product offerings around two key consumer segments - super-premium and premium - performance. HONMA has been maintained a leading and strong market position in the super-premium segment for decades, developing and selling clubs that combine Japanese aesthetic beauty with uncompromising features. The premium-performance segment, which is dominated by avid golfers, has enjoyed the strongest growth momentum for years and is the largest in terms of participation. To increase its penetration into both segments, HONMA has simplified its product strategy. This includes enriching its TOUR WORLD club portfolio with a performance enhancement series and renewing its classic BERES club family with a modern and sophisticated design approach to appeal to today's golfers.
Expanding Product Portfolio in Core Segments HONMA derived most of its revenue from the sales and distribution of golf clubs. During the Period, golf clubs generated 70% of the Group's total revenue. HONMA remains committed to apply cutting-edge technologies and artisan-style Japanese craftsmanship to the design, development, and manufacturing of a comprehensive range of exquisitely crafted, performance-driven golf clubs. In addition to clubs, HONMA launched various golf ball products with its own patent and relaunched its apparel business to create a comprehensive range of golf products for golfers in the super-premium and premium-performance segments. These new product portfolios have generated stable revenue contributions over the past years and aim to meet the HONMA brand positioning and play preferences of its consumers. Driven by continued price management and enhanced product offerings, HONMA's overall gross profit margin expanded by 3.2 percentage points year-on-year, despite increases in raw material prices and unfavorable currency movements. Specifically, the gross profit margins for golf balls, apparel, and accessories rose by 4.0, 9.9, and 22.7 percentage points year-on-year respectively.
Reprioritizing Growth Strategies and Enhancing Financial Performance in North America and Europe HONMA made constant upgrade of its retail presence with top-tier locations, revitalized visual identity, fresh design concepts, and enhanced customer experiences. As a result, sales from self-owned channels increased 2.8% year-on-year to JPY 11,263 million. North America and Europe continued to enjoy the largest golfer demographics, albeit with varied market conditions. For the year ended 31 March 2025, HONMA reprioritized its distribution strategy in these regions by focusing on a select group of premier accounts that best represent HONMA's tradition and commitment to the super-premium and premium-performance consumer segments. Concurrently, HONMA optimized its organisational set up and cost base in both markets to ensure stable near- to mid-term growth amidst social, economic, and financial uncertainties. As part of this strategic adjustment, HONMA opened 26 points of sales ("
POS") in North America during the year, bringing the total to 370 as of 31 March 2025. In Europe, HONMA opened seven new POS, expanding its...