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Charles River Laboratories International

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FY2014 Annual Report · Charles River Laboratories International
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Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Registered Number 1227964 

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Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Contents 

Chairman’s statement 

Group strategic report 

Directors’ report   

Corporate governance statement 

Directors’ remuneration report 

Directors’ responsibilities statement 

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Creightons plc 

Consolidated income statement 

Consolidated and company statement of comprehensive income 

Consolidated balance sheet 

Company balance sheet 

Consolidated and company statement of changes in equity 

Consolidated and company cash flow statement 

Notes to the financial statements 

Directors and advisers  

       Page 

2 

3 

7 

10 

12 

18 

19 

21 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

49 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chairman’s statement  

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

I  am  pleased  to  report  another  year  of  growth  and  improved  profitability.  The  Group’s  profit  before  taxation  for  the 
year ended 31 March 2014 was £471,000 (2013: £302,000). This continued improvement in profits has been achieved 
despite the on-going tough trading environment with our customers seeking to improve the value of the offer to their 
end consumer.  Our private label ranges have faced increased price and promotion pressure from the big brands and 
the growth of the value market, which has eroded their market share and adversely affected sales volumes.   

To  combat  the  effects of  lower  underlying  demand  we  have  successfully  generated  sales  growth  by  introducing  new 
customers  and developing  new  product  ranges.    Much  of  this  growth  has  come  from developing  ranges  to  meet  the 
needs of customers in the value market. Profit margins remain under pressure with customers seeking to recover lost 
margin  and  with  sales  growth  coming  from  lower  margin  products.  We  continue  to  manage  costs  and  our  product 
offering in order to be in a position to respond to customer pressure whilst maintaining our own profitability. 

Financial results 

Group sales this year of £19,352,000 are £2,026,000 (12%) higher than last year (2013: £17,326,000), increasing the 
upward growth in sales volumes we have been recording over the past three years. This year’s growth has come from 
a combination of our own UK branded ranges, private label and contract manufacturing with all three strands of our 
business showing growth in excess of 10% as against last year. Much of this growth has been driven by new ranges 
and new customer listings for existing ranges. In addition a planned programme to de-list poor performing ranges was 
also completed in the period under review. 

Changes in product and customer mix resulted in  a reduced gross margin percentage of 40.8%, a reduction  of 2.0% 
on  last  year  (2013: 42.8%).   Winning  business  with  a  lower  than  average  margin  has helped deliver  the 12%  sales 
growth noted above. Administration costs, which include product research and development as well as sales promotion 
and  product  support,  have  risen  as  we  invest  resources  to  support  the  growth  of  the  business,  with  savings  in 
promotional support for discontinued ranges reducing the impact of this increase to 4.1%. 

Profit before taxation and interest for the year of £503,000 (2013: £333,000) represents an increase of 51%. Group 
profit  after  tax  of  £471,000  (2013:  £302,000)  therefore  shows  a  further  improved  performance  especially  given  the 
trading  environment  of  the  past  year.    Diluted  earnings  per  share  rose  from  0.51p  in  2013  to  0.79p  for  2014  as  a 
result of the increased earnings.   

Net borrowings (bank overdraft and loans less cash at bank and in hand) at the year-end have reduced by £272,000 
to  £602,000  (2013:  £874,000).  Cash  generated  by  the  business,  together  with  £72,000  generated  from  employees 
exercising  share  options,  has  been  partly  utilised  to  fund  the  increase  in  working  capital  required  to  support  the 
expansion of the business. 

Current year developments 

The Group continues to develop and strengthen its branded portfolio.  This is being achieved through developing our 
own brand offering and developing relationships with the owners of existing brands.  
We are continuing to work hard to manage cost pressure through managing customer prices, product re-engineering 
and enhancing our product portfolio with higher margin products.  We continue to develop new sales opportunities and 
ranges to further expand our sales opportunities. 

We  expect  our  main  private  label  customers  to  respond  to  the  pressures  in  the  current  economic climate  with  value 
strategies resulting in sales opportunities, which we intend to exploit with lower priced products to offset lower sales 
levels on higher priced products. We will continue to manage our overhead cost base and working capital requirements 
to ensure they are aligned with the anticipated sales levels of the Group, whilst retaining the skills necessary to meet 
growth opportunities as they arise. We are undertaking a major review of our planning and purchasing procedures in 
order  to  continue  to  improve  our  stock  turn  whilst  maintaining  customer  service  levels  and  reducing  investment  in 
working capital. 

As  in  previous  years,  your  Board  is  continuing  to  seek  opportunities  to  acquire  brands  or  companies  that  would 
complement the existing businesses by offering synergies in manufacturing, sourcing and marketing due to similarities 
in product alignment, sourcing or outlets. 

On  23  May  2014  the  Group  completed  the  sale  of  its  share  in  one  of  our  partner  brands,  Twisted  Sista,  for  an 
approximate  profit  of  £375,000.  The  Group  will  utilise  the  proceeds  of  this  disposal  to  invest  in  the  development  of 
new ranges.  

The  Board  has  considered  whether  to  declare  a  dividend  this  year  but,  although  we  have  seen  a  further  increase  in 
annual profits, it feels that it continues to be more appropriate to retain profits to help fund the continued investment 
in growth than to reduce available funds through dividend distribution. 

I  would  like  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  each  and  every  one  of  the  Group’s  employees  for  the  hard  work  and 
effort they have put in over what has been a challenging year. I would also like to thank our customers, shareholders 
and suppliers for their support and loyalty to the Group. 

William McIlroy 
Chairman, 30 June 2014 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group strategic report 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

This strategic report has been prepared solely to provide additional information to shareholders to assess the Group’s 
strategies and the potential for those strategies to succeed. 

The strategic report contains certain forward looking statements.  These statements are made by the directors in good 
faith based on the information available to them up to the time of their approval of this report and such statements 
should  be  treated  with  caution  due  to  the  inherent  uncertainties,  including  both  economic  and  business  risk  factors, 
underlying any such forward looking information. 

The directors in preparing this strategic report have complied with s414C of the Companies Act 2006. 

The strategic report has been prepared for the Group and therefore gives greater emphasis to those matters which are 
significant to Creightons Plc and its subsidiary undertakings when viewed as a whole. 

The strategic report discusses the following areas: 

The business model 
Fair review of the Group’s business 
Strategy and objectives 
Key performance indicators 
Principal risks and uncertainties 
Corporate and social responsibility 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  Going concern 

The business model 

The principal activity of the Group continued to be the creation and manufacture of toiletries and fragrances. A review 
of the operations of the Group during the year and current developments are referred to in the Chairman's statement 
on page 2. 

The  principal  subsidiary  undertakings  affecting  the  results  of  the  Group  in  the  year  are  detailed  in  note  15  to  the 
financial statements. 

A fair review of the Group’s business 

History 

Creightons  plc  was  registered  in  1975  to  continue  the  business  of  manufacturing  and  marketing  toiletries  made 
exclusively  from  natural  products  first  established  in  1953.  It  created  a  number  of  proprietary  brands,  although  it 
focused mainly on private label and contract manufacturing. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1987. 
By  2003,  it  was  seeking  to  expand  both  organically  and  by  acquisition,  and  launched  several  of  its  new  range  of 
brands, including The Real Shaving Company. In March 2003, it purchased the mainly private label and contract filling 
business  of  Potter  &  Moore.  Since  then,  the  Group  has  consolidated  its  manufacturing  at  the  Potter  and  Moore 
Innovations plant in Peterborough. 

By  March  2006,  the  Group  had  closed  and  disposed  of  its  operations  in  Storrington,  transferring  Creightons’ 
manufacturing to the Potter & Moore Innovations factory in Peterborough. Part of the Storrington site originally in the 
Company’s ownership had been disposed of several years previously, the remaining manufacturing and office facilities 
were  disposed  of  in  2005.  In  March  2007,  the  Group  established  a  sales  and  distribution  operation  in  New  York  in 
order to market the Group’s branded products in North America. 

The  Group consolidated  its  on-going  manufacturing  at  the  Potter &  Moore  Innovations factory  in  Peterborough  some 
years  ago,  and  continues  to  spend  modest  amounts  of  capital  on  improving  the  filling  lines  and  mixing  facilities  to 
improve efficiency and flexibility to handle a wider range of products.  

Having previously experienced a number of years with major losses, the years since the acquisition of Potter & Moore 
Innovations have seen Creightons plc return to sustained and gradually increasing profitability. 

Operating Environment 

The  toiletries  sector  encompasses  products  ranging  from  haircare  to  footcare,  excluding  medical  and  therapeutical 
products.  There  has  been  a  significant  fragmentation  of  the  individual  markets  in  the  sector  in  recent  years;  for 
example shampoos and conditioners for different coloured hair and different preparations addressing various perceived 
consumer needs such as frizziness. 

Consumers  purchase  these  through  a  range  of  retail  outlets,  from  high  quality  department  stores  to  low-cost 
discounters, with the high street supermarkets and drug stores somewhere in the middle. The majority of the Group’s 
production is sold into the UK and North America. 

Producers and manufacturers providing products in this market place range from major multinational corporations to 
small businesses, such as Creightons. Also, production and manufacturing in the toiletries market is now world-wide, 
with many competitors sourcing a significant proportion of their products from outside the UK or EU, either due to  
greater  economies  of  scale  or  due  to  a  lower  cost  base,  although  the  cost  advantage  some  Far  Eastern  producers 
enjoyed previously has been deteriorating in the past few years. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group strategic report (continued)  

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

The Group does not operate in a ‘regulated’ market in the sense that pharmaceutical  product manufacturers do, but 
there  has  been  increasing  regulation  covering;  potentially  hazardous  substances,  consumer  protection,  waste  and 
disposal of environmentally hazardous products and packaging materials. 

Recent Developments 

The Group has broadly organised its operations into three business streams: 

 

 

 

private label business which focuses on high quality private label products for major High Street retailers and 
supermarket chains; 
contract manufacturing business, which develops and  manufactures products on behalf of third party brand 
owners’ and 
branded  sales  business  which  markets,  sells  and  distributes  our  branded  products.    This  business  includes 
the North American operation, which was established in 2007. 

All  of  these  business  streams  use  central  creative,  research  and  development,  sourcing,  manufacturing  and 
distribution  operations  based  in  Peterborough  and  each  is  pro-active  in  the  development  of  new  sales  and  product 
development opportunities for their respective customers.  

As the Group operated the three streams within its overall activities of the creation and manufacture of toiletries and 
fragrances,  it  regards  these  as  one  for  segmental  purposes  and  focuses  on  the  geographic  location  of  its  trading 
businesses for segmental reporting, as further disclosed in note 6. 

Over the past few years the Group has invested in a number of brands along with the existing brand owners. These 
operate within the existing branded products business stream. We will continue exploring further opportunities of this 
nature,  which  enable  the  Group  to  benefit  from  existing,  established  or  developed  brands  with  the  brand  owners  to 
benefit from the Group’s wide range of trade outlets, low-cost quality manufacturing and sourcing strengths. 

Current Operations 

The  Group  operates  through  the  three  main  business  streams  described  above,  utilising  its  extensive  brand 
management,  product  development  and  manufacturing  capabilities  encompassing  toiletries,  skincare,  hair  care  and 
fragrances.  The Group has extended its research and development and sales expertise to maximise the opportunities 
afforded by these capabilities. Some of this work has been capitalised and is being amortised over the estimated life of 
the products in accordance with IFRS requirements.  

The  Group  has  continued  its  aggressive  development  programme  of  new  ranges  of  branded  toiletries,  hair  care  and 
skincare products and continues to extend those already successfully launched such as The Real Shave Company and 
Groomed.  

Strategy and objectives 

The primary objective of the Group is to deliver an adequate and sustainable return for shareholders whilst guarding 
against commercial risks.  We aim to deliver this by pursuing the following broad strategies: 

 

 

 

Expand our  customer base  across  all  three  sales  streams (private  label,  contract  and  owned  brands) within 
the UK and increasingly overseas. 

Continuously develop and enhance our product offering to meet the consumers’ requirement for high quality 
excellent value products and thereby help our customers grow their businesses. 

Ensure  that  we  exceed  our  customers’  expectations  for  first  rate  quality  products  and  excellent  customer 
service and use this to expand opportunities within our existing customer base. 

  Manage  our  gross  and  net  margins  through;  efficient  product  sourcing,  continuously  improving  production 

efficiencies, asset management and cost control. 

  Make fully appraised investment in brands and assets which will help us maintain and grow our business and 

reduce costs. 

Key performance indicators 

Management and monitoring of performance 

Your directors are mindful that although Creightons plc is a UK Listing Authority listed company, in size it is really only 
medium sized and therefore many of the ‘big business’ features common in listed companies are inappropriate. This 
year’s  profitable  result  has  been  achieved  only  as  a  result  of  considerable  hard  work  over  several  years  in  focusing 
management  and  staff  on;  more  productive  product  ranges,  improving  production  and  stock  holding  efficiencies, 
ensuring  high  levels  of  customer  service  and  eliminating  overhead  inefficiencies.  Consequently,  they  have  continued 
the ‘minimalist’ approach to micro-management of the business that would otherwise add significantly to costs whilst 
delivering at best minimal added benefits to shareholders. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group strategic report (continued) 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

The Group therefore has no formal personnel or other non-financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or targets, and 
each  position  that  becomes  vacant  is  reviewed  for  necessity  and  criticality  before  authorisation  is  given  for  it  to  be 
filled through either recruitment or promotion.  

The Board regularly monitors performance against several key financial indicators, including gross margin, production 
efficiency, overhead cost control, cash / borrowing and stocking levels. Performance is monitored monthly against both 
budget and prior year. 

The  Group  has  no  formal  personnel  or  other  non-financial  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPIs)  or  targets,  and  each 
position  that  becomes  vacant  is  reviewed  for  necessity  and  criticality  before  authorisation  is  given  for  it  to  be  filled 
through either recruitment or promotion.  

Financial Key Performance Indicators  

Sales 
Gross Margin as a % of Revenue 
Operating profit  
Operating profit - as a % of Revenue 
Return on capital employed 
Bank overdraft and loans less cash in hand 
Gearing (including obligations under finance 
leases) 

2013/14 
£19,352,000 
40.8% 
£503,000 
2.6% 
9.5% 
£602,000 
12.2% 

2012/13 
£17,326,000 
42.8% 
£333,000 
1.9% 
6.9% 
£874,000 
20% 

Movement 
Increase by 11.7% 
Decrease of 2.0% 
Increase by 51.1% 
Increase of 0.7% 
Increase of 2.6% 
Decreased by 31.1% 
Decreased by 7.8% 

There were two incidents involving employees or contractors on the Group’s sites which were required to be reported 
to the Health & Safety Executive during the year (2013:1) 

Principal risks and uncertainties 

Risks 

The Board regularly monitors exposure to key risks, such as those related to production efficiencies, cash position and 
competitive  position  relating  to  sales.  It  has  also  taken  account  of  the  economic  situation  over  the  past  12  months, 
and the impact that has had on costs and consumer purchases. 

It also monitors those risks not directly or specifically financial, but capable of having a major impact on the business’s 
financial  performance  if  there  is  any  failure,  such  as  product  contamination  and  manufacture  outside  specification, 
maintenance  of  satisfactory  levels  of  customer  and  consumer  service,  accident  ratios,  failure  to  meet  environmental 
protection standards or any of the areas of regulation mentioned above. Further details of financial risks are set out in 
Note 19. 

Capital structure, cash flow and liquidity 

Having  achieved  profitability  after  a  number  of  years  of  substantial  losses  and  repaid  loans  used  at  the  time  of  the 
purchase of the Potter & Moore business, the Group’s cash flow has improved substantially since the Potter and Moore 
acquisition  in  2003.  The  business  is  funded  using  retained  earnings  and  invoice  discounting,  a  bank  facility  secured 
against its assets. Further details are set out in Notes 21 - 24. 

Corporate and social responsibility 

The Group is mindful of its wider responsibilities as a significant local employer and of the contribution it makes to the 
local economy both where it and its suppliers are based.   

Environment 

The  Group  has  a  formally  adopted  Environmental  Policy,  which  requires  management  to  work  closely  with  the  local 
environmental protection authorities and agencies, and as a minimum meet all environmental legislation. 

Employees 

We  value  and  respect  our  employees  and  endeavour  to  engage  their  talent  and  ability  fully.  The  Group  does  not 
operate  a  formal  personal  performance  appraisal  process,  but  individual  managers  and  supervisors  undertake 
continuous  performance  monitoring  and  appraisal  for  their  subordinates,  and  routinely report  the  results  of  these  to 
their  own  managers.  Part  of  this  monitoring  and  appraisal  includes  assessment  of  training  required  for  personal 
development  as  well  as  succession  planning  within  the  Group,  and  all  employees  are  encouraged  to  undertake 
appropriate training to develop their skills and enhance their career opportunities. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Group strategic report (continued) 

The table below shows the number of employees by gender in the Group as at 31st March 2014. 

Directors, including Non-Executive Director’s 

Senior Managers 

Other employees 

Group 2014 

Company 2014 

Female 

Male 

Female 

Male 

1 

2 

113 

4 

4 

83 

1 

- 

- 

4 

- 

- 

The  Group  has  a  formal  Staff  Handbook  which  covers  all  major  aspects  of  staff  discipline  and  grievance  procedure, 
Health and Safety regulations, and the Group’s non-discrimination policy. 

Going concern 

The  directors  are  pleased  to  report  that  the  Group  has  significant  unused  borrowing  facilities,  continues  to  meet  its 
debt  obligations  and  expects  to  operate  comfortably  within  its  available  borrowing  facilities.  The  directors  have 
therefore  formed  a  judgement,  at  the  time  of  approving  the  financial  statements,  that  there  is  a  reasonable 
expectation  that  the  Group  has  adequate  resources  to  continue  in  operational  existence  for  the  foreseeable  future 
being  at  least  twelve  months  from  the  date  of  this  report.  For  this  reason  the  directors  continue  to  adopt  the  going 
concern basis in preparing the financial statements. 

This report was approved by the board of directors on 3 July 2014 and signed on its behalf by:  

Bernard Johnson   
Managing Director 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ report 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

The  directors  present  their  annual  report  on  the  affairs  of  the  Group,  together  with  the  financial  statements  and 
auditor’s report, for the year ended 31 March 2014.  The corporate governance statement set out on pages 10 to 11 
forms part of this report. 

Details  of  significant  events  since  the  balance  sheet  date  are  contained  in  note  31  to  the  financial  statements.    An 
indication of likely future developments in the business of the Group and details of research and development activities 
are included in the strategic report. 

Dividends 

The  directors  do  not  recommend  the  payment  of  a  dividend  to  ordinary  shareholders  for  the  year  ended  31  March 
2014 (2013 – nil). 

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 

GHG emissions data for the year from 1 April to 31 March 

Combustion of fuel and operation of facilities 
Electricity, heat, steam and cooling purchased for own use 
Total 
Tonnes of Co2e per £m of cost of sales 

Global tonnes of Co2e 

2014 

2013 

528 
547 
1,075 
93.8 

573 
521 
1,094 
110.5 

The reduction by 1.7% from 31 March 2013 to 31 March 2014 is due to the milder winter and does not fully represent 
a reduction in controllable Co2e. 

We have reported on all of the emissions sources required under the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups 
(Accounts and Reports) Regulation 2008 as amended in August 2013.  The reporting boundary used for the collation of 
the above data is consistent with that used for consolidation purposes in the financial statements. We have used GHG 
Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (revised edition), data gathered to fulfil our requirements under 
the  CRC  Energy  Efficiency  scheme,  and  emission  factors  from  the  UK  Governments  GHG  Conversion  Factors  for 
Company Reporting 2014 to calculate the above disclosures. 

The key sources for emissions are gas and electricity. We have not included Co2e emissions from Group employees’ 
travel which we consider to be immaterial.  

The Group has set a target of reducing tonnes of Co2e per £m of cost of sales by 5% (based on the figures reported in 
the  year  ended  31  March  2013)  over  the  5  years  ending  31  March  2018.  This  will  be  achieved  by  ensuring  that 
activities are monitored with the aim of reducing waste and that capital expenditure plans take into consideration the 
impact on the Group’s consumption of Co2e. 

Capital structure 

Details of the issued share capital are shown in note 23.  The company has one class of ordinary shares which carry no 
rights to fixed income.  Each share carries one vote at general meetings of the company. 

There  are  no  specific  restrictions  on  the  size  of  a  holding  nor  on  the  transfer  of  shares,  which  are  governed  by  the 
general  provisions  of  the  Articles  of  Association  and  prevailing  legislation.    The  directors  are  not  aware  of  any 
agreements between holders of the company’s shares that may result in restrictions on the transfers of shares or their 
voting rights. 

Details of the employee share schemes are set out in note 25. 

No person has any special rights of control over the company’s share capital and all issued shares are fully paid. 

With regard to the appointment and replacement of directors, the company is governed by its Articles of Association, 
the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code,  the  Companies  Act  and  related  legislation.  The  Articles  themselves  may  be 
amended by special resolution of the shareholders.  The powers of the directors are governed by the Companies Acts, 
the Articles of the Company and the corporate governance statement on pages 10 to 11. 

Under its Articles of Association, the company has the authority to issue 2,917,771 ordinary shares. 

A resolution will be proposed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to approve new Articles of Association.  The 
primary changes will be: 

 
 

 

 

to enable website communications, 
update  the  articles relating  to  directors  conflicts  of  interest  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the Companies  Act 
2006, 
Remove the limit on the remuneration of non-executive directors, which is now addressed by the Company’s 
remuneration policy, 
Remove the monetary limit on the Directors’ borrowing powers 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors report (continued) 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

There  are  a  number  of  other  agreements  that  alter  or  terminate  upon  a  change  of  control  of  the  Company  or 
subsidiary companies such as commercial agreements, bank facility agreements, property leases and employee share 
plans.  None of  these  are  expected  to be  considered  significant  in  terms of  their  likely  impact  on  the  business of  the 
Group  taken  as  a  whole.    The  directors  are  not  aware  of any  agreements  between  the  company  and  its directors or 
employees that provide for compensation for loss of office or employment that occurs because of a takeover bid. 

Directors 

The directors who held office during the year were as follows: 

William O McIlroy (Executive Chairman and Chief Executive) 
Mary T Carney (Non-executive) 
Nicholas DJ O’Shea (Non-executive) 
Bernard JM Johnson (Managing Director) 
William T Glencross (Non-executive)  

Directors indemnities 

There are no director indemnities. 

Directors’ insurance 

During  the year  the  company  has  purchased  insurance  cover for  the  directors  against  liabilities  arising  in  relation  to 
the Group, which remained in force at the date of this report. 

Directors standing for re-election 

Mrs Mary Carney and Mr William Glencross retire by rotation at the next annual general meeting and, being eligible to 
do so, offer themselves for re-election. 

Mary  Carney  is  a  freelance  tax  consultant  and  a  former  senior  tax  partner  with  Grant  Thornton,  Chartered 
Accountants, Belfast. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and prior to joining Grant Thornton, 
was a tax inspector. Ms Carney has been a director of the Company since November 1999. 

William Glencross has many years' experience in both the branded and private label businesses, having been Sales & 
Marketing Director and Managing Director of Potter & Moore. He was previously general manager of the Fine fragrance 
division of Shulton G.B. ltd, part of Cyanamid Group. Mr Glencross was appointed to the Board in July 2005, and made 
a non-executive director on his retirement in 2006. 

Substantial shareholdings 

At  31  March 2014  the  company  had been  notified,  in  accordance  with  chapter 5 of  the Disclosure  and  Transparency 
Rules, of the following substantial interests, being 3% or more of the ordinary shares in issue: 

Shareholder 

Number of shares  % held 

Mr WO McIlroy (including Oratorio Developments Ltd) 
Mr BJM Johnson 
Mr Tim Amies 
Mr D Abell 
Mr B Dale 

16,219,275 
4,787,844 
4,360,000 
3,807,150 
2,451,740 

27.79% 
8.20% 
7.47% 
6.52% 
4.20% 

During the period between the 31 March 2014 and 30 June 2014 the company did not receive any notifications under 
chapter 5 of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules. 

Resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting 

The Board will be proposing the following resolutions at the AGM. The detailed wording of the resolutions is contained 
within  the notice of the AGM. They have the support of all  Board members, who will vote in favour of them with all 
their own shareholdings and those under their control, and with any discretionary proxies granted to them personally 
or in the capacity of chairman of the meeting. 

1.  To receive and consider the Group's financial statements and reports of the directors and auditor for the year 

ended 31 March 2014. 

2.  To receive and approve the directors’ remuneration report for the year ended 31 March 2014. 

3.  To  approve  the  directors’  remuneration  policy  as  detailed  in  pages  15  to  16  of  the  directors  remuneration 

report. 

4.  To  re-appoint  Ms  Mary  Carney  retiring  by  rotation  under  the  provisions  of  Article  103  of  the  Articles  of 

Association, as a director of the company. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Directors report (continued) 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

5.  To  re-appoint  Mr  William  Glencross retiring by  rotation  under  the  provisions  of Article 103 of  the  Articles of 

Association, as a director of the company. 

6.  To  re-appoint  Chantrey  Vellacott  DFK  LLP  as  auditor  and  to  authorise  the  directors  to  determine  their 

remuneration. 

7.  To  give  authority  to  the  directors  to  allot  shares  pursuant  to  Section  551  of  the  Companies  Act  2006. 
This  authorises  the  company  for  a  period  of  up  to  15  months,  or  until  the  next  AGM  if  sooner,  to  allot  1p 
Ordinary  Shares  up  to  an  aggregate  nominal  value  of  £194,518.08,  being  a  further  one  third  of  the 
company’s present issued share capital as a rights issue.  

8.  As an ordinary resolution to adopt the Creighton plc Share Option Plan 2014 which will operate alongside the 
existing scheme and ultimately replace it. This will enable the directors to issue options to employees in order 
to  motivate  them  to  make  improvements  to  the  Group’s  performance  and  improve  the  return  for 
shareholders. 

9.  As  a  special  resolution,  to  grant  a  limited  disapplication  of  the  statutory  pre-emption  rights  contained  in 
Section 570 of the Companies Act 2006. This authorises the company for a period of up to 15 months, or until 
the next AGM if sooner, to allot 1p Ordinary Shares up to an aggregate nominal value of £29,177.71, being 
5%  of  the  company’s  present  issued  share  capital,  without  first  offering  them  as  a  rights  issue  to  existing 
shareholders.  

10.  As a special resolution, to give a limited power to the  company to purchase its own shares. This  authorises 
the company for a period of up to 15 months, or until the next AGM if sooner, to purchase 1p Ordinary Shares 
up to a maximum aggregate nominal value of £29,177.71, being 5% of the company's present issued share 
capital,  at  no  more  than  105%  of  the  average of  the  middle  market  quotations  for  Ordinary  Shares for  the 
five business days prior to the date of purchase and the minimum price of 1p. 

11.  As a special resolution, to approve new Articles and Memorandum of Association of the Company which will 

bring these in line with current regulations and best practice. 

Directors confirmations 

Each of the persons, who is a director at the date of approval of this annual report, confirms that: 

 

 

so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Group’s auditor is not 
aware; and 
the  director  has  taken  all  the  steps  that  he/she  ought  to  have  taken  as  a  director  in  order    to  make 
himself/herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Group’s auditor is aware 
of that information. 

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 
2006. 

Auditor 

Chantrey  Vellacott  DFK  LLP  have  expressed  their  willingness  to  continue  in  office  as  auditor  and  a  resolution  to 
reappoint them will be proposed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. 

By order of the Board 

Nicholas O'Shea 
Company Secretary 

3 July 2014 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Corporate governance statement 

Compliance 

The  Listing  Rules  of  the  Financial  Conduct  Authority  (‘’FCA’’)  require  listed  companies  to  disclose  how  they  have 
applied  the  principles  set  out  in  the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  (the  “Code”)  issued  by  the  Financial  Reporting 
Council and whether or not they have complied with its provisions. The Board is committed to the principles set out in 
the  Code  but  judges  that  some  of  the  processes  are  disproportionate  or  less  relevant  to  the  company,  given  the 
relative small size and minimal complexity of the business.  

The company has not complied with the Code since its issue as regards the following: 

 
 

No formal training programme is in place for non-executive directors. 
The role of the Chairman and Chief Executive is combined. 

The Composition of the Board 

Details of all the directors are set out below: 

William McIlroy     
Bernard Johnson   
Nicholas O’Shea    
Mary Carney   
William Glencross   

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive 
Managing Director 
Company Secretary and Independent Non-executive Director 
Independent Non-executive Director 
Independent Non-executive Director                               

The Role of the Board 

The Board’s principal task is to set the Group’s strategy, which is devised to deliver optimum value for shareholders.  
Other  matters  reserved  for  decision  by  the  full  Board  include  approval  of    the  annual  report,  authorisation  of  all 
acquisitions and disposals, sanction of all major capital expenditure, the raising of equity or debt finance and investor 
relations. 

The Board does not operate a formal process of performance evaluation; however the Chairman regularly reviews the 
performance of all members of the Board. 

Both William McIlroy and Bernard Johnson have continued with their roles with their service companies and Mr McIlroy 
has continued with his role with Oratorio Developments Ltd.  There has been no change in these commitments over 
the past year. 

The  directors  have  met  as  a  full  board  on  8  occasions  during  the  year,  including  meetings  by  telephone.      The 
attendance at meetings held during the year to 31 March 2014 for each of the directors is as follows: 

Director 

Board 
meetings 

Remuneration 
Committee 

Audit 
Committee 

William McIlroy 
Bernard Johnson 
Nicholas O’Shea 
Mary Carney 
William Glencross 

7 
8 
8 
8 
8 

- 
- 
1 
1 
- 

- 
1 
1 
1 
- 

Procedures are in place to enable the directors to take appropriate independent professional advice at the Company’s 
expense if that is necessary for the furtherance of their duties.  All directors have access to the advice and services of 
the Company Secretary. 

The  Articles  of  Association  require  one  third  of  the  Board  to  retire  by  rotation  each  year  and  for  those  directors 
appointed during the year to stand for re-election at the following Annual General Meeting. 

Board Committees 

The Board has delegated specific responsibilities to the Nomination, Remuneration and Audit Committees. The Board 
considers  that  all  the  members  of  each  Committee  have  the  appropriate  experience  and  none  of  them  has  interests 
which conflict with their positions on the Committees. 

Nomination Committee 

The  Board  as  a  whole  has  undertaken  the  duties  of  the  Nomination  Committee.    The  Committee  is  responsible  for 
proposing  candidates  for  the  Board  having  regard  to  the  balance  and  structure  of  the  Board.  There  were  no 
appointments made during the year. 

Remuneration Committee 

The Remuneration Committee consisted of Mary Carney and Nicholas O’Shea.  In determining policy for the executive 
directors,  the  committee  has  given  due  consideration  to  the  Code.    The  remuneration  packages  are  designed  to 
attract, retain and motivate executive directors of the required calibre.  The committee reviews the appropriateness of 
all aspects of directors’ pay and benefits by taking into account the remuneration packages of similar businesses. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Corporate governance statement (continued) 

Directors’ remuneration 

The  executive  directors  are  salaried  in  their  capacity  as  directors.  Their  management  and  operational  services  are 
provided via service companies on a basic fee basis. Additional fees are contingent on the levels of pre-tax profits.  

In addition the executive directors participate in a share option scheme.  The Board believes that in accordance with 
the best practice provisions, this approach aligns the interests of shareholders and executive directors. The  company 
has a policy that share options may not be granted to non-executive directors.  

Full  details  of  directors’  remuneration,  shareholdings  and  share  options  are  noted  in  the  Directors’  Remuneration 
Report on pages 12 to 17.  

Internal control 

The directors are responsible for the Group’s systems of internal control and for reviewing its effectiveness whilst the 
role of management is to implement Board policies on risk management and control.  It should be recognised that the 
Group’s system of internal control is designed to manage rather than eliminate risk of failure to achieve the Group’s 
business  objectives  and  can  only  provide  reasonable  and  not  absolute  assurance  against  material  missstatement  or 
loss. 

The Board has established a process for managing the significant risks faced by the Group.   This on-going process is 
reviewed regularly by the Board and accords with the internal control guidance issued by the Turnbull Committee. 

The key procedures designed to provide effective internal controls are:  

 

A  clearly  defined  organisational  structure  with  the  appropriate  delegation  of  authority  to  operational 
management. 
A comprehensive planning and budgeting process which requires the Chief Executive’s approval. 

 
  Management information systems to monitor financial and other operating statistics. 
 

Aspects  of  internal  control  are  regularly  reviewed  and  where  circumstances  dictate  new  procedures  are 
instigated. 

The  Group  does  not  have  an  internal  audit  function.    However  the  Board  periodically  reviews  the  need  for  such  a 
function.  The current conclusion is that this is not necessary given the scale and complexity of the Group’s activities. 

The Board has reviewed the effectiveness of the internal controls in operation and this process will continue. 

Audit Committee 

The Audit Committee consists of Mary Carney and Nicholas O’Shea.  Its role is to: 

 

  Monitor the integrity of the financial statements of the Group and any formal announcements relating to 
the  Group’s  financial  performance  and  review  significant  financial  reporting  judgements  contained 
therein;  
Review  the  Group’s  internal  financial  controls  and  the  Group’s  internal  control  and  risk  management 
systems; 
Review whether it is appropriate to introduce an internal audit function; 

 
  Make recommendations to the Board for a resolution to be put to the shareholders for their approval in 
general meeting on the appointment of the external auditor and the approval of the remuneration and 
terms of engagement of the external auditor; 
Review  and  monitor  the  external  auditor’s  independence  and  objectivity  and  the  effectiveness  of  the 
audit process, taking into consideration relevant UK professional and regulatory requirements; 

 

  Develop and implement policy on the engagement of the external auditor to supply non-audit services, 
taking  into  account  relevant  guidance  regarding  provision  of  non-audit  services  by  the  external  audit 
firm; 
Advise  the  Board  on  whether  the  annual  report  is  fair,  balanced  and    understandable  and  provides 
information necessary for the users to assess the Group’s performance, business model and strategy; 
Report to the Board on how it has discharged its responsibility. 

 

 

The terms of reference of the Audit Committee are not set out in writing. 

The  Group  receives  non-audit  taxation  advice  from  the  Group’s  auditor.    The  Audit  Committee  assesses  the 
independence of the external auditor by means of an internal review of the relationship with the auditor. 

Relations with shareholders 

The  objective  of  the  Board  is  to  create  increased  shareholder  value  by  growing  the  business  in  a  way  that  delivers 
sustainable improvements in earnings over the medium to long term. 

The Board considers the Annual General Meeting as an important opportunity to communicate with private investors in 
particular.    Directors  make  themselves  available  to  shareholders  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting  and  on  an  ad  hoc 
basis, subject to normal disclosure rules. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ remuneration report 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

This  report  is  on  the  activities  of  the  Remuneration  Committee  for  the  year  to  31  March  2014.    It  sets  out  the 
remuneration policy  and remuneration  details  for  the  executive  and  non-executive directors of  the  company.   It  has 
been prepared in accordance with Schedule 8 of The  Large and Medium-sized Companies and  Groups (Accounts and 
Reports) Regulations  2008  as  amended  in  August 2013.    This  is  the  first  time  the  Group  has  prepared  the report  in 
accordance with the amended Regulations 

The report is split into three main areas: 

 
 
 

Statement by the chair of the Remuneration Committee; 
Annual report on directors remuneration (subject to audit); and 
Policy report. 

The policy report will be subject to a binding shareholder resolution at the 2014 Annual General Meeting and the policy 
will take effect for the financial year beginning on 1 April 2015. The annual report on directors’ remuneration provides 
details on remuneration in the period and some other information required by the Regulations.  It will be subject to an 
advisory shareholder vote at the 2014 Annual General Meeting. 

The  Companies  Act  2006  requires  the  auditor  to  report  to  the  shareholders  on  certain  parts  of  the  directors’ 
remuneration report and to state whether, in their opinion, those parts of the report have been properly prepared in 
accordance with the Regulations.  The parts of the annual remuneration report that are subject to audit are indicated 
in  that  report.   The  statement  by  the  chair  of  the  Remuneration  Committee  and  the policy report  are  not subject  to 
audit. 

Statement by the chair of the Remuneration Committee 

The  Directors  remuneration  report  has  been  prepared  on  behalf  of  the  Board  by  the  Remuneration  Committee.  The 
current members of the Remuneration Committee are Mr Nick O’Shea (Chairman) and Mrs Mary Carney, both of whom 
are Non-Executive directors.   

The Remuneration Committee determines the remuneration of each director.  During the year ended  31 March 2014 
the  Remuneration  Committee  proposed  that  the  fees  paid  to  Mr  Bernard  Johnson’s  service  company  were  increased 
from  £77,500  to  £79,000.  There  were  no  other  changes  in  the  remuneration  of  the  executive  or  Non-executive 
directors. 

It  is  envisaged  that  the  remuneration  components  for  executive  directors for  the  year ended 31  March  2015  will  be 
similar to those in place for the year ended 31 March 2014 as shown in the ‘single figure’ tables shown below. 

Annual report on directors’ remuneration  

The information provided in this part of the Directors Remuneration Report is subject to audit. 

The ‘single figure’ tables below represent the directors remuneration for the years ended 31 March 2014 and 31 March 
2013.  These emoluments are normally paid in the year except for the bonus payments which are paid following the 
approval of the financial statements. 

Executive directors’ remuneration as a single figure  

Director 

Note 

Salary 
and fees 
£000’s 

2014 
Annual 
bonuses 
£000’s 

Total 

£000’s 

Salary 
and fees 
£000’s 

WO McIlroy 
BJM Johnson 
Total 

1 
2 

- 
89 
89 

29 
29 
58 

29 
118 
147 

- 
88 
88 

2013 
Annual 
bonuses 
£000’s 

20 
20 
40 

Total 

£000’s 

20 
108 
128 

The remuneration of the non-executive directors for the years ended 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013 is made up as 
follows: 

Non-executive directors’ remuneration as a single figure  

Director 

Note 

3 

MT Carney 
NDJ O’Shea 
W T Glen 

cross 
Total 

Salary 
and fees 
£000’s 

2014 
Taxable 
Benefit 
£000’s 

8 
12 
12 

32 

- 
- 
1 

1 

Total 

£000’s 

Salary 
and fees 
£000’s 

8 
12 
13 

8 
12 
12 

33 

32 

2013 
Taxable 
Benefit 
£000’s 

Total 

£000’s 

- 
- 
1 

1 

8 
12 
13 

33 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ remuneration report (continued) 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Note 
1 
2 

3 

All payments are made to Mr McIlroy’s service company, Lesmac Securities Limited. 
Mr Johnson earns a salary of £10,000 per annum with all other payments made to his service company, Carty 
Johnson Limited. 
All payments are made to Mr O’Shea’s employer Saxon Coast Consulting Limited. 

All other directors’ remuneration is paid directly to the individual directors. 

Taxable benefits 

The taxable benefit for Mr William Glencross relates to his membership of the Group’s medical scheme. 

Payments for loss of office 

No Executive directors left the company during the year ended 31 March 2014 and therefore no payments in respect of 
compensation for loss of office were paid or payable to any director (2013 – nil). 

Share options  

The directors exercised the following share options during the year ended 31 March 2014. 

Number of 
shares  

Exercise 
price 

Date exercised 

WO McIlroy 
BJM Johnson 

1,303,275  2.0p 
1,303,275  2.0p 

24 March 2014 
24 March 2014 

The directors have no share options outstanding at 31 March 2014. 

Directors' shareholdings 

The directors who held office at 31 March 2014 had the following beneficial interests in the 1p ordinary shares of the 
company:     

Director 

31 March 2014   

1 April 2013      

Number of 
shares 

Options 

Number of 
shares 

Options 

Mr William O McIlroy 
Mr Bernard JM Johnson 
Mr Nicholas DJ O’Shea 
Mr William T Glencross 

16,219,275 
4,787,844 
31,000 
67,500 

- 
- 
- 
- 

14,916,000 
3,484,569 
31,000 
67,500 

1,303,275 
1,303,275 
- 
- 

Mr McIlroy’s holding noted above includes 14,450,000 (2013: 14,450,000) shares held in the name of Oratorio 
Developments Ltd, a private company of which Mr McIlroy is a director and controlling shareholder.  

There have been no changes between 31 March 2014 and 30 June 2014. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              
  
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ remuneration report (continued) 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

The information provided in this part of the Annual Report on remuneration is not subject to audit 

Performance graph and CEO remuneration table 

The following graph shows the  Group’s performance, measured by total shareholder return, compared with the FTSE 
All-Share index, which the directors have always considered the most suitable comparator given the small number of 
quoted  companies  of  a  similar  size  in  the  company’s  sector  and  the  typical  portfolio  style  of  management  for  most 
investors, meaning that investments in the company would be compared against investment portfolios based on FTSE 
All-Share index performance. 

Creightons Plc - total shareholder return compared to FTSE All-Share Index 

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4.50

4.00

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

0.00

5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

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31-Mar-10

31-Mar-11

31-Mar-12

31-Mar-13

31-Mar-14

Creightons Plc Share price - pence

FTSE All Share Index

Table of Historical Data 

The table below sets out the remuneration of the director undertaking the role of Chief Executive officer. 

Year 

2014 
2013 
2012 
2011 
2010 

CEO Single figure 
of total 
remuneration 
£000’s 

Annual  bonus  pay-out 
against maximum % 

29 
20 
16 
12 
20 

100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 

Percentage change in remuneration of director undertaking the role of Chief Executive officer 

The table below shows the percentage increase in remuneration of the director undertaking the role of Chief Executive 
Officer and the Group’s employees as a whole between the years ended 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014. 

Percentage 
2014 compared with remuneration in 2013 

in  remuneration 

increase 

in 

Salary and Fees 
All taxable benefits 
Annual bonus 
Total 

Employees 

2.3% 
0.0% 
6.7% 
9.2% 

CEO 

n/a 
n/a 
45% 
45% 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Directors’ remuneration report (continued) 

Statement of implementation of remuneration policy for the year ended 31 March 2015 

As this is the first year of implementation there is nothing to report. 

Relative importance of spend on pay 

The  table  below  shows  the  total  expenditure  of  the  Group  for  all  employees  compared  to  retained  profits  and 
distributions to shareholders  for the years ended 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013 and the year on year change. 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000’s 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000’s 

Change 

% 

Employee costs 
Profit for the year 

4,862 
471 

4,311 
302 

12.8 
56.0 

Service contracts 

Mrs Mary Carney and Mr William Glencross who are proposed for re-election at the next Annual General Meeting have 
service contracts which provide for no notice period. 

Voting at general meeting 

The  Group  is  committed  to  on-going  shareholder  dialogue  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  voting  outcomes.    Where 
there are substantial votes against resolutions in relation to directors’ remuneration, the reasons for any such vote will 
be sought, and any actions in response will be detailed here. 

The following table sets out actual voting in respect of the approval of the Directors’ Remuneration report in respect of 
the year ended 31 March 2014: 

Number of 
votes cast 
for 
14,714,216 

%  of votes 
cast for 

Number of 
votes cast 
against 

%  of votes 
cast 
against 

Total votes 
cast 

Number of 
votes cast 
withheld 

99.98 

3,605 

0.02 

14,717,821 

- 

No  reasons  were  sought  for  the  votes  cast  against  the  remuneration  report  due  to  the  small  number  of  votes  cast 
against the report. 

Policy report  

Remuneration Committee 

The Board has established a Remuneration Committee to determine the remuneration of directors of the company. The 
members of the committee during the year and the prior year were Nicholas O’Shea and Mary Carney. In determining 
the  directors’  remuneration  the  committee  consulted  the  Executive  Chairman,  William  McIlroy.  There  has  been  one 
meeting of the committee during the period, attended by both Ms Carney and Mr O’Shea. 

Policy on directors’ remuneration 

The  policy  of  the  company  on  executive  remuneration  including  that  for  executive  directors  is  to  reward  individual 
performance and motivate and retain existing executive directors so as to promote the best interests of the Group and 
enhance shareholder value. The remuneration packages for executives and executive directors include a basic annual 
salary,  performance  related  bonus  and  a  share  option  programme.  The  remuneration  packages  for  non-executive 
directors include a salary or fee. The committee has reviewed the policy for the year ahead and have concluded that 
the key features of the remuneration policy remain appropriate. 

In  setting  executive  directors’  remuneration,  the  committee  is  mindful  of  the  pay  and  conditions  enjoyed  by  other 
employees.  It  considers  revisions  to  their  arrangements  only  when  other  employees’  pay  and  conditions  are  also 
reviewed,  and  this  is  always  done  in  the  light  of  market  conditions  and  overall  Group  performance.  However,  the 
committee  does  not  automatically  increase  the  pay  and  conditions  for directors  in  line  with  either  inflation  or  at  the 
same rate that those for other employees may be increased. 

Both  executive  and  non-executive  directors  may  accept  appointment  as directors of other  companies  and retain  any 
fees paid to them, although directors are required to notify the company of all such appointments and may not accept 
appointments  which  would  be  incompatible  with  their  role  with  the  Group,  such  as  with  direct  competitors  or  major 
suppliers and customers.  

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Directors’ remuneration report (continued) 

Salary and benefits 

Executive  directors’  salary  and  benefits  packages  are  determined  by  the  committee  on  appointment  or  when 
responsibilities or duties change substantially, and are reviewed annually. The last review  was undertaken during the 
first  quarter  of  2013-14,  but  no  changes  were  proposed  to  the  executive  directors’  remuneration  packages.  The 
committee considers that improved performance should be recognised by achievement of performance bonuses. 

Directors’ performance bonuses 

Both  executive  directors’  contracts  provide  for  performance  bonuses  should  the  Group  achieve  profitability,  and  Mr 
McIlroy’s also provides for a bonus should a successful sale of the  Group’s toiletries business be achieved. The profit 
criterion was met in 2014, and as a consequence, provision for payment of the profit related performance bonus has 
been made in the financial statements, and will be paid as required by the contracts within one month of the approval 
and publication of these financial statements. 

The  contract  for  Mr  McIlroy’s  services  as  a  director  provides  for  a  performance  bonus  payment  to  Mr  McIlroy’s 
employer (Lesmac Securities Ltd) should the Group achieve profitability, on a scale of 12½ % of the pre-tax audited 
profits  up  to  £50,000,  7½%  of  pre-tax  audited  profits  between  £50,001  and  £100,000  and  5%  of  pre-tax  audited 
profits in excess of £100,000. The contract also provides for a success bonus payment to Mr McIlroy’s employer should 
the Group dispose of the toiletries business. This bonus is 10% of the proceeds of a complete disposal should the sale 
price exceed £1.5m, or of a partial disposal should the sale price exceed £0.5m and be for not more than 1/3 of the 
book value of the net assets of the Group so disposed. 

The  contract  for  Mr  Johnson’s  services  as  a  manager  provides  for  a  performance  bonus  payment  to  Mr  Johnson’s 
employer  (Carty  Johnson  Ltd)  should  the  Group  achieve  profitability,  on  a  scale  of  12½  %  of  the  pre-tax  audited 
profits  up  to  £50,000,  7½%  of  pre-tax  audited  profits  between  £50,001  and  £100,000  and  5%  of  pre-tax  audited 
profits in excess of £100,000. 

Executive share option scheme 

The policy of the company is to grant share options to executive directors and other senior managers as an incentive 
to enhance shareholder value. Those options held by members of the Board at 31 March 2013 were exercised during 
the year. A resolution will be put to shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to authorise a new share 
option  scheme  which  will  further  incentivise  the  executive  directors  and  the  senior  managers  in  Group  to  further 
enhance shareholder value. 

Service contracts 

It is the company’s policy that service contracts for the executive directors are for an indefinite period, terminable by 
either  party  with  a  maximum  period  of  notice  of  12  months.  Any  payments  in  lieu  of  notice  should  not  exceed  the 
director’s  salary  or  fees  for  the  unexpired  term  of  the  notice  period.  Within  that  policy,  information  relating  to 
individual directors is scheduled below: 

Name of Director 

WO McIlroy (executive contract) 
WO McIlroy (director’s contract with employer) 
BJM Johnson (director’s contract) 
BJM Johnson (manager’s contract with employer) 
MT Carney (non-executive) 
NDJ O’Shea (non-executive) 
WT Glencross (non-executive) 

Date of service 
contract 
6 Feb 2003 
16 Jan 2002 
16 Jan 2002 
16 Jan 2002 
29 Nov 1999 
5 Jul 2001 
31 Jul 2005 

Date contract 
last amended 

Notice period 

12 months 
12 months 
12 months 
12 months 
None 
None 
None 

20 Mar 2003 
1 Jan 2002 

1 Sep 2006 

Non-executive directors 

The  fees  for  non-executive  directors  are  reviewed  annually  and  determined  in  the  light  of  market  practice  and  with 
reference  to  the  time  commitment  and  responsibilities  associated  with  each  non-executive  director’s  role  and 
responsibilities. 

Non-executives’  fees  are  determined  within  the  overall  aggregate  limit  of  £40,000  authorised  by  the  company’s 
Articles of Association. The Board as a whole considers the policy and structure for the non-executive directors’ fees on 
the  recommendation  of  the  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive.  The  non-executive  directors  do  not  participate  in 
discussions on their specific levels of remuneration. 

Non-executive  directors  may  not  be  granted  share  options  nor  participate  in  any  performance  bonus,  and  are  not 
eligible for pension contributions. The fees paid for non-executive directors consist of a flat annual fee based on the 
involvement each is anticipated to be required to commit to the Group, and both the time commitments and fee basis 
are reviewed annually. Any additional time commitments over these are paid on a pro rata per diem basis. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Directors’ remuneration report (continued) 

Approval 

In the opinion of the Remuneration Committee, the company has complied with Section D of the Code, and in forming 
the remuneration policy the committee has given full consideration to that section of the Code. 

The Directors’ remuneration report was approved by the Board of Directors on 3 July 2014 and signed on its behalf by: 

Mr Nicholas O’Shea 
Company Secretary 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ responsibilities statement 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations.   

Company law requires the directors to prepare such financial statements for each financial year.  Under that law the 
directors are required to prepare the Group consolidated financial statements in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union and Article 4 of International Accounting 
Standards (IAS) regulation and have also chosen to prepare the parent company financial statements under IFRS’s as 
adopted by the European Union. Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless 
they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and of the profit or loss of the 
Group for that period.  In preparing these financial statements, IAS1 requires that the directors: 

 
 

 

properly select and apply accounting policies; 
present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable 
and understandable information;  
provide additional disclosure when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRS is insufficient to enable 
users to understand the impact of  particular transactions, other events and conditions on the Group’s 
financial position and financial performance; and 

  make an assessment of the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. 

The directors are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the 
Group’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Group and enable 
them to ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.  They are also responsible for 
safeguarding the assets of the Group and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other 
irregularities. 

Under applicable law and regulations, the directors are also responsible for preparing a, Strategic report, Directors’ 
report, Directors’ remuneration report and a Corporate governance statement that comply with that law and those 
regulations. 

The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on 
the Group’s website.  

Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from 
legislation in other jurisdictions. 

Directors’ responsibility statement pursuant to DTR4 – Periodic Financial Reporting 
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

the  financial  statements,  prepared  in  accordance  with  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (IFRS)  as 
adopted by the EU, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the 
company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole; 
the  strategic  report  includes  a  fair  review  of  the  development  and  performance  of  the  business  and  the 
position of the company and the  undertakings included in the consolidation  taken as a whole, together with 
the description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face; and  
the report and financial statements, taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and understandable and provide the 
information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s performance and business model and strategy.  

By order of the board 

Bernard Johnson 
Managing Director 
03 July 2014 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF CREIGHTONS PLC 

We  have  audited  the  financial  statements  of  Creightons  Plc  for  the  year  ended  31  March  2014  which  comprise  the 
consolidated  income  statement,  the  consolidated  and  parent  company  statements  of  comprehensive  income,  the 
consolidated  and  parent  company  balance  sheets,  the  consolidated  and  parent  company  statements  of  changes  in 
equity,  the  consolidated  and  parent  company  cash  flow  statements  and  the  related  notes.  The  financial  reporting 
framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRS)  as  adopted  by  the  European  Union  and  as  regards  the  parent  company  financial  statements,  as  applied  in 
accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. 

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. 

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditor 
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. Our responsibility is to audit and 
express  an  opinion  on  the  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  applicable  law  and  International  Standards  on 
Auditing  (UK  and Ireland)  (‘ISAs  UK  and Ireland’).  Those standards  require  us  to  comply  with  the Auditing  Practices 
Board's Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

Scope of the audit of the financial statements 
An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give 
reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or 
error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Group's and the parent 
company's  circumstances  and  have  been  consistently  applied  and  adequately  disclosed;  the  reasonableness  of 
significant  accounting  estimates  made  by  the  directors;  and  the  overall  presentation  of  the  financial  statements.  In 
addition,  we  read  all  the  financial  and  non-financial  information  in  the  Annual  Report  to  identify  material 
inconsistencies  with  the  audited  financial  statements  and  to  identify  any  information  that  is  apparently  materially 
incorrect  based  on,  or  materially  inconsistent  with,  the  knowledge  acquired  by  us  in  the  course  of  performing  the 
audit. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconstancies we consider the implications  for 
our report. 

An overview of the scope of our audit  
The Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of Creightons Plc and its subsidiary undertakings. 

The  Group  operates  through  two  trading  subsidiary  undertakings  and  the  Group’s  financial  statements  consolidate 
these  entities  together with  a  number of dormant  subsidiary  undertakings  as  set out  in  note  15.  In  establishing  our 
overall approach to the Group audit we determined the type of work that needed to be performed in respect of each 
subsidiary.  This  consisted  of  auditing  the  financial  information  of  all  subsidiaries  considered  to  be  significant 
components of the Group.  

We tested and examined information using controls testing, substantive and non substantive techniques to the extent 
considered necessary to provide us with sufficient reliable audit evidence to draw conclusions. These procedures gave 
us the evidence that we needed for our opinion on the Group’s financial statements as a whole and, in particular, 
helped mitigate the risks of material misstatements mentioned below. 

Our assessment of risks of material misstatement 
We considered the following areas to be those that required particular focus in the current year.  This is not a complete 
list  of  all  areas  of  risk  identified  in  our  audit  but  summarises  the  key  areas  which  were  highlighted  with  the  Audit 
Committee in our planning discussions: 

  we  performed  substantive  testing  relating  to  revenue  recognition  as  well  as  analytical  procedures,  in 

 

particular in relation to year end cut-off and the issue of credit notes; 
we  considered  the  appropriateness  of  inventory  provisions,  challenged  management  regarding  the  basis  of 
their estimation and reviewed the outcome of prior year provisions. 

Our application of materiality  
We set certain thresholds for materiality based on a weighted calculation of revenue and assets criteria. These help us 
establish transactions and misstatements that are significant to the financial statements as a whole, to determine the 
nature,  timing  and  extent  of  our  audit  procedures  and  to  evaluate  the  effect  of  misstatements,  both  individually  on 
balances and on the financial statements as a whole.   

Based on our methodology and professional judgement we determined materiality for the Group financial statements 
as  a  whole  to  be  £118,000. Furthermore,  we  calculated  a  performance  materiality  for each  significant  component  of 
the Group we audited to enable us to calculate sample sizes. 

We  agreed  with  the  Audit  Committee  that  we  would  report  to  them  the  misstatements  identified  during  our  audit 
above £6,000. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Opinion on financial statements 
In our opinion: 

 

 

 

 

the  financial  statements  give  a  true  and  fair  view  of  the  state  of  the  Group's  and  of  the  parent  company's 
affairs as at 31 March 2014 and of the Group's profit for the year then ended; 
the  Group  financial  statements  have  been  properly  prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS  as  adopted  by  the 
European Union;  
the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by 
the European Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and 
the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 
and, as regards the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 
In our opinion: 

 

 

the  part  of  the  directors'  remuneration  report  to  be  audited  has  been  properly prepared  in  accordance with 
the Companies Act 2006; and 
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. 

Matters on which we are required to report by exception 
We have nothing to report in respect of the following: 

Under the ISAs (UK and Ireland), we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, information in the annual report 
is:  

  materially inconsistent with the information in the audited financial statements; or  
 

apparently  materially  incorrect  based  on,  or  materially  inconsistent  with,  our  knowledge  of  the  Group 
acquired in the course of performing our audit; or  
otherwise misleading.  

 

In  particular,  we  are  required  to  consider  whether  we  have  identified  any  inconsistencies  between  our  knowledge 
acquired  during  the  audit  and  the  directors’  statement  that  they  consider  the  annual  report  is  fair,  balanced  and 
understandable  and  whether  the  annual  report  appropriately  discloses  those  matters  that  we  communicated  to  the 
Audit Committee which we consider should have been disclosed. 

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required 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 and the part of the directors' remuneration report to be audited 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. 

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review: 

 
 

the directors' statement set out on page 6 in relation to going concern;  
the part of the corporate governance statement relating to the company's compliance with the nine provisions 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our review. 

DAVID JAMES (Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of CHANTREY VELLACOTT DFK LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 
London 
3 July 2014 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated income statement 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Revenue 
Cost of sales 

Gross profit 

Distribution costs 
Administrative expenses 

Operating profit 

Finance costs 

Profit before tax 

Taxation 

Profit for the year from continuing operations 

Earnings per share  

Basic 
Diluted 

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 

Profit for the year from continuing operations 

Exchange differences on translating foreign operations 

Total  comprehensive income  for the year attributable to the 
equity holders of the parent 

Company statement of comprehensive income 

Loss for the year from continuing operations 

Total  comprehensive expense  for the year 

Note 

5 

7 

9 

10 

11 
11 

Year ended 31 
March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 31 
March 
2013 
£000 

19,352 
(11,460) 

7,892 

(802) 
(6,587) 

503 

(32) 

471 

- 

471 

17,326 
(9,902) 

7,424 

(763) 
(6,328) 

333 

(31) 

302 

- 

302 

0.81p 
0.79p 

0.55p 
0.51p 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

471 

42 

513 

302 

(22) 

280 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

- 

- 

(3) 

(3) 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated balance sheet  

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

31 March 
2014 
£000 

31 March 
2013 
£000 

Note 

Non-current assets 
Goodwill 
Other intangible assets 
Property, plant and equipment 

Current assets 
Inventories 
Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Total assets 

Current liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Obligations under finance leases 
Borrowings 

Net current assets 

Non-current liabilities 
Obligations under finance leases 

Total liabilities 

Net assets 

Equity 
Share capital 
Share premium account 
Other reserves 
Share-based payment reserve 
Translation reserve 
Retained earnings 

Total equity attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent 
company 

12 
13 
14 

16 
17 
18 

20 
21 
22 

21 

23 

24 

343 
259 
590 
1,192 

3,704 
3,464 
11 
7,179 

343 
295 
525 
1,163 

3,526 
2,811 
18 
6,355 

8,371 

7,518 

2,777 
20 
613 
3,410 

2,219 
19 
892 
3,130 

3,769 

3,225 

28 
28 

48 
48 

3,438 

3,178 

4,933 

4,340 

584 
1,264 
38 
- 
(13) 
3,060 

545 
1,231 
38 
51 
(55) 
2,530 

4,933 

4,340 

These financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue 3 July 2014.  They were 
signed on its behalf by: 

Bernard Johnson   
Managing Director 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Company balance sheet  

Non-current assets 
Investment in subsidiaries 

Current assets 
Trade and other receivables 

Total assets 

Current liabilities 
Trade and other payables 

Net current assets 

Total liabilities 

Net assets 

Equity 
Share capital 
Share premium account 
Capital redemption reserve 
Special reserve 
Share-based payment reserve 
Retained earnings 

Total equity attributable to the equity shareholders of the 
parent company 

31 March 
2014 

31 March 
2013 

Note 

£000 

£000 

15 

17 

20 

23 

72 
72 

72 
72 

2,126 
2,126 

2,046 
2,046 

2,198 

2,118 

35 
35 

35 
35 

2,091 

2,011 

35 

35 

2,163 

2,083 

584 
1,264 
18 
1,441 
- 
(1,144) 

545 
1,231 
18 
1,441 
51 
(1,203) 

2,163 

2,083 

These financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 3 July 2014.  They 
were signed on its behalf by: 

Bernard Johnson   
Managing Director 

Company registration number 1227964 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated statement of changes in equity 

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Share 
capital 

Share 
premium 
account 

Other 
reserves 
(note 
22) 

Share-
based 
payment 
reserve 

Translation 
reserve 

Retained 
earnings 

Total 
equity 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

At 1 April 2012 
Exchange 
differences on 
translation of 
foreign operations 
Share-based 
payment charge 
Profit for the year 
At 31 March 2013 
Issue of share 
options 
Exchange 
differences on 
translation of 
foreign operations 
Share-based 
payment charge 
Transfer – see note 
below 
Profit for the year 
At 31 March 2014 

545 
- 

1,231 
- 

- 

- 
545 
39 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
1,231 
33 

- 

- 

- 

- 
584 

- 
1,264 

38 
- 

- 

- 
38 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
38 

44 
- 

7 

- 
51 
- 

- 

8 

(59) 

- 
- 

(33) 
(22) 

2,228 
- 

4,053 
(22) 

- 

- 
(55) 
- 

42 

- 

(13) 

- 

7 

302 
2,530 
- 

- 

- 

59 

471 
3,060 

302 
4,340 
72 

42 

8 

471 
4,933 

Company statement of changes in equity 

Share 
capital 

Share 
premium 
account 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 

Special 
reserve 

Retained 
earnings 

Total 
equity 

Share-
based 
payment 
reserve 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

At 1 April 2012 
Share based payment 
charge 
Loss for the year 

At 31 March 2013 
Issue of share options 
Share-based payment 
charge 
Transfer – see note below 

At 31 March 2014 

545 
- 

- 

545 
39 
- 

- 

584 

1,231 
- 

- 

1,231 
33 
- 

- 

1,264 

18 
- 

- 

18 
- 
- 

- 

18 

1,441 
- 

- 

1,441 
- 
- 

- 

1,441 

44 
7 

- 

51 
- 
8 

(1,200) 
- 

(3) 

(1,203) 
- 
- 

2,079 
7 

(3) 

2,083 
72 
8 

(59) 

59 

- 

- 

(1,144) 

2,163 

During  the  year,  the  Directors  decided  to  release  the  share-based  payment  reserve  to  retained  earnings  as  allowed 
under IFRS 2 (Share-based Payment). 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated cash flow statement  

Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Net cash from operating activities 

Investing activities 
Purchase of property, plant and equipment 
Purchase of intangible assets  

Net cash used in investing activities 

Financing activities 
Repayment of finance lease obligations 
Proceeds on issue of shares 
(Decrease)/increase in bank loans and invoice finance facilities 
Net cash (used in)/ generated from financing activities 

Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents at start of year 

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

Company cash flow statement  

Net cash used in operating activities 

Financing activities 
Proceeds of share issue 

Net cash generated from financing activities 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents at start of year 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

689 

306 

Note 

30 

(211) 
(258) 

(97) 
(334) 

(469) 

(431) 

(19) 
72 
(279) 
(226) 

(6) 

18 

(1) 

11 

(19) 
- 
54 
35 

(90) 

106 

2 

18 

Note 

30 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

(72) 

72 

72 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

1.  General information 

Creightons Plc (the Company) was incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies Act. The address of 
the  registered  office  is  given  on  page  49;  it  is  a  public  company,  with  a  premium  listing  on  the  London  Stock 
Exchange.  The  nature of  the  Group’s operations  and  its  principal  activities  are  set  out  in  the  strategic report  on 
pages 3 to 6. 

These Financial Statements are presented in pounds sterling because that is the currency of the primary economic 
environment in which the Group operates.  Foreign operations are included in accordance with the policies set out 
in note 3. 

2  Adoption of new and revised Standards 

In  the  current  year,  the  following  new  and  revised  Standards  and  interpretations  have  been  adopted  with  no 
material impact on the amounts reported in these financial statements: 

 
 
 

IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements (effective 1 January 2014) 
IFRS 11 Joint Arrangements (effective 1 January 2014) 
IFRS 12 Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities (effective 1 January 2014) 

New  standards  and  interpretations  currently  in  issue  but  not  effective  for  accounting  periods  commencing  on  1 
April 2014 are: 

 

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (effective 1 January 2015) 

As of 31 March 2014, the following standards and interpretations are in issue but not yet adopted by the EU: 

 

IFRS 15 Revenue from contracts with customers (effective 1 January 2017) 

The directors anticipate that  the adoption of these Standards and Interpretations in future periods will have no 
material impact on the financial statements of the Group.  

Initial  application  of  new  IFRS  and  International  Financial  Reporting  Interpretations  Committee  (IFRIC) 
interpretations effective for current reporting period or any amendments to such standards have been reflected in 
these financial statements. Application of these did not have a material impact on the financial statements and did 
not require a change in any significant accounting policies. 

The  Group  has  adopted  all  of  the  new  and  revised  Standards  and  Interpretations  issued  by  the  International 
Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) of 
the IASB that are relevant to its operations and effective for accounting periods beginning 1 April 2013. 

3  Significant accounting policies 

Basis of accounting 

The  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS  adopted  by  the  European  Union  and 
therefore the Group financial statements comply with Article 4 of the EU IAS regulations. 

The  financial  statements  have  also  been  prepared  on  the  historical  cost  basis,  except  for  the  revaluation  of 
financial instruments that are measured at revalued amounts or fair values at the end of each reporting period, as 
explained in the accounting policies below. Historical cost is generally based on the fair value of the consideration 
given in exchange for goods and services. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below. 

Basis of consolidation 

The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled 
by the Company (its subsidiaries), made up to the 31 March each year.  Control is achieved when the Company: 

 
 
 

has power over the investee; 
is exposed, or has rights, to variable return from its involvement with the investee; and 
has the ability to use its power to affect its returns. 

The Company reassesses whether or not it controls an investee if facts and circumstances indicate that there are 
changes to one or more of the three elements of control listed above. 

When the Company has less than a majority of the voting rights of an investee, it considers that it has the power 
over the investee when the voting rights are sufficient to give it the practical ability to direct the relevant activities 
of  the  investee  unilaterally.    The  Company  considers  all  of  the  relevant  facts  and  circumstances  in  assessing 
whether or not the Company’s voting rights in an investee are sufficient to give it power, including: 

 

 

the size of the Company’s holding of voting rights relative to the size and dispersion of holdings of other 
vote holders; 
potential voting rights held by the Company, other vote holders or other parties; 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

 
 

rights arising from other contractual arrangements, and 
any additional facts and circumstances that indicate that the Company has, or does not have, the current 
ability  to  direct  the  relevant  activities  at  the  time  that  decisions  need  to  be  made,  including  voting 
patterns at previous shareholder meetings. 

Consolidation of a subsidiary begins when the Company obtains control over the subsidiary and ceases when the 
Company  loses  control  of  the  subsidiary.    Specifically,  the  results  of  subsidiaries  acquired  or  disposed  of  during 
the  year  are  included  in  the  consolidated  income  statement  from  the  date  the  Company  gains  control  until  the 
date the Company ceases to control the subsidiary. 

Profit or loss and each component of other comprehensive income are attributed to owners of the Company and to 
the  non-controlling  interests.   Total  comprehensive  income  of  the  subsidiaries  is  attributed  to  the owners of  the 
company  and  to  non-controlling  interests  even  if  this  results  in  the  non-controlling  interests  having  a  debit 
balance. 

Where  necessary,  adjustments  are  made  to  the  financial  statements  of  subsidiaries  to  bring  the  accounting 
policies used into line with the Group’s accounting policies. 

All  intragroup  assets  and  liabilities,  equity,  income,  expenses  and  cash  flows  relating  to  transactions  between 
members of the Group are eliminated on consolidation. 

Going concern 

The directors have, at the time of approving the financial statements, a reasonable expectation that the Group has 
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.  Thus they continue to adopt 
the going concern basis of accounting in the preparing the financial statements.  Further detail is included in the 
strategic report on pages 3 to 6. 

Business combinations 

Acquisition  of  subsidiaries  and  businesses  are  accounted  for  using  the  acquisition  method.    The  consideration 
transferred in a business combination is measured at fair value, which is calculated as the sum of the acquisition-
date fair values of assets transferred to the Group, less liabilities incurred in exchange for control of the acquiree.  
Acquisition related costs are recognised in profit or loss as incurred.  

At  the  acquisition  date,  the  identifiable  assets  acquired  and  the  liabilities  assumed  are  recognised  at  their  fair 
value, except: 

 

 

deferred  tax  assets  or  liabilities  and  assets  or  liabilities  related  to  employee  benefit  arrangements  that 
are recognised  and  measured  in  accordance  with IAS 12  Income  Taxes  and  IAS  19  Employee Benefits 
respectively; and 
assets that are classified as held for  sale in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and 
Discontinued Operations are measured in accordance with that standard. 

Goodwill is measured as the excess of the sum of the consideration transferred, the amount of any non-controlling 
interests  in  the  acquiree,  and  the  fair  value  of  the  acquirer’s  previously  held  equity  interests  in  the  acquiree  (if 
any) over the net of the acquisition-date amounts of the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed.  
If,  after  reassessment,  the  net  of  the  acquisition-date  amounts  of  the  identifiable  assets  acquired  and  liabilities 
assumed  exceeds  the  sum  of  the  consideration  transferred,  the  amount  of  any  non-controlling  interest  in  the 
acquiree  and  the  fair  value  of  the  acquirer’s  previously  held  interests  in  the  acquiree  (if  any),  the  excess  is 
recognised immediately in the profit or loss as a purchase gain. 

Goodwill 

Goodwill is initially recognised and measured as set out above. 

Goodwill  is  not  amortised  but  is  reviewed  for  impairment  at  least  annually.  For  the  purposes  of  impairment 
testing, goodwill is allocated to each of the Group’s cash-generating units expected to benefit from the synergies 
of  the  combination.    Cash-generating  units  to  which  goodwill  has  been  allocated  are  tested  for  impairment 
annually,  or  more  frequently  when  there  is  an  indication  that  the  unit  may  be  impaired.    If  the  recoverable 
amount  of  the  cash-generating  unit  is  less  than  the  carrying  amount  of  the  unit,  the  impairment  loss  is  first 
allocated to reduce the carrying amount of the goodwill allocated to the unit and then to  the other assets of the 
unit  on  a  pro-rata  basis  of  the  carrying  amount  of  each  asset  in  the  unit.  An  impairment  loss  recognised  for 
goodwill is not reversable in subsequent periods. 

On  disposal  of  a  subsidiary,  the  attributable  amount  of  goodwill  is  included  in  the  determination  of  the  profit  or 
loss on disposal. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

Revenue recognition 

Revenue  is  measured  at  the  fair  value  of  the  consideration  received  or  receivable  in  the  year  and  represents 
amounts  receivable  for  goods  provided  in  the  normal  course  of  business,  net  of  discounts,  VAT  and  other  sales 
related taxes.  

Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when all the following conditions are satisfied: 

 
 

 
 
 

the Group has transferred to the buyer the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods; 
the  Group  retains  neither  continuing  managerial  involvement  to  the  degree  normally  associated  with 
ownership nor effective control over the goods sold; 
the amount of revenue can be measured reliably; 
it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity; and 
the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably. 

Leases 

Leases  are  classified  as  finance  leases  whenever  the  terms  of  the  lease  transfer  substantially  all  the  risks  and 
rewards of ownership to the lessee.  All other leases are classified as operating leases. 

Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets of the Group at the fair value or, if lower, at the present 
value of the minimum lease payments, each determined at the inception of the lease.  The corresponding liability 
to the lessor is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. 

Lease payments are apportioned between finance expenses and reduction of the lease obligation so as to achieve 
a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.  Finance expenses are recognised immediately 
in profit or loss. 

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged against income on a straight-line basis over the term of the 
relevant lease.   

In the event that lease incentives are received to enter into operating leases, such incentives are recognised as a 
liability.  The aggregate benefit of incentives is recognised as a reduction of rental expense on a straight line basis 
over the term of the lease, except where another more systemic basis is more representative of the time pattern 
in which economic benefits from the leased asset are consumed. 

Foreign currencies 

The individual financial statements of each group company are presented in the currency of the primary economic 
environment in which it operates (its functional currency).  For the purposes of consolidated financial statements, 
the  result  and  financial  position  of  each  group  company  is  presented  in  pounds  sterling,  which  is  the  functional 
currency of the Company, and the presentation currency for the consolidated financial statements. 

In  preparing  the  financial  statements  of  individual  companies,  transactions  in  currencies  other  than  the  entity’s 
functional  currency  (foreign  currencies)  are  recorded  at  the  rates  of  exchange  prevailing  on  the  dates  of  the 
transactions.    At  each  balance  sheet  date,  monetary  assets  and  liabilities  that  are  denominated  in  foreign 
currencies are retranslated at the rates ruling at that date.  

Exchange  differences  are  recognised  in  profit  or  loss  in  the  period  in  which  they  arise  except  for  exchange 
difference on: 

 

transactions entered into to hedge certain currency risks (see below under financial instruments / hedge 
accounting); and 

  monetary items receivable from or payable to a foreign operation for which settlement is neither planned 
nor likely to occur in the foreseeable future (therefore forming part of the net investment in the foreign 
operation), which are recognised initially in other comprehensive income and reclassified from equity to 
profit or loss on disposal or partial disposal of the next investment. 

For the purposes of presenting consolidated financial statements, the assets and liabilities of the  Group’s foreign 
operations are translated at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date.  Income and expense items are 
translated at the average exchange rate for the period, unless exchange rates fluctuate significantly during that 
period,  in  which  case  the  exchange  rates  at  the  date  of  transactions  are  used.    Exchange  differences  arising,  if 
any, are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity. 

On  the  disposal  of  a  foreign  operation  (i.e.  a  disposal  of  the  Group’s  entire  interest  in  a  foreign  operation,  or  a  
disposal  involving  loss of  control  over  a  subsidiary  that  includes  a  foreign  operation,  loss  of  joint  control  over  a 
jointly  controlled  entity  that  includes  a  foreign  operations,  or  loss  of  significant  influence  over  an  associate  that 
includes a foreign operation) all of the accumulated exchange differences in respect of that operation attributable 
to the Group are reclassified to profit or loss.  

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

In addition, in relation to a partial disposal of a subsidiary that includes a foreign operation that does not result in 
the Group losing control over the subsidiary, the proportionate share of accumulated exchange differences are re-
attributed to non-controlling interests and are not recognised in profit or loss. For all other partial disposals (i.e. 
partial disposals of associates or joint arrangements that do not result in the Group losing significant influence or 
joint control), the proportionate share of the accumulated exchange differences is reclassified to profit or loss. 

Borrowing costs 

All borrowing costs are recognised in the profit or loss in the period in which they are incurred. 

Operating profit 

Operating profit is stated before investment income and finance costs. 

Retirement benefit costs 

The Group companies contribute to a defined contribution retirement benefit scheme.   

Payments  to  the  defined  contribution  retirement  benefit  scheme  are recognised  as  an  expense  when  employees 
have rendered service entitling them to the contributions.  

Taxation 

The tax expense represents the sum of tax currently payable and deferred tax. 

Current tax 

The  tax  currently  payable  is  based  on  the  taxable  profit  for  the  year.    Taxable  profit  differs  from  net  profit  as 
reported  in  the  income  statement  because  it  excludes  items  of  income  or  expenditure  that  are  taxable  or 
deductible  in  other  years  and  it  further  excludes  items  of  income  or  expenditure  that  are  never  taxable  or 
deductible.    The  Group’s  liability  for  current  tax  is  calculated  using  tax  rates  that  have  been  enacted  or 
substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. 

Deferred tax 

Deferred  tax  is  the  tax  expected  to  be  payable  or  recoverable  on  material  differences  between  the  carrying 
amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities  in  the  financial  statements  and  the  corresponding  tax  bases  used  in  the 
computation  of  taxable  profit,  and  is  accounted  for  using  the  balance  sheet  liability  method.    Deferred  tax 
liabilities  are  generally  recognised  for  all  temporary  differences  and  deferred  tax  assets  are  recognised  to  the 
extent  that  it  is  probable  that  taxable  profits  will  be  available  against  which  deductible  temporary  timing 
differences can be utilised.  Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the temporary differences arise from 
the initial recognition of goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that 
affects neither taxable profit nor accounting profit. 

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that 
it  is  no  longer  probable  that  sufficient  taxable  profits  will  be  available  to  allow  all  or  part  of  the  asset  to  be 
recovered. 

Deferred tax is calculated at tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the 
asset is realised based on tax laws and rates that have been enacted or substantially enacted at the balance sheet 
date.  Deferred  tax  is  charged  or  credited  to  the  income  statement,  except  when  it  relates  to  items  charged  or 
credited to other comprehensive income, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in other comprehensive 
income.  

The measurement of deferred tax liabilities and assets reflects the tax consequences that would follow from the 
manner in which the Group expects, at the end of the reporting period, to recover or settle the carrying amount of 
its assets or liabilities. 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets 
against current tax liabilities and when they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the 
Group intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis. 

Current and deferred tax for the year 

Current and deferred tax are recognised in profit or loss, except when they relate to items that are recognised in 
other comprehensive income or directly in equity, in which case, the current and deferred tax are also recognised 
in  other  comprehensive  income  or  directly  in  equity  respectively.    When  current  tax or  deferred  tax  arises  from 
the  initial  accounting  for  a  business  combination,  that  tax  effect  is  included  in  the  accounting  for  the  business 
combination. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

Property, plant and equipment 

Property, plant  and  equipment  are  stated  at  cost  less  accumulated  depreciation  and  any  recognised  impairment 
loss. 

Depreciation  is  charged  so  as  to  write  off  the  cost  of  the  assets  less  any  residual  values  over  their  estimated 
useful lives using the straight line method on the following basis: 

      Plant and machinery 
Fixtures and fittings 
Computers 

% per annum 

10 - 20  
10 - 20 
20 - 33 

The  estimated  useful  lives,  residual  values  and  depreciation  method  used  are  reviewed  at  the  end  of  each 
reporting period, with the effect of any changes in the estimate accounted for on a prospective basis. 

Assets  held  under  finance  leases  are  depreciated  over  their  expected  useful  lives  on  the  same  basis  as  owned 
assets or, where shorter, over the term of the relevant lease. 

An item of property, plant and equipment is derecognised upon disposal or when no future economic benefits are 
expected to arise from the continued use of the asset.  The gain or loss arising on the disposal or scrappage of an 
asset  is  determined  as  the  difference  between  the  sales  proceeds  and  the  carrying  amount  of  the  asset  and  is 
recognised in the income statement. 

Research and development expenditure 

Expenditure on research activities is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. 

An  internally  generated  intangible  asset  arising  from  the  Group’s  product  development  is  recognised  only  if  the 
following conditions are met: 

 
 
 

an asset is created that can be identified with a specific product or range of products; 
it is probable that the asset created will generate future economic benefits; and 
the development cost of the asset can be measured reliably 

Internally  generated  intangible  assets  are  amortised  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  their  useful  lives  of  up  to  two 
years.  Where no internally generated intangible assets can be recognised, development expenditure is recognised 
as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. 

Intangible assets acquired separately 

Other  intangible  assets  are  carried  at  cost  less  accumulated  amortisation  and  accumulated  annual  impairment.  
Amortisation begins when an asset is available for use and is calculated on a straight-line basis over its estimated 
useful life as follows: 

Acquired licences 
Computer software 

- Over three years 
- Over three to five years 

Impairment of tangible and intangible assets excluding goodwill 

At  each  balance  sheet  date,  the  Group  reviews  the  carrying  amount  of  its  tangible  and  intangible  assets  to 
determine whether there is any indication that those assets suffered an impairment loss.  If any such indication 
exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated to determine the extent of the impairment loss, if any. 
Where the asset does not generate cash flows that are independent from other assets, the  Group estimates the 
recoverable amount of the cash generating unit to which the asset belongs.   

Recoverable amount is the higher of the fair value less cost to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the 
estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects  the 
current market assessment  of the time value of money and the risk specific to the asset for which the asset for 
which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted. 

If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, 
the carrying amount of the asset (or cash generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment 
loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which 
case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease. 

Where  an  impairment  loss  subsequently  reverses,  the  carrying  amount  of  the  asset  (or  cash  generating  unit)  is 
increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not 
exceed  the  carrying  amount  that  would  have  been  determined  had  no  impairment  loss  been  recognised  for  the 
asset (or cash generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit  

30 

 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment 
loss is treated as a revaluation increase. 

Investments 

Investments in subsidiary companies are stated at cost less any recognised impairment loss. 

Inventories 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realisable value.   The standard cost comprises direct materials 
and where applicable direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the inventories 
to  their  present  location  and  condition.    Cost  is  calculated  using  standard  costing  basis.  Net  realisable  value 
represents the estimated selling price less all estimated costs to completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, 
selling and distribution. 

Financial assets and liabilities 

Financial  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognised  in  the  Group’s  balance  sheet  when  the  Group  becomes  party  to  a 
contractual provision of the instrument. 

Trade  receivables  are  initially  recognised  at  fair  value.    Appropriate  allowances  for  estimated  irrecoverable 
amounts  are  recognised  in  profit  or  loss  when  there  is  objective  evidence,  such  as  an  increase  in  delayed 
payments, that the asset is impaired.   

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  comprise  cash  on  hand  and  demand  deposits  and  other  short  term  highly  liquid 
investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to insignificant risk of change 
of value. 

Trade payables and loans are initially measured at their cost which approximates to their fair value. 

Derivative financial instruments 

The Group’s activities expose it primarily to the financial risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates.  The 
Group  uses  foreign  exchange  forward  contracts  to  hedge  against  foreign  exchange  rate  risk  where  considered 
appropriate.  The Group does not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. 

Derivatives  are  initially  recognised  at  fair  value  at  the  date  a  derivative  contract  is  entered  into  and  are 
subsequently re-measured to their fair value at each balance sheet date. The resulting gain or loss is recognised 
in the income statement immediately unless the derivative is designated and effective as a hedging instrument, in 
which  event  the  timing  of  the  recognition  in  the  income  statement  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  hedge 
relationship.  The Group designates certain derivatives as  either hedges of the fair value of the recognised assets,  
liabilities or firm commitments (fair value hedges), hedges of highly probable forecast transactions or hedges of 
foreign currency risk of firm commitments (cash flow hedges), or hedges of net investment in foreign operations. 

A derivative is presented as a non-current asset or non-current liability if the remaining maturity of the instrument 
is more than 12 months and it is not expected to be realised or settled within 12 months.  Other derivatives are 
treated as current assets or liabilities. 

Share-based payments 

Equity-settled share-based payments to employees and others providing similar services are measured at the fair 
value  at  the  grant  date.    The  fair  value  excludes  the  effect  of  non-market  based  vesting  conditions.  Details 
regarding the determination of the fair value of equity-settled share-based payments are set out in note 25. 

The fair value determined at the grant date of the equity-settled share-based payments is expensed on a straight 
line  basis  over  the  vesting  period,  based  on  the  Group’s  estimate  of  shares  that  will  eventually  vest.    At  each 
balance  sheet  date  the  Group  revises  its  estimate  of  the  number  of  shares  expected  to  vest  as  a  result  of  the 
effect  of  non-market  based  vesting  conditions.    The  impact  of  the  revision  of  the  original  estimate,  if  any,  is 
recognised in profit or loss such that the cumulative expense reflects the revised estimate, with a corresponding 
adjustment to equity reserves. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

3   Significant accounting policies (continued) 

4. 

 Critical accounting judgements and sources of estimation uncertainty 

Critical judgements in applying the Group’s accounting policies 

In the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies, which are described in note 3, management have made 
the  following  judgement  that  has  the  most  significant  effect  on  the  amounts  recognised  in  the  financial 
statements. 

Corporation  tax  -  A  judgement  is  required  in  determining  the  provision  for  corporation  tax.  There  are  some 
calculations  for  which  the  ultimate  tax  determination  is  uncertain  in  the  ordinary  course  of business.  The  Group 
recognises tax liabilities on the best estimate of whether tax liabilities will be due.  Where the final tax outcome is 
different from the amounts that were initially recorded, such differences will impact the income and deferred tax 
provisions in the period in which such determination is made. No deferred tax asset has been accounted due to 
the economic and trading uncertainties facing the Group. 

Key sources of estimation uncertainty 

The key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the balance sheet 
date, that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to  the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities 
within the next financial year, are discussed below. 

Impairment of goodwill - determining whether goodwill is impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of 
the cash-generating unit to which goodwill is allocated. The value in use requires the entity to estimate the future. 
No impairment provision was considered necessary against this carrying value. 

Impairment  of  product  development  costs  -  management  review  the  recoverability  of  capitalised  product 
development  costs  throughout  the  year  and  will  charge  amortisation  to  reflect  any  impairment  arising  from  a 
reduction in the anticipated lifecycle of the products.  At the balance sheet date all products were considered to 
have product lifecycles which were in line with the accounting policies noted in 3 above. 

Provisions  -  The  Group  assesses  provisions  as  the  Directors’  best  estimate  of  the  expenditure  required  to  settle 
obligations  at  the  balance  sheet  date.    These  estimates  are  made  taking  account  of  information  available  and 
different possible outcomes. Estimates relating to the net realisable value of inventories and recoverability of trade 
receivables are areas where the Directors’ best estimates have been applied in the current financial year. 

5  Revenue 

All of the Group’s revenue is derived from the sale of goods.  There are no discontinued operations. 

6  Business and geographic segments 

For  management  purposes  the  Group  reports  operations  internally  from  two  segments  one  based  in  the  United 
Kingdom and one based in North America. Appropriate segmental information is as follows: 

Revenue by segment 

Year ended 31 March 2014 

Year ended 31 March 2013 

External 
revenue 

£000 

Inter- 
segment 
revenue 
£000 

Total 
segment 
revenue 
£000 

External 
revenue 

£000 

Inter- 
segment 
revenue 
£000 

Total 
segment 
revenue 
£000 

18,236 
1,116 

142 
- 

18,378 
1,116 

15,782 
1,544 

346 
- 

16,128 
1,544 

19,352 

142 

19,494 

17,326 

346 

17,672 

United Kingdom 
North America 

Total 

Information about major customers 

Included in revenues arising from the United Kingdom for the year ended 31 March 2014 are revenues from three 
customers that exceeded 10% of total revenue being; £2,633,000, £2,211,000 and £1,881,000 respectively.   

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

6  Business and geographic segments (continued) 

Profit by segment 

Year ended 31 March 2014 
Group 
North 
America 
£000 

United 
Kingdom 
£000 

£000 

Year ended 31 March 2013 
Group 
North 
United 
America 
Kingdom 
£000 
£000 

£000 

Segment results 

1,337 

(2) 

1,335 

1,017 

129 

1,146 

Central costs 

Operating profit 

Finance costs 

Profit for the year 

Segmental operating profit is stated after charging: 

(832) 

503 

(32) 

471 

(813) 

333 

(31) 

302 

Year ended 31 March 2014 
Group 
North 
America 
£000 

United 
Kingdom 
£000 

£000 

Year ended 31 March 2013 
Group 
North 
United 
America 
Kingdom 
£000 
£000 

£000 

Depreciation 

Amortisation 

Write-downs of inventory recognised 
as an expense 

146 

293 

107 

- 

- 

69 

146 

293 

176 

128 

301 

174 

- 

- 

14 

128 

301 

188 

The  profit  reported  by  each  segment  represents  the  profit  earned  before  central  management  costs,  including 
directors’ remuneration, and finance costs. 

Segment assets 

Non-current assets 

United Kingdom 
North America 

Total non-current assets 

Current assets 

United Kingdom 
North America 

Total current assets 

Total assets 

United Kingdom 
North America 

Total assets 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

1,192 
- 

1,163 
- 

1,192 

1,163 

6,855 
324 

5,874 
481 

7,179 

6,355 

8,047 
324 

7,037 
481 

8,371 

7,518 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

6  Business and geographic segments (continued) 

Segment liabilities 

United Kingdom 
North America 

Total liabilities 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

3,346 
92 

3,124 
54 

3,438 

3,178 

All  of  the  Group’s  capital  expenditure  depreciation  and  amortisation  is  within  the  United  Kingdom  segment.  The 
accounting policies for the reportable segment are the same as the Group’s accounting policies described in note 
3. 

7.  Operating profit  

Operating profit is stated after charging/(crediting): 

Net foreign exchange (loss)/gain 

Cost of inventories recognised as expense 

Write downs of inventories recognised as an expense  

Research and development costs 

Depreciation of property plant and equipment 
  owned assets 
  leased assets 

Amortisation of intangible assets (included in administrative 
expenses) 

Impairment loss 

Staff costs 

Auditor’s remuneration  

Operating lease rental expense 
- Land & buildings 
- Other 

The analysis of auditor’s remuneration is as follows: 

Audit services 
Fees payable to the company’s auditor for the audit of    the parent 
company and the consolidated financial statements 
Fees payable to the company’s auditor for other services: 
  The audit of the company’s subsidiaries, pursuant to legislation 
  Tax services 

34 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

(42) 

29 

11,460 

9,699 

176 

301 

129 
17 

293 

188 

323 

111 
17 

301 

- 

3 

4,862 

4,311 

30 

28 

350 
34 

350 
38 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

22 

6 
2 

21 

6 
1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

8.  Staff costs 

The average number of employees (including directors) was: 

Management 
Administration 
Production 

Total 

Their aggregate remuneration comprised: 

Wages and salaries  
Social security costs 
Pension contributions 

Total 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
Number 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
Number 

9 
48 
140 

197 

9 
47 
130 

186 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

4,433 
406 
23 

4,862 

3,933 
355 
23 

4,311 

Details of directors’ emoluments are set out in the directors’ remuneration report. 

9.  Finance costs 

Interest on bank overdrafts and loans 
Interest on obligations under finance leases 

Total 

10. Taxation 

Current tax 
Deferred tax 

Total 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

29 
3 

32 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

- 
- 

- 

28 
3 

31 

- 
- 

- 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

10. Taxation (continued) 

The charge for the year can be reconciled to the profit per the income statement as follows: 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
% 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
% 

Profit before taxation 

471 

Tax charge at the UK corporation tax 
rate of 23% (2013 – 24%)  
Tax effect of expenses that are not 
deductible in determining taxable 
profit 
Tax effect of utilisation of brought 
forward tax losses 

Total expense and effective rate for 
the year 

(108) 

(23.0) 

(2) 

(0.5) 

110 

23.5 

- 

- 

302 

(72) 

(2) 

74 

- 

(24.0) 

(0.7) 

24.7 

- 

There is no charge to deferred tax for the Group or the Company. 

At  the  balance  sheet  date,  the  Group  has  unused  tax  losses  of  £2,207,000  (2013  -  £2,649,000)  available  for 
offset  against  future  profits.    No  deferred  tax  asset  has  been  recognised  in  respect  of  these  losses  due  to  the 
unpredictability of future profit streams.  All losses may be carried forward indefinitely and utilised against profits 
of the same trade. 

11.  Earnings per share 

The calculation of the basic and diluted earnings per share is based on the following data: 

Earnings 
Net profit attributable to the equity holders of the parent 
company 

Number of shares 
Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes 
of basic earnings per share 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

471 

302 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
Number 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
Number 

58,355,426 

54,478,876 

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares relating to share 
options 

1,570,000 

5,126,550 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes 
of diluted earnings per share 

59,925,426 

59,605,426 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

12.  Goodwill 

Cost 
At 1 April 2012, 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

Accumulated impairment losses 
At 1 April 2012  
Charge in the year 
At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

Carrying amount 
At 1 April 2012  

At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

Year ended 
31 March 
£000 

379 

33 
3 
36 

346 

343 

Goodwill relates to the Potter & Moore business acquired in March 2003 and the costs associated with setting up  
TS Ventures Ltd in August 2010 which was sold on 23 May 2014 -  see note 31. 

The Group tests goodwill annually for impairment or more frequently if there are  indications that goodwill might 
be impaired. 

The recoverable amount is determined from a value in use calculation. The key assumptions used for the value in 
use calculation are the discount rate, sales and margin projections, expected changes in direct and indirect costs 
during  the  five  year  forecast,  a  growth  rate  of  9%  and  a  discount  rate  of  6.0%.    No  likely  change  in  these 
assumptions would give rise to impairment. 

The growth rates are based on the average growth rate experienced by the cash generating unit which is in line 
with historical growth rates for the business sector.  The pre-tax discount rate is based upon the Group’s weighted 
average cost of capital  adjusted for specific risks relating to  the sector and country, as this is believed to be the 
most appropriate to be used. 

13.  Other intangible assets 

Group 

Cost 
At 1 April 2012 
Additions 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2013 
Additions 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2014 

Accumulated amortisation 

At 1 April 2012 
Amortisation for the year 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2013 
Amortisation for the year 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2014 

Carrying value 
At 1 April 2012 

At 31 March 2013 

At 31 March 2014 

Acquired 
computer 
software 
£000 

Product 
development 
costs 
£000 

Total 

£000 

98 
8 
- 
106 
8 
- 
114 

60 
16 
- 
76 
16 
- 
92 

38 

30 

22 

592 
326 
(48) 
870 
250 
(139) 
981 

368 
285 
(48) 
605 
277 
(138) 
744 

690 
334 
(48) 
976 
258 
(139) 
1,095 

428 
301 
(48) 
681 
293 
(138) 
836 

224 

262 

265 

295 

237 

259 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

14.  Property, plant and equipment 

Group 

Cost 
At 1 April 2012 
Additions 
At 31 March 2013 
Additions 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2014 

Accumulated depreciation 
At 1 April 2012 
Depreciation for the year 
At 31 March 2013 
Depreciation for the year 
Disposals 
At 31 March 2014 

Carrying value 
At 1 April 2012 

At 31 March 2013 

At 31 March 2014 

Property , 
plant and 
equipment 
£000 

2,142 
97 
2,239 
211 
(32) 
2,418 

1,586 
128 
1,714 
146 
(32) 
1,828 

556 

525 

590 

 Included  within  property,  plant  and  equipment  are  assets  held  under  finance  leases  with  a  carrying  value  of 
£93,000  (2013  -  £111,000)  on  which  depreciation  of  £17,000  (2013  -  £17,000)  has  been  charged  during  the 
year. 

15.   Investment in subsidiaries 

Company 

Cost 
At 1 April 2012  
Additions 
At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

Impairment charge 
At 1 April 2012 
Impairment for the year 
At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

Carrying value 
At 1 April 2012 

At 31 March 2013 

At 31 March 2014 

38 

Investments 
£000 

72 
3 
75 

- 
3 
3 

75 

72 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

15.   Investment in subsidiaries (continued) 

Details of the Company’s subsidiaries at 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013 are as follows: 

Name 

Place of incorporation 
Registration and 
operation 

Proportion of 
ownership interest 
and voting power 
held 

Potter & Moore Innovations Limited 

England 

Potter and Moore International Inc 

United States of America 

The Real Shaving Company Limited  

The Natural Grooming Company Limited 

St James Perfumery Co Limited 

Ashworth & Claire Limited 

The Haircare Studio Limited 

The Hair Design Studio Limited 

The Sensual Secrets Company Limited 

Creightons Naturally Limited 

Groomed Limited 

TS Ventures Limited 

Twisted Sista Limited 

Miamoo Limited 

Amie Skincare Limited 

We Only Want You For Your Body Limited 

All shareholdings are in ordinary shares. 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

England 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

55% 

100% 

55% 

55% 

55% 

The  activity  of  Potter  &  Moore  Innovations  Limited  is  the  creation  and  manufacture  of  toiletries  and  fragrances. 
The activity of Potter and Moore International Inc. is a distribution of personal care products. All other subsidiaries 
were dormant throughout the years ended 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013. 

Under the terms of the shareholder agreements with partners in the following subsidiaries: 

TS Ventures Limited 

 
  Miamoo Limited 
 
  Miamoo Limited, 

Amie Skincare Limited, and 

the  partner shareholders  have  the  right,  in  certain  circumstance,  to  purchase  the  Company’s shareholding  upon 
the  exercise  of  a  valid  exercise  option.    Our  partner  in  TS  Ventures  Limited  exercised  their  option  and  the 
Company’s shareholding in TS Ventures Limited was sold on 23 May 2014 – see note 31. 

16. Inventories 

Raw materials 
Work in progress 
Finished goods 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

1,085 
267 
2,352 

836 
218 
2,472 

3,704 

3,526 

- 
- 
- 

- 

- 
- 
- 

- 

Inventories  with  a  carrying  value  of  £3,704,000  (2013  -  £3,526,000)  have  been  pledged  as  security  for  the 
Group’s bank overdrafts.  Directors believe that net realisable value approximates to fair value. 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

       17. Trade and other receivables 

Group 

201 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Trade receivables 
Amounts receivable from subsidiaries 
Prepayments and other receivables 

3,337 
- 
127 

2,641 
- 
170 

- 
2,126 
- 

- 
2,046 
- 

3,464 

2,811 

2,126 

2,046 

Trade receivables have been pledged as security for the Group’s borrowings under invoice finance facilities and 
the Group’s bank overdrafts. 

The carrying value of trade and other receivables represents their fair value. 

Trade receivables have been reported in the balance sheet net of provisions as follows: 

Trade receivables 
Less impairment provision 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

3,361 
(24) 

2,665 
(24) 

3,337 

2,641 

- 
- 

- 

The movement in the trade receivables impairment provision is as follows: 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

At 1 April 
Charge in current year income statement 

At 31 March 

24 
- 

24 

24 
- 

24 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

There were £111,000 (2013 - £76,000) trade receivables that were overdue at the balance sheet date that have 
not  been  provided  against.  There  are  no  indications  as  at  31  March  2014  that  the  debtors  will  not  meet  their 
payment  obligations  in  respect  of  the  amount  of  trade  receivables  recognised  in  the  balance  sheet  that  are 
overdue and not provided. The proportion of trade receivables at 31 March 2014 that were overdue for payment 
was 3.3% (2013 -2.8%). 

18.  Cash and cash equivalents 

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  comprise  cash  held  by  the  Group  and  short  term  bank  deposits  with  an  original 
maturity rate of three months or less.  The carrying amounts of these assets approximates to their fair value.  An 
analysis of the amounts at the year end is as follows: 

Cash at bank and in hand 
Sterling equivalent of deposit 
denominated in US dollars 
Sterling equivalent of deposit 
denominated in Euro’s 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

1 
- 

10 

11 

- 
18 

- 

18 

- 
- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

19.  Financial instruments and treasury risk management 

Exposures  to  credit,  interest  and  currency  risks  arise  in  the  normal  course  of  the  Group’s  business.    Risk 
management policies and hedging activities are outlined below.  

Credit risk 

Trading exposures are monitored by the operational companies against agreed policy levels.  Credit insurance is 
employed where it is considered to be cost effective.  Non-trading financial exposures are incurred only with the 
Group’s bankers or other institutions with prior approval of the Board of directors. 

The majority of trade receivables in the UK and North America are with retail customers.  The maximum exposure 
to credit risk is represented by the carrying amount of each financial asset in the balance sheet. 

Impairment provisions on trade receivables have been disclosed in note 17. 

Interest rate risk 

The Group finances its operations through a mixture of debt associated with working capital facilities and equity.  
The Group is exposed to changes in interest rates on its floating rate working capital facilities.  The variability and 
scale of these facilities is such that the Group does not consider it cost effective to hedge against this risk. 

Interest rate sensitivity 

The interest rate sensitivity is based upon the Group’s weighted average borrowings over the year assuming a 1% 
increase or decrease which is used when reporting interest rate risk internally to key management personnel. 

If interest rates had been 1% higher/lower and all other variables were held constant, the Group’s profit for the 
year  ended  31  March  2014  would  increase/decrease  by  £12,000  (2013  –  £11,000).    The  Group’s  sensitivity  to 
interest  rates  has  increased  during  the  current  year  mainly  due  to  the  increase  in  the  average  working  capital 
facilities used in the year. 

Foreign currency risks 

The Group is exposed to foreign currency transaction and translation risks.   

Transaction risk arises on income and expenditure in currencies other than the functional currency of each group       
company. The magnitude of this risk is relatively low as the  majority of the Group’s income and expenditure are 
denominated in the functional currency. Approximately 11% (2013 – 12%) of the Group’s income is denominated 
in  US  dollars  and  1%  (2013  -  0.5%)  in  Euros.  Approximately  7%  (2013  –  12%)  of  the  Group’s  expenditure  is 
denominated in US dollars and 5% (2013 – 5%) in Euros.  

Foreign currency sensitivity 

A 5% strengthening of sterling would result in a £44,000 (2013 - £38,000) reduction in profits and equity.  A 5% 
weakening in sterling would result in a £49,000 (2013 - £42,000) increase in profits and equity. 

When appropriate the Group utilises currency derivatives to hedge against significant future transactions and cash 
flows.  The Group is party to a foreign currency forward contract in the management of its exchange risk exposure 
at  31  March  2014  (2013  –  nil).  The  instruments  purchased  are  in  the  currency  used  by  the  Group’s  principal 
overseas suppliers. 

The Group does not designate its foreign currency forward exchange contracts as hedging instruments as they do 
not qualify for hedge accounting under IAS39.   

At  the  balance  sheet  date  the  fair  value  of  the  Group’s  derivatives  was  a  liability  of  under  £1,000  (2013  -  nil) 
which has been booked as a loss in the period. 

At the balance sheet date the Group has committed to £785,000 (2013 nil) of forward foreign currency contracts. 

Liquidity risk 

The  Group  has  no  long  term  borrowing  requirements  and  manages  its  working  capital  requirements  through 
overdrafts  and  invoice  finance  facilities.    These  facilities  are  due  to  be  renewed  in  March  2015.  The  maturity 
profile  of  the  committed  bank  facilities  is  reviewed  regularly  and  such facilities  are  extended or replaced well  in 
advance of their  expiry.  The Group has complied with all of the terms of these facilities. At 31 March 2014 the 
group  had  available  £2,300,000  (2013  -  £1,497,000)  of  undrawn  committed  borrowing  facilities  in  respect  of 
which all conditions precedent had been met.  

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

20.  Trade and other payables   

Trade payables 
Social security and other taxes 
Accrued expenses 
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings  

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

1,823 
499 
455 
- 

1,681 
360 
178 
- 

2,777 

2,219 

- 
- 
- 
35 

35 

- 
- 
- 
35 

35 

The directors consider the carrying amount of trade payables approximates to fair value. 

21.  Obligations under finance leases 

Group 

Amounts payable under finance leases 
Within one year 
Between two to five years 

Total minimum lease payments 

Minimum 
lease payments 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

20 
28 

48 

19 
48 

67 

All lease obligations are denominated in sterling and the fair value of the Group’s lease obligations approximate to 
their carrying value. 

The Group’s obligations under finance leases are secured by the lessors’ rights over the leased assets. 

22.  Bank overdrafts and loans 

Bank overdraft 
Borrowings under invoice finance facilities 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

260 
353 

613 

233 
659 

892 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

The borrowings are repayable on demand or within one year. 

Borrowings totalling £271,000 (2013 - £40,000) are denominated in US Dollars all other borrowings are 
denominated in Sterling.  The directors estimate that the fair value of the Group’s borrowings approximates to the 
carrying value. 

The weighted interest rates paid were as follows: 

Group 

2014 
% 

2013 
% 

Company 

2014 
% 

2013 
% 

Bank overdrafts 
Borrowings under invoice finance facilities 

3.2 
2.7 

3.2 
2.7 

- 
- 

- 
- 

The bank overdraft is secured by fixed and floating charges over all the assets of the Group.  

The  invoice  finance  facility  is  secured  on  the  trade  receivables  and  a  floating  charge  on  all  of  the  assets  of  the 
Group. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

23.  Share capital 

At 01 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 
Issued in the year 
At 31 March 2014 

Ordinary shares of 1p each 

£000 

Number 

545 
39 
584 

54,478,876 
3,876,550 
58,355,426 

The Company has one class of ordinary shares which carry no right to fixed income. All of the share are issued 
and fully paid. The total proceeds from the issue of shares in the year was £72,000 (2013 – nil). 

       24. Other reserves 

Group 

Capital 
reserve 

Special 
Reserve 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 

Total 
Other 
reserves 

£000 

£000 

£000 

£000 

At 1 April 2012, 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014 

7 

13 

18 

38 

The  Company  obtained  a  court  ruling  dated  19  March  1997  under  which  the  reduction  in  share  premium  was 
credited to a special reserve. The special reserve was first used to write off the deficit on the company profit and 
loss  account  and  then  to  write  off  the  goodwill  arising  on the  acquisition  of  Crestol  Limited  to  the  Group  profit 
and loss account.  At 31 March 2014 goodwill written off amounts to £2,575,000 (2013 - £2,575,000). 

Under the court ruling, the special reserve may be used to write off goodwill on any further acquisition.  To the 
extent that there shall remain any sum standing to the credit of the reserve, it shall be treated as unrealised 
profit and as a non-distributable reserve, until such time as the creditors existing at the date of the ruling have 
been satisfied or consent to its distribution. 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

25. Equity settled share-based payments 

The Company has a share option scheme which is open to any employee of the Group.  Options granted under 
the scheme are for nil consideration and are exercisable at a price equal to the quoted market price of the 
Company’s shares on the date of the grant.  The vesting period is 3 years. If the options remain unexercised 
after a period of 10 years from the date of grant, the option expires.  Options are forfeited if the employee leaves 
the Group before options vest. 

Fair value is calculated using the Black-Scholes model.  The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, 
based on management’s best estimate, for the non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural 
considerations. 

Ordinary shares of 1p each 

Number 

2014 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 

Number 

2013 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 

5,126,550 

1.93p 

5,376,550 

1.90p 

Outstanding at the beginning of the 
period 

Granted in the period 
Exercised in the period 
Lapsed in the period 

320,000 
(3,876,550) 
- 

4.29p 
(1.90p) 
- 

- 
- 
(250,000) 

- 
- 
(1.38p) 

Outstanding at the end of the period 

1,570,000 

2.48p 

5,126,550 

1.93p 

Share options outstanding at the end of the year have the following expiry dates and exercise prices: 

Granted 

January 2007 
December 2008 
February 2011 
July 2013 
December 2013 

Exercise 
period 

Number 

Exercise 
price 

2010 – 2017 
2011 – 2018 
2014 – 2021 
2016 – 2023 
2016 – 2023 

50,000 
200,000 
1,000,000 
50,000 
270,000 

4.75p 
1.38p 
2.00p 
4.50p 
4.25p 

Outstanding at the end of the period 

1,570,000 

2.48p 

The weighted average contractual life for the outstanding options based on last exercise date is 6.6 years. 

The share options granted during each period have been valued using a Black-Scholes model. The inputs to the 
Black-Scholes model are as follows: 

Weighted average share price (pence) 
Weighted average exercise price (pence) 
Expected volatility (%) 
Expected life -years 
Risk free rate (%) 
Expected dividends (pence) 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 

2.48p 
2.48p 
29.2% - 155.8% 
3 
5.8% 
- 

1.93p 
1.93p 
29.2% - 122.9% 
3 
5.8% 
- 

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the Group’s share price over the 
previous year.  The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for 
the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions, and behavioural considerations. 

The Group recognised total expenses of £8,000 (2013- £7,000) related to share-based payments. 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

26.  Retirement benefit scheme 

The  Group  operates  a  defined  contribution  scheme  for  certain  employees.    The  assets  of  the  scheme  are  held 
separately from those of the Group.  The charge in the consolidated income statement in the year was £23,000 
(2013 - £23,000) and cash contributions were £23,000 (2013: £23,000). 

27. Operating lease arrangements 

The Group leases property, plant and equipment under non-cancellable operating lease agreements. These leases 
have varying terms, escalation clauses and renewal rights. 

Group 

Company 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March  
2013 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March  
2013 
£000 

Minimum lease payments under operating 
leases recognised as an expense in the year 

384 

387 

- 

- 

 An analysis of the total minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is set out below: 

Total operating leases 

Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
After five years 

Total 

Lease for land and buildings 

Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
After five years 

Total 

Other operating leases 

Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 

Total 

28. Capital commitments 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

377 
1,424 
345 

384 
1,424 
695 

2,146 

2,503 

- 
- 
- 

- 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

350 
1,400 
345 

350 
1,400 
695 

2,095 

2,445 

- 
- 
- 

- 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

27 
24 

51 

34 
24 

58 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 
- 

- 

- 
- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

Group 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Company 

2014 
£000 

2013 
£000 

Contracts placed for future capital expenditure not 
provided for in the financial statements 

11 

3 

- 

- 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

29. Related party transactions 

Transactions between the parent company and its subsidiaries 

The amounts owed by and to subsidiary companies are:  

Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings 

Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings 

Oratorio Developments Limited 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

2,126 

2,046 

(35)  

(35) 

On  24  July  2006  Oratorio  Developments  Limited,  a  company  of  which  Mr  McIlroy  is  a  director  and  controlling 
shareholder, acquired the premises occupied by Potter & Moore Innovations Limited.  The following amounts were 
charged under the terms of the lease: 

Rental charges 
Re-imbursement of property insurance costs 

Total 

Amounts owed to Oratorio Developments Ltd 

Amounts payable 

  Carty Johnson Limited 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

350 
18 

368 

350 
17 

367 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

105 

105 

Carty Johnson Limited, a company of which Mr Johnson is a director and controlling shareholder provides internet 
support services. The following amounts were charged in the year: 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

Charges for internet support services 

14 

14 

Remuneration of key management personnel 

The remuneration of the directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out below in 
aggregate for each of the categories specified in IAS 24, ‘Related Party Disclosure’.  Further information about the 
remuneration of individual directors is provided in the audited part of the directors’ remuneration report on pages 
12 to 17. 

Salaries and other short term benefits 

Total 

46 

Year ended 
31 March 
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

180 

180 

161 

161 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

30. Notes to cash flow statement 

Group 

Profit from operations 

Adjustments for: 
Depreciation on property, plant and equipment 
Goodwill impairment charge 
Amortisation of intangible assets 
Share based payment charge 

(Increase)  in inventories 
(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables 
Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables 

Cash generated from operations 

Interest paid 

Net cash from operating activities 

Analysis of changes in net debt 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

503 

333 

146 
- 
293 
8 

128 
3 
301 
7 

950 

772 

(210) 
(661) 
642 

721 

(32) 

689 

(230) 
235 
(440) 

337 

(31) 

306 

Cash and bank balances 
Borrowings 

Net debt 

Cash and cash equivalents 

At 01 April 
2013 
£000’s 

Cash Flow 

£000’s 

Non-cash 
movements 
£000’s 

At 31 
March 2014 
£000’s 

18 
(892) 

(874) 

(6) 
279 

273 

(1) 
- 

(1) 

11 
(613) 

(602) 

Cash and bank balances 
Bank overdraft and borrowings under invoice finance 
Net cash and cash equivalents 

Company 

Loss from operations 

Adjustments for: 
Share based payment charge 
Goodwill impairment charge 

Decrease in trade and other receivables 

Net cash used in operating activities 

47 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

11 
(613) 
(602) 

18 
(892) 
(874) 

Year ended 
31 March  
2014 
£000 

Year ended 
31 March 
2013 
£000 

- 

8 
- 

8 

(80) 

(72) 

(3) 

7 
3 

7 

(7) 

- 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Notes to the financial statements 

31. Post balance sheet event 

On  23  May  2014  the  Group  completed  the  disposal  of  its  55  %  interest  in  TS  Ventures  Limited  which  holds  the 
intellectual  property  rights  to  the  Twisted  Sista  brand of  hair  care products for  a  cash  consideration  of  £448,000. 
The 55 % interest in TS Ventures Limited is being sold to Mr. Stephen Durham, the owner of the 45 % interest not 
owned  by  the  Company.  The  Company  anticipates  reporting  a  profit  of  approximately  £375,000  in  the  interim 
financial report for the six months ended 30 September 2014 in relation to the disposal. 

As part of the disposal Potter & Moore Innovations Limited, the Company’s main trading subsidiary, has entered into 
a  five year  exclusive manufacturing  agreement  with  Twisted  Sista  LLC,  a US based  corporation,  which  will  be  the 
main trading business and owner of the Intellectual Property Rights in the Twisted Sista brand. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creightons Plc    Annual Report 2014 

Directors and advisers  

Directors 

William O McIlroy  
Bernard JM Johnson 
William T Glencross 
Mary T Carney 
Nicholas DJ O’Shea 

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive 
Managing Director 
Non-executive Director 
Non-executive Director 
Non-executive Director 

Registered Office and number 

Company Secretary 

1210 Lincoln Road 
Peterborough 
PE4 6ND  
Registered in England & Wales No 1227964   

Nicholas DJ O’Shea, BSc ACMA CGMA 

Auditor  

Chantrey Vellacott DFK LLP 
Russell Square House 
10-12 Russell Square 
London   
WC1B 5LF 

Bankers 

HSBC Bank Plc 
Cathedral Square  
Peterborough 
PE1 1XL  

Financial Advisers 

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP 
61 Cheapside 
London 
EC2V 6AX 

Registrars 

Capita Registrars Limited 
Northern House 
Woodsome Park 
Fenay Bridge 
Huddersfield 
HD8 0GA 

Solicitors 

Coole & Haddock 
5 The Steyne  
Worthing 
West Sussex 
BN11 3DT 

49