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Naked Wines

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FY2020 Annual Report · Naked Wines
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Delivering 
growth, 
opportunity 
accelerated.

Naked Wines plc Annual Report  
and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Come with us on a journey,  
to discover four fundamental 
things about our business.

1

Connecting everyday wine drinkers with the 
world’s best independent winemakers.

Our business at a glance 10

To disrupt the wine industry for the benefit of 
our customers, winemakers and our people.

Our business model 24

I’ll be talking about a year  
of change, challenge  
and opportunity.

Nick Devlin’s review 16

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

Throughout this 
report you’ll find 
a series of articles 
which demonstrate 
just exactly what 
makes us so different.

Strategic report

Four things you need to know about us

1
10 Our business at a glance
14 Chairman’s letter
16 Chief Executive’s review
19  COVID-19
20 Key performance indicators
24  Our business model
30 Review of the year
32 Financial review
38 Stakeholder engagement
44 Risk management and control environment
50 Sustainability

Governance report
58 An introduction by our new Chairman
59 Q&A with John Walden, Chairman
60 Board of Directors
62 Governance
65 Directors’ Remuneration report
74 Audit Committee report
76 Directors’ report
77  Statement of Directors’ responsibilities
78 Independent auditor’s report

Financials
82 Group income statement
83  Group statement of comprehensive income
84  Group statement of changes in equity
85 Group balance sheet
86 Group cash flow statement
87 Notes to the financial statements
122 Company balance sheet
123  Company statement of changes in equity
124  Notes to the Company financial statements
128 Shareholder information
129 Definitions and operational KPIs
130  Alternative performance measures (APMs)

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

There are four things you should know about  
Naked Wines. So let’s get to it.

1.  Our 100% digital business model is nothing 

short of revolutionary. 

2.  We are leading the drive towards a fairer 

wine industry. 

3. There’s an outstanding opportunity in the US.

4.  We’re prioritising long-term growth over  

short-term profits.

So whether you’re a potential investor, one of our 
Angels, or just interested – we hope you’ll have a 
good look at this report, and see the good that 
Naked Wines is doing for the wine industry.

I’d definitely recommend spending 
five minutes reading the next eight 
pages. A thoroughly informative 
and engaging read. 
Nick – Napa

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

1

Naked was set up because we believed the 
wine industry could be better. Two important 
people – the wine drinker and winemaker – could 
be getting a better deal. Our differentiated 
and disruptive approach turns the traditional 
model on its head – providing a community and 
platform to connect everyday wine drinkers with 
some of the world’s most talented winemakers; 
so everyone wins.

Angels become part of a community of like-
minded wine lovers who share tips, ratings and 
reviews all from the comfort of their home. 

Of course, being able to interact directly with 
the winemakers whose wines are produced for 
Naked, and whose name is on the bottle, is a 
much more engaging experience than being 
faced with a wall of big brand labels in a grocery 
store. And knowing that the Angel subscription 
is supporting a passionate and independent 
winemaker to produce a high-quality, artisanal 
product feels pretty good too. 

1.

Buying a 
good bottle 
of wine 
shouldn’t 
feel like 
mining 
for gold.

2

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Business at a glance 10

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

95% 
of 1,343 
would buy it again

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

3

<

Virgile Joly  
Spending more time in 
the vineyard lends itself 
to healthier grapes and, 
as a result, better wine.

<
Diego Fernandes Pons  
After spending the last 
21 years making a name 
for himself in the region, 
Diego was voted 2018’s 
Best Winemaker in 
Valencia – a huge honour. 
His passion for putting 
Valencia firmly on the 
wine map shines through 
in every drop he creates.

2.

Changing 
the 
industry, 
one bottle 
at a time.

4

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Our funding and support model gives 
winemakers the financial freedom and creative 
licence to follow their craft and take charge of 
their destiny while also making a decent living.

With the certainty of our purchasing, Naked 
producers have the confidence and ability to 
work closely with growers to not only buy better 
grapes, but also influence the harvest timing, 
methodology and process. As winemakers don’t 
need to spend months marketing their wines 
or running a distribution business, they have 
the freedom to focus on what they love and 
what they do best – making great wine for the 
Angels who back them.

It’s a good living and our winemakers tend to 
stay with us as they grow and become successful. 
Why wouldn’t you? They’re following their 
passion, they’re working for themselves without 
the back end bore of running a business, and 
they’re selling the fruits of their labour to a large, 
growing and engaged community of Angels 
who believe in them. 

As Naked has gained scale, we’ve taken our 
winemakers with us. With a large customer 
base and ever growing demand, there’s plenty 
of headroom for our producers to grow into. 
It really is win-win.

Our business model 24

<

Jen Pfeiffer 
Energetic, passionate and 
so talented, Jen grew up 
in a winemaking family 
and fell in love with the 
industry from a young 
age! She travelled widely, 
learning her craft at many 
of the great wineries in 
France and Portugal 
before returning to 
the family winery with 
a desire to really push 
the boundaries.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

< 
Sam Plunkett 
Sam was crowned 
Naked’s 2019 Winemaker 
of the Year. With help 
from Angel funding he 
achieved his lifetime 
dream of converting 
an old textile factory 
into his very own 
high-tech winery.

> 
Matt Iaconis 
This rocket scientist was 
studying to be an 
astronaut before he 
decided wine was even 
cooler than space. So he 
dropped aeronautics and 
picked up a degree in 
winemaking.

Angel funding is allowing 
this hugely talented and 
driven individual to apply 
all his attention to making 
the best wine possible.

Back in June 2019 we asked 
our UK winemakers: 
How are we able  
to make top-quality 
wines at discounted 
Angel prices?
This is what proportion agreed 
with the following statements.

74%
Long-term 
relationship
Building long-term 
relationships with 
growers and other 
suppliers enables 
higher quality and 
lower pricing.

64%
Pre-harvest 
commitment
A commitment to 
volumes ahead of 
harvest, enables 
locking in prices 
on grapes and dry  
goods, reducing 
exposure to inflation.

32%
Advance funding:  
the best grapes
This enables you to 
secure the best grapes.

34%
Advance funding:  
no bank funding
Paying growers in 
advance enables 
winemakers to secure 
the best grapes.

38%
Owned vineyard
Vineyard ownership 
means you don’t 
have to buy grapes 
on the market.

17%
Bulk shipment
This is cheaper than 
bottling in the country 
of origin.

68%
No agent
Removing the middle 
man margin means 
better value for Angels 
and better prices for 
Winemakers.

18%
Sharing cost 
benchmarks
Enabling winemakers 
to have better informed 
discussion with their 
suppliers.

41%
Freedom to invest  
a little more to get  
a lot more
Investing a little 
more money can 
make a lot of 
difference in the 
quality of wine 
produced.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

5

 
Our Markets

US $40bn
Total US  
off-premise market total

US $20bn
addressable off-premise 
value, ie that could be 
bought from Naked

US $5bn
“delivered to you” 
segment (online and  
Direct-to-Consumer)

AUS $2bn
Addressable 
off-premise value

UK £2bn
Addressable 
off-premise value

6

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

We see potential for market share gain in all our 
geographies; however, the opportunity is largest 
in the US where the market dwarfs the rest of 
world in terms of size and gross profit potential. 

Demand is there. The US market for wine 
is around $40bn in the off-premise. Of that 
c.$20bn is estimated to be addressable by our 
model, and $5bn is realised across the online 
and Direct-to-Consumer channels today.* We 
have successfully tripled the capital deployed 
in marketing over the last five years to continue 
locating and converting high-value customers 
and maintaining payback at target levels. 

Supply is there too. From humble beginnings 
where Naked’s headhunters would go out and 
find winemakers to recruit, we’ve now built a 
global portfolio of passionate and talented 
producers, all making high-quality wine 
exclusively for our Angels. 

Not only does scale allow us to deepen our 
competitive moat, through cost reduction and an 
advantaged customer proposition, importantly, 
leveraging our scale will also unlock significant 
additional investment capability. In other words, 
we can invest more and grow efficiently.
* Source: Internal management research.

3.

The world’s 
biggest 
wine 
market, 
ripe for 
disruption.

Chief Executive’s review 16

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

7

4.

Slow and 
steady is 
an option, 
but it’s 
not for us.

We want to drive growth. To do that, we want to:

1.  Improve the proposition and maximise customer 

Lifetime Value (LTV). Driving retention and 
improved LTV has been and will continue to be 
the single greatest lever to unlocking further 
investment opportunities to invest in growth.

2.  Acquire more high-value customers by increasing 
investment in current channels and developing 
new marketing channels.

Investing to increase Lifetime Value (see our 
definition on page 130), for both existing and new 
customers, builds future profits for the business and 
for shareholders. Acquiring and maintaining a loyal 
base of customers who stay with us for longer and 
spend more over time compounds into a large base 
of repeat customer contribution.

We know this because we can calculate that the 
business can already be profitable. That is, if we 
stopped investing for growth today and merely 
invested enough to replenish the current customer 
base, the business would be profitable and cash 
generative. We call this amount the Standstill EBIT, 
(see page 21 for more detail). However, we don’t 
want to do that. 

For the reasons outlined above, the Board and 
Management team see a material opportunity and 
a pathway to faster growth. The disruptive business 
model, the financial resources, a strong team  
and a disciplined investment framework, give 
us the confidence to leverage our model 
and leadership position to maximise 
our growth potential.

   See information on Alternative Performance Measures 
and definitions on pages 130 to 132.

8

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

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Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

9

Our business at a glance
Connecting everyday wine 
drinkers with the world’s best 
independent winemakers

Financial Performance Summary*

Sales growth 

 Adjusted EBIT from continuing operations

Loss before tax from continuing operations

Sales for the year to 
March 2020

£202.9m

+13.7%

202.9

178.4

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

(£1.4m)

(£5.4m)

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

(1.4)

(5.4)

(3.0)

(9.9)

 New customer investment (£m) 

 Repeat customer contribution

 Cash / (net debt) 

(and payback (x))

£22.9m

4.9x

4.0x

19.1

22.9

£45.7m

£54.7m

45.7

54.7

39.8

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

8

distribution hubs, globally, shipping  
your order within

48

hours, helping generate

2019 / 20

(15.5)

2018 / 19

83%

 repeat customer sales retention

19

countries

winemakers, producing

211
23.4m

The total number of wine reviews 
in our database

wines in

1,000+
594,000

The number of unique Angels placing an order in the 12 month period

*  All current year and prior year performance measures in the strategic report relate to the continuing Naked Wines businesses with prior year figures restated accordingly unless otherwise stated.

  See information on Alternative Performance Measures definitions on pages 130 to 132.

10

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Naked Wines supports independent 
winemakers, who make exclusive wines  
at preferential prices. 
We pass those prices on to our customers 
and customise our recommendations to 
them using 23.4 million reviews*. 

* Total number of reviews in our database.

Our purpose 
Connect everyday wine drinkers with the 
world’s best independent winemakers.

Our mission 
To disrupt the wine industry for the benefit of 
our customers, winemakers and our people.

Our ambition 
To go from impacting individuals, to changing 
how an entire industry works. To shape the 
whole wine industry in our image.

Benjamin Darnault, consultant winemaker, on 
a mission to uncover gems for the Angels all 
over the Languedoc

£18.0bn*

Addressable markets and size

US $20.0bn

UK £2.0bn

AUS $2.0bn

* Internal Company figures.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

11

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

Old 
vines, 
5* 
wines

An interview with  
Johan Kruger, Kruger family wines

How has receiving the money up front 
from Naked Wines Angels helped you 
to make better wine?
We were able to secure amazing fruit by the 
end of last year ready for our launch in the US 
through Naked Wines, due to Angel funding. 
The most exciting story for me is our Kruger 
Family Wines Old Vines Chenin Blanc. This 
vineyard would have been ripped out if we had 
not had the funds to pay the grower a decent 
fee for his grapes, and so far, after harvest, it 
is one of my best wines of the vintage – thank 
you so much for making such a difference to 
this grower, his vineyard and our lives and I am 
sure that you will taste the appreciation from 
the vines to still be alive in the final wine. This 
is a very special Swartland vineyard, which was 
planted in 1982, on a cooler south-facing slope 
on decomposed granite soils, which makes a 
very exciting, complex and intensely flavored 
Old Vines Chenin Blanc!

Why would you recommend that your 
peers work with Naked, rather than  
other wine retailers?
Working with Naked Wines has been absolutely 
amazing so far and a great blessing to our little 
family business – we get to make the wines of 
our dreams, funded by the Angels and there 
is no cash tied up in stock for years, nor big 
negotiations with retailers – what we bottle is 
all sold through Naked Wines website, thanks 
to a very dynamic team at Naked Wines and 
their amazing Angels’ support!

What has your day-to-day experience 
working with Naked staff been like?
There is always a very positive, progressive 
and vibrant thread communicating to my 
Naked Wines staff – who are always so eager 
to help with whatever part of our business 
needs attention. From the vineyards we find 
and source with Naked guidance, all the way 
to shipping and payment, Naked Wines works 
like a strong, well-oiled chain!

12

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

It is 1.4 hectares in size, planted in 1977 on a 
cool slope, on decomposed granite soils – for 
me, the perfect site for cooler climate white 
grapes. I made a video, sent it to Eamon, the 
wine guy, who got as excited about this project 
as I was. Eamon pitched it to the Angels, there 
was a vote and we made the wine, which was 
our first bottling from Kruger Family Wines to 
get a full five stars from Platter’s South African 
Wine Guide (only about 200 wines out of nearly 
8,000 receive the much valued Platter five stars). 
What is even better is the fact that we started 
the Old Vines project with Naked Wines in 
2018 with 1.4 hectares of fruit, and now, three 
vintages later, we are having a positive effect on 
34.75 hectares, their growers and their workers’ 
lives – thanks to Angel funding.

Why do you think Angels were so keen  
to back it?
The Old Vines project with Naked Wines, 
as explained above, is true to Naked Wines’ 
fabric, applying Angel funding to those who 
really need it – there is a feel good element 
in it nothing else can beat!

What did the help from Angels enable  
you to do?
Back in 2015, we parted ways with a family 
business, and myself and my wife Sofie, who 
was expecting our son at the time, were in need 
of a new direction in our winemaking career 
– it so happened that Naked Wines needed a 
new South African winemaker, the shoe fit and 
the rest is history. We are now a very happy 
and grateful family of four and are free to work 
with many different grape-growing areas, to 
produce the wines of our dreams, which are 
sold out before we bottle them – what more 
can a winemaker dream about than that!

Do you have any other projects in the 
pipeline that you’d like to get Angel 
backing for?
I’m a bit of a dreamer, so there is always 
something new brooding inside me. I managed 
to get hold of a very tiny amount of grapes 

from an Older Chardonnay vineyard again on 
a cooler slope, on decomposed granite soils, 
from Stellenbosch. A fairly big portion of this 
vineyard goes into one of the most expensive 
South African Chardonnays. If the wine comes 
out the way I am expecting, this would be just 
amazing to get Angel funding for a bigger 
volume for next year and, of course, through 
the Naked Wines model Angels would pay a 
fraction of the price of the other wine from the 
same vineyard, again a win-win for all involved, 
and we had fun in doing it!

What more do you think you can  
achieve in five years’ time, with Naked  
and Angel support?
That is a good question, we need to be careful 
not to grow too fast and not to lose our focus 
on quality in growing, but also grow in making 
better and better wines. With our main focus 
on producing great Chardonnays and Old 
Vines wines, I think where these two meet is 
where I would like to see growth. Considering 
that Chardonnay has only been in South Africa 
for less than 40 years, there are very few older 
Chardonnay vineyards, but, as the years go 
by, each year more and more Chardonnay 
vineyards qualify for Old Vine status (35 
years old or more ) – so I need to find these, 
select the better ones to be able to grow 
my dream wine.

As a producer, what’s your big ambition 
in wine – and how do you think Naked  
can help you achieve it?
We currently work from our home, my office 
is in our bedroom/loft – to be able to get 
an outside office in time, where we can also 
have a wine studio, would be just amazing. 
As we lease vineyards and rent cellar space, 
I think the ultimate dream for any winemaker 
would be to have his own winery, even if 
it is small to start off, with the potential to 
develop, as our production grows. With 
growing volume year on year, we will be 
able to achieve this, I believe.

What difference does feedback from 
Angels make? Have their comments 
or reviews changed the way you do 
anything?
We love all the comments on our wines from 
the Angels. To a certain extent, it makes us 
understand the market as well as our own wines 
in that market even better and once you apply 
that vintage after vintage, the wines just get 
better and better – thank you Angels!

As we grow, we must make sure our ethos 
doesn’t change. What’s something (big 
or small) about Naked that we should 
preserve?
Honesty and integrity are two values very high 
on my list and this makes Naked Wines such a 
great fit to our business and wines as we share 
these two very important values.

Why did you want to pitch the Old  
Vines project to Naked?
There is no other success story so exciting,  
if I may say so, than the Old Vines part of our 
portfolio. It all started at the end of 2017 when 
the Old Vines project approached me with a 
grower, who had already pulled up one Old 
Vines Chenin Blanc vineyard and was due 
to do the same with another one, if he did 
not find a winemaker who could pay him the 
vineyard’s worth. Many of these Old Vines end 
up in a co-op system where, when they get 
old and their yields get smaller, it is simply not 
possible anymore to keep them in the ground, 
at co-op prices. So, I went to see this vineyard. 

All the money 
earned through 
Naked Wines is 
invested in old vines 
management.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

13

Chairman’s letter

John Walden
An online 
only growth 
business that 
is coming 
of age

14

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Overview
This last year has been an eventful and positive 
one for Naked Wines as we:
 G Sold Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler, 

enabling them to pursue their own growth 
strategies while raising funds for Naked 
Wines

 G Began to focus our resources and investment 
in Naked Wines, which saw 13.7% revenue 
growth in the year

 G Completed a transition in the senior 

leadership team

 G Responded quickly to early stages of the 
COVID-19 pandemic to keep our staff, 
suppliers and customers safe, keep our 
supply chains open and serve the increased 
demand we saw across all of our markets

Having led the Board through the execution 
of the sale transactions and the initial stages 
of Naked Wines as a pure-play direct-to-
consumer company, I am confident that 
we have pursued the right strategic path. 
I believe Naked Wines, as a well-resourced 
business focussed exclusively on the growing 
online wine market, can now deliver a better 
outcome for shareholders through long-term 
value appreciation. 

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank all 
our employees for their hard work and support 
during the year and wish those at Majestic 
Wine and Lay & Wheeler many successes 
in the future.

FY20 performance
The Naked business responded to challenging 
conditions and performed well through the 
2020 financial year, improving as the year 
progressed. Our more ambitious recruitment 
of new customers and strong proposition 
drove 13.7% growth in Group revenue and 
14.7% growth in repeat customer contribution. 
We entered the new financial year with good 
momentum as COVID-19 has influenced 
customer shopping behaviour and driven 
increased demand for the Naked Wines offer. 
Future trading dynamics clearly remain very 
uncertain, however with over £50m of cash 
on the balance sheet and no debt, we are 
operating from a position of financial strength.

Emergence of Naked Wines plc
I joined the Board as Chairman of Majestic 
Wine plc in August 2019 and was attracted 
by the prospect of Naked Wines as a 
standalone growth business. From my previous 
experience in digital and multi-channel 
retailing in the UK and US, I believe that the 
Naked Wines business model is unique in 
several respects: its proprietary network of 
independent winemakers, its attractive direct-
to-consumer proposition, its loyal customer 

base and, particularly in the US, a large and 
growing online market for wine coupled with 
competitive barriers. 

The strategy to sell the Majestic Wine business, 
which was in place before my joining, was 
in my view the right decision to maximise 
value for shareholders. The Board believed 
that Majestic, a traditional store-based and 
well-regarded wine retailer, faced challenging 
growth prospects yet it provided a majority 
of the Group’s revenues and profits. Majestic 
Wine also consumed a majority of the Group’s 
resources and focus. Naked Wines was a smaller 
online business with good growth prospects 
but limited access to growth capital. Hindsight 
suggests that the decision to sell retail shops, 
raise cash and focus on the growth of Naked 
Wines has been fortunate in light of the 
disruption in markets caused by the COVID-19 
pandemic. At the time of this writing, it remains 
unclear the extent to which the pandemic will 
affect the longer-term economic growth of our 
principal markets – the US, UK and Australia – or 
consumer demand for our proposition. But our 
asset-light business model and conservative 
approach to cash puts us in a good position to 
take advantage of opportunities as they arise. 

As Naked Wines emerged from the sale of 
Majestic Wine, we took the opportunity to 
implement a succession plan for the Company. 
Its profile was changing in several respects 
– into a more mature, online-only growth 
business with a strong US presence. Rowan 
Gormley, the founder of Naked Wines and 
Chief Executive Officer of the Company, 
determined with the Board that new leadership 
was appropriate, and Rowan retired in January 
2020. On behalf of the Board and the Company, 
I would like to extend Rowan enormous thanks 
for building Naked Wines and for his many years 
of leadership. We were pleased to appoint Nick 
Devlin, our former Chief Operating Officer and 
President of the US business, as Chief Executive 
Officer. Nick has in turn assembled a strong 
leadership team that we believe positions the 
Company well to realise its growth potential.

Our Board
Our Board has seen considerable change 
during the year. In addition to the retirement 
of Rowan Gormley and the promotion of Nick 
Devlin, we welcomed Katrina Cliffe to the 
Board as a Non-Executive Director in May 
2019. Katrina adds a wealth of complementary 
experience through her other non-executive 
board roles and previous management 
experience across the financial services 
and retail sectors. 

Further, I joined the Board in June 2019 and 
succeeded Greg Hodder as Chairman at 
the AGM in August 2019. Greg was on the 

Board for four years and Chairman for over 
two years and stood down from the Board in 
January 2020. The Board and I would like to 
thank him for the guidance and support he 
has given over his term, especially over the 
recent transition period.

Recently, the Board determined that our 
CFO, James Crawford, is the best candidate 
for the vacant MD UK role and James will be 
transitioning to this new role soon. We are 
actively recruiting for a new CFO and will be 
ensuring that James appropriately hands over 
this function, along with his position on the 
Board, in the coming months once we secure 
a successful candidate.

The Board and I take very seriously our 
responsibility for the long-term value creation 
of Naked Wines. Our role as a Board is to stay 
abreast of our dynamic and changing markets, 
maintain alignment on a strategy that we believe 
will best deliver value over time, and manage 
our cash, executive leadership team and other 
resources in a manner that we believe will best 
help us to achieve this. We are helped in our role 
by good relationships with our shareholders. Since 
my appointment, I have met many of our largest 
investors and we have surveyed a broad group 
of shareholders on a range of important topics. 
I am grateful for their time, input and support. 

Naked Wines strives to be a progressive 
organisation with a strong culture of 
transparency and fairness. We have ambitious 
goals for company growth which may in turn 
add complexity to our operations, however 
the Board will remain mindful that we grow 
sustainably and for the long-term benefit of 
all stakeholders. For example, we will seek to 
build enduring and loyal relationships with 
customers, nurture and provide greater support 
to independent winemakers, create a positive 
and developmental working environment for 
our employees, build long-term financial value 
for our shareholder and promote the sustained 
health of our communities in partnership with 
our Angel customers and winemakers, through 
crises like COVID-19 and beyond. 

Looking ahead 
As a newly formed Naked Wines plc, with 
a focused management team and a strong 
balance sheet, the Company is now well 
positioned to pursue our mission. Over the 
foreseeable future, we will be working hard to 
innovate and improve our customer acquisition 
channels, optimise our customer proposition, 
leverage our scale advantage and develop 
new opportunities for growth. 

I look forward to this exciting journey.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

15

Chief Executive’s review

As I write my first update to you all as CEO, we 
are facing another great period of consumer 
uncertainty as the world adjusts to a “new 
normal” living with COVID-19. During my first 
six months in the role, having previously worked 
as President of Naked Wines’ US business, 
I have had the privilege to spend time building 
knowledge and relationships with our UK and 
Australia-based teams while continuing to see 
the US business thrive. In some ways, there 
is no better moment to build understanding 
of a business’s capabilities and challenges 
than through a period of intense change. The 
unforeseeable disruption from COVID-19 has 
shown the resilience, adaptability and sense 
of personal ownership among our people that 
makes Naked special. It is a reflection of the 
strength of culture at Naked and the shared 
conviction we have in our ability to make 
positive change to the wider wine industry. As 
I write this, I am convinced that Naked is better 
placed than ever to deliver on our mission to 
change the way wine is bought and made.

I am also pleased to report that my first six 
months as CEO has confirmed my belief in the 
opportunities for Naked to continue to grow 
and develop. The ‘Majestic era’ has, at times, 
been a challenging one for the business. It is 
clear to me that we have substantial opportunity 
to improve and further differentiate our core 
customer proposition and product range. To 
support that opportunity we have reinforced our 
global management team with the right mix of 
experienced talent to grow Naked to scale. With 
the clarity of focus of a simplified business and a 
strong team in place I am confident we will make 
substantial progress in the year ahead.

The dividend of this transformation is that 
Naked has emerged stronger than ever. For 
the first time in its 12-year history we have:
 G A sustainable business well capitalised 

for growth with £54.7m in cash at year end 
(FY19: net debt £15.5m)

 G A clear and simple focus, to deliver on our 

growth potential, especially in the US

Against this background of transformation, 
which was at times disruptive, I am extremely 
proud of the sustained strong performance that 
Naked has delivered:
 G Sales growth of 14%, with 20% growth 

in the US

 G Investment in customer acquisition up 

20% to £22.9m (FY19: £19.1m) with forecast 
payback of 4.9x (see our subscription KPIs on 
page 21 for a definition of this measure)

Nick Devlin
A year of 
change, 
challenge  
and 
opportunity

At Naked Wines our mission is 
to disrupt the wine industry for 
the benefit of our customers, 
winemakers and people. Born 
from a founding insight, at the 
height of the financial crisis of 
2008, that the wine industry too 
often fails both wine drinkers 
and winemakers, we have been 
committed for the past decade 
to showing that a better model 
is possible. 

16

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

 G Repeat customer contribution growth 

of £5.9m +14.7% to £45.7m 

 G Loss before tax from continuing operations 
of £5.4m (FY19: £9.9m) from the Group’s 
continuing business driven by stronger 
trading and reduction in adjusted items

The full year results above reflect an 
improvement in performance on our key 
measures from our interim results, with the 
second half of the year showing improvement, 
in particular, in investment efficiency. In H2 
we started to realise benefits of rebalancing 
investment spend mix away from first order 
discounts; the benefit of our global rollout of 
machine learning led LTV forecasting and initial 
results from our investment in the US Growth 
team. Whilst attention is understandably drawn 
to the sharp COVID-19 induced acceleration 
in the final weeks of the year, the five months 
ending Feb 2020 reflected a steady trend 
of improvement from these initiatives.

COVID-19 Impact
The strength of our team and the culture at 
Naked has been manifest in the response of the 
business to the unprecedented circumstances 
faced since mid-March as governments and 
communities across the globe have responded 
to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We saw demand increase rapidly to levels 
typically only seen during peak seasonal 
trading. The crisis has served to demonstrate 
the resilience and scalability of the core 
infrastructure of the business, with our teams 
rapidly reacting to sustain a high-quality 
customer experience while modifying our 
operations and supply chain to safeguard the 
wellbeing of our people. While customers have 
at times experienced longer fulfilment times 
and some changes to range availability, our 
overall customer experience has remained 
excellent. This is reflected in our ability to 
sustain our key service metric of 5* service 
and our key wine metric “Buy It Again Rating” 
above 90% in all markets. Throughout April, we 
have worked tirelessly to increase operational 
capacity and secure the stock required to 
support heightened sales levels. In our key 
US and UK markets, we have increased daily 
shipment capacity by 70% and 65% compared 
with the start of March. I can’t credit our teams 
enough for their commitment and versatility 
in challenging times.

Increased sales have come from both growth in 
new customers and higher purchase rates from 
repeat customers. Our principles in these times 
of enhanced demand are:
 G An absolute commitment to support our 

Angel members through difficult times, with 
a focus on offering membership flexibility 
and maximising the number of members we 
can supply

 G A belief in the value of continued 

membership growth to enable us to 
maximise the impact we can have on 
winemakers and our communities and 
employees

 G Retention of our rigorous approach to capital 
allocation and investment, ensuring we make 
investment decisions based on the latest 
data we are seeing

At the same time I am proud of the steps we 
have taken to serve our communities and to 
support the wider wine industry during the 
most challenging of times:
 G A $5m COVID Relief Fund, to buy wine 

from impacted winemakers and the most 
impacted people in the wine industry who 
have seen sales to restaurants and through 
tasting rooms disappear overnight

 G Naked UK has made £115,400 of charitable 

contributions including donating over 23,000 
Meals for the NHS and given over 400 cases 
of wine to deserving key workers, while in the 
USA we have fed over 1,000 key workers and 
local families in partnership with the local 
hospitality industry

 G In partnership with our winemakers in 

Australia and the US, we have produced hand 
sanitiser for distribution to front-line workers

Whilst it’s too early to be definitive, I believe the 
crisis will likely serve as an inflection point for 
consumer migration online for wine purchases. 
This is especially the case in the US where online 
penetration has been low compared to other 
e-commerce categories at around 5%. The 
past months during the COVID-19 pandemic 
massively increased awareness of online models 
and increased the perceived legitimacy of online 
within the wine category. Consumers new to the 
online space still require excellent service and 
value to convince them to stick with new habits 
once restrictions eventually ease but I firmly 
believe Naked is ideally placed to do just that.

Over the medium term, COVID-19 and its 
economic impact clearly creates uncertainty. 
However, Naked Wines, with its advantaged 
consumer proposition and strong balance sheet 
remains well positioned to meet the challenges 
of a changing consumer environment.

The growth opportunity
It is our nature to look at the opportunities 
during times of disruption and Naked’s 
differentiated model is well positioned to gain 
share in all its markets in this environment.

The US is the biggest wine market in the 
world and is also one of the least efficient. 
Consumers are faced with high prices while 
talented winemakers find their route to market 
blocked by high capital costs and the challenge 
of gaining access to distribution in a highly 
consolidated market.

The Direct to Consumer (“DTC”) model we 
operate in the US offers consumers superior 
choice, while helping producers to overcome 
the structural barriers to market access. By 
connecting consumers and winemakers directly 
we are able to offer superior value to consumers 
while generating attractive margins. Since 
entering the US market in 2012, Naked has 
built a community of over 200,000 Angels and 
created the largest online DTC wine business 
in the US. This year, we were recognised as the 
US’s number 1 Wine Club by US Today. With 
the capital, resources and team we have now 
assembled, and with single-minded focus on 
the growth opportunity, we believe we are 
ideally positioned to materially accelerate our 
growth in the US.

The headroom for growth is vast:
 G Total Addressable Market (TAM) of $20bn 

of premium off-premise wine spend 
(>170x today’s revenue)

 G $5bn Online/DTC channel growing at ~13% 
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)  
pre-COVID-19 acceleration

 G Societal trends towards online channel 

and desire for sourcing provenance likely 
to accelerate post-COVID-19

 G Our levels of investment in customer 

acquisition in the USA are substantially 
below the category leaders in clothing and 
food box subscriptions where we see 15-20x 
spend levels against comparable LTVs

Source: management research.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

17

Chief executive’s review 
continued

Our subscale investment in customer 
acquisition is largely a consequence of 
constrained resources during the Majestic 
Wine era. Our plan to accelerate is based 
around three key pillars:

1

Improve proposition to increase LTV
In the last six months I have worked with our 
management teams to create an expanded 
Customer team headed by a Global Customer 
and Product Director and implemented a 
product management model for our technology 
teams to better support development of 
new features to drive growth and customer 
experience. Over the coming year we will be 
focused on working through an extensive 
“backlog” of improvements to the customer 
experience including:
 G Greater relevancy and curation in the new 
customer funnel and onboarding process

 G Further data-led personalisation of the 

shopping experience

 G Enhanced delivery experience including 

greater customer choice in the US

2

Harness scale efficiency to drive LTV 
The increased trading from mid-March have 
served to demonstrate the scale efficiency 
accessible as we grow – this is most apparent 
in the US. 

In the COVID-19 period (April/May 2020) we saw:
 G Fixed costs fall to 5.6% of sales in NW US 

(FY20 8.2%)

 G Variable costs per order fell by 18% 

compared to FY20

Looking forward to the year ahead we expect 
to be able to:
 G Further enhance the customer experience 
through a move to seven days a week 
warehouse and customer service operations

 G Invest in labour saving automation 

and equipment to drive higher picking 
productivity

 G Drive material reductions in variable cost 

per case shipped which will support higher 
LTVs and enable us to in turn support 
greater marketing investment at our 
target payback rate

3

Unlock new investment channels
In 2019, we created a US Growth team based 
in New York. The team has made substantial 
progress in identifying opportunities to 
diversify and expand our acquisition marketing 
spend alongside completing a reorganisation 
of core channels to drive efficiency. To date, 
we have developed our first $1m strategic 
partnership and unlocked substantial 
improvements in re-activation and retargeting.

In 2020/21, we will expand our Growth team, 
adding new roles focused on new channel 
development, content creation and strategic 
partnerships. I am confident in our ability to 
unlock further productive new channels in the 
course of the year ahead, as well as open new 
relationships in existing channels.

Capital allocation
Our capital allocation policy is as follows:
1.  Maintain a healthy balance sheet which, 
in the near-term, means no net debt

2. Invest in growth in a disciplined way to take 
advantage of the large perceived growth 
opportunity, particularly in the US

3. Return to shareholders any funds in excess 
of the level needed to fund growth and 
manage risk.

In the current environment our cash reserves 
are a key point of strategic advantage. Naked 
Wines has material growth headroom in all its 
markets, albeit with the largest opportunity 
in the US. The changes to the consumer and 
business environment post-COVID-19, while 
increasingly uncertain, on balance should 
offer Naked the opportunity to accelerate 
our rate of growth. At the same time, we 
maintain a prudent capital position in response 
to the continued consumer uncertainty for 
the medium term. Taken together, these 
considerations mean we do not believe that 
the business has excess capital and we do not 
anticipate it so doing for the foreseeable future.

In summary
We exit FY20 with the simplification of the 
business complete and Naked having delivered 
another year of healthy growth through a period 
of transition. Naked enters FY21 with good 
momentum and the perfect platform to prosper 
in an uncertain environment:
 G Differentiated proposition delivering superior 

value to customers

 G Clear and proven investment strategy
 G Large US market opportunity
 G Strong balance sheet

Twelve years after Naked was founded in the 
midst of the financial crisis we believe Naked is 
again well positioned to deliver growth through 
a consumer downturn. 

18

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

COVID-19

People
During these extraordinary times, our main 
priority is, and always has been, keeping our 
customers, staff, suppliers and community of 
winemakers safe, while getting wine to our 
customers safely and reliably.

The strength of our team and the culture at 
Naked has been manifest in the response of the 
business to the unprecedented circumstances 
faced as governments and communities across 
the globe have responded to the COVID-19 
pandemic.

In each of the markets in which we operate, UK, 
US and Australia, our office staff are working 
remotely. We have ensured that our supply 
chain partners are taking appropriate steps 
to safeguard their staff. Our supply chains are 
operating efficiently, working within these 
additional health and safety constraints. 
As winemakers are considered agricultural, 
the grape harvest and wine production 
processes we depend on around the world 
have been able to continue largely unaffected.

Community
We have taken steps to serve our communities 
and to support the wider wine industry during 
the most challenging of times:
 G A $5m COVID Relief Fund, to buy wine 

from impacted winemakers and the most 
impacted people in the wine industry who 
have seen sales to restaurants and through 
tasting rooms disappear overnight

 G Naked UK has made £115,400 of charitable 

contributions including donating over 23,000 
Meals for the NHS and given over 400 cases 
of wine to deserving key workers

 G In the US we have fed over 1,000 key workers 
and in need locals in partnership with local 
restaurants in California

 G In partnership with our suppliers in all 

markets we have produced hand sanitiser 
for distribution to front line workers

Scaling to meet demand
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 
significantly accelerated trading patterns across 
the Group. The first two months of FY21 have 
seen year on year revenue growth in excess 
of 80%, driven by:

 G Sales to new customers +250% year on year 
from investment in new customers up 100% 
vs the same period last year

 G Sales to repeat customers +50% with 

sales retention in excess of 95%

The crisis has served to demonstrate 
the resilience and scalability of the core 
infrastructure of the business, with our teams 
rapidly reacting to sustain a high-quality 
customer experience while modifying our 
operations and supply chain to safeguard 
the wellbeing of our people. 

While customers have at times experienced 
longer fulfilment times and some changes 
to range availability, our overall customer 
experience has remained excellent. This is 
reflected in our ability to sustain our key service 
metric of 5* service and our key wine metric 
“Buy It Again Rating” above 90% in all markets. 

Throughout the crisis we worked tirelessly 
to increase operational capacity and secure 
the stock required to support heighted sales 
levels. In our key US and UK markets we have 
increased daily shipment capacity by 70% and 
65% vs the start of March. Despite the costs 
associated with these increases, by operating 
the business at this scale we have seen average 
group fulfilment costs per order reduce by over 
10% year on year for these periods, driven by a 
25% reduction in the USA, demonstrating the 
efficiency that the business can generate as it 
continues to scale.

Robust balance sheet in a time 
of uncertainty 
In the current environment, our cash reserves 
are a key point of strategic advantage. At the 
end of the financial year, we had £54.7m of cash 
on our balance sheet and trading at the point 
of this writing continues to generate cash ahead 
of our baseline plan.

We are working hard to ensure we retain 
availability of our product portfolio against a 
backdrop of unprecedented and until recently 
unforecasted demand. With the support of our 
strong balance sheet we are able to commit 
to the substantial additional stock purchases 
necessary to meet the demand from both 
our new customers and increased purchasing 

frequency of existing Angels. In time, our 
subscription model means we will also convert 
these new sales into future growth in our repeat 
customer business. 

However, at the same time we believe in 
planning for the worst whilst aiming for the 
best and we believe that current conditions, 
notably the level of consumer uncertainty for 
the medium term, compel us to be prudent 
in the capital we retain to address unforeseen 
circumstances or opportunistic investments. 
We have stress tested our accelerated growth 
plans and stock investments against a worst 
case scenario for reduced customer spending 
in future and are satisfied that the business has 
sufficient resources should we not be able to 
sell the stock on the planned schedule. 

Given the inherent uncertainty in the outlook 
to the upside and downside we do not believe 
the business has excess capital to return to 
shareholders at this time, either through a 
buyback or dividend, and continue to prioritise 
our capital towards growth and maintaining 
a robust balance sheet.

Longer term impact
Whilst it is clearly too early to be definitive, 
the crisis has accelerated a number of already 
present trends in consumer behaviour. 
COVID-19 is a potential inflection point for 
consumer migration online for wine purchasing. 
This is especially the case in the US where, 
per AC Nielsen and our own estimates, online 
penetration has been around 5% historically and 
we estimate has increased to 25-30% in a matter 
of weeks during the crisis. Consumers new to 
the online space still require excellent service 
and value to convince them to stick with new 
habits once restrictions eventually ease but 
we firmly believe Naked is ideally placed to 
do just that. Therefore while, over the medium-
term, COVID-19 and its economic impact 
clearly creates uncertainty, we believe that 
the long-term benefits should be to reinforce 
the advantaged consumer proposition Naked 
offers. Having entered this period of disruption 
with a strong balance sheet and responded 
quickly to scale capacity we believe we remain 
well positioned to meet the challenges of 
a changing consumer environment.

   See information on Alternative Performance Measures 
and definitions on pages 130 to 132.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

19

Key performance indicators
Measuring our performance*

Financial

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

What’s the plan and why does it matter?

Revenue

Revenue of £202.9m 
vs FY19: £178.4m

13.7% growth in Group 
revenue

The GBP value of our 
sales to customers, and 
its change versus the 
prior year

The business needs to grow to fulfil its purpose as 
widely as possible, as well as to reach profitable scale. 
We intend to do this though sustained investment in 
customer acquisition through tested channels, while 
exploring new channel effectiveness using “R&D” 
investment money

Revenue 
growth

Cash/ 
(Net debt)

Fixed  
costs

£54.7m vs FY19: net 
debt (£15.5m) 

The amount of cash/ (net 
debt) we are holding at 
year end

(£24.2m) vs FY19: (£23.7m)

The fixed costs we 
reported in the year

To maintain no net debt while we focus on growth

The medium term plan is to maintain fixed cost growth 
around half the level of sales growth over a multi-year 
period to deliver improved profitability. FY20 growth 
was lower than our medium term plan, FY21 may 
be higher

Operational

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

What’s the plan and why does it matter?

Product 
availability

93% 
(FY19: 91%)

Wine quality

91% 
(FY19: 91%)

5* customer 
service

91% 
(FY19: 90%)

The average % of the 
products we have defined 
as core range available 
to our customers during 
the year

The % of customer 
ratings received in the 
year indicating the 
customer would buy 
the product again

The % of feedback ratings 
received by our Customer 
Happiness teams that 
expressed 5* satisfaction 
on a scale from 1 to 5

Maintaining availability of our top-selling products 
ensures customer loyalty and maximises sales in each 
order

Ensuring our customers love our exclusive wines and 
are happy to buy them again supports loyalty and 
sales retention

 G Business interruption
 G Supply chain
 G Third-party suppliers

Consistently offering 5* service supports customer 
loyalty and therefore sales retention

 G Data security
 G  Management/key staff

What are the key risks?
 G Competition
 G Regulation
 G Investment

 G Competition
 G Regulation
 G Investment

 G Financial/liquidity
 G Macroeconomic event

 G People
 G Business interruption
 G Information systems

What are the key risks?
 G Business interruption
 G Supply chain
 G Third-party suppliers

* We have refined the KPIs we use to measure the business since last year to reflect that we are now a wholly online operator focused on growth through our subscriber base.

20

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Subscription

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

Why does it matter?

 Investment  
in new 
customers  
(also referred to  
as new customer 
contribution) 

Lifetime 
payback

Active 
Angels

Repeat 
customer 
contribution

(£22.9m) vs FY19: (£19.1m) 

The sum of all investments in new 
customers in the period.

A loss represents an investment in 
customers

We invest in customers from whom we expect 
to receive a payback in future years. The more 
we spend, the more money we make in future, 
assuming they are retained and purchase from 
us at the prevailing levels and profitability

4.9x vs FY19: 4.0x

Note: We estimate that 
the COVID-19 pandemic 
increased this by c. 0.8x1 

The ratio of the future contribution we expect 
to earn from the customers recruited this 
year to the investment we made recruiting 
them. We forecast future contribution 
at the customer level using a machine 
learning algorithm which weighs several 
characteristics including demographics, 
interactions and transactions to forecast 
a customer’s value over a 20-year horizon. 
Customer-level predictions are then 
aggregated to the cohort level for reporting. 
As this is a projected measure, we include an 
updated assessment of last year’s recruitment 
economics with a further year of performance 
in the data used to make the estimate

It’s easy to spend money and say we recruited 
customers, but it’s also easy to recruit 
low-quality customers who have shorter 
average lifetimes and lower annual spend. By 
calculating the lifetime payback ratio based 
on the history of over a million customers, 
we can forecast our investment returns and 
eliminate poor investments. Our target is 
4x lifetime payback on all new customer 
investments.

Note: In response to investor feedback we 
are also reviewing payback over a shorter 
time period. For FY20, our forecast return 
over 5 years is 2.6x

594k vs FY19: 537k

The number of unique Angels placing 
an order in the 12 month period

Long-term growth will come from sustained 
growth in the customer base

£45.7m vs  
FY19: £39.8m

The contribution earned from sales to 
repeat customers

Note: We estimate that 
the COVID pandemic 
increased this by c.£0.8m1

Contribution from repeat customers gives us 
the profitability to reinvest into new customer 
recruitment and growth

Repeat 
customer  
sales retention

83% vs FY19: 81%

Note: We estimate that 
the COVID pandemic 
increased this by c. 2%1

The proportion of sales made to customers 
who met our definition of “repeat” last 
year that were realised again this year. The 
population who were subscribed in the prior 
year and the current year are identified for 
each month and summed to calculate the 
full year retention

Continuing to sell to subscribed customers 
is critical if we are to grow the business. The 
higher our sales retention the more that our 
sales to new customers can translate into 
growth rather than replenishment. The first 
key component in calculating our standstill 
EBIT (see page 132 for our calculation of 
standstill EBIT)

Year one  
payback

67% vs 
FY19: 78%

The contribution realised in this financial 
year from customers recruited in the prior 
financial year, divided by the investment 
made in recruiting those same customers

Standstill  
EBIT

£10.1m vs 
FY19: £6.3m

Note: We estimate that 
the COVID-19 pandemic 
increased this by c. £3m1

The adjusted EBIT that would be reported if 
investment in new customers was reduced 
to the level needed to just replenish the 
current customer base.

See page 132 for calculation of standstill 
EBIT from constituent Group KPIs and 
APMs

This short-term payback measure shows 
the actual return in this financial year of our 
investment in the prior year, removing the 
need to use a model to forecast the future. 
The second key component in calculating 
standstill EBIT (see page 132 for our calculation 
of standstill EBIT)

As a subscription business that grows through 
marketing to new customers, we expense our 
investment in new customers each year rather 
than building an asset on the balance sheet 
representing our loyal customer base.

By removing the growth component of this 
investment from our adjusted EBIT, we provide 
a conservative indication of the profitability 
potential of the business should we decide 
to stop investing to grow. The estimate is 
conservative as it assumes we would eliminate 
marketing at average effectiveness (not the 
least effective activities), as well as assuming 
no fixed cost savings despite lower levels of 
marketing activity

What are the key risks?
 G Investment
 G Regulation
 G Competition
 G Reputation

 G Investment
 G Competition
 G Supply risks

 G Investment
 G Competition
 G Reputation

 G Competition
 G Supply risks
 G Reputation
 G Tax and duties

 G Competition
 G Supply risks
 G Reputation
 G Tax and duties

 G Investment
 G Competition
 G Supply risks

1  The business saw an acceleration in trading in the last two weeks of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have estimated the impact of this based on management estimates using the 

difference between the trend the business was experiencing in the first eleven periods of the year and the final full year outturn. This additional data is provided as management feels it provides 
a useful view of the momentum in the business excluding the dislocation caused by COVID-19.

  See information on Alternative Performance Measures definitions on pages 130 to 132.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

21

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

s
e
s
r
o
h
#

You can tell a lot about a company 
by how they deal with things that 
go wrong. Incorrect bottle in my 
delivery, a white instead of a rosé. 
Straight through on the phone 
line, apologies immediately, 
refund (plus some extra for the 
inconvenience) made to my account 
and asked to enjoy the white with 
their compliments. All sorted within 
minutes and very professionally by 
the staff member. Super impressed 
by the customer service, mistakes 
happen. Thank you Naked! 
Tricia, Facebook

Always had great service and 
exceptional wines but recently 
Naked Wines have gone above and 
beyond. We were really touched to 
receive a card welcoming our twins 
into the world, hand signed by the 
entire team. It really meant a lot and 
shows what a family Naked Wines 
are. Thank you again and keep up 
the great work. 
Gerry, Facebook

I think I have been an Angel for 
around five years now. Having 
previously been in Laithwaites, Virgin 
and Sunday Times wine clubs (none 
of which were bad), I can confidently 
say Naked has been – by a country 
mile – the best wine club I have used. 
I think out of the (lost count) dozens 
of bottles I have ordered, all but 2 
have been up there as the best wines 
I have ever bought. Those 2 were 
replaced free of charge – simply 
because I didn’t like them. The staff 
are always friendly and efficient if you 
call. My deliveries have always been 
on time. 
Michael, Facebook

Wonderful experience, great 
customer service and brilliant choice 
of wine. 
Helena, Trustpilot

You guys are a fantastic company! 
We love ALL the wines and the 
service. 
Ben, Instagram

h
t
u
o
m

It’s great to be able to support 
smaller winemakers. The wines are 
excellent, there’s a great choice 
and the service is excellent. Their 
no quibble guarantee works – if you 
don’t like a wine (or if it’s defective), 
let them know and they will replace 
it or give you a refund. I’ve been 
a customer for about 9 years and 
can’t fault them. 
Mr Gerald, Trustpilot

Naked Wines are reliably excellent. 
I love being an Angel and hearing 
about all the different wines, 
winemakers and vineyards. The 
advice I get in choosing wines is 
always spot on. 
Hilary, Trustpilot

I got a customer service call from  
@NakedWines “just to check in”. 
The delightful caller said he hoped 
he wasn’t disturbing me at work; I 
said, nope, I resigned today, so let’s 
talk. We had a LOVELY chat about 
all sorts of wines. 
@LitChick79, Twitter

Great business and the wine is 
awesome... takes all the guess work 
out of choosing your wine! And 
supports smaller vineyards! 100% 
recommend. 
Pip, Trustpilot

Been an Angel for years and I can’t 
fault this company or their wines at 
all. Staff are polite and helpful too. 
They never hassle you to buy, but do 
tempt, which is great, I have so many 
emails and offers from different 
companies trying to tempt me away 
but as my Nan used to say if it’s not 
broke it don’t need fixing. 
Shannon, Trustpilot

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Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

23

Our business model

PROBLEMS WE’RE SOLVING

We have an organic, clear  
and compelling mission: 

To disrupt 
the wine 
industry for 
the benefit  
of customers, 
winemakers  
and our 
people

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Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

The wine industry needs Naked 
Good wine is too expensive. And despite that, 
winemakers don’t make any money.

In a traditional model, winemakers have to buy 
their grapes, manufacture their product, bottle, 
label and market their goods – all before they 
get paid and often before they even know they 
can sell the wine. Small producers are often 
forced into cutting corners and squeezing costs 
to make ever diminishing margins – and quite 
often – the quality of the grape is sacrificed.

We support our winemakers in a number of ways:

– We commit to quantity well in advance

–  We pay promptly, with some payments made 
before and during production to fund the 
process freeing them to buy the best grapes 
and then focus on what they do best – making 
amazing wine. That makes all the difference

Problems for wine drinkers
 G Unhappy with their level of choice and knowledge
 G Not sure who to ask for advice and 

recommendations

 G No input in the process

Problems for winemakers
 G Under immense pressure to meet stringent cost 

levels and unrealistic production time limits

 G Funding, scalability, marketing

The solution
Provide an ecosystem that connects everyday 
wine drinkers with the world’s best independent 
winemakers.
 G We step out of the way. We found that the 
best results come from removing ourselves 
from the process, by giving control over what 
we produce to our Angels

 G Let consumers and producers interact organically

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

We support Mike (and 
our other winemakers) by 
committing to buy their wine 
before it’s made so he can 
concentrate on what he does 
best – produce his award-
winning organic wine.

OUR CRITICAL ASSETS

People/experience
 G Experienced Board (tech, start-up, retail, wine buying, 

US, M&A, marketing)

 G Winemakers, wine buyers, data analysts

Relationships
 G With winemakers
 G With Angels
 G With marketing partners
 G With distribution networks

Technology and data
 G Rich customer data/>23m reviews
 G AI/ML algorithms to value customers
 G Bespoke platform and skilled team

Leadership/culture
 G Start-up culture – nimble, disruptive
 G Analytical – data-based decision-making and 

accountability

 G Lean teams

Capital/Investment
 G Well funded
 G Investing for growth
 G Good stewards of capital

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

25

Our business model 
continued

HOW IT WORKS

We are 
creating  
a new 
ecosystem

Our Angels’ subscriptions form the core 
of our support to our winemakers. This 
upfront funding and early commitment 
allows them greater control over the 
production process, with no time pressure 
forcing them to cut corners.

Having our Angels as part of the process 
makes life better for everyone. From the 
contact with the winemakers, they benefit 
from greater insider knowledge and how 
to pick the perfect wine for them. 

Our winemakers benefit from knowing 
what’s popular and how they can improve 
their offering. 

26

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Angels get...
 G Superior wines at lower than  

market prices

 G Enrichment through “connection” 

with the winemakers

Winemakers get...
 G Independence
 G Scale they couldn’t otherwise reach
 G Funding 
 G  Commitment from Angels

win

win

We cultivate an ecosystem 
of Angels, winemakers 
and marketing partners 
that works for everyone.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

OUTCOMES

Shareholders
Get a differentiated growth company with a long 
runway for continued success

Our people
Get fulfilling careers in a fun environment

Communities
We care about others – that’s why we raised over 
£500,000 for charities last year, including charities 
supporting the Australian fires

Read more on page 56

Our model is hard to replicate
Our ecosystem is well established. Barriers to entry are 
high
 G Winemakers operating at scale
 G Established and optimised network of marketing 

partners

 G Large base of loyal and engaged customers

It takes time, and sustained investment to
 G Produce wine
 G Recruit winemakers
 G Build a distribution network
 G Recruit customers

We own unique and valuable technology and data
 G Multiple warehouse and fulfilment providers
 G International customer service – live chat etc
 G Social interaction with winemaker
 G Data and Angels behaviour

Advantageous model
 G Large and growing markets
 G Exclusive wines and winemakers

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

27

Meet Tom  
– he’s 
showing 
the big 
boys how 
it’s done...

An interview with  
Tom Puyaubert

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

call it, the human factor is given 
a great importance at all levels: 
the Naked team, the winemakers, 
and the Angels: there are faces 
and souls behind the screens, and 
I guess this is great, people feel 
involved at all levels. Once again 
tours are very important as they 
demonstrate that all is true! (a 
sentence pronounced by a lot of 
Angels: you’re true, you exist!).

You say your mission in wine is 
to make people happy. What is 
it about your winemaking that 
makes people happy? 
I try to make easy drinking wines 
in the good sense of the word! 
Wines with a lot of fruit, smooth 
and round that you can enjoy by 
themselves or with a wide range of 
food. In terms of winemaking, this 
means maximum respect for the 
grapes, not too much intervention 
in the winemaking, concrete tanks 
and French oak to respect the 
character of the different varieties.

I would love to 
make a single 
vineyard wine 
from the first 
vineyard I’ve 
been able to buy 
with the Angels 
Funds.

Why would you recommend that 
your peers work with Naked, 
rather than other wine retailers? 
First of all, for the huge potential 
of sales that Naked represents, the 
number of Angels is so important 
that your business can increase 
very quickly. Then online is getting 
more and more important in our 
everyday life (I personally buy all 
my wine online) and Naked really 
knows how to handle all the tools 
of the cyber market!

How has receiving the money up 
front from Angel investors helped 
you to make better wine? 
First, because it’s quite a lot of 
money in one time it allows an 
increase in turnover and cash flow 
very fast, meaning you can get 
access to better fruit and work in 
better conditions in the vineyard. 
It also means you are more secure 
and you can work with good 
providers in terms of barrels,  
corks, etc.

What has your day-to-day 
experience working with  
Naked staff been like?  
Very good! There are so many 
different professionals in all the 
different areas that you feel very 
well supported. Ray and Eamon 
know about wine and love it! 
It makes it much easier to talk 
about new projects, trends, 
wines’ profiles.

What difference does feedback 
from Angels make? Have their 
comments or reviews changed 
the way you do anything? 
It makes a real difference as 
you receive direct feedback 
from people that buy and drink 
your wine. In a more classical 
distribution chain, you would only 
receive feelings of retailers or 
distributors... it’s just a commercial 
relationship which will not include 
the passion between a wine lover 
and winemaker! More than reviews 
or comments, the chats we can 
have during the tours are very 
important to me: I like to observe 
people’s reactions when tasting, 
it’s much more significant than 
posting on the internet! And of 
course I’m taking notes of things 
I could change or adapt in the 
next vintages.

As we grow, we must make sure 
our ethos doesn’t change. What’s 
something (big or small) about 
Naked that we should preserve? 
The human relationships! This is 
what is very strong: though Naked 
is an online wine page, a virtual 
wine club, whatever you could 

old viticulturists with no children 
interested in taking over... so this 
real treasure might disappear... 
My challenge is to buy as many 
old vines as I can: first to make 
good wines but also to preserve 
a wonderful environment and 
landscape! All the money earned 
through Naked Wines is invested 
in old vines management.

What’s it like being a “foreigner” 
in Rioja? Has Naked helped you 
achieve things there that you 
wouldn’t have been able  
to otherwise? 
It’s not that complicated to be 
a foreigner as, historically, the 
French developed Rioja after the 
phylloxera crisis. So there’s still a 
mutual respect between the two 
wine cultures. Once again Naked 
is helping in terms of cash flow and 
allows me to be more competitive 
at the time to buy old vines.

Do you have any other projects  
in the pipeline that you’d like to 
get Angel backing for? 
I’ve got so much work to do in my 
Rioja Project! You know I’m the first 
generation! I have to consolidate 
a good vineyard buying vines and 
planting. In the short term I would 
love to make a single vineyard 
wine from the first vineyard I’ve 
been able to buy with the Angels’ 
funds. I would also love to leave my 
“garage winery” I’m renting and 
build my own winery.

What more do you think you can 
achieve in five years’ time, with 
Naked and Angel support? 
Well, if you keep supporting me 
drinking and buying so much wine, 
maybe I’ll have to build a winery to 
make more!

As a producer, what’s your big 
ambition in wine – and how do 
you think Naked can help you 
achieve it? 
I think all winemakers are running 
behind a top-class wine. THE 
ideal wine! And I think you get 
to it through a sum of small 
details, would it be in the vineyard 
or winery, investing time and 
passion... But this has a cost. And 
this is where Angels can help: with 
no money or cash flow problem 
you can concentrate on these 
details and work and concentrate 
on making a great wine.

Angels loved your first Rioja for 
Naked. Can you give us an idea  
of other wines you’d like to make 
for Angels? 
The first wine I made, Flor de 
Luna, is the perfect illustration 
of the definition I’ve just given. 
There is another wine about to be 
released: Flor de Luna Vendimia 
Seleccionada where we made 
a selection of our best plots of 
Tempranillo and Graciano that 
we aged then in French oak. A 
wine with more structure and 
complexity, deeper and more 
serious! We are also working 
with Ray on a white blend. Most 
people think about red when we 
talk about Rioja but there is real 
potential for whites, especially 
in the northern part of the 
appellation. I would also love to 
make a Single Vineyard wine in a 
more Burgundian style... and to 
finish with, being from Bordeaux, 
I would love to make some wine 
there one day.

You want people to fall in love 
with a different side of Rioja.  
How would you describe Rioja  
as you know it? 
Diversity! Rioja has so many 
different soils and climate that you 
can find a lot of different styles 
of wine, which is very exciting! 
Unfortunately, the big wineries 
until now have homogenised the 
styles with the Crianza, Reserva, 
Gran Reserva system working with 
Tempranillo mainly. But Rioja is 
not only that, it’s also Grenache, 
Graciano, Maturana... and very 
nice white grapes like Viura, 
Grenache blanc, Malvasia...

Why did you think Naked was  
the right place for your new  
take on Rioja? 
Once again for its huge potential 
of spreading a new wine and 
new style in no time. On a more 
traditional distribution chain, it 
would take years to explain my 
philosophy, the difference with 
the classical Rioja... and it would 
take even more time to have so 
many people taste the wines 
and judge it.

What’s the future for Rioja and 
how do you think Naked/Angels 
can help you get there? 
Rioja is certainly the area with 
the biggest amount of old vines 
in the world. The old vines give 
the better fruit and best wines. 
They produce low yields and are 
profitable only if you make wine 
out of them, not if you sell the fruit. 
Most of these wines belong to 

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

29

Review of the year
Innovating throughout 
our business

What we’ve done
Invested in new customers 
We have increased our investment in paid digital 
primarily through investment in paid search, video 
and onsite funnel optimisation. 

Why we’ve done it
To deliver our growth strategy and enable us to 
recruit more high-value customers using highly 
targeted marketing channels.

The results so far
80% increase in digital investment in FY20 vs FY19, 
and a 87% increase in new customers acquired 
– simultaneously reducing cost per acquisition 
and increasing payback materially.

What we’ve done
Strategic partnerships
We have targeted large companies with 
game-changing customer bases, where their 
customers could be wine drinkers but they can’t 
sell them wine. We have found a partnership 
solution that solves a strategic goal for the partner 
(retention, activation, loyalty, acquisition etc) and 
delivers new customers for us. The solutions we 
can offer diversify us away from historic reliance 
on parcel inserts.

Why we’ve done it
Strategic partnership deals are mutually 
beneficial, so we can drive high-quality 
customers at a reasonable cost vs through 
traditional paid media. 

The results so far
We have partnered with some very attractive 
companies including Wayfair, HelloFresh and 
Hello Alfred. 

Wayfair is one of the largest e-commerce sites 
in the US ($6bn 2018 revenue). 

Hello Fresh is the fastest-growing US food-box 
company with 1.4 million active customers. We 
have agreed exclusive category partnerships.

Hello Alfred is an in-building concierge service 
who will do everything from grocery shopping 
to restring your tennis racket. Your “Alfred” will 
collect Naked Wines deliveries from the front 
desk, recycle cardboard and put the wine in your 
fridge/rack, promoting Naked via an in-home 
postcard to all building residents.

What we’ve done
Changed the customer journey  
to improve transparency
For example, we have removed our Angel waitlist, 
made cancellations easier and improved the 
consent choices around contacts. 

Why we’ve done it
We know that transparency delivers higher loyalty.

The results so far
The new journey requires further optimising to 
deliver the same near-term efficiency as the old 
one, but is expected to yield more committed 
customers long term.

What we’ve done
Global mobile app re-launch
We redesigned, rebuilt and launched our new app 
in nine months including using a new framework 
development tool. This app introduced new 
features including a label scanner along with 
some of our new proposition features.

Why we’ve done it
To improve our customer experience with the 
added benefit of getting a better understanding 
of how our customers use the app.

The results so far since we relaunched the 
app in August 2019
 G 125% increase in app downloads
 G 50% higher growth in app sales versus 

US website

 G 50% increase in ratings per week
 G Close to doubled the average number of posts 

per day

 G  13.2% of all app users are scanning wine labels
 G 4% increase in retention from new app users
 G  Considerably faster development times with 

fortnightly updates 

What we’ve done
Added to our portfolio of A-list 
winemakers
Why we’ve done it
We believe these kind of winemakers making wine 
for Naked will boost internal customer loyalty and 
transform external credibility.

The results so far
We already have the winemakers behind Grange, 
Tignanello and Solaia. In FY20, we started working 
with Patricia Benitez, who made Pingus, one of 
Spain’s most expensive wines, and Daniel Baron, 
former head winemaker of Silver Oak in Napa.

30

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

+125%

increase in app downloads

&

We have partnered with some very 
attractive companies including 
Wayfair, HelloFresh and Hello Alfred.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

What we’ve done
US warehousing improvements 
Co-location of our National and California 
distribution centres in summer 2019.

Why we’ve done it
To increase storage and fulfilment capacity while 
taking costs out of our network.

The results so far
High-performing order fulfilment across the peak 
trading period and expected annualised cost 
savings of over $400k.

What we’ve done
US shipping package
Designed and implemented an innovative new 
way to deliver magnum bottle promotions to the 
US market.

Why we’ve done it
To create a more sustainable last mile package 
at an improved cost structure.

The results so far
The new package was used for our peak/
holiday magnum promotion and performed 
very well. This package will deliver cost savings 
and packaging reductions per year vs. the 
prior execution.

What we’ve done
US fulfilment improvements –  
New Florida Distribution Centre
Moved our Florida Distribution Centre into 
a larger space with improved automation.

Why we’ve done it
To continue building an efficient fulfilment 
network capable of scaling to accommodate 
volume growth. The new warehouse will support 
capacity for FY21 and deliver cost savings in 
future years.

The results so far
The move was completed successfully in 
March of 2020.

Work
Home
Pete,  
next door

What we’ve done
UK click and collect migration from 
200+ Majestic Wine stores to 7,000 
collect + points
Why we’ve done it
With the sale of Majestic Wine we needed to 
provide our customers who use click and collect 
with alternative and convenient collection points. 

The service provides a greater range of collection 
options for our customers and does not divert our 
Angels to a competitor wine business.

The results so far
Over 6,000 customers have tried the service in 
the first three months. 

We are looking to integrate this with our current 
inflight option, which gives customers further 
delivery options while their parcel is in transit, 
e.g. changing delivery instructions, delivery day, 
re-directing your parcel to a collect+ point. 

What we’ve done
Investment in IT and product 
development
We now have more heads with technical skills 
who can deepen and broaden the offering.

Why we’ve done it
1. To drive retention and contribution per Angel 
2.   To improve trust in the Naked Wines brand/

value for money 

3.  To continue to differentiate us as the market 

leader in the DTC wine segment

The results so far
We have launched service enhancements which 
mark us out from our competitors. Benchmarked 
our wines against competition and shared the 
results so Angels can tell us if they agree.

Never Miss Out
Never Miss Out allows our customers to reserve 
future cases of their favourite wines everytime a 
new vintage lands. If a wine is eligible, customers 
can select how many bottles (from 6/12/15/18) 
and we make sure they get first dibs every vintage. 
Our customers do not pay a penny until shipment. 

Wine Genie
Our Wine Genie service is the perfect solution 
for busy folk who’d like someone to do their wine 
shopping for them. It is curated and designed to 
make sure our customers have a wine rack full of 
wines they will love, when they want them. Once 
we have more data, we will be able to determine 
its success but we are all very excited about this 
and think it will be a hit with our Angels – watch 
this space. 

What we’ve done
The value of a postcard
In the US, we send 90% of our new Angels a 
postcard welcoming them to Naked Wines. Many 
years ago, we used to send a letter, but we found 
that a post card not only costs less, but gets a 
better customer reaction. How we measure that, 
and what we have learned, is a nice way to shed 
a little light on how we think about our customer 
relationships, data and generating loyalty.

We lose the highest percentage of all new 
Angels soon after they sign up. Some decide the 
subscription is not for them, some tell us they 
never wanted a long-term relationship, for others 
they may say the wine wasn’t to their taste. What 
we have always known is that, by explaining why 
Naked Wines exists and the benefits they get 
from subscribing, we can improve their retention. 
The key question, as always, is how to do this in 
the most cost-effective way.

One approach was to welcome new Angels on 
board. We started with a letter, personalised to 
the Angel, and saw an improvement in retention 
rates and hence customer value. But it was costly, 
so we tried a post card which cost less and, to 
our surprise, had a bigger impact than the letter! 
So now, we send postcards to 90% of all new 
customers.

Why 90%? We deliberately hold back 10% of 
our customers from the post card at random so 
we retain a clear control group against which 
we measure the impact it is having. And that’s 
where it gets really interesting as we are also 
learning that we get different response rates from 
females vs males, from different age groups, and 
depending on exactly which day we send it. By 
factoring these behaviours into who and when we 
send it, we have seen a significant increase in the 
LTV of the customers who were contacted.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

31

Financial review
Innovating throughout  
our business

Context
We have fundamentally restructured the Group 
during the year. Following the disposal of the 
Majestic and Lay & Wheeler businesses to focus 
on Naked, the business now holds net cash of 
£54.7m (FY19: net debt (£15.5m)) and intends to 
invest in growth, in particular in the US market.

Group performance
The business continued its development in the 
year by investing to recruit additional customers 
at attractive rates of return, and delivering 
the returns (in the form of Repeat Customer 
Contribution) from prior investments. 

Revenue growth of 13.7% to £202.9m came from 
both new customers (£29.2m, +14.6%) and repeat 
customers (£173.7m, +13.6%). We delivered 
growth in all markets, with our largest market 
the USA also growing the fastest at +20.2%.

We realised an adjusted loss before tax of 
(£1.9m), an improvement of £1.8m vs FY19: 
(£3.7m). This improvement was driven by:
 G £5.9m higher contribution from repeat 

customers

offset by
 G (£3.8m) higher investment in new customers
 G (£0.5m) higher fixed costs
 G £0.3m improvement in finance costs

The costs we adjust out of profit before tax 
(PBT) also reduced further in the year to (£3.4m) 
(FY19: (£6.2m)). 

As a result, our reported loss before tax for the 
year was (£5.4m), an improvement of £4.5m 
on FY19’s result of (£9.9m). The tax charge was 
£1.3m (FY19: £0.3m credit) which, combined 
with a £14.8m post tax profit from discontinued 
operations (FY19: profit £0.2m), resulted in a 
profit for the year of £8.2m (FY19: loss of (£9.4m)).

In the first half of the year, while the US 
performed strongly we saw some softness in 
the UK and Australia. In the second half, we 
started generating improved momentum, 

FY20
Revenue

EBIT

Net Finance Charge

PBT

FY19
Revenue

EBIT

Net Finance Charge

PBT

in particular in the UK, before seeing an 
unprecedented acceleration of the business in 
the final two weeks of the year as the COVID-19 
pandemic precipitated lockdowns in all our 
markets and the level of demand for wine 
deliveries surged.

This late surge did not have a significant impact 
on the financial results for FY20, but did flatter 
our Investment KPIs as noted in fig 1 on page 33.

New customers
We invested £22.9m, +20% or £3.8m more year 
on year in new customer recruitment, increasing 
sales to new customers by +14.6% and achieving 
forecast payback of 4.9x. This growth was driven 
by the US and UK markets, and the digital 
channel. High levels of COVID-19-related sales 
in the final weeks of the year have enhanced 
the forecast payback and, as defined in our KPI 
summary on page 21, we believe the underlying 
payback performance to be c. 4.1x based on 
the performance through February.

Margins on new customer sales were lower year 
on year at (78.3%) (FY19:(74.8%)), as we spent 
more in the lower margin digital channel.

We have been benchmarking our forecast 
payback measure to other businesses that use 
similar Investment KPIs and concluded that, while 
a useful measure in the context of our business 
which continues to derive contribution from 
cohorts in excess of 10 years old, our 20-year 
measurement period is very long and this impacts 
comparability and understanding of shorter-term 
returns. To aid understanding in this, we have laid 
out in fig 2 on page 33 the 5-year and 20-year 
payback forecasts for recent cohorts, as well as 
the accumulated payback to date.

We expect to begin reporting 5-year payback 
as a KPI on a regular basis. Over time this 
measure may displace 20-year payback, 
although for the foreseeable future we will 
continue to report both numbers to assist 
in comparability and understanding.

Reported
£m

Adjusted
items*
£m

Adjusted
measure
£m

202.9

(4.9)

(0.5)

(5.4)

178.4

(9.1)

(0.8)

(9.9)

3.4

6.2

202.9

(1.4)

(0.5)

(1.9)

178.4

(3.0)

(0.8)

(3.7)

* See left hand panel and page 36 for explanation of adjusted items.

James Crawford
Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Operating Decision Maker 
(“CODM”) of the Company is the Board 
of Directors. In discussing business 
performance the CODM uses adjusted 
measures. These differ from statutory 
reporting as described on page 36.

There have been material changes to the 
Group’s structure following completion of 
the disposal of the Majestic Wine business 
on 10 December 2019 and the Lay & Wheeler 
business on 1 October 2019. As such, 
income and expenses of these business 
segments are reported as profit after tax 
from discontinued operations at the end of 
March 2020 and for comparative periods 
and are disclosed in note 13 Discontinued 
operations. All figures related to the 2019 and 
2020 financial years presented in this report 
refer to the Group’s continuing operations 
unless otherwise stated:
 G The Continuing business is the Naked 
Wines territories and central support 
functions

 G Adjusted measures exclude share 

based payment charges, amortisation of 
acquired intangibles, mark to market on 
FX contracts, transaction related costs 
and in FY20 FX revaluation of foreign 
currency funding balances (see note 8 
for the rationale of our adjusted items)

Adjusted measures
This presentation provides a directly 
comparable year on year view of the business 
performance and is the basis of review 
by management. A summary reconciling 
between these presentations is shown 
on the table to the right.

IFRS 16 has been adopted in the year. 
The overall impact on the Group was not 
material on a profit before tax basis and 
is therefore included unanalysed within 
the reported financial measures for FY20. 
The Group chose to adopt the modified 
retrospective basis of implementation 
and as such FY19 has not been restated.

32

Naked Wines plc
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Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Fig. 1

New customers
Revenue

Contribution

Repeat customers
Revenue

Contribution

Fixed costs (including central costs)

Adjusted EBIT

Finance charges

Adjusted loss before tax

FY20
£m

29.2

(22.9)

173.7

45.7

(24.2)

(1.4)

(0.5)

(1.9)

FY19
£m

Year on year
%

25.5

(19.1)

152.9

39.8

(23.7)

(3.0)

(0.8)

(3.7)

14.6%

20.0%

13.6%

14.7%

2.3%

-51.6%

-36.7%

-48.5%

Memo: Total revenue

202.9

178.4

13.7%

KPIs
Forecast payback

Year 1 payback

Unique repeat customers

Repeat customer sales retention

Repeat customer contribution margin

Standstill EBIT

4.9x

0.67x

594k

83.3%

26.3%

£10.1m

4.0x

0.78x

537k

80.7%

26.1%

£6.3m

+0.9x

(0.11x)

+10.6%

+2.6p.p.

+0.2p.p.

60.3%

Fig. 2

Cohort
FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19

FY20

Fig. 3

Cohort
FY17

FY18

FY19

Age at reporting date
49–60 months

5 years 
(forecast)
3.1x (Actual)

37–48 months

25–36 months

13–24 months

0–12 months

2.5x

2.5x

2.3x

2.6x

Payback

20 years 
(forecast)
6.3x

5.2x

5.1x

4.4x

4.9x

Initial payback forecast
4.5x

Latest forecast
5.2x

4.6x

4.0x

5.1x

4.4x

Payback 
to date
3.1x

2.1x

1.6x

0.9x

0.3x

Change
+0.7x

+0.5x

+0.4x

Historic payback stability 
We forecast our payback on investment in 
new customers based on expected contribution 
from each cohort of customers over 20 years. 
Given this is a long-term forecast we consider 
it important to update for the latest data to 
confirm we are on track. As shown below in fig 3 
our payback forecasts have improved as a result 
of strong levels of engagement and orders from 
these customers, particularly in the final weeks 
of the year.

Repeat customers
FY20 repeat customer contribution of £45.7m 
is sourced from: (a) 83% Sales Retention from 
FY19, at an FY20 contribution margin of 26.3%, 
(b) Year 1 payback of 0.67x on the £19.1m new 
customer investment made in FY19.

Repeat customer sales grew by 13.6% in 
the period to £173.7m, converting to repeat 
customer contribution growth of 14.7% to 
£45.7m. This was delivered through serving 
594k active Angels during the period, 
10.6% more than the prior year. This reflects:
 G Sales retention of 83.3%:

 – An improvement of +2.6pps vs the prior 
year, with gains in the UK and Australia, 
whereas the US was flat

 –  This measure was inflated by strong repeat 
customer sales in the final two weeks of 
the year as the lockdown measures to 
control the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. 
Excluding these weeks we estimate sales 
retention to have been 81%

 G Year 1 payback from our FY19 investments 

of 67%: 
 –  This is within the 65–70% range we 

indicated at the half year

 –  Excluding the COVID-19 impact, this 

would have been c. 65%

 –  This is 11pps lower year on year, which 

is driven by the increased level of digital 
sourced customers in our recruitment mix

 –  These customers show lower year 1 

payback, but higher retention, resulting 
in similar long-term paybacks to other 
customers but reducing the year 1 
payback overall

 G Repeat contribution margins 0.2pps higher 

year on year, driven by:
 – Lower margins during H1 due to increased 
sampling of premium wines to migrate 
customers to our “sweet spot”, and more 
pro-active refunds to encourage broader 
sampling and experimentation within 
the range

 – H2 margins improving by 0.9pps due to 

improved fulfilment costs as the benefits 
of scale start to be realised

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

33

Financial and investment review 
continued

Fixed costs
Total fixed costs (combined Naked Wines and 
unallocated costs) increased by 2.3% to £24.2m. 
This is a lower increase than the guidance we 
have issued that fixed costs will grow at around 
50% of the rate of sales growth. The primary 
reasons for the lower costs are vacancies in 
a number of roles where we have delayed 
recruiting to ensure that we source top-calibre 
talent and reduced variable compensation.

Standstill EBIT
We intend to report a new KPI each reporting 
period, called standstill EBIT. Standstill EBIT is a 
calculation, using our other KPIs, of the adjusted 
EBIT that would be reported if investment in 
new customers was reduced to a level such 
that we only replenished the current customer 
base, rather than growing as it is today. (See 
page 21 for a fuller definition of standstill EBIT 
and page 132 for a calculation of standstill EBIT 
for FY20 and FY19).

In the period, our standstill EBIT grew from 
£6.3m in FY19 to £10.1m in FY20 driven by:
 G £5.9m more repeat contribution; less
 G (£1.6m) higher replenishment costs; less
 G (£0.5m) higher fixed costs

We estimate that the impact of COVID-19 
improved this value by £2.8m through a 
combination of higher repeat customer 
contribution, enhanced sales retention 
and year one payback.

Financing costs and tax
Full year financing costs were £0.5m including 
the impact of IFRS16. This reflects nil net cost 
in H2 as interest on the Group debt facility was 
equal and opposite to the income derived from 
cash balances on hand and the Majestic sale 
loan note.

The Group tax charge of £1.3m is net of:
 G £2.7m current year charge heavily influenced 
by £2m group relief losses surrendered, 
which relates to the sale of Majestic and 
is one-off in nature

 G £1.4m deferred tax credit, predominantly 

current year

Adjusted items
Adjusted items represented a net cost of (£3.4m), 
a reduction from (£6.2m) in FY19. The main 
driver is the reduction in charges relating to the 
acquisition of Naked Wines by Majestic Wine plc 
in FY16. A full analysis is shown in note 8.

We intend to cease reporting share based 
payment charges as an adjusted item from 
FY21 onwards, reducing adjusted EBIT and 
PBT by likely more than the current year 
charge of £1.0m going forwards (see page 
36 for explanation of why we are changing 
our approach here).

34

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Discontinued operations 
and the impact of disposals
The Majestic Wine business, comprising Retail 
and Commercial, and Lay & Wheeler were sold 
in the year. Up to the date of disposal, these 
businesses reported revenue of £216.3m (full 
year FY19: £327.7m). 

The sale of Lay & Wheeler completed on 
1 October 2019 for proceeds of £11.3m in cash.

The sale of Majestic completed on 
10 December 2019 generating:
 G Immediate cash receipts of £77m;
 G A vendor loan note receivable of £12m 
due for payment on 10 December 2024;
 G Deferred contingent consideration of £5m 
for the Majestic Calais stores, payable on 
10 December 2021 if they have been trading 
to an agreed performance level should 
Brexit have created restrictions impacting 
performance of that business; and

 G Assets held for sale comprising one store that 

was subject to post-completion documentation 
requirements which were completed during 
June 2020 generating receipts of £1m. 

The vendor loan note and deferred contingent 
consideration were recorded at fair value on 
completion at an aggregate value of £13.1m. 
This value has been subject to an assessment by 
the directors at the reporting date and, based 
on current available information, continues to 
be held at that value.

The net result of these transactions after costs, 
and including the trading performance of these 
businesses in the period to disposal, is a profit 
after tax of £14.8m reported as discontinued 
operations in the income statement and was 
largely driven by the profit on disposal from 
those businesses.

Details of the disposals are disclosed in note 13 
to the accounts, Discontinued operations.

Cash and cash flow drivers
We ended FY20 with cash on hand of £54.7m 
(FY19: net debt (£15.5m)) following the sales of 
the Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler businesses, 
repayment of the Group’s debt facilities and 
payment of the special dividend of 5.2p per share. 

Free cash flow from the Naked business totalled 
(£2.4m) in the year compared to (£9.6m) in the 
prior year, reflecting a reduced adjusted EBIT 
loss of (£1.4m) (FY19: (£3.0m)) and improved 
working capital flows. 

Principal drivers of the FY20 working capital 
movements were:
 G Investment in inventory of £13.3m, in particular 

in the US where increased new customer 
investment means committing further sums 
to inventory in anticipation of future sales

 G An increase in Angel funds of £5.3m, also driven 
by the increase in size of the US customer base
 G Increase in Payable of £6.9m, driven by both 

the US and UK businesses

Capital expenditure of £1.1m (FY19: £0.9m) was 
equally split between investment in property, plant 
and equipment and investment in IT systems.

Following the adoption of IFRS 16, depreciation 
and amortisation increased by £1.2m reflecting 
the amortisation of IFRS 16 leases and IFRS 16 
repayments of principal under lease liabilities, 
reported within movements in the balance 
sheet, increasing by £1.2m. 

As described in the CEO review, we are 
prioritising growth and strategic flexibility 
and as a result the Directors do not believe it 
would be appropriate to return any capital to 
shareholders at this point in time. 

Current trading and cost guidance
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 
significantly accelerated trading patterns across 
the Group. The first two months of FY21 have seen 
year on year revenue growth of 81%, driven by:
 G New customer sales +256%, from investment 

in new customers +115%

 G Repeat customer sales +50% with sales 

retention of 95.5% 

With considerable uncertainty around how 
long current market tailwinds will persist and a 
high likelihood of a consumer downturn in H2 
it is challenging to accurately forecast full year 
performance for FY21 so we are not providing 
full year guidance although management 
have drawn up prudent forecasts for internal 
use to inform their planning decisions. Early 
data around retention and repeat purchase 
behaviour of the large new intake of customers 
we have seen at the start of the year is similar 
to historic patterns, however we recognise this 
may change as restrictions on movement and 
economic circumstances continue to change.

We continue to invest in the foundations of the 
business, and have two key areas that we intend 
to invest into during FY21:
 G A £3m Research & Development (R&D) 

marketing fund to explore new channels of 
customer recruitment. We will report this 
separately to new customer investment as it is 
expected to deliver minimal payback in the year

 G Fixed costs of £28m – £30m, a £4m – £6m 

uplift year-on year. We intend to recruit to fill 
the vacancies we have had during FY20, and 
continue to add headcount in the areas of 
marketing, data science and finance. Should 
the current high level of growth persist we may 
require additional staffing above this

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Other financial review comments

Item

Highlights/Comments

Shares outstanding

Earnings per Share

Dividend

Bank facilities 
and covenants

Hedging policy

Going concern

 G Shares issued at the year end of 72.9m (FY19: 72.1m)
 G Weighted averages shares in issue of 71.9m (FY19: 70.5m)
 G Weighted average fully diluted number of shares 73.5m (FY19: 73.3m)
 G If all the company share schemes fully vested the Group would have 74.6m shares in issue (FY19: 74.8m)

 G Reduced basic loss per share of (9.3p) vs FY19 restated of (13.7p) for the continuing operations of the business, the result 
of a reduced (statutory and adjusted) loss for the period for the business. IAS33, Earnings per share, does not require the 
calculation of a diluted earnings per share measure where the business reports a basic loss per share. On a total Group basis 
Basic EPS was 11.3p per share (FY19: (13.3p)), diluted 11.1p (FY19: (13.3p) significantly influenced by the profit on the disposal of 
the discontinued operations totalling £14.8m in the year.

 G As announced in regard to FY19, the Group has suspended the payment of dividends while it invests in its growth markets and 

in particular the US market

 G As part of the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses and following the Lay & Wheeler sale, the Group repaid its revolving 

credit facilities that it held with Barclays Bank and ended the year with cash of £54.7m (FY19: net debt (£15.5m))

 G Following the termination of the Group’s revolving credit facility, the Group is no longer subject to banking covenants. 

The Group has not agreed any new credit facilities since the termination of the previous RCF

 G The Group’s hedging policy is to build currency positions gradually between twelve and three months prior to the date of 

expected liabilities coming due, using forward purchase contracts. At year end, this resulted in the Group holding £17.0m of 
forward contracts and recognising a mark to market credit of £0.4m

 G In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Directors have paid particularly close attention to their assessment of 

going concern in the preparation of these financial statements. 

 G The Group is well capitalized with £54.7m of cash and no debt as of March 30 2020. The Directors do not see any practical 
regulatory or legal restrictions which would limit their ability to fund the different territories of the business as required to 
the extent of the Group’s available resources.

 G The Group is currently trading significantly ahead of the original expectations for the period to date driven by changing 

consumer behaviours in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Management have produced forecasts that have been sensitized for 
adverse downturns in its key assumptions around repeat customer subscription and purchasing behaviour and the levels of 
new customers acquired. Additional scenario modelling has been undertaken to assess the impact of a delayed reassessment 
of wine purchasing plans in the face of a sustained downturn in trading. These assumptions were combined in a scenario where 
the drivers of the Group’s current trading upside versus original expectations all reversed in the very short term to levels below 
the original expectation resulting in significantly higher levels of inventory being carried. Management has also produced 
a maximum stress forecast which has been deliberately engineered to challenge the Group’s liquidity position during the 
forecast period through a one-off immediate reduction in the number of Angels (subscribers) to the business.

 G These forecasts and analysis demonstrated that the Group’s freely deployable cash reserves and its ability to moderate stock 
purchasing over a realistic timescale versus a substantial immediate downturn in trade and customer numbers are sufficient 
for the Group to meet its obligations as they fall due for a forecast period of more than twelve months beyond the date of 
the signing of these financial statements. 

 G These forecasts and the associated analysis have been reviewed by the Board of Directors. 
 G Accordingly, the Directors have continued to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements. 
 G For further detailed consideration of the Group’s current trading and prospects see the Chief Executive’s review from page 16, 

the Group’s assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on page 19 and the financial and investment review on page 34.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

35

Financial and investment review 
continued

Definition of Adjusted EBIT

Item

Description

Rationale for use

Adjusted EBIT/LBT*

EBIT/LBT excluding impact of:

G   Amortisation of acquisition 

related intangibles

G   Mark to market on 

unmatched FX contracts

 G  Revaluation of funding 
cash balances held

 G  Share based payment 

charges

These items reflect costs of customer acquisition from prior to the purchase of the Naked 
Wines business. In order to reflect the cost of current new customer acquisition in its adjusted 
PBT, the Group includes the expenses of all ongoing customer acquisitions in its adjusted 
profit measures but removes the amortisation cost of those customers acquired before 
acquisition by Naked Wines plc.

We commit in advance to buying foreign currency to purchase wine in order to mitigate 
exchange rate fluctuations. International accounting standards require us to mark the value of 
these to market at year end. As this value may fluctuate materially due to day to day variation 
in spot exchange rates, we adjust it out to better reflect our trading profitability.

As a result of the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses, the Group now holds net cash 
on its balance sheet. At the reporting date a portion of this cash is held in foreign currency 
in anticipation of providing those funds to its overseas trading entities in the coming year. 
International accounting standards require us to value this cash to market exchange rate at 
year end. As this value may fluctuate materially due to day to day variation in spot exchange 
rates, we adjust it out of adjusted EBIT to better reflect our trading profitability.

We operate SIP and LTIP schemes to incentivise employees. The majority of shares have 
been awarded under the LTIP scheme which delivers the shares to the employee subject to 
continued employment and the relative performance of the group vs a set of peers in terms of 
Total Shareholder Return Performance. The relative nature of this performance criterion means 
that short term fluctuations in share prices prior to the date of award can have a material 
impact on the calculated expense of these schemes and the Group was building up to a 
consistent three years of comparative schemes expensed in the Income Statement each year. 
To mitigate the volatility of these charges we adjust them out, while ensuring we report the 
maximum total dilution from all share schemes so that our owners can calculate our financial 
performance per share on a fully diluted basis. 

Note: as the Group has now built up a consistent rolling three years of LTIP and SIP schemes 
year on year costs are now more comparable. From Financial Year 21 ending 29 March 2021, 
share based payment charges will be included within Adjusted EBIT. 

* See page 32 for a reconciliation of this measure and note 8 of the accounts for an analysis of adjusted items.

36

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

Biodynamics,  
van trips 
and the local 
chippy

An interview with  
Ben Gould

Ben and Naomi Gould joined the Naked ranks back in 2014. 
A tiny organic vineyard that included the house they built 
themselves, an extra concrete slab and a very young family 
was how they started! Some six years later and how things 
have changed.

Currently one of the biggest certified organic vineyard 
holdings in Margaret River (if only for a few more months!),  
a winery, a bottling line, a brewery and a bigger family!

Organics and biodynamics are at the core of your  
winemaking/life philosophy, why?
It started with the simple idea of wanting to raise a family on a 
vineyard. Naomi and I wanted our kids to be able to play around 
in the dirt without us worrying. We wanted them to be able to 
pick fruit off of the trees and put them straight into their mouths 
without a care in the world.

A van trip to Europe, touring around every vineyard and surf break 
opened our eyes to what vineyards and winemaking could be. We 
saw that you can use old-world techniques and blend them with 
new-world knowledge to create more natural wines. I think about 
that trip every week.

You say you have minimal additives, but I thought wine was 
just fermented grape juice?
Crazy I know but you can add a fair bit more to wine than 
just grapes. Our aim when making a wine is to use as little as 
possible, sometimes we even only use grapes…

That might sound a little bit weird. But, there are a bunch of 
things you can do to wine that can muddle where the grapes 
are from. You can add tannins extracted from trees and nuts, 
adjust the acidity to make it seem crisper or safer, or apply 
additives and packet fixes to make things “better”. All of these 
additives gets you wine cheaper and more consistent.

Which is good. I guess?
However, we prefer our wines to reflect the land that grew it, 
the weather there was that year, and the hard (or lazy) work 
that has been put in. That means in our winery we use all-wild 
ferments and minimal additives.

You seem to have a special relationship with the local fish 
and chip shop – can you elaborate?
Who doesn’t like fish and chips on the beach! at work, in bed… 
well ok that was just the one time…anyway I’m not sure if that’s 
the special relationship you are referring too?!

But yes we have been dropping by the local chippy on a 
weekly basis and collecting their old frying oil which, with the 
helping hand of our local electrician for the last +20 years, 
have commissioned our own biodiesel plant. Our long-term 
plan is for all of the machinery on the vineyard – the tractors, 
generators, my old Defender – to run off biodiesel.

So when you drop by to enjoy a wine don’t be surprised if you 
start feeling like a chip or two when the tractor drives past!

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

37

Stakeholder engagement (inclusive of s.172 Companies Act 2006 disclosures)
Considering the needs  
of all our stakeholders

Shareholders had to be consulted with respect 
to, and give their approval to, the sale of 
the Majestic Wine business. The Company 
held an extraordinary general meeting on 06 
September 2019, where the vast majority of 
shareholders (99.86%) voted in favour of the 
disposal resolution.

As a consequence of the disposals, the Board of 
Naked Wines agreed to accelerate the vesting 
of some of the shares in the Company awarded 
to employees of Majestic Wine and Lay & 
Wheeler. As ’good leavers’, the Board felt that 
the employees deserved to be treated fairly and 
should be rewarded for their dedication and 
participation in the success of the Group. 

In forming its decision to sell to the selected 
purchasers, the Board carefully considered 
the investment commitments and plans put 
forward by each of them in terms of future plans 
for the discontinued business. The Board was 
satisfied of their intention to continue to invest 
in the businesses to allow each of them an 
opportunity to survive and prosper.

The Board believes that the decisions to sell 
Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler and to 
reposition Naked Wines as a business focussed 
exclusively on the growing online wine market 
were the right ones and will deliver long-term 
value appreciation to shareholders.

Capital allocation and excess capital 
The Company publicly re-stated its capital 
allocation policy in November 2019 in 
connection with the release of its half-year 
results, where it indicated that the Company 
would allocate capital with discipline by 
maintaining a healthy balance sheet, investing 
in growth in a disciplined manner to take 
advantage of the large perceived growth 
opportunity, and returning to shareholders 
any funds in excess of the level needed to fund 
growth and manage risk. Subsequent to this 
announcement the Company completed the 

Sale of the Majestic Wine and 
Lay & Wheeler businesses
From a strategic point of view the principal 
decisions the Board had to make during the 
financial year were to dispose of Majestic Wine 
and Lay & Wheeler in order to re-position the 
Group as an independent, asset-light, online 
only business model. Both management and 
the Directors spent considerable amount of 
time and energy in forming their decisions, 
with the aim of maximising long-term value 
for the shareholders and ensuring that the 
discontinued operations and their respective 
staff were treated fairly. 

As part of the strategic review the Board 
considered a number of structural options 
to free-up cash and prioritise its capital and 
management resources to grow Naked Wines, 
including retaining all or portions of the Retail 
and Commercial divisions of Majestic Wine. 
The Board concluded that a trade sale of each 
of Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler was in 
the best interest of all stakeholders involved 
as it was most likely to realise certainty for 
the Group to pursue its new strategy, while 
preserving more stores, supplier relationships 
and employment for the Majestic business. 
The sales were conducted through auction 
processes that provided a level playing field 
to potential bidders. Consideration was 
given to the stakeholder impact of bidders’ 
stated plans and historic management of 
acquired businesses where relevant. The 
Directors consulted amongst themselves and 
were supported by the Company’s financial 
and legal advisers throughout the bidding 
processes. Agreement to sell Majestic Wine 
was reached with CF Bacchus Holdco Limited 
(part of Fortress, the private equity group) at 
the beginning of August and the transaction 
completed on 10 December 2019 as it was 
conditional on antitrust clearance by the 
European Commission and shareholder 
approval. Lay & Wheeler was sold to a 
private investor on 1 October 2019.

At Naked Wines we engage in 
many different ways and seek 
to consider the needs of our 
stakeholders when making 
decisions. We also value the 
views of our wider stakeholder 
group in line with our mission 
to disrupt the wine industry for 
the benefit of our customers, 
winemakers and our people. As 
such, we believe that there is an 
obligation on us to disseminate 
clear and understandable 
information about the Company 
and our business activities and, 
in turn, to receive and consider 
the views of our stakeholders.

Section 172(1) statement and 
statement of engagement
In accordance with the Companies Act 2006 
(the Act) (as amended by the Companies 
(Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018), 
the Directors must describe how they have had 
regard to the matters set out in section 172(1) of 
the Act, when performing their duty to promote 
the success of the Company.

Each of the Directors is mindful of their 
duties under section 172 of the Act to run the 
Company for the benefit of its shareholders, 
and in doing so, to take into account the long 
term impact of any decisions on stakeholder 
relationships and the impact of its activities on 
its reputation. The Directors have identified the 
Company’s key stakeholders as its: shareholders 
and institutional investors, employees, 
customers, winemakers, suppliers, regulators 
and governmental bodies, environment and the 
wider community. Building positive relations 
with these stakeholders, treating them well 
and with respect is essential to the success 
of the business.

There are many ways of engaging with our 
stakeholders and there is more detail about 
how we engage with our investors, employees, 
suppliers, customers, regulators, community 
and the environment on pages 40 to 42 of 
this section of the Strategic report.

Set out below are some examples of how 
the Directors have considered the matters 
set out in section 172(1) of the Act in their 
decision making.

38

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

sale of Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler 
and implemented its management 
succession and reorganisation plan in 
which, among other things, Nick Devlin 
succeeded as CEO. In connection with these 
events and discussions with a number of 
institutional investors, the Board initiated 
a comprehensive review of our capital 
allocation policy in light of our strategic and 
financial plans. The review commenced with 
a survey of a broad base of shareholders 
on topics including strategic direction and 
use of capital. In addition to the survey, the 
Board engaged the Company’s brokers and 
other advisors to provide it with detailed 
analyses and views of capital strategy. 
Having conducted a thorough analysis of 
these matters, the Board agreed that the 
Company would retain its capital allocation 
policy and plans. 

Soon after the Board’s review of capital 
allocation the COVID-19 pandemic began 
to more significantly impact the Company’s 
markets. The Company again informally 
consulted with many key stakeholders 
regarding its capital position. In the current 
environment cash reserves are a key point of 
strategic advantage for the Company. The 
Board believes that changes to the consumer 
and business environment post COVID-19, 
whilst increasing uncertainty, on balance 
should offer Naked Wines the opportunity 
to accelerate its rate of growth. At the same 
time, the Company maintains a prudent 
capital position in response to the continued 
consumer uncertainty for the medium-term. 
The Board does not believe the business has 
excess capital and does not anticipate the 
position changing for the foreseeable future. 

Employee survey
The Company regularly engages with its 
staff in multiple ways including through 
consultations, by providing Company updates, 
through employee engagement surveys, 
by giving staff a say in the selection of our 
sponsored charity, or by the participation 
in the Company’s share schemes.

At the end of 2019, the Group carried out a 
staff survey across all three of its markets that 
allowed employees to express their views and 
opinions on a variety of matters, including 
whether they felt valued, the level of support 
required to enable them to carry out their 
daily tasks, what is expected of them in their 
role and position, understanding our mission 
and purpose and opportunities to learn and 
grow. On average, 78% of the staff across the 
three markets participated in the survey, which 
showed common themes for areas of strong 
engagement, improvement and where extra 
support was needed.

The results of the survey formed part of one of 
the topics tabled for discussion at the Board 
meeting of 19 November. The Company intends 
to continue to undertake employee surveys on 
a regular basis.

Further details on key actions in this regard 
are also contained within the Governance 
Report (see pages 58 to 64), the Directors’ 
Report (see pages 76 to 77) and the Directors’ 
Remuneration report (see pages 65 to 73).

Investor relations
The Company continues to outsource the 
investor relations function and is supported by 
Equitory with respect to this activity. Equitory 
is an investor relations management company 
specialising in support to small to medium 
cap companies. The decision to outsource the 
investor relations function was taken in October 
2018 as the Group felt a third party would be 
able to deliver a superior service to our capital 
markets stakeholders. In addition to having 
the consultancy services of Equitory to draw 
on, the Board and Committee Chairmen, the 
CEO, the CFO and Company Secretary are 
all engaged in day-to-day investor relations 
management and one-on-one engagements 
as and when necessary.

The Board is committed to strengthening 
the “stakeholder voice” in the boardroom 
by ensuring a more comprehensive 
understanding of the Company’s 
key relationships with a broad range 
of interested groups and a proper 
consideration of external perspectives, 
which will, ultimately, help drive the 
Company’s success over the long term.

While it may not always be possible 
to achieve a satisfactory outcome for 
all stakeholders as interests might be 
conflicting, the Board strongly believes 
that comprehensive engagement and 
consideration of the consequences for 
different stakeholders leads to informed 
decisions being made. Our decision-
making is directed by our long-term vision 
of compounding growth supported by 
substantiated information, disciplined 
investments and the impact of proposals 
on key stakeholder groups.

Over the following pages is a summary 
of our stakeholder engagements, setting 
out the stakeholder as well as the means 
used for engagement and the outcomes or 
Board decisions thereof.

To request a meeting please contact:  
IR@nakedwines.com

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

39

Stakeholder engagement 
continued

Shareholders and institutional investors

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

Board 
CEO 
CFO 
Company Secretary

Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Remains the primary 
method of engagement with our private shareholders, 
through both the distribution of the Annual Report and 
attendance at the meeting. We encouraged attendance 
at the AGM and a number of our shareholders did avail 
themselves of this opportunity in August 2019

Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) – The Company also 
engaged with its shareholders during the year in connection 
with the disposal of Majestic Wine and a purchase of its 
own shares. The disposal was conditional on the approval 
of the Company’s shareholders. Irrevocable undertakings 
or letters of intent from shareholders supporting the Board’s 
recommendation were received in advance of the EGM

 – The outcome of the voting at the 2019 AGM and 2019 

EGM is set out at the bottom of this section

 – The disposal of Majestic Wine required the approval of 
the Company’s shareholders. At the EGM in September 
2019 the shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of 
the transaction

 – The EGM also provided an opportunity to seek 

shareholders’ approval for a share buyback, which again 
was overwhelmingly approved

 – In line with its capital allocation policy, the Company did 
not purchase its own shares during the reporting period 
and does not intend to do so as long as there is not 
excess cash

Board 
Chairman

Institutional investors engagement
 – We constantly engage with our institutional investors and 
seek their views on matters relating to the remuneration, 
capital allocation and corporate governance policies
 –  During the year, we ran an online survey for some of our 
biggest institutional investors, followed by a number 
of investor conversations

 – The Chairman also engaged through institutional 

shareholder letters, enabling the Company to understand 
shareholder sentiment and ensuring that appropriate 
follow-up actions are taken

As a result of these consultations:
 – The Remuneration Committee introduced two new 
measures into our remuneration policy: (i) using 
“standstill EBIT” to sit alongside total shareholder 
return (TSR) for the vesting of LTIPs; and (ii) a minimum 
shareholding requirement for Executive Directors
 – The Board had a number of fruitful discussions on 

capital allocation in light of feedback received from 
institutional investors

 – The Chairman has written to institutional shareholders 
to explain the Company’s capital allocation policy 

CEO 
CFO

 – The CEO and the CFO made presentations to the 

institutional shareholders and analysts following the release 
of both the year end and half year results

 – These briefings allowed management to undertake 
over ninety meetings with institutional shareholders 
during 2019

 – The Company carried out a roadshow in the US 

during September enabling the CEO and CFO to meet 
investors, update them on strategy and performance 
and obtain feedback

 – Further ad hoc meetings were held during the year

Chairman/ 
Remuneration 
Committee Chair

 – During the year, shareholders were able to engage directly 
with Non-Executive Directors, including the Chairman and 
the Remuneration Committee Chair

 – The Chairman’s meetings were largely focused on 

corporate strategy and capital allocation

 – The Remuneration Committee Chair has been consulting 

widely on the Remuneration Policy

40

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Employees

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO, CFO 
MDs of subsidiaries

We continue to consider our employees as one of our most 
important stakeholder groups and are engaged with them 
on a daily basis. This engagement takes place through:
 – Sharing of information relating to the business through 

regular communications (e.g. mid and year end results etc)

 – Company updates
 – Giving employees a say each year in the selection of our 

sponsored charity 

 – Employee engagement surveys
 – Consultation with specific groups or individual to ensure 
that their views can be taken into account in making 
decisions about matters that affect them
 – Participation in the Company’s share scheme
 – Disclosure of gender pay gap and pay comparison

 – The communications have enabled employees to have 
a common awareness of the financial and economic 
factors affecting performance of the Company

 – The employee Company updates have enabled senior 
management to discuss with staff, in an open forum, 
the status of the Company and receive direct input and 
suggestions from employees

 – Share scheme participation has aligned interests of 

shareholders and staff and allowed staff to hold a stake 
in the business

 – Feedback from the engagement survey has enabled 

staff to provide direct input into the employee benefit 
structure and work environment. Management has 
responded to this input by: 
•  Allowing a flexible working environment
•  Providing salary benchmarking and policy 

transparency in the UK

•   Continued training for all employees

Suppliers

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO, CFO 
MDs of subsidiaries

 – Our business model continues to seek out and support the 

 – Direct assistance to winemakers affected by adverse 

world’s best independent winemakers 

natural disasters and other hardships

 – We support and invest in winemakers through advance 

 – We require suppliers to adhere to relevant Group 

commitment and funding of purchasing of wine 

 – We follow supplier guiding principles to make sure we are 

looking after our suppliers

 – Our Responsible Supplier Policy encourages our supplier 
network to conduct their business in line with the same 
principles embraced by Naked Wines

policies and to comply with our Responsible Supplier 
Policy and Anti-Modern Slavery questionnaire

 – We continue to have a zero tolerance attitude towards 

modern slavery in our supply chain and continue to make 
enhancements to address this risk 

 – Material contracts are subject to internal controls and 

rigorous cost management governance and a summary 
of key terms is provided to the Board for approval

Customers

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO, MDs of 
subsidiaries

 – The Naked Wines business model effectively makes 

 – Alignment of interests in producing best-quality wine at 

our customers our partners, with a mutual investment in 
winemakers

 – Our tasting tours give Angels access to the world’s best 

independent winemakers

 – Our websites enable our customers to give us and our 

winemakers feedback directly 

 – We implement ongoing enhancement of customer 

helplines with dedicated Customer Happiness teams 
for each business

best price

 – By knowing who made it and that they played a part 
in making it, we give customers a closer sense of 
connection with their wine

 – Launched Wine Genie to assist Angels to select suitable 
wines to their individual taste profile, and Never Miss 
Out to ensure that Angels do not miss out on their 
favourite wines

 – Better use of customer data to drive wine 

recommendations to our Angels (feedback leading to 
update of product range)

 – Our Customer Happiness Teams achieved 91% 5* 

service feedback

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

41

Stakeholder engagement 
continued

Regulators and government

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CoSec, CFO

 – Preparations for Brexit
 – Legal and regulatory landscape is risk assessed as part 

of our risk management framework

 – Ongoing engagement with regulators through 

 – The Company keeps up to date with and seeks ways to 
maintain strict compliance with state legislation relating 
to distribution and sale of alcohol in the US 

 – Since our business is in the UK, Australia and US, the 

correspondence or physical meetings to discuss various 
key issues pertaining to the business

impact on the Group from leaving the European Union 
is modest

 – Reviewed and updated our tax policy which is part of 

 – Appropriate regulation is considered in all Board 

the Group’s risk management process

decision-making

 – Adapting to regulatory and best policy changes 

during 2020 and beyond

Community and environment

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

Board 
CEO 
Sustainability team

 – Established Sustainability Focus group and project teams
 – Ongoing commitment to wider community regarding 

 – Various sustainability initiatives that look at impacting the 
community and to changing how an entire industry works

responsible drinking and marketing of alcohol

 – Ongoing commitment to wider community regarding 
ethical behaviour/responsible corporate citizenship

 – Compliance around sale and marketing of alcohol
 – Reviewed our Modern Slavery Statement 
 – Rollout of Group’s Code of Conduct on annual basis 
 – Published Gender Pay Gap Report

Outcome of voting at AGM 2019

No
1

Type
Ordinary

Nature
Receipt of the Strategic report, Directors’ report, Auditor’s report and financial statements of the Company

% in favour
99.99

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Ordinary

Re-election of retiring Director – James Crawford (CFO)

Ordinary

Re-election of retiring Director – Ian Harding

Ordinary

Election of Katrina Cliffe as Director

Ordinary

Election of Nicholas Devlin as Director 

Ordinary

Election of John Walden as Director

Ordinary

Appointment of Deloitte LLP as auditor and delegation to Board to fix remuneration

Ordinary

Directors’ authority to allot securities

Special

Disapplication of pre-emptive rights

10

Special

Change of name

11 Ordinary

Remuneration Report (advisory)

12 Ordinary

Remuneration Policy (advisory)

Outcome of voting at EGM 2019

No
1

2

42

Type
Ordinary

Nature
Sale of Majestic Wine Retail and Commercial

Special

Purchase of Company’s own ordinary shares of 7.5p each

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

99.84

99.70

99.96

99.96

99.96

99.94

69.21

78.10

82.35

99.81

98.43

% in favour
99.86

99.86

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

Kym, it’s a 
thumbs up 
from, well, 
everyone!

Kym Carr’s story is one of incredible talent, utter heartbreak and 
unwavering determination... As a young winemaker, Kym had a 
winemaking world at her feet. She was winemaking for award-winning 
wineries Vasse Felix and Deep Woods Estate, leading to a nomination 
for young winemaker of the year in 2006 – she was one of the hottest 
talents around.

But Kym could hear another calling so she decided to take some time 
out and start a family – a couple grew into a family of four!

However, a few years later, Kym’s life was monumentally changed by 
the passing of her younger sister. Her sister’s final wish was that she 
carry on with life, making the most of each day by working towards 
her passion.

So, Kym reached out to Naked as she still harboured dreams of 
jumping back into the wine game to create her own boutique label, 
packed with unique wines that are happily just a little far left of field for 
the big wineries. We put the power in the hands of the Angels to vote 
for the first ever Angel chosen winemaker. It took just 4 hours and 16 
minutes for Angels to give Kym Carr the thumbs up.

Sourcing bespoke small parcels from all over Western Australia, Kym 
uses her unique skills to craft a wide range of delicious wines, called 
Dream Bird. All the wines are dedicated to Kym’s little sister, from the 
“Ranga” Rose all the way to the “Pipsqueak” Methode Traditionelle 
Chenin Blanc.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

43

Risk management and control environment
Managing risk effectively

Risk
The Board reviews the effectiveness of the 
risk management processes and manages 
the evolving risk environment as it approves 
key decisions, budgets and operating plans. 
The key components of our risk management 
system are:
 G each local management team has its own 
risk register and reviews it periodically 

 G the risk registers are presented to the Audit 
Committee for review on a regular basis 

 G the Board determines the highest risk 

items for the Group following a preliminary 
recommendation by the Audit Committee 
once a year 

 G responsibility to maintain the risk registers, 

as well as to implement and monitor 
mitigating actions, lies with the executive 
directors and management 

The Board is satisfied that, through the 
processes set out above, it is able to effectively 
identify, assess and manage the risks. The 
Board is further satisfied that the responsible 
managers have the necessary skills and 
expertise to ensure that the relevant risk 
management process and control systems are 
in place and fully operative. The Board relies on 
the assurances provided through the periodic 
reports presented to the Board and Audit 
Committee, and in this instance acts as the 
third line of defence, with the Leadership team 
as the second line, and the risk control owners 
as the first.

Using the process set out above, the Board 
believes that it has undertaken a robust 
assessment of the principal risks which threaten 

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths
 G  Strong dedicated customer base
 G  Wine quality
 G  Management team are 

shareholders

 G  Established successful online 

business

 G  Diversified business (UK, US and 

Australia)

 G Strong balance sheet
 G No store costs

Opportunities
 G  US DTC market growing
 G Growth in online sales
 G  Improvement in customer 
experience and retention

44

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

the implementation of the strategy and the 
long-term viability of the Group and is satisfied 
that appropriate mitigation plans are in place. 

As context to the risks presented in this report, 
it is important to note that the Group has been 
fundamentally restructured in the year and now 
operates 100% online with the US as its largest 
territory. As a result of this our risk footprint has 
changed considerably from the previous year, 
reflecting that we have navigated to the new 
strategic focus successfully, that the financial 
pressure and intense competitive environment 
that was prevalent in UK bricks and mortar retail 
are no longer relevant, and a heightened focus 
given to regulation and taxation in the complex 
and multi-jurisdictional US market. 

When considering the potential impact of 
our key risks we have linked them to the key 
performance objectives that they are likely to 
impact if crystallised. We have not undertaken 
specific stress testing for every risk but, as part 
of our overall impact analysis, as well as our 
going concern assessment, have considered 
the likely magnitude of the realisation of 
major risks on the balance sheet and cash 
flow forecasts. These forecasts are based on 
detailed budgeting which is prepared for the 
next fiscal year with revisions done mid-year 
together with a forward view of the subsequent 
24 months (forecasts for 36 months) plus, in the 
case of this year, scenarios that contemplate 
sustained heightened trading as a result of 
COVID-19 and the impact of a subsequent 
slowdown due to a potential recession. Based 
on its assessments the Board believes that the 
Group is well placed to withstand the impact 
of realisation of risks over the forecast period 

through a combination of the mitigation in 
place, the strong balance sheet we closed FY20 
with and our ability to make adjustments to our 
plans, should they be required.

Climate change and sustainability
The Board recognises that climate change 
creates potential risk for the Group. Indeed, 
within this financial year the Group’s staff based 
in Napa, California, had to work remotely due 
to power outages intended to reduce wildfire 
risk, and we saw significant wildfires in Australia 
which could have, but did not, impact on 
Naked winemakers.

At this time, the Board has assessed that 
climate change does not present as material 
a risk to the Group as the other items listed in 
this report, so we have decided not to list it 
as a standalone risk. We do recognise that we 
have risk in at least two of the areas listed that 
climate change may trigger:

1. Business interruption, mitigated through 
having multiple sites for key activities; and

2. Supply risks, mitigated by having a diverse 
and geographically dispersed set of sourcing 
locations

We are also mindful that the consumer is 
becoming increasingly passionate about 
buying from companies that strive to operate 
sustainably whether with regard to climate 
impact or other sustainability matters. We 
are committed to growing our business in a 
sustainable way and continue to seek ways to 
quantify and reduce our impact. Please refer 
to our sustainability report for details of our 
initiatives in this area.

Weaknesses
 G Long supply chain
 G Increasing input costs
 G Uncertainties due to COVID-19
 G Restrictions on alcohol sales 
imposed by regulations

 G Subscription business model 
could narrow target market

Threats
 G Competition
 G  Increased regulatory restrictions
 G Uncertain economic outlook 
due to COVID-19 and Brexit 
consequences
 G  Cyber security

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Approach to managing risks
Our approach to managing risks was similar 
to that undertaken in 2019:
 G  Top down – Key risks that threaten the 

Strategic Plan

 G Bottom up – Territory level key risks
 G Check that they are broadly consistent 
 G Identify main strategic risks across whole 

Group = Top risks

Since 2019 we have used the residual risk 
rating after the application of the controls 
and mitigating actions.

Risk impact
Risk impact measures the impact the 
materialisation of the risk would have on the 
business and is primarily measured in financial 
consequences as follows:

3

Very high 

> £2m

2 Moderate 

Between £500k and £2m

1 Minimal 

< £500k

Risk likelihood
Risk likelihood measures the possibility/probability 
of the risk materialising and is rated as follows:

3 High 

2 Moderate 

1

Remote

> 20%

5–20%

< 5%

Inherent risk
The inherent risk (e.g. the risk impact multiplied 
by the risk likelihood) is the level of risk prior to the 
application of the controls and mitigating actions.

Control effectiveness
The inherent risk is then mitigated through the 
application of controls which are rated according 
to the effectiveness thereof as follows:

3 Controls in place, tested and operative 

2

Limited or untested controls

1 No/inoperative/untested controls

Residual risk
The residual risk (e.g. the inherent risk divided by 
the control effectiveness) is then rated as follows:

1   2

Low risk

3   4   5
6   7   8   9 High risk

Medium risk

The risks listed on the following pages are 
not the only ones facing our business but are 
the most significant when considering both 
the likelihood of the risk materialising as well 
as the overall impact on the business, after 
taking into account the mitigating effect of 
the implemented controls.

Investment
Investment decisions/expenses fail to drive 
additional sales, resulting in lower than 
expected profitability

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Investment in new customers/new customer 
contribution 
Payback

Likely impact
 – Investments could potentially not produce 
the desired return on investment and result 
in wasted cash and excess stock

Likely causes
 – Increased level of investment across the 

business ahead of our “aggressive growth” 
ambition despite some weakening of the 
repeat customer metrics 

 – Payback is forecast over a long period. 
Customer behaviour differing from 
expectations may result in bad marketing 
investment decisions

 – Material changes in investment performance 

can result in substantial stock variances, 
which may impact liquidity, resulting in stock 
write-offs or damage customer experience 
through limited range

 – Strategy changes following disposal of 

Majestic Wine may have negative impacts

 – Increase in customer acquisition cost

Controls/mitigation
 – Investments are constantly monitored and 

capital redeployed if they are not producing 
the target returns

 – Detailed deal-level reporting, monthly 

performance reviews

 – Aim to further diversify the acquisition mix 
by opening up new channels of investment
 – Stock risk mitigation through development of 
flexibility in supply and demand management

Post-Brexit/ 
other macroeconomic event 
Restricted business environment leading 
to reduced market and increased costs

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Fixed costs 
Product availability

Likely impact
 – Downturn in economy impacting profitability, 
access to finance and investor confidence

 – Sustained reduction in value of Sterling 

leading to increased costs despite hedging
 – Increase in costs as a result of tariff changes, 

customs costs, transport delays etc

 – Restricted business environment due to 

uncertainty

 – Bulk withdrawal of funds by Angels
 – Single source failure in delivery network 

in certain markets

 – Failure to receive c. £5m contingent 

consideration from the sale of Majestic Wine

Likely causes
 – World or regional pandemic resulting in 

closure/disruption to supply of goods and 
restrictions on travel (e.g. COVID-19)

 – Unforeseen economic financial market shock 

event/“black swan” event

 – Trade barriers
 – Unfavourable or restrictive trading 

agreements post-Brexit 

Controls/mitigation
 – Ongoing stress-testing and adjustment of 
strategy to build flexible business through 
adjustment of revenue/costs and spreading 
of risk across varied geographic locations 
 – Scenario planning for supply chain changes 
and development of mitigation strategies 
with key partners including accelerating 
inbound stock movemnts as COVID-19 
risk increases

 – Reduction of exposure to exchange rate 
risk through hedging. Forex balances are 
monitored regularly and margins reviewed 
to faciliate quick adjustments as and 
when required

 – Ability to reduce marketing costs to preserve 
profitability, albeit at expense of growth, if 
unable to supply stock to repeat customers

 –  Products sourced from diversified 

geographic locations and different suppliers

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

6

Residual risk

6

1

6

Residual risk

3

2

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

45

Risk management and control environment 
continued

Regulation
Non-compliance with core legal and regulatory 
requirements

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Product availability 
Repeat customer contribution

Likely impact
 – Change in regulations relating to licensing 
requirements or tax regimes could impact 
our ability to operate and/or our cost 
structures

 – Impact our ability to communicate with 

customers limiting recruitment, retention 
and engagement

 – Restrict current business practices and 

require considerable management time 
resolving regulatory enquiries

 – Reputational risk, fines/penalties and 

increased compliance costs

Likely causes
 – Changes in licensing and tax regulations
 – Increased restrictive and limiting legislative 
and regulatory provisions – data protection, 
advertising, distribution, consumer law etc

 – Increased scrutiny of business practices, 

specifically in US, as business grows

 – Increased governance oversight
 – Change in law in Australia requiring 

Information and cyber security  
and systems; loss of data
Failure of IT systems, including ineffective 
functionality and/or performance, data integrity 
and cyber security

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Repeat customer contribution 
Product availability 
Repeat customer sales retention 
Investment in new customers

Likely impact
 – Failure could lead to significant costs and/
or restrictions in our ability to operate the 
business

 – An unathorised or malicious attack could 
result in the loss of data and/or customer 
confidence in the business impacting trading
 – Downtime could affect ability to trade online, 

impacting business and customer loyalty
 – Loss of personal data/sensitive business 

information could impact business and could 
result in fines and reputational damage

Likely causes
 – Systems become unfit for purpose as we 

grow and complexity increases

 – Failure to successfully upgrade or replace 

core IT systems

Controls/mitigation
 – Investment in back-end systems and 

processes, including IT support; global 
optimisation team commenced systems 
review February 2020

 – IT systems, whether procured from third 
parties or built internally, are tested for 
security from attack. We also undertake 
periodic penetration testing exercises to 
provide ongoing assurance

 – Critical systems are backed up regularly and/
or hosted on third-party data centres with 
appropriate backup/redundancy

 – CTO succession plan
 – A dedicated systems security resource is 
in place to provide assurance across the 
multiple businesses in the Group

 – Third-party Cloud-hosted systems used 

to support maximum availability

 – Disaster recovery plans are in place to ensure 
that the businesses can recover from any 
interruptions with minimal impact.

 – The main trading websites and internal 
network are protected by a firewall with 
frequently updated anti-virus software
 – We have an experienced and dedicated IT 
team, and use external consultants where 
we need to, ensuring that we have a good 
balance of skills and experience in the team

additional requirements for alcohol delivery

 – Access to internet and malicious incidents 

are prevalent and on the increase

 – Poor systems access control
 – Reliance on in-house developed systems with 
risk of loss of intellectual capital if key staff 
leave

 – Reliance on, and exposure to, third-party 

provider software and systems

 – Disaster recovery systems not performing 

effectively

 – US operation has experienced power 

outages linked to California fires

Controls/mitigation
 – We monitor regulatory developments 

routinely in all our markets to ensure that 
we identify potential changes, assess these 
and take appropriate action

 – We maintain current licences for all states, 
businesses and premises operated by us 
and procure advice from licensing experts 
to assist with the maintenance thereof
 – We endeavour to pay all taxes and duties 

on time and in full in respect of all taxes and 
licensing fees

 – We maintain all appropriate documentation 
as evidence of our compliance with licensing 
conditions and regulations

 – In the US we are working with winemaking/

planning team to ensure our winery 
operations and contracts are compliant with 
the latest US regulations

 – We have put in place the necessary 

management and control functions to 
ensure that we comply with data protection 
legislation (e.g. General Data Protection 
Regulation and California Consumer 
Privacy Act) 

 – Maintain tight Service Level Agreements with 
our carriers and be clear on our expectations 
on areas such as legal compliance for delivery 
of alcohol

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

6

Residual risk

2

3

46

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

6

Residual risk

3

2

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Competition
Threat from new or existing competitor

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Repeat customer contribution 
Repeat customer sales retention

Likely impact
 – Persistent aggressive competitive pressure 
could impact on our ability to grow and 
keep our customer base and/or our 
margin position

Likely causes
 – Threats range from the discounters, where 

wine can be used as a loss leader, to a range 
of more tailored online wine clubs
 – New entrant into the DTC wine model
 – Large players in the wine industry challenge 

or threaten to disrupt our growth

Controls/mitigation
 – Our buying and marketing teams continually 

monitor our competition’s activity
 – We are focused on delivering a better 
experience than our competitors, e.g. 
better value for money, better service, 
more engagement with winemakers

 – Trade barriers to entry

Business interruption
Loss of site/interruptions to head office or 
site operations and/or systems due to an 
unforeseen event

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Repeat customer sales retention 
Payback 
Repeat customer contribution 
Investment in new customers

Likely impact
 – A disastrous event occurring at or around one 
or more of the Group’s sites may affect the 
ongoing performance of our operations and 
negatively impact on the Group’s finances 
and our customers

 – In the UK, we are reliant on a single 

warehouse and carrier

Likely causes
 – Unforeseen event (e.g. natural disasters, 
extreme weather, flooding, fire, unrest as 
a result of climate change etc.)
 – Systems failure and power outages
 – Corporate Office Emergency Preparedness
 – Inability of staff to work from office due to 

Government imposed COVID-19 restrictions

Controls/mitigation
 – In the US we ensure that Cloud-based VPN 

is set up

 – In the US we ensure that office and winery 

generators are installed

 – Develop clear guidelines and expectations 

for how to handle situations related to natural 
disasters and public safety power shutdowns

 – All teams are able to work remotely
 – Internal and third-party warehousing either 
has multiple sites or is operated by a third 
party with access to backup capacity

 – Business interruption insurance cover in place

Tax and duties
Tax compliance and tax audits especially 
in the US

NE W

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Repeat customer contribution 
Investment in new customers 
Payback

Likely impact
 – Not being able to respond to tax audits 

in a timely and adequate manner

 – Not being able to pay taxes when due 

might lead to fines

 – Cash flow and reputational impact

Likely causes
 – Risk of change in tax rules in the US
 – Ongoing state tax audits
 – Third-party software may not be able to meet 
our compliance/tax needs as we continue 
to grow

 – Import tariffs on wine
 – We are increasingly being asked to respond 

to state tax audits

Controls/mitigation
 – Recruiting a dedicated US Tax Specialist
 – We are working with outside tax experts to 
navigate audits and respond to inquiries

 – We are working with our third-party software 

provider to ensure to ensure that they 
continue to meet our needs

 – In the US 60% of domestic wine is unlikely to 
be competitively disadvantaged in a tariff 
scenario; if tariffs come into effect we can 
look at ways of working with winemakers 
to mitigate the impact

 – It is the Group’s policy not to engage in 
aggressive or seemingly aggressive tax 
planning strategies

Impact

3

Likelihood

1

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

3

Residual risk

3

1

6

Residual risk

3

2

6

Residual risk

3

2

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

47

Risk management and control environment 
continued

Financial, liquidity  
and treasury risks
Restriction of available finance and fluctations 
in interest and exchange rates impacts financial 
position

People
Loss of key staff

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Investment in new customers

Likely impact
 – Loss of critical/core members of staff 

following a period of change

 – Turnover of key staff could lead to continued 
change in processes and strategy leading to 
poor execution

Likely causes
 – Turnover due to lack of career development 

prospects, challenge and ineffective 
communication and uncertainty

Controls/Mitigation
 – We pay market-competitive remuneration 

and where possible maintain backup within 
each functional team

 – We have a business that focuses on staff 

welfare and culture

 – Staff satisfaction surveys have been relatively 

positive

 – We continue to offer all staff share scheme 

compensation

 – Staff have not been furloughed as a result 

of COVID-19

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Product availability 
Repeat customer contribution 
Investment in new customers

Likely impact
 – Macro-economic events trigger changes 
to FX rates impacting profitability of the 
Group and value of international interests
 – Expected realisations from residual Majestic 

Wine assets do not take place

 – Bulk withdrawal of funds by Angels

Likely causes
 – Significant exchange rate fluctuations reduce: 

a. profitability of UK sales as all goods 
purchased in foreign currency; 
b. value of international subsidiaries as future 
foreign currency profits are worth less due 
to FX movements

 – Angels lose confidence in the business
 – Failure to receive £5m of deferred contingent 

consideration and £12m of vendor loan 
note consideration from the sale of the 
Majestic businesses

Controls/mitigation
 – We review the expected future cash needs 
of each Business Unit regularly to ensure 
availability of liquidity

 – Transactional exchange rate risk is managed 
by sourcing from a variety of countries, and 
buying currency forward against our biggest 
exposures to achieve certainty of cost of 
purchased product. We do not undertake net 
asset hedging of our international operations

 – We monitor movement in exchange rates 
on a regular basis and also hedge all our 
ongoing currency exposures ahead of 
setting retail prices. We review future orders 
in foreign currency on a monthly basis to 
determine hedging requirements. The timing 
of currency purchases is agreed with the 
buying team. We are continuing to build a 
geographically diversified Group to protect 
against a weaker Sterling in aggregate

 – We do not undertake hedging of 

international asset values or future 
expected cash flows

 – We have rights of audit over Majestic Wine 
following sale (e.g. covenant confirmations)

Supply risks, including stock
Failure to meet customer expectations and/
or operate within current cost structure due 
to supplier failure or mis-alignment between 
supply contracts and demand

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Product availability 
Repeat customer contribution 
Repeat customer sales retention

Likely impact
 – If a supplier’s business fails or is impacted 

by supplier-related risks (e.g. climate 
change, natural disasters), our ability to 
meet customer product expectations and/or 
operate with our current cost structure could 
be impacted

 – Due to our extended supply chain we could 
end up materially over- or under-stocked 
as our growth trajectory changes based on 
investment levels and repeat sales retention

Likely causes
 – Over-dependency upon key suppliers 

(e.g. AWS our cloud computing provider)

 – Capacity/production constraints 
 – Misalignment of demand and production 

plans leading to inventory overhang

 – Supply chain project consolidates providers 
to one company in the UK, concentrating 
risks

 – Natural disasters or climate change affecting 

regions and limiting wine production

Controls/Mitigation
 – Outside of IT, UK warehousing and fulfilment, 
we engage with a diverse base of suppliers, 
all of which are stable and well regarded

 – Products sourced from diversified 

geographic locations and different suppliers

 – Ability to trigger termination clauses in 

supplier contracts

Impact

3

Likelihood

2

Impact

2

Likelihood

2

Impact

2

Likelihood

2

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

6

Residual risk

2

3

48

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

4

Residual risk

2

2

4

Residual risk

2

2

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Reputation
Mismanagement of external communications 
resulting in high-profile damaging PR

Relevant KPI
Revenue 
Sales to new customers 
Repeat customer sales retention 
Repeat customer contribution 
Cash

Likely impact
 – Loss of shareholder/investor confidence 

and impact on value of business

 – Loss of customer confidence and resultant 
business growth and retention (including 
loss of Angel funds)

 – Threat to our standing as an authentic 

producer of high-quality wine

Likely causes
 – Misleading or incorrect public information
 – Failure to address public issue in time and 

adequately 

 – Failure to implement communications policy 

resulting in unauthorised statements

 – Increased regulatory oversight
 – Loss of data or breach of data protection laws

Controls/Mitigation
 – We have a strict communications policy 
which limits who can engage with press. 
This is limited to certain key and responsible 
individuals who would follow advice from our 
PR advisors where necessary

 – We have identified areas of possible 

reputation risk and manage accordingly 
with strict buying processes and data 
management

 – We work closely with our Nominated 

Advisor to ensure that public 
announcements are accurate
 – We have a dedicated systems 

security resource

 – We have comprehensive data 
protection policies in place

Internal controls 
The Group has an effective governance 
framework which includes a system of both 
financial and non-financial controls, which are 
regularly reviewed and monitored by the Board, 
the Audit Committee and management. 

While it cannot provide absolute assurances 
against material misstatement or loss, the Board 
has ultimate responsibility for the Group’s 
system of controls.

The governance framework, including internal 
controls and processes, are summarised below. 
The Board has considered the internal controls 
and considers them to be appropriate given the 
size, complexity and risk profile of the Group.

Annual reviews of each Business Unit are 
undertaken to ensure that a minimum 
standard of control is applied across the 
Group. Any significant breaches of controls are 
investigated and corrective actions identified 
and implemented. To further strengthen our 
controls a dedicated resource is positioned 
in the US where regulatory compliance and 
alcohol licensing conditions are managed 
locally. The Group General Counsel overseas 
the regulatory control environment for the 
UK and the Group as a whole.

In addition to the required regulatory 
statements, during the reporting period we 
have also drafted or reviewed the following 
policies and documents:
 G Statement of Authority
 G Share Dealing
 G Compliance Checklist
 G Standard contractual terms and conditions 
 G Standard non-disclosure agreement
 G Privacy 
 G Risk Management
 G Non-Audit Services
 G Tax Strategy
 G Fraud Checklist

The main elements of the control function 
include:
 G  The Board’s approval of the overall 

strategy taking into account the purpose 
and objectives of the business, interests of 
shareholders, the direction of the business 
and the risk register

 G  The Board’s approval of the supporting 
budgets and plans. There is a robust 
budgeting and planning process in support 
of the approved strategy. The approved 
plans and budgets are monitored and 
reported on monthly with variance reports, 
comparisons against previous years and 
including forecasts of expected performance 
over the remainder of the financial period. 
Budgets are adjusted mid-year with a 
forward-looking position taken with regards 
to the following 24 months

 G  The Audit Committee’s review of the financial 

and accounting policies and controls, 
including the work of the internal audit 
function and overall compliance with internal 
policies, processes and legislation

 G  The Board’s consideration and approval 

of key policies and dividend policy, 
among others

 G  The Company’s system of assessment, which 
is applied to all investment opportunities, 
includes defined financial hurdles and 
controls which any opportunity must meet. 
This system is managed directly by the CEO 
and the CFO

 G Ongoing post-investment reviews take place 
to check the delivery of anticipated returns 
on investments

Impact

2

Likelihood

1

Inherent risk 

Control effectiveness

2

Residual risk

1

2

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

49

Sustainability
Making a material difference

Having set out what 
sustainability means to us as a 
Group in last year’s report, this 
year has been about deepening 
our understanding of how to 
make a material difference 
in all 22 areas of impact.

Following the disposals of Majestic Wine and  
Lay & Wheeler during the current financial 
year the Group has been substantially re-
dimensioned. In light of these changes the 
priorities that we set ourselves last year have 
had to be adjusted and adapted to the new 
reality of the Group. 

We believe that the best way to influence 
positive change is by making a commitment 
to our key stakeholders – who will hold us 
accountable. With this in mind, we will be 
adding a page dedicated to sustainability 
to the website in the coming months.

The initiatives that we have undertaken and 
prioritised during the year are summarised 
in the following pages.

1

Responsible 
drinking

5

Ethics and 
 transparency

2

Deal with  
our waste

4

Treating our 
people right

3

Supply chain 
management

Our 22 areas of impact 

Level 1

Responsible drinking 

Ethical behaviour  

Sustainable packaging 

Responsible marketing  

Level 2

Health and safety 

Right people 

Recycling 

Energy consumption 

Remuneration 

Privacy 

Diversity and equality 

Transparency and reporting 

Human and worker protection 

Level 3

Tax strategy 

Giving back 

1

5

2   3

Responsible sourcing 

5

Modern slavery 

Climate change risks 

Benefits 

Water 

Level 4 
Training 

1   4

4

2

2

4   5

Rights of local communities 

5

4

5

3   4

5

5

3

3   4

2

5

2   3

4

3

50

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

89% 
of 3,877 
would buy it again

Level 1 initiatives

Responsible drinking
We do everything possible to ensure that our 
products are enjoyed responsibly – not because 
we are told to, but because we recognise that 
alcohol abuse continues to be a challenge for 
societies across the globe and we want to make 
a difference. 

We have put even more energy into educating 
and supporting our customers, winemakers and 
employees. An enhanced substance misuse 
policy has been introduced to provide further 
guidance to staff, who are already trained to 
a high standard. We also regularly invite local 
charities to provide lunch and learn sessions for 
staff to stay well informed. In the UK, we have 
strong links with national wellbeing services 
and are proud to have a number of employees 
with experience in the field of drug and alcohol 
abuse working in people management roles. 
Our charitable donations (funds and time) 
also help vulnerable groups in this area. 

This year we joined up to support The Drinks 
Trust, a drinks industry charity. The Drinks 
Trust exists to support members of the UK 
drinks industry facing a variety of difficult 
circumstances including serious illness, 
disability, debt or family crisis. The resources 
and support available have been embraced 
and appreciated by employees.

In the US we have taken several steps to ensure 
that only persons of 21 years of age and over 
are able to enjoy our wine. We only deliver in 
states where individuals are present and can 
provide a valid photo ID and evidence that they 
are 21 or more. We also utilize a third-party age 
verification service to verify a customer’s age 
before a purchase is completed in states where 
verification is legally required (currently six 
states). In addition, whether it is to surprise and 
delight a customer or for proof of age, we require 
that everyone provides their date of birth.

With effect from July 2021, in the US any alcohol 
server and their manager must have a valid 
responsible beverage service (RBS) training 
certification from an Alcoholic Beverage 
Control accredited RBS training provider. 
We intend to put a number of our staff through 
this training to obtain this accreditation. 

Ethical behaviour
We are committed to strong, ethical and fair 
business dealings, and promote a corporate 
culture which is non-sectarian, non-political 
and which is socially and environmentally 
responsible. Doing the right thing guides 
everything we do at Naked Wines. Our Code 
of Conduct highlights the importance for us 

Ian Jones As with corks and screwcaps, the problem is purely one of 
association. So often a box of wine means terrible plonk. However, if 
it’s good wine, who cares? Not to mention the clear advantages.

Of course, if you buy from Naked Wines, you know it’s good wine.

1

Ritchie Hallam This came in the Christmas case and to start off I was a 
bit taken aback, but after realising there were 3 bottles in a small box, 
it stayed at room temperature and was fresh on every glass. I have no 
reason to see why other winemakers shouldn’t follow suit.

8

of behaving morally, legally and ethically and 
serves as a guide to the values. 

The Code of Conduct incorporates policies 
on confidentiality, conflicts of interest, price 
sensitive information and share dealing, use 
of company funds and resources, bribery 
corruption and fraud, political activities; 
modern slavery and human trafficking and 
whistle-blowing.

The Code of Conduct is shared with and applies 
to all employees of the business. In addition, 
a number of employees must certify each year 
that they continue to understand and adhere 
to the Code of Conduct.

Packaging and shipping
For every tonne of packaging we used last 
year we need to buy an equivalent packaging 
recovery note. What that means is that we pay 
for the recovery of this type of waste. Last year 
in the UK alone, we shipped more than 5,500 
tonnes of packaging.

Unsurprisingly, glass is our biggest cost and 
continues to be the wine industry’s most 
significant issue right now. 

Green bottles contribute around 600,000 
tonnes of glass to the UK’s waste stream per 
year and glass was 77% of our total cost and 
74% of our total tonnage. Paper and cardboard 
contribute 10% of costs and 15% of weight. 
Wood (5%), plastic (5%) and aluminium (2%) 
make up the balance.

We’re already taking positive steps to reduce 
glass use. Christmas 2019 saw us introduce 
the Montaria Bag in Box. Three bottles in one 
recyclable box and no glass in sight. With 89% 
of 3,877 customers saying that they would 
buy it again in their ratings, it’s looking like a 
sustainable win for everyone!

With the introduction of the government’s 
deposit return scheme, which will now not be 
introduced until 2023, we are working with our 
suppliers to consider a strategy.

When we ship from our long term storage to 
our US distribution centres, we are well above 
95% Intermodal – meaning we use trains instead 
of trucks.

In the US we introduced a new magnum 
promotion shipping package, which uses 
less total material, 100% recycled pulp trays, 
and between 90 to 100% recycled content 
corrugated boxes. The packaging is also lighter 
and more efficient for last mile delivery. The 
project delivered numerous sustainability 
benefits, operational efficiencies, and over 
$400,000 in annual savings.

Responsible marketing and 
advertising 
Our labels meet all legal labelling requirements 
and our advertising meets legal requirements. 
We have a good relationship with the 
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and 
the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation 
(OLGR) and take a proactive approach, regularly 
running marketing deals by them in advance.

In November, we introduced allergen advice 
on the UK website. We are well positioned to 
provide more information to help customers 
make informed decisions about how our 
products are sourced and produced. We 
currently offer information such as whether 
the wine is organic, biodynamic, Fairtrade, 
vegan or vegetarian. We also provide 
allergen information such as involvement 
of milk,egg,nuts in the fining process and 
sulphites to our product data internally 
and we will consider making this available 
externally when it is well established. 

All our wine labels in the US are sent for pre-
approval by the US Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). 
The TTB reviews the labels for compliance 
with US label laws, requiring all mandatory 
information to be included. The TTB do not 
review the underlying composition reports and 
it is our responsibility to ensure that the varietal, 
appellation, alcohol, etc. listed on the label is 
correct. We conduct internal reviews to ensure 
that our wines are labelled correctly and not 
misleading. 

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

51

Sustainability 
continued

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

Unfiltered, 
for a fruitier 
flavour. Fact.

As is our nature at Naked Wines, 
we did a split test of shipping 
the same wine in two seperate 
Flexitanks. One filtered and 
one unfiltered.

When both were bottled, the 
unfiltered wine was deeper in 
colour, more fruit flavoured with 
greater texture.

As always, we follow the opinion 
of our customers via the Buy It 
Again (BIA) rating: 
 G Filtered: 91%
 G Unfiltered: 94%

This type of data is continually 
being reviewed to give our 
customers the best possible 
wine experience.

Over 25% of wines sold through 
Naked Wines UK are transported 
in bulk to our partner bottlers 
in Germany.

Filling an inflatable Flexitank with 
24,000 litres of wine at source 
removes the weight of glass 
bottles and enables us to reduce 
the CO2 per litre emissions 
by c30%.

Furthermore, it offers savings 
due to economies of scale and 
efficiency of bottling.

Given the importance of this part 
of the supply chain and its future 
role we put in place technical 
trials to enhance the quality 
even further.

Shipping unfiltered 
Traditionally, wine that is due 
to be shipped in bulk is sterile 
filtered at source to ensure 
that there are no incidents of 
refermentation en route. The 
wine is then sterile filtered again 
on the bottling line. Provided the 
wine is microbiologically stable 
before shipping, we believe 
that this repeated handling is 
excessive and detrimental to the 
quality, stripping out the texture 
and flavour which makes these 
wines so enjoyable.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Level 2 initiatives

Energy consumption reduction
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting 
(SECR)
Under the Companies (Directors’ Report) 
and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy 
and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018, we 
are mandated to disclose our UK energy 
use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) 
emissions. Specifically, and as a minimum, we 
are required to report those GHG emissions 
relating to natural gas, electricity and transport 
fuel, as well as an intensity ratio, under the 
SECR Regulations.

Calculation methodology
While the regulations provide no prescribed 
methodology, we collate our GHG data 
annually. We have worked closely with 
Carbon Footprint Ltd, and they have assisted 
us in completing the calculation of our 
carbon footprint in accordance with the UK 
Department for Environment, Food and Rural 
Affairs (Defra) “Environmental reporting 
guidelines: including Streamlined Energy and 
Carbon Reporting requirements” and using the 
2019 emission conversion factors developed by 
Defra and the Department for Business, Energy 
and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

The period covered for the purposes of the 
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting 
section is 1 April 2019 to 30 March 2020 and 
the calculations are for the following scope:
 G Buildings-related energy – natural gas  

(Scope 1) and electricity (Scope 2)
 G Employee owned vehicle (grey fleet) 
and hired vehicles fuel (Scope 3) 

Results
The table below shows the GHG emissions 
of Naked Wines UK operations during the 
reporting year 1 April 2019 to 30 March 
2020. This is the first year we have assessed 
our emissions, and will set the baseline for 
future assessments. 

84%

 reduction in the amount  
of power required

Energy efficiency
As this is the first year that we have undertaken 
a GHG emissions assessment to comply with 
SECR, no energy efficiency actions have yet 
been taken. Carbon Footprint Ltd’s report on 
our GHG emissions has suggested the following 
actions in the coming year to reduce overall 
energy usage:
 G Installing smart meters or sub-meters to the 
main UK site (Norwich) to better monitor 
energy use

 G Utilising public transport as a preferential 
mode of transport rather than grey fleet/
vehicle hire where possible

Bulk shipping
Bulk shipping reduces CO2 from transportation. 
In the US we ship the majority of our wine in 
bulk and when we do it we are well above 95% 
Intermodal – meaning we use trains instead of 
trucks. In the UK we bulk ship 25%.

It’s greener in the Cloud 
We made the decision to move our existing 
premises servers to the Cloud. Combining the 
fraction of energy required with a less carbon-
intense power mix, it could reduce our carbon 
emissions from servers by 88%. In addition, 
a typical on-premises data centre is 29% less 
efficient in its use of power compared with a 
typical large-scale Cloud provider that uses 

world-class facility designs, cooling systems 
and workload-optimised equipment. Adding 
these together (fewer servers used plus more 
power-efficient servers), we need only 16% 
of the power compared with on-premises 
infrastructure. This represents an 84% reduction 
in the amount of power required.

Collect+
In November, we introduced Collect+ in 
the UK, which plays a vital role in our effort 
to implement environmentally friendly 
behaviours around delivery of our wines. 
There are over 7,000 Collect+ Points 
nationwide, enabling customers to pick up/
return their ordered items via a Collect+ Point 
at their most convenient time and location. 
This means fewer delivery vans on the road, 
reducing pollution and congestion.

7,000+

There are over 7,000 Collect+  
Points nationwide

Element
Direct emissions (Scope 1) – natural gas

Indirect emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2)

Total tCO2e (Scope 1 and 2)
Other indirect emissions (Scope 3) – grey fleet travel and hired vehicles

Overall gross total1
Intensity metric: Tonnes of CO2e per employee
Intensity metric: Tonnes of CO2e per £m turnover
Total energy consumption (kWh)

2019/20 (tCO2e)
0.00

57.55

57.55
5.57

63.12
0.34

0.87

247,913

1 Naked Wines direct emissions from building energy (Scope 1 and 2) and grey fleet/hire vehicles (Scope 3).

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

53

Sustainability 
continued

Level 3 initiatives

People
Happy employees = happy customers – a 
philosophy that drives our people policy on 
decision-making. We are committed to paying 
the real living wage and are an accredited 
company. Staff at the lower end of the pay scale 
are given a clear pathway to progressing skills 
and reaching a destination salary significantly 
above the real living wage. 

We use many tools across the business to 
measure employee happiness and globally 
survey all our people every six months. We use 
industry benchmarking to identify how we stack 
up against others. We’re proud of our successful 
retention track record and placed 57th in this 
year’s Sunday Times Best Companies to work for.

Apprenticeship levy 
Our first sponsored MBA student, Ele (pictured 
centre), is halfway through her course with the 
University of East Anglia. 

An eight-year  
journey

I started at Naked Wines UK as a Christmas 
temp on the Customer Happiness team in 
2012. The moment I walked in I knew this 
place was like nowhere I’d worked before, 
everyone from the MD to the other temps 
were friendly and approachable and I knew 
I wanted to stay on. 

After a couple of months of hard work I 
was told just before Christmas, if I wanted 
it, I could have a full time role. I obviously 
accepted and from that point I wanted to 
repay the faith that was shown in me. A year 
after I joined, I was asked if I would be team 
leader for the phone team, and six months 
later I moved across to Wine Advisors.

In 2015, an opening came up as an 
accounts payable clerk and being good 
with numbers, I’d always wanted to work in 
finance but never had the qualifications. I 
was told full training would be given, and, 
if I impressed, there would be progression 
opportunities. Five years later I am now an 
Assistant Accountant for Naked Wines UK, 
and I will always be grateful for the faith this 
company has put in me.

54

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Our first 
sponsored 
MBA student 

This year, I have made good progress 
towards obtaining my MBA from the 
University of East Anglia. Since I began 
in September I have completed modules 
in Operations Management, Business 
Strategy, Marketing and International 
Economics earning a distinction in the 
latter following a gruelling 3 hour written 
exam. My studies have been feeding 
invaluably into my work life with my 
current Digital systems and Technologies 
assignment focusing on how Big Data 
can be used to improve our subscription 
products. The current lecture series is 
focused around Accounting and Financial 
analysis and, once that is complete, I will 
only have to tackle the Leadership module 
to have completed year one of the two-year 
course. Though undoubtedly challenging 
I’ve seen material benefits for the hard work 
I’ve put in and I’m extremely grateful for the 
development opportunity.

From Service 
to Marketing

I began working in customer service at 
nakedwines.com in Napa, CA in July of 
2012, about six weeks after the launch 
of the US business. At the time, there 
were only 5 members of what we would 
eventually call the Customer Happiness 
Team. The office environment was more 
Silicon Valley start-up than stuffy Napa wine 
club, refreshing with its big personalities 
and aspirations to do something different 
within the wine industry. 

After three months, I was promoted to 
managing the Customer Happiness Team, 
and over the course of a few years we grew 
from a team of 5 to a team of 25. Although 
every day brought new challenges, I always 
felt lucky to have the backing of leadership 
who supported our goal of becoming an 
industry standard in customer service. 

In 2014 a merchandising position 
opened up on the Marketing team and I 
applied. I had always been interested in 
the Marketing side of the business and 
was overjoyed when I found out I got 
the job (though it was hard to leave my 
Happiness Team)! In the last six years 
the Merchandising role has given me 
what I always dreamed of in my career – 
the chance to work hard and grow with 
a company who values investing in its 
employees and seeing them succeed. 

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

G R E E N - W I N G S  
H A V E  
Y O U   E A R N E D  
Y O U R S ?

Responsible supplier
Each year we send suppliers a survey which 
serves as an audit to ensure that we are 
complying with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. 
The results not only tell us that our suppliers 
are following the guidelines we set out in the 
Responsible Supplier Policy and take issues 
relating to modern slavery seriously, but they 
also help us to identify the communities that 
might need the most help and support. We’ll 
use this information to guide us when deciding 
our giving back strategy each year. 

Supply chain management
We understand that the sustainability of 
our business includes activities within our 
value chain. We subscribe to the principle of 
inclusivity and engage with all our stakeholders 
where possible across our total value chain. 
Where we do not own a process we will strive 
to provide guidance and leadership to effect 
change.

Volunteer days/Protecting the 
environment 
Over 50% of our staff have taken advantage 
of the volunteer day we give them. We are 
committed to growing this number to 65% 
in the year ahead, by dedicating resources 
to coordinating group volunteering. We 
take willing volunteers out to protect and 
enhance some of Norwich’s many fine green 
spaces – working in partnership with the local 
government. The work involves using sticks to 
manually bash the bracken shoots during the 
summer months. Using mechanical methods 
would damage the archaeological remains 
under the ground.

Office recycling 
All of our offices made waste reduction a focus. 
The UK invited a Zero Waste champion trainer 
to deliver fun and interactive workshops that 
helped to address concerns about a future of 
food scarcity, water shortages and depleting 
finite resources. In the US, we work with the City 
of Napa to meet their requirements and invited 
them to come in and give a talk about how we 
could do better.

We have revised our contract with suppliers of 
food into the office and operate a 100% reuse 
policy, switching to using our own plates and 
cutlery (we had to buy a few more but we’ll 
get the use out of them). 

Waste is separated as much as possible, 
separating food and cardboard with integral 
bins in most kitchens. LED lighting is being 
fitted in our UK office when current units 
need replacing.

What our customers want
Starting off as a staff group, Green Wings’ aim 
is to champion our sustainability plan and bring 
it to life for our employees and customers. 
To improve its reach and realise its ambition 
we have since branched out to give a voice to 
our customers in our online groups. We are 
looking forward to collaborating with them 
to understand their top concerns and design 
innovative solutions for a sustainable future. 

Georgina and Amy spent their volunteer day 
litter picking from the local river.

Giving back 
At the core of our proposition is a purpose 
to make a difference to the lives of others. 

The ongoing Australian bushfire crisis is 
heartbreaking. The relentless flames of 2019/20 
have destroyed lives, businesses, homes 
and habitat and threaten the livelihoods of 
countless Australians including our winemakers 
and the people that support them (vineyard 
workers, cellar crews and grape growers in 
wider regions). 

The impact of this catastrophe will be felt by 
these regional communities for many years. 
So we’re starting a massive fundraising drive 
to help them pick up the pieces. We donated 
a total of $100,000 between our affected 
winemakers directly, plus the funds we 
raise through our Bushfire Relief cases (sold 
globally) will be donated to charities for the 
long-term rebuild of the communities that 
have been affected.

Supporting the local communities is important 
to us. Recently in the US we have supported 
Compline “Family Meals”, an initiative offering 
$5 meals to anyone who lost their job in 
the local Napa hospitality, farming or wine 
community, and have subsidised two weeks’ 
worth of meals.

Naked winemaker Daryl Groom’s son was born 
with congenital heart disease – undergoing 
back-to-back open heart surgeries by age 10. 
Our DRG Wine with Heart project supports 
The Children’s Heart Foundation, based in 
Chicago. This project raises money for heart 
health and children living with congenital heart 
defects. We are proud to report that the first 
$100,000 raised started a new medical research 
fund – The Liam Ward Fund – established by 
Colby Groom. Just like the Carmen’s Kids 
project, it is not just about making a difference 
to the lives of those that need it most, but it is 
also about creating a community that make a 
difference together.

$115,573 raised of 
our $100,000 goal!

You may have a broken heart, or a heart 
that’s had repair, but no matter what, 
you’ve got a good heart,” Daryl said. “And 
that makes you the perfect person to help 
the cause.”

Daryl Groom

On behalf of the Board

John C Walden

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

55

 
 
Australian bush 
fire relief 

Having raised over $500,000 for Napa last year, 
we are proud that our Angels and suppliers 
have done it again and have helped with the fire 
relief effort in Australia. As is well known, the 
rampant bushfires consumed over 6.3 million 
hectares, destroying countless farms, homes, 
forests, vineyards and habitats for endangered 
wildlife to live. That’s eight times the size of the 
California wildfires that struck in 2017 and 2019 
combined. Our Angels raised over $300,000 
which will be used to help rebuild some of the 
communities that have been affected. As a 
company we’ve also donated $100,000 directly. 

When our Angels come together in times 
of need, they do incredible things for so 
many people.

Sustainability 
continued

The aftermath of the fire on the edge of winemaker Sam Plunkett’s farm.

Carmen’s Kids 

Carmen’s Kids is an initiative founded by South 
African winemaker Carmen Stevens. This year, 
our Angels and staff raised a record-breaking 
£279,604 for Carmen’s Kids, enabling us to feed 
11,650 poor children two nutritious meals a day 
at school for a whole year. We are incredibly 
proud to be a part of this, especially given the 
circumstances we are all facing at the moment. 
It is really humbling to see so many people 
looking out for others worse off than them. 

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Strategic report

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Financials

NAKED WINES 
LAID BARE

“Fresh” 
dollars save 
the day

How Naked works with Eddy, a Lebanese  
winemaker to sustain his business

Eddy Naim has been making wines with his father since 2005 and 
joined the Naked Wines family in 2018. They create delicious and 
sophisticated Lebanese wines – big, bold, yet elegant and refined. 
He really is a talent and has become a big hit with our Angels. Eddy has 
recently reached out to our Angels thanking them for their support as 
it has made a huge difference to him and everyone that works with him. 

Lebanon is currently facing incredible political and financial challenges 
which have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Around 90% of his local 
market has dried up since the majority of his clients are restaurants. 
Most of his export markets have also delayed orders or have asked 
for extended payment terms since they are badly affected by 
the lockdowns. 

The addition of recent fiscal controls implemented by the Lebanese 
government could have put his winery at risk. However, thanks to 
continued sales to Angels, Eddy has received “fresh” dollars which has 
allowed him to bottle his 2018 wine and free up tanks to receive this 
year’s harvest (the only alternative would have been to let the grapes 
rot on the vines). He has not had to lay off anyone or reduce salaries 
and will be forever thankful to be part of the Naked family.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

57

Governance

An introduction by 
our new Chairman

During the reporting year Naked Wines has 
gone through significant changes in terms of 
strategy, organisation and operating focus. 
The Company announced a bold strategy in 
2019 to sell the Majestic Wine businesses and 
Lay & Wheeler, and retain Naked Wines as an 
independent business. 

Upon completion of these disposals in 
December 2019, Naked Wines plc emerged 
with the strategy, capital and management 
focus necessary to pursue the exciting 
growth opportunities available in its markets, 
particularly in the US. 

With Rowan Gormley’s retirement in January 
following the conclusion of a long and carefully 
planned succession process, Nick Devlin was 
promoted to CEO. Nick had been with the 
Group for over four years and proved himself 
in the COO role, and the Board concluded that 
he was the best choice to lead the business in 
its next phase. Nick has led our business in the 
important US market, demonstrated his ability 
to trade well in difficult conditions and been 
instrumental in developing and delivering our 
growth strategy. Finally, Nick embodies the 
Company’s philosophy that the best way to 
deliver value for shareholders is to look after our 
customers, winemakers and employees better 
than anyone else.

Following our receipt of sale proceeds from the 
Majestic Wine transactions and the ensuing 
changes in the Naked Wines organisation and 
leadership, the Board initiated a comprehensive 
review of our capital allocation policy in light 
of our strategic and financial plans. The Board 
had to further consider the then emerging 
COVID-19 pandemic, the uncertainty of its 
economic consequences and the potential 
opportunities it could present for Naked Wines. 
In the end, the Board was unanimous in its 
optimism regarding the future opportunities for 
the Company and in its view that we not change 
our existing capital allocation policy and our 
plans to maintain a strong cash balance in order 
to manage risk and invest in disciplined growth. 

In light of the importance of the US for the 
Group, the Board has begun rebalancing its 
focus and attention towards this market. In 
addition to hiring and promoting several senior 
leaders with US market experience, the Board 
also held two meetings in the US during the 
reporting period. These meetings allowed the 
Directors to gain a deeper exposure to the 
market, interact with locally based staff and 
discuss the market and the competitive and 
regulatory context that is unique to that market.

The Company continues to incentivise its staff 
through a mixture of competitive salaries, bonus 
linked to personal and Company performance 
and share awards. The uncertainty created by the 
repositioning of the Group weighed on investor 
sentiment during the early part of the year. 
During that period, the importance of recruiting 
and retaining talented employees while 
aligning management and Board incentives 
with shareholders became especially clear. We 
continue to encourage Board members and 
management to own shares and believe that a 
significant element of management’s potential 
remuneration should be directly linked to share 
performance. Over the long term, the Board is 
optimistic about the value creation opportunities 
for all of our equity owners. 

The Company continues to adopt and comply 
with the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) 
Corporate Governance Code and implement 
its ten principles of corporate governance. 
A summary of what we have done during the 
year to comply with these is set out on pages 
62-64 of this report. We remain steadfast in 
our commitment to ensure that we embed the 
highest levels of good governance throughout 
the business. Governance for us includes 
a broad number of structures, activities 
and controls, as well as different levels of 
accountability and responsibility.

We remain committed to supporting and 
recognising the benefits of a robust governance 
framework and believe that through our 
approach we are able to best safeguard the 
interests of our shareholders while pursuing 
strong growth and delivering long-term value. 

John C. Walden
Chairman

We remain committed to 
supporting and recognising the 
benefits of a robust governance 
framework and believe that 
through our approach we are 
able to best safeguard the 
interests of our shareholders 
while pursuing strong growth 
and delivering long-term value.

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Financials

Q&A

with John Walden, Chairman

What attracted you to Naked Wines?
I joined Majestic Wine plc after the plan had 
been announced to sell the Majestic Wine 
business and create Naked Wines as an 
independent business, but before it had been 
completed. Although it was clear at the time 
that traditional retail wine shops like Majestic 
Wine would face headwinds, and that the 
growth opportunity of the Naked Wines online 
model was more attractive, it required courage 
on the Board’s part to pursue this strategy. I 
was also attracted by the unique Naked Wines 
business model – its proprietary network 
of independent winemakers, its attractive 
direct-to-consumer (DTC) proposition, its loyal 
customer base and, particularly in the US, a 
large and growing online market for wine. 

You’ve 25 years of leadership 
experience in digital, retail and 
technology – which aspects of that 
experience do you think will be most 
helpful in your new role?
During my career I have developed relatively 
deep industry expertise in retailing, particularly 
digital retailing, as well as technology 
and consumer marketing and relationship 
management, across both the UK and US 
markets. However, I suspect my most helpful 
experience is less about subjects and more 
about leadership. Having been a CEO in several 
contexts – from FTSE 250 to start-up – and been 
challenged with digital transformation and high 

growth, I hope to support our management 
team and Board in leading successfully through 
changing times.

Naked Wines is becoming a very 
different business after the demerger. 
How will the Board, and the way it is 
run, reflect that?
Unlike our predecessor Majestic Wine, Naked 
Wines is today an exclusively online business 
with proprietary winemaker partnerships, a 
loyalty-based consumer proposition and a 
large US presence and opportunity. The Board 
is beginning to add members with experience 
in areas important to Naked Wines, including 
Katrina Cliffe and myself, and we intend to 
hold roughly half of our regular meetings in 
the US. Further, the Board is strengthening the 
US-based management team which includes 
our CEO, Nick Devlin, and several members 
of his team, and supporting Nick as he adds 
important new capabilities in areas such as 
country management, technology, product 
management and marketing.

The opportunity in the US is 
significant. How are you and the 
Board making sure that the business 
is able to make the most of it?
The management team shares our appetite 
for aggressive growth, to take advantage of 
an apparent window of opportunity to lead 
the growing US online wine market at a time 
when Naked Wines has some competitive 

advantage. We are supporting management 
in their ambition by challenging, approving 
and monitoring their financial and operating 
plans, including the investments and return 
on investment standards to generate 
responsible growth. 

Of course, there are risks associated 
with fast expansion. How will you and 
the Board ensure that those risks are 
managed appropriately?
We acknowledge that growth carries risk, 
especially in an emerging market sector such as 
online wine retailing and in a less familiar market 
like the US. The Board and its Audit Committee 
will maintain conventional processes such as 
a risk register and frequent operating reports 
containing metrics designed to provide early 
warnings. Further, Naked Wines has always 
been disciplined in its use of testing and 
analytics to de-risk marketing investments, 
and this discipline will continue to be core 
to our approach.

Having been out and about seeing 
the business, what makes you most 
excited to be part of the Naked 
team?
Naked Wines still retains much of the 
entrepreneurial spirit and passion that built the 
business. Naked is passionate about finding 
the world’s best independent winemakers 
and making it possible for them to make their 
wines and efficiently get them to market. In 
turn, the winemakers are committed and loyal 
to Naked Wines. Naked customers also benefit 
by getting access to exclusive, great wines at 
substantially lower cost than comparable retail 
wines, and in turn our customers are passionate 
and loyal. Finally, Naked Wines employees 
are driven by our mission to disrupt the wine 
market by helping independent winemakers 
and customers, and becoming the market 
leader in the online sale of wine. This positive 
energy gives me great confidence in the future 
of our Company.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

59

Board of Directors

An experienced team 
to take us forward

R

A

N

Remuneration Committee member
Audit Committee
Nominations Committee
Committee Chairman
Invitee

John Walden

N

Nick Devlin

James Crawford

John Walden
Non-Executive Chairman (60)
Appointment date: 13 June 2019
Committees: Nominations: Chair 
John has been at the forefront of multi-
channel, consumer-driven retailing for more 
than 20 years. He has served in chairman, 
chief executive and board advisory roles in 
the past and has a proven record of growth 
across a diverse range of organisations from 
start-ups to listed companies. He has been 
successful in creating transformational results 
through strategic insight, operating excellence, 
engaging leadership and ability to combine 
entrepreneurialism with scale. John has specific 
expertise in digital and multi-channel consumer 
businesses, and in leading reinvigoration, 
turnaround and organisational change in 
established enterprises across the US and 
UK markets. 
Skills brought to the Board: Retail, digital and 
technology knowledge, transformational and 
growth leadership experience, and knowledge 
of US and UK consumer markets
Sector experience: Retail with focus on  
multi-channel and e-commerce delivery
External appointments:
 G Chief Executive of Inversion, Inc. LLC  
(a personally owned consultancy)

 G Non-Executive Director of Celine Jersey  

Topco Limited (Debenhams Group)

Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all 

Nick Devlin
Chief Executive Officer (35)
Appointment date: 8 June 2019 (CEO 
appointment since January 2020)
Committees: None – Executive Director,  
but attends as an invitee 
Nick was appointed COO and Director of the 
Board on 08 June 2019 and was promoted to the 
CEO role in January 2020, having successfully 
led our largest US business since 2017. As 
President of Nakedwines.com, Nick has grown 
and professionalised our US business and 
established it as the #1 DTC wine business in 
America. Nick has a background in corporate 
strategy having previously worked in OC&C’s 
consumer practice in London and is a passionate 
wine lover and advocate for the role of Naked in 
transforming the shape of the wine industry.
Skills brought to the Board: Corporate strategy, 
marketing, retail best practice and deep 
knowledge of the US wine market 
Sector experience: UK and US wine sector
External appointments: None
Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all 

James Crawford
Group Chief Financial Officer (43) 
Appointment date: August 2015
Committees: None – Executive Director, 
but attends as an invitee 
James joined Naked Wines as Finance Director 
in 2014 following a 13-year career with Diageo 
Plc, a global leader in beers, spirits and wine. 
James held a number of senior finance, strategy 
and business development roles in the UK and 
North America.
Skills brought to the Board: Financial, industry 
knowledge and international experience
Sector experience: Finance and legislation, 
beverage/alcohol sector, UK and US 
External appointments:  None
Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all

Justin Apthorp
Non-Executive Director (58) 
Appointment date: January 2016 
Committees: None – considered non-
independent 
Justin spent 25 years as an employee of 
Majestic Wine, retiring from his executive role in 
2015. During the last 10 years of his employment 
he was the Buying Director. Justin previously 
worked in marketing and brand development 
for Bejam and Lyons Tetley. 
Skills brought to the Board: Knowledge 
of buying wines and wine 
Sector experience: Retail with focus on  
multi-channel and e-commerce delivery
External appointments:
 G Trustee of John Apthorp Charity 
 G Trustee of Friends of St Peter’s Gt Berkhamsted 
Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all, 
save for meeting held in November 2019

Katrina Cliffe
Non-Executive Director (53) 
Appointment date: May 2019 
Committees: Audit: Member, Remuneration: 
Member 
Katrina has experience over a wide range of 
financial and retail institutions, including American 
Express and Lloyds TSB. Through these roles 
she has gained valuable financial, marketing, 
customer relations and retail experience. 
Skills brought to the Board: Financial knowledge, 
retail and marketing, board experience 
Sector experience: Finance and retail 
External appointments: 
 G Non-Executive Director – London and Country 

Mortgages Limited 

 G Non-Executive Director – HomeServe Plc 
 G Non-Executive Director – Cembra Money 

Bank AG 

Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all

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Financials

Justin Apthorp

Katrina Cliffe

R

A

Ian Harding

R

A

N

David Stead

N

R

A

Ian Harding
Non-Executive Director and Senior 
Independent Director (55) 
Appointment date: June 2013 
Committees: Remuneration: Chair, Audit: 
Member, Nominations: Member
Ian spent 19 years with Kingfisher Plc in various 
senior roles, including 11 years as Group 
Communications Director. Previously he was an 
auditor for 12 years including senior positions at 
PwC. Ian is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants in England and Wales. 
Skills brought to the Board: Finance, retail 
experience 
Sector experience: Finance and retail 
External appointments: None
Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all

David Stead
Non-Executive Director (62) 
Appointment date: November 2017 
Committees: Audit: Chair, Remuneration: 
Member, Nominations: Member
David was CFO of Dunelm Group Plc from 
September 2003 until his retirement in 2015. 
Prior to this David was Finance Director for 
Boots The Chemists Ltd and Boots Healthcare 
International between 1991 and 2003. David is 
a chartered accountant, having spent the early 
part of his career with KPMG. 
Skills brought to the Board: Finance and Public 
Markets, extensive board experience 
Sector experience: Finance and retail 
External appointments:  
 G Non-Executive Director – Card Factory Plc 
 G Non-Executive Director – Joules Group Plc 
Attendance at Board meetings: Attended all

BOARD ACTIVITIES

N O

A

M

K

J

I

L

H

G

F

E

B

C

D

A Disposals of Majestic Wine businesses and  

Lay & Wheeler

B Remuneration Policy and remuneration matters
C Trading updates and financial performance
D External Reporting
E Board appointments, including succession planning
F Employee share scheme 
G Risk management and mitigation
H Budgeting and plans
I Strategy (financial and operational)
J Investor relations
K Auditor reports, appointment and fees
L Opportunities in the US
M Capital allocation
N Key policies and governance including 

Alternative Investment Market (AIM) compliance

O Sustainability

15%

10%

10%

7%

7%

7%

7%

6%

6%

5%

5%

5%

4%

3%

3%

Board

Audit

Remuneration

Nominations

17 Apr 14 May

4 Jun 11 Jun 24 Jul  8 Aug 4 Oct 19 Nov  17 Feb 20 Feb 19 Mar 20 Mar

2019

2020

11 Jun

11 Jun

10 Jun

8 Aug 4 Oct 19 Nov

4 Oct 19 Nov

20 Mar

20 Mar

6 Jan

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

61

 
Governance

Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) Corporate Governance Code
The Company has adopted the QCA Code since 2018 on the basis that it is the corporate governance code most suited to the requirements and size 
of the business. In this report we have set out a summary of what we have done to comply with the ten principles of the QCA Code and will continue to 
do. Further information on the application of the QCA Code by the Company can be found on our website – this should be read as an integral part of 
this report. 

Throughout the report we have used a key code of symbols indicating where various principles of the Code have been addressed to assist the reader 
to follow our story.

QCA Code compliance summary

Principle

In short – What we did

1    Establish a strategy and 

business model which promote 
long-term value for 
shareholders 

2    Seek to understand and meet 
shareholder needs and 
expectations

We have divested of Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler so that the business can concentrate on 
one brand only and capture the growth opportunities of our business model
Please see Strategy (page 15) and Our business model (page 24)

What we are going to do

Investing with discipline and looking at 
expanding our market share

 G  In addition to the AGM, the Company held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) when it 

met with shareholders

 G  The Directors meet regularly with institutional investors and provide opportunities to hear 

their views 

 G  We also engaged with a number of our investors through an investor survey
Please see Stakeholder engagement (page 39) 

Continue to provide opportunities to meet 
and communicate with shareholders and 
listen to what they have to say in a 
transparent and clear manner 

3    Take into account wider 
stakeholder and social 
responsibilities and their 
implications for long-term 
success

 G  Held regular meetings with and listen to the concerns posed by our staff
 G  Kept supporting our winemakers and engaged periodically with our suppliers, sharing our 

Continue to listen to our stakeholders and 
maintain a dialogue

values and ethical principals

 G  Collected sizeable donations to support communities we work in e.g. South African school 

children, Australia fire relief

Please see Stakeholder engagement (pages 41-43) and Sustainability report (pages 54-55) 

Live up to our purpose of connecting 
everyday wine drinkers with the world’s 
best independent winemakers 

4    Embed effective risk 

management, considering 
both opportunities and threats, 
throughout the organisation 

 G Maintenance and review of a Group risk register
 G  Early identification of new risks and implementation of a mitigation strategy where identified 

risk is considered likely

 G  Regular reporting of the risk management to the Board and the Audit Committee 
Please see Risk management and controls environment (pages 44-49)

5    Maintain the Board as a 

well-functioning, balanced 
team led by the Chair

 G Appointed a new Chairman and CEO
 G  Management worked closely with the Non-Executive Directors outside of formal Board 
meetings with regular updates during the Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler disposals
 G  Streamlined the Board functions with delegation of certain matters to Committees of 

Continue to implement our risk 
management and controls systems across 
our Group to identify and mitigate our risks 
while continuing to seek out opportunities 
to further enhance our business 

Continue to attract suitable talent to add 
to the skill set of the team as and when 
required

the Board

Please see Governance report (page 63)

6    Ensure that between them the 
Directors have the necessary 
up-to-date experience, skills 
and capabilities

7 7. Evaluate Board performance 
based on clear and relevant 
objectives, seeking continuous 
improvement

8    Promote a culture that is based 

on ethical values and 
behaviours

9 9

  Maintain governance 
structures and processes that 
are fit for purpose and support 
good decision-making by the 
Board

10 .   Communicate how the 

Company is governed and is 
performing by maintaining a 
dialogue with shareholders and 
other relevant stakeholders

 G  Maintained governance structures with the required skills, and appropriate balance of skills 

and expertise

 G  Assessed the potential skill set which would ideally be present in any new Director 

Offer training sessions to Directors to 
enhance understanding of regulatory 
requirements and business environment

appointments

Please see Governance report (pages 60-61) 

 G  Addressed shortcomings identified by independent assessment and review of Board carried 

out last year

 G  Carried out a lengthy succession planning leading to appointments of a new Chairman and 

Carry out a formal Board evaluation by an 
independent assessor

new CEO

Please see Governance report (page 64) 

 G  Maintain regular engagement with our staff through a number of surveys and Group updates
 G  Reviewed Group policies relating to our corporate social responsibility, ethical values and 

behaviours, which are rolled out, communicated and applied at Group level 

Please see Sustainability report (pages 54-55) and Ethical values and behaviour section of the 
Governance report (page 64)

Continue to work towards our goal to 
disrupt the wine industry for the benefit of 
our customers, winemakers and our 
people

 G  Applied the QCA Code and governance best practice 
 G Became a member of the Quoted Company Alliance
 G Formalised composition of Audit and Remuneration Committees
Please see Governance report (page 63)

Continue to review our governance 
structures to ensure that they are fit for 
purpose 

Engaged with stakeholders, including shareholders, through a variety of methods, to ensure 
that they understood how the business was performing

Continue to communicate with all 
stakeholders and to maintain a dialogue

Please see Stakeholder engagement report (pages 38-43) and Sustainability report 
(pages 50-57)

QCA

Please refer to this symbol throughout the report to  
cross-refer where we address the QCA Code principles.

62

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Governance report

Financials

QCA

6 9

Governance structures fit for purpose
The list of Board members, including short 
biographies and skill sets, as well as Committee 
membership, is set out on pages 60 and 61.

 G The Chairman has responsibility to lead the 

Board effectively and to oversee the adoption, 
delivery and communication of the Company’s 
corporate governance model. It is imperative that 
the relationship between the Chairman and the 
CEO, as well as all Board members and executive 
management, remains collaborative, cordial 
and robust. The Board members work together 
in the best interests of the Company, while 
remaining comfortable to engage in rigorous 
and constructive debate. There is no individual 
or group of individuals dominating the Board’s 
decision-making processes.

 G The Board has a Charter (“Board Charter”) which 
sets out in detail its functions and responsibilities, 
as well as the clear separation of duties between 
me, the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer. 
It also clarifies the role of the Senior Independent 
Director (SID), Ian Harding. The Company 
has in place a statement of authority, which 
supplements the delegated authority set out in 
the Board Charter. This is reviewed annually to 
ensure that the correct controls are in place across 
the organisation. The Board has delegated certain 
powers to itself to the Audit, Remuneration and 
Nominations Committees. It has also set up a Bid 
Committee to deal with any potential public offers 
for the Company.

 G John Walden replaced Greg Hodder as Chairman 
and Nick Devlin replaced Rowan Gormley as CEO. 
Greg Hodder and Rowan Gormley both retired 
during the reporting period. The Company’s 
Articles of Association require that one third of 
the Directors stand for re-election annually. This 
is done through a process of rotation with those 
recommended for re-election by shareholders 
being subjected to a peer review prior to 
recommendation. This year David Stead, Justin 
Apthorp and Katrina Cliffe will retire by rotation 
and, being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. 
Directors’ contracts are available for inspection 
at the Company’s registered office and at the 
Annual General Meeting and are summarised in 
the Remuneration Report (see pages 65 to 73). 
We remain confident that the Board comprises 
individuals with the necessary skills and expertise 
to enable it to function effectively with a full 
understanding of the business.

 G As a Board we consider the independence of 
all members and have an effective conflict of 
interests procedure in place. Under this policy, the 
Directors must declare any other commitments 
and interests, which assist in the determination 
of independence. Changes to commitments and 
interests are reported to the Company Secretary, 
and where appropriate referred to the Board, as 
and when necessary. On this basis Justin Apthorp 
has been determined to be non-independent 
given his previous status as an employee of the 
Company and his shareholding. (See Table below 
for shareholding).

 G In accordance with the Company’s Articles of 

Association, and to the extent permitted by law, 
the Company may indemnify its Directors out 
of its own funds to cover liabilities arising as a 

result of their office. Accordingly, the Company 
holds directors’ and officers’ liability insurance 
cover for any claim brought against Directors 
or officers for wrongful acts in connection with 
their position, but the cover does not extend to 
claims arising from dishonesty or fraud.
 G We keep a running Board and Committees 
annual work plan, which ensures that all 
elements of business are addressed across the 
relevant governance bodies. Meeting dates are 
aligned with the financial and trading calendars 
of the Company ensuring a spread of meetings 
across the calendar year. The scheduled 
meetings may be supplemented with 
additional meetings as and when necessary.
 G Our meetings are structured, and the agendas 
of the Board and Committees are reviewed 
by and agreed with the respective chairs. The 
Board and Committees receive appropriate 
notice prior to meetings and are provided 
with relevant information in advance of the 
meetings. More specifically, Non-Executive 
Directors are regularly kept abreast of financial 
and operational performance. The Company 
reports on its monthly headline performance 
against its agreed budget and the Board 
reviews variances at each meeting.

 G The Board recognises the need to promote 

an ethical culture and to lead from the top. We 
have a Code of Conduct which is applicable 
to our employees and suppliers and makes it 
clear what is expected of them. The Code of 
Conduct is regularly reviewed, is shared with 
our staff and suppliers and is available on our 
website (Code of Conduct).

 G The Board held 12 meetings during the year 
as detailed on page 61. The meetings in 
October 2019 took place in the US. It was our 
intention to also hold the March 2020 Board 
meeting in Napa, but could not do so because 
of COVID-19 travel restrictions. We remain 
cognisant of the costs associated with holding 
Board meetings abroad. It does, however, allow 
the members the opportunity to familiarise 
themselves with all operations, specifically the 
growing US market. Management visits the 
other operational areas, periodically to retain 

close relationships with all staff. All members 
of the Board continue to devote sufficient time 
and effort to their responsibilities as Directors.
 G Where required, all Directors are able to seek 
independent professional advice in support of 
their duties to the Company, at the Company’s 
expense, in addition to having full access to the 
Company Secretary/General Counsel, Group 
Chief Financial Officer and any member of 
the management team. Board members are 
also free to seek the counsel of Ian Harding, in 
his role as the SID. During the year the advice 
of recruitment consultants and head-hunters 
was sought in relation to the recruitment 
and remuneration of a number of senior 
management roles, including the CEO.

 G As part of our enhanced processes, we have 
recognised the need for ongoing training 
and information sharing at Director level. 
Directors are given access to suitable training 
opportunities and receive regular updates 
regarding topical issues and changes in the 
governance environment. During the review 
period, we had a formal presentation by the 
Company’s external legal advisors on stake-
building and takeover and an update by the 
Company’s Nominated Advisor on the AIM 
rules and its governance requirements. We 
run a formal induction programme for new 
Directors and an electronic “Directors’ Toolkit” 
is available allowing easy access to information 
on the Group.

 G We review overall Company performance 

and ensure that the necessary resources are 
available to management to give effect to the 
strategy. We exercise accountability to the 
shareholders and are responsible to safeguard 
the relevant interests of all stakeholders (see 
Stakeholder engagement on pages 38-43). 
Overall, I am of the view that the Board has 
provided the necessary strategic leadership 
and exercises effective oversight of the 
Company’s activities, including over the internal 
controls and risk management process.

The Directors’ personal interests in the ordinary share capital of the Company (including those of persons 
associated with them) as at 30 March 2020 were: 

James Crawford

John Walden

David Stead

Ian Harding

Justin Apthorp

Katrina Cliffe

Nicholas Devlin

Number of ordinary shares

2019/20

138,499

26,300

–

12,000

150,000

15,000

37,907

2018/19

78,644

–

–

12,000

150,000*

–

–

2017/18

74,156

–

–

12,000

300,000

–

– 

*  The disclosure of Justin Apthorp’s holding in the 2019 annual report was incorrectly stated as nil, when it should have indicated a 

holding of 150,000 shares, which was held by a person associated with him. This has been rectified in this report.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

63

Governance 
continued

Board Committees
The Board has in place Audit, Remuneration 
and Nominations Committees, all of which have 
specific mandates contained in approved terms 
of reference. These cover the composition, key 
activities and responsibilities of the relevant 
Committee and can be viewed on our website. 
All the Terms of Reference were reviewed during 
the reporting period. The membership of each 
of the Committees is set out on pages 60-61.

Audit Committee – the report of the Audit 
Committee under the chairmanship of David 
Stead is available on pages 74-75.

Remuneration Committee – the Directors’ 
Remuneration report under the chairmanship 
of Ian Harding is available on pages 65-73.

Nominations Committee 
 G The Nominations Committee comprises at 

least three members, with the majority being 
independent. It is chaired by the Chairman of 
the Company

 G The principal role of the Nominations 
Committee is to consider and make 
recommendations for Board appointments, to 
consider succession planning in respect of both 
the Board members and senior management 
and to consider the performance, ongoing 
training and evaluation of the Board

 G The Nominations Committee meets as and 
when necessary, but at least to consider any 
Director’s resignations and to review the Board 
performance and assessment

QCA

7 10

Board evaluation
Following the external Board assessment that 
the Board commissioned in 2018 and concluded 
in March 2019, the Board did not carry out a 
formal Board evaluation during the reporting 
period, but rather concentrated on implementing 
and monitoring corrective actions and 
recommendations which have been developed 
in response to matters identified by the external 
assessor as needing attention. In particular:
 G Board composition – gender/ethnic diversity/

US knowledge
Following the disposals of Majestic Wine 
and Lay & Wheeler, the Company is less 
UK-centric and the Board is now composed 
of two US-based members who have a wider 
knowledge and experience of the US market. 
We also identified a need to appoint another 
Non-Executive Director to better diversify our 
team and bring more experience of digital 
marketing and US retailing. This led to the 
appointment of Katrina Cliffe in May 2019. She 
has been a serving member of the Board since 
her appointment

 G Board packs – streamlining and earlier delivery
Management has worked at delivering more 
condensed versions of Board materials, 
and providing Board members with the 
materials well in advance of the meeting. Any 
discussion with the Board is always preceded 
by distribution of written materials to enable 
members of the Board to be fully briefed in 

64

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

advance of any decision being taken. The same 
process is adopted for the Remuneration and 
Audit Committees

 G Boost internal audit function 

We are still looking to fill the permanent 
position but the function is currently maintained 
on a contract basis.
 G Focus on sustainability

Please cross-refer to our Sustainability report 
(see pages 50 to 57) to see the initiatives we 
have undertaken in the last 12 months.
 G Discuss further enhancement of Board 

interaction
The Board formalised the delegation of certain 
decision-making powers to the Remuneration 
and Audit Committees and streamlined the 
composition of the same.

Ethical values and behaviour
We understand our corporate culture to be the 
shared values, attitudes, standards, beliefs and 
behaviours which determine how we engage 
with one another and deal with external business 
transactions. We believe that this relationship 
is based on trust. This means that as a Board 
we are inherently focused on ensuring that this 
relationship is maintained through, among other 
things, promoting and embedding an ethical 
culture across everything the business does. 

Internally, we drive a culture of respect and 
fairness. We have a number of policies which 
underpin this approach including our Code of 
Conduct, Anti-Bullying and Harassment, Equal 
Opportunities, Anti-Bribery, Competitions, 
Maternity Benefits, Data Protection, Share 
Dealings, Anti-Money Laundering, Health 
and Safety, Substance Abuse, Recruitment 
and Discipline. We continually re-enforce 
the messages around behaviours and have a 
Whistleblowing Policy and procedure to assist 
with bringing transgressors to our attention. 

Naked Wines is an accredited Disability Confident 
Employer since October 2019. As a Disability 
Confident Employer we have demonstrated to (i) 
have undertaken and successfully completed the 
Disability Confident self-assessment, (ii) are taking 
all of the core actions to be a Disability Confident 
Employer and (iii) are offering at least one activity 
to get the right people for our business and at 
least one activity to keep and develop our people.

We have an employee share participation 
scheme which includes everyone. Reference to 
our Directors’ Remuneration report (see pages 
65-73) will show that the remuneration structure 
across all employees is disclosed, is fair and 
transparent. We continually look for ways to 
incentivise our staff so to allow them to directly 
reap the rewards of their hard work. 

Externally, our suppliers are seen as part of the 
Naked Wines family, a position which is again 
strengthened by the Naked Wines business model 
which sees us connect everyday wine drinkers 
with the world’s best winemakers. We also expect 
our winemakers, as well as other suppliers, to 
adhere to our standards and by subscribing to 
our Responsible Supplier Policy. We have again 
published our Modern Slavery Statement and 
continue to embed these principles across our 

supply chain through a detailed questionnaire, 
which will enable us to identify any high-risk areas 
and address them accordingly. It is our position that 
we will assist our suppliers to address shortcomings 
and will look for ways to help them to meet our 
expectations as stated in our policies.

Our sustainability plan has clearly identified 
responsible drinking as one of our priorities. 
The public concerns around alcohol misuse, 
underage drinking and general health risks are 
taken very seriously. While we want to increase 
the sale of wine, we want to be encouraging our 
customers to enjoy their alcohol responsibly. We 
provide strict guidelines on responsible drinking 
for our staff together with a policy to assist with 
support and education. We acknowledge that 
changing social norms and attitudes towards 
alcohol present a risk to our business and thus 
our commitment to responsible drinking remains 
a top priority. We have noted that, according to 
Drinkaware, fewer people in the UK are drinking 
at harmful levels while annual expenditure on 
alcohol per capita has increased. We see this as 
a positive sign for our business.

Succession planning
The Board regularly considers the issue of 
succession planning, at both a Board and 
executive management level.

FY19/20 saw significant changes to the Board 
with the appointments of a new Non-Executive 
Director, new Chairman and new CEO. In May 
2019, we announced the appointment of Katrina 
Cliffe as a Non-Executive Director. We appointed 
John Walden as Non-Executive Director in June 
2019 and he became Chairman of the Company 
in August 2019, following the Company’s Annual 
General Meeting. After careful consideration we 
decided that Nick Devlin was the most suitable 
candidate for the CEO position to replace Rowan 
Gormley. Not only does Nick come with a thorough 
knowledge and understanding of the business, 
but he has also played a significant role in the 
development of our current business worldwide 
and has a wealth of experience in corporate 
strategy, marketing, customer segmentation 
and a deep knowledge of the US wine market.

Following the new appointments of both the 
CEO and Chair roles, we are of the view that the 
current Board composition has sufficient depth of 
skill and experience to ensure the continuation of 
leadership. Nonetheless, the Board is committed 
to continuing to identify suitable succession 
candidates. 

At a Board level we have not only looked at 
the mix of skills and experience, but have also 
reviewed membership tenure to ensure that we 
have a suitable balance between continuity and 
new views and ideas. 

Subsequent to the year end, it was determined 
that James Crawford will be transitioning to a new 
role as MD of the UK business and stepping down 
as Group CFO. We are currently in the process of 
recruiting for a new Group CFO.

A summary of the Board’s skills and experience is 
set out on pages 60-61.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Directors’ Remuneration report

Delivering the long-term 
potential of Naked Wines

The Committee believes that these changes 
are particularly relevant and timely now that the 
Board has decided that shareholders’ interests 
are best served by focusing all of our capital 
and energies into delivering the long-term 
potential of Naked Wines. 

Performance for the year
This has been a very busy and eventful year 
for the Group. As well as successfully growing 
Naked Wines, our fast-growing digital business 
with operations across the US, UK and Australia, 
we also completed the disposals of the Majestic 
Wine and Lay & Wheeler businesses. We were 
also busy with Board succession and, with 
our sights now firmly set on the attractive and 
fast-growing direct wine market in the US, we 
appointed a new Chairman and CEO, both of 
whom have extensive US experience. 

LTIPs
The significant repositioning of the business 
was complex and took time to execute well. 
Over the last 18 months the related uncertainty 
weighed on investor sentiment and our 
share price significantly underperformed a 
peer group of retailers despite sustained 
growth in the continuing business. Clearly this 
impacted our shareholders and our staff for 
whom a significant element of their potential 
remuneration is directly linked to share 
performance. During the year, no LTIPs vested 
in July as the performance metrics were not met 
and the LTIPs in December only vested 30.4% of 
potential. We are disappointed with this result, 
but we believe the repositioning was the right 
thing to do for long-term value creation. We 
believe that the business is now in much better 
shape to thrive in the new world of retail, and 
the prospects for our business, our staff and our 
shareholders are bright.

Following the disposals of the businesses 
mentioned earlier, we took the decision to treat 
the staff at Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler as 
good leavers and to accelerate the vesting of 
share awards that were due to vest in the next 
12 months. However, recognising our relative 
TSR performance the vesting was limited to 
one third of the potential.

Annual bonus
Naked Wines continued to grow strongly as we 
increased investment to build a base of loyal 
and profitable customers. Overall, results were 
mixed ranging from a very strong year in the 
UK where metrics were beaten, to a weaker 
performance in Australia where results fell 
short. Annual bonus awards were driven both 
by return on investment in new customers and 
profitability on sales to our repeat Angels. The 

We will continue to look for ways 
to enhance our proposition 
as an employer of choice 
while ensuring that we align 
the interests of our staff with 
that of our shareholders.

Dear Shareholder,
At the 2019 Annual General Meeting, we 
sought shareholder approval on each of the 
Remuneration Policy and Remuneration Report 
as part of our commitment to continually evolve 
and improve the way we do business and 
engage with our stakeholders. I am pleased 
to report that our shareholders were very 
supportive and 99.81% voted in favour of the 
Remuneration Report and 98.43% voted in 
favour of the Remuneration Policy.

Changes to our policies
Our guiding principles of competitive reward, 
simple but stretching incentives and broad 
employee share ownership remain unchanged. 
As I reported last year, following a review of 
our policies and practices and discussion with 
our largest shareholders, we identified two 
potential changes: (i) using a standstill EBIT 
measure to sit alongside total shareholder 
return (TSR) for the award of shares under 
our Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP); and (ii) 
a minimum shareholding requirement for 
Executive Directors. I am pleased to report that 
the Committee has approved the introduction 
of both these measures into our Remuneration 
Policy. A minimum shareholding was introduced 
for our new CEO, Nick Devlin (see page 72 for 
more details).

Committee approved bonus payouts to staff 
between 35% and 115% of the target amounts, 
with the Group scheme (as applied to the 
Executive Directors) paying out at 91% of target. 
In addition, the Committee took the decision to 
reward James Crawford with a one-off bonus in 
recognition and thanks for his dedication and 
leadership during a critical time of business 
disposals, Board succession and continued 
business growth. 

Deferred consideration shares
During the year we also vested the third 
and final tranche of Naked Wines deferred 
consideration shares in full, bringing this 
element of our reward scheme to a close. We 
are delighted that the Naked Wines business 
has more than lived up to our expectations at 
the time of the acquisition and has continued 
to deliver strong growth and a solid economic 
return on investment. 

The year ahead
We will continue to look for ways to enhance 
our proposition as an employer of choice while 
ensuring that we align the interests of our staff 
with that of our shareholders. We believe that 
our approach of rewarding carefully targeted, 
and stretching performance metrics will help 
deliver our full potential value. For FY21 we 
are offering staff an enhanced bonus if they 
achieve stretch performances as a result of the 
COVID-19 pandemic triggering an acceleration 
of the business. As we continue to develop 
the Naked Wines business, in particular in the 
US, we will continue to review compensation 
practices to ensure that we can attract the best 
talent to our business. Our future is bright and 
our remuneration policies encourage our staff 
to think and act like business owners, with a real 
vested interest in the success of our company.

Ian Harding
Chair of the Remuneration Committee
June 2020

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

65

Directors’ Remuneration report 
continued

COVID-19
Towards the end of our financial year, the 
COVID-19 pandemic struck. As Nick says in 
the CEO report on page 17, the team put 
in place an excellent plan, with the aim of 
keeping our staff safe while continuing to 
safely supply wine directly to our customers 
as normal during these difficult times. That 
plan was very successfully delivered. All our 
staff are working safely from home and wine 
has continued to flow through the business 
to meet the increased demand for online 
wine delivery. As a result of the pandemic no 
staff were furloughed, we have not required 
any additional funding from the government 
or our shareholders and we continue to pay 
all our suppliers in full and on time. 

THE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

Who
 G The Remuneration Committee (the 

“Committee”) comprises myself, as chairman, 
together with David Stead (independent non-
executive) and Katrina Cliffe (independent 
non-executive)

 G Executive Directors attend certain meetings 
as invitees, but play no role in decisions 
relating to their own remuneration
 G Justin Apthorp is not considered 

independent by virtue of his time as an 
executive at the Group and his position 
as a major shareholder representative
 G No member of the Committee has any 

conflict of interests, nor do they have any 
personal financial interests other than as 
shareholders. Subject to these qualifications, 
the Committee is considered independent

The Remuneration Policy
Our Remuneration Policy was adopted 
following the 2019 Annual General Meeting, 
when 98.43% of shareholders voted in favour 
of the resolution. 

Since then, the Committee identified and 
introduced two important changes:
 G Adding a minimum shareholding requirement, 
which will apply to the Executive Directors and 
potentially future key senior executives

 G Introducing a second performance condition 
attaching to the LTIP, in addition to relative 
TSR

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Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Accordingly, our remuneration policies 
and practices remain unchanged and the 
Committee is delighted that our teams will 
continue to be properly rewarded for their 
fantastic efforts at this time. 

Looking ahead, it is very difficult to know 
with any realistic certainty how the virus will 
continue to impact customer behaviour 
and economics in FY21. The business has 
developed a sensible operating plan that 
includes expectations of continuing higher 
demand, but also takes into account some 
reversion to normal buying behaviours and 
some potential recessionary impacts as the 
year progresses.

The Committee has recommended this plan 
be used for performance targets albeit it is 
far more uncertain than normal given the 
unprecedented circumstances. This is, perhaps 
more than ever, the time for a business to 
exercise some discretion as the year unfolds, 
so that our staff are suitably incentivised by 
hard targets while also being incentivised to 
be agile and react to events for the benefit 
of the business. 

In these uncertain times, the Committee 
will ensure that our teams continue to be 
appropriately rewarded for activities that 
benefit the future of the business for all 
our stakeholders.

How
 G Terms of Reference (Remco ToRs)
 G External services

 – Tapestry continues to provide ongoing 
support in respect of the various share 
schemes of the Company, although we 
did not incur any costs during the year
 – External head-hunters were appointed 
to support the search for the new CEO 
and new COO roles. Fees totalled: 
£91,000

 – Reviewed proposed compensation for 

other senior hires

When
The Committee meets as required and the list 
of meetings and attendance is contained in 
the Governance report (see pages 60 and 61)

The Remuneration Policy is summarised on 
the following page. 

As communicated to shareholders, we intend to 
ask shareholders to approve the Remuneration 
Policy every third year. It is intended therefore 
that shareholders will be asked to vote on 
the Remuneration Policy at the 2022 Annual 
General Meeting.

What
Responsibilities, in summary
 G Determine and recommend to the Board 

the Remuneration Policy (Board, executives 
and general staff body) and monitor ongoing 
effectiveness thereof

 G Determine specific targets and objectives 
for any performance-related bonus or pay 
schemes for executive directors
 G Determine headline targets for any 

performance-related bonus or share schemes 
for staff

 G Review and approve any material termination 

payment or executive package upon 
appointment

Main activities for review period
 G Revisited performance criteria for LTIP 
 G Considered performance criteria for vesting of 

shares and payment of bonuses

 G Approved vesting of LTIP and SIP to staff (and 
former Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler staff) 

 G Conducted a benchmarking exercise of CEO 

compensation

 G Recommended CEO compensation to Board

In this report we describe the elements of 
our remuneration and its application in the 
review period, together with a clear link to 
our strategy and explanations as to how we 
implement each element operationally, setting 
out the maximum that an employee can earn 
as well as the performance measures. While 
this policy is specific to our executive level, 
at Naked Wines we pride ourselves on our 
simple and equal approach. We have thus 
included a column to indicate where a specific 
element of reward offered to executives 
differs substantially from that offered to other 
employees. As you will note, the rewards are 
significantly consistent across our structure 
with individuals generally being differentiated 
only on amount, linked to responsibility, skills 
and performance outcomes. 

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

THE LINK – REWARD/STRATEGY/BUSINESS MODEL/KPIS AND RISK

5. Remuneration elements  
and conditions
Reward levels
Our reward decisions are based on a robust 
assessment of the wider environment in which 
we operate, taking into account the conditions 
within similar retail markets, across our Group 
and within our budget limitations. Base salary 
is determined by a range of considerations 
including skills, experience and performance. 
Job categories and grading of roles are 
determined having regard to function, skills 
and responsibilities, resulting in a grading 
system that ranges from Executive Directors, 
management roles and operational entry-level 
roles. The components of remuneration listed 
in this policy are then set for each employee 
according to the job grade. Variations exist 
between Business Units based on local legal 
requirements and expectations for that territory.

Performance measures
Performance measures are applicable to 
the variable portion of remuneration and 
are divided into Group-wide and individual 
measures depending on the job description. 
Group measures are generally financial and 
details of these are set out on page 69 of the 
Annual Report. The higher the level of seniority 
the greater the weighting of the financial 
performance measures. Individual measures 
include more qualitative and operational 
criteria as contained in the operational and 
financial KPIs set out on pages 20-21 of the 
Annual Report. 

Executive Remuneration Policy
1. Introduction
The Remuneration Policy is intended to offer 
fair, competitive and attractive reward packages 
consistent with the scale and performance 
of the Company. It is aligned to our strategy, 
key performance indicators (KPIs), risk 
management processes and also supports 
our business model. 

2. Policy statement
We will seek to attract and retain talent 
through rewarding all our employees fairly while 
placing our overall company wellbeing, values 
and performance at the heart of our reward 
practices. We believe the reward process 
is key to change, establish and reinforce 
the outputs and behaviours of employees 
in order to achieve strategic business 
objectives and results.

3. Application
The Remuneration Policy is applicable to the 
executive management level, comprising the 
Executive Directors. Where applicable, the 
appropriate comparison with remuneration 
practices applicable outside of the executive 
management level is highlighted.

4. Reward principles
The following overarching principles are 
applicable:
 G We will offer competitive salary packages 
that attract, retain and motivate talented 
people

 G We will operate transparent, simple and 
effective reward schemes that incentivise 
delivery of stretching targets and our long-
term business strategy

 G We will offer the chance for all employees to 
participate in share reward schemes so that 
we all think and act like business owners

Remuneration structure 
Our remuneration structure can be summarised 
as follows:

1. Salary

2. Pension

3. Benefits

Fixed

Variable

4. Bonus

5. Shares

LTIP

SIP

Legacy schemes

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

67

 G Generate shareholder value through acquisition and retention of customers G Increase future value of business G Long-term compounding growth which gets stronger  with scale GFocusoncustomerretention,whiletestingandrefining what we do, using data to measure and improve our actions GFinancial GOperational and transformational GRisk appetite GIdentify and rate risk GMitigate and manageAlign long-term objectives of staff and shareholders GShare participation GPerformance targets/bonusIncentivise and retain staff to deliver model GCompetitive base salary GAttractive benefits and pensionMeasure and link to individual performance GPerformance bonus GShare participationEncourage entrepreneurs without unacceptable risk/behaviours G Realistic performance targets with stretch GBonus paymentsStrategyBusiness modelKPIsRisk managementRemuneration PolicyCurrent trends and shareholder expectationsDirectors’ Remuneration report 
continued

Fixed

Policy

1. Salary

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:
Base salaries are set to recognise individual skill, 
experience, performance and market value of 
the role so as to attract, retain and motivate 
the best skills to deliver against the strategy 
and KPIs, implement our business model, 
manage our risks and exploit our opportunities, 
while remaining disciplined about fixed cost 
management.

Operation – How we determine it:
 G Position/role
 G Expertise

 G Competitive salaries relative to the market 

and jurisdiction

 G Wider employee pay structure
 G Affordability – we strive to be competitive 

but manage costs in line with the Company 
revenue and budget 

Operation – When we pay it:
Monthly, in cash (in the US two times monthly in 
line with local custom)

Limitation:
Maximum increases are no greater than local 
inflation unless: (a) there has been a material 

increase in industry rates; (b) changes in role 
have taken place with enhanced responsibility; 
or (c) there has been a reward for individual 
development.

How it is linked to performance:
It is not, except for consideration of 
performance expectation when setting and 
reviewing salaries.

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
None, other than salary levels.

2019/20 application

 G Inflation-linked pay rises were granted 
to employees who met or exceeded 
performance criteria

 G Promotions and/or change in responsibility 
resulted in amended base salary structure

 G Salary ranges reviewed and remained 

unchanged, save for the CEO role where 
salary was increased to market levels (see 
note below)

Fixed

Policy

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:
Make us competitive within the market while 
providing financial protection for employees 
and their families, supporting staff retention.

Operation – What we offer:
 G Paid annual leave
 G Enhanced maternity benefits
 G Credits to spend on wine
 G Job flexibility
 G Professional subscriptions  

(limited to two and HMRC approved)

 G Company car or car allowance

2019/20 application

Name
Nick Devlin

Position
CEO

Basic salary/fees
$400,000

Rowan Gormley

James Crawford

CEO

CFO

£177,000

£206,000

The previous CEO, Rowan Gormley, volunteered 
to take a salary significantly below market levels 
and opted out of the Company LTIP scheme 
because of his unique position as the business 

founder with a very significant shareholding. 
With the appointment of Nick Devlin as the 
new CEO during the year, we undertook a 
benchmarking of the CEO compensation 
commensurate to the role in the open market 
and reflecting his residency in California. This 
resulted in a modest uplift from his remuneration 
as Chief Operating Officer, (although it appears 
like a substantial increase to the CEO salary when 
compared with Rowan Gormley).

2. Benefits

 G Private medical insurance
 G Life insurance
 G Relocation expenses 
 G Subsidised accommodation for multi-site 

employees

 G Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance to  

“top up” indemnity from Company 
 (where law allows)

Limitation:
Level of benefit are set by the Committee 
appropriate for our business relative to 
the market.

How it is linked to performance:
Benefits are not conditional on performance, 
but we believe they enhance recruitment and 
retention of talent and improve staff wellbeing.

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
Executive Directors earn the maximum level of 
benefits which is graded according to job level. 

 G All benefits were available to staff at a level commensurate to their grade
 G 4.9% of staff took maternity or paternity leave
 G  Accommodation expenses of £44,645 were paid to the Executives during the period – these are no longer paid following the disposal of 

Majestic Wine

Fixed

Policy

3. Pension

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:
Provide for a competitive post-retirement income 
which supports recruitment and retention of 
talented people to deliver on strategy.

Operation – What we offer:
We offer payments in defined contribution 
schemes. High earners in the UK impacted 
by the Tapered Annual Allowance in the UK 

may opt for (taxable) cash payments in lieu 
of contributions.

Limitation:
Contributions are based on percentage of 
salary, ranging from the statutory minimum 
for entry-level jobs, up to 20% of salary for 
UK-based Executive Directors.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

How it is linked to performance:
Pension contributions are not conditional on 
performance but we believe that they enhance 
recruitment and retention of talent and improve 
staff wellbeing.

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
The percentage of salary contributed is the 
highest level available to employees in line 
with local market practice.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Variable

Policy

4. Bonus

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:
Reward employees for achieving key financial, 
operational and strategic goals, annually 
by selecting measures that drive long-
term shareholder value, as well as reward 
achievement of customer-centric KPIs that 
grow and retain customer base.

Operation – How we determine it:
 G We set each role an “on target” bonus as a 
percentage of salary (note: customer-facing 
staff may have fixed incentives for hitting 
short-term targets)

 G Bonus and targets are set at the start of the 
financial year and performance is reviewed 
at the end of the financial year to assess 
whether targets have been reached

 G The Committee applies discretion to the 
final bonus payout taking into account 
performance against targets and underlying 
performance of the Company

Operation – What we don’t do:
 G We do not reward failure or mediocre 

performance

 G While encouraging stretch targets, we do 

not set unrealistic goals

 G We do not encourage unhealthy risk-taking 

and inappropriate behaviour

Limitation:
“On target” bonus as a percentage of salary is 
tiered by grade. Executive Directors are set at 
50% of salary. Other leadership roles operate at 
between 30 and 50% of salary.

How it is linked to performance:
The Committee determines annual metrics 
based on approved budget and priorities of 
forthcoming year. In FY19/20 we used three 
constructs to set these goals:

Naked Wines

Adjusted EBIT from repeat customers 
(calculated as repeat contribution  
minus fixed costs) 

Value added from new customers  
investment (calculated as investment  
in new customers x forecast payback) 

Net inventory per repeat customer  
(calculated as inventory less liabilities  
to customers, per repeat customer) 

40%

40%

20%

 G In all cases individual performance is 
applied as a moderating overlay

 G Targets are set at a level to incentivise 
ambitious performance but not drive 
unacceptable levels of risk or inappropriate 
behaviour

 G For FY21 we are introducing a potential 
to double “on target” bonus if stretch 
performance materially ahead of budget is 
achieved, to incentive maximising the impact 
of the shift in customer behaviour due to 
COVID-19. We note that this gives Executive 
Directors a maximum bonus of 100% of 
salary which remains comparable to market 
benchmarks.

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
Executive Directors receive the highest level of 
potential bonuses currently set at 50% of base 
salary. Executive Directors are required to defer 
50% of any bonus earned in year by 12 months. 
At local level we incentivise staff based on 
local market performance rather than Group 
performance.

2019/20 application

Business performance outturn

Naked Wines
Repeat EBIT

Payback from new customer investment

Net inventory per repeat customer

Total

Component
40%

40%

20%

100%

Outturn
102.5%

123.7%

0%

90.5%

Individual calculations for Executive Directors

James Crawford**
Period in role (months)

Salary (£)

Bonus %

Business performance (% of max)

Personal performance moderator

Individual calculations for Executive Directors continued

Group CFO
7

Group CFO & 
UK MD
5

206,000

206,000

50%

90.5%

100%

 27,182 

 27,182 

50%

103.0%

100%

 22,091 

 22,091 

Group COO
6

Group CEO
3

50% paid on business performance

50% moderated for personal delivery

377,000

400,000

Total payment

 54,364 

 44,182 

Nick Devlin*
Period in role (months)

Salary ($)

Bonus %

Business performance (% of max)

Personal performance moderator

50% paid on business performance

50% moderated for personal delivery

50%

90.5%

100%

 42,639 

 42,639 

50%

90.5%

100%

 22,620 

 22,620 

Total payment

 85,278 

 45,240 

* Since appointment to the Group Board.

Rowan Gormley
Period in role (months)
Salary (£)
Bonus %
Business performance (% of max)
Personal performance moderator
50% paid on business performance
50% moderated for personal delivery

Total payment

Group CEO
9
177,000
50%
90.5%
100%
 30,028 
 30,028 

 60,056 

**  In addition to his annual bonus, James Crawford was paid a one-off bonus of £75,000 due to the 
role he played in the successful completion of the Majestic Wine and Lay & Wheeler disposals

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

69

 
Directors’ Remuneration report 
continued

Variable

Policy

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:
Incentivise and retain staff while aligning 
management interests with the value creation 
interests of shareholders.

Operation – What we offer:
 G Nil cost option awards made annually up to 

a fixed percentage of salary

 G Discretion of the Committee to award
 G Vesting over three years subject to 

performance conditions, whereafter no 
further holding period

 G Clawback (awards may be reduced or 

cancelled)

Limitation:
Tiered scheme with maximum award currently 
set at 150% of salary for the CEO.

New LTIP metrics introduced in 2020
We have introduced a second metric, standstill 
EBIT, alongside relative TSR for the award 
of shares under our LTIP that is an absolute 
measure of value creation within the business.

30% of the FY21 award will be linked to the 
achievement of a standstill EBIT target in FY23. 
This is a very specific metric relevant to our 
online subscription business model and I set 
out below why we believe that this is the best 
absolute metric to incentivise long-term value 
creation. The remaining 70% will continue to 
be linked to relative TSR, albeit the current 
comparator group of mostly UK-based store 
retailers will be replaced with an international 
group of similar direct retailers.

2019/20 application

5. Shares – LTIP

We looked long and hard at various options 
for an absolute creation of value metric. 
Most were unsatisfactory as they required 
complicated calculations and lacked simplicity 
and transparency. We were determined that 
any measure should be a real incentive, i.e. staff 
would understand the levers they needed to 
pull in their role to achieve targets and earn the 
reward. And any metric should be grounded in 
reported figures, not a separate “black box”.

We stood back and distilled the essence of 
what will make this business more valuable over 
time. We are an online, subscription-based 
direct retailer and this business will become 
more valuable over time if we can:
1.  Grow the contribution from our existing 

customers 

2. Maximise sales retention
3.  Replace lost contribution from customer attrition
4. Minimise costs
5.  Invest in new customers with attractive returns 

to create future contribution streams

Reported EBIT typically covers all five points 
above. What distinguishes standstill EBIT is 
that it is calculated to include only the cost of 
replenishment of the current customer base (see 
page 21 for a fuller explanation of our definition 
of this measure and page 132 for a calculation 
for FY20 and FY19). As such, this aligns the 
business with maximising our profitability 
from our repeat customers while maximising 
the repeat customer sales retention rate. Our 
view is that standstill EBIT captures all the key 

levers of success in our business, incorporates 
proven measures from inside the business and is 
grounded in our internal and external reporting. 
Ideally, we want standstill EBIT to healthily grow 
over time to provide the underlying profit and 
free cash flow to enable increased investment 
in new customers each year. 

Furthermore, we plan to replace the previous 
metric (relative TSR compared with a collection 
of UK store retailers) with the new, more 
relevant metrics for existing schemes that 
have more than 12 months to run. We took 
this decision as we felt that it was important to 
refocus our teams onto the right growth levers 
for Naked Wines as soon as possible. I can 
assure you that this does not make the target 
any easier to achieve, it just makes the current 
incentives relevant to the ongoing business.

We plan to introduce both of these new metrics 
for the upcoming LTIP grant in July 2020.

How it is linked to performance: 
 G The plan has performance conditions which 
are linked to the creation of absolute value in 
a digital, direct business as well as rewarding 
staff when we deliver superior TSR relative to 
our peers. Both measures have a sliding scale 
of vesting 

 G Clawback/Malus provision 

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
The CEO has the highest percentage of salary 
awarded, currently set at 150%.

 G Conditional awards granted to staff in June 2019 and conditional top-up awards granted to staff in December 2019, with respective vesting in June 

2022 and December 2022

 G New/promotional adjustments made biannually
 G Awards made in December 2016 have partly vested in January 2020 and awards made in July 2016 lapsed unvested in July 2019 

NOTE 1: LTIP performance criteria and 
comparator group

LTIP performance criteria
125

Vesting is determined by comparing the TSR of 
the Company against those in the comparator 
group. The calculation reflects share price 
movements, dividend payments and any other 
capital raising or return events.

The comparator group of companies is 
periodically reviewed by the Committee to 
ensure that there is no skewing of the outcome 
through selection. The current comparator 
group consists of listed entities (across AIM and 
FTSE) which are predominantly engaged in the 
retail sector. The group is being replaced with 
online/subscription business in July 2020.

There is a sliding scale of vesting against 
position in comparator group as follows:

100

75

50

25

0

100% vest

25% vest

Top quartile

75%

50%

0%

NOTE 2: LTIP clawback/malus
 – At discretion of the Committee
 – Triggers are misconduct or a misstatement 

during the clawback period (three years from 
grant to vesting)

 – The amount is determined on a basis that the 
Committee considers to be fair, reasonable 
and proportionate, and adjustment should 
not exceed the market value of the shares on 
the date the adjustment is made, or, if lower, 
the market value on the date that the shares 
were acquired by the participant

 – Adjustment/clawback is effected by a transfer 
of shares, cash payment, reduced vesting in 

future, reduced number of future shares to 
vest, reduced future cash bonus, reduced 
value of shares 

Misconduct means (the Committee applying 
discretion to interpretation):
 – Any circumstances justifying summary 

dismissal of a participant from his office or 
employment with any member of the Group 
including, but not limited to, dishonesty, 
fraud, misrepresentation or breach of trust
 – Any material breach of a participant’s terms 

and conditions of employment

 – Any material violation of Company policy, 

rules or regulation

Misstatement means the materially inaccurate 
reporting of any accounts, financial data or 
such other similar information, resulting in such 
accounts, financial data or other information 
being materially corrected or any future 
accounts, financial data or information having 
to include write-downs, adjustments or other 
corrective items in order to address the material 
inaccuracy (such inaccuracy being determined 
by the Committee).

70

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Variable

Policy

5. Shares – SIP

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs: 
Incentivise and retain staff while aligning their 
interests with the value creation interests of 
shareholders.

Operation – What we offer:
 G Open to all employees; in the UK this is an 

HMRC Approved SIP scheme
 G Shares are awarded at nil cost
 G Allocation of shares may be determined 

in accordance with a number of methods, 
including but not limited to performance, 
period of continuous employment and/or 
job grading 

 G Awards are made annually at the discretion of 
the Committee, based on fixed percentage 
of base salary, subject to maximum 

 G Vesting takes place after three years with 
a further two-year holding period to enjoy 
tax benefits

 G Dividends may be earned during the holding 

period

Limitation:
Maximum award currently set at 2.5% of total 
annual remuneration or £3,600, whichever is the 
lower, with the equivalent in local currency in 
other geographies.

How it is linked to performance: 
 G Broad share ownership encourages staff to 
think and act like business owners aligning 
their interests with our shareholders 

 G The Committee has discretion to change the 
percentage of salary awarded in the event of 
poor performance

 G Employees must remain in continued 
employment for the shares to vest

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
Not applicable.

2019/20 application
 G All enrolled employees offered SIPs in July 2019
 G Total shares awarded are shown below

Total scheme shares as of 30 March 2020

Total issued and unissued shares subject to performance conditions

LTIP 

SIP 

ESOS (Approved) 

ESOS (Unapproved) 

Total under share schemes 
Total issued shares  

1,501,172

101,439

307,850

96,450

 2,006,911

72,874,018

Variable

Policy

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs: 
The final tranche of the MIP awards vested in 
June 2019 and the options granted under the 

2019/20 application

5. Shares – Legacy schemes

ESOS scheme will vest or lapse by 16 June 2020.  

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:
Not applicable.

 G 24,000 ESOS options were exercised during the year
 G Following the disposal of Majestic Wine any unexercised ESOS will vest or lapse by 16 June 2020 and the scheme will cease to operate
 G Performance criteria for all tranches of shares under the MIP have been met
 G Tranche 3 of the MIP vested in June 2019. A total of 45 members of the management team (including the CFO) were granted 526,300 new ordinary 
shares of 7.5p each. The scheme has ceased to operate. The MIP scheme is not considered in calculating our total employee share awards against 
the 10% of issued share capital, as agreed in the 2015 AGM

Executive remuneration 2020 (audited)

Name
Nick Devlin

Position
CEO – appointed in year

Rowan Gormley 

CEO – retired in year

James Crawford 

CFO

Basic  
salary/ 
fees
£’000
229

138

206

Benefits
£’000
5

79

42

Annual 
bonus 
payment
£’000
103

Company 
pension 
contribution
£’000
7

60

174

27

38

Total 
2020
£’000

344

304

460

Total 
2019*
£’000

–

1,116

364

Total 
2018*
£’000

–

2,750

452

*  During the migration of the Company’s payroll function following the disposal of Majestic Wine, it became apparent that disclosure of Rowan Gormley’s benefits in 2019 and 2018 had been 

understated by an amount of Benefit in Kind paid by the Company on his accommodation in London. These payments were in line with the Directors’ Remuneration Policy both now and at the 
time at which they were paid. The comparative figures reported above now include the corrected value of Rowan Gormley’s benefits received, being an additional £49,000 in both 2018 and 2019.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ Remuneration report 
continued

6. Recruitment and remuneration
The Recruitment Policy provides the framework 
for the attraction and selection of talented 
individuals to lead the Company. Remuneration 
forms a part of this process and the Committee 
determines the remuneration package for the 
appointment of any Executive Director position.

Our goal is recruitment of the best candidates 
to lead the Company and grow shareholder 
value. In undertaking this we consider:
 G The general principles set out in this policy
 G What is in the best interests of the Group and 
its shareholders without paying more than 
is necessary to secure the best person for 
the job

 In addition, the Committee takes into account:
 G Current incumbent package
 G Skills and expertise of the candidate
 G Jurisdiction from where person is recruited
 G The appropriate structure of the package
 G Comparable market compensation packages 

In doing this, the Committee may consider the 
“buy-out” of existing equity or other elements 
of remuneration forfeited on leaving a previous 
employer. The Committee may also utilise the 
services of external recruitment consultants.

The limitations we impose on recruitment are 
as follows:
 G The remuneration package will be limited to 
base salary, benefits, bonus and share plan 
participation as applicable in the policy

 G “Buy-out” grants will only be paid in 

exceptional circumstances and will be 
capped at the current fair value 

2019/20 application

During the year Nick Devlin was promoted from 
Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive 
Officer and took over the CEO role on 9 
January 2020. A summary of his compensation 
is set out in the table on page 71 of this report 
(see Directors’ Remuneration 2019/20).

7. Service contracts
In order to retain key skills and mitigate risk from 
unplanned vacancies in key roles, all Executive 
Directors have rolling employment agreements 
with notice periods.

Our policy is to ensure that no contract extends 
beyond a 12-month period and thus Executive 
Directors’ service contracts include a 12-month 
notice period by either the Company or the 
employee.

These are the longest notice periods in service 
contracts entered into by the Company, 
with other employees having up to six-month 
notice periods depending on the level of 
seniority within the organisation, in line 
with market norms.

Under the terms of his employment agreement 
the CEO is subject to a minimum shareholding 
requirement, meaning that he must hold equity 
in the Company equivalent to 100% base salary.

72

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

8. Policy of payment for loss of office
To ensure a smooth transition for leadership 
roles during times of change, we maintain a 
policy on payments for loss of office.

This operates as follows:
 G The terms of the service contract and other 

legal obligations will be upheld

 G The Committee will have the authority 
to approve any final payment taking 
into account the specific circumstances 
surrounding the termination, including 
but not limited to approved leaver criteria, 
performance, service and health

 G The Committee may make such payments as 
are necessary to settle or compromise any 
claim or by way of damages, where it is seen 
to be in the best interests of the Company
 G The Committee may waive the need for an 

executive to work any notice period and may 
make a payment in lieu thereof

 G If an employee is deemed a good leaver, 
shares due to vest in the next 12 months 
will be accelerated. In the case of the LTIP 
this is subject to performance criteria being 
achieved. If the employee is considered a 
bad leaver then awards will lapse

We aim to limit any payments for loss of office 
to a maximum of one year’s salary.

9. Non-Executive Directors (NEDs)
Appointment/termination 
NEDs, including the Chairman, have letters of 
appointment from the Company which contain 
their terms of service. NEDs are appointed for 
an initial three-year term subject to election 
and annual re-election by shareholders, unless 
terminated earlier by and at the discretion of 

either party upon three months’ written notice. 
All Directors (including NEDs) will be subject 
to the rotation policy, as contained in the 
Articles of Association of the Company, as well 
as the provisions of the Board Charter, terms 
of reference of the various Committees and 
Governance Codes adopted by the Company 
from time to time. 

Remuneration 
The NEDs are paid annual remuneration fees 
as set out in Fig 1. During the period under 
review the remuneration of the NEDs was 
£305,000 See Fig 2. 

The remuneration is paid as an all-inclusive fee 
with no split between base and attendance 
fees. The remuneration does not include any 
additional benefits, and specifically excludes 
the participation by NEDs in any share scheme.

The Company has cover and pays for liability 
insurance, the amount of which is determined 
by management in consultation with the 
Audit Committee, taking into account the 
possible risks and liabilities attaching to the 
position of Director from time to time. For 
purposes of insurance Directors, alternate 
directors, committee members and advisors 
to the respective Committees are deemed 
to be Directors and enjoy the benefits of the 
insurance cover. It is noted that the insurance 
policy is compliant with the provisions of the 
Companies Act and does not provide cover in 
respect of acts or omissions by or on behalf of 
the Directors which are specifically excluded 
by the Companies Act.

Payment is effected monthly.

Fig. 1

Element
Annual fee

Fig. 2  (Audited)

Operation
Chairman

NED

Committee Chair

SID

2020
£100,000

£40,000

2019
£80,000

£40,000

2018
£80,000

£40,000

+£5,000

+£5,000

+£5,000

+£13,000

+£13,000

+£13,000

Name
John Carl Walden

Position
Chair of Board

Ian Harding

David Stead

Justin Apthorp

Katrina Cliffe

Gregory Hodder

NED/SID/Remuneration Committee Chair

NED/Audit Committee Chair

NED

NED

NED

Total 20201
£’000
80

Total 2019
£’000
–

Total 2018
£’000
–

58

45

40

35

47

59

44

40

–

80

51

19

40

–

63

Total remuneration 
1 Remuneration of NEDs is solely fees as a Director. No other benefits are paid.
The total fees paid to NEDs during the reporting period slightly exceeded the cap of £250,000 under the articles of association of 
the Company. The reason for this is that during the reporting period (i) the fee payable to the Chairman increased from £80,000 to 
£100,000 per annum and (ii) the incoming and outgoing Chairmen overlapped during their handover period. Taken together these 
two factors caused the excess.

305

 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

10. External appointments
Executive Directors will not be paid any fees as 
reward for serving on the Board or Committees 
of the Company or any company within the 
Naked Wines Group, nor will they be paid a fee 
in respect of services rendered on any other 
board on which they serve as a representative 
of Naked.

An Executive Director may be permitted to sit 
on external boards, subject to the following:
 G The appointment must be to the benefit of 
the Director’s development, but should not 
be to the detriment of their full-time position 
at Naked Wines

 G Appointments to external boards must be 
declared to the Committee and must be 
referred to the Board for approval with a 
recommendation from the Committee

 G Fees earned from an external position would 
be retained by the Executive Director in 
recognition of the risks attaching to board 
positions

% UK Employment Men : Women

11. Application of discretion
The Committee has discretionary authority 
in a number of instances which are set out in 
the policy as well as the various share scheme 
rules and its application. Some such examples 
include the interpretation of definitions within 
the clawback provisions of the LTIP rules, 
payment of relocation costs, payment of 
settlement amounts upon ending of contracts 
and the moderation element of individual 
performance on determination of bonus 
payments.

In using its discretion, the Committee will apply 
the following guiding principles:
 G Always explain use of discretion, including 

how and why it was applied

 G Discretion will not be used to reward failure
 G Any decisions made using discretion will be 
reasonable, impartial, procedurally fair and 
will take into account all relevant information

 G Discretion will be exercised having regard 

to the law, contractual entitlements, policies 
and the best interests of the Company
 G Application of discretion will be consistent 

and follow precedent, where possible
 G Decisions will be based on supporting 

evidence which will be retained 

Where there is a discretionary authority in 
respect of the award of bonuses and shares, 
the position of the Committee is that discretion 
should be used to address the effect of 
unforeseen challenges and not as the norm. 
In this regard the Committee will endeavour 
to reach a discretionary decision which will 
be applicable for an agreed period of time 
(example: accelerated vesting for good leavers 
for LTIP shares).

12. Review and amendment of the 
policy
The Committee has discretion to amend the 
terms of the policy. Where any amendments 
are required, the Committee will maintain 
regular and transparent communication with 
shareholders to understand their views on the 
remuneration arrangements of the Company.

The Remuneration Policy shall be put to a 
non-binding advisory vote of the shareholders 
at every third annual general meeting of the 
Company.

Top

67

33

Upper middle

72

28

Middle

67

33

Lower middle

21

79

Total

57

43

UK Gender pay facts

Hourly mean 
pay rate 2020

27.60 17.49
£

Hourly mean 
pay rate 2019

13.88  14.69
£

Mean bonuses 
paid 2020

15.7 

3.5

£’K

Mean bonuses 
paid 2019

Portion of employees 
receiving bonus 2020

Portion of employees 
receiving bonus 2019

2.7

1.7

£’K

70.0 

63.0

88.0

83.0

%

%

Our gender based pay analysis has moved 
considerably since the disposal of the 
Majestic Wine businesses, which influenced 
the statistics in the previous year. 
 G The business now contains a high 

proportion of highly paid technology and 
IT roles where the market is still under-
represented by female staff 

 G The distribution of bonuses is influenced 
by vesting of the historic management 
acquisition lock-in shares issued to Naked 
Wines founders and other employees on the 
acquisition of the business by Majestic Wines 
plc. This award rewarded those founders for 
achieving a minimum value creation over a 

four year period after the acquisition by 
Majestic Wines plc. The figures are skewed 
because the management and founders of 
the business had an unequal gender split

The Group continues to be actively engaged 
in initiatives to promote gender equality. 
These include: 
 G A clear and transparent grading system to 
assist in identifying where further equality 
improvements are needed;

 G The options for flexible working conditions 

for all staff;

 G Initiatives and a review process to support 

equal opportunity hiring; 

 G Salary benchmarking and challenge 

windows to help support equal outcomes 
of salary negotiations;

 G A transparent and easy to understand 

appraisal framework; and

 G Skills based tasks as an integral part 

of the recruitment process.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

73

Audit Committee report

Provide oversight  
and governance

I am pleased to present this report on behalf of 
the Audit Committee, whose responsibilities 
are set out below. 

In common with most businesses, Naked 
Wines has been affected by the COVID-19 
crisis. While this has not had the severe adverse 
impact on short-term trading suffered by many, 
it has nevertheless brought challenges both 
operationally and administratively. The Audit 
Committee has been particularly concerned 
to monitor the impact on year-end results 
preparation and the external audit process; 
while there have been logistical challenges, we 
are pleased to note that the year-end process 
has run as smoothly as could have been hoped. 

From a reporting and disclosure perspective, 
in addition to the impact of COVID-19 we have 
had particular focus on the major transactions 
which have re-shaped the Group in the course 
of the year (i.e. the disposals of the Majestic 
Wine business and of Lay & Wheeler), and 
the way they are presented in the financial 
statements. The financial statements seek to 
provide information primarily on the continuing 
business of Naked Wines as distinct from those 
disposed businesses, and we believe that is 
appropriate.

The streamlining of the Group has enabled 
the Directors to move to a more simplified 
presentation of performance. For example, 
underlying measures have been removed as 
they did not provide materially new information, 
and the definition of adjusted EBIT will be 
streamlined in future. The Audit Committee 
welcomes these changes.

The nature of the risks facing the Group has 
changed to some extent as a result of COVID-19 
and following the major divestments, and we 
have been sensitive to that in reviewing the risk 
management framework. 

The Group has commenced implementation 
of a new accounting system. The system 
was implemented in the UK business during 
the financial year and was rolled out to the 
US business shortly after the year-end. The 
Committee has received regular updates 
on progress, and notes that we have now 
completed an audit process with these 
systems in place. 

David Stead
Chairman of the Audit Committee
June 2020

Key responsibilities 
Terms of Reference are available on the 
Compliance section of the Naked Wines plc 
website. In accordance with these Terms of 
Reference, the Audit Committee is required, 
among other things, to: 
 G Monitor the integrity of the financial 

statements of the Group, reviewing any 
significant reporting issues and judgements 
they contain 

 G Advise on the clarity of disclosure and 

information contained in the Annual Report 
and Accounts 

 G Ensure compliance with applicable 

accounting standards and review the 
consistency of methodology applied 

 G Review the adequacy and effectiveness of 
the internal control and risk management 
systems

 G Oversee the relationship with the external 

auditor, reviewing performance and advising 
the Board on their appointment and 
remuneration 

 G Review management’s and the internal 
auditor’s reports on the effectiveness 
of systems for internal financial control, 
financial reporting and risk management, 
together with monitoring management’s 
responsiveness to internal audit findings

Audit Committee governance 
The Audit Committee was chaired during the 
year under review by David Stead who is a 
chartered accountant with recent and relevant 
financial experience, having served as Chief 
Financial Officer of Dunelm Group plc from 
2003 to 2015 and again, on an interim basis, 
in 2018. 

The other members of the Audit Committee 
during the year were Ian Harding and Katrina 
Cliffe. At the invitation of the Audit Committee, 
meetings were also attended by James 
Crawford, the external auditors and by the 
Group Finance Director, where relevant. 

The Audit Committee meets a minimum of 
three times per year including at least twice 
a year with the external auditors present. 
A private meeting was also held with the 
external auditors at which management 
were not present.

The key work undertaken by the Audit 
Committee during the year under review 
and up to the date of this Annual Report is 
detailed overleaf. 

The objective of the Audit 
Committee is to provide 
oversight and governance to 
the Group’s financial reporting, 
its risk management systems 
and the appointment of and 
relationship with the external 
auditor.

74

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Activities of the Audit Committee 
during the year 
Internal controls and risk management 
The Board has overall responsibility for 
the system of internal controls and risk 
management. The Audit Committee has 
reviewed these on behalf of the Board. 

The Group has an established set of standards 
for internal controls, and adherence to these 
standards is confirmed in regular reporting from 
management and validated by a programme of 
internal audit work. 

While in the year under review, the Group had 
no internal audit capability, assurance that 
controls were being applied as anticipated in 
each of the operating units was achieved via a 
process of peer review. The Audit Committee 
does not regard this as an ideal solution for the 
long term, but considers that the process has 
been satisfactory for the year under review, 
with the added benefit of sharing best practice 
learnings among the operating unit heads 
of Finance.

Based on the outcome of the peer reviews, the 
Audit Committee is satisfied that the Group has 
a satisfactory control environment relative to its 
scale and complexity. 

The Audit Committee also received and 
considered reports from the external auditor, 
Deloitte LLP, which included control findings 
relevant to their audit. 

Alongside the internal audit activities 
described above, management conducts an 
annual process to identify and evaluate the 
risks faced by the Group. This process was 
reviewed by the Audit Committee which made 
recommendations to develop it further. In 
addition, the Board carried out its own review 
of key risks. 

The Review of the year on pages 10 to 57 
includes further detail as to the business 
risks identified and actions being taken. 

The Audit Committee considered the potential 
risks arising from home working during the 
COVID-19 pandemic and was satisfied with 
management’s explanations in this regard.

Significant reporting issues and judgements 
The Audit Committee considered a 
number of significant reporting matters and 
judgements, in respect of which it reviewed the 
recommendations of the Finance function and 
received reports from the external auditors on 
their findings. 

As a result of its work, the Audit Committee 
was able to confirm to the Board that it 
considers this Annual Report and financial 
statements, taken as a whole, to be fair, 
balanced and (to the extent possible while 
complying with applicable legal, regulatory 
and reporting requirements) understandable. 

These matters included: 
 G The presentation of the significant disposal 
transactions undertaken during the year, 
and of the operating results of the disposed 
businesses

 G The valuation of deferred consideration in 

respect of the disposed businesses
 G The presentation of “adjusted” profit 
alongside statutory profit. The Audit 
Committee considered the approach 
adopted in previous years and was satisfied 
that this approach continues to provide a 
useful view of the underlying performance 
of the business. With the exception of the 
share based payments charge, which will 
be included in adjusted profit from FY21 
onwards but previously excluded, the 
approach is being applied consistently 
from year to year and the rationale is clearly 
disclosed (see the Financial review on pages 
32 to 36 for details) 

 G The carrying value of goodwill and other 
intangible assets, to determine whether 
any impairment had been suffered. The 
Audit Committee reviewed the key financial 
assumptions underpinning cash flow 
projections, the discount and long-term 
growth rates applied thereto and the results 
of sensitivity analyses. The Audit Committee 
was satisfied that no impairment was required 
and that appropriate disclosure has been 
made (see note 16 on page 106 for details)

 G The implementation of IFRS 16, which 

became fully effective in the year; albeit 
that the impact of IFRS 16 fell mainly on 
businesses which have now been disposed of 

The Audit Committee and the Board received 
a report reviewing trading scenarios and cash 
requirements in light of COVID-19 and was 
satisfied that the Group will have adequate 
resources to continue in operational existence 
for the foreseeable future.

External audit 
The Group’s external auditors since 2014/15 
have been Deloitte LLP. 

The Audit Committee considers a number 
of areas in relation to the appointment of the 
external auditors, namely their performance in 
discharging the audit, the scope of the audit 
and terms of engagement, their independence 
and objectivity, and their remuneration. 

The Audit Committee reviews the objectivity 
and independence of the auditors when 
considering reappointment. The external 
auditors report to the Audit Committee on 
actions taken to comply with professional and 
regulatory requirements. They are required 
to rotate the lead audit partner every five 
years, as a result of which a new audit partner 
took responsibility for the audit in the year 
under review. There is also an active, ongoing 
dialogue between the Audit Committee and 
the external auditors on actions to improve 
the effectiveness and efficiency of the external 
audit process. 

The Audit Committee has confirmed it is 
satisfied with the independence, objectivity 
and effectiveness of Deloitte LLP and has 
recommended to the Board that they be 
reappointed, and there will be a resolution to 
this effect at the forthcoming Annual General 
Meeting.

In addition to their statutory duties, Deloitte 
LLP may be also engaged where, as a result 
of their position as external auditors, they are 
best placed to perform non-audit services. This 
includes, for example, the interim review and 
other minimal and incidental non-audit work 
including in the year some Australian share 
base payment tax compliance work.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

75

Directors’ report
As required under the Companies Act, the Directors present their report 
and Group financial statements for the year ended 30 March 2020

a) Results and review of the business
The Group income statement is set out on 
page 82. The Directors’ report should be read in 
conjunction with the Chairman’s letter on pages 
14 and 15 and the Strategic report on pages 1 
to 57, which together include information about 
the Group’s business performance during the 
year and indication of future prospects. Details 
of significant events since the balance sheet 
date are contained in note 36 to the financial 
statements. An indication of likely future 
developments in the business of the Company 
and details of research and development 
activities are included in the Financial and 
investment review on page 34.

b) Dividends
A special dividend of 5.2p per share was 
declared on 17 December 2019 and paid on 
15 January 2020. The Company will not be 
declaring a final dividend during the reporting 
period (FY19: nil final dividend). The Directors’ 
intention is to maintain a capital allocation 
policy aimed at maintaining a healthy balance 
sheet, investing in growth in a disciplined 
manner and returning to shareholders any 
funds in excess of the level reasonably 
needed to fund growth and manage risk.

c) Strategic report
The Strategic report, which can be found on 
pages 1 to 57, sets out the development and 
performance of the Group’s business during 
the financial year, the position of the Group 
at the end of the year and a description of 
the principal risks and uncertainties.

d) Significant events since the end of the 
financial year
The Company issued a trading update on 9 
April 2020, in which it reported the early impact 
of the COVID-19 pandemic on Naked Wines, 
emphasised its efforts to take care of customers, 
independent winemakers and colleagues during 
this difficult time and provided its expectations 
for a positive effect on its trading results. It 
remains too early to fully understand the likely 
impact of COVID-19 on the economic growth of 
our principal markets – the US, UK and Australia – 
or consumer demand for our proposition.

e) Articles of Association
The Company’s Articles of Association may 
only be amended by special resolution and 
in accordance with AIM Rule 26 and are 
available on the Company’s website at www.
nakedwinesplc.co.uk/about-us/our-board-
corporate-governance/corporate-governance

f) Share capital
The authorised and called-up share capital 
of the Company, together with details of the 
ordinary shares allotted and purchased during 
the year, are shown in note 31 to the financial 
statements.

76

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

g) Major shareholders 
At 15 May 2020 the following interests of shareholders in excess of 3% have been notified to 
the Company:

Number of ordinary  
shares held
8,390,333

Ordinary shares as %  
of issued share capital
11.51

Shareholder
Apthorp Family

Conifer Capital Mgt (New York)

JMX Capital

T Rowe Price International

Punch Card Capital

7,158,805

4,746,734

4,746,311

4,416,386

Aberdeen Standard Investments (Standard Life)

4,097,742

Rowan Gormley

Shareholder Value Mgt

Pershing Securities

3,794,581

2,725,000

2,690,639

9.82

6.51

6.51

6.06

5.62

5.21

3.74

3.69

In accordance with the AIM Rule 26 in so far as the Company is aware, the percentage of the 
Company’s issued share capital that is not in public hands is 0.52%. This percentage comprises the 
holdings of Directors and related parties.

The Company is subject to the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

l) Financial reporting 
The Group’s trading performance is monitored 
on an ongoing basis. An annual budget is 
prepared and specific objectives and targets 
are set. The budget is reviewed and approved 
by the Board and a re-budgeting exercise 
is carried out once during the financial year. 
The key trading aspects of the business are 
monitored weekly and internal management 
and financial accounts are prepared monthly. 
The results are compared with budget and 
prior year performance. The Group’s financial 
risk management objectives and policies are 
discussed in note 28 to the financial statements.

m) Modern slavery
We take the issue of modern slavery very 
seriously. This has been addressed as part of 
our Sustainability Report and our statement 
is available here: https://www.nakedwinesplc.
co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Anti-Modern-
Slavery-Statement.pdf

n) Key performance indicators
The Group monitors a number of performance 
indicators both financial and non-financial. 
See pages 20-21 for a full list of KPIs. 

h) Change of name
As a result of the disposal of Majestic Wine, 
the Company changed its name from 
‘Majestic Wine PLC’ to ‘Naked Wines plc’ 
on 13 August 2019.

i) Political donations
During the year, no political donations were 
made.

j) Directors’ indemnities and insurance
The Company maintains directors’ and officers’ 
liability insurance which is reviewed annually 
and is permitted under the Company’s 
Articles of Association and the Companies 
Act 2006. The Company agrees to indemnify 
each Director against any liability incurred 
in relation to acts or omissions arising in the 
ordinary course of their duties. The indemnity 
applies only to the extent permitted by law. 
No Directors were indemnified during the year.

k) Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will be held at 
11.30am on 6 August 2020 at Norvic House, 
29–33 Chapel Field Road, Norwich NR2 1RP. 
The Notice of Annual General Meeting, which 
sets out the resolutions to be proposed at 
the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, 
is enclosed with this Annual Report.

The Notice specifies deadlines for exercising 
voting rights and appointing a proxy or proxies 
to vote in relation to resolutions to be passed 
at the Annual General Meeting. All proxy votes 
will be counted and the numbers for, against or 
withheld in relation to each resolution will be 
announced at the Annual General Meeting and 
published on the Company’s website.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

o) Disclosure of information to auditor
In accordance with section 418 of the 
Companies Act 2006, each Director who 
held office at the date of this Directors’ report 
confirms that, as far as he or she is aware, there 
is no relevant audit information of which the 
Group’s auditor is unaware, and he or she has 
taken all the steps that he or she ought to have 
taken as a Director in order to make himself or 
herself aware of any relevant audit information 
and to establish that the Group’s auditor is 
aware of that information. 

p) Board of Directors
Details of the Board of Directors can be found 
on pages 60 and 61.

q) Stakeholder engagement
Please refer to the section 172(1) statement 
on pages 38-39 and to the Stakeholder 
engagement initiatives mentioned on pages 
41 and 42 regarding (i) how the Directors have 
engaged with employees and have had regard 
to their interests during the financial year and (ii) 
how the Directors have had regard to the need 
to foster the Company’s business relationships 
with suppliers, customers and others, and the 
effect of that regard.

r) Disabled employee engagement
See page 64 for our accreditation as a 
Disability Confident Employer.

s) Greenhouse gas emissions reporting
Following the sale of Majestic Wine, Naked 
Wines no longer qualifies as a large undertaking 
for the purposes of the Energy Savings 
Opportunity Scheme Regulations 2014.

The Company is, however, required to disclose 
its UK energy use and associated greenhouse 
gas emissions (GHG) under the Streamlined 
Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) 
Regulations, which came into force on 1 April 
2019. Details of our report are set out on page 
53 of the Strategic Report. As this is the first 
year that the Company has had to undertake 
a GHG emissions assessment to comply with 
SECR, no specific measurable energy efficiency 
actions have yet been undertaken.

The Group, however, continues to consider a 
number of initiatives to improve our energy 
utilisation, such as improved lighting and 
heating within our buildings. Across the Group, 
we have also import wine in bulk and we are 
continuing to grow this method of importation 
for cost, quality and environmental reasons. This 
results in the reduction of CO2 emissions and 
improved efficiency of deep sea wine transit.

Directors’ responsibility statement
The Directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report and the Group and parent 
company financial statements in accordance 
with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare 
such financial statements for each financial year. 
Under that law, and as required by the AIM 
rules, the Directors are required to prepare the 
Group financial statements in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union (EU) 
and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and have 
also chosen to prepare the Company financial 
statements in accordance with Financial 
Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure 
Framework. 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 the affairs of the 
Group and parent company and of their profit 
or loss for that period.

In preparing each of the Group and parent 
company financial statements, the Directors are 
required to: 
 G Select suitable accounting policies and then 

apply them consistently

 G Make judgements and accounting estimates 

that are reasonable and prudent

 G State whether Financial Reporting Standard 

101 Reduced Disclosure Framework has been 
followed, subject to any material departures 
disclosed and explained in the financial 
statements

 G Prepare the financial statements on the going 
concern basis unless it is inappropriate to 
presume that the Group and parent company 
will continue in business

In preparing the Group financial statements, 
International Accounting Standard 1 
Presentation of Financial Statements requires 
that Directors:
 G Properly select and apply accounting policies
 G Present information, including accounting 

policies, in a manner that provides relevant, 
reliable, comparable and understandable 
information 

 G Provide additional disclosures when 

compliance with the specific requirements 
in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users 
to understand the impact of particular 
transactions, other events and conditions on 
the Group’s financial position and financial 
performance

 G Assess the Group’s ability to continue as a 

going concern

The Directors are responsible for keeping 
adequate accounting records that are 
sufficient to show and explain the Group and 
parent company’s transactions and disclose 

with reasonable accuracy at any time the 
financial position of the Group and parent 
company and enable them to ensure that 
the financial statements comply with the 
Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible 
for safeguarding the assets of the Group 
and parent company and hence for taking 
reasonable steps for the prevention and 
detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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.

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:
 G The financial statements, prepared in 
accordance with the relevant financial 
reporting framework, give a true and fair 
view of the assets, liabilities, financial position 
and profit or loss of the Group and parent 
company and the undertakings included in 
the consolidation taken as a whole

 G The Strategic Report includes a fair review 
of the development and performance of 
the business and the position of the Group 
and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole, together 
with the description of the principal risks and 
uncertainties that they face

 G The Annual Report and financial statements, 

taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and 
understandable and provide the information 
necessary for the shareholders to assess the 
Group and parent company’s position and 
performance, business model and strategy

This responsibility statement was approved 
by the Board of Directors on 22 June 2020 
and signed on its behalf below.

Auditor
A resolution to reappoint Deloitte LLP as 
auditor of the Group will be put to the Annual 
General Meeting.

The Directors will also be given the authority 
to fix the auditor’s remuneration.

Approved by the Board of directors

Nicholas Devlin
Chief Executive Officer 
24 June 2020

James Crawford
Chief Financial Officer 
24 June 2020

Registered in England and Wales 
No. 2281640

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

77

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
Report on the audit of the financial statements

1. Opinion
In our opinion:
 G the financial statements of Naked Wines plc (the ‘parent company’) and 
its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) give a true and fair view of the state of the 
group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as at 30 March 2020 and 
of the group’s profit for the year then ended;

 G the group financial statements have been properly prepared in 

accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) 
as adopted by the European Union;

 G the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared 
in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union and as 
applied in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice, including financial reporting standard 101 
“reduced disclosure framework”; and

 G the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 

the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:
 G the group income statement;
 G the group statement of comprehensive income;
 G the group and parent company statements of changes in equity;
 G the group and parent company balance sheets;
 G the group cash flow statement;
 G the statement of accounting policies; and
 G the related notes 1 to 57.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of 
the group financial statements is applicable law and IFRSs as adopted by the 
European Union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in 
the preparation of the parent company financial statements is applicable law 
and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 101 “Reduced 
Disclosure Framework” (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice).

2. Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on 
Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those 
standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit 
of the financial statements section of our report. 

We are independent of the group and the parent company in accordance 
with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial 
statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s (the ‘FRC’s’) 
Ethical Standard as applied to listed entities, and we have fulfilled our other 
ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and 
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

3. Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters

Materiality

Scoping

Significant changes 
in our approach

The key audit matter that we identified in the current 
year was:
 G Risk of fraudulent recognition of revenue through 

management override.

The materiality that we used for the group financial 
statements was £2.5 million which was determined 
using group revenue from continuing operations as 
the key benchmark. 

We have performed full scope audit procedures over 
100% of the Group’s revenue from continuing 
operations and 99% of net assets. We have also 
performed a full scope audit over 93.7% of the revenue 
from discontinued operations. The remaining group 
entities were subject to analytical procedures.

In the prior year impairment of Majestic Wine store 
assets was identified as the key audit matter. This has 
not been included in the current year as the group 
disposed of this component. In the current year we 
identified fraudulent recognition of revenue through 
management override as a new key audit matter. 

In the prior year materiality was determined using a 
blended rate of financial metrics including revenue, 
normalised pre-tax profits and net assets. In the 
current year materiality has been determined using 
revenue from continuing operations as the sole metric.

The following components were within full scope for 
the group audit in the prior year and are no longer in 
scope:
 G Lay & Wheeler Limited

The following components were not in full scope for 
the group audit in the prior year and are in scope in 
the current year:
 G  Naked Wines Australia (Pty) Limited 

There have been no other significant changes in our 
approach in the period to 30 March 2020 compared to 
the prior period. 

We have nothing to 
report in respect of 
these matters.

4. Conclusions relating to going concern

We are required by ISAs (UK) to report in respect 
of the following matters where:
 G  the directors’ use of the going concern basis 
of accounting in preparation of the financial 
statements is not appropriate; or 

 G the directors have not disclosed in the financial 
statements any identified material uncertainties 
that may cast significant doubt about the 
group’s or the parent company’s ability to 
continue to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting for a period of at least twelve 
months from the date when the financial 
statements are authorised for issue.

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

5. Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the financial statements of the current period 
and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) that we identified. These matters included those which 
had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy, the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide 
a separate opinion on these matters.

5.1. Risk of fraudulent recognition of revenue through management override

Key audit matter 
description

The group generated revenue from continuing operations of £202.9m in the year end 2020 (2019: £178.4m). Revenue consists of sales of 
wine to subscription and one off customers, and is recognised on delivery of the goods provided. 

Revenue is a key metric when evaluating the performance of the business, and has received increased scrutiny externally and internally 
in the current year due to the disposal of the high street and fine wine divisions of the group in order to focus on management’s growth 
strategy for the remaining online business. As a result, this year we newly identified a potential risk of bias or fraud through management 
manipulation of revenue journal entries. As Naked Wines is an online retail business, sales journals are collated based on data recorded 
automatically in the online sales system at point of order. Given the high volume and low value of individual sales transactions, we 
considered the risk of material error to be as a result of manual journals posted by management to override financial reporting 
processes and controls. 

The accounting policy for revenue recognition is on page 94.

How the scope of 
our audit responded 
to the key audit 
matter

In order to address the risk of fraudulent recognition of revenue due to management override, our procedures included: 
 G Obtaining an understanding of the relevant controls over the appropriate recognition of revenue, in particular the reconciliation 

between sales order reports, the revenue recorded in the general ledger and cash received.

 G Reviewing and understanding the revenue recognition policy to understand characteristics that might indicate revenue journal 

entries outside the normal course of business.

 G Using our data analytics tools to identify a population of manual entries to revenue, from which we have selected a sample of 
items. We have challenged management on the business rationale for these entries and obtained supporting evidence to 
corroborate management’s explanations.

 G Performing a historical monthly gross margin analysis to identify and investigate any unusual trends or fluctuations in the data 

which were not in line with our knowledge of the business. 

Key observations

As a result of the procedures performed, we concluded that revenue had been recognised appropriately in accordance with the revenue 
recognition policy and accounting standards.

6. Our application of materiality
6.1. Materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable that the economic decisions of a reasonably 
knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the scope of our audit work and in evaluating the results of 
our work.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Materiality

Basis for 
determining 
materiality

Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

Group financial statements
£2.5m (2019: £2.7m)

1.3% of revenue from continuing operations.

In the prior year we considered a combination of three benchmarks: revenue, 
normalised pre-tax profits and net assets. Materiality represented 0.5% of revenue, 
and 2.4% of net assets.

We determined materiality based on revenue from continuing operations given that 
the simplified Naked Wines group is focussed on growth and therefore revenue is the 
key measure of overall performance used by stakeholders. As the group is currently 
pursuing a reinvestment strategy, profits are volatile and do not represent a stable 
measure on which to base materiality. Following the disposal of the Majestic Wines 
high street retail business and the store asset network, net assets are no longer 
considered as relevant to the group given they are now an online only business. 
Accordingly, we have changed the basis of determining materiality to focus on 
revenue for the current year.

Parent company financial statements
£1.2m (2019: £1.2m)

Parent company materiality equates to 1.1% 
(2019: 2.8%) of net assets.

As the parent company is non-trading we have 
determined net assets to be the appropriate 
benchmark.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

79

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
Report on the audit of the financial statements continued

6. Our application of materiality (continued)

Group materiality
£2.5m

Component materiality
range £1.225 to £0.875m

Audit Committee reporting
threshold £0.125m

Revenue from continuing operations

6.2. Performance materiality
We set performance materiality at a level lower than materiality to reduce the 
probability that, in aggregate, uncorrected and undetected misstatements 
exceed the materiality for the financial statements as a whole. Group 
performance materiality was set at 70% of group materiality for the 2020 audit 
(2019: 70%). We have set performance materiality at this level reflecting the 
following factors, namely:
 G Changes in the business, primarily the disposal of the high street and 
fine wine divisions. This simplified the business and leaves the group 
less exposed to high street retail risks.

 G The nature, size and volume of adjustments identified in the prior year 
and whether these occurred in the continuing or discontinued parts 
of the business. 

 G Low turnover of key management personnel and finance staff.

6.3. Error reporting threshold
We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to the Committee 
all audit differences in excess of £125k (2019: £135k), as well as differences 
below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative 
grounds. We also report to the Audit Committee on disclosure matters that 
we identified when assessing the overall presentation of the financial 
statements.

7. An overview of the scope of our audit
7.1. Identification and scoping of components
Naked Wines Plc are 100% owners of Naked Wines International Ltd, which 
acts as a holding company for the three Naked Wines trading companies, 
based in the USA, the UK and Australia, as well as the non-trading 
components. In addition Naked Wines Plc disposed of its 100% 
shareholdings in Majestic Wine Warehouses Ltd, Lay & Wheeler Ltd, Les 
Celliers de Calais S.A. and Vinotheque Holdings Ltd during the current year. 

Our group audit was scoped on an entity basis, assessing components 
against the risk of material misstatement at the group level. We considered 
group wide controls, and the quantum of financial statement balances 
and individual financial statement transactions of a significant nature. 

We performed full scope audit procedures on all significant trading 
companies in the UK, USA and Australia. The results taken together for 
these entities account for over 99% (2019: 92%) of the group’s revenue 
from continuing operations, pre-tax profits and net assets. 

We have performed a full scope audit over income statement balances of the 
disposed subsidiary, Majestic Wine Warehouses Ltd, as this contributes a 
significant proportion of the results from discontinued operations. In the prior 
year Lay & Wheeler Ltd was included as a full scope component for qualitative 
reasons as we were aware of potential plans to sell the business, although it 
was not quantitatively significant to the results of the group. This component 
was disposed after 6 months of the current year and is no longer 
quantitatively or qualitatively significant and therefore has not been included 
in full scope. Analytical review procedures have been performed on the 
income statement balances up to the date of disposal. At the parent entity 
level, we tested the consolidation process and carried out analytical 
procedures to confirm there were no material misstatements in the 

80

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

aggregated financial information of the group’s non trading subsidiaries that 
were not subject to full scope audit. 

All UK entities were audited by one team in the UK led by the Senior Statutory 
Auditor. Audit work at all audit locations was executed at a local component 
materiality level determined by reference to the scale of the business 
concerned, with all entities using a materiality lower than group materiality. 
Component materiality applied ranged from £875,000 to £1.2 million 
(2019: £1.1 million to £2.3 million). 

At the group level we have performed testing over the group consolidation, 
including tying through all component reporting packs for in scope entities 
to the consolidation, and testing consolidation adjustments. Procedures 
performed to test consolidation adjustments include challenging 
management as to the business rationale for the entries and obtaining 
supporting evidence to corroborate management’s explanations. We have 
performed analytical reviews of the balances in components that are not in 
scope to understand any indications of risk in the balance which would 
require further work to be performed. 

7.2. Working with other auditors
We have engaged with component audit teams to perform work over the 
USA and Australian trading divisions, which are both full scope components 
in the current year. Detailed instructions were sent to the USA and Australia 
component audit teams, who were included in team briefings to discuss risk 
assessment.

We have attended calls with component audit teams, including close calls at 
the conclusion of the audit work which were attended by The Senior Statutory 
Auditor. Due to travel restrictions in place as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak 
we have not visited components in person but have obtained remote access 
to working papers in order to review the work performed and have reviewed 
component reporting documents.

8. Other information
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information 
comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the 
financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information 
and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not 
express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is 
to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other 
information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our 
knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially 
misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material 
misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material 
misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the 
other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude 
that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are 
required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in respect of these matters.

9. Responsibilities of directors
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, and for such internal 
control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of 
financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to 
fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for 
assessing the group’s and the parent company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using 
the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to 
liquidate the group or the parent company or to cease operations, or have 
no realistic alternative but to do so.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

10. Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the 
financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether 
due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our 
opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a 
guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always 
detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from 
fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, 
they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of 
users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial 
statements is located on the FRC’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/
auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

11. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
 G 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; and

 G the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in 

accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent 
company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have 
not identified any material misstatements in the strategic report or the 
directors’ report.

12. Matters on which we are required to report by exception
12.1. Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our 
opinion:
 G we have not received all the information and explanations we require 

for our audit; or

 G 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

 G the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with 

the accounting records and returns.

We have nothing to report in respect of these matters.

12.2. Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are also required to report if in our 
opinion certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration have not been made.

We have nothing to report in respect of this matter.

13. Use of our report
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.

Paul Schofield FCA (Senior statutory auditor) 
For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP 
Statutory Auditor 
Cambridge, United Kingdom

24 June 2020

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

81

Year ended 
30 March 2020 
£’000

Note

Restated 
See note 5 and 13 
Year ended
1 April 2019 
£’000

6

9

11

8

12

13 

15

15

202,911

(125,352)

77,559

(34,955)

(47,478)

(4,874)

(501)

(5,375)

(1,931)

(3,646)

202

(5,375)

(1,310)

(6,685)

14,837

8,152

(9.3p)

11.3p

11.1p

178,438

(109,969)

68,469

(30,057)

(47,528)

(9,116)

(789)

(9,905)

(3,747)

(5,004)

(1,154)

(9,905)

278

(9,627)

227

(9,400)

(13.7p)

(13.3p)

(13.3p)

Group income statement
For the year ended 30 March 2020

Continuing operations

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit
Distribution costs

Administrative expenses

Operating loss (“EBIT”)
Net finance charges

Loss before tax from continuing operations

Analysed as:

Adjusted loss before tax
Adjusted items:

– Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions

– Other adjusted items

Loss before tax from continuing operations
Tax

Loss from continuing operations

Discontinued operations
Profit from discontinued operations, net of tax

Profit/(loss) for the period

Loss per share – Continuing operations
Basic and diluted

Earnings/(loss) per share – Total group
Basic

Diluted

82

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Group statement of comprehensive income
For the year ended 30 March 2020

Profit/(loss) for the period

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Other comprehensive (losses)/income

Total comprehensive income/(losses) for the period

Year ended 
30 March 2020 
£’000

8,152

Year ended 
1 April 2019 
£’000

(9,400)

(1,320)

(1,320)

6,832

215

215

(9,185)

The total comprehensive income for the year and the loss for the prior year is wholly attributable to the equity holders of the parent company, Naked Wines plc.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

83

 
 
 
Group statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 30 March 2020

At 2 April 2018
Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income for the period

Shares issued

Credit to equity for equity settled share based 
payments – ongoing

Credit to equity for equity settled share based 
payments – acquisition related

Dividends paid

Deferred tax on share based payment

At 1 April 2019
Adjustment on initial application of IFRS 16

Profit for the period

Other comprehensive losses for the period

Shares issued

Credit to equity for equity settled share 
based payments

Dividends paid

Deferred tax on share based payment

31

33

33

14

12

2

31

33

14

12

Note

Share 
capital
£’000

5,363

Share 
premium
£’000

Capital reserve 
– own shares
£’000

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£’000

Currency 
translation 
reserve
£’000

20,989

(17)

363

–

–

48

–

–

–

–

–

–

127

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Retained 
earnings
£’000

91,717

(9,400)

Total 
shareholders’ 
funds
£’000

120,901

(9,400)

–

(44)

909

1,499

(5,188)

84

215

131

909

1,499

(5,188)

84

2,486

–

215

–

–

–

–

–

5,411

21,116

(17)

363

2,701

79,577

109,151

–

–

–

55

–

–

–

–

–

–

46

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1,320)

–

–

–

–

36

8,152

–

(53)

1,695

(3,786)

(397)

36

8,152

(1,320)

48

1,695

(3,786)

(397)

At 30 March 2020

5,466

21,162

(17)

363

1,381

85,224

113,579

84

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Group balance sheet
As at 30 March 2020

Non-current assets
Goodwill and intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Investment property
En primeur purchases
Prepaid operating lease costs
Deferred tax assets
Other receivables

Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
En primeur purchases
Financial instruments at fair value
Cash and cash equivalents

Assets classified as held for sale

Total assets
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
En primeur deferred income
Deferred Angel and other income
Bank overdraft
Lease liabilities
Provisions
Deferred lease inducements
Bond financing
Financial instruments at fair value
Current tax liabilities

Non-current liabilities
En primeur deferred income
Deferred lease inducements
Provisions
Bank loan
Lease liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities

Total liabilities
Net assets
Shareholders' funds
Called-up share capital
Share premium
Capital reserve – own shares
Capital redemption reserve
Currency translation reserve
Retained earnings

Equity shareholders' funds

Note

30 March 2020 
£’000

1 April 2019 
£’000

16
17
18
19
20
21
12
23

22
23
20
28

24 

25
20
28
26
27
29
30
26
28
12 

20
30
29
26
27
12

31
31
31/32
31
31

35,996
1,234
5,289
899
–
–
3,309
13,005
59,732

69,935
5,737
–
539
54,736
130,947
953
131,900
191,632

(26,046)
–
(43,632)
–
(1,165)
(1,165)
–
(84)
(143)
–
(72,235)

–
–
(348)
–
(4,198)
(1,272)
(5,818)
(78,053)
113,579

5,466
21,162
(17)
363
1,381
85,224
113,579

45,153
54,301
–
–
897
647
2,259
–
103,257

119,464
18,132
4,296
–
19,093
160,985
–
160,985
264,242

(66,363)
(5,564)
(39,657)
(12,096)
–
(2,344)
(397)
(99)
(3,011)
(123)
(129,654)

(1,068)
(1,502)
(203)
(22,444)
–
(220)
(25,437)
(155,091)
109,151

5,411
21,116
(17)
363
2,701
79,577
109,151

The financial statements of Naked Wines plc (company registration number 02281640) were approved by the Board and authorised for issue on 24 June 2020 
and were signed on its behalf by James Crawford.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group cash flow statement
For the year ended 30 March 2020

Cash utilised by operating activities
Cash utilised by operations

UK income tax paid

Overseas income tax paid

Net cash utilised by operating activities – continuing operations
Net cash generated from operating activities – discontinued operations

Net cash generated by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Disposal of discontinued operations, net of cash disposed of

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

Purchase of intangible fixed assets

Net cash generated/(used) in investing activities – continuing operations
Net cash used in investing activities – discontinued operations

Net cash generated/(used) in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Interest paid

Issue of ordinary share capital

Repayments of principal under lease liabilities

Draw down of borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Equity dividends paid

Net cash (used in)/from financing activities – continuing operations
Net cash (used in)/from financing activities – discontinued operations

Net cash (used in)/from financing activities

Net increase in cash
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

86

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Year ended 
30 March 2020 
£’000

Restated
See note 5 
Year ended 
1 April 2019 
£’000

(117)

(276)

(268)

(661)

22,290

21,629

63,761

(569)

(544)

62,648

(2,430)

60,218

(344)

53

(1,153)

–

(22,459)

(3,786)

(27,689)

(6,625)

(34,314)

47,533

6,997

206

54,736

(8,774)

(35)

(127)

(8,936)

14,774

5,838

–

(589)

(331)

(920)

(6,092)

(7,012)

(638)

131

–

9,500

(2,346)

(5,188)

1,459

2

1,461

287

6,781

(71)

6,997

Note

35

35

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Notes to the financial statements

1 General Information
Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wine plc), “the Company” is a public 
limited company and is incorporated in the United Kingdom under the 
Companies Act 2006 and is registered in England and Wales. The Company 
is the ultimate controlling party of the Naked group and its ordinary shares 
are traded on the Alternative Investment Market (“AIM”). 

The address of the registered office is given on the inside back cover. The 
Group’s principal activity is the retailing of wines, beers and spirits. The 
Company’s principal activity is to act as a holding company for its subsidiaries.

2 Adoption of new and revised standards
In the current year, the Group, for the first time, has applied IFRS 16 Leases. 
The date of initial application of IFRS 16 for the Group is 2 April 2019.

IFRS 16 introduces new or amended requirements with respect to lease 
accounting. It introduces significant changes to the lessee accounting by 
removing the distinction between operating and finance leases requiring the 
recognition of a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at commencement for 
all leases, except for short-term leases and leases of low-value assets. 

The Group is not party to any material leases where it acts as a lessor, but 
the Group does have a number of property and equipment leases.

Details of the Group’s accounting policies under IFRS 16 are set out below, 
followed by a description of the impact of adopting IFRS 16. Significant 
judgements applied in the adoption of IFRS 16 included determining the 
lease term for those leases with termination or extension options and 
determining an incremental borrowing rate where the rate implicit in 
a lease could not be readily determined.

Accounting policies under IFRS 16 Leases
The Group assesses whether a contract is or contains a lease, at inception of 
the contract. The Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a corresponding 
lease liability with respect to all lease arrangements in which it is the lessee, 
except for short-term leases (defined as leases with a lease term of 12 months 
or less) and leases of low-value assets (defined as leases of a value of less than 
the equivalent of £5,000). For these leases, the Group recognises the lease 
payments as an operating expense on a straight-line basis over the term of 
the lease unless another systematic basis is more representative of the time 
pattern in which economic benefits from the leased assets are consumed. 
The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease 
payments that are not paid at the commencement date, discounted by 
using the rate implicit in the lease. If this rate cannot be readily determined, 
the Group uses its incremental borrowing rate.

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise 
fixed lease payments (including in substance fixed payments), less any lease 
incentives.

The lease liability is presented as a separate line in the consolidated 
balance sheet.

The lease liability is subsequently measured by increasing the carrying 
amount to reflect interest on the lease liability (using the effective interest 
method) and by reducing the carrying amount to reflect the lease payments 
made.

The Group remeasures the lease liability (and makes a corresponding 
adjustment to the related right-of-use asset) whenever:
 G The lease term has changed or there is a change in the assessment 
of exercise of a purchase option, in which case the lease liability is 
remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using a 
revised discount rate

 G A lease contract is modified and the lease modification is not 

accounted for as a separate lease, in which case the lease liability 
is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using 
a revised discount rate

The Group did not make any such adjustments during the periods presented.

The right-of-use assets comprise the initial measurement of the 
corresponding lease liability, lease payments made at or before the 
commencement day and any initial direct costs. They are subsequently 
measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Right-of-use assets are depreciated over the shorter period of lease term 
and useful life of the underlying asset. The depreciation starts at the 
commencement date of the lease. The Group does not have any leases that 
include purchase options or transfer ownership of the underlying asset.

The right-of-use assets are presented as a separate line in the consolidated 
balance sheet.

Variable rents that do not depend on an index or rate are not included in the 
measurement of the lease liability and the right-of-use asset. The related 
payments are recognised as an expense in the period in which the event 
or condition that triggers those payments occurs and are included in the 
consolidated income statement.

For short-term leases (lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low-value 
assets, the Group has opted to recognise a lease expense on a straight-line 
basis as permitted by IFRS 16. This expense is presented within administrative 
expenses in the consolidated income statement.

As a practical expedient, IFRS 16 permits a lessee not to separate non-lease 
components, and instead account for any lease and associated non-lease 
components as a single arrangement. The Group has not used this practical 
expedient.

Approach to transition
The Group has applied IFRS 16 using the modified retrospective approach, 
without restatement of the comparative information. In respect of those 
leases the Group previously treated as operating leases, the Group has 
elected to measure its right-of-use assets arising from property leases using 
the approach set out in IFRS 16.C8(b)(ii). Under IFRS 16.C8(b)(ii), the 
right-of-use assets are set equal to the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid 
or accrued lease payments, including un-amortised lease incentives at 
transition date.

Other leases previously treated as operating leases have been measured 
following the approach in IFRS 16.C8(b)(i), whereby right-of-use assets are 
calculated as if the standard applied at lease commencement, but 
discounted using the borrowing rate at the date of initial application.

The Group’s weighted average incremental borrowing rate applied to 
lease liabilities as at 2 April 2019 ranges from 3.205% to 3.918%.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

87

Notes to the financial statements
continued

2 Adoption of new and revised standards (continued)
Financial impact
The application of IFRS 16 to leases previously classified as operating leases under IAS 17 resulted in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. 
Operating lease incentives previously recognised as liabilities have been derecognised and factored into the measurement of the right-of-use assets and 
lease liabilities.

The Group has chosen to use the table below to set out the adjustments recognised at the date of initial application of IFRS 16.

As previously 
reported at 
1 April 2019
£’000

Impact of  
IFRS 16
£’000

As restated
2 April 2019
£’000

Non-current assets
Goodwill and intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Right-of-use assets

Other non-current assets

Current assets
Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total impact on assets

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables

Lease liabilities

Bank overdraft and loans

Current tax liabilities

Non-current liabilities
Lease liabilities

Bank loan

Other payables 

Total impact on liabilities

Retained earnings

45,153

54,301

–

3,803

119,464

22,428

19,093

264,242

(117,435)

–

(12,096)

(123)

–

–

59,436

482

–

(1,543)

–

58,375

397

(9,840)

–

–

–

(50,357)

(22,444)

(2,993)

(155,091)

–

1,461

45,153

54,301

59,436

4,285

119,464

20,885

19,093

322,617

(117,038)

(9,840)

(12,096)

(123)

(50,357)

(22,444)

(1,532)

(58,339)

(213,430)

109,151

36

109,187

Of the right-of-use assets of £59.4m recognised at 2 April 2019, £58.5m related to leases of property and £0.9m to leases of plant and motor vehicles.

Operating lease commitments at 1 April 2019 as disclosed in the Group’s consolidated financial statements:

Operating lease commitments disclosed under IAS 17 at 1 April 2019

Short-term and low value lease commitments straight-line expensed under IFRS 16

Adjustments re embedded leases not previously recorded as operating lease commitments

Adjustments re lease terms re-assessed under IFRS 16

Other adjustments relating to commitment disclosures

Effect of discounting 

Lease liabilities recognised at 2 April 2019
Disclosed as:

Current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

88

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

£’000
73,018

281

1,216

(5,224)

(221)

(8,873)

60,197

9,840

50,357

60,197

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

In terms of the income statement impact, the application of IFRS 16 resulted in a decrease in other operating expenses and an increase in depreciation and 
interest expense compared with IAS 17. During the financial year ended 30 March 2020, in relation to leases under IFRS 16, the Group recognised the following 
amounts in the consolidated income statement:

Cost of sales

Distribution costs

Administrative expenses

Operating loss/(profit)

Net interest payable

Loss/(profit) before tax

Revenue

Distribution costs

Administrative expenses

Other operating income

Operating loss/(profit)

Net interest payable

Loss/(profit) before tax

Continuing operations

Loss on 
disposal 
of lease
£’000
–

8

–

8

–

8

Finance 
charges
£’000
–

Net lease  
expense
£’000
(246)

–

–

–

156

156

(332)

(685)

(1,263)

–

(1,263)

Discontinued operations

Gain on 
disposal 
of lease
£’000
–

Net finance 
charges
£’000
–

Net lease  
expense/
income
£’000
115

(6)

–

–

(6)

–

(6)

–

–

–

–

1,260

1,260

(7,479)

(191)

27

(7,528)

–

(7,528)

Depreciation
£’000
234

306

623

1,163

–

1,163

Depreciation
£’000
–

6,764

71

–

6,835

–

6,835

Total
£’000

(12)

(18)

(62)

(92)

156

64

Total
£’000

115

(721)

(120)

27

(699)

1,260

561

The following new amendments effective in the year do not have an impact on the financial statement of the group:

IFRS
Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle

Subject

IAS 19 (amendments)

IAS 28 (amendments)

IFRIC 23

Plan Amendment, Curtailment or Settlement

Long-term Interests in Associates and Joint Ventures

 Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments

IFRS 9 (amendments)

Prepayment Features with Negative Compensation

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the Group has not applied the following new and revised IFRS’s that have been issued but are not 
yet effective.

IFRS
Amendments to References to the Conceptual Framework in IFRS Standards

Subject

IFRS 3 (amendments)

Definition of a Business

IAS 1 and IAS 8 (amendments)

Definition of Material

IFRS 9, IAS 39 and IFRS 7 (amendments)

Interest Rate Benchmark Reform

The Directors do not expect that the adoption of the standards listed above will have a material impact on the financial statements of the Group in future periods.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

89

Notes to the financial statements
continued

3 Accounting policies
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these 
consolidated financial statements are set out below. These policies have been 
consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated. 

3.1 Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the 
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). The financial statements 
have also been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU 
and therefore the Group financial statements comply with Article 4 of the 
EU IAS Regulations.

The Group’s financial reporting year represents the 52 weeks to 30 March 
2020 and the prior financial year, 52 weeks to 1 April 2019.

The consolidated financial statements are presented in GBP, the functional 
and presentational currency of the parent company. 

All intra-Group transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated 
on consolidation.

3.4 Presentation of adjusted items
The Group’s income statement and segmental analysis separately identify 
trading results before certain adjusted items. The Directors believe that 
presentation of the Group’s results in this way is relevant to understanding the 
Group’s financial performance by providing additional useful information for 
shareholders on underlying trends and performance. Adjusted items are 
identified by virtue of their size, nature or incidence. This presentation is 
consistent with the way that financial performance is measured by 
management and reported to the Board and provides a meaningful analysis 
of the trading results of the Group. In determining whether an event or 
transaction should be adjusted for, management considers quantitative as 
well as qualitative factors such as the frequency or predictability of the item. 
Details of adjusted items can be found in note 8.

The financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis except 
for financial instruments which are measured at fair values as at the end of 
each reporting period, as explained in the accounting policies below.

3.5 Cost of sales
Cost of sales consists of the cost of the product, including excise duties, 
credit card processing charges and the cost of the online selling teams.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with adopted IFRS 
requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires 
management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the 
Group’s accounting policies.

Naked Wines generally trades with its suppliers on a simple purchase price 
agreement with no complex buying arrangements in place. Any supplier 
incentives, rebates and discounts are simple in nature and are recognised 
within cost of sales as they are earned. 

The Company has taken advantage of the exemption provided in section 408 
of the Companies Act 2006 not to publish its individual income statement 
and related notes. The Company has not made any other comprehensive 
income and consequently has not presented a statement of comprehensive 
income for the year.

3.6 Finance costs
Financing expenses comprise interest payable under the effective interest 
rate method, including the amortisation of loan arrangement fees. Finance 
income comprises interest receivable on funds invested, positive cash 
balance and accrued income on the Vendor loan note. (See 3.19 below). 

3.2 Going concern
The Directors have, at the time of approving the financial statements, a 
reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate 
resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. 

Despite current accelerated trading, which will further the group’s ability to 
drive growth and future profitability if sustained, management has produced 
forecasts that have been sensitised to reflect plausible downside scenarios as 
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Group and its global 
markets, which have been reviewed by the Board of Directors. These 
forecasts demonstrate that the Group has access to sufficient cash reserves 
(net cash £54.7m at 30 March 2020, no bank debt), for the forecast period of 
more than twelve months beyond the date of the signing of these financial 
statements, to enable the Group to meet its obligations as they fall due.

Accordingly, the Directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting in preparing the financial statements. See page 35 for a fuller 
description of the scenarios that the Directors have reviewed in their 
consideration of the assumption of going concern. 

3.3 Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of 
Naked Wines plc and entities controlled by the Company (its subsidiaries). 
Control is achieved where the Company has:
 G Power over the investee;
 G Is exposed, or has rights, to variable return from its involvement with 

the investee; and

 G Has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

The Group 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.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the period are 
included in the consolidated income statement from the effective date of 
acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. 

Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed where necessary to 
ensure consistency with the policies adopted by the Group. 

90

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

3.7 Share based payments
The Group operates a number of equity-settled share based compensation 
plans. The fair value of the employee services received in exchange for the 
grant of shares or options is recognised as an expense over the vesting 
period. The total amount to be expensed over the vesting period is 
determined by reference to the fair value of shares or options granted, 
excluding the impact of any non-market vesting conditions (for example, 
profitability and sales growth targets). Non-market vesting conditions are 
included in assumptions about the number of shares or options that are 
expected to vest. At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its estimates 
of the number of shares or options that are expected to vest and recognises 
the impact of the revision to original estimates, if any, in the income 
statement, with a corresponding adjustment to equity.

3.8 Taxation
Income tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and 
deferred tax. 

Current tax 
Income tax is recognised in the income statement. Current tax is the 
expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates 
enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date, and any adjustment 
to tax payable in respect of previous years. 

Deferred tax 
Deferred taxation is accounted for in respect of temporary differences 
between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the financial 
statements and the corresponding tax bases used in computation of taxable 
profit. Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply in 
the periods in which the asset or liability is settled based on tax rates (and tax 
laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet 
date. It is recognised in the income statement except when it relates to items 
credited or charged directly to other comprehensive income, in which case 
the deferred tax is also recognised in equity. 

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that future 
taxable profit will be available against which the temporary difference can be 
utilised. Their carrying amount is reviewed at each balance sheet date on the

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Financials

same basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when they relate to 
income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and when the Group 
intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis.

3.11 Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and 
any impairment losses.

Deferred income tax liabilities are recognised for all temporary differences, 
except where the deferred income tax liability arises from the initial 
recognition of goodwill or an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a 
business combination and at the time of the transaction affects neither the 
accounting profit nor taxable profit or loss and in respect of taxable 
temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries where the 
timing of the reversal of the temporary differences can be controlled and it is 
probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable 
future.

3.9 Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the exchange rate on the 
date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in 
foreign currencies at the balance sheet date are translated at the exchange 
rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation 
are recognised in the income statement for the year.

The consolidated financial statements are presented in GBP which is the 
Group’s functional and presentational currency. Each entity in the Group 
determines its own functional currency. The income and expenses of 
overseas subsidiaries are translated at the average rate of exchange ruling 
during the year. The balance sheet of the overseas subsidiary undertaking is 
translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet 
date. Exchange differences arising from the translation of overseas 
subsidiaries are reported in the statement of comprehensive income and are 
transferred to the Group’s currency translation reserve. 

3.10 Business combinations and goodwill
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method. 
Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination 
are measured at their fair values at the acquisition date. 

Goodwill arises when the fair value of the consideration for a business 
exceeds the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill arising on 
acquisitions is capitalised and subject to impairment review, both annually 
and when there are indications that the carrying value may not be 
recoverable.

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in a business 
combination is allocated to cash-generating units (CGUs), or groups of CGUs. 
Each unit or group of units to which the goodwill is allocated represents the 
lowest level within the entity at which the goodwill is monitored for internal 
management purposes. 

The recoverable amounts of CGU are determined based on the higher of net 
realisable value and value in use calculations. In assessing value in use, the 
estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a 
pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time 
value of money and the risks specific to the business. 

If the recoverable amount of an asset or CGU is estimated to be less than its 
carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or CGU) is reduced to its 
recoverable amount with the impairment loss being recognised in the income 
statement. 

Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the 
asset or CGU 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 CGU) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment 
loss is recognised immediately in the income statement. The Group does not 
reverse impairment losses previously recognised on goodwill.

Acquisition-related costs are recognised in the income statement as incurred. 

Amortisation is charged to the income statement on a straight-line basis over 
the estimated useful lives of each asset. The estimated useful lives are as 
follows:

Customer list and relationships

Brand

Software

Licences

6 years

8 years

2–5 years

Over the term of the licence

Customer lists and relationships and brands arise only on acquisition.

3.12 Impairment reviews
Impairment reviews in respect of other intangible and tangible assets are 
performed at least on an annual basis and furthermore when an event 
indicates that an impairment review is necessary. Examples of such triggering 
events include a significant planned restructuring, a major change in market 
conditions or technology, expectations of future operating losses, or a 
significant reduction in cash flows. See note 16 Goodwill and Intangible 
Assets for further explanation of the basis of impairment testing. 

3.13 Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. 

Depreciation is charged to the income statement on a straight-line basis to 
write the cost of an asset down to its residual value over the estimated useful 
lives of each asset. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

Freehold land 

Freehold buildings

Leasehold properties

Not depreciated 

50 years 

For the term of the lease 

Equipment, fittings and vehicles

3–10 years

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at each 
balance sheet date.

3.14 Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is 
determined on a first in, first out basis and includes expenditure incurred in 
acquiring the inventories, production or conversion costs and other costs 
in bringing them to their existing location and condition, less rebates and 
discounts. Work in progress includes advance payments to winemakers.

3.15 Deferred Angel and other income
Amounts received by the Group from Angels are initially reported as a liability 
in the balance sheet. It is recognised as revenue in the period when Angels 
use the funds to buy wine and delivery of goods is made. See note 28 
Financial Instruments for a fuller explanation of the nature of the sums 
received from our Angels and the rights and obligations the Group assumes 
in respect of these amounts.

3.16 Provisions
A provision is made when there is a present legal or constructive obligation 
as a result of a past event, for which it is probable that an outflow of economic 
benefit will be required to settle the obligation, and where the amount of the 
obligation can be reliably measured. Provisions are discounted for the time 
value of money where the effect is material.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

91

Notes to the financial statements
continued

3 Accounting policies (continued)
3.17 Leases
Group as lessee
Accounting for leases under IAS17 as set out in this note relate to the numbers 
reported in the prior year under this reporting standard. The Group adopted 
IFRS 16 under the modified retrospective approach on the 2 April 2019 and as 
such has not restated its prior year comparatives under this standard. See 
note 2 for disclosure of accounting for leases in the current year under IFRS 16. 
Assets held under finance leases, where substantially all the risks and rewards 
of ownership are transferred to the Group, are capitalised and included in 
property, plant and equipment at the lower of the present value of future 
minimum lease payments or fair value. Each asset is depreciated over the 
shorter of the lease term or its estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. 
Obligations relating to finance leases, net of finance charges in respect of 
future periods, are included under borrowings. The interest element of the 
rental obligation is allocated to accounting periods during the lease term to 
reflect a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance of the obligation 
for each accounting period. 

Leases agreements for less than one year are charged to the income 
statement on a straight-line basis over the lease period.

Group as lessor
Assets leased out under operating leases are included in property, plant and 
equipment and depreciated over their useful lives. Rental income, including 
the effect of lease incentives, is recognised on a straight-line basis over the 
lease term.

3.18 Pensions
The Group contributes to a number of defined contribution pension plans 
in respect of its employees. The contributions are charged as an expense as 
they fall due. Any contributions unpaid at the balance sheet date are included 
as an accrual at that date. The Group has no further payment obligations 
once the contributions have been paid.

3.19 Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised on the Group’s balance 
sheet when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the 
instrument. 

Trade and other receivables 
Trade and other receivables are initially measured at fair value and 
subsequently measured at amortised cost less any provision for 
impairment. Any provision for impairment is established based 
on an expected loss model.

In the current financial year, the Group acquired deferred contingent 
consideration and issued a vendor loan note in the course of the disposal 
of the Majestic Wine businesses. The deferred contingent consideration 
is held at fair value with any adjustments to value made through the 
income statement. The vendor loan note is initially measured at fair 
value and subsequently measured at amortised cost less any provision 
for impairment. Any provision for impairment is established based on 
an expected loss model. 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and in hand and short-term 
deposits, with original maturities at inception of less than 90 days. For the 
purpose of the cash flow statement, cash and cash equivalents comprise cash 
at bank, cash in hand, short-term deposits with an original maturity of three 
months or less held for the purpose of meeting short-term cash commitments 
and bank overdrafts. 

Financial liabilities and equity 
Financial liabilities and equity instruments issued by the Group are classified 
according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into and 
the definitions of a financial liability and an equity instrument. An equity 
instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets 
of the Group after deducting all of its liabilities. The accounting policies 
adopted for specific financial liabilities and equity instruments are set 
out below. 

Trade and other payables are initially recorded at fair value and subsequently 
measured at amortised cost. 

Equity instruments issued by the Group are recorded at the amount of 
the proceeds received, net of directly attributable issue costs. 

Derivative financial instruments
The Group uses derivative financial instruments to hedge its exposure to 
foreign currency fluctuations arising from operational activities. These 
instruments are primarily foreign exchange forward contracts. The Group 
does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for speculative 
purposes. 

Derivative financial instruments are initially measured at fair value on the 
contract date and are re-measured at fair value at subsequent reporting 
dates. For derivative financial instruments not designated as a hedge, the 
gain or loss on re-measurement to fair value is immediately recognised in 
the income statement. 

There were no derivatives accounted for using hedge accounting during 
the year.

3.20 Own shares
Naked Wines plc shares held by the Group are classified in shareholders’ 
equity as “Capital reserve – own shares” and are recognised at cost. No gain 
or loss is recognised in the income statement on the purchase or sale of 
such shares.

3.21 Investment property
The Group has elected to use the cost model for investment property.

4 Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements 
Estimates and assumptions underlying the preparation of the financial 
statements are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting 
estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if 
the revision affects only that period, or in the period of revision and future 
periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

In the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies, the Directors 
consider there to be no critical accounting estimates and judgements 
that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the 
financial statements. 

IAS1.125 sets out that the Group should disclose information about the major 
sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of resulting in a 
material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities within the 
next financial year. Whilst the Directors do not believe that the below contain 
such estimation uncertainty, the Directors wish to draw to the attention of the 
users of the accounts the following estimates used in the preparation of these 
financial statements.

In the determination of the valuation of the deferred contingent 
consideration due from CF Bacchus Holdco Limited on the disposal of 
the Majestic Wine businesses, the Group makes a number of accounting 
estimates including assumptions around the likelihood of a significant 
disruption to trade in Majestic Wine’s Calais business following the UK’s 

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departure from the European Union. Disruption to the regulatory landscape and consequently to the performance of the Majestic Calais business may result 
in the deferred contingent consideration not becoming receivable. The Directors currently believe that the risk of the deferred contingent consideration not 
becoming payable is low. See note 28 for the disclosure of the nominal and fair value of the deferred contingent consideration. 

In the determination of whether the vendor loan note issued to CF Bacchus Holdco Limited on the disposal of the Majestic Wines businesses is showing 
indicators of impairment, the Group makes a number of accounting estimates including assumptions made in relation to forecast cash flows of this financial 
asset and the underlying ongoing solvency of the Majestic Wines businesses and CF Bacchus Holdco Limited. At this time and on the basis of available 
evidence, the Directors do not believe that any indicators of impairment exist. 

Although significant judgements and estimates are used in determining the value in use for calculation of impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible 
assets, there is sufficient headroom available to believe that there is no significant risk of material adjustment to the carrying amount of intangibles within 
the next financial year. See note 16 for further disclosure relating to goodwill and acquired intangible fixed assets.

5 Prior year comparatives
The prior year comparatives for the Group income statement, the Group cash flow statements and associated notes to the financial statements have been 
restated and presented as if the operations had been discontinued from the start of the comparative year.

The reconciliations of the Group income statement and the Group cash flow statement as presented in the prior year financial statements to the restated 
prior year comparatives are shown below:

Reconciliation of restated prior year group income statement

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit
Distribution costs

Administrative expenses

Other operating income

Operating (loss)/profit
Net finance charge

(Loss)/profit before tax
Analysed as:

Adjusted profit/(loss) before tax
Adjusted items:
 G  Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions
 G  Other adjusted items

(Loss)/profit before tax
Tax

(Loss)/profit for the period

Year ended 1 April 2019

As reported
£’000
506,144

(366,990)

139,154

(65,612)

(82,071)

821

(7,708)

(787)

(8,495)

Discontinued 
operations
£’000
327,706

(257,021)

70,685

(35,555)

(34,543)

821

1,408

2

1,410

11,251

14,998

(5,229)

(14,517)

(8,495)

(905)

(9,400)

(225)

(13,363)

1,410

(1,183)

227

Restated
£’000
178,438

(109,969)

68,469

(30,057)

(47,528)

–

(9,116)

(789)

(9,905)

(3,747)

(5,004)

(1,154)

(9,905)

278

(9,627)

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

93

 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

5 Prior year comparatives (continued)
Reconciliation of restated prior year cash flow statement

Cash generated by operating activities
Cash generated by operations
UK income tax paid
Overseas income tax paid

Net cash generated by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Purchase of intangible fixed assets
Purchase of prepaid lease assets
Proceeds from sale of non-current assets

Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Interest paid
Issue of ordinary share capital
Draw down of borrowings
Repayment of borrowings
Equity dividends paid

Net cash from financing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash

Net increase in cash
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

Reconciliation of prior year restated adjusted items

Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions
Amortisation of acquired intangibles
Acquisition related share based payment charges

Other adjusted items
Impairment of fixed assets
Restructuring costs
Fair value movement through P&L on foreign exchange contracts
En primeur adjustment
Share based payment charges

Total adjusted items

Year ended 1 April 2019

As reported
£’000

Discontinued 
operations
£’000

Restated
£’000

16,720
(1,694)
(252)
14,774

(4,883)
(1,187)
(53)
31
(6,092)

2
–
–
–
– 
2
8,684

7,946
(1,729)
(379)
5,838

(5,472)
(1,518)
(53)
31
(7,012)

(636)
131
9,500
(2,346)
(5,188)
1,461
287

287
6,781
(71)
6,997

Year ended 1 April 2019

As reported
£’000

Discontinued 
operations
£’000

(3,871)
(1,358)
(5,229)

(11,108)
(957)
(1,540)
38
(950)
(14,517)
(19,746)

(225)
–
(225)

(11,108)
(850)
(1,001)
38
(442)
(13,363)
(13,588)

(8,774)
(35)
(127)
(8,936)

(589)
(331)
–
–
(920)

(638)
131
9,500
(2,346)
(5,188)
1,459
(8,397)

Restated
£’000

(3,646)
(1,358)
(5,004)

–
(107)
(539)
–
(508)
(1,154)
(6,158)

6 Revenue
Revenue represents the total amount receivable for the sales of goods and services, net of discounts and excluding value added tax sold, in the ordinary course 
of business.

Revenue is recognised in accordance with IFRS 15 as performance obligations are fulfilled to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to 
the Group and the revenue can be reliably measured. Prior to a customer placing an order for wine, amounts received from Angels are recognised as a financial 
liability under the terms of IFRS 9 and are therefore not considered to be a contract liability in accordance with the requirements of IFRS 15. Variable 

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consideration, such as consideration that may be subject to refund and return, is recognised when it is highly probably that a significant reversal in the amount 
of cumulative revenue will not occur when the related uncertainty is resolved. Revenue is recognised when the customer obtains control of their purchase and 
there is reasonable certainty regarding the recovery of the consideration. Specifically to the Group, the performance obligations of the Group are deemed to 
be fulfilled when our product is delivered to our customer or Angel, which is typically within one to three days following dispatch. The adjustment for unfulfilled 
contract income included as part of the deferred Angel balance is considered to be immaterial and therefore no further disclosure is made of this balance in the 
notes to the accounts. 

The Group uses its accumulated historical experience to estimate the level of returns on a portfolio level using the expected value method. As an almost 
exclusively consumer-facing business, we do not provide credit terms to our customers. 

Sale of goods
Revenue from the sale of goods represents the sale of wines, beers and spirits through the Group’s direct to consumer ecommerce channel. Sales from 
discontinued operations in the year were made in store, online and via en primeur sales. 

Revenue comprises the fair value of consideration received or receivable for the sale of goods and services in the ordinary course of the Group’s activities.

The Group does not offer payment terms and dispatches goods when funds have been received from customers. As such it does not have any significant 
payment term arrangements.

7 Segmental reporting
IFRS 8 requires operating segments to be determined based on the Group’s internal reporting to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM). The CODM has 
been determined to be the Board as it is primarily responsible for the allocation of resources to segments and the assessment of performance of the segments.

Following the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses and the Lay & Wheeler businesses, the Group only operates one distinct operating segment, being 
Naked Wines which is a customer funded international online wine retailer. 

Performance of this operating segment is assessed on revenue, adjusted EBIT (being operating profit excluding any adjusted items) and adjusted PBT (being 
profit before taxation excluding any adjusted items). These are the financial performance measures that are reported to the CODM, along with other 
operational performance measures, and are considered to be useful measures of the underlying trading performance of the segment. Adjusted items are not 
allocated to the operating segment as this reflects how they are reported to the Board. 

The table below sets out the basis on which the performance of the business is presented to the Board. The Board considers that, as a single route to market 
and solely consumer facing business, the business is comprised of a single segment being exposed to similar underlying economic drivers across its whole 
business. The Group reports revenue from external customers as a single product group being wine and associated beverages. 

Costs relating to centralised Group functions are not allocated to the operating segment for the purposes of assessing segmental performance and 
consequently central costs are presented separately. 

Revenues are attributed to the countries from which they are earned. The Group is not reliant on a major customer or group of customers.

Year ending  
30 March 2020
Revenue

Movement in en primeur sales

Reported revenue

Segment result – Adjusted EBIT
Finance income

Finance charges

Adjusted profit/(loss) before tax
Adjusted items:
 G Non cash items relating to acquisitions
 G Other adjusted items

Profit/(loss) before tax
Depreciation

Amortisation

Impairments

Continuing operations

Discontinued operations

Naked
£’000
202,911

Un-allocated
£’000
–

–

202,911

8,470

–

(179)

–

–

(9,900)

321

(643)

Total
£’000

202,911

–

202,911

(1,430)

321

(822)

Retail
£’000
177,021

Commercial
£’000
31,564

–

–

177,021

31,564

L&W
£’000
7,693

477

8,170

3,947

733

298

8,291

(10,222)

(1,931)

3,947

733

298

(3,646)

202

(5,375)

1,638

3,698

–

1,623

3,647

–

15

51

–

9,732

199

740

–

–

–

UK
£’000
211,185

64

179

–

Rest of 
Europe
£’000
5,570

Total
£’000
216,278

477

Group

Total 
£’000
419,189

477

216,755

419,666

4,978

11

(1,283)

3,706

(113)

(1,423)

2,170

9,795

378

740

Total
£’000

3,548

332

(2,105)

1,775

(3,759)

(1,221)

(3,205)

11,433

4,075

740

Group
total
£’000

216,755

419,666

Geographical analysis
Reported revenue

Non-current assets excluding 
deferred tax assets

UK
£’000
79,993

US
£’000
90,904

Australia
£’000
32,014

Total
£’000

202,911

51,637

4,161

625

56,423

–

–

–

56,423

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

95

Notes to the financial statements
continued

7 Segmental reporting (continued)

Restated year ending
1 April 2019

Revenue

Movement in en primeur sales

Reported revenue

Segment result – Adjusted EBIT
Finance income

Finance charges

Adjusted profit/(loss) before tax
Adjusted items:
 G Non cash items relating to acquisitions
 G Other adjusted items

Profit/(loss) before tax

Depreciation

Amortisation

Impairments

Geographical analysis

Reported revenue

Non-current assets excluding 
deferred tax assets

UK
£’000

71,825

Continuing operations

Discontinued operations

Naked
£’000

Un-allocated
£’000

Total
£’000

Retail
£’000

Commercial
£’000

178,438

–

178,438

–

–

–

178,438

267,664

44,132

–

–

–

178,438

267,664

44,132

L&W
£’000

14,896

1,014

15,910

Total
£’000

326,692

1,014

327,706

Group

Total 
£’000

505,130

1,014

506,144

6,656

(9,614)

(2,958)

11,333

2,512

1,151

14,996

12,038

2

(77)

–

(714)

6,581

(10,328)

457

3,759

–

–

45

–

US
£’000

Australia
£’000

2

(791)

(3,747)

(5,004)

(1,154)

(9,905)

457

3,804

–

Total
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

2

–

4

(791)

11,333

2,512

1,151

14,998

11,251

(225)

(13,363)

1,410

(5,229)

(14,517)

(8,495)

5,269

311

11,108

–

–

–

82

232

–

UK
£’000

Rest of 
Europe
£’000

5,351

543

11,108

Total
£’000

5,808

4,347

11,108

Group
total
£’000

75,657

30,956

178,438

318,324

9,382

327,706

506,144

37,024

936

77

38,037

59,970

2,991

62,961

100,998

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8 Adjusted items
The Directors believe that adjusted profit before tax and adjusted diluted earnings per share measures provide additional useful information for shareholders 
on trends and performance. These measures are used for performance analysis. Adjusted profit is not defined by IFRS and therefore may not be directly 
comparable with other companies’ adjusted profit measures. It is not intended to be a substitute for, or superior to IFRS measurements of profit. The 
reconciliation from the reported prior year comparatives to the restated comparatives shown below is in note 5. The adjustments made to reported 
loss before tax are:

Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions
Amortisation of acquired intangibles

Acquisition-related share based payment charges

Other adjusted items
Restructuring costs

Fair value movement through P&L on foreign exchange contracts

Foreign exchange movements on currency bank balances

Share based payment charges

Total adjusted items

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
See note 5
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(3,646)

–

(3,646)

–

396

771

(965)

202

(3,646)

(1,358)

(5,004)

(107)

(539)

–

(508)

(1,154)

(3,444)

(6,158)

Amortisation of acquired intangibles
These items reflect costs of customer acquisition from prior to the purchase of the Naked Wines business. In order to reflect the cost of current new customer 
acquisition in its adjusted PBT, the Group includes the expenses of all ongoing customer acquisitions in its adjusted profit measures but removes the 
amortisation cost of those customers acquired before acquisition by Naked Wines plc.

Restructuring costs
The Group has incurred cash costs in 2019 in relation to Support Centre redundancy costs as part of the Group’s restructuring process. 

Fair value movement on foreign exchange contracts
We commit in advance to buying foreign currency to purchase wine in order to mitigate exchange rate fluctuations. International accounting standards require 
us to mark the value of these contracts to market at year end. As this may fluctuate materially we adjust it out to better reflect our trading profitability.

Foreign exchange movements on funding currency bank accounts
Following the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses and the Lay & Wheeler businesses during the year, the Group is now holding net cash on its balance 
sheet and this includes sums of foreign currency which it will deploy to fund its US and Australian businesses. At 30 March 2020, the FX revaluation of foreign 
currency balances held in the company were reported as adjusted items so as not to distort the picture of the underlying business cost base.

Share based payment charges
We operate SIP and LTIP schemes to incentivise employees. The majority of shares have been awarded under the LTIP scheme which delivers the shares to the 
employee subject to continued employment and the relative performance of the Group vs a set of peers in terms of total shareholder return performance. The 
relative nature of this performance criterion means that short-term fluctuations in share prices prior to the date of the award can have a material impact on the 
calculated expense of these schemes. To mitigate the volatility of these charges we adjust them out, while ensuring that we report the maximum total dilution 
from all share schemes so that our shareholders can calculate our financial performance on a fully diluted basis. See the Financial Review on page 32 for 
explanation of how the Group is proposing to account for Share based payment charges in future financial years. 

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

97

Notes to the financial statements
continued

9 Operating loss
Operating loss for the year has been arrived at after charging:

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

Amortisation of intangible fixed assets included within administrative expenses

Depreciation of right-of-use assets

Loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets

Loss on disposal of intangible assets

Net currency exchange gain

Auditor’s remuneration
Fees payable for the audit of the Company’s subsidiaries

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor and their associates for the audit of the Company’s annual accounts

Total audit fees

Audit-related assurance services

Other taxation advisory services

Total non-audit fees

Total fees paid to the Company’s auditor

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

475

3,698

1,163

86

–

(859)

359

20

379

35

41

76

455

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

457

3,804

–

9

71

–

237

18

255

30

–

30

285

98

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

10 Staff costs
The average monthly number of employees (including Directors) during the year was as follows:

Administrative and distribution

Sales

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Contributions to defined contribution pension plans

Share based payment charges – ongoing

Share based payment charges – acquisition related

Directors’ emoluments comprised:

Salary and benefits

Bonuses accrued and paid in the year relating to the current year

Payments in lieu of pension contributions to money purchase schemes & contributions to money purchase scheme (401(k))

Emoluments before share based payment charges

Share based payment charges

The highest paid Directors’ emoluments comprised:

Salary and benefits

Bonus accrued and paid in the year relating to the current year

Pension contributions to money purchase schemes

Emoluments before share based payment charges

Share based payment charges

Detailed disclosure of Directors’ remuneration is set out in the Remuneration Report on page 65.

* Details of the restatement to Director’s emoluments in the year ended 1 April 2019 can be found in the Remuneration Report on page 71. 

Year ended
30 March 2020

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019

193

140

333

176

148

324

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

17,337

1,627

585

834

–

20,383

15,991

1,644

374

422

1,473

19,904

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated* 

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

1,004

337

72

1,413

145

1,558

781

57

72

910

847

1,757

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated* 

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

248

174

38

460

64

524

298

26

34

358

758

1,116

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

99

 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

11 Finance income and charges

Finance charges
Interest payable on bank overdraft

Interest payable on revolving credit facility

Interest payable on customer funded bond

Interest on lease liabilities

Amortisation of debt issuance costs

Finance charges

Finance income
Financial instruments measured at amortised cost: 

Bank interest receivable 

Other interest receivable

Interest income on vendor loan note measured at amortised cost (note 28)

Finance income

Net finance charge

12 Taxation
(a) Taxation charge

Current income tax expense
UK income tax

Overseas income tax

Adjustment in respect of prior periods

Current income tax (charge)/credit

Deferred tax expense
Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Adjustment in respect of prior periods

Effect of change in tax rate on prior period balances

Total deferred tax credit

Total income tax (charge)/credit for the year

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(23)

(567)

–

(156)

(76)

(822)

18

28

275

321

(153)

(408)

(79)

–

(151)

(791)

2

–

–

2

(501)

(789)

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

12

(324)

(2,427)

(2,739)

1,159

246

24

1,429

(1,310)

263

(92)

10

181

99

(6)

4

97

278

In the Spring Budget 2020, the government announced that from 1 April 2020 the corporation tax rate would remain at 19% (rather than reducing to 17%, 
as previously enacted). This new law was substantively enacted on 17 March 2020.

100

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

(b) Taxation reconciliation

Loss before tax – continuing operations
Taxation credit at the standard UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2019: 19%)

Adjustments in respect of prior periods*

Overseas income tax at higher rates

Disallowable expenditure**

Deferred tax not previously recognised

Share based payments

Change in tax rate on prior period deferred tax balances

Total income tax (charge)/credit

Effective tax rate

Adjusted effective tax rate***

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(5,375)

1,021

(2,181)

95

–

(755)

410

100

(1,310)

-24.4%

-141.8%

(9,905)

1,882

4

(186)

(1,228)

–

(198)

4

278

2.8%

4.8% 

The tax charge for the year differs from the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 19% (2019: 19%). The reasons for this are detailed below:

*  Adjustments in respect of 2019 mainly relate to Group tax relief for losses surrendered to discontinued operations in previous years.

**  Disallowable expenditure in FY20 relates to modest amounts of relocation expenses and entertaining offset by non detectable provision movements. FY19 disallowable 

expenditure was driven by conservative assumptions based on the information available at that time. 

***  Adjusted effective tax excludes the impact of deferred tax so as to more closely mirror the tax on the constituents of the adjusted profit or loss before tax which also excludes 

share based payment charges and the amortisation of goodwill and intangible assets, both key drivers of the deferred tax charge.

(c) Taxation on items recorded in reserves 

Deferred tax (charge)/ credit on share based payments

Total tax on items (charged)/credited to equity

(d) Deferred tax

At beginning of year

Adjustment in respect of prior years

Credited to the income statement in the year

(Credited)/charged to other comprehensive income in the year

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign exchange

At end of year

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(397)

(397)

84

84

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

2,039

246

1,183

(397)

(1,106)

72

2,037

832

61

984

84

–

78

2,039

The group has recognised deferred tax assets for deductible temporary differences and unused tax losses that it believes are recoverable.

  See information on alternative performance measures and definitions on pages 130 to 132.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

101

 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

12 Taxation (continued)
Deferred tax assets and liabilities

Property, plant and equipment

Share based payments

Tax losses carried forward

Rolled over gains

Intangible assets

Inventories

Trade receivables

Deferred income

Accruals

Provisions

Unrealised foreign exchange differences

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

–

240

59

–

–

1,634

–

245

250

283

598

727

974

437

–

(1,757)

1,028

23

62

365

299

101

(208)

–

–

–

(1,064)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(220)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

3,309

2,259

(1,272)

(220)

The movement in recognised deferred tax assets and liabilities during the year is shown below.

Recognised in 
income 
statement
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

Recognised 
in OCI
£’000

Foreign 
exchange
£’000

Disposal of 
subsidiaries
£’000

30 March 2020
£’000

Deferred tax 
assets
£’000

Deferred tax 
liabilities
£’000

Property, plant and equipment

Share based payments

Tax losses carried forward

Rolled over gains

Intangible assets

Inventories

Trade receivables

Deferred income

Accruals

Provisions

Unrealised foreign exchange differences

727

974

437

(220)

(1,757)

1,028

23

62

365

299

101

(20)

(153)

(408)

–

693

547

–

188

(109)

192

499

–

(397)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,039

1,429

(397)

(13)

2

30

–

–

59

–

(5)

1

–

(2)

72

(902)

(186)

–

220

–

–

(23)

–

(6)

(209)

–

(1,106)

(208)

240

59

–

(1,064)

1,634

–

245

251

282

598

–

240

59

–

–

1,634

–

245

251

282

598

(208)

–

–

–

(1,064)

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,037

3,309

(1,272)

Deferred tax on losses of £15.5m (2019: £11.5m) relating to losses in the UK, have not been recognised in these financial statements on the basis that there is 
insufficient evidence of suitable future taxable profits against which to recover any deferred tax asset created.

(e) Factors that may affect future tax charges
The Group’s overseas tax rate is higher than that in the UK as future profits earned by the Naked Wines subsidiaries in the US and Australia are taxed at 21.0% 
and 30.0% respectively.

No deferred tax is recognised on the unremitted earnings of overseas subsidiaries as, following the enactment of the Finance Act 2009, the Group considers 
that it would have no liability to additional taxation should such amounts be remitted.

102

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

13 Discontinued operations
During the year ended 30 March 2020, the Group entered into, and completed on two sale agreements. Following these two disposals, Naked is now a single 
brand online business that is well capitalised and wholly focused on realising the attractive growth opportunity ahead.
 G On 10 December 2019, the Group announced the disposal of Majestic Wine Warehouses Limited and Les Celliers de Calais S.A.S, which together 

comprise the Majestic Wine business, pursuant to the terms previously announced by the Company on 2 August 2019. The businesses were sold to CF 
Bacchus Holdco Limited, a vehicle controlled by funds managed by Fortress Investment Group LLC, for a total consideration of £95m

 G On 1 October 2019, the Group completed the disposal of Lay & Wheeler Limited and Vinotheque Holdings Limited, which together comprise the 

Lay & Wheeler business (“L&W”), to Coterie Limited (“Coterie”) for a total cash consideration of £11.3m

The results of the Majestic Wine business and Lay & Wheeler operations which have been included in the consolidated income statement as discontinued, 
were as follows:

Revenue
Expenses

Profit from operating activities
Tax

Profit from operating activities, net of tax
Profit on sale of discontinued operations

Profit from discontinued operations

Earnings per share
Basic

Diluted

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

216,278

(214,108)

2,170

659

2,829

12,008

14,837

20.6p

20.2p

327,706

(326,296)

1,410

(1,183)

227

–

227

0.4p

0.4p

During the year ended 30 March 2020, the discontinued operations contributed £22,290,000 to the Group’s net operating cash flows (year ended 1 April 2019: 
£14,774,000), paid £2,430,000 (year ended 1 April 2019: £6,092,000) in respect of investing activities and paid £6,625,000 (year ended 1 April 2019: received 
£2,000) in respect of financing activities.

14 Dividends

Amounts recognised as distributions to shareholders in the year:
2019 final dividend: nil (2018 final dividend: 5.2p)

2020 interim dividend: nil (2019: 2.0p)

2020 special dividend: 5.2p (2019: nil)

Equity dividends paid

No final dividend is proposed (2019: nil).

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

–

–

3,786

3,786

3,745

1,443

–

5,188

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

103

 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

15 Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue of 
the Company, excluding nil (2019: 1,214,671) contingently returnable shares issued as a result of the acquisition of Naked Wines (which have been treated as 
dilutive share options), 243,055 (2019: 229,009) shares held by the Naked Wines plc Share Incentive Plan Trust (which have been treated as dilutive share options), 
and 3,934 (2019: 3,934) shares held by Employee Share Ownership Trust.

The dilutive effect of share options is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue to assume conversion of all dilutive 
potential ordinary shares. These are share options granted to employees where the exercise price is less than the average market price of the Company’s 
ordinary shares during the year. Share options granted over 365,626 (2019: 573,880) ordinary shares have not been included in the dilutive earnings per share 
calculation because they are anti-dilutive at the year end.

Adjusted earnings per share is calculated by excluding the effect of adjusted items (see note 8). The tax attributable to adjusting items is included in the group’s 
measure of adjusted EPS. This alternative measure of earnings per share is presented so that users of the financial statements can better understand the 
Group’s underlying trading performance.

Continuing operations

Total Group

Year ended
30 March 2020
£

Restated 
Year ended
1 April 2019
£

Year ended
30 March 2020
£

Year ended
1 April 2019
£

(9.3p)

(9.3p)

(4.5p)

(4.5p)

(13.7p)

(13.7p)

(4.9p)

(4.9p)

11.3p

11.1p

18.3p

17.9p

(13.3p)

(13.3p)

14.7p

14.1p

Continuing operations

Total Group

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

(6,685)

3,646

(202)

(3,241)

Restated 
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(9,627)

5,004

1,154

(3,469)

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

8,152

3,759

1,221

13,132

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(9,400)

5,229

14,517

10,346

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

70,518,556

2,802,836

73,321,392

72,137,402

(Loss)/earnings per share
Basic (loss)/earnings per share

Diluted (loss)/earnings per share

Adjusted basic (loss)/earnings per share

Adjusted diluted (loss)/earnings per share

(Loss)/profit for the period
Add back adjusted items:

– Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions

– Other adjusted items

Adjusted (loss)/profit after tax

Weighted average number of shares in issue

Dilutive potential ordinary shares:
Employee share options and contingently returnable shares

Weighted average number of shares for the purpose of diluted earnings per share

Total number of shares in issue

If all the Company’s share option schemes had vested at 100% the Company would have 74,637,874 issued shares.

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

71,909,151

1,552,166

73,461,317

72,874,018

104

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

16 Goodwill and intangible assets

Goodwill
£’000

Facilities and 
trademarks
£’000

Customer 
lists
£’000

Brands
£’000

Software
£’000

Total
£’000

Cost
At 2 April 2018

Additions

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 1 April 2019
Additions

Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Accumulated amortisation
At 2 April 2018

Charge for the year

Impairments

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 1 April 2019
Charge for the year

Impairments

Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Net book value

At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019

At 2 April 2018

Included within additions are assets held under construction totalling £nil (2019: £332,000).

40,305

2,985

14,300

10,100

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

40,305

2,985

14,300

10,100

–

(2,985)

–

–

–

–

–

14,300

10,100

(2,025)

(225)

(7,091)

(2,383)

(3,757)

(1,263)

–

–

–

–

–

2,250

–

–

–

(9,474)

(2,384)

–

–

–

–

–

(5,020)

(1,263)

–

–

–

(11,858)

(6,283)

(8,298)

(2,250)

–

(11,143)

29,162

(8,298)

–

–

–

–

–

–

8,298

–

29,162
32,007

32,007

9,186

1,518

(856)

(48)

9,800

544

(8,078)

2,266

(7,579)

(476)

(25)

738

47

76,876

1,518

(856)

(48)

77,490

544

(22,206)

55,828

(28,750)

(4,347)

(25)

738

47

(7,295)

(32,337)

(51)

(740)

6,395

(1,691)

(3,698)

(740)

16,943

(19,832)

–
735

960

2,442
4,826

7,209

3,817
5,080

6,343

575
2,505

1,607

35,996
45,153

48,126

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

105

Notes to the financial statements
continued

16 Goodwill and intangible assets (continued)
Impairment testing of goodwill
Goodwill is tested annually for impairment, or more frequently if there are indications that goodwill may be impaired. Goodwill acquired through business 
combinations has been allocated for impairment testing purposes to the Naked Wines segment of the business. The recoverable amount of goodwill is 
determined based on value in use calculations.

An analysis of goodwill and intangible assets by operating segment is shown below:

Naked Wines

Unallocated

At 30 March 2020

Goodwill
£’000

29,162

–

29,162

Customer 
lists
£’000

2,442

–

2,442

Brands
£’000

3,817

–

3,817

Software
£’000

–

575

575

Total
£’000

35,421

575

35,996

Amortisation
Intangible fixed assets are amortised on a straight-line basis through the income statement, based on the following estimated useful lives:

Category of intangible asset
Customer list and relationships

Brand

Software

Licences

Total useful life
6 years

8 years

2–5 years

Over the term of the licence

Customer lists and relationships and brands arise only on acquisition.

Life remaining
1 year

3 years

1–5 years

Impairment testing
Key assumptions 
The key assumptions for calculating value in use are cash flows, long-term growth rate and the discount rate. The primary determinants of cash flow are 
expected sales and the cost of sales of those goods, the level of expenditure on the acquisition of new customers and other associated costs which relate to the 
cash flows of the operating business units. 

Cash flow assumptions 
The cash flows used in the value in use calculation are pre-tax cash flows based on the latest management forecasts in respect of the following five years, the 
first of which being the Board approved budget. An estimate of capital expenditure required to maintain these cash flows is also made. The Board draws 
attention to the fact that the Group intends to continue to invest in growth and therefore is not forecast to be significantly cash generative during the forecast 
period. This is in line with the Board’s expectations and consistent with its objectives of creating long term value for the Group’s stakeholders.

Long-term growth rate assumptions 
The five-year management forecasts are extrapolated in perpetuity using a growth rate of 2.0%. This is not considered to be higher than the average long-term 
industry growth rate. The long-term growth rate is common to all CGUs. 

Discount rate assumptions 
The discount rate applied to the cash flows is calculated using a pre-tax rate based on the weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) which would be 
anticipated for a market participant investing in the Group. Management believe it is appropriate to use a single common discount rate for the testing of the 
Naked Wines goodwill and intangible assets as it all relates to a single operating segment of the business. The Group has considered the impact of the current 
economic climate in determining the appropriate discount rate to use in impairment testing. In FY20, the Group adopted a revised calculation of the WACC 
methodology that normalised out the anomalous movements in the recent market. On a consistent basis with prior year the Group’s WACC was 6.4%. Under 
the revised calculation, the WACC was calculated as 10.1% which uses relevant average market participant data.

At 30 March 2020, the pre-tax rate used to discount the forecasted cash flows has been determined to be 10.1% (2019: 11.4%). 

The Group has carried out a sensitivity analysis on the impairment test of the Naked Wines goodwill and intangible assets. The Directors do not believe 
that a reasonably possible change in the cash flows of the business would result in the recoverable amount being equal to the carrying value. An increase 
in the discount rate to 12.2% would cause the carrying value of the goodwill in the Naked Wines Group to equal its recoverable value.

Impairment of Software incurred in the year related to investments made in Group systems which related to businesses disposed of during the year.

106

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

17 Property, plant and equipment

Cost
At 2 April 2018

Additions

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 1 April 2019
Additions

Reclassification to investment property – depreciation offset

Reclassification to investment property

19

Disposals

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign currency

At 30 March 2020

Accumulated depreciation
At 2 April 2018

Charge for the year

Impairments

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 1 April 2019
Charge for the year

Reclassification to investment property – depreciation offset

Disposals

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign currency

At 30 March 2020

NBV

At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019

At 2 April 2018

Land and buildings

Note

Freehold
£’000

Long 
leasehold
£’000

Leasehold 
improvements
£’000

40,613

6,214

26,688

21

–

–

24

–

–

324

(995)

(17)

Equipment, 
fittings and 
vehicles
£’000

41,791

5,103

(3,098)

54

Total
£’000

115,306

5,472

(4,093)

37

40,634

6,238

26,000

43,850

116,722

837

(7)

(830)

–

–

–

–

–

3

–

–

–

644

(6)

(69)

(445)

1,484

(13)

(899)

(445)

(40,634)

(6,203)

(25,909)

(41,136)

(113,882)

–

–

(4,942)

(454)

(3,644)

–

–

–

35

(539)

(99)

(3)

–

–

(2)

92

89

2,927

87

3,054

(16,588)

(1,584)

(3,626)

836

17

(28,205)

(3,457)

(3,014)

2,895

(14)

(50,274)

(5,594)

(10,287)

3,731

3

(9,040)

(641)

(20,945)

(31,795)

(62,421)

(7)

7

–

9,040

–

–

–
31,594

35,671

(6)

–

–

614

–

(33)

(8)

–

–

20,886

3

(64)

2
5,597

5,675

28
5,055

10,100

(454)

6

359

30,197

(36)

(1,723)

1,204
12,055

13,586

(475)

13

359

60,737

(33)

(1,820)

1,234
54,301

65,032

Freehold land and buildings includes £nil (2019: £17,869,000) in respect of land that is not depreciated. The gross value of fully depreciated assets in use was 
£627,000 (2019: £27,056,000).

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

107

Notes to the financial statements
continued

17 Property, plant and equipment (continued)
Impairment of property plant and equipment
CGUs are reviewed at least annually to identify if there are any indicators of impairment at the balance sheet date. Recoverable amounts for CGUs are the higher 
of fair value less costs of disposal, and value in use. In the prior year, an indicator was identified within the Majestic Wine retail CGU. No such indicator was 
identified in the current year and the business was disposed of on 10 December 2019. The key estimates for the value in use calculations were those regarding 
discount rates and expected changes to future cash flows.

The Group estimated discount rates using pre-tax rates that reflected the current market assessment of the time value of money and the risks specific to the 
CGUs. Cash flow projections were based on the Group’s three year internal forecasts, the results of which were reviewed by the Board. Estimates of selling 
prices and direct costs were based on past experience and expectations of future changes in the market. These forecasts were extrapolated to five years 
on a business unit basis, with separate extrapolations of net revenue and expenses based on a combination of recently observable trends and management 
expectations, and beyond five years based on long-term average growth rates, which were derived from inflation forecasts by recognised bodies.

18 Right-of-use assets

Cost 
On transition at 2 April 2019

Additions

Disposals

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign currency

At 30 March 2020

Depreciation
On transition at 2 April 2019

Charge for the year

Disposals

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign currency

At 30 March 2020

Net book value at 30 March 2020
Net book value on transition at 2 April 2019

Amounts recognised in income statement
Depreciation expense on right-of-use assets

Interest expense on lease liabilities

Expenses on short-term and low-value leases

Equipment, 
fittings and 
vehicles
£’000

2,954

13

(27)

(2,810)

8

138

(1,990)

(15)

27

1,888

(6)

(96)

42
964

Buildings
£’000

58,473

2,414

(641)

(54,203)

97

6,140

–

(1,148)

252

–

3

(893)

5,247
58,473

Total
£’000

61,427

2,427

(668)

(57,013)

105

6,278

(1,990)

(1,163)

279

1,888

(3)

(989)

5,289
59,437

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

1,163

156

111

Additions to right-of-use assets include new leases and extensions to existing lease agreements. The Group leases several assets including buildings, plant and 
equipment. The average lease term is four years. Approximately 15% of the leases for buildings and equipment expired in the current financial year. The expired 
contracts were replaced by new leases for identical underlying assets. This resulted in additions to right-of-use assets of £2,427,000.

The maturity analysis of lease liabilities is presented in note 27.

108

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Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

19 Investment property
As part of the Majestic Wine business disposal agreement, a freehold property was transferred from Majestic Wine business to Naked Wines plc which is held 
on the Group’s books as an investment property. The Directors are adopting the cost model for the value of this asset which was recorded on acquisition at the 
transferred net book value from Majestic Wine. The Directors of the Company have assessed the fair value of the property and consider it to be equal to the 
book value.

The property is being sublet back to Majestic Wine for a peppercorn rent until the disposal of the property is completed. Majestic Wine are liable for operating 
expenses as they fall due. The sublet agreement of the property allows for the termination of this sublease by either party immediately prior to completion of 
the sale of the property or to the benefit of the subtenant by giving six months notice. The Group has no contractual obligations to purchase, construct, or 
develop investment property or for repairs, maintenance or enhancements. Depreciation has been charged in accordance with the Group’s depreciation policy 
for freehold buildings.

Cost and valuation

Freehold property
Reclassification from fixed assets

Freehold property

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

899

899

–

–

20 En primeur 
En primeur refers to the practice of purchasing wines before they are bottled and released onto the market. This practice was recognised in one of our 
subsidiaries, Lay and Wheeler, which is no longer part of the Group (refer to note 13 Discontinued operations).

Analysis of en primeur balances

En primeur purchases included in non-current assets

En primeur purchases included in current assets

Total en primeur purchases
En primeur income included in current liabilities

En primeur income included in non-current liabilities

Total en primeur deferred income

Net en primeur balance

Movement in en primeur balances
Opening net balance

Movement in en primeur balance

Disposal of subsidiary

Closing net balance

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1,439)

–

1,439 

–

897

4,296

5,193

(5,564)

(1,068)

(6,632)

(1,439)

(1,477)

38

–

(1,439)

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

109

 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

21 Prepaid operating leases

Cost 
At 2 April 2018

Additions

Disposals

At 1 April 2019
Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Amortisation
At 2 April 2018

Charge for the year

Impairment

Disposals

At 1 April 2019
Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Net book value

At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019

At 2 April 2018

22 Inventories

Raw materials

Work in progress

Finished goods

Prepaid 
operating 
leases
£’000

4,494

53

(187)

4,360

(4,360)

–

(2,854)

(214)

(796)

151

(3,713)

3,713

–

–
647

1,640

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

426

30,234

39,275

69,935

366

27,410

91,688

119,464

The cost of inventories recognised as an expense during the year was £125,352,000 (2019: £109,969,000) from continuing operations. 

Inventory of £71,000 (2019: £927,000) was expensed through the income statement in the year relating to samples and tasting products.

23 Trade and other receivables

Trade receivables

Vendor loan rate

Right-of-return asset

Other debtors

Prepayments

30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
1 April 2019
£’000

293

360

–

3,662

1,422

5,737

7,461

–

400

4,734

5,537

18,132

Year ended 1 April 2019 analysis has been restated to move receivables from credit card acquirers from Trade to Other debtors. This adjustment has been made 
to better reflect the nature of the receivable amount. A total of £622,000 has been reclassified in the comparative amount.

110

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Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

23 Trade and other receivables (continued)
Other receivables due after more than one year

Vendor loan note

Deferred contingent consideration

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

8,962

4,043

13,005

–

–

–

The deferred contingent consideration is due two years after the completion of the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses, in December 2021. The vendor 
loan note will mature on the fifth anniversary of the date of completion, unless repaid in full before that date. The Loan Note will bear interest of 3% p.a. for the 
first three years, 4% in year four and 5% in year five, to be paid annually. The terms of the Loan Note limit distributions (or certain other payments) by MWWL 
unless a base level of EBITDA generated by MWWL is maintained.

24 Assets classified as held for sale
Property classed as an asset held for sale at an amount of £953,000. On 10 June 2020, the sale of this asset to CF Bacchus Holdco Limited was completed.

25 Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Other taxes and social security

Accruals

Amounts payable in respect of defined contribution pension schemes were £47,000 (2019: £64,000).

26 Bank and other borrowings

Current
Bank overdrafts

Customer bond finance

Total bank and other borrowings due within one year

Non-current
Revolving credit facility

Debt issuance costs

Total bank and other borrowings due after one year

Total bank and other borrowings

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

11,310

2,546

12,190

26,046

47,189

7,446

11,728

66,363

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

–

84

84

–

–

–

12,096

99

12,195

23,000

(556)

22,444

84

34,639

The Group’s revolving credit facility of £60m, which was due to mature in December 2022 was repaid on 10 December 2019 on completion of the sale of the 
Majestic business. Up to that date, interest has been charged at a margin of 1% above LIBOR, the rate being dependent on the Group’s leverage (being net 
debt/EBITDA). 

27 Lease liabilities
The Group leases warehouse and office facilities. The leases run for a period between one and ten years, with an option to renew the lease after that date. The 
group also leases equipment and office space with contract terms of up to four years. These leases are either short term of year or less and/or low-value items 
which the group has elected not to recognise as IFRS 16 leases. Information about leases for which the Group is a lessee is analysed between current and 
non-current below. The maturity analysis of the lease liabilities is disclosed in note 28.

Lease liability
Current

Non-current

30 March 2020
£’000

(1,165)

(4,198)

(5,363)

111

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

28 Financial instruments
The Group’s financial instruments, other than derivatives, comprise cash, bank borrowings and various balances, such as trade receivables and trade payables, 
all arising directly from its operations. 

The Group also enters into forward foreign currency derivative contracts. The purpose of these transactions is to manage the currency risk arising from the 
Group’s operations. The Group does not hold or issue financial instruments for speculative purposes and does not engage in speculative trading.

The principal financial risks to which the Group is exposed relate to liquidity risk, credit risk, interest rates, market risk and foreign exchange rates.

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. In order to manage liquidity risk, each Business Unit 
prepares short-term and medium-term cash flow forecasts. These forecasts are consolidated and reviewed centrally to ensure the Group has sufficient liquidity 
to meet its liabilities when due, under both normal and stressed conditions without risking damage to the Group’s reputation. As part of completion of the 
Group’s disposal of the Majestic businesses in the year, the Group terminated its revolving credit facility previously agreed with Barclays Bank PLC as it no longer 
required external funding to support its working capital requirements or guarantees to certain counterparties, predominantly HMRC. The Group did not hold 
any borrowing facilities at 30 March 2020 (2019: £60m).

The Group’s net funding position can vary from month to month and there is some volatility within months. This reflects seasonal trading patterns, timing of 
receipts from customers and payments to suppliers, patterns of inventory holdings and the timing of the spend on major capital and restructuring projects. 
For these reasons the net funds position levels at the period end date may not be indicative of the funds position at other points throughout the period.

The following table analyses the Group’s financial assets and liabilities into relevant maturity groupings based on the contractual undiscounted cash flows.

At 30 March 2020

Financial assets
Trade and other receivables

Vendor loan note

Deferred contingent consideration

Forward foreign currency assets

Asset held for sale

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Trade and other payables

Deferred Angel and other income

Forward foreign currency liabilities

Lease liabilities

Customer-funded bond

At 1 April 2019

Financial assets
Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities
Trade and other payables

Deferred Angel and other deferred income

Bank overdraft

Revolving credit facility

Forward foreign currency liabilities

Customer-funded bond

112

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Due within 
1 year
£’000

Due between 
1 and 2 years
£’000

Due between 
2 and 3 years
£’000

Due after 
3 years
£’000

Held at 
amortised cost
£’000

Total
£’000

Held at fair 
value
£’000

3,955

360

–

539

953

54,736

60,543

(23,500)

(43,632)

(143)

(1,318)

(84)

–

–

4,043

–

–

–

4,043

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

8,962

–

–

–

–

8,962

–

–

–

(1,146)

(1,139)

(2,253)

–

–

–

3,955

9,322

4,043

539

953

54,736

73,548

(23,500)

(43,632)

(143)

(5,856)

(84)

3,955

9,322

–

–

953

54,736

68,966

(23,500)

(43,632)

–

(5,856)

(84)

–

–

4,043

539

–

–

4,582

–

–

(143)

–

–

(68,677)

(1,146)

(1,139)

(2,253)

(73,215)

(73,072)

(143)

Due within 
1 year
£’000

Due between 
1 and 2 years
£’000

Due between 
2 and 3 years
£’000

Due after 
3 years
£’000

Held at 
amortised cost
£’000

Total
£’000

Held at fair 
value
£’000

12,195

19,093

31,288

(58,917)

(39,657)

(12,096)

–

(3,011)

(99)

(113,780)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(23,000)

–

–

12,195

19,093

31,288

(58,917)

(39,657)

(12,096)

(23,000)

(3,011)

(99)

12,195

19,093

31,288

(58,917)

(39,657)

(12,096)

(23,000)

–

(99)

(23,000)

(136,780)

(133,769)

–

–

–

–

–

–

(3,011)

–

(3,011)

 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Financial assets consist of cash and cash equivalents and trade and other receivables recognised on an amortised cost basis using the simplified approach to 
expected credit losses. They also include the vendor loan note and deferred contingent consideration receivable resulting from the disposal of the Majestic 
Wine businesses in the current year (2019: £nil). 

Financial liabilities held at amortised cost consist of trade and other payables, bank overdraft, deferred income and customer-funded bond. See the section 
below for a explanation of the nature of the funding made by “Angels” and Naked Wines’ rights and obligations in respect of these amounts. All other financial 
liabilities are classified as financial liabilities at fair value through profit and loss.

The following table analyses the Group’s simple foreign currency forward purchase contract derivative financial instruments into relevant maturity groupings 
based on the remaining period at the balance sheet date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed are the undiscounted cash flows.

At 30 March 2020
Outflow

Inflow

At 1 April 2019
Outflow

Inflow

Due within 
1 year
£’000

Due between 
1 and 2 years
£’000

Due between 
2 and 3 years
£’000

(15,707)

16,079

372

(75,274)

72,281

(2,993)

(1,294)

1,318

24

(658)

640

(18)

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total
£’000

(17,001)

17,397

396

(75,932)

72,921

(3,011)

Deferred Angel income – “Angel funds” and the purchase of inventory from winemakers
On registering as an Angel with Naked Wines, subscription customers agree to lodge a regular monthly sum into their “Angel Account”. These sums 
accumulate in the Angel’s individual account and build a balance to use against their next purchase from Naked Wines.

Naked Wines’ operating model is to pool amounts lodged by Angels in their personal Naked Wines accounts to use as working capital within the business. 

Naked Wines contracts directly with its winemakers and purchases wine in its own name. Naked Wines retains all risk associated with the purchase of wine from 
winemakers and no inventory or funding risk is carried by our Angels. Angels only bear the risk relating to the ongoing liquidity of Naked Wines to the extent of 
the value of the funds lodged in their Angel account. Naked Wines plc guarantees these funds via a parent company guarantee and has provided a guarantee 
to the credit card acquirer through whom refunds would be made.

Angels can cancel their Naked Angel Account at any time and may request and receive their money back immediately with no penalty whatsoever. The refund 
of such funds is provided directly by Naked Wines and is not contingent on any associated flows of funds or wine from winemakers back to Naked Wines. 

Angels are not entitled to interest or any other return on the funds lodged in their Angel Accounts. Registration as an Angel entitles a customer to benefit from 
a lower price than the standard price displayed on the Naked Wines web site.

Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations and arises 
principally from the Group’s receivables from CF Bacchus Holdco Ltd, the new owner of the Majestic Wine businesses and relating to the deferred, contingent 
consideration and the vendor loan note as set out in note 3.19, Accounting policies and note 4, Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements. 

The maximum credit risk exposure relating to financial assets is represented by its carrying value as at the balance sheet date limited to the value of trade and 
other receivables. Following the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses, the Group no longer has any material exposure to trade receivables and therefore 
exposure to trade bad debt is negligible. Other receivable amounts are substantially amounts owed from CF Bacchus Holdco Ltd as set out above and credit 
card acquirer funds disclosed in Other debtors. 

The deferred contingent consideration benefits from a guarantee issued by both CF Bacchus Holdco Limited and the general partners of Fortress LLP and is 
contingent on the Majestic Calais stores trading to an agreed performance level should a Brexit event have created restrictions that have impacted on trading 
performance. CF Bacchus Holdco Ltd is subject to covenants relating to indebtedness and profitability and is obligated to report covenant compliance as part 
of the Vendor Loan Note agreement. The Directors evaluate the continuing creditworthiness of CF Bacchus Holdco Ltd through a combination of review of 
publicly reported performance data and through the contents of the submitted covenant certificates. Expected credit loss assumptions continue to be 
evaluated in the light of this and any other new information that becomes available.

As at the balance sheet date, the ageing analysis of trade receivables that were past due but not impaired is as follows:

At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019

Total trade 
debtors
£’000

293
8,083

Current
£’000

284
4,671

Up to 
3 months
past due
£’000

–
2,704

3–6 months 
past due
£’000

–
389

Over 
6 months 
past due
£’000

9
319

There are no indicators of impairment for those debtors that are neither past due nor impaired.

At 30 March 2020, trade and other receivables of £nil (2019: £137,000) were determined to be specifically impaired and provided for. 

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

113

 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

28 Financial instruments (continued)
Movements in the provision for impairment of trade receivables are as follows:

At beginning of year

Charge for the year

Uncollected amounts written off 

Disposal of subsidiary

At end of year

30 March 2020
£’000
(137)

–

–

137

–

1 April 2019
£’000

(125)

(67)

55

–

(137)

Credit risk also arises from cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and deposits with banks and financial institutions. The Group ensures 
that the banks used for the financing of loan facilities and foreign exchange forward contracts are reputable, large institutions with acceptable risk ratings.

Interest rate risk
As the Group no longer requires or has an external credit facility, the Group’s interest rate risk arises primarily from its deposit of net funds with reputable 
financial institutions. As at 30 March 2020, the Group had drawn down £nil as borrowings. 

Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, will affect the Group’s income or the value of its 
holdings of financial instruments. The objective of market risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while 
optimising the return on risk. The Group manages foreign currency risk as detailed below. The Group does not currently enter into any interest rate swaps or 
other derivative financial instruments to mitigate the risk of rising interest rates.

Foreign currency exchange rates
The Group’s presentation currency is sterling although some transactions are executed in non-GBP currencies, including euros, US dollars and Australian 
dollars. The transactional amounts realised or settled are therefore subject to the effect of movements in these currencies against GBP. It is the Group’s policy to 
manage the exposures arising using forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Hedge accounting is not sought for these transactions. The Group generates 
some of its profits in non-GBP currencies and has assets in non-GBP jurisdictions, principally in the US dollar and Australian dollar. The principal foreign 
currencies affecting the translation of subsidiary undertakings within the Group financial statements are these currencies.

The rates applicable are as follows:

Principal rate of exchange

Australian dollar : GBP
Period end
Average

US dollar : GBP
Period end
Average

30 March 2020

1 April 2019

2.017
1.864

1.242
1.272

1.845
1.800

1.314
1.313

The Group does not use derivatives to hedge balance sheet and profit and loss translation exposures arising on the consolidation of the US and 
Australian subsidiaries. 

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity to a reasonable change in GBP against the exchange rates with all other variables held constant, of the Group’s 
profit before tax:

Year ended 30 March 2020
Australian dollar : GBP
Euro : GBP
US dollar : GBP
Other currencies : GBP
Year ended 1 April 2019
Australian dollar : GBP
Euro : GBP
US dollar : GBP
Other currencies : GBP

114

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Sensitivity in 
exchange rate

Impact of 
increase
in rate
£’000

Impact of 
decrease 
in rate
£’000

5%
5%
5%
5%

5%
5%
5%
5%

204
(394)
(95)
(110)

(62)
(3,210)
(136)
(197)

328
899
78
89

70
3,199
190
236

 
 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Sensitivity analysis relating to market risk is calculated by taking the overseas profits and applying the stated sensitivity. The stated sensitivities are also applied 
to the outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts.

The table below shows the Group’s currency exposures that gave rise to net currency gains and losses recognised in the consolidated income statement as a 
result of monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the Group’s presentational currency.

Currency
Australian dollar

Euro

US dollar

Other currencies

Sub-total
Group’s reporting currency:

GBP

Total

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

5,192

330

3,119

39

8,680

46,056

54,736

2,144

1,663

3,750

145

7,702

(705)

6,997

Fair value
The Group enters into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to manage the Group’s forecast currency requirements. These are held for hedging 
purposes with fair value movements being recognised in the income statement.

Following the disposal of the Majestic businesses, the Group now also holds a contingent consideration asset which it holds at fair value (see note 3.19 Financial 
instruments and note 4 Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements for full disclosure of this asset and the judgements made in connection with its 
fair value assessment).

The Group uses the following hierarchy for determining and disclosing the fair value of financial instruments by valuation technique:

Level 1:   quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2:  other techniques for which all inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3: 

techniques which use inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable market data.

There have been no financial instruments which have transferred between the levels in the hierarchy as detailed above.

The nominal and fair value of financial instruments is shown in the following table. All forward currency contracts have maturity dates within one year whilst the 
deferred contingent consideration becomes due two years after completion of disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses, in December 2021. The fair value of 
the forward currency contracts was determined using quoted forward exchange rates matching the maturities of the contracts whilst the basis of the fair value 
of the deferred contingent consideration is set out in note 3.19 and note 4. The Group’s measurement of its financial instruments meets the criteria of Level 2 
and hence all have been included in this classification.

At 30 March 2020
Fair value

At 1 April 2019
Fair value

Nominal value
£’000

Assets
£’000

Liabilities
£’000

Nominal value
£’000

Assets
£’000

Liabilities
£’000

Forward foreign currency contracts
AUD

EUR

NZD

USD

ZAR

Total forward foreign exchange contracts

Deferred contingent consideration

The deferred contingent consideration is held at a fair value of £4.0m.

1,023

12,207

1,522

1,671

578

17,001

5,000

–

466

–

73

–

539

4,043

(46)

–

(45)

–

(52)

(143)

–

1,350

66,963

3,682

3,299

638

75,932

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(36)

(2,901)

(2)

(68)

(4)

(3,011)

–

Capital management
The primary objective of the Group’s capital management is to ensure that it maintains a strong credit rating and healthy capital ratios in order to support its 
business and maximise shareholder value. The Group considers capital to consist of the total equity of the Group.

The Group manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it, in light of changes in economic conditions. To maintain or adjust the capital structure, the 
Group may adjust the dividend payment to shareholders, return capital to shareholders or issue new shares. No changes were made in the objectives, policies 
or processes during the current year. 

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

115

 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

28 Financial instruments (continued)
The Group’s capital allocation policy is currently to 

1.  Maintain a healthy balance sheet which, in the near term, means no net debt

2. 

Invest in growth in a disciplined way to take advantage of the large perceived growth opportunity particularly in the US, and

3.  Return to shareholders any funds in excess of the level needed to fund growth and manage risk

The Directors continue to believe that suspension of the payment of ordinary dividends is in support of this policy to support its stated capital management 
objective. The Directors will continue to keep this decision under review and will make further changes to dividend policy as they feel best serves the interests 
of the business. 

The Group is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements.

29 Provisions for liabilities

Dilapidations
£’000

Store
closures
£’000

Social security 
costs
£’000

Refund liability 
provision
£’000

At 2 April 2018

Provided/(credited) in the year

Released in the year

Utilised in the year

At 1 April 2019

Provided in the year

Released in the year

Disposal of subsidiaries

Foreign currency

At 30 March 2020

Provisions have been analysed between current and non-current as follows:

Current

Non-current

291

–

(51)

(26)

214

–

–

–

260

–

(89)

171

–

–

(214)

(171)

–

–

–

–

Total
£’000

2,641

256

(235)

(115)

1,160

96

–

–

1,256

2,547

671

(342)

(580)

17

825

(911)

(965)

17

1,190

(100)

(184)

–

906

154

(569)

–

–

491

1,022

1,513

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

1,165

348

1,513

2,344

203

2,547

Social security costs
National Insurance contributions (NIC) which will become payable on exercise of share options have been provided. The share options can be exercised at 
various dates from the balance sheet date to 17 December 2024. The amount payable is dependent on the Group’s share price at the date of exercise of the 
options. The provision which is allocated on a time weighted basis over the period from date of grant to the date that employees become unconditionally 
entitled to the options has been calculated on the share price at the balance sheet date of £2.52 and the assumption that 100% of employees will exercise their 
share options and that the rate of NIC is 13.8%.

Refund liability provision
Under the requirements of IFRS 15, the Group has established a right of return provision under the requirements to recognise variable consideration in the form 
of a sales cancellation provision. 

30 Deferred lease inducements

Current

Non-current

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

–

–

–

397

1,502

1,899

The application of IFRS 16 to leases previously classified as operating leases under IAS 17 resulted in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. 
Deferred lease inducements previously recognised as liabilities have been derecognised and factored into the measurement of the right-of-use assets and 
lease liabilities.

116

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Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

31 Share capital and reserves

Authorised
Ordinary shares of 7.5p each

Allotted, called up and fully paid
At beginning of the year

Exercise of share options

Issue of shares into the Naked Wines plc Share Incentive Plan

Issue of acquisition-related shares

At end of year

30 March 2020

1 April 2019

Number of 
shares

Value
£’000

Number of 
shares

Value
£’000

140,000,000

10,500

140,000,000

10,500

72,137,402

5,411

71,499,086

5,363

89,965

130,468

516,183

7

10

38

47,938

92,307

498,071

4

7

37

72,874,018

5,466

72,137,402

5,411

During the year 736,616 (2019: 638,316) ordinary shares of 7.5p each were allotted for a consideration of £101,000 (2019: £175,000). These shares were allotted 
under the terms of the Company’s share option schemes which are described in note 33. 

Share premium account
The share premium account represents the amounts received by the Company on the issue of ordinary shares that are in excess of the nominal value of the 
issued shares net of share issue costs.

Capital reserve – own shares
The Group holds shares in an employee share ownership trust (see note 32). The reserve represents the cost of acquired shares that have not as yet fully vested 
with employees.

Capital redemption reserve
The Company, when cancelling its ordinary shares, transfers amounts equivalent to the nominal value of the cancelled shares into the capital redemption 
reserve so as to maintain the level of non-distributable reserves in shareholders’ equity. 

Currency translation reserve
The currency translation reserve represents exchange differences arising from the translation of foreign currency subsidiary undertakings.

32 Employee Share Ownership Trust 
The Employee Share Ownership Trust acquires shares in Naked Wines plc to satisfy awards under the deferred bonus scheme. The shares are distributed to 
participants of the scheme at the end of a two-year deferral period.  

At the year end, the trust held 3,934 (2019: 3,934) shares with a nominal value of 7.5p each. The total acquisition cost of these shares was £17,000 (2019: £17,000). 
At the year end, the market value of these shares was £10,000 (2019: £9,000).

33 Share based payments
The total charge recognised in the income statement in respect of share based payments, including social security, is £1,857,000 (2019: £2,308,000) relating to 
share option schemes and share bonus payments under the Company’s deferred bonus scheme and in relation to the contingently returnable shares and share 
options that were issued to employees as part of the consideration for the acquisition of the Naked Wines Group. The charge recognised in the income 
statement for continuing operations is £965,000 (2019: £1,866,000). 

Share option schemes

Acquisition-related share schemes

NIC provided on share option schemes

At end of year

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

1,695

–

162

1,857

909

1,499

(100)

2,308

The Company operated five share option schemes during the year, all of which are equity-settled.

a) 

b) 

c) 

 The Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wine plc) Approved Executive Share Option Scheme (2006) was adopted on 4 August 2006 and achieved HMRC 
approval for tax purposes on 7 December 2006. The first grant of options under the rules of this scheme was made in January 2007.

 The Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wine plc) 2006 Unapproved Employee Share Option Scheme was adopted on 4 August 2006. The first grant of 
options under the rules of this scheme was made in January 2007.

 The Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wine plc) Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) was adopted on 20 July 2016. The first grant of options under the rules of 
the scheme was made in July 2016. This scheme is unapproved.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

117

Notes to the financial statements
continued

33 Share based payments (continued)
d) 

 The Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wine) Share Incentive Plan (SIP) was adopted on 20 July 2016. The first grant of shares under the rules of the scheme 
was in July 2017.

e) 

 The Acquisition Related Share Schemes arose following the acquisition of Naked Wines on 10 April 2015. These schemes are unapproved. This scheme has 
now closed following the passing of the vesting period. 

Approved and unapproved executive share option schemes (schemes (a) to (d) per above)
These schemes permit the grant of options in respect of ordinary shares to selected employees. Options are normally exercisable between three and 10 years 
from the date of grant for consideration not less than market value at grant date. Apart from grants of options to Executive Directors, the exercise of options is 
not subject to any conditions other than continuous employment. The exercise of options granted to Executive Directors is conditional on the achievement of 
specified performance targets related to growth in earnings per share over a three-year period. The Executive Directors’ participation in the Group’s executive 
share option schemes is limited such that they are eligible to receive options over shares in value up to a maximum of two times gross salary at the date of grant 
which will only become exercisable on the achievement of performance criteria determined by the Remuneration Committee.

The following table reconciles the number of share options outstanding and the weighted average exercise price (WAEP):

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Exercised

Forfeited

Granted

Outstanding at the end of the year

Exercisable at the end of the year

Weighted average remaining contractual life in years

Range of exercise prices

Year ended 30 March 2020

Year ended 1 April 2019

Options

2,333,948

(470,314)

(1,577,396)

1,720,673

2,006,911

404,300

1.99

£nil – £5.41

WAEP

£1.00

£0.10

£0.30

–

£0.90

£4.45

Options

2,153,996

(50,845)

(295,338)

526,135

2,333,948

526,300

2.13

£nil – £5.41

WAEP

£1.34

£2.57

£1.34

–

£1.00

£4.36

Share options were exercised on a regular basis throughout the year. The weighted average share price for options exercised during the year was £0.10 
(2019: £2.57).

The following table shows the number of share options outstanding by share option scheme:

2006 Approved scheme

2006 Unapproved scheme

Share Incentive Plan

Long Term Incentive Plan

Outstanding as at the end of the year

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

307,850

96,450

101,439

1,501,172

2,006,911

Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

366,850

159,450

198,027

1,609,621

2,333,948

The fair value of equity-settled share options is estimated as at the date of grant using the Black–Scholes option pricing model for schemes (a), (b) and (d) and 
using the Monte Carlo model for scheme (c). 

The following table lists the range of assumptions applied to the options granted in the respective periods shown.

Weighted average share price at grant

Weighted average exercise price

Expected life of options (years)

Contractual life (years)

Volatility (%)

Dividend yield (%)

Risk free interest rate (%)

Weighted average fair value of options granted during the year

Year ended 30 March 2020

Year ended 1 April 2019

Long Term 
Incentive Plan

Share 
Incentive Plan

Long Term 
Incentive Plan

Share 
Incentive Plan

£2.81

£2.71

£4.27

£4.65

–

3

3

35.5%–39.7%

–

0.54%–0.56%

£2.65

–

3

3

38.6%

N/A

0.47%

£2.71

–

3

3

36.4%–37.8%

2.9%

0.8%

£2.53

–

3

3

36.4%

N/A

0.8%

£4.65

The expected life of the options is based on historical data and is not necessarily indicative of exercise patterns that may occur. The expected volatility reflects 
the assumption that historical volatility is indicative of future trends, which may not necessarily be the actual outcome.

118

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Acquisition related share schemes (scheme (e) per above)
As part of the consideration for the acquisition of Naked Wines, an amount of up to £20 million is payable to the previous shareholders and employees of Naked 
Wines in Naked Wines PLC’s ordinary share capital conditional on the achievement of certain performance criteria (the ‘acquisition related share schemes’). The 
number of shares was calculated with reference to the share price as at the date of acquisition. 

A portion of the shares were issued in the form of contingently returnable shares and the remaining portion represented share awards that will vest upon 
achievement of the performance criteria over a maximum period of four years. As continuing employment is a requirement for the final vesting of these shares 
IFRS2 Share Based Payments has been applied to this element of the consideration and the amounts are being recorded in the Group income statement over 
the next four years.

During the year, the performance criteria were met for the third and final tranche of these share awards and consequently 516,183 shares vested and were 
issued. Additionally, all the contingently returnable shares became unrestricted.

Outstanding at the beginning of the year
Exercised
Granted as future share issues
Lapsed
Outstanding at the end of the year
Exercisable at the end of the year
Weighted average remaining contractual life in years
Range of exercise prices

Year ended 30 March 2020

Year ended 1 April 2019

Options

WAEP

1,722,910
(1,722,910)
–
–
–
–
–
£nil

–
–
–
–
–
– 
–
–

Options

4,036,819
(2,350,428)
51,019
(14,500)
1,722,910
–
–
£nil

WAEP

–
–
–
–
–
– 
–
–

34 Disposal of subsidiaries
As referred to in note 13, the Group disposed of its interest in L&W on 1 October 2019 and Majestic Wine business on 10 December 2019. The net assets at the 
date of disposal were as follows:

Goodwill and intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Other non-current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other payables
Lease liabilities
Current and deferred tax liabilities
Foreign exchange translation

Net assets disposed of
Profit on disposal
Total consideration

Satisfied by:
Cash and cash equivalents (net of transaction fees)
Deferred contingent consideration and vendor loan note

Net cash inflow arising on disposal:
Consideration received in cash and cash equivalents
Less: cash and cash equivalents disposed of

Majestic Wine
At 
10 December 2019
£’000

L&W
At 
1 October 2019
£’000

4,238
51,290
50,414
2,723
72,214
10,266
14,001
(69,643)
(51,959)
(1,178)
(2,045)

80,321
5,333
85,654

71,611
14,043
85,654

954
165
94
2,098
5,577
5,712
4,059
(14,081)
(638)
(405)
–

3,535
6,675
10,210

10,210
–
10,210 

Total
£’000

5,957
50,634
50,508
4,877
77,791
15,978
18,060
(83,724)
(52,597)
(1,583)
(2,045)
83,856
12,008
95,864

81,821
14,043
95,864

81,821
(18,060)
63,761

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

119

 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
continued

34 Disposal of subsidiaries (continued)
The deferred contingent consideration will be settled in cash by the purchaser on or before 10 December 2021 and the vendor loan note is repayable on 10 
December 2024 with annual interest receivable on the anniversary of the issuance of this note. The impact of Majestic and L&W on the Group’s results in the 
current and prior years is disclosed in note 13. The profit on disposal is included in the profit for the year from discontinued operations (see note 13).

There were no disposals of subsidiaries made in the year ended 1 April 2019.

35 Notes to the cash flow statement
(a) Reconciliation of operating loss to cash generated/(utilised) by operations

Year ended
30 March 2020
£’000

Restated 
Year ended
1 April 2019
£’000

(4,874)

(9,116)

5,336

71

(935)

833

431

(13,291)

5,312

594

6,837

(117)

4,148

79

548

1,977

(2,364)

(13,214)

5,819

(230)

1,215

(8,774)

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

54,736

–

54,736

19,093

(12,096)

6,997

1 April 2019
£’000

Cash flows
£’000

Non-cash 
movements
£’000

30 March 2020
£’000

19,093

(12,096)

6,997
(23,000)

(99)

–

(23,099)
556

(15,546)

35,436

12,096

47,532
23,000

15

(1,153)

21,862
–

69,394

207

–

207
–

–

(4,210)

(4,210)
(556)

(4,559)

54,736

–

54,736

–

(84)

(5,363)

(5,447)

–

49,289

Cash utilised by continuing operations
Operating loss

Add back:

– Depreciation and amortisation

– Loss on disposal of fixed assets

– Fair value movement on foreign exchange contracts

– Share based payment charges

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital
Increase in inventories

Increase in customer funds in deferred income

Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables

Increase in trade and other payables

Net cash used by operating activities – continuing operations

(b) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

Bank overdraft

Total cash and cash equivalents

(c) Analysis of movement in net funds/(borrowings)

Cash and cash equivalents

Bank overdrafts

Net cash and cash equivalents
Borrowings – revolving credit facility

Borrowings – customer-funded bond

Borrowings – IFRS 16 lease liabilities

Gross borrowings
Debt issuance costs

Total net funds/(borrowings)

120

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

36 Events after the balance sheet date
The transaction relating to the asset held for sale was completed on 10 June 2020.

37 Related party transactions
The Group considers its key management personnel to be the Directors of the Company. The compensation of key management personnel is disclosed in 
note 10.

There are no other related party transactions which require disclosure (2019: none).

38 Investments in subsidiaries 
Details of the Group’s subsidiaries at 30 March 2020 are as follows:

Subsidiary
Naked Wines Employee Share Ownership Trust Limited*

Primary activity
Trustee company

Place of incorporation 
and operation
United Kingdom

Proportion of ownership 
interest %. 100% 
ordinary shares
100

Naked Wines International*

Nakedwines.com Limited

Naked Wines Prepayments Trustee Company Limited

Nakedwines.com Inc

Nakedwines.com Prepayment Protection Company LLC

Naked Wines Australia Pty Limited

NWA (Prepayments) Pty Limited

Naked Fine Wine Bonds plc

*  Directly owned by the parent company

Holding company

United Kingdom

Retailing of wines

Trustee company

Retailing of wines

Trustee company

Retailing of wines

Trustee company

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United States of America

United States of America

Australia

Australia

Funding company

United Kingdom

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Subsidiaries incorporated in the United Kingdom

Registered Address
Norvic House, 29–33 Chapel Field Road, Norwich NR2 1RP

Subsidiaries incorporated in the United States of America

135 Gasser Drive, Suite A, Napa, CA 94559, USA

Subsidiaries incorporated in Australia

18 Sydney Road, Manly, NSW 2095, Australia

All subsidiary undertakings have been included in the consolidation.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

121

Company balance sheet
As at 30 March 2020

Non-current assets
Investments in subsidiaries

Loan notes receivable from subsidiaries

Right of use assets

Investment property

Intangible fixed assets

Deferred tax assets

Other receivables

Current assets
Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets classified as held for sale

Current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables

Lease liabilities

Provisions

Non-current liabilities
Provisions

Lease liabilities

Bank loan

Total liabilities

Net assets

Shareholders’ funds
Called-up share capital

Share premium

Capital redemption reserve

Retained earnings

Equity shareholders’ funds

Note

30 March 2020
£’000

Restated* 

1 April 2019
£’000

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

48

49

50

51

52

52

51

53

54

54

56,986

28,573

10

899

575

242

13,005

100,290

750

42,871

43,621

953

44,574

144,864

(18,766)

(5)

(143)

(18,914)

(348)

(4)

–

(352)

(19,266)

125,598

5,466

21,162

363

98,607

125,598

67,134

15,613

–

–

822

647

–

84,216

979

113

1,092

–

1,092

85,308

(18,936)

–

(703)

(19,639)

(203)

–

(22,444)

(22,647)

(42,286)

43,022

5,411

21,116

363

16,132

43,022

* Refer to note 43 Loan notes receivable from subsidiaries for details on the restatement of comparative year.

For the year ended 30 March 2020, the Company reported a profit of £85,033,000 (2019: loss of £1,697,000).

The financial statements of Naked Wines plc were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 24 June 2020. They were signed on its behalf 
by James Crawford.

122

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Company statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 30 March 2020

At 2 April 2018

Loss for the period

Shares issued

Share based payment charges – subsidiary employees

Share based payment charges – company

Dividends paid

Deferred tax on share based payment

At 1 April 2019
Profit for the period

Shares issued

Share based payment charges – subsidiary employees

Share based payment charges – company

Dividends paid

Deferred tax on share based payment

At 30 March 2020

Note

54

33

33

14

47

54

33

33

14

47

Share 
capital
£’000

5,363

Share 
premium
£’000

20,989

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£’000

363

–

48

–

–

–

–

–

127

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5,411

21,116

363

–

55

–

–

–

–

–

46

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Retained 
earnings
£’000

Total 
shareholders’ 
funds
£’000

20,207

(1,697)

(44)

1,417

991

(5,188)

446

16,132

85,033

(53)

533

1,161

(3,786)

(413)

46,922

(1,697)

131

1,417

991

(5,188)

446

43,022

85,033

48

533

1,161

(3,786)

(413)

5,466

21,162

363

98,607

125,598

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

123

Notes to the Company financial statements

39 Significant accounting policies
The separate financial statements of the Company are presented as required by the Companies Act 2006. The Company meets the definition of a qualifying 
entity under FRS 100 Application of Financial Reporting Requirements issued by the FRC. Accordingly, these financial statements were prepared in accordance 
with Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework.

As permitted by FRS 101, the Company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available under that standard in relation to share based payments, 
financial instruments, capital management, presentation of comparative information in respect of certain assets, presentation of a cash flow statement, 
standards not yet effective and certain related party transactions.

No income statement is presented by the Company as permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The profit attributable to the Company is 
disclosed in the footnote to the Company’s balance sheet.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, with the exception of deferred contingent consideration and a vendor loan note 
acquired in the year in the course of the disposal of Majestic. Refer to note 3.19 Financial Instruments in the Consolidated financial statements for details. 
The principal accounting policies adopted are the same as those set out in note 3 to the consolidated financial statements except as noted below.

Investment
Investments in subsidiaries are stated at cost less, where appropriate, provisions for impairment.

Intangible assets
Intangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and any impairment losses.

Amortisation is charged to the income statement on a straight line basis over five years.

40 Staff costs
The average monthly number of employees (including Directors) during the year was as follows:

Administrative and distribution

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Contributions to defined contribution pension plans
Share based payment charges – ongoing
Share based payment charges – acquisition related

Directors’ emoluments are as disclosed in note 10 staff costs.

Year ended
30 March 2020
76

Year ended
1 April 2019
78

Year ended
30 March 2020
 5,821 
 639 
 320 
 1,161 
–
7,941

Year ended
1 April 2019
5,448
567
 146 
197
794
7,152

41 Key accounting judgements and estimates
As a result of the disposal of the Majestic Wine businesses, the Company holds deferred contingent consideration and a vendor loan note. See note 4 Critical 
accounting policies, estimates and judgements. 

42 Investments in subsidiaries

Cost:
At 1 April 2019
Net movement on share options granted/(lapsed) to subsidiary companies’ employees
Transfer of investment from other subsidiary
Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Amounts provided for:
At 1 April 2019
Disposal of subsidiaries

At 30 March 2020

Net book value
At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019

Details of the Company’s subsidiaries at 30 March 2020 are disclosed in note 38.

124

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

£’000

73,734
533
5,137
(22,418)

56,986

(6,600)
6,600

–

56,986
67,134

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

43 Loan notes receivable from subsidiaries
The directors have considered the nature of the inter-company balances and determined that they largely relate to investment in its trading subsidiaries 
through the provision of loan amounts and are not expected to be recovered within the next 12 months. As such, these amounts are now disclosed as loans 
to subsidiaries within non-current assets. As a result of this, a prior year adjustment to reclassify £15,613k of intercompany balance from current to non-current. 
This results in the net current liability position increasing from (£2,934k) to (£18,547k).

44 Right of use assets

Cost

On transition 2 April 2019

Additions

At 30 March 2020

Accumulated depreciation
On transition 2 April 2019

Charge for the year

At 30 March 2020

Net Book Value

At 30 March 2020

45 Investment property
Refer to note 19 of the Consolidated financial statements for further details.

46 Intangible fixed assets

Cost
At 2 April 2018
Additions
Disposals
At 1 April 2019
Additions

At 30 March 2020
Accumulated amortisation
At 2 April 2018
Charge for the year
Disposals
At 1 April 2019
Charge for the year
Impairments

At 30 March 2020
Net Book Value
At 30 March 2020
At 1 April 2019
At 2 April 2018

47 Deferred Tax assets

Provisions
Share based payment

Equipment, 
fittings & 
vehicles
£’000

–

12

12

–

(2)

(2)

10

Software
£’000

606
332
(116)
822

544
1,366

–
(45)
45
–

(51)
(740)
(791)

575
822
606

30 March 2020
£’000
89
153
242

1 April 2019
£’000
71
576
647

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

125

 
Notes to the Company financial statements
continued

47 Deferred Tax assets (continued)
Movement in deferred tax during the year:

Provisions
Share based payment

Recognised in 
income 
statement
£’000
18
(10)

Recognised in 
OCI
£’000
–
(413)

8

(413)

30 March 2020
£’000
89
153
242

1 April 2019
£’000
71
576

647

Deferred tax on losses of £755,000 (2019: £nil) relating to losses in the Company have not been recognised in these financial statements on the basis that there 
is insufficient evidence of suitable future taxable profits against which to recover any deferred tax asset created.

48 Trade and other receivables

Trade receivables

Vendor loan note

Amounts due from Group undertakings

Prepayments and accrued income

The amounts due from Group undertakings have no fixed payment terms and are interest free.

Other receivables due after more than one year

Vendor loan note

Deferred contingent consideration

30 March 2020
£’000

Restated
1 April 2019
£’000

284

360

–

106

750

–

–

594

385

979

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

8,962

4,043

13,005

–

–

–

For details relating to the fair value of the deferred contingent consideration, refer to note 28 Financial Instruments in the Consolidated financial statements.

49 Assets classified as held for sale
Refer to note 24 of the Consolidated financial statements for details.

50 Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Other taxes and social security

Amounts due to Group undertakings

Accruals and other payables

The amounts due to Group undertakings have no fixed payment terms and are interest free.

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

253

58

13,865

4,590

18,766

–

167

16,214

2,555

18,936

126

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

51 Lease liabilities
The Company leases a motor vehicle which runs for a period of four years. The maturity analysis of the lease is shown below.

Maturity analysis
Due within 1 year
Due between 1 and 2 years

Total

Analysed as:

Lease liability
Current
Non-current

52 Provisions

At 2 April 2018
Charged in the year
At 1 April 2019
Charged in the year

At 30 March 2020

Current
Non-current

30 March 2020
£’000

5
4
9

5
4
9

Social security
costs
£’000

1,190
(284)
906
(415)

491

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

143
348
491

703
203
906

National insurance contributions which will become payable on exercise of share options have been provided. The share options can be exercised at various 
dates from the balance sheet date to 17 December 2024. The amount payable is dependent on the Company’s share price at the date of exercise of the options. 
The provision which is allocated on a time weighted basis over the period from date of grant to the date that employees become unconditionally entitled to the 
options has been calculated on the share price at the balance sheet date of £2.52 and the assumption that 100% of employees will exercise their share options 
and that the rate of NIC is 13.8%. 

53 Bank and other borrowings

Non-current
Revolving credit facility
Debt issuance costs

Total bank and other borrowings

30 March 2020
£’000

1 April 2019
£’000

–
–
–

23,000
(556)
22,444

The Group’s revolving credit facility of £60m, which was due to mature in December 2022 was repaid on 10 December 2019 on completion of the sale of the 
Majestic business. Further details are disclosed in note 26 of the Consolidated financial statements.

54 Share capital and share premium account
Details are disclosed in note 31 to the consolidated financial statements. 

55 Post balance sheet event
Refer to note 36 in the Consolidated financial accounts for details.

56 Related parties
The Company has identified the Directors of the Company as related parties for the purpose of FRS101. Details of the relevant relationships with these related 
parties are disclosed in the Directors‘ remuneration report and note 37 to the Group accounts. The Company has no transactions with or amounts owed to or 
from subsidiary undertakings that are not 100% owned either directly by the Company or by its subsidiaries.

57 Ultimate controlling party
The Company, Naked Wines plc (formerly Majestic Wines plc) is the ultimate controlling party of the Naked Wines Group.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

127

 
 
Shareholder information

Annual General Meeting
At the forthcoming AGM, Justin Apthorp, David Stead and Katrina Cliffe will 
retire by rotation and, being eligible, will offer themselves for re-election. 

The AGM will be held at 11.30am on 6 August 2020 at Norvic House, 29-33 
Chapel Field Road, Norwich, NR2 1RP. The Notice of Meeting will be 
separately distributed to shareholders. 

Key contacts:

Company Secretary 
Alex Iapichino 
Registered Office 
Norvic House 
29-33 Chapel Field Road 
Norwich 
NR2 1RP 

Nominated Advisor and Joint Corporate Broker
Investec Bank (UK) Limited 
2 Gresham Street 
London EC2V 7QP

Joint Corporate Broker
Jefferies International Limited 
100 Bishopsgate 
London EC2N 4JL

Auditor 
Deloitte LLP 
1 Station Square 
Cambridge 
CB1 2GA

Registrar
Link Asset Services  
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham 
Kent BR3 4TU

PR Advisor
Instinctif Partners 
65 Gresham Street 
London 
EC2V 7NQ

Investor Relations
IR@nakedwines.com 
Norvic House 
29-33 Chapel Field Road 
Norwich 
NR2 1RP 

Solicitors
Allen & Overy LLP 
One Bishops Square 
London E1 6AD

Tax Advisor
PwC LLP 
3 Forbury Place 
23 Forbury Road 
Reading 
RG1 3JH

Banker
HSBC UK Bank PLC 
1 Centenary Square 
Birmingham 
B1 1HQ

128

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Operational KPIs

Product availability

% of targeted range available on websites as 
indicated by our inventory reporting. 

Wine quality –  
“Buy it again ratings”

Service ratings –  
“5* customer service”

 % of “Yes” scores in the last 12 months as recorded 
by websites/apps.

The number of service ratings scoring 5* as a % of 
total ratings in the last 12 months as recorded by 
websites/apps/telephone feedback.

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Definitions and operational KPIs

Definitions

Angel

CAGR

Company, Naked 
or Naked Wines

Contribution

DTC

ESO

Group

LTIP

New customer 

A customer who deposits funds into their Angel 
account each month to spend on the wines on 
our website.

Compound annual growth rate. The year on year 
growth rate required for a number of years for a 
value to grow from its beginning balance to its 
ending balance. 

Naked Wines plc

A profit measure between gross profit and EBIT, 
calculated as gross profit less the costs of fulfilling 
and servicing (e.g. credit card fees, delivery costs, 
customer-facing staff costs) and marketing 
expenses. We often split contribution into that from 
new and repeat customers as they can have 
different levels of profitability.

Direct to Consumer.

Employee stock options

Naked Wines plc and its subsidiary undertakings

Long Term Incentive Plan

A customer who, at the time of purchase, does not 
meet our definition of a repeat customer; for 
example, because they are brand new, were 
previously a repeat customer and have stopped 
subscribing with us at some point or cannot be 
identified.

New customer sales

Revenues derived from transactions with customers 
who meet our definition of a new customer. 

Repeat customer

A reconciliation and analysis including this metric is 
shown below for the Group is shown on page 131.

A customer (‘Angel’) who has subscribed and made 
their first monthly subscription payment.

Repeat customer sales These are the revenues derived from orders placed 

by customers meeting our definition of a repeat 
customer at the time of ordering.

SIP

Standstill EBIT

A reconciliation and analysis including this metric 
is shown below for the Group on page 131.

Share Incentive Plan

The adjusted EBIT that would be reported if 
investment in new customers was reduced to 
the level needed to just replenish the current 
customer base.

See page 132 for calculation of standstill EBIT 
from constituent Group KPIs and APMs.

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

129

Alternative performance measures (APMs)

Alternative performance measures

EBIT

Adjusted EBIT

EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted PBT

Adjusted effective 
tax rate

Free cash flow

Net debt

Operating costs

Operating profit as disclosed in the Group income 
statement.

Operating profit adjusted for amortisation of 
acquired intangibles, acquisition costs, share 
based payment charges, impairment of goodwill, 
restructuring costs and fair value movement 
through the income statement on financial 
instruments and revaluation of funding cash 
balances held.

EBIT plus depreciation and amortisation.

Adjusted EBIT plus depreciation and amortisation, 
but excluding any depreciation or amortisation 
costs included in our adjusted items e.g. 
amortisation of acquired intangibles.

Adjusted EBIT less net finance charges.

Defined as the current year’s current tax charge 
divided by the adjusted profit before tax.

Cash generated by operating activities less 
capital expenditure and before adjusted items 
and taxation.

A reconciliation of free cash flow is shown on 
page 131.

Borrowings less cash and debt issuance cost.

Defined as administrative expenses less other 
operating income excluding adjusted items.

Investment measures

Investment in new 
customers (also 
referred to as new 
customer contribution)

Lifetime payback

The contribution earned from sales to new 
customers.

An explanation of why this is used is on page 21.

An analysis including this metric is shown below for 
the Group on page 131.

The ratio of the Lifetime value (see below) of the 
customers recruited this year to the investment we 
made recruiting them.

An explanation of why this is used is on page 21.

As this is an undiscounted forward-looking estimate 
it cannot be reconciled back to reported financial 
results. As we can refine this expectation over time, 
we also update the expected returns from prior year 
investment (see page 33).

Lifetime value 

The future contribution we expect to earn from 
customers recruited in a discrete period of time. 

We calculate this future contribution using a 
Machine Learning (ML) model. Collecting data for a 
number of key customer characteristics including 
retention, order frequency and order value along 
with customer demographics and non-transactional 
data, the ML algorithms then predict the future 
(lifetime) value of that customer.

Repeat customer 
contribution

The profit attributable to sales meeting the 
definition of sales to repeat customers after 
fulfilment and service costs.

Repeat customer 
sales retention

An explanation of why this is used is on page 21.

An analysis including this metric is shown below 
for the Group on page 131.

The proportion of sales made to customers who 
met our definition of “Repeat” last year that were 
realised again this year from the same customers. 
Using our website data, the population who were 
subscribers in the prior year are identified and their 
sales in the current year then assessed. This is done 
for each month and summed to calculate the full 
year retention.

An explanation of why this is used is on page 21.

Fixed costs

Administrative costs excluding marketing spend.

Year one payback

An explanation of why this is used is on page 20.

An analysis including this metric is shown below on 
page 131.

This short-term payback measure shows the actual 
return in this financial year of our investment in the 
prior year, removing the need to use a model to 
forecast the future. 

130

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

Analysis of sales and contribution between new and repeat customer components

Naked Wines
Revenue

Contribution

Operating loss (“EBIT”)

Memo
Admin costs analysed as:

Marketing costs (included above within Contribution)

Fixed costs

Adjusted items

Free cash flow

Adjusted EBIT

Add back depreciation and amortisation (excludes adjusted amortisation of acquired intangibles)

Adjusted EBITDA
Working capital movement

– Inventories

– Deferred Income

– Trade and other receivables

– Trade and other payables

– Repayments of principal under lease liabilities

Working capital movement

Pre-tax operating cash flow

Capital expenditure

Pre-tax operating cash flow / “Free cash flow”

Reconciliation to statutory cash flow statement
Free cash flow

Cash adjusted items

Capital expenditure

Repayments of principal under lease liabilities

Cash consumed by operations

2020

Analysed as:

Repeat
£m

173.7 

45.7 

New
£m

29.2 

(22.9)

£m

202.9 

22.8 

(4.9)

(19.8)

(24.2)

(3.4)

(47.4)

2019

Analysed as:

Repeat
£m

152.9 

39.8 

New
£m

25.5 

(19.1)

£m

178.4 

20.7 

(9.1)

(17.6)

(23.7)

(6.2)

(47.5)

30 March 2020
£m

1 April 2019
£m

(1.4)

1.8

0.4

(13.3)

5.3

0.6

6.9

(1.2)

(1.7)

(1.3)

(1.1)

(2.4)

(2.4)

–

1.1

1.2

(0.1)

(3.0)

0.6

(2.4)

(13.2)

5.8

(0.2)

1.3

–

(6.3)

(8.7)

(0.9)

(9.6)

(9.6)

(0.1)

0.9

–

(8.8)

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

131

Alternative performance measures (APMs)
continued

Standstill EBIT calculation

Repeat contribution (a)

Sales retention (b)

Repeat contribution lost to attrition (=a x (1-b)) (c)

Year 1 payback (d)

Spend to replenish lost repeat contribution (=c/d) (e)

Standstill EBIT is calculated as

Repeat contribution (a)

Less: replenishment spend (e)

Less: fixed costs

30 March 2020
£m

1 April 2019
£m

45.7

83.3%

7.6

67.0%

11.4

45.7

(11.4)

(24.2)

10.1

39.8

80.7%

7.7

78.0%

9.8

39.8

(9.8)

(23.7)

6.3

132

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2020

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Board photography by George Brooks.

Designed and produced by Friend 
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