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Naked Wines

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FY2023 Annual Report · Naked Wines
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Fernando C andelario

David Akiyoshi

USA

C armen Stevens

South Africa

Penelope Gadd-C oster

USA

Katie Jones

Paul Nelson

Denmark

Katie Jones

France

Franc Dušak

USA

Tim Smith

Australia

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

Naked Wines plc  
Annual Report and Accounts 
2023

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic report

Governance report

Financials

8   Our business at a glance

54   Board of Directors

81   Group income statement

12   Chairman’s letter

56   Governance

14   Chief Executive’s review

58   Directors’ remuneration report

18   Our business model

68   Audit Committee report

24   Financial review

71   Directors’ report

30   Key performance indicators (KPIs)

73   Statement of Directors’ 

32   Stakeholder engagement

35   Risk management and  
control environment

46   Sustainability

responsibilities

74   Independent auditor’s report

82   Group statement of  

comprehensive income

83   Group statement of changes  

in equity

84   Group balance sheet

85   Group cash flow statement

86   Notes to the financial statements

120  Company balance sheet

121  Company statement of changes  

in equity

122  Notes to the Company financial 

statements

128  Shareholder information

129  Glossary of definitions, alternative 

performance measures and key 
performance indicators

131   Alternative performance measures 

(APMs)

FY23: 53 weeks versus 52 weeks in the previous financial year
All financial and non-financial information in this report relates 
to our 53 week financial period ended 3 April 2023, unless 
otherwise stated.

Within the Strategic report on pages 8 to 53, we provide 
comparable 52 week constant currency financial information to 
facilitate comparison with our prior financial period, 52 weeks 

ended 28 March 2022. For reference, we call this 52 week 
constant currency measure “52 week comparable” (or simply 
“comparable”) where it is referred to in this document. See the 
reconciliation of reported results to 52 week comparable figures 
on page 131.

Please note that whilst the 53 week results to 3 April 2023 have 
been audited, the 52 week comparable numbers are unaudited.

There are three things  
you should know about  
Naked Wines... 

1.
We offer 
winemakers 
hope, 
opportunity  
and creative 
freedom 

Page 2

2.
Our  
differentiated 
model; 
a leading proposition  
for both winemakers  
and customers 

Page 4

3.
We have  
a clear  
strategy  
for the  
future

Page 6

1

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 20231.
We offer 
winemakers 
hope, 
opportunity 
and creative 
freedom 

Jen Pfeiffer

2

Naked Wines plc
Annual Report and Accounts 2023

We are continuing to make a real impact in 
the wine industry with our unique business 
model that allows independent winemakers 
autonomy to bring stellar wines to 
consumers, at great value, direct to their 
homes. This business model is underpinned 
by our ability to offer advance funding and 
large, regular orders to our winemakers, 
which we believe gives us and them a strong 
competitive advantage in the current 
marketplace. 

Our team is dedicated to providing our 
winemakers and customers the best 
possible experience when either working 
with us or buying from us. We are continuing 
to work hard behind the scenes on 
developing our leading platform, enabling 
our winemakers to utilise the competitive 
advantage we bring by offering an 
alternative to the traditional distribution 
model and allowing them to engage 
directly with their consumers. 

This presents us with an opportunity to 
capture share in a large and attractive 
market with favourable industry dynamics, 
supported by a secular shift to online 
purchases of wine.

94%of 4,298

would buy it again

Both of these wines 
featured in our 
Deluxe Coronation 
Collection case 
which sold over 
10,000 cases in 
just 5 days.

95%
o f   1 ,7 2 5
w o u l d   b u y   i t   a g a i n

3

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Daniel Baron

2.
Our  
differentiated 
model; 
a leading proposition  
for both winemakers  
and customers 

4

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Due to the incredible value proposition 
we provide, we are able to attract some of 
the world’s top winemakers, including such 
recent additions as Jeremy Corsin, Eva and 
Urban Kaufman, and Rory Clifton-Parks. 
Jeremy is a sixth generation family 
winemaker at Domaine Corsin, Saint Veran. 
One of the village appellations in the 
Maconnais region in the south of Burgundy, 
Jeremy is coming on board with a Saint 
Veran Vielles Vignes Bourgogne, a great 
wine to fill a gap in our portfolio. 

FY23 has been a challenging year where 
we revised our planning assumptions which 
were based on the high growth environment 
of 2021. These assumed a continuation of 
a rate of growth for the business which 
turned out to be overly optimistic. At the 
start of this financial year, we had more 
stock committed than our projected 
demand, a cost base geared for growth 
and a credit facility that didn’t match the 
expected business trajectory. As a result, 
we laid foundations over the past six 
months so we are once again well placed 
to win in a competitive market, despite the 
challenging consumer environment. 

We seek to disrupt a wine market that has 
not fundamentally changed in nearly 
a century and, we believe, disadvantages 
both winemakers and consumers. Good 
wine is generally priced too expensively 
for the end consumer, with many layers 
of intermediation taking too much of 
the value away from both winemakers 
and customers. 

To improve the value proposition for 
both winemakers and consumers, 
we are upending the status quo. 

Through our subscription business model, 
we have garnered tremendous support 
from our community of 867,000 Active 
Angels across the UK, the US and Australia 
(who we define as active subscribers who 
have placed an order in the past 12 months, 
FY22: 964,000) by providing them with 
an unparalleled value proposition and 
customer experience. In turn, the 
subscription contribution from our Angels 
enables us to help our roster of 293 
winemakers (FY22: 266 winemakers) with 
some of their biggest challenges: capital 
and distribution.

We connect our winemakers directly with 
our Angels via our website, allowing for 
direct exchange of educational information 
about wines, feedback, ideas and product/
customer service ratings, which is 
invaluable data that winemakers use to 
make even better wine. This model also 
allows for a unique, curated customer 
experience that deepens engagement 
and fosters customer loyalty and consistent 
Repeat Customer sales, all through the 
art of conversation and feedback. 

In a typical year, tens of thousands of 
Angels meet our winemakers in person 
on tour, at virtual events or in wineries. 
We were back on the road this year with 
our tasting tour, helping introduce 
our Angels to wonderful new wines and 
the people behind them. It was great to 
see everyone together in person again 
over a glass. 

If you’re not 
already, get 
involved!

We connect our 
winemakers directly 
with our Angels via our 
website allowing for direct 
exchange of educational 
information about wines, 
feedback, ideas 
and product/customer 
service ratings.

5

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 20233.
We have  
a clear strategy  
for the future

Our priority is to continuously elevate 
and expand the unique offering we 
provide to both winemakers and 
customers, with the goal of building 
our brand and expanding our reach  
to new customers in what we believe  
is a large and attractive market ripe  
for disruption. 

Derek Rohlffs

 Continuing to maximise 

the customer proposition and 
quality perception to improve 
Lifetime Value (LTV) and attract 
new customers

To maximise the customer and quality 
perception of our product offering, we are: 

 •

Increasing recognition of wine quality 
on both our app and our site with more 
targeted and effective marketing 
communications

 • Leading with the winemaker, rather 
than the value offering, to foster the 
community experience and support 
continuation of strong customer loyalty 
trends and Repeat Customer sales

 • Expanding the number of winemakers 
and the wine range on our platform to 
allow more options for consumers

 •

Improving the availability and speed 
of our website and enhancing the core 
shopping experience

 • Extending the scope of our Never Miss 

Out subscription offering and rolling out 
our Wine Genie offering at a greater scale

Naked Wines is a unique business because 
of our customers and winemakers:

 • Enhancing the initial 90 days of the 

member experience, where we believe 
there is an opportunity to materially 
increase LTV

 • Driving higher conversion to second 

order through increasing resource and 
organisational focus around this part of 
the experience

 • Reactivation of former members, where 
we have proven across markets and 
channels that LTV for former members is 
higher than first-time prospects and will 
be leveraging smart modelling

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative performance measures 
and pages 131 to 133 for reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

6

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023What makes 
us unique?

Winemakers: 
Our ability to provide winemakers with 
advanced funding and consistent large 
orders is a significant competitive 
advantage that sets us apart in the 
marketplace and allows us to attract 
exceptional talent.

Customers:
Our focus on consistently improving 
and broadening the range and growing 
our distinct community helps establish 
our brand and extend our reach to 
new customers.

Strategy:
Our unique business model empowers 
independent winemakers to exercise their 
creative freedom and deliver exceptional 
wines to consumers at affordable prices, 
all while conveniently shipping directly to 
their homes.

Focus on improving early 
retention and conversion of  
our Angels 

From our data analysis it is clear that once 
our Angels have secured their second or 
third orders, they are then more likely to 
remain with us. With this in mind, it is more 
important than ever to make sure that our 
first impressions count and entice Angels 
back. We are exploring our approaches at 
these early stages to ensure that we are 
achieving top-tier customer experience  
and maximising the potential for long-term 
customer relationships. 

We do so by ensuring we have the right 
offers straight off the bat, ones which 
are both personalised and transparent. 
We want to turn high-potential customers 
into true Angels by delivering brilliantly on 
the Naked promise. 

Once the initial step in the journey is 
complete, we then want to nurture these 
Angels and convert them into regular 
shoppers so that we become a fundamental 
part of their shopping routine. We do this by 
really homing in on the personalisation and 
flexibility aspect of our offering to ensure 
that we provide an all-round better 
experience and connection with our 
Angel community.

Broaden and enhance our  
go-to-market strategy 

As we bring to life the early retention and 
conversion of our Angels via our improved 
customer proposition and quality 
perception, we believe this provides us 
with the perfect opportunity to develop the 
efficiency in our new customer acquisition 
while maintaining attractive returns. 

For the coming year we are:

1.  Testing different ways of onboarding new 
customers to Naked to remove barriers 
that deter certain groups from joining us

2.  Developing our marketing channels to 
diversify the range of places we drive 
customer awareness 

3.  Continuing to increase the efficiency of 
new customer acquisition investment 
with an eye towards structural 
improvements that deliver enduring 
benefits such as conversion rate 
optimisation and efficiency and 
increased investment in remarketing/
owned channels 

Leverage scale to enhance 
value creation 

Our virtuous circle on page 19 helps to 
show the evolution and benefits of all the 
elements of our business model working 
together harmoniously and how that 
effects Naked as a whole. Production and 
distribution efficiencies are shared with 
winemakers and customers while 
preserving attractive margins. All of which 
is underpinned by data and our rigorous 
capital allocation decisions. 

We have a strong global network of 293 
world-class winemakers which gives us 
the ability to support our winemakers with 
guaranteed orders and unlocks predictable 
cost reductions, which in turn helps us to 
attract new winemakers to our platform, 
enhancing the range we can offer our 
Angels. Ultimately, this means we are 
delivering even better wine and a stronger 
value proposition. 

We have 14 years of proprietary data around 
customer behaviour and wine preferences 
that informs our go-to-market strategy, a 
growing network of relationships with the 
world’s best winemakers and optimised 
production and distribution efficiencies 
which are shared with both our customers 
and winemakers. 

7

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our business at a glance
Where the world’s best 
winemakers make their best wine

Financial performance summary1

Sales2 for the year

  Repeat Customer contribution 

  Repeat Customer contribution margin 

53 weeks

52 week comparable

53 weeks

52 week comparable

53 weeks

52 week comparable

£354.0m

£343.7m

£86.5m

£84.8m

Year-on-year

Year-on-year

Year-on-year

Year-on-year

27.0%

Year-on-year

27.0%

Year-on-year

1% 

(8)%

Flat

(9)%

(40)bps

(70)bps

340.2

350.3

354.0

343.7

26.7%

29.9%

27.4%

84.9

86.2

27.0%

86.5

84.8

202.9

46.4

FY20

FY21

FY22

FY23

FY20

FY21

FY22

FY23

  Adjusted EBIT

Profit/(loss) before tax

53 weeks

52 week comparable

53 weeks

52 week comparable

£17.4m

£16.3m

£(15.0)m

£(16.1)m

17.4

16.3

2.9

(5.4)

(10.7)

1 FY23: 53 versus 52 weeks
All financial information in this report relates 
to our 53 week period ended 3 April 2023, 
unless otherwise stated.

Within the Strategic report on pages 8 to 
53, we also provide 52 week comparable 
financial information to facilitate comparison 
with our prior financial period. See the inside 
cover for further details

(2.4)

(1.5)

2.0

FY20

FY21

FY22

FY23

FY20

FY21

FY22

8

(15.0)
(16.1)

FY23

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative 
performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for 
reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

2.    Reference to sales, turnover or revenue refers to statutory 

reported revenue unless otherwise stated.

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Sales by geography

AUS 

13%

(FY22: 13%) 

UK 

39%

(FY22: 42%)

US 

48%

(FY22: 45%)

867,000

Active Angels
(FY22: 964,000)

35.6m

reviews1
(FY22: 32.6m)

78%

Repeat Customer 
sales retention
(FY22: 80%)

1.7x

5-Year Forecast  
Payback
(FY22: 1.4x)2

26%

of Angels on subscription  
products Never Miss Out  
and Wine Genie
(FY22: 24%)

90%

‘Buy it again’ rating
(FY22: 90%)

1. Total number of reviews in our database.
2. Latest forecast, original forecast 1.5x.

What we do 
Naked Wines supports independent winemakers 
who make exclusive wines at preferential prices.

We pass these preferential prices on to our customers 
and customise our recommendations based on 
35.6 million customer reviews, which helps inform our 
Angels’ decision-making process and provide a more 
meaningful customer experience overall compared 
to the traditional wine purchasing channels.

Our purpose  
Connect everyday wine drinkers with the world’s 
best independent winemakers, building meaningful 
connections and providing an elevated value 
proposition to both. 

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 
the entire wine industry works by shaping our value 
proposition to both consumers and winemakers while 
building brand awareness and enhancing both the 
quality of our offerings and the overall user experience. 

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative 
performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for 
reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

9

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our opportunity
We see potential for market share 
gain in all our geographies

Total addressable market (TAM)
The opportunity is the largest in the US, where the market is larger than 
the rest of the world in terms of size and gross profit potential. 

US 

$20bn1

UK 

£2bn

AUS 

A$2bn

Naked

$25bn

TAM

•  Excluding states  
we cannot sell to2

•  Wine >$10 a bottle

•  Those who buy wine 

regularly

•  Those interested  

in wine

Source: Internal research 2020.
1   Commenced shipment to Kentucky in FY22, Alabama license pending. Together these add an additional ~$0.3 billion.
2  The 44 states Naked currently ships to represent more than 90% of consumers in the US.

Online wine sales 2022–2027

US: USDbn

2022
3.2bn

2027  

4.3bn

CAGR  

6%

UK: GBPbn

2022
1.8bn

2027  

3.2bn

CAGR  

12%

AUS: AUDbn

2022
0.4bn

2027  

1.0bn

CAGR  

18%

The total addressable market is much 
larger than the online sales we see today as 
it represents wine purchased in all channels. 
Across our three core markets, third-party 
forecasts indicate that online wine 
purchases will continue to grow, with both 
the UK and Australian markets set to double 
by 2027. In the US, the largest of the three 

markets, growth is forecast for a more 
moderate 6% per annum, resulting in 
over $4 billion in online wine sales by 2027. 
At Naked Wines, we believe we are well 
positioned to continue taking share in this 
growing category, bringing great wines to 
our Angels and supporting our fantastic 
community of winemakers in the process.

Source: Statistica Beverages eCommerce report 2023.

10

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023US: Remains our  
largest market

UK: Strong online  
market growth

Australia: An important 
testbed

The US wine market today remains, in large 
part, defined by the “3-Tier” system for 
alcohol distribution and sale (enacted after 
Prohibition), leading to a market with 
extremely high levels of consolidation in 
the production and distribution tiers. As 
a result, access for independent wineries 
is challenging, while wine prices for 
consumers reflect the multiple margin 
pools of the 3-Tier system. 

Naked operates as a winery in the US, 
selling 100% of our wine direct-to-consumer 
(DtC), enabling us to combine better value 
wine and attractive margins. The DtC 
market is the fastest growing part of the 
wine market in the last decade, with a step 
change in scale in 2020. Naked is a leader 
in the online DtC market with a 19% volume 
share1, competing with smaller DtC players 
like First Leaf and Winc, online retailers 
like wine.com and with the online 
operations of physical specialists 
such as Total Wine & More.

As a winery that is exclusively DtC, Naked 
is uniquely positioned to offer disruptive 
levels of value to consumers, and with 
nearly 700 wines from 12 countries, we 
have the breadth of offer that far exceeds 
other DtC players.

The UK market has a large addressable 
base of £2 billion. Wine consumption is 
fragmented across a wide range of 
products in terms of countries and styles, 
with domestic production remaining a 
small portion of the total consumption.

The supply chain is dominated by the 
large supermarket chains which stock 
a mix of branded and own label wines. 
Majestic Wine is the biggest remaining 
specialist. The online/DtC space that Naked 
operates in has a range of competitors 
including Laithwaites, Virgin Wines and 
The Wine Society. The online sector has 
seen substantial growth in recent years, 
albeit all the main players have seen a 
reversal since the end of the pandemic.

Naked stands out for its advocacy and 
funding of winemakers by its customers. 
Our wines are benchmarked for value 
against a mix of DtC and retail peers 
and our Angel pricing generally offers 
a discount of up to 33% against a 
comparable quality product.

As Naked’s founding market, and now its 
most mature, the UK tends to be a reliably 
profitable market with less volatility in 
demand. Over the last two years we have 
extended the range to over 700 wines 
including new arrivals from Georgia and 
Uruguay. We continue to innovate with 
recent initiatives including online events 
accompanied by six wine tasting packs 
and driving real change in our CO2 footprint 
through lightweighting bottles and 
eliminating capsules. 

Australia is a key market for Naked Wines, 
with an online alcohol market opportunity 
of AUD$2 billion. Naked plays a unique, and 
important, role in the Australian market as 
the largest pure play e-commerce wine 
retailer in Australia. Our platform provides 
an important alternative to the retail 
duopoly that otherwise dominates wine 
retail in Australia, with Naked standing out 
for its advocacy and support of small and 
independent winemakers and for providing 
direct access to unique wines at better 
value for wine drinkers. Recently, disruption 
to offshore demand for Australian wine, due 
to changes to China’s trade tariffs, has seen 
Naked’s role as an alternate route to market 
for independent winemakers become even 
more important.

With a small team in place, and enough 
similarities in online consumer behaviour 
to the US and the UK, Australia plays an 
important role in the Naked portfolio as 
an attractive market opportunity in its 
own right, but also as a low-risk testbed for 
global innovation opportunities. In the past 
12 months the Australian business explored 
advanced automation models for packing 
efficiency, identified lower cost alternatives 
for customer service and the team is 
currently testing ways to remove barriers 
to first purchase conversion with non-sign 
up models. The business is adept at 
transferring these acquired skills across 
the Group and leveraging Group 
capabilities. The Australian team has 
demonstrated how to effectively harness 
Group-wide resources to deliver in-market 
innovations and, in the coming year, will 
deploy its learnings in supply chain 
optimisation in the US market.

1. Internal management data up to October 2022.

11

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Chairman’s letter
A period of significant change

Naked has delivered the pivot to 
profit. Now it is time for a pivot to 
profitable growth.

Rowan Gormley
Chairman

12

Dear Shareholders
Firstly, an apology. The whole Board of 
Naked Wines regret that your support and 
patience as shareholders, winemakers, 
Angels and employees has not been 
rewarded. We are all determined to 
remedy that.

 I am pleased to report that the 
management team have recognised the 
challenges very clearly, acknowledge where 
different actions could have been taken and 
are acting decisively to steer Naked through 
this period. They are highly motivated and 
determined to ensure that all stakeholders 
are rewarded for their support.

For those of you who I have not met, 
I founded Naked Wines 15 years ago, was 
CEO for 12 years, and have rejoined the 
Board as non-Executive Chairman nine 
weeks ago. I remain a shareholder owning 
2.7% of the Company.

As I am new to the job, I have taken the 
opportunity to immerse myself in the 
business and I thought it may be useful  
to share my first impressions…

1.  Trading is tough. But Naked will come 

through it leaner and tougher

2. The problems are fixable – and the 

management team have a good plan  
to do so

3. We are determined to ensure that 

shareholders are rewarded for their 
patience

1. Trading is tough. But Naked 
will come through it leaner 
and tougher
Make no mistake, trading conditions are 
tough. As you would expect, high inflation, 
higher taxes on alcohol and falling 
disposable incomes has put pressure on 
sales and costs. Combine that with 
multi-year production cycles for wine and 
falling new customer acquisition and you 
have a perfect storm, driving inventory 
build-up and pressure on cash, which has 
resulted in our reporting a material 
uncertainty around our going concern 
(further details can be found on page 36). 

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023In a market which has 
been difficult for many 
online retailers, not least 
in the wine sector, the 
management team has 
responded well to the 
challenge of stabilising 
Naked’s financial position 
and delivering improved 
trading profitability.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that 
the business has proved to be very resilient 
even in these tough conditions. And the 
management team have taken the steps 
necessary to ensure that we don’t just 
survive – we come through this as a leaner 
tougher business, conditioned to do more 
with less and with some battle scars that will 
remind us of hard learned lessons.

Specifically, the team have:

 • Reduced costs to ensure that we are able 
to invest in growth AND deliver a healthy 
level of profit;

 • Reset volumes with our winemakers at  

a level where we can rebuild growth; and

 • Renegotiated our banking facilities to 
ensure that they are fit for purpose.

2. The problems are fixable – 
and the team have a good plan 
to do so
With a clear plan on costs and inventory 
commitments, the team is able to focus on 
our next challenge – to get sales growing 
again, so that we can reward all 
stakeholders for their support.

The key finding here is that we do not have  
a general sales problem. Our existing 
customers are resilient despite the tough 
conditions. In fact, the attrition rate of 
existing customers, which is the number of 
Angels who have cancelled as a proportion 
of the Angel count at the start of the year, 
improved by 2% in this last year. What we do 
have is a new customer acquisition problem. 

The management team has a good plan to 
fix that, focused on generating higher levels 
of new customer traffic and extending the 
number of ways we service our customers 
to monetise that traffic more effectively. 
Early evidence from testing these initiatives 
looks promising, but they need to be tested 
at scale before we can draw conclusions.

3. We are determined to ensure 
that shareholders are rewarded 
for their patience
While I think that the team’s plan is a good 
one, success is not guaranteed.

This is not as gloomy as it sounds. If we can’t 
improve our new customer acquisition 
economics, then we still expect to have a 
profitable, cash generative business, albeit 
smaller than the one we have today. 

Obviously, we intend to do better than that 
and remain convinced that Naked has a  
set of competitive advantages which have 
the potential to give customers and 
winemakers a better deal than they can  
get from anywhere else – and we intend  
to fulfil that potential.

What we can promise you is that this will be 
done in a disciplined way to ensure that the 
value created is realised.

To do that we have agreed to commit to….

 • Limit general and administrative costs to 

around 11% of sales

 • Maintain investment in new customer 
acquisition at £23 to £27 million per 
annum through to March 2026 – enough 
to rebuild growth, with further growth to 
come from increased efficiency rather 
than increased spend

 • Allocate capital in a rational way, including 
serious consideration of share buy backs 
when the liquidity outlook improves

 • Drawing a line under our overstock issues 
and allowing us to get back to sustainable 
growth for key winemaker partners

I would like to thank David Stead, who has 
served as a non-Executive Director, Chair of 
the Audit Committee and Chairman, for his 
many years of wise advice and leadership.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our people 
and our winemakers for their hard work 
during a difficult time. I know it has been 
tough for you and we are determined to 
make sure that your support is rewarded.

Rowan Gormley
Chairman

13

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Chief Executive’s review
We are well placed to  
win in a tough market

We have much more to do. We have 
ambitious goals and in some areas 
our testing has not yet unlocked the 
progress we need. Equally we recognise 
the consumer environment remains 
uncertain and the global wine industry 
is challenged with over-supply. 

However, we are ready and motivated for 
the challenges ahead. We are absolutely 
committed to returning Naked to profitable 
growth and recognise the need for decisive 
action and tough near-term decisions to get 
us there. We have a core business and 
membership base that even in a tough 
environment remains incredibly robust. 
That platform creates options for Naked – 
and as a team we are determined to use 
that to establish Naked’s long-term 
potential in a way which creates clear value 
for all our stakeholders.

Recent challenges
The past year has been one of the most 
volatile in Naked’s history. Specifically, 
we have been wrestling with three key 
challenges that we did not anticipate 
when we laid out growth plans following 
the pandemic: 

 • Sustained high inflation at, or near 

to, double digits in our key markets, 
especially impacting supply chain and 
fulfilment costs;

 • The severity of Apple’s privacy 

changes on our overall marketing 
effectiveness; and

 • The reversion of online penetration 

trends in the wine category: the direct-
to-consumer (DtC) wine market in the US 
has been in short-term volume decline 
(versus long-term expansion of over 10% 
per annum).

As a consequence of these, and our failure 
to deliver our growth plans, we created two 
new challenges for the business:

 • We have too much stock. This has not 
only impacted short-term liquidity, but 
has created real costs that are burdening 
our P&L and investment metrics; and

 • We have a supply chain built for growth 
and we are operating it below capacity 
which has added substantial excess 
cost on a per order basis.

While it is important to acknowledge that 
we made mistakes in pursuit of growth, it 
is more important that we are committed 
to ensuring that as we rebuild a better 
business, we take the steps to learn from 
these and ensure they cannot be repeated.

Our belief in the differentiation of 
our proposition, and the quality of 
the exclusive brands we work with 
winemakers to create, shows 
through in our Repeat Customer 
sales patterns.

Nick Devlin
Chief Executive Officer

14

It has been a challenging year for Naked 
Wines. Ultimately though I believe it is one in 
which we have undertaken important work 
to stabilise the business alongside work to 
lay the foundations for a future in which we 
deliver on our ambition of profitable growth. 

In October 2022 we took decisive action and 
laid out a plan to “pivot to profit”. That plan 
had three main elements:

1.  Secure our credit facility to provide 

funding while we undertook a change 
of path;

2.  Demonstrate profitability; and

3.  Develop a path to sustainable, 

profitable growth.

Our focus over most of FY23 has been 
primarily on the first two of these goals  
to ensure Naked was on a more secure 
footing and demonstrate the underlying 
profitability of the business. We have met 
the majority of the short-term goals we  
laid out with our “pivot to profit” to create 
breathing space for the business to address 
the core challenge of returning to profitable 
growth. Despite much progress, the trading 
environment remains challenging moving 
into FY24 and, as a result, we are 
undertaking further actions to ensure we 
fully right-size our stock levels and cost 
base. 

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Decisive action taken
Reflecting these challenges, we moved 
decisively to address them and, in October, 
announced our pivot to profit strategy. 
Since then, we have executed at pace and 
with a willingness to confront tough 
decisions across our business. 

We have been able to make crucial progress 
to address these challenges:

 • We have identified ways to recover 

cost inflation through our pricing and 
promotional strategy. FY23 saw higher 
levels of like-for-like pricing increase 
that I would wish to see on a sustained 
basis, but our ability to pass through 
increases whilst preserving retention 
rates reflects the work we have done 
to build exclusive, quality winemaker 
brands with real equity.

 • Renegotiated and subsequently revised 
further our credit facility with improved 
covenant tests to underpin liquidity in 
downside scenarios;

 • Renegotiated and reduced our wine 

purchasing commitments and developed 
the capability to sell excess wine on the 
bulk market. We have done this in an 
orderly fashion and whilst maintaining 
the support and engagement of our 
winemakers which is a crucial part of 
our competitive advantage. As a result, 
forward commitments are now below 
anticipated sell-through levels. Consistent 
with the plans announced in October, 
stock levels ended the year at £166 million 
and we confirm our guidance that our 
peak inventory point was in October 
2022 and that we expect to deliver cash 
generation from inventory unwind from 
the second half of FY24; and

 • Demonstrated improving trends in 

Angel fund withdrawals, reflecting the 
underlying high loyalty and predictable 
revenue streams associated with our 
established member base.

In addition, we have undertaken a series of 
measures to deliver on our near-term goal 
of demonstrating Naked’s ability to trade 
profitably. These measures have resulted 
in adjusted EBIT of £17.4 million in FY23 
(FY22: £2.0 million).

 • We have reversed the trend of rising 

general and administrative (G&A) costs, 
with costs falling in the second half of the 
year despite high levels of inflation and 
have undertaken workforce reduction 
programmes that have reduced non-
customer service headcount by 12% 
during the year. As a result, we are able 
to guide to flat operating G&A into FY24, 
despite sustained inflationary pressure.

 • We have reduced underperforming 

marketing spend and reconfirm that 
there will be no additional expense 
classed as marketing R&D in FY24.

These are important steps forward but 
alone will not be sufficient to meet our 
goals. Notably, given the new fiscal year  
has not started in line with expectations, 
necessitating a harder look at plans, costs 
and a challenge for the team to return 
Naked to growth in FY24 whilst reinvesting 
more into growth and delivering less profit 
next year as a result.

We are not fully satisfied with our 
achievements.

 • We have not met our goals in terms of 
new member recruitment. Our excess 
adjusted EBIT versus initial guidance 
reflects this and, as a result, we start FY24 
with a smaller member base than we 
aimed for. To make profits sustainable we 
must increase new member recruitment 
and stabilise member numbers heading 
into FY25.

 • Payback levels have improved in each 
of the last three half-year periods, and 
reached 1.7x in the second half of FY23, 
with LTV per member acquired in FY23 
25% higher than FY22. However, we 
aimed to deliver a greater improvement 
as we cut marketing spend and we are 
disappointed that we have not been 
able to find greater levels of attractive 
investment opportunity in the last 
six months.

 • As a result of our weaker performance 

we have recognised substantial charges 
reflecting, amongst other things, 
impairment of goodwill and provisioning 
of inventory we expect to be unable to sell 
before it risks quality deterioration. As a 
result of these items we are reporting a 
statutory loss before tax of £15.0 million 
(FY22: £2.9 million profit).

Looking forward
FY24 is a crucial year for Naked Wines. 
As a team we remain focused on 
completing the job of rebuilding liquidity 
by delivering cash generation in the second 
half of the year and underpinning the 
profitability we delivered this year with 
additional cost focus. We have tracked 

below our plans in the first part of FY24 and, 
as such, are taking further measures to 
restructure our group buying and inventory 
plans to ensure we continue to meet cash 
generation goals by the end of FY25. 

Alongside a focus on inventory and costs, 
we must turn a greater share of attention to 
the third goal of our pivot to profit strategy: 
the delivery of sustainable, profitable 
growth. Our current challenges ultimately 
stem from lower levels of member 
recruitment over the last 12 months and we 
are committed to reversing this. Whilst I do 
not expect it to be easy, I believe that Naked 
has the potential to combine a return to 
growth with profitability and cash 
generation. To do so will require us to make 
progress in three key areas.

1. Reset our cost base
Taking cost out of the business supports 
our ability to offer leading value for money 
to consumers and will underpin our efforts 
to build sustainable profitability. As we start 
to look ahead into the next financial year, we 
see the possibility for considerable further 
cost reduction.

We moved G&A cost from growth to decline 
in the second half of FY23. However, we 
acknowledge we have more to do in terms 
of efficiency. We have set a goal of 
achieving £10 million of annual run rate cost 
reduction by the end of FY24, on top of the 
elimination of the marketing R&D spend of 
£5.4 million in FY23. Our current focus is in 
our fulfilment operations, and we have 
preliminary indications we may be able to 
achieve our savings goals from this area 
alone. 

A large component of this will be sourced 
from our warehousing where we have made 
significant progress through RFP and 
renegotiation processes to create 
commercial arrangements that better 
reflect the scale of the business today. 
Additionally, as we move into FY25 and 
operate with substantially lower absolute 
inventory levels, we will see further volume-
based savings, especially in warehousing.

2. Increase our marketing efficiency
It is no secret that we would like to deliver 
higher levels of payback than we have been 
able to in FY22 and FY23. Given an 
advantaged customer proposition and a 
large TAM there is a clear question as to why 
we haven’t been able to sustain higher 
growth rates in Naked. There are many 
potential reasons for our recent challenges:

15

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Chief Executive’s review
continued

 • Consumer fundamentals have certainly 

 •

been tough;

 • The long-term secular tailwind of online 
migration has taken an unprecedented 
pause (and even step back) in the last 
year; 

 • But equally, we should recognise that 
we may have underestimated the 
scale of some of the barriers to moving 
consumers in our addressable market 
online and into the Naked proposition.

We have identified two key barriers to 
adoption that we believe can be removed, 
and are working through a structured 
testing plan to establish if we can enhance 
marketing efficiency by doing so:

 • The suitability of our “Angel Piggy 

Bank” model for all segments of our 
addressable market; and

 • The requirement of a subscription 

relationship to access best value from 
our proposition.

In addition, we expect to see results in the 
year from our work to rebuild our checkout 
experience and add to the range of 
payment options that we provide to 
our customers in all markets.

Our testing programme in these areas 
commenced in October 2022 and we are 
encouraged at this early stage by the 
results we are seeing. We believe we may 
have uncovered a route to better serve 
younger wine drinkers which could both 
expand the segments of the market we 
can actively target and support enhanced 
payback in channels that drive a broad 
range of traffic such as our parcel insert 
partnerships. We are currently focused 
on validating our initial findings in different 
markets and testing at scale before 
we build these benefits into our 
marketing plans.

It is worth noting that, while each is 
individually encouraging, if we can deliver 
both cost reduction and enhanced 
marketing efficiency, we benefit from a 
multiplier effect which would materially 
improve our chances of scaling customer 
acquisition spend at attractive payback.

 • Variable cost savings both reduce the 

cost of serving the first order (lower CAC) 
and enhance margins on all ongoing 
orders (allowing us to convert the 
progress we have made on gross margin 
to higher contribution margins and LTVs).

16

If we can much better monetise younger 
traffic that will also lift aggregate 
cohort LTVs.

 • The combination should increase 

payback, and in so doing, make more 
investment opportunities viable 
to increase attractive marketing 
opportunities, which was an area where 
we have been challenged in FY23.

3. Explore new ways to drive traffic 
To return to growth will require us to 
leverage the improvements above to deploy 
additional capital to drive qualified traffic 
to Naked and increase our rate of new 
member additions. We are testing new 
strategies to invest in content creation and 
to develop new campaign approaches to 
restore the viability of investment in key 
paid digital channels. We believe that we 
have the team and capabilities to translate 
higher allowable traffic cost into higher 
levels of qualified traffic. However, we 
have not yet proven that we can do that 
successfully in the current consumer and 
advertising environment. As we start the 
year, this third part of our plan to deliver 
sustainable profitability is a key area 
of focus.

What does that mean for  
our mid-term prospects?
We are at a place where we can reasonably 
lay out some scenarios that we see as 
plausible for the Company over the coming 
years, and share what we need to prove to 
deliver against these.

We continue to see Naked stabilising as a 
substantially larger, and considerably more 
profitable, business than it was pre-
pandemic. Under a scenario where we are 
not able to find sufficient attractive 
investment opportunities to return to 
growth, we would anticipate continued 
profitability, a focus on cost reduction and 
strong cash conversion as we unwind 
excess inventory.

However, the above doesn’t reflect our 
ambition for the business. Our goals in the 
new LTIP reflect a better sense of where 
we would aspire to see the business in the 
coming years: delivering £60 million of free 
cash flow, achieving £350 million of revenue 
with a 4% EBIT margin , and translating that 
to significantly improved share price 
performance. To realise these goals 
requires us to successfully extract the cost 
savings we have line of sight of, enhance 

investment returns through our testing plan 
for the proposition, and leverage that to 
increase investment levels to return Naked 
to at least single digit top line growth in the 
next three years. Against a tough backdrop 
for the category, this would position Naked 
as a profitable, growing and cash 
generative business. A return to growth will 
also accelerate the timing at which we can 
unwind the excess inventory on the 
balance sheet.

Most importantly though, after a period 
of high volatility, we have the opportunity 
to return focus to working to fulfil the 
long-term potential of Naked to create 
long-term shareholder value by building 
a better alternative for wine drinkers 
and winemakers. 

The steps we have taken so far mean 
that we can be confident in our foundations. 
Under either of the scenarios outlined, we 
see a business that will be profitable and 
cash generative, with the potential to 
generate tens of millions in cash as we 
unwind the excess stock on the balance 
sheet over the next 24 to 36 months. In any 
scenario, as a management team we are 
entirely committed to delivering value for all 
our stakeholders.

As a result of the foundations laid over the 
past six months, we are well placed to win 
in a tough market. At this stage in Naked’s 
development we believe we are close to 
delivering something we have not achieved 
before, with the potential for cash 
generative profitable growth over the 
coming years. Together, as a leadership 
team, as a company, and as a community 
of Angels and winemakers, we are excited 
about the years ahead. 

Nick Devlin
Chief Executive Officer

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Complete 
control and 
the freedom to 
focus on quality 
winemaking.

Scott spent over a decade making Pinot Noir 
for some of the most famous brands in the 
USA, including Robert Mondavi Private 
Selection and Estancia Pinot Noir, and gained 
fans all over the country, before deciding to 
follow his passion and striking out on his own 
leaving corporate life behind. Angels funded 
that dream, and Scott is making breath-
taking wines in Oregon that will blow 
you away with their silky smooth flavors, 
stunning freshness, and incredible value. 
This is his story…

Scott Kelley

 USA

Scott first started working in the vineyards 
when he was 17, during a summer job 
scrubbing a grape press at a vineyard 
management company. “I grew up in an 
agricultural family,” he explained, “but I fell 
in love with Chemistry.” After toying with 
machines, working harvests and watching 
grapes bubble up in tanks, his interests in 
winemaking – the true marriage of 
chemistry and agriculture – became official 
when he enrolled at UC Davis to “study all 
things fermented”. Eventually going on his 
own meant Scott could take everything he’d 
learned and cultivate his own style and craft 
of winemaking. Scott now makes his own 
wine in the Umpqua Valley of Southern 
Oregon, growing and bottling his famed 
Pinot Noir alongside ambitious alternatives 
like Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Malmsey 
more typically found in Spain or Italy. 

The problem he faced was getting his 
wines to wine drinkers and even with his 
corporate wine connections to distributors, 
Scott couldn’t find a way to reach 
prospective customers until a friend in 
the industry suggested Naked Wines.

In 2015, Scott launched his first exclusive 
Pinot Noir with Naked Wines—a small 
bottling that was so successful, he’s since 
created several more under his own name, 
including a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay and 
a Tempranillo. 

Thanks to our Angels, Scott can now focus 
on creating amazing wines of his own– and 
he’s busy showcasing the incredible wines 
produced in the Pacific Northwest. “It’s 
exciting” said Scott “it’s night and day to 
corporate winemaking”. 

What he loves about Naked Wines is the 
direct feedback he receives from the 
Angels: faithful customers who rate the 
wines and offer their impressions. Scott 
calls it “the coolest system I’ve ever been 
a part of. They tasted the wines, they 
appreciated what we were doing, that the 
value was there, and they wanted more,” 
he said. “So the cool thing was that it didn’t 
take two or three gatekeepers to say, 
‘Tempranillo from Oregon? Where am I 
gonna put it on the shelf? Nobody’s gonna 
buy that. And so it’s a communication 
system and it’s a trust system that is built 
into the Naked Wines network.”

17

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our business model

Our mission

We have a clear and 
compelling mission: 
To disrupt the wine 
industry for the 
benefit of customers, 
winemakers and 
our people.

The wine industry needs Naked

Problems we are solving for  
wine drinkers
 • Paying too much for good-quality wine

 • Unhappy with their level of product choice 

and knowledge 

 • Told by the industry what to drink and 

what to like 

 • Lack of guidance provided in the 

buying process 

Problems for winemakers
 • Left exposed by the secular shift 

to online spending

 • Difficulty securing long-term financing 

and regular orders 

 •

Immense pressure to meet stringent 
cost levels and unrealistic production 
time limits 

 • Small business pains including 
scalability and high marketing 
costs due to lack of scale

18

Like their counterparts in any other 
industry, winemakers aim to continuously 
improve their products by seeking 
out consumer feedback, employing the 
latest techniques in winemaking and 
experimenting with new blends to create 
exceptional wines. They do all of this 
while trying to manage the challenges 
of incurring considerable upfront costs 
to produce their wines before eventually 
getting paid. 

These challenges are compounded by 
the fact that there has been little change 
in the way wine is sold, especially in the US, 
for the past 100 years. This results in a lot 
of friction, and added cost, for both the 
winemaker and the consumer.

The solution
We’re disrupting the wine industry by easing 
the friction. We enable our winemakers to 
focus on making great wines with security 
and stability, while offering our consumers 
those great wines at exceptional value. We 
do this by cultivating a community of Angels 
– more than 850,000 in number – who enjoy 
supporting our winemakers as much 
as they enjoy drinking their wine. 

We build a culture of trust and support 
with our winemakers: we agree to orders 
in advance, often offering a fixed fee per 
bottle, so they have certainty of our upfront 
commitment. Winemakers can be paid 
in advance, empowering them to buy 
better-quality grapes. We also provide 
product purchasing data and feedback 
from our Angel base and the benefits of 
a scale producer for commodities like 
dry goods (bottles, corks, etc.).

Ultimately, what we have created is 
a virtuous circle that connects wine 
drinkers with the world’s best independent 
winemakers. This circle facilitates 
information and insights for our Angels, 
connects them with winemakers and 
links the winemaking process and the 
winemakers directly to consumers. 
This leads naturally to scale benefits 
for all, including Naked Wines. 

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our virtuous  
circle

Active Angels

1

2

Benefits  
of a joined-up 
network

Rigorous  
capital  
allocation

Winemakers

Working together 
harmoniously for  
the benefit of all.

4

3

Beautiful 
wines

Production and distribution efficiencies are 
shared with winemakers and customers, 
while preserving attractive margins

Underpinned by data, we 
strive to rigorously allocate 
capital in everything we do. 

1

2

3

4

Our subscribers (Angels) 
generate a stream of cash 
and product data

14 years of proprietary 
data around customer 
behaviour, LTV and wine 
preferences informs our 
go-to-market strategy

We use this money to back 
independent winemakers 
to make wine exclusively for 
us; the data enables them 
to make better wine

We have built a growing 
network of relationships with 
the world’s best winemakers

Winemakers focus on 
creating beautiful wines and 
we handle the rest – resulting 
in preferential prices

This offers our Angels 
beautiful wines which 
drives higher retention

Building a bigger, better 
business unlocks scale 
economies

Production and distribution 
efficiencies are shared 
with winemakers and 
customers, while preserving 
attractive margins

19

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our business model 
continued

Our  
differentiated 
model

Our model is hard to replicate

Our ecosystem is well 
established with high 
barriers to both entry and 
scale. Over Naked’s 14 years 
in operation we have: 

Been at the forefront of 
transforming the wine industry
We provide a compelling alternative to 
traditional wine distribution channels for 
both winemakers and consumers. Our 
business model enables scale, with quick 
delivery to our 867,000 Active Angels across 
our core geographies, who participate in 
an enthusiastic community that fosters 
discussion with our unbeatable network 
of fantastic winemakers.

Built unrivalled technology
We have developed propriety technology 
and data that supports our business model, 
class-leading customer service and social 
interactions with winemakers. This 
interaction and data enables us 
to continually match wines with 
customer preferences. 

Sustained investments  
to support growth 
It takes time and sustained investment 
to build a brand, recruit winemakers, 
produce wine, build a distribution 
network and recruit our community of 
Angels, all of which we have continued 
to pursue in support of long-term 
growth of the business.

Created a direct bond between 
customers and winemakers
We operate in large and growing markets 
with favourable industry dynamics, with 
access to exclusive wines and winemakers 
and an incredibly loyal customer base that 
drives Repeat Customer sales. 

20

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Our  
critical  
assets

Great people with  
relevant experience
 • Experienced Board (tech, innovation, 

retail, US, M&A, marketing) 

 • Winemakers, wine buyers and data 
analysts driving the relevant parts 
of the business

Katie Jones

 France

Deep relationships with:
 • Our 293 independent winemakers

 • Our 867,000 Active Angels

 • Marketing partners 

 • Distribution networks 

Data-informed strategy
 • 35.6 million ratings and reviews 

from customers 

 • Understanding of customer 

characteristics that improves 
targeted advertising 

Strong leadership  
and culture 
 •

Innovative culture that is both nimble and 
disruptive

 • Analytical, data-based decision-making 

and accountability

 • Lean team structure that enables greater 

scale as sales grow

 • Community-focused

Strong capital position
 • £49 million of gross cash and available 

liquidity from borrowing facility at 
year end 

 • Continued investments to support 

growth and drive future value 

Dom Maxwell

 New Zealand

21

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Meet the Glaabs 
– never ones to 
shy away from 
hard work. 

Megan and Ryan Glaab have been lauded as 
California’s most innovative young winemaking 
team. In a landscape predominantly planted with 
well-known grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and 
Pinot Noir, it’s difficult to find vineyards growing 
lesser-known varieties. This is their story...

Megan & Ryan

 USA

22

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Megan and Ryan both found their love for 
winemaking through food. Megan’s father 
was a successful chef and she started 
considering a degree in enology when 
she was 15 while serving at her family 
restaurant. Armed with the insight that only 
discovering your passion at a ridiculously 
young age will give you, she found an enology 
program at the University of Adelaide. To 
her mother’s dismay, she wanted to study 
winemaking on the other side of the world.

“When I found Adelaide, my dad was super 
supportive. My mom was hesitant because 
she was certain I’d fall in love with someone 
in Australia and never come back, so her 
condition was ‘do NOT fall in love!’ But I did.”

Ryan’s love of food was unique in his family. 
He sought out hole-in-the-wall restaurants 
and unique flavors whenever he was 
allowed to choose, which was usually a 
birthday dinner. While pursuing a degree in 
medical bioengineering, he found part-time 
jobs in restaurants. It only took a short while 
for him to become enamoured with the 
science of wine and beer. He transferred to 
Fresno State and graduated with a degree 
in enology and a desire to travel the world, 
and he knew just where to start.

Bringing rare varieties 
to California
In 2007, for the inaugural vintage of RYME 
Cellars, the Glaabs made 50 cases of 
Aglianico — a dense black grape, rarely 
grown outside of Southern Italy. 

The Glaabs love any chance to “expand 
the consumer perception of what good 
California wine is” and see their innovative 
winemaking as an opportunity for 
education and storytelling. Even more so 
over a glass from their cellar — their unique 
wines inspire plenty of conversation. 

“We aren’t afraid of a ‘weird project’ and 
aren’t afraid of sweet wines, sparkling, 

We love idiosyncratic wines, 
and Aglianico is one we still 
focus on at RYME. It’s a grape 
that is aromatic, spicy, 
massive and brooding. It has 
high tannin, and ages forever! 
One day, we would love to see 
hundreds of thousands of 
people drinking it.

sherry, using amphora, or doing a little skin 
maceration. Name it, and we’ve probably 
tried it.”

Megan and Ryan focused on small lots of 
obscure Italian grapes as their brand and 
their reputation grew. Their portfolio soon 
contained two Vermentinos, Ribolla Gialla, 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, 
Aglianico, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. 
Sharing winery space with some of their 
closest friends who also had wine brands, 
and receiving lots of press, the Glaabs were 
living the dream! 

When they had found the comfortable limit to 
how much wine they could produce for RYME, 
they had to pass up opportunities to work 
with excellent growers and unique fruit. They 
dreamed up the brand Verse as a way to 
expand their offerings, but then COVID-19 hit. 

It was a scary couple of months because 
the vast majority of sales were to 
restaurants that literally all disappeared 
overnight. California tasting rooms also shut 
down, and with them, their last opportunities 
to sell wine in the marketplace. 

Through a friend, they found Naked’s COVID 
Relief Fund. After working with Naked 
Wines to keep RYME operating smoothly 
during a tough time, they wanted to 
keep the relationship going. With Angel 
support, Megan and Ryan were also able 
to start their new brand, Verse, and 
continue exploring the vineyards of 
Northern California. 

“We were trying to stay positive and take 
one day at a time,” Megan said, “but I can’t 
express enough how reliant we were on 
national distribution and wholesale, with 
our history in the restaurant industry. 
It was pretty clear this quarantine was 
going to last a long time. How does a whole 
engine of the industry get back up after 
this? In reality that whole economic engine 
will seize up.”

“Gosh, we’re so thankful for you guys,” 
she added. “This support, honestly on the 
winemaking side that means business is 
as normal. We can make wine as normal 
this year. What that means for us is 
supporting our growers. We don’t have 
to back out on contracts, we can keep 
our employees and staff as well. It’s our 
whole business this year.”

What was a relief story has bloomed into 
a success story, with the Glaabs joining 
the US roster of independent winemakers 
making new wines for Angels. Their 
exclusive brand for Naked, Verse, is a play 
off of their champion private label, RYME – 
and shows promise in highlighting the rare, 
exquisite varieties of Sonoma that are 
largely under the radar. 

This is not an isolated success. Several 
additional COVID relief winemakers have 
joined Naked Wines as regular contributors 
to the range, making exclusive wines that 
pay it forward for Angels again and again.

23

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Financial review
Foundations laid to focus on profitable 
growth and cash generation

Overview
In July 2022 I was asked to return to the CFO 
role. At this time it was clear to both Nick and 
I that we should not, in the near term at least, 
continue to aggressively target growth. LTVs 
had fallen as cost inflation worked its way 
into the supply chain reducing order 
profitability. Coupled with a reduction in 
marketing efficiency as the pandemic 
tailwinds reversed, paybacks were dropping. 
The original plans for FY23 contemplated 
investment in additional G&A and, as a result, 
the Group was forecast to be less profitable 
year-on-year, despite seeing little or no 
growth. Naked had been built with a view to 
delivering profits in the event we weren’t 
investing to grow, and it was clear to us that 
we could and should deliver that.

We quickly pivoted, reducing poor 
performing marketing investments, 
eliminating plans to hire and undertaking 
changes to our organisational structure 
to better align costs with our revenue 
trajectory. We have focused on recruiting 
fewer but higher quality Angels as it became 
clear that a portion of our pandemic 
recruitment was low quality. We have also 
focused on providing great wine and service 

As reported

52 week comparable

YoY
%

1%

(1)%

5%

n/a

(3)%

(12)%

(48)%

23%

6%

80%

36%

n/a

n/a

n/a

23%

n/a

n/a

(853)%

FY23
£m

343.7

(181.7)

162.0

 –

162.0

81.2

(17.0)

(48.0)

(41.1)

(5.4)

(1.5)

 –

 –

 –

FY22
£m

373.2

(219.8)

153.4

 –

153.4

85.4

(37.1)

(44.8)

(40.4)

(3.3)

(1.1)

 –

 –

 –

(48.0)

(44.8)

 –

 –

16.3

 –

 –

3.5

YoY
%

(8)%

(17)%

6%

n/a

6%

(5)%

(54)%

7%

2%

64%

36%

n/a

n/a

n/a

7%

n/a

n/a

366%

141.7

 –

141.7

79.1

(34.1)

(43.1)

(38.9)

(3.0)

(1.1)

 –

 –

(0.1)

(43.1)

 –

 –

1.9

FY23
£m

354.0

FY22
£m

350.3

(205.7)

(208.6)

148.3

(10.3)

138.1

69.9

(17.7)

(53.1)

(41.1)

(5.4)

(1.5)

(2.3)

(1.5)

(1.3)

(53.1)

(18.2)

4.8

(14.3)

17.4

(31.6)

(14.3)

2.0

(0.1)

770%

n/a

1.9

(853)%

The outlook for Naked Wines remains
positive with the business positioned 
to continue to penetrate the market 
going forward.

James Crawford
Chief Financial Officer

Revenue

Cost of sales

Gross profit pre inventory provision3

Inventory provision

Gross profit

Contribution1

Advertising costs

General and administrative costs

Analysed as:

Operating general and administrative costs2

Marketing R&D

Share based payments

Software as a Service costs3

Restructuring costs3

Other adjusted items3

Impairments

Profit on disposal of asset held for sale3

Operating (loss)/profit4

Analysed as:

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted items

Operating (loss)/profit

1.   Contribution is calculated as gross profit less fulfilment costs per the Income statement.
2.   Refer to page 132 for a full reconciliation of general and administrative costs in the income statement to operating general and 

administrative costs.

3.   Refer to note 7 Adjusted items for further details.
4.  ‘As reported’ operating (loss)/ profit is as reported on a statutory basis. ‘52 week comparable’ operating (loss)/ profit 
is reported on an adjusted basis and does not include Adjusted items in either FY23 or FY22 figures. See page 131 for a 
reconciliation of statutory to adjusted basis.

24

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to our existing Angels to maximise the 
revenue opportunity they represent. As a 
result, while reported profit before tax shows 
a loss of £15.0 million, after recognising 
material provisioning against our excess 
inventory and an impairment of goodwill, 
adjusted EBIT – which we consider to be 
reflective of the underlying profitability of 
the business – increased to £17.4 million. 
While total reported revenue was marginally 
up, revenue on a comparable 52 week basis 
declined by 8% as a result of the changes we 
have made in strategy and the consequent 
reductions in customer recruitment and 
Angel numbers.

At the outset of the year, we were operating 
with an excess level of stock and future stock 
commitments which consumed cash. We 
have been working with our winemakers and 
supply chain partners to balance our own 
liquidity requirements with the support and 
purchases they rely on, by continuing to fund 
and purchase some stock as we 
simultaneously seek to unwind this position 
in an orderly fashion. We closed the year 
with £165.7 million of inventory (net of a 
£10.3 million provisioning charge), £39.5 
million of cash and cash equivalents and 
£10.3 million of net cash excluding lease 
liabilities1 
has slowed with £45.3 million of net cash 
excluding lease liabilities consumed during 
FY22, £16.9 million during the first half of FY23 
and £12.6 million during the second half of 
FY23 (see reconciliation of net cash excluding 
lease liabilities on page 133). 

. Our rate of cash consumption 

Our credit facility, which we renegotiated 
during the year to reflect the pivot to profit 
strategy and ensure accessibility in the 
event of a downturn, remained accessible 
on the same terms following the takeover 
of Silicon Valley Bank by First Citizens Bank. 
Subsequent to year end we agreed a further 
amendment to this facility in light of the 
more challenging current trading 
conditions to enable us to incur further 
costs, should we need to, in order to reduce 
inventory commitments and operating 
expenses further. 

Our FY23 performance was achieved against 
a difficult market backdrop due to increased 
inflationary pressure within our supply chain 
and low consumer confidence. These 
challenges are continuing into FY24 and 

1   Net cash excluding lease liabilities is a change in naming 
convention only from net cash as previously used by 
management. The calculation of this measure remains 
consistent with previous disclosures (see page 133).

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative 
performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for 
reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

FY23 basis of comparison
FY23 has been a 53 week year, which 
we use periodically to allow our trading 
periods to always align to weeks of the 
year. Exchange rate movements have 
also been substantial, with the average 
USD translation rate for revenues of 1.206 
in FY23 versus 1.368 in FY22. To add 
further complexity, we have made some 
disposals of excess inventory as bulk 
commercial sales which have not been 
undertaken at scale previously. 

Given these complexities, we offer two 
comparators to provide insight into 
the trading trends in the business:

1.  Reported to reported, as shown on 

the face of the financial statements; and

2.  Comparable 52 week basis with all 

foreign currency balances translated 
at FY23 rates, the impact of week 53 
removed and provisioned inventory 
sales removed and reported net within 
adjusted items. See note 7 Adjusted 
items for further information.

The key drivers of the difference between these measures are as follows:

Reported

Adjusted items

Adjusted

Less: 53rd week

Translation to FY23 FX rates

52 week comparable

FY23

FY22

Sales
£m

354.0

(3.1)

350.9

(7.2) 

–

343.7

EBIT
£m

(14.3)

31.6

17.4
(1.1)1

–

16.3

Sales
£m

350.3

–

350.3

–

22.9

373.2

EBIT
£m

1.9

0.1

2.0

–

1.5

3.5

1.    The EBIT impact of the 53rd week of £1.1 million is at a contribution level and does not include an apportionment of fixed 

costs borne across the financial year.

trading in the early part of the year has been 
slower than we had planned. As a result we 
are continuing to review our inventory intake 
commitments to ensure we remain on track 
to reduce stock levels and further reviewing 
our cost structure. We are executing against 
a range of opportunities to drive cost out of 
our fulfilment operations while continuing to 
expand our customer recruitment strategy 
to penetrate the considerable addressable 
market that we operate in. In the near term, 
we will take a more aggressive approach to 
payback decisions focusing more heavily on 
cash returns while we plot a pathway back to 
revenue growth.

Drivers of Group P&L 
performance
In FY23 our total sales grew by 1% to 
£354.0 million. On a comparable 52 week 
basis this was an 8% decline. This reflects:

 • Lower sales to new customers as a result 

of reduced levels of investment; and

 • An Active Angel number decline to 
867,000, a 10% decrease compared 
to FY22.

Our revised strategy has moved us in the 
direction of higher quality customers as 
evidenced by the 52 week comparable drop 
in sales to repeat customers being a more 
moderate 6% decline.

Repeat Customer contribution of 
£86.5 million is marginally ahead on a 
53 week basis and reduced by 9% on a 
52 week comparable basis. This trend is 
driven by a reduction in Repeat Customer 
sales due to lower Angel numbers and a 
reduction in Repeat Customer contribution 
margins which have moved from 27.7% in 
FY22 to 27.0% in FY23. This reduction reflects 
increased transportation and warehousing 
costs not being fully offset by our price 
increases, in particular in the UK and 
Australian markets.

Our investment in the acquisition of new 
customers in the year fell 48% to 
£21.4 million on a 53 week basis (down 54% 
on a 52 week basis) as part of our shift in 
strategy. By focusing the lower spend on 
the best returning investments we 
improved our 5-Year Forecast Payback to 
1.7x, up from 1.5x reported last year. This 
higher quality recruitment is supported by 
higher first order price points resulting in a 
29% decline in New Customer sales on a 
52 week basis. 

Operating G&A costs were £41.1 million (see 
reconciliation of G&A costs on page 132 for 
further details), an increase of 2% on a 
52 week comparable basis. During the year, 
in light of the focus on profitability and 
significant inflation being seen in salaries, 

25

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Financial review 
continued

we undertook a restructuring program 
seeking to generate improved efficiency 
and reduce our total staffing expense. The 
effect of this is only fully reflected during 
FY24 with the final steps having completed 
in March 2023. 

We invested £5.4 million into our marketing 
R&D program in the year (FY22: £3.0 million), 
experimenting with above the line 
advertising in our UK and US markets to 
drive enhanced brand awareness and 
earlier stage consideration of Naked for 
new customers. Whilst these initiatives 
showed early promise, they were not 
generating material payback levels 
and have been paused while we focus 
on driving profitability and reducing cash 
consumption. Any future above the line 
spending will be included in our overall 
marketing costs and payback calculations.

Share based payment charges (excluding 
associated social security costs) for the 
year totalled £1.6 million, increased from 
£1.3 million in FY22 because of the awards 
of options made under the “transition 
scheme” announced during the year. 

The net of the above factors results 
in adjusted EBIT of £17.4 million, or 
£16.3 million on a 52 week comparable 
basis. The increase versus FY22 can 
be summarised as:

FY22 adjusted EBIT

£m

3.5

Reduced Investment in New Customers

23.9

Change in Repeat Customer 
contribution

Change in other contribution

Increase in G&A costs

Increase in share based  
payment charge

Increased marketing R&D spend

52 week adjusted EBIT

Plus: week 53 impact

FY23 adjusted EBIT

(8.0)

0.1

(0.7)

(0.4)

(2.1)

16.3

1.1

17.4

Reported operating loss of £14.3 million 
reflects the impact of £31.6 million of costs 
across a range of adjusted items. Refer to 
note 7 Adjusted items for further details. 
These are adjusted as they are either 
material one-time charges we do not 
expect to be repeated or they are non-
trading related. We feel that treating them 
as adjusted items provides clarity of these 
non-recurring events and also a more 
comparable view of business trading 

26

performance. The key components of 
these items are:

Right-sizing of US inventory

Restructuring costs

Gain on sale of ex-Majestic store

Impairments

Amortisation of acquired intangibles

Interchange fee litigation settlement

Software as a Service investments

Revaluation of FX contracts

£m

(14.0)

(1.5)

4.8

(18.2)

(1.3)

0.7

(2.3)

0.1

Interest charges totalled £0.8 million in 
the year, being the net of interest earned 
on cash balances and the Majestic Wine 
disposal vendor loan note, and charges 
relating to the asset backed lending 
arrangement with Silicon Valley Bank 
and interest on IFRS 16 leases.

The Group’s statutory effective tax rate 
(ETR) of (15.9)% is substantially driven by  
the distortionary impact of the non-tax 
recoverable impairment charge reported in 
the year and the net impact of changes to 
deferred tax recognition. Current tax of 
£4.6 million was driven by profitable trading 
in the US and Australia, including the impact 
of material non-deductible temporary 
timing differences in the US relating to the 
US inventory provision and US ‘unicap’ 
inventory tax adjustments, partially offset 
by corresponding deferred tax credits as 
set out above. 

New and repeat customers  
and our subscription KPIs
Note: commentary in this subsection is 
given on a comparable 52 week basis.

New customers

Investment in New Customers was 
£20.7 million compared to £44.6 million in 
FY22. This halving of investment reflects the 
change in strategy implemented during 
the year to improve paybacks versus FY22 
levels (currently forecast at 1.4x) and drive 
profitability in preference to growth. 

We have reduced spending in all our 
markets and most channels, and increased 
prices to new customers as we know this 
drives higher quality recruitment. Our 
largest decrease was in the UK, where we 
saw a significant deterioration in customer 
quality. Our reduction has meant increasing 
our promotional offer prices significantly, 
while advertising spend has focused on 
the most efficient areas, and given an 
increased average price for first orders, 
the reduction in New Customer sales is less 
severe than the reduction in investment, 
albeit still significant.

In the US market, we have moved the 
majority of our first order offers to 12-bottle 
cases to increase prices and sell additional 
inventory. The US is also the most advanced 
in testing our new recruitment journey, 
which has provided additional support to 
New Customer sales. As a consequence 

New Customer sales

Investment in New Customers

Repeat Customer sales

Repeat Customer contribution

Repeat Customer contribution margin

Other revenue

Other contribution

KPIs

52 week comparable

FY23
£m

26.0

(20.7)

314.5

84.8

27.0%

3.2

0.2

FY22
£m

36.5

(44.6)

335.4

92.8

27.7%

1.3

0.1

YoY

(29)%

(54)%

(6)%

(9)%

146%

100%

Repeat Customer sales retention

78%

80%

(200)bps

Active Angels

5-Year Forecast Payback

Year 1 Payback

Standstill EBIT

867,000

964,000

1.7x

39%

(5.8)

1.5x

68%

21.2

(10)%

0.2x

(29)%

(27.0)

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for reconciliations to 
statutory reported figures.

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
of these changes, our revenues from 
new customers reduced by 29%.

Our 5-Year Forecast Payback, which is the 
ratio of projected future Repeat Customer 
contribution we expect to earn from new 
customers recruited in the year over the 
investment spend related to acquiring 
those new customers, was 1.7x (FY22: 1.5x 
reported). This was achieved due to higher 
forecast LTVs as we have focused on higher 
quality customers, with the cost of each 
recruited Angel flat year-on-year. 

We would like to be investing more in new 
customer recruitment, but our current 
marketing mechanics and market 
conditions don’t support this while driving 
acceptable payback. We have accepted 
payback lower than our 2x target during 
the year for two reasons:

 • Our reducing scale leads, in the 

near term, to lower efficiency in our 
fulfilment operations which contain a 
significant level of fixed costs. As such, 
the marginal cost of each incremental 
order we generate is significantly 
lower and the profitability higher, and 
we consider it rational to drive these 
incremental orders; and

 • With significant amounts of excess 
inventory, the cash profile of each 
order we generate is higher than the 
contribution of the order (which is the 
basis of our payback calculations). For 
as long as we are reducing inventory, 
this effect means cash paybacks are 
significantly higher than our payback 
measure suggests.

Repeat customers

Repeat Customer sales were £314.5 million, 
a 6% decrease. With Angel numbers 
reducing as a result of the lower level of 
recruitment, this represents an increase 
of 4.3% in sales per Active Angel.

To support repeat revenues, we have 
continued to drive our “Never Miss Out”, 
“Wine Genie” and “Fine Wine Club’’ 
propositions, with over 25% of our Angel 
subscribers having adopted an average 
of 1.7 of these each. Our Repeat Customer 
sales retention, which is the proportion 
of sales made to customers who met our 
definition of “repeat’ last year and placed 
orders again this year, was 78% (FY22: 80%). 
Sales retention can be separated into 
customer retention and the change in sales 
per Angel year-on-year. The reduction we 

have seen this year is due to early FY22 
having high rates of purchase due to the tail 
end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were 
not sustained into the following year leading 
to a reduction in sales per retained Angel 
and consequently lower sales retention.

Our Repeat Customer sales performance 
reflects the lower-than-average rate of 
retention in the US, with contribution trends 
better than revenue as we have been able 
to realise price increases offsetting inflating 
fulfilment costs and lower volume 
throughput. In the UK, Repeat Customer 
sales have been driven by a well-executed 
promotional strategy and higher fulfilment 
effectiveness year-on-year. In Australia, 
trends have mirrored the US and UK, albeit 
lagged slightly due to seasonality and the 
timing of COVID. 

However, significant increases in fulfilment 
costs due to price inflation and under-
utilisation of committed capacity have 
substantially eroded contribution margins, 
despite price increases being introduced. 

Repeat Customer contribution margins 
have decreased in the year from 27.7% 
to 27.0%. The majority of this is due 
to fulfilment cost increases in the UK 
and Australian markets not being fully 
recovered through price. In our largest 
market, the US, we achieved a 0.5% 
improvement in our contribution margin 
supported by price and mix improvements 
ahead of cost inflation.

Our Year 1 Payback for the year, which is 
the contribution realised in this financial 
year from repeat customers recruited 
in the prior financial year, divided by the 
investment made in the prior year recruiting 
those customers, was 39% (FY22: 68%) 
reflecting the high acquisition costs and 
low expected LTVs and payback from our 
FY22 customer recruitment.

Standstill EBIT is our measure of the 
adjusted EBIT which we would report if we 
had invested, at latest reported economics, 
in new customers to only replenish Repeat 
Customer contribution lost to attrition. 
In the year, our Standstill EBIT was 
£(5.8) million. This metric remains negative 
due to the very low Year 1 Payback we are 
recording from the FY22 recruitment. With 
paybacks improving we expect this metric 
to improve and converge towards adjusted 
EBIT through FY25. The calculation of 
Standstill EBIT can be found on page 133.

To support repeat 
revenues, we have 
continued to drive our 
“Never Miss Out”, “Wine 
Genie” and “Fine Wine 
Club’’ propositions, with 
over 25% of our Angel 
subscribers having 
adopted an average 
of 1.7 of these each.

27

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Financial review 
continued

Other revenue and contribution
Other revenue and contribution in the US 
reflect commercial disposals of excess 
inventory at above cost. Disposals below 
cost are combined with provisioning 
charges and shown as adjusted items.

Detailed analysis of each geographic 
segment and a full reconciliation of 
reported results to 52 week comparable 
figures can be found on page 131.

KPI review
As the business has matured and our focus 
has shifted to profitable growth, we intend 
to undertake a review of our KPIs and APMs 
during FY24 with the goal of simplifying the 
explanation of the business drivers and 
ensuring they are the most relevant 
measures to determine success against 
our plans.

Balance sheet and cashflow
During the year our goals changed to 
focus on profitability at the expense of 
growth. Achieving this meant a reduction 
in Investment in New Customers and a 
consequent reduction in revenues versus 
prior plans. As a result, the Group has 
consumed less inventory than would 
previously have been forecast, requiring 
cash consumption to fund higher levels of 
stock. To mitigate this, during the year we 
reduced the stock intake we had originally 
agreed with our winemakers by £15 million, 
the majority of the reduction being in the 
US division where we have the longest 
supply chain. 

We expect to continue reducing the level 
of inventory on hand over the next 24 
months, rebuilding our cash reserves. 
Our future inventory intake commitments 
have reduced from £223 million at the 
end of FY22 to £162 million at the end 
of FY23, with reductions achieved in 
all of our markets. 

The Group’s policy is to test for the 
existence of excess capital bi-annually as 
we update our forecasts for the business. 
Should it be determined that we have 
excess capital, available investment 
opportunities will be compared to expected 
returns from repurchasing the Company’s 
shares and capital allocated to the highest 
returning opportunities. At present we do 
not believe the business has excess capital 
and no returns of capital, either as 
dividends or through other mechanics, 
are planned at this time.

28

During the year the Group’s net cash excluding lease liabilities balance reduced by 
£29.5 million. The drivers of this are:

Operating loss

Add back: depreciation and amortisation

Add back: other non-cash charges

Add back: impairments

Change in inventory

Change in payables

Change in Angel funds and other deferred income

Other working capital movements

Operating cash flow

Tax and net interest paid

Capital expenditure

Proceeds from sale of investment property

Lease liabilities paid

Net movement in net cash excluding lease liabilities

Opening net cash excluding lease liabilities

Net movement in net cash excluding lease liabilities

FX

Closing net cash excluding lease liabilities

£m

(14.3)

4.3

7.8

18.2

(28.8)

(14.5)

(6.2)

3.5

(30.0)

(3.2)

(1.5)

5.6

(1.3)

(30.4)

39.8

(30.4)

0.9

10.3

The Group generates over 50% of its revenues from international operations. As a result, 
the year-end balance sheet is subject to the impact of changes in exchange rates as well 
as underlying movements. As shown in the table below, additional inventory, reducing Angel 
deposits (due to fewer Angels) and lower outstanding payables balances (due to less stock 
purchases) all contributed to the cash usage in the year.

Key balance sheet items (£m)

Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Inventory

FY22

39.8 

142.4 

Angel funds and other deferred income

(76.0)

Trade and other payables*

(54.6)

*   Excludes current tax liabilities

Failure and acquisition  
of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)
One of the Group’s banking partners, SVB, 
was closed by regulators on 10 March 2023. 
SVB provided 50% of the Group’s credit 
facility with the other 50% coming from 
Bridge Bank. The operations of SVB, 
including the Group’s credit facility, were 
transferred to First Citizens Bank on 28 
March 2023. This event did not impact our 
day-to-day operations and no loss has 
occurred to the Group because of the 
failure of SVB. We have also not seen 
any change in the level of withdrawals 
made from our Angel fund because of the 
failure of SVB.

Impact in the year

Non-cash 
inventory 
provision

Underlying 
movement

–

(30.4)

(10.3)

–

–

28.8

6.2

13.6

FX adj

0.9

4.8

(1.5)

(1.4)

FY23

10.3

165.7 

(71.3)

(42.4)

Recent trading and outlook 
Trading in the first quarter of FY24 has been 
significantly slower year-on-year with total 
revenues 18% lower than the comparable 
period in FY23. This reduction is a 
combination of:

 • Sales to new customers being 41% lower, 
the comparable period being prior to our 
pivot to profitability and reduction in new 
customer investment; and

 • Sales to repeat customers being 15% 

lower, reflecting the smaller customer 
base year-on-year.

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023The guidance below reflects a balanced 
view of current trends in the business as 
seen in the first quarter, expected cost 
improvements and inventory commitment 
reductions we will deliver during the year. 
Our primary goal is to invest in new 
customers to stabilise and then grow our 
repeat customer revenues. We believe this 
requires an investment level of around £27 
million, albeit recent improvements in our 
customer attrition trends could reduce this. 
As we continue to operate below this run 
rate, we expect to see repeat customer 
revenues continue to decline during FY24, 
however the rate of decline is expected to 
reduce considerably during the year. With 
new customer investment targeted to be 
£23 to £27 million, revenue trends from new 
customers should begin to stabilise during 
the year as the comparator periods begin  
to include the prior year reductions in 
investment levels. In aggregate we now 
believe total revenues are likely to decline  
by 8 to 12% in the year.

Repeat Customer contribution margins 
remain under pressure, especially in  
the UK where we will continue to face 
underutilisation of warehouse capacity into 
early FY25. Group-wide, we will continue  
to realise benefit from our FY23 price 
increases in FY24, as well as assessing 
opportunities to continue to increase prices 
and support margins while retaining strong 
value credentials. We have line of sight of 
£10 million of fulfilment cost savings that  
will predominantly be reflected in Repeat 
Customer contribution margins. We expect 
to see the full impact of these in FY25 and 
will provide further updates on our progress 
towards these important initiatives during 
our half-year reporting. The net of these 
movements is expected to be a Repeat 
Customer contribution margin that is 
relatively consistent with FY23, delivering 
Repeat Customer contribution of £72 to 
£80 million.

Elimination of marketing R&D spend will 
generate a £5 million cost saving year-on-
year. Our operating G&A base should be 
slightly lower year-on-year despite 
inflationary salary adjustments having 
been made. In the event we see revenue 
and Repeat Customer contribution at the 
low end of our guided range, we would 
expect to pursue cost savings in variable 
compensation and other areas of 
discretionary spending.

The net of all this would be an expected 
adjusted EBIT of £8 to £12 million for the 
year, with the lower end underpinned by 
cost actions as required. 

Through additional reductions in stock 
intake we continue to target closing 
inventory of approximately £145 to 
£155 million at the end of FY24, delivering 
cash generation in the second half of the 
year and closing net cash excluding lease 
liabilities of £10 to £30 million.

Liquidity and going concern
With trading performance in the first 
quarter below expectations we have 
undertaken a comprehensive reforecast 
process for the year, resulting in a delay to 
the publication of these results. As at the 
date of publication we are trading broadly  
in line with this revised forecast. The 
reforecast process resulted in a revised 
baseline outlook as described above,  
in which the Group would expect to 
comfortably meet all borrowing covenants 

over the next 12 months and retain 
significant headroom to the cash balances 
required to run the business. As such the 
Directors feel the going concern treatment 
remains appropriate.

In assessing our going concern position,  
the Board also reviewed a downside 
scenario with adverse trends to the 
baseline. This downside scenario, which 
forecasts a sales decline for the year of  
17%, also shows the Group meeting all 
borrowing covenants and having sufficient 
liquidity to operate the business. To 
increase headroom to the adjusted EBITDA 
covenant in our borrowing agreement in 
this downside scenario we have agreed with 
our banking syndicate that certain costs 
associated with reducing inventory levels 
and operating costs would be excluded 
from our covenant calculations, as well as 
measuring covenant EBITDA on a rolling 
12-month basis from the beginning of FY25 
to provide additional flexibility as to when 
certain costs were incurred. The Board 
recognises that this cash flow forecast 
relies on:

 • Trading performance which is currently 
volatile and impacted by the challenging 
macroeconomic environment;

 • The delivery of a number of cash and 

cost improvement actions which will, in 
part, require the cooperation of strategic 
suppliers; and

 • Access to a forecast level of borrowing 
from the Group’s asset backed lending 
facility. 

As a result, there remains a risk that a 
combination of these assumptions could 
result in a reduction in actual cash flows 
which would result in the business being 
unable to meet its covenant commitments. 
As such these factors give rise to a material 
uncertainty that may cast significant doubt 
over the going concern assumption of the 
financial statements. See page 36 for 
further details. 

James Crawford 
Chief Financial Officer

29

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Key performance indicators
Measuring our performance 
through enhanced disclosures

Financial

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

Why does it matter?

What are the key risks?

Sales

£354.0 million
(FY22: £350.3 million)

Sales  
growth

1% growth
(FY22: 3% growth)

Net cash 
excluding 
lease liabilities

£10.3 million
(FY22: £39.8 million)

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

The business has the opportunity to grow at scale. 
We intend to do this through continued investment 
in customer acquisition.

  •• Competition
  •• Regulation
  •• Investment

The amount of cash we 
are holding, less borrowings 
at year end excluding lease 
liabilities. See page 133 for 
the calculation of this 
measure. 

Managing cash is essential to ensuring that we have 
sufficient funds in place to execute our growth plans 
in the medium term.

Customer experience

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

Why does it matter?

Product 
availability

90%
(FY22: 88%)

Wine quality - 
“Buy it again” 
ratings

90%
(FY22: 90%)

5* customer 
service

92%
(FY22: 92%)

The average percentage of 
products we have defined as 
core to the portfolio that is 
available to our customers 
throughout the year.

The percentage of “Yes” 
scores given by customers 
in the year indicating that 
the customer would buy 
the product again, which 
we know as our ‘buy it 
again’ rating.

The percentage 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 
supports customer loyalty and maximises sales.

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

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

30

  ••  Financial 

performance

  ••  Investment 

spending and capital 
requirements

  •• Liquidity
  ••  Macroeconomic 

events

What are the key risks?

  •• Business interruption
  ••  Supply chain 
interruptions 
and costs

  •• Third-party suppliers

  •• Business interruption
  •• Supply chain
  •• Third-party suppliers
  ••  Consumer tastes 
and preferences
  ••  Quality perception

  •• Data security
  ••  Management/key 

staff

  ••  Customer service 

experience

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Subscription

KPI

How are we doing?

What is it?

Why does it matter?

What are the key risks?

 Investment  
in New 
Customers

£(21.4) million
(FY22: £(41.3) million)

 5-Year 
Forecast 
Payback

1.7x
(FY22: 1.4x)

Repeat 
Customer 
contribution

£86.5 million
(FY22: £86.2 million)

The amount we have invested in 
acquiring new customers during the 
year, including contribution profit/
loss from New Customer sales and 
advertising costs. Please note that 
we have updated the description of 
this term to elaborate on its 
components, however the underlying 
calculation has not changed.

The ratio of projected future Repeat 
Customer contribution we expect to earn 
from the new customers recruited in the 
year, divided by the Investment in New 
Customers. We forecast contribution at 
the customer level using a machine 
learning algorithm that weighs several 
characteristics including demographics, 
interactions and transactions forecast 
over a five-year time horizon. This is then 
aggregated to a monthly then annual 
cohort level for reporting purposes. As 
this is an undiscounted, forward-looking 
estimate, it cannot be reconciled back 
to financial results.

The profit attributable to sales meeting 
the definition of Repeat Customer sales 
after fulfilment costs and service costs. 
A reconciliation of adjusted EBIT to 
Repeat Customer contribution is shown 
note 6 Segmental reporting.

Repeat 
Customer 
contribution 
margin

 Repeat 
Customer  
sales  
retention

27.0%
(FY22: 27.4%)

Repeat Customer contribution as a 
percentage of Repeat Customer sales.

78%
(FY22: 80%)

The proportion of sales made to 
customers who met our definition of 
“repeat” last year and who placed 
orders again this year, calculated 
on a monthly basis and summed 
to calculate the full year retention.

 Year 1 
Payback

39%
(FY22: 68%)

A short-term payback measure showing 
the actual return in this financial year of 
our investment in the prior year.

Standstill  
EBIT

£(5.8) million
(FY22: £21.2 million)

The adjusted EBIT that would be 
reported if Investment in New 
Customers was reduced to levels 
needed only to replenish the portion 
of the customer base that was lost 
to attrition during the period. See 
page 133 for calculation from 
constituent Group KPIs and APMs.

We invest in customers from whom we expect 
to receive a payback in line with our target 
payback levels in future years. We are 
investing meaningfully to take advantage 
of the opportunity we see before us to 
maximise future value.

  •• Investment
  •• Regulation
  •• Competition
  •• Reputation
  ••  Customer 

acquisition costs 

  •• Investment
  •• Competition
  •• Supply risks
  •• Macroeconomic 

event

We invest in new customers that are expected 
to deliver payback at least in line with our 
medium-term payback target in an effort 
to ensure we create intrinsic value from our 
investments. Payback is calculated utilising the 
history we have of customer activity, enabling 
us to accurately forecast our investment 
returns and eliminate poor investments. 
Therefore, we are able to invest in attracting 
and retaining high-value customers who fit our 
target customer profile.

The cost leverage we expect to achieve as we 
grow will continue to drive Repeat Customer 
contribution. Not only does this promote the 
long-term economics of the business model, 
but contribution from repeat customers also 
provides us with the cash to reinvest into new 
customer recruitment and to continue 
support of our independent winemakers.

  •• Competition
  •• Supply chain risks
  •• Reputation
  •• Taxes and duties 

  •• Competition
  •• Supply risks
  •• Reputation
  •• Tax and duties 

  •• Investment
  •• Competition
  •• Supply chain risks
  •• Inflationary pressure
  ••  Customer acquisition 

costs

  •• Includes those 
reflected in the 
underlying metrics 
that feed into this 
calculation

Through a cultural relationship with existing 
Angels and initiatives like “Never Miss Out”, 
we strive to continually improve our Repeat 
Customer sales retention rate. This results 
in improving the Lifetime Value of existing 
customers, which drives the long-term value 
of the business.

Continuing to closely monitor this short-term 
payback measure gives us an early indication 
of the quality of the cohort recruited in the 
prior year.

As a subscription business that grows through 
marketing to new customers, the cost of which 
is reflected in our profit and loss, we use this 
measure as an indicator of standstill 
profitability, should we choose to invest only in 
acquiring those customers necessary to 
replace those lost through attrition during the 
period.

Our focus on growth, managing payback levels 
and customer retention ensures that we 
continue to maximise growth in Standstill EBIT 
and, hence, the long-term value of the business.

Active  
Angels

867,000
(FY22: 964,000)

The number of Angels (or repeat 
subscription customers) that have 
placed an order in the prior 12-month 
period.

Long-term growth overall is expected to come 
from continued growth of the customer base 
and to be enhanced through implementation of 
other initiatives and product introductions and 
enhancements.

  •• Investment
  •• Competition
  •• Regulation

  See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

31

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Stakeholder engagement  
(inclusive of section 172 Companies Act 2006 disclosures)
Our stakeholders are vital to our success

Throughout FY23, the Directors have 
complied with the requirements of Section 
172 of the Companies Act 2006 in promoting 
the long-term success of the Company for 
the benefit of all stakeholders. The following 
disclosure describes how the Directors have 
had regard to the matters set out in section 

172(1) (a) to (f) and forms the Directors’ 
statement required under section 414CZA of 
the Companies Act 2006. 

The Board considers the likely 
consequences in the long term of all 
material decisions on its core stakeholder 

groups – the Company’s employees, 
suppliers, customers, shareholders, 
community/environment, and regulators/
government. To ensure that its decisions 
advanced these stakeholders’ interested 
in FY23, the Directors engaged with 
these stakeholders as follows:

Shareholders and institutional investors

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

Board

CEO

CFO

Company 
Secretary

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) remains the primary method 
of engagement with our private shareholders, through both the 
distribution of the Annual Report and Accounts and attendance 
at the meeting.

We also engaged with shareholders and institutional investors 
as follows:

 • We engage regularly with our investors and seek their views 

on various matters affecting the Company

 • We welcomed Rowan Gormley, our founder and shareholder, to 
act as an advisor and shareholder representative to the Board 
from 14 September 2022 until 14 December 2022

 • The CEO and the CFO made presentations to investors following 

the release of half-year and year-end results

 • The CEO and CFO also engage in conversations with investors 

when requested 

 • All resolutions raised at the 2022 AGM 
were approved (voting outcomes set 
out below)

 • The Board has the benefit of investor 

feedback in making business decisions

 • Shareholders are apprised of Company 

strategy and performance

Employees

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO

CFO

Subsidiary MDs 
(UK, US and AUS)

Our employees are one of our most important stakeholder groups 
and we engage with them on a daily basis. This engagement takes 
place through:

 • Sharing of information relating to the business via regular 

communications, e.g. monthly town hall meetings

 • Annual employee engagement surveys

 • Consultation with specific groups or individuals to ensure that 
their views are 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

In FY23, we also restructured the business resulting in job reduction 
in the UK and US. Whilst the restructuring was necessary, it was 
regretful and in such circumstances we believe it is only right to 
ensure our dedicated employees are well treated. As such, in the UK 
we ensured we undertook consultation above that required by law 
and in all countries, our severance packages were well in excess of 
legal requirements and included support for finding new roles.

 • Employees are apprised of Company 

strategy

 • Employee participation in the Company 

share scheme aligns employee and 
shareholder interests and allows 
employees to hold a stake in the business

 • Employees have the opportunity to 

provide direct input and make suggestions 
to senior management

 • Senior management has responded to 

this feedback by:

 – Allowing a flexible working environment

 – Providing salary benchmarking and 

policy transparency

 – Providing training for all employees

32

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Suppliers

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO

CFO

Subsidiary MDs 
(UK, US and AUS)

Wine Team

Our business model continues to seek out and support the world’s 
best independent winemakers. We engage with these winemakers 
in a number of ways: 

 • We invest in our winemakers through advance commitment and 
funding of wine, requiring ongoing communication between our 
winemakers and Wine Team

 • Our Responsible Supplier Policy and Anti-Modern Slavery Policy 
require our supplier network to conduct their businesses in line 
with the principles embraced by Naked Wines

 • We follow best practice to make sure we are looking after our 

suppliers

In FY23, we reduced certain purchase commitments to our 
winemakers to manage the Company’s inventory balance. We 
continuously engaged with winemakers throughout this process 
to ensure that we arrived at a solution that was acceptable to both 
the winemakers and the Company.

 • Over the past year, our platform has 

supported over 293 independent winemakers

 • We’ve supported our winemakers in 

addressing and eliminating the risk of 
modern slavery in their supply chains

 • We engaged with our suppliers when 

reducing purchase commitments to ensure 
that both parties achieved an acceptable 
outcome 

Customers

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

CEO

CFO

Subsidiary MDs 
(UK, US and AUS)

Customer 
Happiness Team

The Naked Wines business model connects our customers with 
the world’s best independent winemakers. We engage with our 
customers as follows:

 • Our websites enable our customers to give the Company and 
our winemakers candid feedback and to interact with our 
winemakers directly

Wine Advisor Team

 • Our Customer Happiness Team is available by phone, email and 

chat to address any customer problems or concerns

 • We follow all applicable data protection laws to ensure our 

customers’ personal information is safe

 • By connecting consumers and 

winemakers, we improve the customer 
experience and give customers a sense 
of connection to their wine

 • Our Customer Happiness Teams 
achieved overall 92% 5* service 
feedback across markets

 • Through our privacy policies we explain 
to customers how we process and use 
their data and effectuate their data 
privacy rights on request

Regulators and government

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

We engage with regulators on an ongoing basis through 
correspondence or meetings to discuss key issues pertaining 
to the business

Company 
Secretary/

Global General

Counsel

CFO

Head of Assurance

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

 • The UK team continues to monitor 

regulatory changes to ensure the most 
efficient compliance with post-Brexit 
laws and regulation

 • Appropriate regulation is considered in 

all Board decision-making

33

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Stakeholder engagement 
continued

Community and environment

Who engaged

How we engaged

Outcomes

Board

CEO

Sustainability 
Team

We’ve made an ongoing commitment to promote 
responsible drinking.

We’ve made an ongoing commitment to sustainability.

We’ve made an ongoing commitment regarding ethical 
behaviour and responsible corporate citizenship.

 • We’ve adopted various sustainability 

initiatives (see Sustainability on pages 
46 to 53)

 • We ensure compliance around sale 
and marketing of alcohol (see Risk 
management and control environment 
on pages 35 to 43)

 • We maintain a Group code of conduct

It is also important to the Board to maintain a reputation for high standards of business conduct. Our Ethics and Transparency Policies 
are available here: https://www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk/sustainability/ethics-and-transparency/default.aspx. Our capital allocation and 
dividends policy is described in the Directors’ report on page 71.

% in favour

99.96%

98.39%

97.12%

97.12%

99.94%

99.95%

99.89%

98.94%

98.47%

96.38%

89.14%

89.57%

Outcome of voting at 2022 AGM

No

Type

Nature

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Special

Special

Receipt of Annual Report and Accounts

Re-election of retiring Director (David Stead)

Election of Director (Melanie Allen)

Election of Director (Deirdre Runnette)

Appointment of auditor

Remuneration of auditor

Directors' authority to allot shares

Disapplication of preemption rights

Company's authority to purchase its own shares

Ordinary (Advisory)

Directors' remuneration report

Ordinary (Advisory)

Directors' Remuneration Policy

Ordinary (Advisory)

Proposed New Long Term Incentive Plan

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

34

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Risk management and control environment
Principal risks and uncertainties

Our approach to risk 
management
The Board has ultimate responsibility for 
identifying key risks, assessing the potential 
impact on the business if these risks are 
realised and ensuring that appropriate 
mitigating actions are taken to manage 
risks to acceptable levels in pursuit of 
strategic objectives.

The Board is satisfied that, through the 
processes set out below, it has undertaken 
a robust assessment of the principal risks 
which threaten the execution of the 
strategy and the long-term viability of the 
Group and is satisfied that appropriate 
mitigation plans are in place.

The key elements of our risk management 
process are as follows:

 • Executive Directors and local 

management teams of each business 
segment are responsible for identifying 
risks and maintaining local risk registers, 
encompassing:

 – Risk assessment – each risk is 

assessed with reference to risk impact 
(the impact the realisation of the risk 
would have on the business and is 
primarily measured in financial 
consequence) and risk likelihood 
(the possibility/probability of the risk 
being realised)

 – Mitigation – each risk is assigned 
a mitigation strategy, mitigation 
actions and a local risk owner

 – Monitoring – periodic monitoring 

of mitigation actions

 • Annually, the Audit Committee assesses 
and aggregates the risks identified by 
business segments for the purpose of 
identifying the most significant Group 
risks and proposing the principal risk 
items to the Board. When considering 
the potential impact of our key risks, we 
have linked them to the key performance 
indicators (KPIs) that they are likely to 
impact if realised

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 
management team as the second line 
and the risk control owners as the first.

Characterisation of key risks
The Board considers both strategic and 
operational risks and for each risk considers 
the likelihood of its occurrence and the 
scale of adverse impact it could have 
on the business.

Strategic risks are those which could 
threaten the long-term success of the 
business model and will typically unfold over 
an extended period of time. Strategic risks 
are reviewed periodically by the Board as 
part of its ongoing development process. 

Operational risks arise from the possible 
occurrence of specific events. They will 
typically have an impact on the business 
and its performance which is either 
immediate or will play out over a relatively 
short period of time. Operational risks may 
arise from external or internal causes.

The mitigation for externally driven 
operational risks is normally in the form of 
a contingency plan and insurance cover is 
also taken out to protect against such risks 
where appropriate. Management seeks to 
put in place active mitigation for internally 
driven operational risks, balancing cost 
and risk as appropriate. Detailed mitigating 
actions are presented against each of the 
principal risks presented below.

The principal strategic and operational risks 
which the Board deems most significant are 
presented below. While they are not the only 
risks facing the business, they 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.

Climate change and 
sustainability
The Board has considered climate change 
as part of the Group’s risk management 
process and acknowledges a potential risk 
to the Group. The Board is of the view that 
the risk of climate change is embedded 
within the key risks listed in this report 
and, as such, has decided not to list climate 
change as a standalone risk. In particular, 
the Board recognises that we are exposed 
to climate change risks within “Business 
interruption”, which is mitigated through 
having multiple sites for key activities.

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 
initiatives. We are committed to growing 
our business in a sustainable way and 
continue to seek ways to quantify and 
reduce our environmental impact. 
Refer to Sustainability on pages 46 to 53 
for details of our initiatives in this area.

Risk

Liquidity

Risk characteristics

Operational (internal cause)

New customer acquisition

Macroeconomic environment

Strategic

Strategic

 • Throughout the year, the Audit 

Business interruption

Operational (external cause)

Committee (or Board) are appraised of 
significant changes in the risk landscape 
and risk owners present updates on the 
most material risks

 • The Board considers the evolving risk 
environment and the effectiveness 
of risk management processes as it 
approves key decisions, budgets and 
operating plans

Cyber security attack

Operational (external cause)

Reputational damage

Competition

Strategic

Strategic

Regulatory and tax compliance

Operational (internal cause)

Acquisition and retention of talent

Operational (internal cause)

35

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Risk management and control environment 
continued

Going concern

Background and context
Like many online retail businesses, Naked Wines has been severely 
impacted by COVID-19, rising inflation and falling consumer 
confidence. Lockdowns in all markets saw customers moving online 
which generated significant revenue growth for the Group and 
required significant investment in both operational capacity and 
inventory.

Naked Wines emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic almost double 
the size of pre-pandemic levels. However, expectations of the level 
of ongoing new customer acquisition have not been met and the 
level of business performance has been below the Directors’ 
expectations. In particular, the number of new customers acquired 
and the return on investment in new customers have been below 
expectations which in turn has led to a fall in the repeat customer 
base. These changes have led to reduced expectations of the future 
sales and cash flow for the Company versus previously prepared 
financial plans. 

In response to these challenging macroeconomic conditions, Naked 
changed strategy to “pivot to profit”, (see page 14 for further details) 
focusing on short-term profit generation over long-term customer 
expansion and with a recognised near-term increase in cash 
investment in inventory. 

Alongside this pivot to profit, the Company commenced a 
comprehensive review of the business which included a suite of 
further actions: 

 • Removing unnecessary costs from the business that had been 

introduced to support a business with significantly higher growth 
levels;

 •

Identifying several operational savings and cost efficiencies 
across the Group;

 • Undertaking a project to remove excess inventory from the 

business whilst continuing to support independent winemakers; 
and

 • Piloting and trialling new customer propositions. 

These actions are ongoing with progress already being made to 
remove unnecessary costs and identify efficiencies. Achievement 
of the Group’s forecasts will in part, require the alignment and 
cooperation of strategic suppliers in order to achieve the Board’s 
planned outcomes. If the outcome of these key strategic initiatives 
is not as anticipated by the Board, subsequent performance may be 
significantly different to that set out in the Company’s financial 
plans. 

Borrowing facilities
The Group has an asset backed lending (ABL) facility of up to 
$60 million and as at the year-end $36.75 million (FY22: $nil) had 
been drawn down. The Group met all its credit facility covenant 
requirements in the current financial year, despite the material 
uncertainty noted regarding going concern in the FY22 Annual 
Report and Accounts relating to the Group’s ABL credit facility  
profit covenant. 

As set out more fully in note 23 Borrowings, following the Group’s 
renegotiation of its senior secured lending facility covenants in 
October 2022 which addressed the underlying cause of the material 

uncertainty, the Group has three principal negative pledge 
covenant commitments defined within the credit facility. These 
covenants, in effect for periods starting after 26 September 2022 
for the remaining duration of the agreement to 30 March 2025, 
relate to: 

1)   A facility defined minimum balance sheet current asset to 

current liability ratio test;

2)  A facility defined minimum qualified cash balance of $20 million 
to be held by loan parties with the lender group at all times; and

3)  A facility defined measure of EBITDA business profitability.

As set out more fully in note 31 Events after the balance sheet date, 
on 22 August 2023 the Group concluded a further amendment to its 
credit facility, moving the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant 
threshold from a trailing three to a trailing 12-month basis from the 
beginning of FY25 as well as increasing the size and specificity of 
the non-recurring expense add back in the calculation of the facility 
defined adjusted EBITDA measure. 

Effective from 27 March 2023, the Group’s credit facility was 
acquired as part of the loan portfolio purchased by First Citizens 
Bank & Trust Company as part of their acquisition of Silicon Valley 
Bridge Bank, N.A, previously Silicon Valley Bank. The Directors have 
received written confirmation from First Citizens Bank & Trust 
Company that First Citizens Bank has assumed all the liabilities  
and obligations of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, formerly Silicon Valley 
Bank, associated with this facility. The administrative agent and 
issuing lender for the facility is now Silicon Valley Bank, a division  
of First Citizens Bank & Trust Company. As a result of the sale and 
purchase agreement of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank to First Citizens 
Bank and the confirmation of the transfer of all the liabilities and 
obligations in relation to the Company’s credit facility to First 
Citizens Bank, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group’s lending facility provides the security of funding necessary 
to support its going concern assumptions. 

Base case 
In assessing the appropriateness of the going concern assumption, 
the Board has considered (i) the cash requirements of the business 
to pursue its intended strategy, (ii) the funding available to the 
Group from existing cash reserves and ABL facility and (iii) potential 
variations in the cash requirements of the Group taking into 
account severe but plausible downside scenarios that appropriately 
reflect the current uncertain macroeconomic outlook and post 
year-end trading. 

The Directors have prepared cash flow forecasts extending for 
more than 12 months from the date of the approval of these 
financial statements to assess the liquidity of the Group. The first  
of these forecasts, prepared ahead of the end of the financial year 
in the final quarter of FY23, was based on expectations formed  
by trading experience at the time and anticipated future trends.  
It also included cost savings and efficiencies that the Group is 
already benefiting from, as well as additional cost and cash  
savings expected to be implemented over the going concern  
period including working capital improvements. Under this base 
case scenario (the “Original Baseline”), the Group had sufficient 
liquidity over this period and meets its credit facility covenant 
commitments.

36

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023In addition to the trading sensitivity disclosed above, compliance 
with the minimum cash covenant is reliant on being able to continue 
to access the anticipated level of the Group’s ABL facility, where the 
level of available credit (the ‘facility borrowing base’) is determined 
by the level and carrying value of the Group’s US inventory. The 
Directors highlight the key source of estimation uncertainty over 
inventory valuation (see note 4 Critical accounting policies, 
estimates and judgements) and also the requirement to maintain 
the existing level of supplier waivers (to include wine held at their 
facilities within the facility borrowing base calculation) in order to 
support the Group’s forecast available credit. Together, these 
factors give rise to additional uncertainty over the level of the ABL 
facility available to be drawn down across the forecast period. 

Given experienced trading volatility and the macroeconomic 
conditions increasing the uncertainty over future forecasts, the 
Directors note that forecast variances of more than 4% outside of 
the currently severe but plausible downside scenario would result in 
a breach of the Company’s minimum cash holding covenant and 
whilst the Company’s credit provider has proven to be responsive to 
accommodating the needs of the business, any further covenant 
amendments, should they be required, will be subject to negotiation.

This assessment is linked to a robust assessment of the principal 
risks facing the Group and the reverse stress test reflects the 
potential impact of these risks being realised. The principal risks are 
outlined on pages 38 to 42.

Summary
After considering the forecasts, sensitivities and mitigating actions 
available and having regard to the risks, uncertainties and 
challenges in recent trading and the macroeconomic environment, 
the Directors note that a material uncertainty exists that may cast 
significant doubt over the Group’s ability to continue as a going 
concern and therefore, it may not be able to realise its assets and 
discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

The material uncertainty with regards to going concern relates to 
the Group’s ability to generate sufficient future cash flows while 
trading in a volatile environment, successful completion of planned 
actions and maintaining access to the forecast level of ABL facility 
in order to meet its minimum cash covenant in the going concern 
period.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern 
basis, whilst noting the material uncertainty above.

Trading in the first quarter of FY24, beginning in April 2023, was 
below expectations with total revenues 18% lower than the 
comparable period in FY23. This reduction was a combination of:

 • Sales to new customers being 41% lower, the comparable period 
being prior to our pivot to profit and reduction in new customer 
investment; and

 • Sales to repeat customers being 15% lower, reflecting the smaller 

customer base year-on-year. 

As a result, management revised its original plan for FY24 and  
FY25. This revised plan (the “Revised Baseline”) took into account 
emerging trends in new customer acquisition and the rate of growth 
of revenue per Angel, partially offset by an improvement in mature 
Angel attrition, and resulted in lower forecasts for sales, profitability 
and cash flow generation versus the original plan for FY24 and FY25. 

Sensitivities and reverse stress test
The Directors have considered several downside scenarios against 
both the Original Baseline and the Revised Baseline. The scenarios 
applied to the Original Baseline are:

 •

Increased year-on-year repeat customer attrition of between 10% 
and 30% (based on the level, by market, of the worst experienced 
attrition rate over a three-month period in recent history);

 • Sustained lower level of new customer acquisition spend resulting 
in 15% year-on-year decline in Investment in New Customers; and

 • A decline in repeat customer activation of 10% versus the Original 

Baseline.

The Directors also prepared a further severe but plausible downside 
customer activation scenario, modelling the impact of a 10% decline 
in repeat customer activation versus the Revised Baseline.

Under each downside scenario individually the forecasts show all 
covenant requirements being met. In the most severe downside 
scenario, being the 10% repeat customer activation downside 
versus the Revised Baseline, the most sensitive covenant was the 
$20 million minimum cash requirement where headroom fell to 
£4 million, rising to £10 million with application of a contingency plan 
(see below), in excess of this covenant requirement at the lowest 
point of the forecast.

A reverse stress test of the Revised Baseline downside scenario  
was also performed, being the downside scenario deliberately 
engineered to identify the point at which a covenant breaks. This 
reverse stress test shows that an additional 2% reduction in repeat 
customer activation (beyond the 10% severe but plausible downside 
scenario noted above) results in the Group not meeting its minimum 
cash covenant, reflecting the relatively high degree of sensitivity 
over downside modelling in this scenario. 

The Directors have identified a contingency plan to improve cash 
generation should evidence of this downside scenario become 
apparent, including further working capital management and 
promotional sales and margin opportunities. Management believes 
that together, these actions add an additional 2% headroom 
between the severe but plausible downside scenario and reverse 
stress test. The modelled breach in the reverse stress test, including 
the identified additional mitigation, occurs 17 months after the 
balance sheet date in the second quarter of FY25.

37

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Risk management and control environment 
continued

Risk movement
For each risk presented, the Board has assessed the combination 
of risk likelihood and risk impact and presented its assessment 
of the risk movement from FY22 to FY23.

Liquidity

Type: Operational

Stable

  Increased risk

  Decreased risk

  Stable risk

Risk characterisation
Strategic risk

Operational risk

38

Insufficient liquidity prevents the effective allocation of capital and/ 
or challenges the going concern assumption of the business.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

 • Product availability

 • Repeat Customer contribution 

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

 • Standstill EBIT

 • Active Angels

 •

Investment in New Customers

Likely cause
 • Unexpected and sudden failure of banking partners

 • Breach of loan covenants

 • Bulk withdrawal of funds by Angels due to a negative PR event

 • Misalignment of demand and production plans

 •

 •

 •

Inability to deliver new customer acquisition in line with plan

Inability to retain existing customers and generate repeat orders

Inability to effectively control costs

Likely impact
 • Banking partners withdraw capital necessary to operate the 

business and service liabilities as they fall due

 • Pressure on working capital prevents/severely restricts 

Investment in New Customers and the funding of winemakers 
to sustain the business model

 • Prolonged overstock position (particularly in the US, which has 
to give long-term inventory purchasing commitments and has 
a long production lead time) where projected demand is not 
realised

Controls/mitigation
 • Robust banking structure 

 • Cash flow and commercial forecasting to identify and 

proactively address risks (including covenant breaches) 
before they are realised

 • Exploring changes to terms and conditions to mitigate 

bulk withdrawal of Angel funds

 • Offer flexibility to existing Angels to improve retention (e.g. 

reduced Angel contributions and payment holidays)

 • Asset backed lending (ABL) facility negotiated and revised in 

FY23 provides additional liquidity in a wide range of trading and 
economic circumstances

 •

 •

Inventory planning resource to enables nimbleness on volume 
planning, intake and production phasing

Investment in inventory management and demand planning tools to 
enhance the evaluation and challenge of inventory purchasing plans

 • Exploring new acquisition channels to target optimal customers 

relative to investment

 • Developed and seeking to amplify alternative customer 

propositions to attract new customers with improved investment 
economics

 •

Increased focus on cost control across the business

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023New customer acquisition 

Macroeconomic environment 

Type: Strategic

Increased

Type: Strategic

Increased

Inability to acquire new customers in sufficient volume and of 
sufficient quality to sustain the business model.

Pressure on consumer discretionary spend and inflationary uplifts 
to our cost base impact profitability.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 •

Investment in New Customers

 • Payback

 • Active Angels

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

 • Payback

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

Likely cause
 • Reduced Investment in New Customer acquisition due to 

 • Standstill EBIT

 • Active Angels

unattractive investment economics (payback), driven by a 
sustained increase in acquisition costs and/or deteriorating 
Lifetime Value (LTV) of target customers

 •

 •

Investment in known suboptimal customers in pursuit of short-
term goals

Ineffective modelling of payback and internal rate of return (IRR) 
drives suboptimal new customer acquisition activity

 • Material investment underperformance relative to expectation, 
driven by a deterioration in customer discretionary spend due 
to the macroeconomic environment

 • Over-dependence and reliance on individual marketing partners 

that assert greater power

Likely impact
 •

Investment in New Customers fails to drive sufficient new 
customer growth to sustain the business model

 •

 •

Investment in customer acquisition does not produce the target 
return on investment and represents a misallocation of capital

Ineffective modeling results in an investment approach that 
undermines the long-term viability of the business model

 • Material investment underperformance results in inventory 
misalignment comparative to demand, adversely impacting 
liquidity and constraining our ability to maintain/enhance the 
customer experience

Controls/mitigation
 • Exploring new acquisition channels to target optimal customers 

relative to investment

 • Agreed investment criteria that are subject to regular review

 • Exploring revisions to payback and IRR modelling to acknowledge 

multi-channel investment attribution

 • Developed and seeking to amplify alternative customer 
propositions to attract new customers with improved 
investment economics

 • Regular monitoring of investment economics and IRR, 

resulting in the redeployment of capital where it is not delivering 
target returns

 • Detailed deal-level reporting and monthly performance reviews

Likely cause
 • Continued cost of living pressures reduce consumer 

discretionary spend

 • Economic and geopolitical instability adversely impacts 

consumer confidence

 • Sustained inflation, particularly in the supply chain, increases 

the cost base

Likely impact
 • An inability to acquire new customers in sufficient volume and 

of sufficient quality impacts revenue and liquidity 

 • Repeat Customer contribution declines as customers spend 

more cautiously

 •

 •

Increased cancellation rates impact liquidity

Inflationary pressure on the cost base impacts margin and 
new customer investment economics

Controls/mitigation
 • Developed and seeking to amplify alternative customer 

propositions to attract and retain customers 

 • Unique customer proposition encourages Angel engagement 

and loyalty

 • Offer flexibility to existing Angels to improve retention 

(e.g. reduced Angel contributions and payment holidays)

 • Exploring changes to terms and conditions to mitigate bulk 

withdrawal of Angel funds

 • Board continues to model and monitor a range of potential 

scenarios to inform decision-making

 • Pricing reviews to offset inflationary uplifts in the cost base

 • Continued focus upon cost control including the review and 

tender of significant contracts

39

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Risk management and control environment 
continued

Business interruption 

Cyber security attack 

Type: Operational

Stable

Type: Operational

Stable

Loss/interruption of partner site/head office due to an unforeseen 
event impacts our ability to trade.

Failure of IT systems to deal with a data security/data breach 
impacts our ability to trade.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • Product availability

 • Wine quality

 • 5* customer service

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

 • Payback

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Likely cause
 • Unforeseen event including extreme weather or natural disaster 
as a result of climate change affecting the Group’s sites and/
or supply chain operations (including grape growers and 
winemakers)

 • Failure of one or more strategic projects

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • 5* customer service

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 • Product availability

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

 •

Investment in New Customers

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Likely cause
 • Transformative projects create vulnerabilities that are not 

identified and mitigated

 • Failure to successfully upgrade or maintain core IT system 

security

 •

Inability to keep pace with malicious threats that are of increasing 
frequency and complexity

 • Material contractual non-performance or breach by strategic 

 • Poor systems access control

partners

 • Unexpected and sudden withdrawal of strategic partners 

from the supply chain

 • Reliance on, and exposure to, third-party software and systems

Likely impacts
 • Security breaches lead to significant costs and/or restrict our 

 • Systems infrastructure failure and power outages 

ability to trade impacting profitability

Likely impacts
 • Destruction/damage of wine making raw materials (e.g. crops) 

 • Loss of customer data/sensitive business information results 

in fines and reputational damage impacting profitability

inflates costs, impacting availability and/or quality

 • Destruction of finished and in-progress inventory, impacting 

availability

 • Disruption to trade impacting revenue/profitability and causing 

reputational damage

Controls/mitigation
 • Developing clear guidelines and expectations to handle situations 

related to natural disasters and unforeseen events

Controls/mitigation
 •

IT systems, whether procured from third parties or developed 
internally, are tested for security against attack and periodic 
penetration exercises are performed

 • Dedicated systems security resources to provide assurance 

across the Group

 • The main trading websites and network are protected by 
a firewall with frequently updated anti-virus software

 • Geographical diversification of suppliers/operations

 • Third-party Cloud-hosted systems used to support maximum 

 • Power generators installed in our office and winery in the US 

availability

to deal with power outages

 • Use of external consultants where required

 •

Inclusion of an adverse quality clause in grape contracts

 • Steering Committees govern strategic projects

 • Diversifying our mix of suppliers where there is exclusive or 

material reliance on single contractors and ongoing maintenance 
of relationships

 • Continuing to formalise and improve our disaster recovery plans 
so that the business can recover from any interruptions with 
minimal impact

 • Ongoing investment in technology systems and processes

 • Access reviews of core systems

 • Third-party warehousing either has multiple sites or is operated 

 • Due diligence of vendors

by a third party with access to backup capacity

 • Cyber insurance in place which assists with the impact mitigation 

 • Business interruption insurance cover in place

of a cyber security event

 • Continuing to formalise and improve our disaster recovery 

plans so that the business can recover from any interruptions 
with minimal impact

 • Cloud-based infrastructure reducing the risk of physical 

destruction

40

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Controls/mitigation
 • Due diligence of winemakers and rigorous quality control 

procedures throughout the manufacturing process

 • Ongoing commitment to responsible drinking and marketing 

of alcohol

 • Dedicated systems security resources in place to provide 
assurance across the Group, additional security tools 
implemented in FY23

 • Operating a Responsible Supplier Policy and fund winemakers 

via our differentiated business model

 • Ad hoc initiatives to support our winemakers

 • Anti-slavery and human trafficking, tax strategy, compliance, 

anti-bribery and corruption, responsible supplier, sustainability, 
code of conduct, anti-money laundering, GDPR and 
whistleblowing policies in place

 • Using our differentiated business model to make our customers 

our partners and foster a community of wine drinkers and 
winemakers

 • Ongoing commitment to ethical behaviour and responsible 

corporate citizenship

 •

Increased focus upon sustainability initiatives

 • Regular company updates and engagement surveys with our 
employees gather suggestions and drive informed actions

 • Developing focus groups to actively identify areas for 

improvement and propose solutions

Reputational damage 

Type: Strategic

Stable

Failure to meet stakeholder expectations impacts reputation 
and credibility.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • Product availability

 • Wine quality

 • 5* customer service

 • Active Angels

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Likely cause
 • Sale of products that are unfit for consumption or of poor quality

 • Data security breach or perception of a data security breach 
e.g. phishing, account takeover, denial of service attacks, 
malware and ransomware

 • Mistreatment of our winemakers, growers or strategic partners, 

including contract cancellations and late payments

 • Due diligence of our winemakers, growers or strategic partners 

fails to identify ethical/working practice concerns

 • Failure to identify and address concerns in respect of the 

environment, social or governance matters 

 • Failure to listen to and be transparent with our employees to 

foster a safe and collaborative working environment

 • Failure of a strategic partner which casts doubt on the ability 

of the business to continue to trade in either the short or 
longer term

Likely impacts
 • Negative PR event (including data breach) that undermines 

customer trust resulting in bulk Angel fund withdrawals impacting 
liquidity

 • Failure to support winemakers and partners erodes our customer 

proposition driving our customers to competitors

 • Poor reputation for environmental, social or governance 

stewardship impacts our ability to attract and retain customers 
who increasingly value sustainable companies

 • Dilution of the Naked culture impacts our ability to attract and 

retain the best talent

41

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Risk management and control environment 
continued

Competition

Type: Strategic

Stable

Threat from a new or existing competitor impacts profitability.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 • Payback

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 •

Investment in New Customers

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

 • Active Angels

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Likely cause
 • Market consolidation results in emerging competition with 

significant resources

 • Threats range from discounters leveraging wine as a loss leader, 

to more tailored online retailers and subscription offerings

 • New entrant into the DtC wine market with access to significant 

funding and the patience to build a large market share

 • Failure to innovate and offer a compelling proposition

Likely impacts
 • Competitive pressure impacts our ability to acquire and retain 

customers impacting profitability

 • Weakening demand results in inventory misalignment 

comparative to demand and squeezes liquidity

 • Loss of winemakers erodes the business’ unique selling 

proposition

Regulatory and tax compliance 

Type: Operational

Stable

Non-compliance with legal, regulatory and tax requirements, 
especially in the complex US market.

Performance indicators
 • Sales

 •

Investment in New Customers

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

 • Active Angels

Likely cause
 • A change in legal, regulatory and tax rules (especially in the US) 
that may require us to reconsider the existing business model 

 •

Increased challenge and reinterpretation of regulation by fiscal 
authorities in all our markets in light of the macroeconomic 
environment

 • Existing software and systems may not be able to meet our 

compliance/tax needs

 •

Increased focus of state and local fiscal authorities in the US as 
we become a more visible and profitable business

 • Large-scale data protection breach

Likely impacts
 • Fines/penalties and trading restrictions impacting profitability

 •

 •

Inability to respond to tax audits in a timely and adequate manner

Inability to pay tax liabilities as they fall due

 • Reputational damage impacting customer trust

Controls/mitigation
 • Leadership teams regularly monitor our competitors’ activity

Controls/mitigation
 • Monitoring of regulatory developments to enable timely 

 • Unique customer proposition encourages Angel engagement 

identification, evaluation and appropriate action

and loyalty

 • Trade barriers to entry, especially in the US market where three-
tier wine distribution legislation requires a vertically integrated 
operation to make DtC sales

 • Developed and seeking to amplify alternative customer 

 •

In-house legal resources to ensure sufficient capability to meet 
ongoing regulatory burden

 • Working with outside legal, accounting and tax experts 

to navigate and best respond to inquiries and regulatory 
developments

propositions to attract and retain customers

 • Continuing to invest in software and systems where this will 

 • Maintain close and collaborative relationship with winemakers

benefit our regulatory and tax reporting requirements

 •

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

 • Annual review of the Group’s tax strategy by the Audit Committee

42

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Acquisition and retention of talent 

Type: Operational

Stable

Inability to attract and retain the best talent to support our strategic 
objectives.

Performance indicators
 • Sales growth

 • 5* customer service

 • Payback

 • Repeat Customer contribution

 • Repeat Customer sales retention

Likely cause
 •

Inability to offer competitive remuneration and benefits during a 
period of wage inflation

 • Persistent supply pressures in global labour markets

 • Not adapting to new ways of working in line with employee 

expectations

 • Mismanagement of employee workload, particularly those 

occupying dual roles

 • Employee uncertainty as the business undergoes a period of 

organisational change

 •

Inability to maintain an attractive business culture

Likely impacts
 • We do not attract or retain the best talent which is required to 

deliver strategic objectives

 • Negative impacts on morale, resulting in inefficiency and poor 

customer service

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.

During the year, key controls have been tested and control 
deficiencies reported to management and the Audit Committee.

Identified deficiencies in internal controls are presented to the 
Audit Committee and flagged as “pending remediation” until 
satisfactorily resolved.

To further strengthen our legal and fiscal compliance controls, 
a dedicated legal resource is located in the US allowing local 
management to ensure compliance with regulations and alcohol 
licensing. The Group General Counsel overseas the regulatory 
control environment for the US 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:

 • Whistleblowing (Speak-up) Policy

 • Anti-slavery Policy

 • Key employees encounter burnout and exit the business resulting 

The main elements of the control function include:

in disruption

 • Disengaged workforce that is resistant to change

Controls/mitigation
 • Paying market-competitive remuneration

 • Offering all staff the opportunity to participate in share 

compensation schemes

 • A business that focuses on staff welfare and culture

 • Development of succession planning for key roles

 • Regular communication and engagement with employees 

e.g. staff surveys that are evaluated and acted upon

 • Development of values and behaviours that underpin the 

way we work

 • Launch of Global Employee Development Plans (EDPs)

 • The Board’s approval of the overall strategy taking into account 

the purpose and objectives of the business, the interests of 
shareholders, the direction of the business and the risk register

 • The Board’s approval of the supporting budgets and plans. 

There is a robust budgeting and planning process in support of 
the approved strategy which is approved by the Board. Actual 
performance of the business is compared to the approved 
plans and reported routinely to the Board with variance reports 
versus the budget along with comparisons against previous year 
performance. Operational forecasts for the remainder of the 
financial year are prepared monthly

 • The Audit Committee’s review of the financial and accounting 

policies and controls, including the work of the Internal Assurance 
function and overall compliance with internal policies, processes 
and legislation

 • The Board’s consideration and approval of key policies and 

procedures

 • The Company’s system of investment evaluation, 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 CFO

 • Ongoing review of new customer investment takes place to 

validate the delivery of anticipated returns.

43

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Determination, 
grit, 
independence, 
resilience,  
and strength.

Scott Peterson is fiercely independent 
and marches to his own drum. He is a 
no-holds-barred winemaker who 
never gave up on his dream of making 
his own wines instead of working for 
others. This is his story...

Scott Peterson

 USA

44

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023It all started with a hope,  
a dream…and a dog
With nothing but a full tank of gas, his 
pickup truck and a trusty dog, a 19-year-old 
Scott Peterson travelled from his family 
home in Colonial Williamsburg to California 
in pursuit of winemaking. The pull of 
Sonoma was strong and it’s where he 
settled as a winemaker. 

After about a decade in the business 
and leading Kendall-Jackson in its 
definitive years to develop the rich, 
buttery, barrel-aged style that made 
California Chardonnay famous, Scott 
Peterson emerged as a successful 
independent winemaker.

Scott took a chance creating his first label 
in 1999, S.P. Drummer, a highly acclaimed 
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blend and 
launched his own tasting room in Sonoma, 
California – a feat in itself! In 2007, his 
second label, Rumpus followed, focusing 
on Sonoma Coast wines. 

He worked diligently, entering new markets 
and selling wine through distributors, which 
brought initial success, but proved to be 
very time consuming and taxing – getting 
retailers to re-up their orders each year 
meant he spent 70% of his time on the road, 
wining and dining sales guys, importers and 
distributors. He never saw the cellar – or the 
customers he loved. They were the ones 
who supported his business and made 
everything possible. 

In 2013, everything changed when Scott was 
introduced to Naked Wines, and our Angels 
funded Scott’s third label, ROX (it stands for 
“retro, obsessive, and extracted – that’s 
totally my style, through and through,” 
said Scott), and then took on his other two 
brands a few years later. Scott closed his 
tasting room to work with us – without the 
industry hoopla, he could focus on making 
the wines he loved and his career has taken 
off and flourished.

But in the fall of 2020, Scott got the call that 
his Sonoma vineyard was on fire. “The fruit 
I had for harvest…gone in a night,” he said. 

It was the year Northern California 
experienced the most devastating wildfires 
in its history. Fierce and dangerous 
conditions made harvest risky, and in some 
cases, impossible. Scott lost 50% of his ROX 
grapes due to smoke taint, making it his 
quietest vintage in 25 years. 

Angels make my wines 
possible, but it’s more than 
that. They’ve always made 
sure I could stay true to 
myself as a winemaker,  
no matter what the 
circumstance. Being able  
to make wines in two 
hemispheres, without a 
blink? It’s incredible what 
you all do for me.

What happens at Naked when 
there’s no wine to be made? 
Angels step in.
Other winemakers would have called it a 
loss. Instead, Scott called on a few long-
time friends from his early winemaking 
days down in Argentina. He’d spent several 
harvests there consulting with winemakers 
like Nicolas Catena, agronomist Alejandro 
Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbaugh.

“The idea of ROX ARGENTINA started to 
evolve in my head – make big, powerful 
wines, rekindle old relationships, begin an 
adventure, and take my Naked Wines 
Angels with me,” said Scott.

“I proposed a wondrous idea – move to a 
completely different wine region where I 
could produce the ROX style I love to make, 
the Angels love to drink, and where I have 
experience.” 

Alejandro and Jeff offered him some 
Cabernet and Malbec growing in 80-year-
old foothill vineyards just outside of 
Mendoza. Scott passed the idea to Naked 
– and got the green light in 24 hours.

He got right to work. Scott gave two 
special Argentina imports a full-on ROX 
update. His Andean Cabernet and Malbec 
both showcase the big, intense and 
powerful flavors he’s known for – with 
an inspired touch. 

Today, you can find Scott’s signature 
Sonoma ROX wines alongside the two 
special-edition ROX of the Andes reds 
Angels made possible – with a bit of 
quick thinking and a ticket to Buenos 
Aires – and what was planned to be a 
one-time partnership is turning into 
Scott’s next big thing.

Scott – who dubs himself a “one-man show” 
– now makes a diverse range of wines and 
his wines are one of a kind, just the way he 
likes them.

45

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Sustainability
Our approach to a more sustainable future

We continue to advance our sustainability 
programme, focusing our efforts on the 
five programmes of action and 22 initiatives 
outlined below.

We recognise that we have four principal 
stakeholder groups who support us and are 
driving us to accelerate and expand our 
work on environmental sustainability.

Our staff
As a value-driven business, 
environmental responsibility is 
a key issue for many of our staff.

Investors
As an AIM listed company, we are 
conscious of the increasing scrutiny 
by the investment community of ESG 
performance, particularly from 
institutional investors.

Customers
Given the nature of our product and 
our customer profile, climate change 
and protection of the environment 
are a key concern of many of our 
customers.

Suppliers
We try to work with suppliers that 
share our goals and aspirations in 
terms of sustainable objectives.

1. 
Responsible 
drinking

Five 
programmes 
of action

2. 
Deal with  
our waste

5. 
Ethics and 
transparency

4. 
Treat our  
people right

3. 
Supply chain 
management

22 Initiatives

  Level 1

People 

Sustainable winemaking 

Responsible drinking 

Ethical behaviour  

Responsible marketing  

  Level 2

Diversity and equality 

Health and safety 

Recycling 

  Level 3

4

Water 

2   3
1

Tax strategy 

Giving back 

Responsible sourcing 

Modern slavery 

Climate change risks 

Benefits 

5

5

4

1   4
2

  Level 4

Training 

Energy consumption 

2

Rights of local communities 

Remuneration 

Privacy 

Transparency and reporting 

Human and worker protection 

4   5
5

5

3   4

2   3
5

5

3

3   4

2

5

4

3

46

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Level 1

People
A major focus across this financial year 
has been celebrating where we are more 
the same than we are different as a global 
working community. How we work together 
is key to our success and we’ve sought to 
organise ourselves so that the flow of 
communications across our global 
business is effective and timely. 

Naked Values and Truths
We have relaunched our Naked Values and 
Naked Truths – these are part of our identify 
and shape how we work. They are at the 
heart of everything we do – how we treat 
our winemakers, our Angels and each other. 

Our approach this year
Much like the broader business, the 
sustainability agenda at Naked has had 
to respond to the challenging operational 
environment. The focus of our strategy has 
pivoted towards a country business unit led 
approach which provides greater agility 
and accountability.

Focusing on geographic markets provides 
the opportunity for each business unit to 
develop at pace and in areas that matter 
most to their local stakeholders. Despite 
our approach shifting toward local markets, 
we’ve fostered a spirit of collaboration 
by sharing knowledge and learnings 
from sustainability initiatives from 
across the Group. Examples have 
included our work on right weighting 
or on anti-modern slavery.

In this section, we highlight our actions 
and outcomes that we are most proud of 
making a sustainable difference this year.

Green Champion Award
During the Autumn, Naked Wines UK was 
awarded Decanter’s Green Champion 
Award. The award was open to wine 
retailers who displayed meaningful 
commitment to sustainability and reducing 
negative environmental impact. We were 
selected for efforts we've put into a range 
of projects of all shapes and sizes, from big 
things like examining the detail of our 
packaging (right weighting, going top-less 
(removing the capsule which covers the 
cork) and launching gin in a paper bottle) 
through to smaller initiatives like having a 
lower impact office (LED lighting, waste 
segregation, facilities for cyclists etc). It's a 
fantastic achievement and a great external 
endorsement of the efforts put into 
Naked’s sustainability journey.

47

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Sustainable wine making
Virgile’s Green Award
Many winemakers put sustainability at 
the heart of what they do. Through taking 
a holistic approach they can realise a 
range of benefits to planet and people.

It wasn’t only Naked that won a 
sustainability award this year – one of 
our winemakers, Virgile Joly, won the IWSC 
Green Initiative Award. The award came 
with a £7,500 bursary that Virgile is going 
to use to encourage more biodiversity in his 
vineyard, including planting trees, building 
bat houses and installing a new pond. Some 
more of our winemakers, Charles and Ruth 
Simpson, were also shortlisted for the 
same award.

Sustainable partnerships
In 2022, Naked Wines Australia partnered 
with Sustainable Wine Australia (SWA) with 
the goal to start our winemakers on the 
journey of creating sustainably made wine.

There are already 19 Australian winemakers 
signed up as members and an additional 
ten are working through the process to 
become members. This positive relationship 
extends further than just the winemakers 
themselves, we have seven winemakers 
working with/or owning SWA certified 
vineyards and nine winemakers work 
with fully certified contract wineries. 

Four of our winemakers Bart Van 
Olphen, Caroline Dunn, Nigel Dolan, Gus 
Altschwager and Mark Kenneally are paving 
the way with having both the vineyard and 
winery SWA certification.

We’ll keep pushing to involve all 
Australian winemakers with SWA in 2023. 
In neighbouring New Zealand, seven of our 
winemakers are members of Sustainable 
Winegrowing New Zealand. These 
partnerships will benefit winemakers, 
their supply chain, and Naked.

Sustainability 
continued

Noticeably Naked Awards
To celebrate those members of staff who 
consistently demonstrate the Naked values 
and behaviours we have launched the 
Noticeably Naked Awards (NNA). All staff 
members nominated will receive a treat. 
Every month, special nominations are 
highlighted in monthly Town Hall team 
meetings and have the opportunity to 
receive even greater rewards for their 
efforts, including visits to winemakers. 

Naked’s Menopause Policy
We don’t believe Menopause should be 
taboo or “hidden” and we want everyone 
(not just the women in our business) to 
understand what menopause is, and to 
talk about it openly. In our UK business, we 
launched Naked’s Menopause Guidance – 
a set of guidelines to help colleagues and 
managers provide the right support to 
manage menopausal symptoms. 

Global Parental Leave Policy
Naked is passionate about supporting 
special life moments, such as welcoming 
a child into your family. To enable our staff 
to make the most of these exciting times, 
we have introduced a global policy which 
includes 12 weeks of fully paid parental 
leave for all parents.

48

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Light weighting
Across the Naked Wines group we have 
continued to make significant progress 
to right weight bottles – this will help cut 
carbon from across the supply chain (right 
from production, shipping and ultimately to 
end of life disposal). Our winemakers have 
been overwhelmingly supportive of the 
changes which have been further backed 
up by extensive communication and 
engagement with our Angels.

In the past year, over 35% of wines sold to 
Angels by Naked Wines Australia were in a 
lightweight bottle. The team have made it 
their mission to significantly increase this 
percentage so that over 60% of wines sold 
to Angels in FY24 will be in a lighter or lighter 
weight bottle. Changes planned already will 
save more than 130 tonnes of glass. 

In the UK, 25% of bottles will have been 
made lighter, or remained light, during 
FY23, saving around 500 tonnes of glass, 
plus there are commitments already made 
between Naked and our winemakers which 
will see ongoing weight reduction benefits 
in the coming year. 

More than 95% of wines sold by Naked in the 
US have been bottled by us. Through opting 
for lighter glass moulds, a project which 
initially gained traction in 2021, we have 
already been able to reduce the weight of 
more than a third of bottles by up to 29% – 
cutting out more than 1,800 tonnes of glass! 
Savings have grown exponentially over time 
and we estimate carbon emissions have 
been reduced by more than 2,300 tonnes. 
Moreover we’ve experienced considerable 
reductions in water use, saving in excess of 
500 million litres of water. The environmental 
impact of changing glass moulds in calendar 
year 2022 alone was equivalent to taking 
2,871 passenger vehicles off the road and 
reducing the number of people showering 
daily by 40,998. 

Cutting the unnecessary
The last year has seen an increasing focus 
on cutting out unnecessary packaging; it’s 
good for the planet and more cost effective.

In the UK, Angels voted overwhelmingly in 
favour of us introducing more topless wine 
(wine which deliberately has no capsule 

covering the cork) wines (93% in a recent 
survey) and we’re already working with 
winemakers to reduce this unnecessary 
aluminium and plastic waste in coming 
vintages. Two popular wines that have 
already made the transition are Julian 
Faulkner Cotes de Provence Rosé 2021 
and Kruger Family Old Vines Chenin 
Blanc Magnum 2022.

Naked US production team have removed 
over 296,000 capsules – eliminating over 
250kg of excess packaging, saving over 
1 ton of CO2e. 

We also launched our very first paper bottle 
gin! Made out of 94% recycled paper and an 
inner plastic pouch, its carbon footprint is 
about 6 times smaller than a traditional 
glass bottle while still being 100% recyclable. 
In the next 12 months, we hope to continue 
to build on the support and excitement of 
these packaging initiatives which can 
deliver a variety of sustainability 
focused benefits. 

Julian Falkner is making his wine more 
sustainable. By going capsule-less and 
showing off the cork, Julian has been able 
to remove unnecessary packaging.

Craig Allison and Rory Smith show off 
their Gyre & Gimble Coastal Gin in a paper 
bottle. Based just around the corner 
from the Naked office in Norwich, it’s 
a fantastic local collaboration for the 
UK business.

49

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Organic 
wine from 
Stefano Di Blasi

 Italy

We proudly launched Stefano Di Blasi’s 
“La Sperenza” last year to great acclaim 
– currently rating at over 90% by Angels. 
A biodynamic, no-sulphur wine, this was 
made possible after Stefano was voted 
Naked UK’s Winemaker of the Year 2020. 
The project is now centred on research 
and sharing knowledge. We expect a 
finalised paper written in collaboration 
with University of Florence to be ready 
in the coming year which can then be 
shared with Naked’s other winemakers.

We all need to become 
more aware consumers 
and Naked Wines, thanks 
to the community, is exactly 
the right place where the concept 
of sustainability in food and 
farming can grow.

Stefano Di Blasi 
Winemaker

50

Stefano’s  
planet-friendly 
Tuscan red is an 
absolute joy for 
the taste buds

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Say hello to 
the Green 
Grape Logo

 • Packaging: The winemaker has chosen 
to package their wine in a lighter bottle 
or as a boxed wine, cutting down on 
carbon emissions; and

 • People: The winemaker is supporting 

their local community through charitable 
giving or by offering jobs and training.

How many wines have  
been awarded the Green  
Grape Logo?
Over 330 wines have been evaluated from 
89 winemakers, resulting in more than 70 
wines being awarded the logo.

What’s next for the  
Green Grape Logo?
We are excited that there are early signs 
the positive feedback loop we thought the 
Green Grape Logo would generate is 
starting to come to fruition… raising the 
profile and celebrating wines produced 
more sustainably raises customer 
awareness. In turn, customers purchasing 
behaviour shifts, this rewards and 
motivates other winemakers to adopt more 
sustainable practices. We’ll continue to 
build on this positive foundation and seek to 
evolve our approach to maximise Angel and 
winemaker engagement.

Find out more 
and view the 
whole range

51

What is the Green Grape Logo?
Following successful trial on the UK Summer 
and Winter Tasting Tours, with excellent 
winemaker and Angel feedback, the 
Green Grape Logo was officially 
launched on the UK website this year.

The Green Grape Logo shines a spotlight 
on wines that go above and beyond to 
be kinder to our planet. 

Why have we introduced it?
We think it’s the right thing to do. 

The Green Grape Logo offers Angels an 
easier way to identify more sustainable 
wines; it’s an approachable guide for those 
wanting to shop with sustainability in mind 
or an educational tool that can be used to 
engage a broader audience.

For winemakers, the Green Grape Logo 
offers a way to elevate their wines and 
celebrate the efforts they’ve made to 
become greener. It highlights best practice 
and we hope it will encourage other 
winemakers to develop their sustainability 
agenda. Early indicators show that the 
Green Grape Logo is having a positive 
impact on sales of wine. 

What does the Green  
Grape Logo consider?
For a wine to be awarded the Green Grape 
Logo it needed to demonstrate positive 
actions across a range of themes including:

 • Vineyard: The winemaker is going the 
extra mile to grow grapes with the 
vineyard’s natural environment and 
biodiversity in mind;

 • Winery: The team in the winery are 
managing energy, water and waste 
efficiently and considerately; 

 • Transport: We’ve considered how far 

(and how) the wine has travelled to get 
to your glass;

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Sustainability 
continued

Level 2

Diversity and Equality
Following on from the initiation of our 
Global Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) 
programme last year, Jake Champion and 
Jodie Wilkinson from the UK business were 
certified as Diversity Ambassadors. To 
qualify, they participated in a range of 
seminars covering topics such as Diverse 
recruitment, Neurodiverse people in the 
workplace, How to approach religion in the 
workplace, Gender, Sex, LGBTQI+ team 
members, and Disability. This programme 
has given them the tools to challenge 
Naked’s approach to ED&I based on their 
learnings from experts. Moreover it 
provides the tools to understand different 
perspectives and suggest positive changes 
to how Naked can be more inclusive. 

We will continue to build upon these 
foundations in the UK and further 
strengthen our global approach to ED&I. 

Women in Tech
Naked’s Global Shared Services technology 
team has continued to advocate and 
support women getting into Tech in a 
number of ways. 

Building on last year’s sponsorship, Naked 
was proud to continue to support the 
DevelopHER Awards which has the aim of 
promoting women in tech by celebrating 
success and creating role models. 

A member of Naked’s product team, Elle 
Overoorde won several awards on the night 
for her great work on the Naked app. She 
took home the Product Management Award 
and the overall award, The DevelopHER 
award. Meanwhile Carolyn Jones, Head of 
Quality Assurance was a judge for the 
Tester award. 

Out in the community, a team of Naked 
developers took part in a Hack-HER-thon 
event at Norwich High School for Girls. Over 
50 students from six schools participated in 
the event for young people aged 13-18 which 
aims to encourage girls into coding. 

“Despite technology having 
flourished in the last 20 
years, girls are still less 
likely to pursue careers 
in computing roles today. 
This has nothing to do with 
ability as we well witnessed 
at this Hack-HER-thon event, 
so many bright young local 
students with amazing drive, 
determination and more 
importantly good 
coding skills! 

As a driver behind Women in 
Tech at Naked it’s definitely 
given me food for thought on 
how we attract this pool of 
talent into our Naked 
technology team!”

Carolyn Jones
Head of QA 
Naked Wines

Elle Overoorde at the DevelopHER Awards

52

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Energy consumption
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) for the UK business

Element

Direct emissions – company vehicle and natural gas 
(Scope 1)

Indirect emissions from purchased electricity 
(Scope 2)

Total tCO2e (Scope 1 & 2)

Other indirect emissions (Scope 3) – grey fleet 
travel and hired vehicles

Overall gross total3 

Intensity metric: tCO2e per employee

Intensity metric: tCO2e per £m turnover

Baseline year
2019/201 
(tCO2e)

Prior year 
2021/222 
(tCO2e)

Current year
2022/23  
(tCO2e)

3.16

3.15

2.72

57.55

60.71

5.57

66.28

0.36

0.91

35.57

38.72

10.91

49.63

0.27

0.32

32.68

35.40

11.63

47.03

0.34

0.34

Total energy consumption4 (kWh)

260,127

230,563

233,970

1   Baseline year corrected for direct emissions previously incorrectly reported.
2   Previous year data updated for further information obtained on direct emissions.
3   Naked Wines’ direct emissions from company vehicle use (Scope 1), UK building energy (Scope 1 & 2) and grey fleet/hire 

vehicles (Scope 3).

4   Naked Wines’ direct energy consumption from company vehicle use (Scope 1), UK building energy (Scope 1 & 2) and grey  

fleet/hire vehicles (Scope 3).

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, 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.

Energy and Greenhouse Gas Report 
Inspired Energy were appointed to 
independently prepare our submission in 
accordance with the UK Government’s 
“Environmental Reporting Guidelines: 
Including Streamlined Energy and 
Carbon Reporting Guidance”.

Inspired Energy support us in the 
following ways:

 • Offer guidance in preparing and 
submitting report to meet SECR 
compliance (outline what’s required, 
why and provide update on any broader 
regulatory changes);

 • Reviewing the submission from Naked 
(ensure data integrity, analyse data 
trends, review assumptions); and

 • Develop a report including data and 
recommendations for improvement. 

Alongside support with SECR, they are 
helping us through meeting our ESOS 
Phase III commitments. 

The GHG emissions have calculated using 
the 2022 emission conversion factors 
published by Department for Environment, 
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the 
Department for Business, Energy & 
Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The assessment 
follows the location-based approach for 
assessing Scope 2 emissions from 
electricity usage. The operational control 
approach has been used. 

Where actual data was not available for 
office energy consumption estimates were 
calculated on a kwh/day pro-rata basis at 
meter level. Head office consumption was 
calculated using an average kWh per m2 
floor area CIBSE benchmark, whilst shared 
work spaces were calculated based upon 
an average kwh/desk.

The financial year 2022/23 reported figures 
are based on 53 weeks compared to the 
financial year 2021/22 reported figures 
which were based on 52 weeks.

Intensity metrics have been calculated 
using employee numbers and turnover 
of Naked Wines UK – these metrics were 
chosen as both elements directly drive 
emissions. Emissions calculated are for 
Naked Wines UK. Despite reportable 
emissions decreasing, a reduction in 
turnover and employee numbers means 
that the intensity metrics appear to 
show an increase in emission intensity. 

Level 3

Water
Water in the winery 
Through capturing a combination of 
wastewater and rainwater, the Kenwood 
winery in the US captured nearly two million 
litres of winery wastewater and rainwater in 
2022, which has been used to irrigate 
neighbouring vineyards. 

Carmen’s Kids
Now in its seventh year, the Carmen’s Kids 
appeal continues to go from strength to 
strength. In 2023, we opened up fundraising 
efforts to Angels and the broader public – 
collectively their kind donations raised over 
£460,000 which will provide nutritious meals 
to 18,400 hungry children in South Africa’s 
poorest communities. An initiative set up by 
South African winemaker Carmen Stevens 
it has now provided 61 million meals!

Level 4

Training
Employee Development Plans
Following the successful early adoption in 
the Naked Wines Australia team, Employee 
Development Plans (EDPs) are being rolled 
out across the global business. Through 
the foundation of a supporting framework, 
dedicated sessions and tools, we hope 
EDPs can be a key pillar in growing and 
developing our employees.

In the UK, a pilot aimed at encouraging 
knowledge sharing through the use of 
coaching circles has shown encouraging 
early results. The Leaders Peer Group has 
acted as a forum for current and future 
leaders within the business to gain 
insight from their peers and develop 
internal practices. 

Naked Sponsored MBAs
Within recent Annual Report and Accounts, 
we’ve highlighted the role that Naked has 
had in sponsoring employees undertaking 
their Executive MBAs. We’re really pleased 
to share the news that after several years 
of study, both Elle Overoorde and Matt 
Buxton have completed their MBAs 
with distinctions. 

Approved by the Board of Directors.

Nicholas Devlin
Chief Executive Officer  
18 September 2023

James Crawford
Chief Financial Officer  
18 September 2023

53

FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNaked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Board of Directors
An experienced team to lead the business

R

Remuneration Committee member

A

Audit Committee

N

Nominations Committee

Committee Chairman

Invitee to Board committees

N R
Rowan Gormley (61)
Non-Executive Chairman
Appointment Date: July 2023

Committees:  
Nominations Committee (Chair); 
Remuneration Committee (Member)

Rowan founded Naked Wines in 2008, 
serving as its CEO from 2008 until its 
acquisition by Majestic plc in 2015, 
when he was appointed CEO of the 
combined group until 2020. He rejoined 
Naked Wines in July 2023 as Chairman. 
Rowan’s deep knowledge of Naked 
Wines’ business and operations will 
be invaluable as it embarks on its next 
chapter. 

Prior to starting Naked Wines, Rowan 
founded Virgin Money, the Virgin 
One Account and Virgin Wines. After 
graduating from the University of Cape 
Town, Rowan qualified as an accountant 
with Arthur Andersen and then spent 
seven years in private equity with Electra 
Investment Trust.

Nick Devlin (38)
Chief Executive Officer
Appointment Date: June 2019

James Crawford (46)
Chief Financial Officer
Appointment Date: December 2022

Committees: 
None

Committees: 
None

Nick has served as the CEO of Naked 
Wines plc since January 2020 and also 
leads its US business unit. He first joined 
the Naked Group in 2015 as the Head of 
Continuous Improvement for Majestic 
Wine and has spent the more than seven 
years since holding various leadership 
roles within the Company. Under Nick’s 
leadership, Naked has grown to be the 
world’s largest direct-to-consumer 
winery. In addition to his extensive 
experience with Naked, Nick served 
as a consultant for OC&C’s consumer 
practice in London from 2007 to 2015.

James recently rejoined the Board in 
December 2022 as an Executive Director 
and Group CFO. Prior to that, James 
served as Naked’s Group Finance 
Director (March 2014 to July 2015), Group 
CFO (April 2015 to November 2020) and 
UK MD (December 2020 to present). 
James brings a wealth of experience 
to Naked and the Board, including 
both finance experience and a deep 
understanding of Naked’s business. 
Prior to joining Naked, he spent 14 years 
at Diageo, a multinational alcoholic 
beverage company, in various finance 
and business development roles.

A Strategy (financial and 

operational)

B Budgeting and plans

C Risk management and 

mitigation

B

D Trading updates and 
external reporting 

E Investor relations

F Auditor reports, 

appointment and fees 

G Remuneration matters

20%

15%

15%

15%

10%

10%

5%

H Key policies and governance, 
including AIM compliance

5%

I Board appointments, 
including succession 
planning

5%

Board meetings

Board

Audit Rem Nom

2022

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2023

Jan

Feb

Mar

1

1

1

8

2

1

2

2

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

In FY23, the Board held 18 Board 
meetings, four Audit Committee 
meetings, three Remuneration 
Committee meetings, and three 
Nominations Committee meetings. 
David Stead was absent from 
three Board meetings prior to his 
appointment as Chairman. Melanie 
Allen was absent from four Board 
meetings, two Remuneration 
Committee meetings and one 
Audit Committee meeting. Justin 
Apthrop was absent from two 
Board meetings and one Audit 
Committee meeting. Both Darryl 
Rawlings and Katrina Cliffe were 
absent from one Board meeting.

Board activities

I

H

G

A

D

C

F

E

54

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023R

A

N

A

R

N

R

A

N

Deirdre Runnette (54)
Senior Independent Director
Appointment Date: June 2022

Stephen Bolton (61)
Non-Executive Director
Appointment Date: November 2022

Melanie Allen (51)
Non-Executive Director
Appointment Date: June 2022

Committees: 
Remuneration Committee (Chair); 
Audit Committee (Member); 
Nominations Committee (Member)

Committees: 
Audit Committee (Chair); 
Remuneration Committee (Member); 
Nominations Committee (Member)

Committees: 
Remuneration Committee (Member); 
Audit Committee (Member); 
Nominations Committee (Member)

Deirdre joined the Board in June 2022, 
taking on the roles of Senior Independent 
Director and Chair of the Remuneration 
Committee. In addition to her work 
for Naked, she currently serves as the 
General Counsel and Chief People Officer 
for Flexe, Inc., a late-stage venture 
capital-backed tech company. Deirdre 
brings a host of valuable experience 
to the Board, having held various 
executive leadership roles in the retail, 
consumer products, e-commerce, and 
telecommunications space (T-Mobile 
and zulily). She also served as a non-
Executive Director for New Engen, Inc.,  
a VC-based digital marketing startup.

Stephen joined the Board in November 
2022, taking on the role of Audit 
Committee Chair. He is an experienced 
finance professional with nearly 40 
years of experience, most recently 
holding various finance leadership roles 
with Diageo (2006 to 2019). He is also 
a seasoned non-Executive Director, 
currently serving on the boards of 
both Clarks, an international footwear 
company, where he Chairs the Audit 
Committee, and Sedex, a world-leading 
ethical trade membership organisation.

Melanie joined the Board in June 2022. 
She is a talented business leader with 
more than 25 years of experience in 
executive marketing roles for industry-
leading companies, including Proctor 
and Gamble (1997 to 2010) and Starbucks 
(2010 to 2017). She currently serves 
as the Chief Marketing Officer for 
Brooks Running.

David Stead

At the year end, David Stead was non-
Executive Chairman. He was appointed 
to the Board in November 2017, appointed 
Chairman in October 2022 and resigned 
in July 2023. At the date of resignation, he 
was Chair of the Nominations Committee 
and a member of the Remuneration 
Committee.

David brought a wealth of experience to 
Naked, having held various high-profile 
leadership and finance roles during his 
career including CFO of Dunelm Group 
plc (2003 to 2015) and Finance Director 
for Boots The Chemists Ltd and Boots 
Healthcare International (1991 to 2003). 
David has extensive experience on plc 
boards, having served as a NED at Card 
Factory plc, Joules Group plc and Alfa 
Financial Software Holdings plc. He is 
currently Senior Independent Director at 
ProCook Group plc.

R

A

N

Jack Pailing (36)
Non-Executive Director
Appointment Date: July 2023

Committees: 
Remuneration Committee (Member); 
Audit Committee (Member);  
Nominations Committee (Member)

Jack joined the Board in July 2023. He 
is the portfolio manager at Colebrooke 
Partners, a London based investment 
firm, which he founded in 2017. Prior 
to that, he practiced law at SJ Berwin 
LLP, King & Wood Mallesons LLP, and 
Macquarie Group.

55

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportGovernance

Quoted Companies 
Alliance (QCA) Corporate 
Governance Code

The Company has been a member of the 
QCA since 2018 and has adopted the QCA 
Code, which it believes is the most suitable 
corporate governance code based on its 
requirements and size. The following is 
a high-level summary of the Company’s 
compliance with the ten principles of the 
QCA Code.

Principle 1: Establish a strategy 
and business model which 
promote long-term value for 
shareholders
The Company strives to promote long-
term value for shareholders through 
its strategy and business model. The 
Company’s current strategy and business 
model are discussed on pages 8 to 53 
(Strategic report).

Principle 2: Seek to understand 
and meet shareholder needs 
and expectations
The Company prioritises communication 
with shareholders, facilitating regular 
meetings between shareholders, the CEO, 
CFO and Chairman. The Company’s efforts 
to engage with shareholders are discussed 
on page 32 (Stakeholder engagement). 

Principle 3: Take into account 
wider stakeholder and social 
responsibilities and their 
implications for long-term 
success
The Company devotes meaningful 
resources to promoting equity, diversity 
and sustainability. These efforts are 
discussed on pages 46 to 53 (Sustainability).

Principle 4: Embed effective 
risk management, considering 
both opportunities and threats, 
throughout the organisation
The Company has implemented robust 
controls to minimise and mitigate risk. 
The Company’s risk management and 
control environment are discussed 
on pages 35 to 43 (Risk management 
and control environment).

56

Principle 5: Maintain the Board 
as a well-functioning, balanced 
team led by the Chairman
The Board has met regularly throughout 
the last financial year to discuss Company 
performance and strategy and assist 
management in achieving Company 
goals. The Board’s activities during this 
period are discussed on pages 54 and 55 
(Board of Directors). 

Principle 6: Ensure that 
between them the Directors 
have the necessary up-to-
date experience, skills and 
capabilities
The Board is composed of talented 
professionals with extensive and diverse 
experiences and skill sets. A biography of 
each Board member is included on pages 
54 and 55 (Board of Directors). 

Principle 7: Evaluate Board 
performance based on clear 
and relevant objectives, seeking 
continuous improvement
The Company engages in ongoing, internal 
evaluation of the Board’s performance 
to ensure effective governance. The 
Remuneration Committee evaluates 
Executive Director performance based on 
annual financial and non-financial targets. 
Our Remuneration Policy is discussed 
in detail on pages 58 to 67 (Directors’ 
remuneration report).

Principle 8: Promote a culture 
that is based on ethical values 
and behaviours
The Company strives to uphold the highest 
standards of ethics and integrity, and has 
adopted and promoted Company policies 
to achieve that goal. These policies are 
published on the Company’s website 
at https://www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk/
sustainability/ethics-and-transparency/
default.aspx. 

Principle 9: Maintain 
governance structures and 
processes that are fit for 
purpose and support good 
decision-making by the Board
The Board operates in accordance with 
structures and processes that support 
effective governance. A schedule of Board 
meetings is established well in advance 
of the financial year to ensure maximum 
participation. An agenda is circulated one 

to two weeks in advance of each meeting 
and pre-read documents are circulated one 
week in advance of each meeting. Ad hoc 
meetings are called to address urgent or 
unexpected matters.

The role of the Board is outlined in the 
Company’s Board charter, available on 
the Company’s website at https://www.
nakedwinesplc.co.uk/about-us/board-
committees/default.aspx. The role of each 
committee is outlined in the Company’s 
Committee Terms of Reference, also 
available on the Company’s website at 
https://www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk/about-
us/board-committees/default.aspx.

Principle 10: Communicate how 
the Company is governed and 
is performing by maintaining a 
dialogue with shareholders and 
other relevant stakeholders
The Company prioritises communication 
with all relevant stakeholders. These 
communications are discussed on pages 
32 to 34 (Stakeholder engagement). 

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 54 and 55 (Board of Directors).

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 Chief Executive 
Officer, as well as all non-Executive Directors 
(NEDs) 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.

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 the Chairman 
and the Chief Executive Officer. 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 the Audit, Remuneration 
and Nominations Committees.

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023The Company’s Articles of Association 
require that one third of the Directors retire 
annually. This year, Stephen Bolton and 
James Crawford will retire from the Board 
and stand for re-election. Stephen Bolton’s 
contract expires on 21 November 2025. 
James Crawford’s contract does not expire, 
but both Mr. Crawford and the Company 
must provide six-months notice prior 
to termination. Directors’ contracts are 
available for inspection at the Company’s 
registered office and will be made available 
at the 2023 AGM. These are summarised in 
the Directors’ remuneration report.

The Company holds directors’ and officers’ 
liability insurance coverage for any claim 
brought against the Directors or officers 
for wrongful acts in connection with their 
position, but the coverage does not extend 
to claims arising from dishonesty or fraud.

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 ad hoc 
meetings as and when necessary.

Our meetings are structured and the 
agendas of the Board and Committees 
are reviewed by, and agreed with, the 
respective Chairs. Minutes are taken at 
all meetings and shared with the Directors 
for comments and any actions are followed 
up and reviewed at the next meeting.

The Board and Committees receive 
appropriate notice prior to meetings and 
are provided with relevant information in 
advance of the meetings. More specifically, 
NEDs are regularly kept abreast of financial 
and operational performance or new 
material developments relating to the 
business. The Company reports on its 
monthly headline performance against 
its agreed budget and the Board reviews 
variances at each meeting.

The Board held eighteen meetings 
during the year, as detailed on page 
54. All members of the Board continue 
to devote sufficient time and effort to 
their responsibilities as Directors. 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/
Global General Counsel, Group CFO and 
any member of the management team.

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 for 
safeguarding the relevant interests of all 
stakeholders (see Stakeholder engagement 
on pages 32 to 34).

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/Global General Counsel and 
where appropriate referred to the Board, 
as and when necessary. 

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. The 
membership of each of the Committees 
is set out on pages 54 and 55 (Board 
of Directors).

Audit Committee – the Audit Committee 
report under the chairmanship of Stephen 
Bolton is available on pages 68 to 70.

Remuneration Committee – the 
Directors’ remuneration report under 
the chairmanship of Deirdre Runnette is 
available on pages 58 to 67.

Nominations Committee – The Nominations 
Committee is chaired by the Chairman of 
the Company.

The principal role of the Nominations 
Committee is to consider and make 
recommendations for Board appointments 
and executive roles, 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.

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

Ethical values and behaviour
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 all of 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.

Internally, we drive a culture of respect, 
fairness and non-discrimination. We have 
a number of policies which underpin this 
approach, including our Anti-Bullying and 
Harassment, Equal Opportunities, Anti-
Bribery, Competition, Data Protection, 
Share Dealings, Anti-Money Laundering, 
Health and Safety, Substance Abuse, 
Maternity Benefits and Recruitment and 
Discipline policies, all of which supplement 
and integrate our Code of Conduct. We 
have a Whistleblowing Policy and procedure 
to assist staff in bringing transgressors to 
our attention.

We have an employee share participation 
scheme which is offered to all members 
of staff and is a way for us to incentivise 
our staff, to allow them to directly reap the 
rewards of their hard work and give them 
a sense of ownership of the business.

Externally, our suppliers are seen as part 
of the Naked Wines family. We therefore 
expect our winemakers, as well as other 
suppliers, to adhere to our standards by 
subscribing to our Responsible Supplier 
and Anti-Modern Slavery policies. It is our 
position that we will assist our suppliers to 
address shortcomings and look for ways 
to help them to understand and meet our 
expectations, as set out 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 also want to 
encourage 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.

Succession planning
The Board continues to be committed to 
identifying suitable succession candidates.

A summary of the Board’s skills and 
experience is set out on pages 54 and 55.

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Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportDirectors’ remuneration report
Delivering profitability in challenging 
economic times

for the new CFO as part of his transition 
to the CFO role, as he would have been 
eligible to receive a bonus as MD of the UK 
business while a search for a successor was 
undertaken. The CFO’s bonus payment for 
the proportion of the year served as CFO 
was £26,020.

The long-term incentive award granted 
in July 2020 was scheduled to vest in July 
2023. This award did not meet its vesting 
criteria and consequently did not vest.

In August 2022, all employees received an 
award of stock options under the LTIP which 
had been approved by shareholders at the 
2022 AGM. As provided in the remuneration 
report approved at the 2022 AGM, these 
awards were provided as part of a move 
away from a UK-style Long-Term Incentive 
Plan to an all employee equity scheme more 
common in the United States. The CEO 
received an option grant over 173,684 shares 
at a strike price of £1.575, with exercise of 
the options conditional on achieving a share 
price of £4.00. The CFO’s award, which was 
granted before he joined the Board, was also 
granted at a strike price of £1.575. 

The Remuneration Committee is satisfied 
the Remuneration Policy has operated as 
intended and confirms that no discretion 
was exercised in determining the incentive 
outcomes for FY23. Other than the bonus 
metrics described above, no performance 
targets for the incentives were adjusted. 

Remuneration Policy for FY24
There will be no changes to Nick Devlin’s 
or James Crawford’s base salaries, which 
will remain at $400,000 and £275,000 
respectively and no changes to pension 
or benefits. James Crawford receives 
a pension of 4.5% of salary. The annual 
bonus opportunity will be 50% of salary 
at target, with a stretch opportunity at 
62.5% of salary. 

Last year, the Committee proposed, and 
the shareholders approved, a New LTIP, 
designed to reflect a more US-centric 
approach to equity compensation, as noted 
above. This incentive plan was designed to 
reward management for delivering annual 
improvements in the intrinsic value of the 
business, as calculated in a model using 
a number of KPIs and financial measures 
as inputs. With the significant change 
to market conditions and the business 
strategy announced in October 2022, this 
plan, which relied on a calculation using a 
number of assumptions based on historic 
trends which have proven extremely volatile 
post-pandemic, does not provide the right 
form of incentive to restore sustainable 
value. We believe that this improvement 

will come about through a focus on cash 
flow initially and profitable growth which 
will lead to a significant improvement in our 
absolute share price and total shareholder 
return (TSR). Accordingly, we propose 
to incentivise management to achieve 
improvements in all three areas through a 
more targeted long-term incentive in FY24. 

FY24 LTIP award
This award will be granted under the terms 
of the existing 2016 LTIP, which was the plan 
used prior to the introduction of the New 
LTIP last year. The 2016 LTIP will be modified 
only to retain the 15% in ten years dilution 
limit that was approved by shareholders 
last year as part of the terms of the 2023 
LTIP. There will be no awards under the 
Naked Wines plc Long-Term Incentive Plan 
2023 introduced last year and we would 
engage again should this plan be used in 
the future.

The grant level will be 75% of salary for the 
CEO and 50% of salary for the CFO. These 
are scaled back from the normal grant 
level under this plan of 150% and 100% of 
salary. Whilst relatively modest by market 
standards, this is felt to be appropriate 
to recognise the current low share price 
and to mitigate dilution to shareholders. 
The Committee is comfortable that the 
Executives will be appropriately incentivised 
to achieve long-term performance 
objectives in line with the strategy, with 
upside potential through share price 
growth. Lower grants to the Executive 
Directors also enables awards to be granted 
to a wider employee population (albeit also 
on a similarly scaled back basis) which is 
an important part of the equity incentive 
culture at Naked Wines.

The performance conditions will be focused 
on the immediate financial KPIs in line 
with our business strategy. The criteria 
for this award will be (i) cash (33.3% with 
stretching targets measured over a two-
year performance period); (ii) profitable 
growth (33.3% with stretching targets 
measured over a three-year performance 
period); and (iii) absolute TSR (33.3% with 
stretching targets measured over a four-
year performance period). We believe that 
this staggered approach to measuring 
different aspects of our performance aligns 
better to the timing of the milestones in our 
strategic plan. While two years is a shorter 
performance period than is standard, this is 
counterbalanced by a four-year period for 
the TSR element. At least half of any vested 
awards will be required to be retained 
until a shareholding of 200% of salary is 
achieved, as per the minimum shareholding 
requirement under the policy and this will 

FY23 demonstrated the 
Company’s ability to take 
decisive action, creating  
a leaner, more focused 
organisation, laying a 
foundation for profitable  
and sustainable growth.

Deirdre Runnette 
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

Dear Shareholder
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to 
present the Directors’ remuneration report 
for the financial year ended 3 April 2023. 

FY23 brought a shift in the macroeconomic 
environment which presented new 
challenges for the business and required 
mid-year changes to our operational and 
financial plan. These changes represented 
a decisive action to pivot to profit, focusing 
the Company’s short-term efforts on 
reducing costs and investments in 
growth to create a leaner, more focused 
organisation, laying a foundation for 
sustainable, profitable growth and greater 
resilience. The Company ended FY23 with 
£354.0 million in revenue and £17.4 million 
adjusted EBIT.

I hope that you find this report clear and 
insightful and that the report demonstrates 
pay for performance at Naked Wines. In line 
with best practice, this report will be subject 
to an advisory vote on its adoption at the 
2023 AGM.

FY23 incentive plan payouts
Annual bonus payouts for the CEO for 
Group performance in FY23 are nil (with 
the CEO having waived any formula-driven 
payout under the plan). The CFO joined the 
Board mid-year and is eligible to participate 
in a revised Group bonus plan for periods 
P7-12 of FY23 for all employees, which was 
based on different performance measures 
and targets in order to support this 
strategic pivot. Whilst we are aware that 
it is unusual to reset bonus targets mid-
year, we believe that this was appropriate 

58

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023provide further long-term alignment of 
interest with shareholders. The Committee 
believes that this plan better aligns staff 
incentives to the Company’s pivot to profit 
and our commitment to deliver value to our 
shareholders.

CFO and Chair succession 
As announced on 25 July 2022 Shawn 
Tabak stepped down from the Board on 
22 July 2022 and ceased employment with 
the Company. Compensation for loss of 
office payments were made in line with 
contractual obligations and a severance 
agreement, amounting to 12 months’ salary 
($400,000 plus benefits). There was no 
bonus payable in respect of FY23 and all 
outstanding share awards have lapsed. 

We were delighted that James Crawford, 
who had previously served as CFO before 
heading up the UK business, agreed to take 
on the CFO role, initially on a temporary 
basis, before moving to the CFO role 
permanently and joining the Board in 
December 2022. Recognising James’s 
strong performance in the period prior to 
joining the Board as Head of the UK business 
and to provide an additional incentive for 
James to take up the CFO’s role and rejoin 

the Board, the Committee agreed that he 
should be awarded a deferred cash bonus 
of £137,500, paid 66.6% on 1 July 2024 and 
33.3% on 1 July 2025, subject to continued 
service. James’s salary is £275,000 and 
the rest of his package is in line with the 
policy. We feel that this deferred payment 
is proportionate and was necessary in the 
circumstances to stabilise the finance 
function following Shawn’s departure. 

We also announced on 20 October 2022 that 
Darryl Rawlings would step down as Chair 
with immediate effect and David Stead 
would assume the role of Chair. As agreed 
with him on joining, Darryl’s fees for the role 
had been based on three years’ worth of 
fees paid in shares in advance. As he had 
served less than three years, the balance of 
the shares (46,664 shares out of 62,062) for 
the period remaining lapsed. Furthermore, 
his matching share award (1:1 match on 
an investment in shares of $175,000) 
also lapsed. David’s annual chair fee was 
£100,000 payable in cash. 

In July 2023, we announced David’s 
resignation from the Board and Rowan 
Gormley’s appointment as Chairman. 
Rowan’s annual chair fee is £100,000 
payable in cash.

Consultation with shareholders
We consulted during the year with our major 
shareholders in relation to our approach 
to Executive remuneration outcomes for 
FY23 and the operation of the policy in FY24, 
with a particular focus on the long-term 
incentive arrangements and were pleased 
that the feedback was positive.

Closing comments
The Remuneration Committee ensures that 
our Executive Directors and all employees 
continue to be appropriately rewarded for 
performance that benefits the future of the 
business for all our stakeholders. 

The Remuneration Committee is committed 
to having an open and constructive 
dialogue with investors. At our forthcoming 
AGM, there will be an advisory vote on this 
Annual Report on Remuneration. I would be 
very pleased to receive any feedback you 
may have on this report and look forward 
to your support at the AGM.

Deirdre Runnette 
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

18 September 2023

How
 • Remuneration Committee Terms of 

Reference

 • Korn Ferry was appointed in March 2021 
to provide advice to the Remuneration 
Committee on remuneration matters

When
 • The Remuneration Committee meets 

as required, and the list of meetings and 
attendance is on page 54

The Remuneration Committee

Who
 • The Remuneration Committee 

comprises me, as Chair, together 
with Rowan Gormley, Stephen Bolton, 
Melanie Allen, and Jack Pailing.

 • Executive Directors may attend 
meetings as invitees, but play no 
role in decisions relating to their 
own remuneration.

 • None of the members of the 

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

What

Responsibilities, in summary

 • Develop the Remuneration Policy in line 
with the business strategy and monitor 
its ongoing effectiveness

 • Determine specific targets and objectives 

for any performance-related bonus or 
pay schemes for Executive Directors

 • Determine targets for any performance-
related bonus or share schemes for staff

 • Review and approve Executive Directors’ 
packages upon appointment and any 
termination payments

Main activities for review period

 • Set performance criteria targets for 
annual bonus following the strategic 
pivot during the year

 • Determined the achievement of the 
performance criteria for vesting of 
shares and payment of bonuses

 • Developed the approach to 

remuneration in FY24 including the 
terms of the LTIP award

 • Engaged with shareholders

 • Determined the termination payments 
to Shawn Tabak, and the remuneration 
agreements for James Crawford on 
his appointment as CFO

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Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportDirectors’ remuneration report 
continued

The Remuneration Policy
In this section, we describe the elements 
of our Remuneration Policy together with a 
clear link to our strategy. We further explain 
our implementation of each element, 
including the maximum an Executive may 
earn. While this policy is specific to our 
Executive, the Company prides itself on 
its simple and equal approach. We have 
thus included a column to indicate where 
a specific element of reward offered to 
Executive Directors differs from that 
offered to other employees. The rewards 
are substantially consistent across our 
structure, with variations in amount based 
on experience, responsibility, skills and 
performance.

We have considered the best way to ensure 
full transparency and accountability 
to shareholders and have determined 
that there should be a single advisory 
shareholder vote at the 2023 AGM on this 
Directors’ remuneration report, which 
includes the policy, its operation in FY24 
and the amounts payable for service and 
performance in FY23. The remuneration 
policy described herein is intended to take 
effect at the beginning of FY24.

4. Reward principles
The following overarching principles 
are applicable:

 • We will offer competitive salaries that 
attract, retain and motivate talented 
people;

 • We will operate transparent, simple and 

effective reward schemes that incentivise 
delivery of stretching targets and our 
long-term business strategy; and

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

5. Remuneration Policy
Each element of the Remuneration Policy 
for Executive Directors is summarised in 
the following tables.

1. Introduction
The Remuneration Policy offers fair, 
competitive and attractive reward 
packages that are consistent with 
the scale and performance of the 
Company. It is aligned with our strategy, 
KPIs, risk management processes and 
business model. 

2. Policy statement
We will seek to attract and retain talent 
through fair rewards, 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 and establishes and 
reinforces the outputs and behaviours 
required in order to achieve strategic 
business objectives and results.

3. Application
The Remuneration Policy is applicable to the 
Executive Directors. Where relevant, we’ve 
provided a comparison with remuneration 
practices outside of the Executive 
management level.

Fixed

Policy

1. Salary

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

 • Competitive salaries relative to the 

To recognise individual skill, experience, 
performance and market value of the 
role so as to attract, retain and motivate 
the best people 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.

market and jurisdiction 

 • 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 twice monthly 
in line with local custom).

Operation – how we determine it:

Limitation:

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.

 • Position/role

 • Expertise

 • Experience

Fixed

Policy

Maximum increases are no greater than 
the workforce average unless: (a) there has 
been a material increase in industry rates; 
(b) changes in role have taken place with 

2. Pension

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

Limitation:

To contribute to post-retirement income, 
which supports recruitment and retention 
of talented people to deliver on strategy.

Operation – what we offer:

 • Payments in defined contribution 

schemes and cash alternatives to pension

The CEO and the CFO receive a pension 
contribution or cash amount in lieu of 
pension, equivalent to 4% and 4.5% of 
salary, respectively.

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:

None.

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Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Fixed

Policy

3. Benefits

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

 • Private medical insurance

How it is linked to performance:

To make us competitive within the market 
while providing financial protection 
for executives and their families, 
supporting retention.

 • Life insurance

 • Relocation expenses

Limitation:

Operation – what we offer:

 • Paid annual leave

 • Enhanced maternity benefits

 • Credits to spend on wine

The level of benefits are set to be 
appropriate for our business relative 
to the market.

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:

All employees are entitled to the same suite 
of grade dependent benefits.

 • Robust clawback and malus provisions 

How it is linked to performance:

Variable

Policy

4. Bonus

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

 • The Remuneration Committee may apply 

To reward the achievement of key financial, 
operational and strategic goals annually 
by selecting measures that drive long-term 
shareholder value, as well as to reward 
achievement of customer-centric KPIs 
that grow and retain the customer base.

apply

discretion to the final bonus payout, 
taking into account performance against 
targets and underlying performance of 
the Company

Operation – how we determine it:

Operation – what we don’t do:

 • We set an “on target” bonus for each 

 • We do not reward failure or mediocre 

role as a percentage of salary

performance

 • Bonus targets are normally set at the start 
of the financial year and performance is 
reviewed regularly and assessed at the 
end of the financial year to determine 
whether targets have been reached

 • Bonuses are payable in cash

 • While encouraging stretch targets, 

we do not set unrealistic goals

 • We do not encourage unhealthy risk-
taking and inappropriate behaviour

Limitation:

Executive Directors’ target bonus levels are 
set at 50% of salary for the achievement of 
a stretching but achievable target level of 
performance. 

Variable

Policy

5. Shares – LTIP

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

Limitation:

To incentivise and retain staff by delivering 
shares as part of their package, subject to 
performance, while aligning management 
interests with the value creation interests 
of shareholders.

Operation – what we offer:

 • Conditional awards of shares which vest 
after a period of time subject to service 
and the achievement of stretching 
performance conditions

 • Robust clawback and malus 

provisions apply

 • The Remuneration Committee may 

apply discretion to the final LTIP vesting 
level, taking into account the underlying 
performance of the Company

The Remuneration Committee will 
determine the award levels to Executive 
Directors and senior management.

For FY24 the award level for the CEO 
and CFO will be 75% and 50% of salary, 
respectively.

The Company’s 2016 LTIP plan rules provide 
for an overall dilution limit of 10% of the 
Company’s issued share capital over a 
ten year period. In accordance with our 
communications with shareholders, this 
limit will be increased to 15% under the 
new plan.

If stretch targets are achieved above a 
target level, a bonus level of up to 62.5% 
salary may be payable.

Bonuses are payable in cash.

The bonus will be based on the achievement 
of an appropriate mix of challenging 
financial, strategic and/or individual targets.

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:

At the local level, we incentivise staff based 
on local market performance rather than 
Group performance.

How it is linked to performance:

 • Vesting of share awards is subject to the 
achievement of performance conditions 
which, for FY24 awards, are set out later 
in this report

 • The Executive Directors are subject to 
minimum shareholding requirements, 
meaning that they must hold equity in the 
Company equivalent to 200% base salary, 
to be built up over time for new recruits

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees:

Award levels as a percentage of salary are 
lower for more junior executives and other 
employees.

61

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportDirectors’ remuneration report 
continued

Variable

Policy

5. Shares – SIP

Purpose and link to strategy/KPIs:

To incentivise and retain staff while aligning 
their interests with the value creation 
interests of shareholders.

Operation – what we offer:

 • Awards are determined in accordance 
with period of continuous employment 
and/or job grading of employee

 • Awards may be made annually at the 

discretion of the Remuneration Committee, 

based on a fixed percentage of base salary, 
subject to a maximum award

 • Vesting takes place after three years, 
with a further two-year holding period 
to enjoy tax benefits

 • Dividends may be earned during the 

holding period

Limitation: 

The maximum award is currently set at 
£3,600 (or the equivalent in local currency 
outside the UK) for Executive Directors.

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 Remuneration 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:

 • The general principles set out in this policy

 • 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 Remuneration Committee 
takes into account:

 • The current incumbent’s package

 • The skills and expertise of the candidate

 • The jurisdiction from which the person 

is recruited and their location of 
employment

 • The appropriate structure of the package

 • Comparable market compensation 

packages

In doing this, the Remuneration Committee 
may consider the “buyout” of existing 
equity or other elements of remuneration 
forfeited on leaving a previous employer.

The limitations the Remuneration 
Committee imposes on recruitment 
are as follows:

 • The remuneration package will be limited 
to base salary, pension benefits, bonus 
and share plan participation, as applicable 
in the policy

 • “Buyout” grants will only be paid in 

exceptional circumstances and will be 
capped at the current fair value

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 the CEO’s service contract includes 
a 12-month notice period by the Company 
or the Executive and the CFO’s service 
contract includes a six-month notice 
period by the Company or the Executive.

Directors’ service contracts are available 
for inspection at the Company’s 
registered office.

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:

 • The terms of the service contract and 
other legal obligations will be upheld

 • The Remuneration Committee will 
have the authority to approve any 
final payment taking into account the 

How it is linked to performance:

 • Awards encourage share ownership 
and align interests with shareholders

 • The Remuneration Committee has 

discretion to change the percentage 
of salary awarded in the event of poor 
performance

 • Participants must remain in continued 

employment for the shares to vest

Significant differences between Executive 
Directors and the main body of employees: 

None.

specific circumstances surrounding the 
termination, including but not limited to 
approved leaver criteria, performance, 
service and health

 • The Remuneration 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

 • The Remuneration Committee may waive 

the need for an Executive to work any 
notice period and may make a payment 
in lieu thereof

 • Where possible, any compensation 

payments for loss of office will be subject 
to mitigation, including phased payments 
and offset against earnings in any 
new role

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 to the provisions of the Board 
Charter, the terms of reference of the 
various committees and the governance 
codes adopted by the Company from 
time to time.

62

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Remuneration
NEDs receive a base fee and the Senior 
Independent Director (SID) and Chair of 
the Remuneration and Audit Committee 
receive an additional fee. For FY24 the fee 
structure has been reviewed such that 
the fees for UK-based NEDs and US-based 
NEDs will be set and paid in local currencies. 
The remuneration does not include any 
additional benefits. Payment is made on a 
monthly basis.

10. External appointments
An Executive Director may be permitted 
to sit on external boards, subject to the 
following provisions:

 • The appointment must be to the benefit 

of the Director’s development, but should 
not be to the detriment of their position at 
the Company;

 • Appointments to external boards must be 
declared to the Remuneration Committee 
and must be referred to the Board for 
approval with a recommendation from 
the Remuneration Committee; and

 • Fees earned from an external position 
would be retained by the Executive 
Director in recognition of the risks 
attached to Board positions.

11. Application of discretion
The Remuneration Committee has 
discretionary authority in a number of 
instances that are set out in the policy (as 
well as the various share scheme rules), as 
well as oversight of how these are applied. 

In using its discretion, the Remuneration 
Committee will apply the following 
guiding principles:

Annual report on remuneration 

 • Always explain use of discretion, 

including how and why it is applied;

 • Discretion will not be used to reward 

failure;

 • Any decisions made using discretion 

will be reasonable, impartial and 
procedurally fair, and will take into 
account all relevant information;

 • Discretion will be exercised having 

regard to the law, contractual 
entitlements, policies and the 
best interests of the Company; and

 • Application of discretion will be consistent 
and follow precedent, where possible; and

 • Decisions will be based on supporting 

evidence, which will be retained.

This section describes the remuneration payments in respect of the financial year ended 3 April 2023 and the operation of the policy for the 
forthcoming year. 

Executive remuneration for FY23 (audited) 

Name

Position

Nick Devlin*

CEO

James 
Crawford3

CFO

Shawn Tabak*4 CFO

Basic 
salary/fees
£’000

Benefits 
£’000

Annual 
bonus 
payment 
£’000

Long-term
incentives1
£’000

Share 
Incentive 
Plan 
£’000

Company 
pension 
contribution 
£’000

Other4
£’000

Total 2023 
£’000

Total fixed 
2023
£’000

333

109

138

5

1

6

–2

26

–

–

–

–

1

1

–

11

6

–

–

–

371

350

349

143

515

116

515

Total 
variable 
2023
£’000

1

27

–

 LTIP relates to the 2020 award which was due to vest in July 2023 but did not meet the performance conditions.

*   Remuneration has been converted from US dollars to GBP based on an exchange rate of 1.2063 for FY23 and 1.3675 for FY22. 
1  
2   Nick Devlin has waived his rights to his FY23 bonus which would have been £71,958.
3    The remuneration for James Crawford is from when he took on the interim CFO role in August 2022. This also includes his time spent fulfilling a below-Board role for the UK business alongside 

this role until his appointment to the Board as CFO in December 2022. The bonus James Crawford received in relation to his role as CFO totaled £26,020.

4    Shawn Tabak resigned as a Director on 22 July 2022. Salary and benefits are for the time he served as a Director. ‘Other’ relates to the severance he was paid which was equivalent to one year’s 

salary plus other associated payroll benefits.

Executive remuneration for FY22

Name

Position

Nick Devlin

CEO

Shawn Tabak CFO

Basic 
salary/fees
£’000

293

293

Benefits 
£’000

6

15

Annual 
bonus 
payment 
£’000

Long-term 
incentives
£’0001

Company 
pension 
contribution 
£’000

–

–

233

–

11

–

Other
£’0002

Total 2022 
£’000

–

110

543

418

Total fixed 
2022
£’000

310

308

Total 
variable 
2022
£’000

233

110

1    LTIP relates to the value of the 2019 LTIP award, which had completed the majority of the performance period at the time of last year’s report, where the value was estimated. This award has now 

vested and the value is based on the actual value of the shares vesting

2   “Other” relates to the value of an equity award that Shawn received as part of the terms of him joining the Company. 

63

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportDirectors’ remuneration report 
continued

Annual bonus for FY23
As noted in the Chair’s statement, the Committee determined that the bonus scheme should be adjusted mid-year to align with the strategic 
pivot to profit. The full details of the bonus measures that applied for different parts of the year are set out in the table below. Note that the 
CEO waived his bonus for the entire year. The CFO was entitled to receive a bonus for the financial periods 5-12 based on his appointment in 
August 2022. For periods 5-6, James Crawford did not receive a bonus as for these financial periods, the award of 100% of bonus entitlement 
with no performance conditions attached did not apply to Executive Directors.

Performance condition
Total sales

Repeat Customer contribution
Value creation

100% for all BUs excl. Execs

Total sales

 Adjusted EBITDA

Net inventory6

Group Total Equivalent

Financial

period Weighting
33%

1-4

Entry Target1
£’000
n/a

Full Target2
£’000
108.3

Maximum
Target3
£’000
n/a

Actual
performance4
£’000
102.1

Outturn5
(% of total bonus 
entitlement)
0%

1-4
1-4
1-4

5-6
5-6

7-12
7-12
7-12
7-12

33%
33%
100%

100%
100%

20%
30%
50%
100%

n/a
n/a

n/a

193.3
6.8
108.5

7.9
17.9

21.6
21.9

11.5
13.6

n/a

n/a

n/a

199.1
10.2
106.4

203.0
13.5
104.4

191.7
14.8
107.6

50%
0%
17%

100%
100%

11%
120%
75%
76%
60%

1   Attainment of entry target resulted in 25% of bonus entitlement.
2   Attainment of full target resulted in 100% of bonus entitlement.
3   Attainment of maximum target resulted in 125% of bonus entitlement.
4   P1-4 actual performance is calculated at budget FX rates, P7-12 actual performance is calculated at outlook FX rates.
5   Total bonus entitlement is based on the performance of each market versus target, weighted 50%, 35% and 15% for the performance of the US, the UK and Australia respectively.
6   The net of inventory less Angel Funds.

Bonus outcomes for Executive Directors
The bonuses payable to the Executive Directors are set out in the table below. 

Executive Director
Nick Devlin
James Crawford2

Target annual bonus 
opportunity
50% of salary
50% of salary

Outturn (% of total bonus 
entitlement)
43% of salary
57% of salary

Total bonus payable for FY23 
£’000
–1
26

1   Nick Devlin waived his rights to FY23 bonus which would have been £71,958.
2   James Crawford’s bonus opportunity for FY23 was pro-rated from the period of the year he was appointed interim CFO in August 2022. His total bonus payable also relates to his CFO role.

Long-term incentives with performance periods substantially completed in FY23
The performance period for the LTIP awards granted in July 2020 ended in July 2023. Performance for each award is based solely 
on TSR performance relative to a comparator group of UK-based store retailers. The performance targets and actual performance against 
these targets are set out in the table below. 

Award
July 2020

Threshold TSR target
(25% vesting)
Median

Maximum TSR target
(100% vesting)
Upper quartile

Naked Wines  
performance
Below median

Actual vesting
(% of max)
0%

Long-term incentive awards granted during the year
Share options as per the FY23 LTIP were granted to Nick Devlin and James Crawford during the year. These awards will vest, subject to 
continued employment, over a four-year period with 25% vesting after one year, and 6.25% quarterly thereafter. In addition, for Nick Devlin’s 
awards, additional criteria apply such that vested options may not be exercised until after three years from grant and furthermore, the 
share price must exceed £4.00 over a one-month average period before options may be exercised.

Date of
grant

% salary
grant

Options
granted

Market price at 
date of award

Exercise
price1

Face value of award2
£'000

Nick Devlin

August 2022

57%

173,684

£1.575

£1.575

James Crawford

August 2022

83%

144,444

£1.575

£1.575

1   Exercise price is equal to the closing share price on the date of the grant.
2   Face value of award is calculated as the number of shares under option multiplied by the market price at the date of award.

274

227

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

64

Vesting/
exercise period
August 2023/ 
August 2025 – 
August 2032
August 2023 – 
August 2032

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Directors’ shareholdings and share interests
The table below sets out the interests of the Directors (including those of their connected persons) who served on the Board during the year 
or have been appointed since the year end. Any Directors not included in the table below did not hold any shares during the year.

Director
Nick Devlin
James Crawford
Darryl Rawlings
Justin Apthorp
Katrina Cliffe
David Stead
Rowan Gormley
Jack Pailing2

Total beneficially owned shares

28 March 2022
111,644
114,687
15,868
50,000
15,000
–
n/a
n/a

3 April 20231
216,095
169,961
105,766
50,000
15,000
23,956
1,780,696
9,273

Unvested LTIP 
shares (subject 
to performance 
conditions)
213,379
75,990

Unvested shares 
(subject to continued 
employment only)
2,710
444

Shareholding 
required % of 
salary
200%
200%

Shareholding
at 3 April 2023*
% of salary
65%
61%

*   Based on the share price on 3 April 2023 of 99p.
1   Shareholding for Darryl Rawlings, Justin Apthorp and Katrina Cliffe at point of resignation from the Board. Shareholding for Rowan Gormley and Jack Pailing at date of appointment to the Board.
2   Jack Pailing is an officer of Colebrook Partners Ltd, which owns 368,116 shares in Naked Wines plc.

Nick Devlin
James Crawford

Total beneficially 
owned shares

216,095
169,961

Share price

£0.99
£0.99

Value  
(£)

213,934
168,261

Salary  
(£)

Shareholding as  
a % of salary

331,592
275,000

65%
61%

Non-Executive Directors’ remuneration for FY23 (audited)
The table below sets out the fees received by non-Executive Directors for FY23 and the prior year. Non-Executive Directors are not entitled 
to receive any other remuneration other than fees.

Name
David Stead
Justin Apthorp2
Katrina Cliffe3
Darryl Rawlings1
Deirdre Runnette4
Melanie Allen5
Stephen Bolton6
Total remuneration

Position
NED/Chairman/Nominations Committee Chair
NED
NED/Remuneration Committee Chair
NED/Chairman
NED/SID/Remuneration Committee Chair
NED
NED/Audit Committee Chair

Total fees
2023  
£’000
77
31
15
–
29
25
16
193

Total fees
2022  
£’000
58
40
45
166
–
–
–
309

1    Darryl Rawlings resigned from the Board on 31 October 2022. Following Darryl Rawlings’ resignation from the Board and as Chairman, the portion of his award in respect of the remainder of the 

three-year period Darryl will not serve as Chairman lapsed. Furthermore, Darryl’s matching award lapsed in full on his resignation.

2   Justin Apthorp resigned from the Board on 5 January 2023.
3   Katrina Cliffe resigned from the Board on 29 July 2022.
4   Deirdre Runette joined the Board on 23 June 2022.
5   Melanie Allen joined the Board on 23 June 2022.
6   Stephen Bolton joined the Board on 21 November 2022.

Total shareholder return performance 
The chart below shows the Company’s total shareholder return performance over the last ten years as compared with the FTSE AIM 100 
Index. Naked Wines is a constituent of this index, and therefore it is considered an appropriate comparator index to use.

Total shareholder return

)
£
(
e
u
a
V

l

250

200

150

100

50

0

01 Apr 13

31 Mar 14

30 Mar 15

28 Mar 16

03 Apr 17

02 Apr 18

01 Apr 19

30 Mar 20

29 Mar 21

28 Mar 22

03 Apr 23

Naked Wines plc

FTSE AIM 100

65

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
Directors’ remuneration report 
continued

Operation of the Remuneration 
Policy in FY24
Executive Directors
There will be no changes to Nick Devlin’s base 
salary, which will remain at $400,000, nor 
his pension, which will remain at 4% of base 
salary in line with all other US employees.

James Crawford, who joined the Board as 
CFO and an Executive Director in FY23, has 
a base salary of £275,000 and pension of 
4.5% of base salary.

Annual bonus opportunity will be 50% of 
salary at target with the opportunity to 
earn 62.5% of salary for the achievement 
of stretch performance. Performance 
conditions and weightings for FY24 are:

 • Sales 30%;

 • Adjusted EBITDA 20%; and 

 • Net cash excluding lease liabilities 50%.

Bonuses are payable in cash.

FY24 LTIP award
This award will be granted under the terms 
of the existing 2016 LTIP, which was the plan 
used prior to the introduction of the new 
LTIP last year. The 2016 LTIP will be modified 
only to retain the 15% in ten years dilution 
limit that was approved by shareholders 
last year as part of the terms of the 2023 
LTIP. There will be no awards under the 
Naked Wines plc Long-Term Incentive Plan 
2023 introduced last year and we would 
engage again should this plan be used 
in the future.

The grant level will be 75% of salary for the 
CEO and 50% of salary for the CFO. These 
are scaled back from the normal grant 

level under this plan of 150% and 100% of 
salary. Whilst relatively modest by market 
standards, this is felt to be appropriate 
to recognise the current low share price 
and to mitigate dilution to shareholders. 
The Committee is comfortable that the 
Executives will be appropriately incentivised 
to achieve long-term performance 
objectives in line with the strategy, with 
upside potential through share price 
growth. Lower grants to the Executive 
Directors also enables awards to be granted 
to a wider employee population (albeit also 
on a similarly scaled back basis) which is 
an important part of the equity incentive 
culture at Naked Wines.

At least 50% of any vested award will 
need to be retained to count towards 
the Executive Director’s shareholding 
requirement of 200% of base salary.

The performance conditions will be focused on the immediate financial KPIs in line with our business strategy, as set out in the table below:

Weighting Definition

  Free cash 
flow

33.33%

Cumulative 
FY24 and FY25

Revenue with 
EBIT margin 
underpin

33.33%

FY26 Revenue 
FY26 EBIT margin

33.33%

Total 
shareholder 
return

Three-month average share 
price (assessed over any 
rolling three-month period) 
(plus customary adjustments 
for dividends and any other 
returns of capital)

Non-Executive Directors 
Non-Executive Directors’ fees for FY24 are as follows:

UK Chairman

UK NED

US NED

UK Committee Chair

US Committee Chair

UK SID

US SID

Target range and vesting percentage 
(% of total award)

Entry £60m for 11.1% vesting 
Max £80m for 33.3% vesting
Straight-line vesting between points

FY26 EBIT margin must be >4%, as a gateway condition 
Entry £350m revenue for 11.1% vesting
Max £400m revenue for 33.3% vesting 
Straight-line vesting between points

Share price (+ dividend) = £2.00 11.1% vesting 
Share price (+ dividend) = £3.25 11.1% vesting 
Share price (+ dividend) = £4.50 11.1% vesting

Performance 
period

Approximate 
vesting date

FY24 – FY25

July 2025

FY25 – FY26

July 2026

FY24 – FY27

July 2027

FY24

£100,000

£40,000

$50,000

+£5,000

+$5,000

FY23

n/a

£40,000

n/a

+£5,000

n/a

n/a

+£13,000

+$5,000

n/a

For FY24 a fee structure which differentiates between US-based and UK-based non-Executive Directors has been introduced.

Deirdre Runnette 
Remuneration Committee Chair

On behalf of the Board

18 September 2023

   See pages 129 and 130 for definitions of alternative performance measures and pages 131 to 133 for reconciliations to statutory reported figures.

66

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023UK gender mix and gender based pay analysis

% UK employment men : women

First quartile
29
71

Second quartile

68

32

Third quartile
47
53

Fourth quartile

21

79

Total

53

47

UK gender pay facts

Portion of employees 
receiving a bonus 2023

Portion of employees 
receiving a bonus 2022

62

63

%

74

65

%

Gender pay gap analysis

Mean gender pay gap

Median gender pay gap

Hourly pay 
rate 2023

Hourly pay 
rate 2022

Bonuses 
paid 2023

Bonuses 
paid 2022

31%

45%

38%

45%

52%

76%

54%

37%

We are encouraged to report that our UK 
gender-based pay analysis continues to 
show positive year-on-year development, 
supported by the ongoing initiatives we 
highlighted in previous years. 

In the UK overall, we have maintained 
the male to female headcount ratio. 
This is despite a reduction in the total 
UK workforce (280 down to 220). 

The gender pay gap, as measured by 
the mean hourly pay rate difference, has 
reduced to 31% with the percentage in 
each quartile staying broadly the same. 

The Group remains actively engaged 
in initiatives to promote gender pay 
equality and our local Equality, Diversity 
and Inclusion teams are now established 
with the aim of educating and supporting 
positive development. 

A high proportion of technology roles 
in the UK have historically been under-
represented by female staff and is an 
area of focus for us. 

We are incredibly proud of Elle Overvoorde, 
Senior Product Manager, who won two 
awards at the DevelopHER awards. 

This year has also seen Carolyn Jones, a 
Technology leader at Naked Wines, take an 
active role in the technology community 
to promote female workers in technology. 
Among many panel and judging 
appearances, she has been the driving 
force behind our Menopause Policy and 
education workshop that was launched 
earlier this year. 

67

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportAudit Committee report 
Strengthening our risk mitigation

The Company has also engaged in a 
rigorous review of our inventory holdings 
and concluded that in the US, as a result of 
the revision to sales and growth forecasts, 
an inventory right-sizing exercise is 
required. As a result of this review, the 
Company has recognised an inventory 
provision charge in the FY23 accounts 
which the committee has scrutinised 
carefully. This provision has been reported 
as an adjusted item in the income 
statement. The Committee believes this 
treatment is appropriate due to its material 
size and its infrequent and exceptional 
nature. The inventory right-sizing activity 
will allow the US business to consolidate 
its inventory holdings around wine and the 
winemakers core to our mission to connect 
everyday wine drinkers with the world’s best 
independent winemakers. 

During the year, we continued to invest in 
our control fundamentals. I am very pleased 
that our Group Head of Assurance has been 
instrumental in a comprehensive process 
to build robust internal controls around and 
within our core finance systems, including 
improvements to the reporting and controls 
over inventory commitments, and we 
have also begun to make clear external 
disclosure of our purchasing commitments. 
The business has also continued to 
review and test our control environment, 
notably improving our access controls 
and the Committee has also focused on 
the systems and processes around cash 
flow forecasting. 

Finally, we also held a tender process for 
both external auditors and global tax 
advisors and I am pleased to report the 
appointment of KPMG as our new auditors 
from the beginning of FY24, and Grant 
Thornton as our tax advisors. We look 
forward to working together with both firms 
in the years to come.

Stephen Bolton 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

18 September 2023

Key responsibilities
The objective of the Audit Committee 
is to provide oversight and governance 
of the Group’s financial reports, its 
internal controls and processes in place, 
its risk management systems and the 
appointment of, and relationship with, 
the external auditor.

In accordance with its Terms of Reference, 
the Audit Committee is required, among 
other things, to:

 • Monitor the integrity of the financial 
statements of the Group, reviewing 
any significant reporting issues and 
judgements they contain;

 • Advise on the clarity of disclosure and 
information contained in the Annual 
Report and Accounts;

 • Ensure compliance with applicable 

accounting standards and review the 
consistency of methodology applied;

 • Review the adequacy, effectiveness and 
integrity of the internal control and risk 
management systems;

 • Oversee the relationship with the external 

auditor, reviewing performance and 
providing a fair and balanced assessment 
to the Board regarding their appointment 
and remuneration; and

 • Review reports by management and 
the Head of Assurance to ensure the 
independence and effectiveness of 
systems for internal financial control, 
financial reporting and risk management, 
together with monitoring management’s 
responses to control findings.

The Terms of Reference are available 
on the Naked Wines plc website at 
https://www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk/about-
us/board-committees/default.aspx.

Audit Committee governance
The Audit Committee is chaired by Stephen 
Bolton following the appointment of 
David Stead as Chairman of the Board 
of Directors. Stephen is an Independent 
Director and has been a member of the 
Board and chairman of the committee 
21 November 2022. Stephen is a highly 
experienced finance director, with nearly 
forty years of experience in all facets of 
“Blue Chip” organisation finance, including 
13 years with Diageo plc. He is also an 
experienced non-Executive Director, 
serving on the boards of Clarks, an 
international footwear company, where he 
chairs the Audit Committee, and Sedex, a 
world-leading ethical trade membership 
organisation. 

We have worked at pace to 
strengthen our liquidity 
position and improve 
working capital controls  
and processes

Stephen Bolton 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

This is my first year as a Director of Naked 
Wines plc and Chairman of the Audit 
Committee. In the first instance I would 
like to thank David for his service as the 
outgoing Chair of the Committee, and I 
am pleased to share with you the progress 
we have made improving the Company’s 
risk profile and developing its control 
environment this year. 

The Company has worked hard to improve 
its underlying liquidity. It has worked 
closely and at pace with our banking 
partners to continue to evolve its banking 
facility covenants to strengthen its 
resilience. Working within the constraints 
of an uncertain economic and trading 
environment, management has undertaken 
significant work to ensure that our future 
plans reflect a robust view of future trading. 
The Board and Committee has rigorously 
challenged these plans as part of our going 
concern assessment. As we continue to 
pursue our pivot to profit strategy, the 
Committee and the Board will continue to 
monitor our working capital and growth 
assumptions and delivery of the initiatives 
required to do so to allow the Company to 
remain on course to deliver the liquidity 
foundations we are laying.

68

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023The other members of the Audit Committee 
are Deirdre Runnette and Melanie Allen. 
In addition to the permanent members 
and Company Secretary, and at the 
invitation of the Audit Committee, during 
the year meetings were also attended 
by Nick Devlin, both Shawn Tabak and 
James Crawford as Chief Financial 
Officer, the external auditors, the Group 
Finance Director and the Group Head of 
Assurance. Presentations were also given 
by individual members of the Group’s 
senior leadership team on relevant topics. 
The Audit Committee meets a minimum of 
three times per year, including at least twice 
a year with the external auditor present. 
The key work undertaken by the Audit 
Committee during the year under review 
and up to the date of this Annual Report and 
Accounts is detailed below.

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 key accounting controls, and 
adherence to these standards is monitored 
by the Group Head of Assurance. Various 
recommendations have been made as a 
result of the Group Head of Assurance’s 
work and these are being implemented 
by management. 

During the year, the Group Head of 
Assurance has undertaken a comprehensive 
review of our developing treasury and 
cash flow forecasting process. The results 
of this review have been reported to the 
Audit Committee and the implementation 
of recommendations will be monitored. 
The Group Head of Assurance has also 
been instrumental in the development of 
a process to systematically analyse the 
Group’s future inventory commitments, 
the results of which are included 
in our FY23 financial statements 
in note 29 Commitments. 

The Audit Committee also received and 
considered reports from the external 
auditor, Deloitte LLP, which included 
control findings relevant to their audit.

Management conducts regular reviews 
to identify and evaluate the risks faced by 
the Group and to ensure that mitigation is 
appropriate. This process was reviewed 
by the Audit Committee and is considered 
appropriate.

The Board also carries out its own annual 
review and assessment of key risks. The 
Risk management and control environment 
section within the Strategic report on pages 
35 to 43 includes further detail on the key 
business risks identified and actions being 
taken. During the year the Audit Committee 
has received a presentation on specified 
key risk areas, and the mitigating actions 
in place, from the relevant management 
team member.

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.

In addition to examination of the recognition 
and disclosure of the inventory provision 
in the US set out above, these matters 
included:

Going concern: The Audit Committee and 
the Board have carefully considered the 
cash flow forecasts and scenarios prepared 
by management to support the going 
concern basis of accounting. As set out 
more comprehensively in accounting policy 
note 3.2 Going concern, the Committee and 
the Board have challenged management’s 
assumptions and sensitivity assessments 
in this analysis. The Committee noted that 
the going concern cash flow provides 
headroom even in a severe but plausible 
downside scenario, however also noted 
that there is a relatively modest headroom 
between this scenario and a reverse stress 
test covenant point of failure. 

Achievement of the forecast cash flow 
includes assumptions regarding (1) the 
currently uncertain macroeconomic and 
trading environment (2) the successful 
delivery of a number of cash and cost 
improvement initiatives over the forecast 
period and (3) access to a forecast level 
of borrowing from the Group’s asset 
backed lending facility, based on the level 
and valuation of the Group’s US inventory 
holding.

Given uncertainty around these 
assumptions and that adverse changes in 
these assumptions may result in a reduction 
in actual cash flows which would result 
in the business being unable to meet its 
covenant commitments the Committee 
and the Board have concluded that it is 
appropriate to prepare the accounts on 

a going concern basis but noting a material 
uncertainty. See accounting policy note 3.2 
Going concern for further details.

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. The approach has been 
applied consistently in FY22 and FY23 
and the rationale is clearly disclosed 
(see note 7 Adjusted items). As noted 
above, the Audit Committee has closely 
examined management’s disclosure of 
the inventory right-sizing charge in the 
Group’s US segment and is content with 
this presentation. 

The presentation of development 
expenditure on Software as a Service 
(SaaS): In response to a March 2021 IFRIC 
agenda decision, the Company revised 
its accounting policy for the presentation 
of SaaS expenditure, specifically with 
regards to the ERP expenditure made in 
the current and previous financial year. 
The Committee reviewed management’s 
analysis of the nature of the spend and the 
applicability of the IFRIC agenda decision 
and was content that this decision was 
applicable to this spend. The Committee 
also examined management’s assessment 
that the SaaS expenditure is reported within 
adjusted items. 

The carrying value of goodwill and other 
intangible assets including deferred tax 
to determine whether any impairment 
has 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. Having scrutinised 
this analysis, the Committee concurred 
with management’s assessment that the 
carrying value of goodwill and other non-
current assets including deferred tax have 
suffered a partial impairment in carrying 
value. The Committee was satisfied that 
appropriate disclosure has been made. See 
note 17 Impairment for further analysis and 
disclosure of this conclusion. 

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 understandable.

69

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportAudit Committee report 
continued

External audit
The Group’s external auditors has been 
Deloitte LLP since 2014.

The Audit Committee considers a number 
of areas in relation to the appointment 
and performance 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 external auditors also report to the 
Audit Committee on actions taken to 
comply with professional and regulatory 
requirements. The Committee was satisfied 
with the independence, objectivity and 
effectiveness of Deloitte LLP in the year. 

During the year, Deloitte informed the 
Board that they did not wish to seek 
reappointment as external auditors 
following completion of the FY23 audit. 
A comprehensive tender process was 
undertaken and following this process, 
KPMG will be nominated as auditor at the 
forthcoming Annual General Meeting. 

The Audit Committee considers a number 
of areas in relation to the appointment 
or re-appointment of the external 
auditors, and as part of the tender 
process considered the candidate firm’s 
recent regulatory evaluations as well as 
considering the scope of the audit and 
terms of engagement, their independence 
and objectivity and their remuneration. 

The Audit Committee confirms that the 
tender process undertaken was fair 
and independent. The Committee is 
pleased with the appointment of KPMG, 
and is satisfied that they will be able 
to execute the audit with objectivity 
and independence.

As a consequence of the audit retender, 
the Company also undertook a global tax 
advisor retender. Following a competitive 
process, I am pleased to confirm the 
appointment of Grant Thornton to this role.

Stephen Bolton 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

18 September 2023

70

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Directors’ report 
As required under the Companies Act, the Directors present their report 
and Group financial statements for the 53 week period ended 3 April 2023.

(a) Results and review of the business
The Group income statement is set out 
on page 81. The Directors’ report should 
be read in conjunction with the Strategic 
report on pages 8 to 53, which includes 
information about the Group’s business 
performance during the year and indication 
of future prospects. An indication of likely 
future developments in the business of 
the Company are included in the Financial 
review on pages 24 to 29. Information 
about the use of financial instruments by 
the Company and its subsidiaries is given 
in note 25 Financial instruments.

(b) Dividends
The Company will not be declaring a final 
dividend during the reporting period. The 
Directors’ intention continues to be 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 8 to 53, 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
On 22 August 2023, the Directors concluded 
an amendment to the principal covenant 
obligations of the Group’s asset backed 
lending facility. See note 31 Events after the 
balance sheet date for further details.

There have been no other events since the 
end of the financial year which would have 
a material impact on the performance or 
financial position of the Group.

(e) Articles of Association and applicable 
legislation
With regard to the appointment and 
replacement of Directors, the Company 
is governed by its Articles of Association, 
the UK Corporate Governance Code, the 
Companies Act and related legislation. 
The Articles themselves may be amended 
by special resolution of the shareholders. 
The powers of Directors are described in 
the Board Charter, Committee Terms of 
Reference, and Corporate Governance 
Statement available on the Company’s 
website. The Company is subject to the 
UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

(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, is shown in note 27 Share 
capital and reserves. In accordance 

with the AIM Rule 2, in so far as the Company is aware, the percentage of the Company’s 
issued share capital that is not in public hands as at 1 August 2023 is 4.0%. This percentage 
comprises the holdings of Directors and related parties.

(g) Major shareholders
At 1 August 2023, the following interests of shareholders in excess of 3% have been notified 
to the Company:

Shareholder

Baillie Gifford & Co (Edinburgh)

Punch Card Mgt (Florida)

Conifer Capital Mgt (New York)

Morgan Stanley (London)

Interactive Brokers (Chicago)

Investmentaktiengesellschaft Fuer Langfristige 
Investoren TGV (Bonn)

Lombard Odier Asset Mgt (London)

UBS Securities (London)

Pershing Securities (Jersey City)

(h) Political donations
The US business made $11,100 of donations 
to New Jersey legislators in FY23 (FY22: 
$24,200) in connection with its efforts to 
amend New Jersey state laws that currently 
prohibit the US business from shipping 
wine to New Jersey consumers.

(i) 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.

(j) Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will 
be held at 4pm on 29 September 2023 at 
the offices of Fladgate LLP. The Notice 
of Annual General Meeting, which sets 
out the resolutions to be proposed at the 
forthcoming AGM, is enclosed with this 
Annual Report and Accounts. The Company 
will hold an additional general meeting as 
soon as practical and legally-permitted 
after publication of the Annual Report and 
Accounts to approve items related to the 
Annual Report and Accounts. 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 AGM. All proxy votes will be 
counted and the numbers for, against or 
withheld in relation to each resolution will be 
announced at the AGM and published on the 
Company’s website.

Number of ordinary  
shares held

Ordinary shares as a %  
of issued share capital

7,821,972

7,394,159

7,246,610

5,934,825

4,115,720

4,012,324

3,547,914

2,803,903

2,407,738

10.57

9.99

9.79

8.02

5.56

5.42

4.79

3.79

3.25

(k) Approval of the Directors’ remuneration 
report at the last AGM
The Directors’ remuneration report was 
last tabled for approval by the shareholders 
of the Company at the last AGM, held on 
25 July 2022, by means of a non-binding 
advisory vote. The shareholders approved 
the resolution relating to the 2022/23 
Directors’ remuneration by a majority of 
96.38%, with 3.62% of votes cast against 
and 0.00% votes withheld. Shareholders 
will be asked to vote on the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy at the AGM in 2023.

(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 rebudgeting exercise is carried out 
at least once during the financial year. 
The key trading aspects of the business 
are monitored weekly and internal 
management 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 25 Financial instruments.

(m) Modern slavery
We take the issue of modern slavery very 
seriously. This is addressed as part of our 
Sustainability report and our anti-slavery 
statement is available here: 
https://www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk/about-
us/corporate-governance/default.aspx.

(n) Key performance indicators (KPIs)
The Group monitors a number of performance 
indicators, both financial and non-financial. 
See pages 129 and 130 for a full list of KPIs.

71

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportEnergy efficiency actions taken:

During the reporting period we have taken 
a number of steps to improve energy 
efficiency. These include:

 • Working closely with our winemakers, 

growers and suppliers towards achieving 
more sustainable winemaking in our supply 
chain aimed at significantly reducing GHG 
emissions in the following areas:
 –Cultivation
 –Winemaking
 –Glass bottles
 –Imports

 • Reduced our average bottle weights 

to provide direct material savings and 
reduction in logistics emissions; and
 • Some of our winemakers have actively 

produced organic wines and encouraged 
biodiversity in the vineyard.

Reporting boundary and methodology
We have followed the 2019 UK Government 
Environmental Reporting Guidelines. We 
have used the GHG Protocol Corporate 
Accounting and Reporting Standard 
(revised edition) and emission factors from 
the UK Government’s GHG Conversion 
Factors for Company Reporting 2022 to 
calculate the above disclosures.

Directors’ report 
continued

(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 on the Board of Directors can 
be found on pages 54 and 55.

(q) Stakeholder engagement
Refer to the section 172(1) statement 
on page 32 and to the stakeholder 
engagement initiatives mentioned on pages 
32 to 34 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
Naked Wines has been an accredited 
Disability Confident Employer since October 
2018. Should an individual with a disability be 
invited for an interview, we’ll contact them 
to determine if they require any specific 
arrangements to be made. All interviews 
carried out will be without prejudice and will 
be within the scope of current legislation.

If a colleague becomes disabled in 
the course of their employment with 
us, reasonable steps will be taken 
to accommodate their disability by 
making reasonable adjustments to their 
employments or redeployment and, 
through appropriate retraining, to enable 
such staff to remain in employment with 
us wherever possible.

(s) Greenhouse gas emissions reporting
The Company is required to disclose 
its UK energy use and associated 
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) under 
the Streamlined Energy and Carbon 
Reporting (SECR) Regulations.

Details of our report are set out on page 53 
of the Strategic report.

72

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

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 United Kingdom adopted 
international accounting standards, 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 the Parent Company financial 
statements, the Directors are required to:

 • Select suitable accounting policies 
and then apply them consistently;

 • Make judgements and accounting 
estimates that are reasonable and 
prudent;

 • State whether Financial Reporting 
Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure 
Framework has been followed, subject to 
any material departures disclosed and 
explained in the financial statements; and

 • 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:

 • Properly select and apply accounting 

policies;

 • Present information, including accounting 

policies, in a manner that provides 
relevant, reliable, comparable and 
understandable information;

 • 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; and

 • 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:

 • 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;

 • 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; and

 • 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 18 September 
2023 and signed on its behalf below.

Auditor
A resolution to appoint KPMG as auditor 
of the Group will be raised at 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 

18 September 2023

James Crawford 
Chief Financial Officer 

18 September 2023

Registered in England and Wales company 
registration number 02281640

73

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportIndependent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
Report on the audit of the financial statements

1. Opinion
In our opinion:

 • 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 3 April 2023 and of the Group’s loss for the period then 
ended;

 • the Group financial statements have been properly prepared 
in accordance with United Kingdom adopted international 
accounting standards and International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as issued by the International Accounting 
Standards Board (IASB);

 • the parent company financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standard 101 
“Reduced Disclosure Framework”; and

 • the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 

the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:

 • the Group income statement;

 • the Group statement of comprehensive income;

 • the Group and parent company statements of changes in equity;

 • the Group and parent company balance sheets;

 • the Group cash flow statement; and

 • the related notes 1 to 52.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the 
preparation of the Group financial statements is applicable law, 
United Kingdom adopted international accounting standards and 
IFRSs as issued by the IASB. 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. Material uncertainty related to going concern
We draw attention to note 3.2 in the financial statements, which 
indicates that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant 
doubt on the Group and parent company’s ability to continue as a 
going concern.

The Group entered into a $60m Asset Backed Lending facility (‘ABL’) 
on 31 March 2022 that was subject to three financial covenants 
including a covenant on a minimum level of cash that must be held 
within the Group. The level of facility that can be drawn down is 
calculated on inventory held in the US. 

74

The directors’ base case and their plausible downside forecasts 
indicate that the covenants will be met throughout the going 
concern period. However, headroom on the latter is limited and 
the ongoing ability of the Group to generate sufficient cash flows 
through trading in a volatile environment as well as successful 
completion of planned actions and maintaining access to the 
forecast level of asset backed facility gives rise to uncertainty over 
the Group’s ability to meet its minimum cash covenant in the going 
concern period. 

The Audit Committee has considered the adoption of the going 
concern basis of accounting as key area of focus for the Committee 
as set out on page 69 and a critical accounting judgement has been 
identified in the financial statements as set out on page 92.

As stated in note 3.2, these events or conditions, along with the 
other matters as set forth in note 3.2, indicate that a material 
uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s 
and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Our 
opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Notwithstanding the material uncertainty, in auditing the financial 
statements, we have concluded that the directors’ use of the going 
concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial 
statements is appropriate.

Our evaluation of the directors’ assessment of the Group’s and 
parent company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern 
basis of accounting included procedures where we:

 • obtained a detailed understanding of the relevant controls that 
the Group has established regarding the drafting, review and 
approval of the Group’s going concern assessment;

 • tested the mechanical accuracy of the model used to prepare the 

Group’s going concern forecast;

 • evaluated the consistency of management’s forecasts with other 

areas of the audit (e.g.: goodwill impairment and deferred tax);

 • obtained confirmation of the revolving credit facility entered into 
on 31 March 2022 and subsequent amendments to understand 
repayment terms and covenant requirements;

 • evaluated management’s cashflow forecasts and challenged key 
assumptions used in their preparation, through comparison to 
historical performance and external data sources. This included 
evaluating the business model and medium-term risks, economic 
factors, and climate change, to assess whether recent trading 
performance is considered likely to continue going forward;

 • evaluated the amount of headroom under forecast covenants, 

including sensitised downside scenarios, to assess the likelihood 
of conditions arising which might result in the Group’s inability to 
meet its covenants as they fall due;

 • assessed and challenged the mitigating actions available to 

management, including in respect of future cost savings, should 
these be required to offset the impact of forecast performance 
not being achieved;

 • assessed relevant commercial matters and the appropriateness 
of risk factors disclosed in the Group’s going concern statement; 
and

 • challenged the appropriateness of the Group’s disclosures, 

including the reasonableness of the sensitivities, relating to going 
concern basis of preparation by reference to FRC guidance on 
going concern and the requirements of IAS 1 Presentation of 
Financial Statements. 

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 20234. Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:

 • Going concern (see material uncertainty related to going concern section)

 • Impairment of UK and US component goodwill 

 • Valuation of US component inventory

Within this report, key audit matters are identified as follows:

 Newly identified

 Increased level of risk

 Similar level of risk

Materiality

Scoping

Significant 
changes in our 
approach

The materiality that we used for the Group financial statements was £3.8m which was determined using Group revenue as 
the key benchmark.
We have performed full scope audit procedures over 100% of the Group’s revenue, 100% of the Group’s loss before tax, and 
93% of the Group’s net assets. 
Our audit approach has been designed to respond to the operational challenges faced by the Group and their impact on the 
Group’s trading performance.

Consideration of the carrying value of goodwill in both the UK and US components has been identified as a new key audit 
matter as a result of the deterioration in recent and forecast component trading with resulting reduced headroom.

The valuation of US component inventory has been identified as a new key audit matter in response to the growth in 
inventory as a result of trading performance, thereby posing a risk that the net realisable value of inventory is below the year-
end valuation.

The risk of fraudulent recognition of revenue through manual adjustments was identified as a key audit matter in 2022. This 
is no longer a key audit matter due to the volume and quantum of manual adjustments to revenue being immaterial in the 
current year. 

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. In addition to the matter described in the material uncertainty related to going concern 
section, we have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report.

5.1. Impairment of UK and US component goodwill 

Key audit matter 
description

The carrying value of the goodwill at year end in the UK and US components is £5.9m (2022: £5.9m) and $9.9m (2022: $29.8m) 
respectively.

How the scope  
of our audit 
responded to the 
key audit matter

There has been a substantial decrease in the value in use of the UK component to £21.7m (2022: £74.2m) and of the US 
component to $86.4m (2022: $279.8m). These decreases are due to increases in the discount rate and revised future cash 
flow forecasts as a result of the recent trading environment and the Group’s change in strategy (“pivot to profit”). 

UK headroom has fallen to £15.6m (2022: £67m) and US headroom has been eroded completely by the changes in value in use 
resulting in a $20m impairment being recognised (2022: $248.7m headroom). There is a risk of an additional impairment of 
goodwill in both of these components as a result of sensitivities in these key assumptions. 

Further details are included within the Audit Committee report on page 69, and notes 4, 14 and 17 to the financial statements.
To respond to this key audit matter, we have:

 • obtained an understanding of the relevant controls around the impairment review, including the budget and forecast 

setting process which support the cash flow used within the impairment model (and going concern judgement);

 • assessed the methodology applied in performing the impairment review with reference to the requirements of IAS 36 

“Impairment of Assets”;

 • assessed and challenged the inputs into the impairment model, including future forecasts on cash flow, revenue and 
costs, the discount rate, the terminal growth rate and reviewed the financial performance in 2023 in comparison to 
previous forecasts and performing a search for contradictory evidence with reference to external market data;

 • assessed management’s sensitivity analysis in relation to the key assumptions in the cashflow forecasts, including 

performing a market capitalisation to value in use reconciliation in order to assess for impairment indicators;

 • engaged internal valuations specialists to assist in determining the appropriateness of the discount rate; and

 • evaluated the appropriateness of the Group’s goodwill disclosures, including the key sources of estimation uncertainty.
Key observations We are satisfied that the carrying value of UK and US component goodwill together with the disclosures in respect of the key 

sources of estimation uncertainty in management’s assessment are appropriate.

75

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportIndependent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
continued

5.2. Valuation of US component inventory 

Key audit matter 
description

As at 3 April 2023 the Group held £165.6m of inventory (2022: 142.4m). The inventory provision was £11.2 (2022: £1.1m). US 
component inventory totalled £107.3m (2022: £96.4m) with a provision of £10.3m (2022: £0.5m).

How the scope  
of our audit 
responded to the 
key audit matter

The Directors intend to reduce the overall level of stock held by the Group and in particular in respect of the US component. 
To execute this plan, the US component currently holds a provision for wine sales that are planned to be made in bulk, at 
reduced cost. As a result, we have identified a potential risk over US inventory valuation, specifically pin-pointed to the 
valuation of the provision. Given the large volumes of stock held across all categories, and the high degree of judgement in 
regard to what the future net realisable value of this stock is, especially when sold in bulk, there is a risk that stock is not being 
held at the lower of cost and net realisable value, and therefore inventory is overstated. 

Further details are included within notes 4 and 18 to the financial statements.

To respond to this key audit matter, we have:

 • obtained an understanding of the relevant controls that the Group has established regarding the US inventory provision;

 • recalculated the provision with reference to the accounting policy and challenged exceptions to the policy through 

searches for independent evidence to support the shelf life of individual wines;

 • analysed sell through rates of inventory in the year and post year end in order to identify any slow moving or unsold 

inventory lines which may require a specific provision; 

 • evaluated the completeness of the inventory provision by selecting a sample of unprovided inventory and performing 

an independent assessment using historical average run rates by wine variety and/or wine maker to identify indicators 
that volume of wine on hand would not sell through within the expected shelf life; 

 • obtained 3rd party evidence to support the recoverable amount of bulk wine in assessing completeness of provisions 

over bulk wine inventory; and

 • evaluated the appropriateness of the key sources of estimation uncertainty disclosures in the financial statements.

Key observations We are satisfied that the level of the US inventory provision recognised by the Group and the associated disclosures in the 

financial statements are appropriate.

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

£3.8m (2022: £4.1m)

Group financial statements

Parent company financial statements

£2.2m (2022: £2.2m)

Basis for 
determining 
materiality

Rationale for  
the benchmark 
applied

1.1% (2022: 1.2%) of Group revenue.

The basis of materiality is net assets.

In our professional judgement we believe that revenue is 
the most appropriate benchmark to determine materiality 
given that the Group is focused on growth and therefore 
revenue is the key measure of overall performance used 
by stakeholders. 

Parent company materiality equates to 2.6% (2022: 1.8%) of 
parent company net assets, which is capped at 58% (2022: 
54%) of Group materiality.

In determining our final materiality, based on our professional 
judgement, we have considered net assets as the appropriate 
measure given the parent company is primarily a holding 
company for the Group. 

Revenue
£354.0m

Group materiality
£3.8m

Component materiality
range £1.5m to £2.3m

Audit Committee reporting
threshold £0.19m

Revenue
Group materiality

76

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023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. 

Performance 
materiality

Basis and 
rationale for 
determining 
performance 
materiality

Group financial statements

Parent company financial statements

70% (2022: 70%) of Group materiality

70% (2022: 70%) of parent company materiality 

In determining Group performance materiality, we considered the following factors, namely:

 • our risk assessment and the quality of the control environment; 

 • low turnover of management and key accounting personnel; and 

 • our past experience of the audit, including the quantum of corrected and uncorrected misstatements in prior periods. 

Given the nature of the parent company’s operations as a holding company and the control environment is non-complex, we 
considered performance materiality of 70% was appropriate.

6.3. Error reporting threshold
We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to 
the Committee all audit differences in excess of £190,000 (2022: 
£205,000), 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 trading components, 
based in the UK, US and Australia, as well as the non-trading 
components. 

Our Group audit was scoped on a subsidiary 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 trading 
components. The results taken together for these components 
account for 100% (2022: 100%) of the Group’s revenue, 100% (2022: 
84%) of the Group’s loss before tax, and 93% (2022: 99%) of the 
Group’s net assets. 

All UK components were audited by the Group engagement 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, with 
all entities using a materiality lower than Group materiality. 
Component materiality applied ranged from £1.5 million to £2.3 
million (2022: £1.4m to £2.3 million). 

At the Group level, we also tested the consolidation process 
including any consolidation adjustments. Procedures performed 
to test consolidation adjustments included assessing the business 
rationale for the entries and agreeing to supporting evidence. 
We carried out analytical procedures to confirm there were no 
material misstatements in the aggregated financial information of 
the Group’s non trading subsidiaries that were not subject to full 
scope audit. 

7%

Full audit scope
Review at group level

Revenue

100%

Loss
before tax

100%

Net assets

93%

7.2. Our consideration of the control environment 
We have obtained an understanding of relevant controls over 
key business cycles across all Group geographies and of Group 
IT systems which are managed in the UK. We have obtained an 
understanding of the relevant controls including financial reporting, 
revenue, inventory, goodwill impairment, and cash and in relation 
to significant accounting estimates. In addition, we worked with our 
internal IT specialists to evaluate general IT controls over relevant 
IT systems on access security, change management and network 
operations. 

There continues to be a lack of formality and documentation in the 
Group’s control environment, particularly in respect of models and 
inventory provisioning. As a result of our findings, we are unable to 
adopt a controls reliance approach, consistent with the prior year 
audit.

Control improvements have been reported to the directors and the 
Audit Committee.

77

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportIndependent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
continued

7.3. Our consideration of climate-related risks 
In planning our audit, we have considered the potential impacts 
of climate change on the Group’s business and its financial 
statements. The Group does not assess climate risks and 
opportunities separately, but in conjunction with its assessment of 
principal risks and uncertainties and have identified the principal 
climate risk to be within the supply chain as disclosed within the 
Strategic Report. 

As part of our audit procedures we have obtained an understanding 
of management’s process and controls in considering the impact 
of climate risks and assessed whether the risks identified by the 
directors are complete and consistent with our understanding of 
the Group.

The directors have concluded that climate change risk does 
not pose a material risk to the Group’s operations and as such 
climate related risks have not been included within the directors’ 
impairment assessments or going concern considerations.

The directors have determined the biggest climate related risks 
to the business relate to severe weather conditions impacting 
winemakers’ ability to grow grapes to be used in wine production 
or wildfires causing smoke-taint on grape harvests impacting wine 
quality and flavour. The directors have also identified a physical 
climate risk of wildfires in relation to its winery and third-party 
warehousing facilities in California impacting the entity’s ability to 
service customers.

We have evaluated whether appropriate disclosures have been 
made in the financial statements including reading the disclosures 
in the strategic report to consider whether they are materially 
consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge 
obtained in the audit. 

7.4. Working with other auditors
We have engaged with component audit teams to perform work 
over the US and Australia components which are both full scope 
audits in the current year. Detailed instructions were sent to the US 
and Australia component audit teams, who were included in team 
briefings to discuss risk assessment.

We met virtually and in person with component audit teams, 
including close meetings at the conclusion of the audit work which 
were attended by the Senior Statutory Auditor. We again visited 
the US component in person and have obtained remote access to 
working papers for the both the US and Australia components in 
order to review the work performed and have reviewed component 
reporting documents.

8. Other information
The other information comprises the information included in 
the annual report, other than the financial statements and our 
auditor’s report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other 
information contained within the annual report.

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.

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 course of 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 this gives rise 
to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 
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 this regard.

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.

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. Extent to which the audit was considered 
capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance 
with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our 
responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements 
in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our 
procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is 
detailed below.

78

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 202311.1. Identifying and assessing potential risks related to 
irregularities
In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in 
respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with 
laws and regulations, we considered the following:

 • the nature of the industry and sector, control environment 

and business performance including the design of the Group’s 
remuneration policies, key drivers for directors’ remuneration, 
bonus levels and performance targets;

 • the Group’s own assessment of the risks that irregularities may 

occur either as a result of fraud or error;

 • results of our enquiries of the directors, management, internal 

audit, those charged with governance and the Audit Committee 
about their own identification and assessment of the risks of 
irregularities, including those that are specific to the Group’s 
business sector; 

 • any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the 

Group’s documentation of its policies and procedures relating to:

 –identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations 

and whether they were aware of any instances of non-
compliance;

 –detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they 

have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;

 –the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or 

non-compliance with laws and regulations;

 • the matters discussed among the audit engagement team 

including significant component audit teams and relevant internal 
specialists, including tax, valuations, IT, financial instruments and 
forensic specialists, regarding how and where fraud might occur 
in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud. 

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities 
and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and 
identified the greatest potential for fraud in the following areas: 
going concern and the valuation of US component inventory. 

In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to 
perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management 
override.

We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory 
framework that the Group operates in, focusing on provisions 
of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the 
determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial 
statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this 
context included the UK Companies Act, AIM Rules, tax legislation 
and pensions legislation.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations 
that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but 
compliance with which may be fundamental to the Group’s ability to 
operate or to avoid a material penalty. These included local licensing 
and alcohol laws and employment legislation.

11.2. Audit response to risks identified
As a result of performing the above, we identified going concern 
and the valuation of US component inventory as key audit matters 
related to the potential risk of fraud. The key audit matters section 
of our report explains the matter in more detail and also describes 
the specific procedures we performed in response to that key audit 
matter.

In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to risks 
identified included the following:

 • reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to 

supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions 
of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct 
effect on the financial statements;

 • enquiring of management, the Audit Committee and internal and 
external legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation 
and claims;

 • performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or 
unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material 
misstatement due to fraud;

 • reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance 

and reviewing internal audit reports; and

 • in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of 

controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other 
adjustments; assessing whether the judgements made in making 
accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and 
evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions 
that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and 
potential fraud risks to all engagement team members including 
internal specialists and significant component audit teams, and 
remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with 
laws and regulations throughout the audit.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

12. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the 
Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the 
audit:

 • 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

 • 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.

79

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportIndependent auditor’s report to the members of Naked Wines plc
continued

13. Matters on which we are required to report 
by exception
13.1. Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in 
our opinion:

 • we have not received all the information and explanations we 

require for our audit; or

 • adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent 

company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been 
received from branches not visited by us; or

 • the parent company financial statements are not in agreement 

with the accounting records and returns.

We have nothing to report in respect of these matters.

13.2. 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.

14. 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

18 September 2023

80

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Group income statement
For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

Continuing operations

Revenue

Cost of sales

Gross profit pre inventory provision

Inventory provision

Gross profit

Fulfilment costs

Advertising costs

General and administrative costs

Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets

Profit on disposal of asset classified as held for sale

Operating (loss)/profit

Analysed as:

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted items:

– Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions

– Right-sizing of US inventory

– Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets

– Other adjusted items

Operating (loss)/profit

Finance costs

Finance income

(Loss)/profit before tax

Tax

(Loss)/profit for the year

(Loss)/earnings per share 

Basic

Diluted

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

Note

5

7

17

7

8

7

10

10

11

12

354,045

(205,739)

148,306

(10,254)

138,052

(68,159)

(17,690)

(53,092)

(18,183)

4,814

(14,258)

17,365

(1,293)

 (13,964)

(18,183)

1,817

(14,258)

(2,217)

1,455

(15,020)

(2,393)

(17,413)

(23.6)p

(23.6)p

350,263

(208,542)

141,721

–

141,721

(62,601)

(34,131)

(43,085)

–

–

1,904

1,995

(1,321)

–

–

1,230

1,904

(111)

1,080

2,873

(490)

2,383

3.3p

3.2p

81

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group statement of comprehensive income
For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

(Loss)/profit for the year

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to the income statement:

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(17,413)

4,747

4,747

(12,666)

2,383

3,084

3,084

5,467

The total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year and the prior year is wholly attributable to the equity holders of the parent company, 
Naked Wines plc.

82

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Group statement of changes in equity
For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

At 29 March 2021

Profit for the year

Other comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive income for the year

Shares issued

Credit to equity for equity-settled share 
based payments

Deferred tax on share based payments

At 28 March 2022

Loss for the year

Other comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for  
the year

Shares issued

Credit to equity for equity-settled share 
based payments

Deferred tax on share based payments

Note

Share
capital
£’000

5,487

Share 
premium
£’000

21,162

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£’000

363

–

–

–

21

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5,508

21,162

363

–

–

–

42

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

27

28

11

27

28

11

Currency 
translation 
reserve
£’000

99

–

3,084

3,084

–

–

–

3,183

–

4,747

Retained 
earnings 
£’000

76,254

2,383

–

2,383

(21)

1,311

(260)

79,667

(17,413)

–

Total equity 
£’000

103,365

2,383

3,084

5,467

–

1,311

(260)

109,883

(17,413)

4,747

4,747

(17,413)

(12,666)

–

–

–

(42)

–

1,604

(143)

1,604

(143)

At 3 April 2023

5,550

21,162

363

7,930

63,673

98,678

The nature and purpose of each reserve is disclosed in note 27 Share capital and reserves.

83

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
Group balance sheet
As at 3 April 2023

Non-current assets

Goodwill and intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Right-of-use assets

Deferred tax assets

Other receivables

Current assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Financial instruments at fair value

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets classified as held for sale

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Current tax liabilities

Angel funds and other deferred income

Lease liabilities

Provisions

Bond financing

Financial instruments at fair value

Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Provisions

Lease liabilities

Borrowings

Deferred tax liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Capital redemption reserve

Currency translation reserve

Retained earnings

Total equity

Note

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

14

15

16

11

19

18

19

25

30

20

21

22

24

26

23

25

26

24

23

11

27

27

27

27

14,938

2,757

5,374

7,328

10,711

41,108

165,666

5,610

30

39,474

210,780

–

210,780

(42,427)

(1,836) 

(71,314)

(2,030)

(1,709)

(35)

(290)

(119,641)

91,139

132,247

(14)

(3,821)

(29,131)

(603)

(33,569)

98,678

5,550

21,162

363

7,930

63,673

98,678

33,516

2,544

3,370

5,402

10,114

54,946

142,444

9,161

324

39,846

191,775

810

192,585

(54,621)

–

(76,003)

(991)

(2,011)

(35)

(476)

(134,137)

58,448

113,394

(122)

(2,576)

–

(813)

(3,511)

109,883

5,508

21,162

363

3,183

79,667

109,883

The financial statements of Naked Wines plc (company registration number 02281640) were approved by the Board and authorised for issue 
on 18 September 2023 and were signed on its behalf by James Crawford. 

84

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Group cash flow statement
For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

Operating activities

Net cash flows used in operations

Overseas income tax paid

Investing activities

Interest received, including interest received on the vendor loan note

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

Purchase of intangible assets

Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Proceeds from sale of asset held for resale

Financing activities

Interest paid

Lease interest paid

Repayments of principal under lease liabilities

Debt issuance costs paid

Movement in customer funded bonds

Drawdown of borrowings

Net decrease in cash

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

Note

30

15

14

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(29,981)

(2,020)

(32,001)

737

(1,478)

–

11

5,624

4,894

(1,719)

 (233)

(1,299)

(791)

–

30,464

26,422

(685)

39,846

313

39,474

(40,929)

(2,189)

(43,118)

486

(1,681)

(253)

7

–

(1,441)

(6)

 (105)

(845)

–

5

–

(951)

(45,510)

85,148

208

39,846

85

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements

1 General Information
Naked Wines plc (the Company) is a public limited company and is 
limited by shares. It 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 Company’s registered address and principal place of business 
is The Union Building, 51-59 Rose Lane, Norwich, NR1 1BY. The Group’s 
principal activity is the direct-to-consumer retailing of wine. The 
Company’s principal activity is to act as a holding company for 
its subsidiaries.

2 Adoption of new and revised standards
The following new amendments that are required to be adopted in 
annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023, do not have 
an impact on the financial statements of the Group: 

IFRS

Subject

Amendments to IFRS 3 

Amendments to IAS 16 

Amendments to IAS 37

Annual Improvements 
to IFRS Standards 
2018-2020 Cycle

Reference to the Conceptual 
Framework

Property, Plant and Equipment—
Proceeds before Intended Use

Onerous Contracts – Cost of Fulfilling 
a Contract 

Amendments to IFRS 1 First-time 
Adoption of International Financial 
Reporting Standards, IFRS 9 Financial 
Instruments, IFRS 16 Leases, and 
IAS 41 Agriculture

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the Group 
has not applied the following new and revised IFRSs that have been 
issued but are not yet effective. 

Effective date

IFRS

Subject

1 January 2023

Amendments 
to IAS 1

Amendments to IAS 
1 and IFRS Practice 
Statement 2

Classification of Liabilities 
as Current or Non-current

Disclosure of Accounting 
Policies

IFRS 17 

Insurance Contracts

Amendments 
to IAS 8

Amendments 
to IAS 12

Effective 
date deferred 
indefinitely

Amendments to IFRS 
10 and IAS 28

Definition of Accounting 
Estimates

Deferred Tax related to 
Assets and Liabilities 
arising from a Single 
Transaction

 Sale or Contribution of 
Assets between an Investor 
and its Associate or Joint 
Venture

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 
United Kingdom adopted international accounting standards in 
conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The Group’s financial reporting year represents the 53 weeks to 3 
April 2023 and the prior financial year, 52 weeks to 28 March 2022.

The consolidated financial statements are presented in GBP, the 
functional and presentational currency of the parent company. 

The financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost 
basis except for financial instruments which are measured at fair 
value as at the end of each reporting period, as explained in the 
accounting policies below.

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.

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.

3.2 Going concern

Background and context

Like many online retail businesses, Naked Wines has been severely 
impacted by COVID-19, rising inflation and falling consumer 
confidence. Lockdowns in all markets saw customers moving 
online which generated significant revenue growth for the Group 
and required significant investment in both operational capacity 
and inventory.

Naked Wines emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic almost double 
the size of pre-pandemic levels. However, expectations of the 
level of ongoing new customer acquisition have not been met and 
the level of business performance has been below the Directors’ 
expectations. In particular, the number of new customers acquired 
and the return on investment in new customers have been below 
expectations which in turn has led to a fall in the repeat customer 
base. These changes have led to reduced expectations of the future 
sales and cash flow for the Company versus previously prepared 
financial plans. 

In response to these challenging macroeconomic conditions, Naked 
changed strategy to “pivot to profit”, (see page 14 for further details) 
focusing on short-term profit generation over long-term customer 
expansion and with a recognised near-term increase in cash 
investment in inventory. 

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.

Alongside this pivot to profit, the Company commenced a 
comprehensive review of the business which included a suite of 
further actions: 

 • Removing unnecessary costs from the business that had been 

introduced to support a business with significantly higher growth 
levels;

 • Identifying several operational savings and cost efficiencies 

across the Group;

86

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 • Undertaking a project to remove excess inventory from the 

Base case 

business whilst continuing to support independent winemakers; 
and

 • Piloting and trialling new customer propositions. 

These actions are ongoing with progress already being made to 
remove unnecessary costs and identify efficiencies. Achievement 
of the Group’s forecasts will, in part, require the alignment and 
cooperation of strategic suppliers in order to achieve the Board’s 
planned outcomes. If the outcome of these key strategic initiatives 
is not as anticipated by the Board, subsequent performance may 
be significantly different to that set out in the Company’s financial 
plans. 

Borrowing facilities

The Group has an asset backed lending (ABL) facility of up to 
$60 million and as at the year-end $36.75 million (FY22: $nil) had 
been drawn down. The Group met all its credit facility covenant 
requirements in the current financial year, despite the material 
uncertainty noted regarding going concern in the FY22 Annual 
Report and Accounts relating to the Group’s ABL credit facility  
profit covenant. 

As set out more fully in note 23 Borrowings, following the Group’s 
renegotiation of its senior secured lending facility covenants 
in October 2022 which addressed the underlying cause of the 
material uncertainty, the Group has three principal negative pledge 
covenant commitments defined within the credit facility. These 
covenants, in effect for periods starting after 26 September 2022 
for the remaining duration of the agreement to 30 March 2025, 
relate to:

1)   A facility defined minimum balance sheet current asset to 

current liability ratio test;

2)  A facility defined minimum qualified cash balance of $20 million 
to be held by loan parties with the lender group at all times; and

3)  A facility defined measure of EBITDA business profitability.

As set out more fully in note 31 Events after the balance sheet date, 
on 22 August 2023 the Group concluded a further amendment to its 
credit facility, moving the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant 
threshold from a trailing three to a trailing 12-month basis from the 
beginning of FY25 as well as increasing the size and specificity of 
the non-recurring expense add back in the calculation of the facility 
defined adjusted EBITDA measure. 

Effective from 27 March 2023, the Group’s credit facility was 
acquired as part of the loan portfolio purchased by First Citizens 
Bank & Trust Company as part of their acquisition of Silicon Valley 
Bridge Bank, N.A, previously Silicon Valley Bank. The Directors have 
received written confirmation from First Citizens Bank & Trust 
Company that First Citizens Bank has assumed all the liabilities 
and obligations of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, formerly Silicon Valley 
Bank, associated with this facility. The administrative agent and 
issuing lender for the facility is now Silicon Valley Bank, a division 
of First Citizens Bank & Trust Company. As a result of the sale and 
purchase agreement of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank to First Citizens 
Bank and the confirmation of the transfer of all the liabilities and 
obligations in relation to the Company’s credit facility to First 
Citizens Bank, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group’s lending facility provides the security of funding necessary 
to support its going concern assumptions. 

In assessing the appropriateness of the going concern assumption, 
the Board has considered (i) the cash requirements of the business 
to pursue its intended strategy, (ii) the funding available to the 
Group from existing cash reserves and ABL facility and (iii) potential 
variations in the cash requirements of the Group taking into 
account severe but plausible downside scenarios that appropriately 
reflect the current uncertain macroeconomic outlook and post 
year-end trading. 

The Directors have prepared cash flow forecasts extending 
for more than 12 months from the date of the approval of these 
financial statements to assess the liquidity of the Group. The first 
of these forecasts, prepared ahead of the end of the financial 
year in the final quarter of FY23, was based on expectations 
formed by trading experience at the time and anticipated future 
trends. It also included cost savings and efficiencies that the 
Group is already benefiting from, as well as additional cost and 
cash savings expected to be implemented over the going concern 
period including working capital improvements. Under this base 
case scenario (the “Original Baseline”), the Group had sufficient 
liquidity over this period and meets its credit facility covenant 
commitments.

Trading in the first quarter of FY24, beginning in April 2023, 
was below expectations with total revenues 18% lower than the 
comparable period in FY23. This reduction was a combination of:

 • Sales to new customers being 41% lower, the comparable period 
being prior to our pivot to profit and reduction in new customer 
investment; and

 • Sales to repeat customers being 15% lower, reflecting the smaller 

customer base year-on-year.

As a result, management revised its original plan for FY24 and 
FY25. This revised plan (the “Revised Baseline”) took into account 
emerging trends in new customer acquisition and the rate of growth 
of revenue per Angel, partially offset by an improvement in mature 
Angel attrition, and resulted in lower forecasts for sales, profitability 
and cash flow generation versus the original plan for FY24 and FY25. 

Sensitivities and reverse stress test

The Directors have considered several downside scenarios against 
both the Original Baseline and the Revised Baseline. The scenarios 
applied to the Original Baseline are:

 • Increased year-on-year repeat customer attrition of between 10% 
and 30% (based on the level, by market, of the worst experienced 
attrition rate over a three-month period in recent history);

 • Sustained lower level of new customer acquisition spend resulting 
in 15% year-on-year decline in Investment in New Customers; and

 • A decline in repeat customer activation of 10% versus the Original 

Baseline.

The Directors also prepared a further severe but plausible downside 
customer activation scenario, modelling the impact of a 10% decline 
in repeat customer activation versus the Revised Baseline.

Under each downside scenario individually the forecasts show all 
covenant requirements being met. In the most severe downside 
scenario, being the 10% repeat customer activation downside 
versus the Revised Baseline, the most sensitive covenant was the 
$20 million minimum cash requirement where headroom fell to 
£4 million, rising to £10 million with application of a contingency plan 
(see below), in excess of this covenant requirement at the lowest 
point of the forecast.

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3 Accounting policies (continued)
A reverse stress test of the Revised Baseline downside scenario 
was also performed, being the downside scenario deliberately 
engineered to identify the point at which a covenant breaks. This 
reverse stress test shows that an additional 2% reduction in repeat 
customer activation (beyond the 10% severe but plausible downside 
scenario noted above) results in the Group not meeting its minimum 
cash covenant, reflecting the relatively high degree of sensitivity 
over downside modelling in this scenario. 

The Directors have identified a contingency plan to improve cash 
generation should evidence of this downside scenario become 
apparent, including further working capital management and 
promotional sales and margin opportunities. Management believes 
that together, these actions add an additional 2% headroom 
between the severe but plausible downside scenario and reverse 
stress test. The modelled breach in the reverse stress test, including 
the identified additional mitigation, occurs 17 months after the 
balance sheet date in the second quarter of FY25.

In addition to the trading sensitivity disclosed above, compliance 
with the minimum cash covenant is reliant on being able to continue 
to access the anticipated level of the Group’s ABL facility, where the 
level of available credit (the ‘facility borrowing base’) is determined 
by the level and carrying value of the Group’s US inventory. The 
Directors highlight the key source of estimation uncertainty 
over inventory valuation (see note 4 Critical accounting policies, 
estimates and judgements) and also the requirement to maintain 
the existing level of supplier waivers (to include wine held at their 
facilities within the facility borrowing base calculation) in order 
to support the Group’s forecast available credit. Together, these 
factors give rise to additional uncertainty over the level of the ABL 
facility available to be drawn down across the forecast period. 

Given experienced trading volatility and the macroeconomic 
conditions increasing the uncertainty over future forecasts, the 
Directors note that forecast variances of more than 4% outside of 
the currently severe but plausible downside scenario would result 
in a breach of the Company’s minimum cash holding covenant and 
whilst the Company’s credit provider has proven to be responsive 
to accommodating the needs of the business, any further covenant 
amendments, should they be required, will be subject to negotiation.

This assessment is linked to a robust assessment of the principal 
risks facing the Group and the reverse stress test reflects the 
potential impact of these risks being realised. The principal risks are 
outlined on pages 38 to 42.

Summary

After considering the forecasts, sensitivities and mitigating 
actions available and having regard to the risks, uncertainties and 
challenges in recent trading and the macroeconomic environment, 
the Directors note that a material uncertainty exists that may cast 
significant doubt over the Group’s ability to continue as a going 
concern and therefore, it may not be able to realise its assets and 
discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

The material uncertainty with regards to going concern relates 
to the Group’s ability to generate sufficient future cash flows 
while trading in a volatile environment, successful completion 
of planned actions and maintaining access to the forecast level 
of ABL facility in order to meet its minimum cash covenant in the 
going concern period.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern 
basis, whilst noting the material uncertainty above.

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:

 • power over the investee;

 • is exposed, or has rights, to variable return from its involvement 

with the investee; and

 • has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

The 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. 

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. In determining whether an 
event or transaction should be adjusted for, management considers 
qualitative as well as quantitative factors such as the frequency or 
predictability of the item and 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. This information is supplementary 
to statutory measures. Details of adjusted items can be found in 
note 7 Adjusted items.

3.5 Revenue
Revenue is recognised in accordance with IFRS 15 Revenue from 
Contracts with Customers 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 
Financial Instruments and are therefore not considered to be a 
contract liability in accordance with the requirements of IFRS 15 
Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

The transaction price allocated upon delivery of the order placed. 
Variable consideration, specific to the Group, that may be subject 
to refund and return is recognised when it is highly probable that 
a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue will not 
occur when the related uncertainty is resolved. A provision is made 
on the basis of observed experience to adjust revenue for the 
element of sale which is still subject to performance uncertainty. 
Revenue is recognised when the customer obtains control of their 
purchase and there is reasonable certainty regarding the recovery 

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Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023of the consideration. Specific 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 within the Angel funds and 
other deferred income 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, the 
Group does not provide credit terms to its customers. 

No warranties or related obligations are offered.

Sale of goods

Revenue from the sale of goods represents the sale of principally 
wine and some spirits through the Group’s direct-to-consumer 
e-commerce channel. Other revenue represents revenue from 
stock optimisation activities. 

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.

3.6 Cost of sales
Cost of sales consists of the cost of the product, primarily wine, 
including excise duties, credit card processing charges and online 
selling teams’ costs.

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.

3.7 Advertising costs
Advertising costs comprise the cost of media spend, partner spend, 
cost of inserts and other advertising and marketing spend related 
to the acquisition of new customers.

3.8 General and administrative costs
General and administrative costs principally comprise salaries and 
bonus costs for global support and Group corporate functions and 
global technology and legal and professional costs. General and 
administrative costs include staff and other support costs of global 
advertising and marketing functions.

3.9 Software as a Service (SaaS)
During the year, the Group revised its accounting policy in relation 
to upfront configuration and customisation costs incurred in 
implementing SaaS arrangements in response to the IFRIC agenda 
decision clarifying its interpretation of how current accounting 
standards apply to these types of arrangements published in April 2021. 

SaaS arrangements are service contracts providing the Group with 
the right to access the cloud provider’s application software over 
the contract period. Costs incurred to configure or customise, and 
the ongoing fees to obtain access to the cloud provider’s application 
software, are recognised as operating expenses when the services 
are received. Where costs incurred for the development of software 
code enhances, modifies, or creates additional capability to existing 
on-premise systems as part of a SaaS implementation are readily 
identifiable and meets the definition of and recognition criteria 
for an intangible asset these costs are recognised as intangible 
software assets and amortised over the useful life of the software 
on a straight-line basis.

The change in accounting policy has resulted in costs of £2.3 million 
being expensed to General and administrative costs that would 
previously have been capitalised as intangible assets under the 
former policy. In the cash flow statement, £2.1 million has been 
presented within net cash flows from operating activities that 
would previously have been presented within net cash flows used 
in investing activities under the former policy. The Group has not 
capitalised material amounts in relation to the configuration and 
customisation of SaaS arrangements prior to this period and as 
such no prior period adjustments are required. 

3.10 Finance costs and income
Finance costs comprise interest payable on the credit facility 
including the amortisation of debt issuance costs and interest on 
lease liabilities. Finance income comprises interest receivable on 
funds invested, positive cash balances and accrued income on 
the vendor loan note (see accounting policy note 3.24 Financial 
instruments). 

3.11 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 awards granted, including the impact 
of any non-market vesting conditions (e.g. profitability and sales 
growth targets). Non-market vesting conditions are included in 
assumptions about the number of awards that are expected to 
vest. At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its estimates 
of the number of awards 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.

3.12 Tax
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. 

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3 Accounting Policies (continued)
Deferred tax 

Deferred tax 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 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.

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for all temporary differences, 
except where the deferred 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.

3.13 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 GBP 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.

3.14 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.

90

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. 

3.15 Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated 
amortisation and any impairment losses.

Amortisation is charged to administrative expenses in 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

6 years

Brand

Software

Facilities and trademarks

8 years

2-5 years

8 years

Customer lists and relationships arose only on acquisition of the 
Naked business. Brands arose on both the acquisition of the Naked 
business and subsequent brand and trademark purchases. 

3.16 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. Management have assessed the risks of climate change 
and have concluded that there are no assets that are materially 
exposed in the current year. See note 17 Impairment for further 
explanation of the basis of impairment testing.

3.17 Property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. The right-of-
use assets comprise the initial measurement of the corresponding 
lease liability, lease incentives received, lease payments made at  
or before the commencement date and any initial direct costs.  

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023They are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and 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:

Leasehold properties

For the term of the lease

Leasehold improvements

For the term of the lease

Equipment, fittings & vehicles

3-10 years

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed 
at each balance sheet date.

3.18 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 where Naked has 
control of the assets purchased by the advance payment but they 
remain in work in progress with the winemaker. 

Provisions are made for obsolete, slow-moving or discontinued 
stock and for stock losses where net realisable value is estimated to 
be less than recorded historic cost.

3.19 Angel funds and other deferred 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 22 Angel funds and other deferred income 
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.

3.20 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.

3.21 Leases

Group as lessee

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 the Group’s 
incremental borrowing rate. If no rate is available, the Group will use 
the rate implicit in the lease.

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: 

 • 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; and

 • 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.

Right-of-use assets are depreciated over the shorter period of the 
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 Leases. This expense 
is presented within administrative expenses in the consolidated 
income statement.

As a practical expedient, IFRS 16 Leases 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.

3.22 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.

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3 Accounting Policies (continued)
3.23 Assets classified as held for sale
Assets classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of 
carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. 

Assets are classified as held for sale if their carrying amount will 
be recovered through a sale transaction rather than through 
continuing use. This condition is regarded as met only when the sale 
is highly probable and the asset is available for immediate sale in its 
present condition.

Management must be committed to the sale, which should be 
expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one 
year from the date of classification.

3.24 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 adjusted for any loss 
allowance. Any provision for impairment is established based on an 
expected loss model.

The vendor loan note was 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 and 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. 

92

Derivative financial instruments are initially measured at fair 
value on the contract date and are remeasured 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 within 
operating costs. 

There were no derivatives accounted for using hedge accounting 
during the year.

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.

Critical accounting judgements

Going concern

In concluding on the going concern basis of the financial 
statements, the Directors have made a number of judgements as 
set out in accounting policy note 3.2 Going concern. The Directors 
draw attention to the critical nature of these estimates and 
judgements in the preparation of the financial statements. 

Classification of adjusted items

A number of judgements are made in the presentation of costs 
and income as adjusted items in the Annual Report and Accounts. 
The factors considered in making this judgement are set out fully 
in accounting policy note 3.4 Presentation of adjusted items.

Key sources of estimation uncertainty

Goodwill and non-current asset carrying value

During the year, the Company’s decision to focus on short-term 
profitability and cash generation over long-term growth has 
reduced future growth assumptions with a resultant downward 
impact on the headroom over the carrying value of goodwill and 
other non-current assets in the Group’s goodwill impairment 
assessment. 

The Group annually tests whether goodwill has suffered any 
impairment in accordance with the accounting policy stated in 
note 3.16 Impairment reviews. Determining whether goodwill and 
other non-current assets are impaired requires an estimation of 
the value in use and/or the estimated recoverable amount of the 
asset derived from the cash generating unit (CGU) to which the 
goodwill has been allocated. The value in use calculation requires 
an estimate of the present value of future cash flows expected to 
arise from the CGU, by applying an appropriate discount rate to the 
timing and amount of future cash flows. 

Management is required to make judgements regarding the timing 
and amount of future cash flows applicable to the CGU, based on 
current budgets and forecasts, and then in perpetuity, taking into 
account growth rates and expected changes to sales and operating 
costs. 

Management estimates the appropriate discount rate using pre-tax 
rates that reflect current market assessments of the time value of 
money and the risks specific to the individual CGU. An analysis of the 
Group’s goodwill is set out in note 14, property plant and equipment 
in note 15 and right-of-use assets in note 16. 

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023The Group’s impairment test at the balance sheet date results in a 
partial impairment of goodwill and other non-current assets, see 
note 17 Impairment for further details and for a sensitivity analysis 
to further impairment charges. The Directors note the year-on-
year decline in headroom above the carrying value of goodwill in all 
markets and highlight the key assumptions driving the impairment 
assessment as set out in note 17 Impairment as a key source of 
estimate uncertainty with regard to the continuing carrying value 
of goodwill. The Directors also highlight that as a result of the 
decline in headroom above carrying value in the year resulting in 
the impairment charge reported, should the key assumptions used 
to calculate the value in use of goodwill move adversely in a future 
period, there is a risk that carrying value of goodwill may become 
further impaired.

Inventory valuation and impairment provision

An implication of the Company’s pivot to profit during the year has 
been the reassessment of required inventory holding levels and 
future buying commitments in its US business unit. As a result of this 
review, a number of winemakers, brands and products have been 
delisted, winemaker commitments cancelled and plans made to 
exit certain quantities of inventory at less than historic cost. On the 
basis of this evaluation, the Group has recorded a charge of £14.0 
million in the year in order to allow the US business to consolidate 
its inventory holdings around wine and winemakers core to the 
Company’s mission to connect everyday wine drinkers with the 
world’s best independent winemakers. On the basis of the forecast 
prepared for the evaluation of going concern of the Company, the 
Directors anticipate that the remaining cost of inventory held at the 
balance sheet date will be profitably realised.

A number of critical judgements have been made in the calculation 
of the US segment inventory provision analysis including:

 • estimates of the likely use before expiry of wine approaching 

the end of its prime marketing life;

 • planned evolution of range and winemaker portfolio;

 • cannibalisation and absorption of wine volumes across the 

Naked range; and

 • realisable value of bulk wine in the open market.

The Directors highlight that in the event that their estimates prove 
to be inaccurate, the magnitude of the inventory write off could 
change. A sensitivity assumption that is readily quantifiable is 
the average expiry life of wine. Management have prepared their 
estimated wine marketing expiry date from the experience of the 
life cycle of wine over time in the Naked US market and examination 
of customer feedback of wines as they age from first release. 
However, if every wine’s expected expiry date was reduced by six 
months, the amount of wine expiring, and hence requiring write 
off, within the Company’s forward review period would increase by 
£1 million. Reducing this assumption by a further six months to 12 
months in total would increase the write-off by a further £6 million. 

Other source of estimate uncertainty

Deferred tax assets on brought forward trading losses

The Company’s UK tax group has historically not recognised 
brought forward trading losses due to the uncertainty over the level 
of future profitability against which those losses could be utilised. 
A consequence of the Company’s pivot to profit has been higher 
levels of forecast short and medium-term EBITDA profitability, 
resulting in it being more likely than not that a portion of the UK tax 
group’s brought forward losses will be utilised against future trading 
profits. As a result of this change in forecast, a total of £2.0 million 

has been recognised as a deferred tax asset in the period. 
Application of the sensitivity downsides modelled as part of the 
Company’s going concern assessment would reduce the deferred 
tax asset recognition to £0.8 million.

The Directors also draw attention to the deferred tax assets held in 
the US segment which relate to the inventory provision recognised 
in the year and also US tax s263a ‘Unicap’ inventory capitalisation 
requirements. As a result of the profit forecast in the latest Board 
approved budget, a portion of the inventory and Unicap provisions 
made in the current year have not resulted in the recognition of 
associated deferred tax assets. If future trading forecasts were to 
show a lower level of expected US taxable profit, then the Directors 
highlight that some or potentially all of the associated and currently 
recognised £4.6 million deferred tax asset may need to be expensed 
to the income statement. Any such charge to the income statement 
would be a non-cash item. 

In the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies, the 
Directors consider that there are no further key sources of 
estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of causing a 
material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities 
within the next financial year.

5 Revenue
Revenue represents the total amount receivable for the sales of 
goods and services, net of discounts and excluding sales taxes 
sold, in the ordinary course of business. Other revenue represents 
revenue from stock optimisation activities. See accounting policy 
note 3.5 Revenue.

6 Segmental reporting
IFRS 8 Operating Segments requires operating segments to be 
determined based on the Group’s internal reporting to the Chief 
Operating Decision Maker (CODM). The Board has determined 
that the Executive Directors of the Company are the CODM of the 
business. This is on the basis that they have primary responsibility 
for the allocation of resources between segments and the 
assessment of performance of the segments. In line with the 
information presented to the Executive Directors of the Company, 
the Group presents its segmental analysis based on the three 
geographic locations in which the Group operates.

Performance of these operating segments is assessed on revenue 
and adjusted EBIT (being operating profit excluding any adjusted 
items), as well as analysing the business between new customer 
and repeat customer lines of business.

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 segments. Adjusted items are allocated to the 
operating segments in accordance with how they are reported to 
the CODM.

The table below sets out the basis on which the performance of the 
business is presented to the CODM. The CODM considers that, as a 
single route to market and solely consumer-facing business in three 
geographically and economically diverse locations, the business 
comprises three operating segments. The Group reports revenue 
from external customers as a single product group, this being 
principally wine and some spirits. 

Goodwill has been allocated to the segments based on value in use, 
see note 14 Goodwill and intangible assets for further details.

93

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNotes to the financial statements 
continued

6 Segmental reporting (continued)
Costs relating to global Group functions are not allocated to the operating segments for the purposes of assessing segmental performance 
and consequently global costs are presented separately. This is consistent with the presentation of those functions to the CODM.

Revenues are attributed to the countries from which they are earned. The Group is not reliant on a major customer or group of customers.

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

Revenue

Revenue associated with the US inventory impairment

Total adjusted sales1

Analysed as:

New Customer sales

Repeat Customer sales

Other revenue

Total adjusted sales1

Investment in New Customers

Repeat Customer contribution

Other contribution

Total contribution after advertising costs2

General and administrative costs3

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted items (see note 7):

Non-cash items relating to acquisitions

Right-sizing of US inventory

Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and  
right-of-use assets

Other adjusted items

Operating profit/(loss)

Finance costs

Finance income

Profit/(loss) before tax

Tax 

Profit/(loss) for the year 

Depreciation

Amortisation

Impairments

Total assets

Total liabilities

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

Geographical analysis

Revenue

Non-current assets excluding deferred tax assets

Naked Wines
US
£’000

Naked Wines
UK
£’000

Naked Wines 
Australia
£’000

Unallocated 
£’000

Total
£’000 

171,035

(3,110)

167,925

17,180

147,448

3,297

167,925

(15,057)

50,314

255

35,512

(12,830)

22,682

–

(13,964)

–

–

8,718

(2,155)

342

6,905

(2,275)

4,630

1,897

1

–

137,192

45,818

–

–

137,192

45,818

6,400

130,792

–

3,312

42,506

–

137,192

45,818

(3,417)

24,990

–

21,573

(6,896)

14,677

–

–

–

–

(2,937)

11,196

–

8,259

(3,561)

4,698

–

–

–

–

14,677

4,698

(36)

–

14,641

 (1,482)

13,159

353

–

–

(24)

–

4,674

 (1,396)

3,278

225

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(24,692)

(24,692)

(1,293)

–

(18,183)

1,817

(42,351)

(2)

1,113

(41,240)

2,760

 (38,480)

38

1,785

18,183

354,045

(3,110)

350,935

26,892

320,746

3,297

350,935

(21,411)

86,500

255

65,344

(47,979)

17,365

(1,293)

(13,964)

(18,183)

1,817

(14,258)

(2,217)

1,455

(15,020)

(2,393)

(17,413)

2,513

1,786

18,183

146,629

93,275

 47,626

41,127

23,139

13,731

34,494

5,077

251,888

153,210

US
£’000

UK
£’000

Australia
£’000

171,035

7,710

137,192

26,070

45,818

–

Total
£’000

354,045

33,780

1  Total adjusted sales are calculated as revenue excluding revenue associated with the right-sizing of US inventory as analysed in note 7 Adjusted items.
2  Contribution after advertising costs is calculated as gross profit less fulfilment and advertising costs, excluding transactions associated with the right-sizing of US inventory included in 

contribution (details in note 7 Adjusted items).

3  Refer to the table on page 132 for a reconciliation of G&A costs to those reported in the income statement.

94

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 202352 weeks ended 28 March 2022

Revenue

New Customer sales

Repeat Customer sales

Other revenue

Investment in New Customers

Repeat Customer contribution

Other contribution

General and administrative costs1

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted items (see note 7):

Non-cash items relating to acquisitions

Other adjusted items

Operating profit/(loss)

Finance costs

Finance income

Profit/(loss) before tax

Tax 

Profit/(loss) for the year 

Depreciation

Amortisation

Total assets

Total liabilities

52 weeks ended 28 March 2022

Geographical analysis

Revenue

Non-current assets excluding deferred tax assets

US
£’000

UK
£’000

Australia
£’000

157,390

4,919

146,959

44,261

45,914

364

1    Refer to the table on page 132 for a reconciliation of G&A costs to those reported in the income statement.

Naked Wines
US
£’000

Naked Wines
UK
£’000

Naked Wines 
Australia
£’000

Unallocated 
£’000

Total
£’000 

17,556

138,665

1,169

157,390

(23,225)

46,648

77

23,500

(14,939)

8,561

–

–

8,561

(91)

–

8,470

 (1,384)

7,086 

1,113

1

11,342

135,617

–

146,959

(13,495)

28,225

–

14,730

(6,614)

8,116

–

–

5,137

40,777

–

45,914

(4,583)

11,342

–

6,759

(3,879)

2,880

–

–

8,116

2,880

(9)

1

8,108

(568) 

7,540 

264

–

(11)

–

2,869

(326) 

2,543 

230

–

24,912

20,126

122,278

63,495

41,622

45,203

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(17,562)

(17,562)

(1,321)

1,230

(17,653)

–

1,079

(16,574)

1,788 

(14,786)

50

1,900

58,719

8,824

34,035

315,059

1,169

350,263

(41,303)

86,215

77

44,989

(42,994)

1,995

(1,321)

1,230

1,904

(111)

1,080

2,873

(490)

2,383

1,657

1,901

247,531

137,648

Total
£’000

350,263

49,544

95

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

7 Adjusted items
The Directors believe that adjusted EBIT provides additional useful information for shareholders on trends and performance. These 
measures are used for performance analysis. Adjusted EBIT 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. 

In the year, the adjustments made to operating profit are:

Non-cash charges relating to acquisitions – amortisation of acquired intangibles

US inventory provision 

US cancellation of winemaker contracts

Sale of US inventory – contribution loss (see glossary of definitions on page 129)

Right-sizing of US inventory included in contribution

Disposal of US inventory – charitable donations

Right-sizing of US inventory

Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets

Profit on disposal of asset classified as held for sale

Restructuring costs

Software as a Service costs incurred in the implementation of new ERP platform

Legal settlement for Payment card Interchange fees

Fair value movement through the income statement on foreign exchange contracts 
and associated unrealised foreign currency inventory

Foreign exchange movements on plc company bank balances

Other adjusted items

Total adjusted items

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(1,293)

(10,254)

(527)

(2,360)

(13,141)

(823)

(13,964)

(18,183)

4,814

(1,522)

(2,347)

740

132

–

1,817

(31,623)

(1,321)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,091

139

1,230

(91)

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 EBIT, 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.

Right-sizing of US inventory
As a result of the Group’s pivot to profit strategy in the current financial year, management has engaged in a rigorous review of inventory 
holdings and concluded that in the US business unit, as a result of the revision to future sales and growth forecasts, an inventory right-sizing 
exercise was required. 

On the basis of this evaluation, the Group has recorded a charge of £14.0 million in the year in order to allow the US business to consolidate 
its inventory holdings around wine and winemakers core to the Group’s mission to connect everyday wine drinkers with the world’s best 
independent winemakers.

As a result of this decision, a number of winemakers, brands and products have been delisted, winemaker commitments cancelled and 
plans made to exit certain quantities of inventory at less than historic cost. Where inventory that has been sold on the secondary market 
as part of this right-sizing exercise for less than historic cost of goods, these transactions are reported net within adjusted items as part of 
adjusted performance measures and are disclosed as sale of US inventory – contribution loss. 

Management considers these provisions and charges to be one-off in nature as amounts relate to purchases made on the back of 
continued expected growth following the COVID-19 pandemic and based on the Group’s previous strategy of customer acquisition. As a 
result of the strategic shift from customer acquisition to short-term profitability and cash generation, this impairment charge forms part of 
the one-off exercise undertaken in the year to better align purchasing and inventory management going forwards whilst still ensuring the 
Group holds sufficient inventory to meet customer demand. 

Management has concluded it is appropriate to include the inventory impairment within adjusted items to provide a more consistent basis 
with the comparative adjusted EBIT alternative performance measure.

96

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 20237 Adjusted items (continued)
Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
As a result of the Company’s decision to focus on short-term profitability and cash generation over long-term growth, an impairment of 
£18.2 million has been recognised in the FY23 income statement. This represents a partial impairment of the goodwill allocated to the US 
business and a full impairment of the goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets in the Australian business. See note 17 
Impairment for more details.

Profit on disposal of asset classified as held for sale 
In May 2022, the sale of the asset classified as held for sale was completed. The profit arising on the sale is the difference between the 
proceeds of £5.85 million less commissions and costs of £0.2 million and the carrying value of the asset of £0.8 million. 

Restructuring costs
The Group undertook a restructuring program in FY23 seeking to generate improved efficiency and reduce costs. Following this review, 
one-off termination payments and associated costs were incurred in the US and the UK.

Software as a Service cost
During the year, the Group incurred upfront configuration and implementation costs relating to the development of a new ERP system. 
Under the change of accounting policy set out in accounting policy note 3.9 Software as a Service, these costs are reported as incurred 
in the income statement. As material non-recurring expenditure, the costs relating to the configuration of the ERP platform have been 
disclosed as an adjusted item. 

Legal settlement in relation to Payment card Interchange fees
Naked Wines were part of a class action group that brought proceedings against Visa and Mastercard for engaging in anti-competitive 
conduct in relation to arrangements for setting and implementing multilateral Payment card Interchange fees. This amount is net of costs 
and is in full and final settlement of the claim.

Fair value movement on foreign exchange contracts and associated unrealised foreign currency inventory
We commit in advance to buying foreign currency to purchase wine to mitigate exchange rate fluctuations. International accounting 
standards require us to mark the value of these contracts to market. As this may materially fluctuate we adjust this, and associated foreign 
currency inventory revaluation, as to better reflect our trading profitability.

Foreign exchange movements on plc company bank accounts
In the prior year, the parent company held foreign currency cash balances, which it used to fund its US and Australian businesses. 
The revaluation of the foreign currency balances held were reported as adjusted items so as not to distort the picture of the underlying 
business cost base.

8 Operating (loss)/profit
Operating (loss)/profit for the year has been arrived at after charging/(crediting):

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and investment property

Amortisation of intangible assets

Depreciation of right-of-use assets

Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

Loss on disposal of right-of-use assets

Inventory write-downs

Fair value of forward contracts

Net currency exchange (gains)/losses

Expenses on short-term and low-value leases

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

Total non-audit fees

Total fees paid to the Company’s auditor

987

1,786

1,526

18,183

327

–

597

109

(528)

2

1,111

160

1,271

65

65

1,336

718

1,901

939

–

18

17

391

(1,212)

242

207

565

80

645

45

45

690

97

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNotes to the financial statements 
continued

9 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

The total emoluments of key management personnel 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 and contributions to money 
purchase scheme (401(k))

Emoluments before share based payment charges

Share based payment charges

Directors’ emoluments comprised:

Salary and benefits

Compensation for loss of office

Bonuses accrued and paid in the year relating to the current year

Payments in lieu of pension contributions to money purchase schemes and contributions to money 
purchase scheme

Emoluments before share based payment charges

Share based payment charges

The highest paid Director’s emoluments comprised:

Salary and benefits

Bonus accrued

Pension contributions to money purchase schemes

Emoluments before share based payment charges

Share based payment charges

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
number

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
number

289

194

483

294

192

486

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

27,999

2,457

866

1,604

32,926

26,026

2,287

759

1,311

30,383

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

488

137

12

637

166

803

148

2

15

165

66

231

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

785

371

26

17

1,199

160

1,359

805

–

–

11

816

462

1,278

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

338

–

11

349

245

594

299

–

11

310

209

519

Detailed disclosure of Directors’ remuneration is set out in the Directors’ remuneration report on pages 63 to 65.

98

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
10 Finance costs and income

Finance costs

Interest payable on borrowings

Interest on lease liabilities

Amortisation of debt issuance costs

Other interest payable

Finance income

Financial instruments measured at amortised cost

Bank interest receivable 

Other interest receivable

Interest income on vendor loan note

Net finance (costs)/income

11 Tax
(a) Tax charge

Current tax 

UK tax

Overseas tax

Adjustment in respect of prior periods

Current tax charge

Deferred tax 

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Adjustment in respect of prior periods

Effect of change in tax rate on prior period balances

Deferred tax credit

Total tax charge for the year

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(1,700)

(233)

(264)

(20)

(2,217)

378

–

1,077

1,455

(762)

–

(105)

–

(6)

(111)

125

1

954

1,080

969

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

–

(4,198)

(377)

(4,575)

1,085

560

537

2,182

(2,393)

4

(2,011)

27

(1,980)

1,077

64

349

1,490

(490)

99

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

11 Tax (continued)
(b) Tax reconciliation
The tax charge for the year differs from the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 19% (2022: 19%). The reasons for this are 
detailed below: 

(Loss)/profit before tax

Tax charge at the standard UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2022: 19%)

Adjustments in respect of prior periods

Disallowable expenditure

Overseas income tax at higher rates

Income not taxable

Fixed asset differences

Change in unrecognised deferred tax assets

Share based payments

Change in tax rate on prior period deferred tax balances

Foreign exchange

Total tax charge

Effective tax rate

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(15,020)

2,854

183

(1,926)

(588)

–

60

(3,054)

(138)

263

(47)

(2,393)

(15.9)%

2,873

(546)

91

(485)

(44)

12

–

475

141

(134)

–

(490)

17.1%

Deferred tax balances have been calculated to the substantively enacted rate at which they are expected to reverse.

The chancellor has confirmed an increase in the corporation tax rate from 19% to 25% with effect from 1 April 2023 which received Royal 
Assent on 10 July 2021.

(c) Tax on items recorded in reserves

Deferred tax charge on share based payments

Total tax on items charged to equity

(d) Deferred tax

At the beginning of the year

Adjustment in respect of prior years

Credited to the income statement in the year

Charged to equity in the year

Foreign exchange

At the end of the year

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(143)

(143)

(260)

(260)

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

4,589

560

1,622

(143)

97

6,725

3,222

64

1,426

(260)

137

4,589

The Group’s UK businesses hold brought forward trading losses that have historically not been recognised as deferred tax assets due to the 
uncertainty of future profits being available against which they could be utilised. As a result of the Group’s change in strategy and the pivot 
to profit in the year, the forecast used as part of the Board’s going concern assessment now shows that it is more likely than not that future 
profits will be available against which to offset some of the carried forward trading losses. Therefore, in FY23, a deferred tax asset of £2.0 
million has been recognised at the balance sheet date in relation to the utilisation of brought forward trading losses (see page 102 for more 
details of the basis of this assessment).

The Group has also recognised deferred tax assets for deductible temporary differences that it believes are recoverable based on the 
Group’s forecast projections in each trading market. These do not include any uncertain tax positions. The basis of the creation of these 
assets is the examination of underlying documents and relevant law and regulation for temporary timing differences and future profitability 
forecasts set out in the business plans approved by the Board. 

100

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Deferred tax assets and liabilities

Fixed assets

Share based payments

Tax losses carried forward

Inventories

Deferred income

Accruals

Provisions

Unrealised foreign exchange differences

Analysed by geographical region:

US

UK

Australia

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

70

173

2,006

3,865

125

405

202

482

7,328

4,662

2,666

–

7,328

–

512

735

2,614

121

266

326

828

5,402

3,014

1,847

541

5,402

(603)

(813)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(603)

(813)

(603)

–

–

(603)

(497)

(316)

–

(813)

The movement in recognised deferred tax assets and liabilities during the year is shown below:

28 March 2022
£’000

Recognised in 
income statement
£’000

Recognised
in equity
£’000

Foreign
exchange
£’000

3 April 2023
£’000

Fixed assets

Share based payments

Tax losses carried forward

Inventories

Deferred income

Accruals

Provisions

Unrealised foreign exchange differences

Analysed in the balance sheet as:

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

(813)

512

735

2,614

121

266

326

828

4,589

306

(201)

1,272

1,145

4

154

(125)

(373)

2,182

–

(143)

–

–

–

–

–

–

(143)

(26)

5

(1)

106

–

(15)

1

27

97

(533)

173

2,006

3,865

125

405

202

482

6,725

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

7,328

(603)

6,725

5,402

(813)

4,589

Deferred tax on losses of £16.7 million (2022: £23.0 million) 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. 
In addition, the Group has not recognised deferred tax assets of £1.8 million on inventory provisions arising in the year in the US and has 
derecognised £0.6 million of deferred tax assets in Australia due to uncertainty over future profits being available against which these 
deferred tax assets can be recovered.

101

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

11 Tax (continued)
(d) Deferred tax (continued) 
Unrecognised deferred tax assets are re-assessed at each reporting date and are considered for the probability that future taxable 
profits would be available against which such losses can be used. Projections of taxable profits were based on the Group’s Board approved 
forecasts which are the same as the projections used for going concern. In concluding on the recognition of the deferred tax asset, the 
Board have taken into consideration the material uncertainty over going concern (see accounting policy note 3.2 Going concern). The 
assessment period for recognition of deferred tax assets has been limited to three years as management believes profit forecasts beyond 
this time frame carry with them a higher degree of uncertainty. As noted above, management revised its estimates of future taxable 
profits in the UK and the Group following the change in strategy in the current financial year and recognised the tax effect of £8.0 million of 
previously unrecognised tax losses (deferred tax asset of £2 million). Refer to note 4 Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements 
for further details.

In the prior year, an amount of £3.9 million relating to the loss arising on the settlement of the deferred contingent consideration not 
previously recognised was recognised as the capital loss was utilised in the current year.

There is no expiry date on these unrecognised losses.

(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 United States of 
America are taxed at an effective statutory rate of 21% and Australia is taxed at 30%. Other factors such as changes in tax laws and their 
interpretation, tax rate changes and other tax regime reforms may also impact the Group’s tax rate.

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, nor does it expect to have any 
remittance in the foreseeable future. 

12 (Loss)/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 220,137 (2022: 145,557) shares held by the Naked Wines plc Share Incentive Plan Trust 
and the Naked Wines Employee Benefit Trust (which have been treated as dilutive share based payment awards). 

The dilutive effect of share based payment awards is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue 
to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. Share awards granted over 3,382,710 (2022: nil) ordinary shares have been 
excluded from the calculation as they are anti-dilutive. All other outstanding share awards have been included in the calculation as they 
are potentially dilutive at the year end.

(Loss)/earnings per share

Basic (loss)/earnings per share

Diluted (loss)/earnings per share

(Loss)/earnings for the purpose of basic earnings per share calculation (£’000)

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022

(23.6)p

(23.6)p

3.3p

3.2p

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022

(17,413)

2,383

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used as the denominator in calculating basic earnings per share

73,663,498

73,172,727

Dilutive potential ordinary shares:

Employee share awards

520,030

1,803,937

Weighted average number of ordinary shares and potential ordinary shares used as the denominator 
in calculating diluted earnings per share

74,183,528

74,976,664

Total number of shares in issue

74,004,135

73,439,132

As noted above, the denominator for the purposes of calculating both basic and diluted earnings per share has been adjusted to exclude the 
shares held by the Naked Wines plc Share Incentive Plan Trust and the Naked Wines Employee Benefit Trust.

If all the Company’s share awards had vested at 100%, the Company would have 77,370,058 issued shares.

There have been no transactions involving ordinary shares or potential ordinary shares between the reporting date and the date of 
authorisation of these financial statements.

102

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
13 Dividends
The Group did not pay any dividends during the year (2022: £nil) and the Directors do not propose a dividend for this year (2022: £nil). 

14 Goodwill and intangible assets

Goodwill
£’000

Facilities and 
trademarks 
£’000

Customer lists 
£’000

Brands
£’000

Software
£’000

Cost

At 29 March 2021

Additions

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Disposals

Transfer of Software as a Service to the  
income statement

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Accumulated amortisation

At 29 March 2021

Charge for the year

At 28 March 2022

Charge for the year

Impairments

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Net book value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

At 29 March 2021

Total
£’000

57,652

253

1,182

59,087

(4)

(253)

1,198

1,607

14,300

10,100

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,607

14,300

10,100

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,483

253

–

2,736

(4)

(253)

1

1,607

14,300

10,100

2,480

60,028

(50)

(219)

(269)

(204)

–

–

–

(14,241)

(59)

(14,300)

–

–

–

–

(7,546)

(1,262)

(8,808)

(1,292)

–

–

–

(1,833)

(361)

(2,194)

(290)

–

4

–

(23,670)

(1,901)

(25,571)

(1,786)

(18,076)

4

339

29,162

–

1,182

30,344

–

–

1,197

31,541

–

–

–

–

(18,076)

–

339

(17,737)

(473)

(14,300)

(10,100)

(2,480)

(45,090)

13,804

30,344

29,162

1,134

1,338

1,557

–

–

59

–

1,292

2,554

–

542

650

14,938

33,516

33,982

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 three segments of the business. The recoverable 
amount of goodwill is determined based on value in use calculations. During the year, the Group recorded an impairment charge of 
£18.1 million. See note 17 Impairment for details.

An analysis of goodwill and intangible assets by operating segment is shown below:

Naked Wines US

Naked Wines UK

Naked Wines Australia

At 3 April 2023

Goodwill
£’000

7,945

5,859

–

13,804

Facilities and 
trademarks 
£’000

Customer lists 
£’000

Brands
£’000

Software
£’000

1,134

–

–

1,134

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total
£’000

9,079

5,859

–

14,938

Amortisation
Intangible assets are amortised on a straight-line basis through the income statement, based on the estimated useful lives as disclosed in 
accounting policy note 3.15 Other intangible assets.

103

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNotes to the financial statements 
continued

15 Property, plant and equipment

Cost

At 29 March 2021

Additions

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Additions

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Accumulated depreciation

At 29 March 2021

Charge for the year

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Charge for the year

Impairments

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Net book value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

At 29 March 2021

Leasehold 
improvements
£’000

Equipment, fittings 
and vehicles
£’000

Total
£’000

3,454

1,681

(669)

195

4,661

1,478

(653)

166

5,652

(2,002)

(673)

644

(86)

(2,117)

(987)

(58)

315

(48)

3,325

1,649

(634)

191

4,531

1,414

(620)

167

5,492

(1,890)

(656)

609

(83)

(2,020)

(967)

(52)

314

(47)

(2,772)

 (2,895)

2,720

2,511

1,435

2,757

2,544

1,452

129

32

(35)

4

130

64

(33)

(1)

160

(112)

(17)

35

(3)

(97)

(20)

(6)

1

(1)

(123)

37

33

17

The gross value of fully depreciated assets in use was £0.5 million (2022: £0.5 million). Total assets under construction amounts to £0.1 million 
(2022: £nil).

Impairment of property plant and equipment
CGUs are reviewed at least annually to identify if there are any indicators of impairment. During the year, the Group recorded an impairment 
charge of £0.06 million. See note 17 Impairment for details.

104

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 202316 Right-of-use assets

Buildings
£’000

Equipment, fittings
and vehicles
£’000

Cost 

At 29 March 2021

Additions

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Additions

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Depreciation

At 29 March 2021

Charge for the year

Disposals

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Charge for the year

Impairments

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

Net book value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

At 29 March 2021

4,333

1,407

(343)

227

5,624

3,486

127

9,237

(1,575)

(934)

343

(88)

(2,254)

(1,526)

(49)

(34)

(3,863)

5,374

3,370

2,758

125

–

(125)

–

–

–

–

–

(103)

(5)

108

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

22

Total
£’000

4,458

1,407

(468)

227

5,624

3,486

127

9,237

(1,678)

(939)

451

(88)

(2,254)

(1,526)

(49)

(34)

(3,863)

5,374

3,370

2,780

Impairment of right-of-use assets
CGUs are reviewed at least annually to identify if there are any indicators of impairment. During the year, the Group recorded an impairment 
charge of £0.05 million. See note 17 Impairment for more details.

The Group leases several buildings for use as offices, a warehouse and a winery. The average lease term is five years. The total cash flow for 
leases was £1.3 million (2022: £0.9 million). The cost of short term and low value leases is presented in note 8 Operating (loss)/profit. 

The maturity analysis of lease liabilities is presented in note 24 Lease liabilities.

17 Impairment

Summary
Following the completion of the annual impairment review detailed below, the carrying value of the Naked Wines US and Naked Wines 
Australia segments have been reduced to their recoverable amount through recognition of an impairment charge of £18.2 million against 
goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets. This charge is recognised within adjusted items in the income statement 
and is analysed by segment and asset type as set out below, along with the FY23 cash generating unit (CGU) value in use. 

Naked Wines US

Naked Wines UK

Naked Wines Australia

Total

Goodwill 
£’000

16,433

–

1,643

18,076

Property, plant  
and equipment 
£’000

Right-of-use  
assets 
£’000

–

–

58

58

–

–

49

49

Total 
£’000

16,433

–

1,750

18,183

1.   The value in use of each CGU is calculated after a full allocation of corporate costs and in accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of assets.

CGU value in use1 
£’000

69,710

21,739

(2,086)

89,363

105

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportNotes to the financial statements 
continued

17 Impairment (continued)
Key assumptions

Cash flow assumptions

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. 

In preparing the cash flows for the year end impairment review, changes to key cash flow assumptions have been

 • Investment in new customers remains broadly at the levels experienced in the recent past versus a previous expectation that investment 

levels would grow in the short and medium term;

 • Continuation of the current trend of 5-Year Payback on Investment in New Customers versus historically higher rates experienced 

 • Repeat customer contribution declines as a result of the declining Angel base with lower levels of new customers not replenishing the exit 

of current customers leaving the business

 • Repeat customer margin has been revised to reflect probable changes in contracted costs as well as anticipated sales price and unit input 

cost changes

The net impact of the changes of these key variables versus previous forecast estimates, along with adverse movement in the discount rate 
driven by the external interest rate environment, has given rise to the reduction in value in use resulting in the reported impairment charge.

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 12 months of which being the latest Board approved budget and which aligns with the forecast used in 
the preparation of the going concern analysis, as set out in accounting policy note 3.2 Going concern, amended only to align with the 
requirements of IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. An estimate of capital expenditure required to maintain these cash flows is also made.

Discount rate and long-term growth rate assumptions

The discount rate and terminal growth rates used are as set out below:

Naked Wines US

Naked Wines UK

Naked Wines Australia

FY23

FY22

Discount rate

Terminal  
growth rate

Discount rate

Terminal  
growth rate

17.3%

17.9%

19.1%

1%

1%

1%

13.1%

13.1%

13.1%

2%

2%

2%

The long-term growth rate assumption used is not considered to be higher than the long-term industry average. 

The discount rate applied to the cash flows of each market 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 each of the Group’s markets. Management believe it is appropriate 
to use a country specific pre-tax WACC for the testing of the Naked Wines goodwill and intangible assets based on the difference in the 
observed risk-free rate between the US and other industrialised economies and their different headline corporate income tax rates. The 
Group has considered the impact of the current economic climate in determining the appropriate discount rate to use in impairment testing.

Sensitivity to further impairment charges

The key assumptions used in the recoverable amount estimates are the discount rates applied and the forecast cash flows. The Group has 
conducted a sensitivity to further impairment analysis on the goodwill and intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and right-of-
use assets reported on the balance sheet at the end of the period. The table below sets out the level at which, independently, fluctuations in 
the key assumptions by segment result in the carrying value of these assets being equal to the segment recoverable amount,defined as its 
value in use:

FY23

FY22

Breakeven  
discount rate

Breakeven cash  
flow sensitivity

Breakeven  
discount rate

Breakeven cash  
flow sensitivity

n/a

223.1%

n/a

n/a

(71.9)%

n/a

49.9%

87.9%

206.7%

(93.8)%

(90.1)%

(93.8)%

Naked Wines US

Naked Wines UK

Naked Wines Australia

106

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023In addition, the Directors note the Naked Wines US segment’s sensitivity to further impairment in the event of the following changes in key 
assumptions: 

Carrying value written down by a further

In the event of:

Discount rate increasing to 

OR

Forecast cash flows declining by

Material change  
in impairment  
of goodwill

£3.8m

Full impairment of

Goodwill

£8.0m

Goodwill and other 
non-current assets1

£16.8m

18.8%

19.6%

26.2%

(5.4)%

(11.4)%

(24.1)%

1.   Other non-current assets include other intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets.

No sensitivities have been performed for the Naked Wines Australia business as the goodwill allocated to this CGU, as well as the carrying 
value of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets, has been fully impaired.

See also note 4 Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements drawing attention to the identification of goodwill as a key source of 
estimation uncertainty. 

Note also that consistent with the operating segments of the business, being the three geographical markets in which the Group operates, 
the Directors recognise these operating segments as the cash generating units of the business. 

18 Inventories

Raw materials

Work in progress

Finished goods

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

46

55,159

110,461

165,666

183

57,591

84,670

142,444

Recognising the Group’s control of this asset, all inventory has been reported as a current asset in the balance sheet. Note, £1.7 million 
(2022: £3.3 million) of this relates to work in progress where the wine is expected to be received from winemakers more than 12 months 
from the balance sheet date.

The cost of inventories recognised as an expense during the year was £205.7 million (2022: £208.5 million).

An amount of £10.3 million (2022: £nil) in respect of non-recurring write-downs of inventory in the US business segment is included on the 
face of the income statement.

Inventory of £0.03 million (2022: £0.03 million) was expensed through the income statement in the year relating to samples and 
tasting products.

19 Trade and other receivables

Current

Trade receivables

Vendor loan note

Other debtors

Prepayments

Non-current

Vendor loan note

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

581

480

2,617

1,932

5,610

10,711

1,261

360

5,121

2,419

9,161

10,114

Other debtors consist predominantly of credit card receivables.

The vendor loan note will mature in December 2024 unless repaid in full before that date. The loan note bears cash interest receivable 
of 3% per annum for the first three years, 4% in year four and 5% in year five, to be paid annually with an effective interest rate of 10% 
on the financial asset. Interest payments for the first three years were made in line with the agreement. The terms of the loan note limit 
distributions (or certain other payments) by Majestic Wines unless a base level of EBITDA generated by Majestic Wines is maintained.

107

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

20 Assets classified as held for sale
The asset classified as held for sale at 28 March 2022 for £0.8 million was sold on 5 May 2022 for £5.85 million less commissions and costs of 
£0.3 million. The profit on the sale of the asset of £4.8 million was disclosed on the face of the income statement and within adjusted items. 

Prior to an offer made on 12 November 2021 for the purchase of the asset, the asset was held on the Company’s books as an investment 
property. The Directors adopted the cost model for the value of this asset which was recorded on acquisition at the transferred net book 
value. The Directors of the Company assessed the fair value of the property and consider it to be broadly in line with the book value. The 
letting agreement of the property allowed for the termination of this lease by either party immediately prior to completion of the sale of the 
property or to the benefit of the tenant by giving six months notice during which time the property was being sublet for a peppercorn rent. 

21 Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Taxation and social security

Accruals

Other payables

Amounts payable in respect of defined contribution pension schemes were £0.07 million (2022: £0.08 million).

22 Angel funds and other deferred income

Angel funds

Other deferred income

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

18,680

6,922

16,298

527

42,427

21,745

10,886

21,803

187

54,621

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

67,425

3,889

71,314

72,198

3,805

76,003

Angel funds and the purchase of inventory from winemakers
On registering as an Angel with Naked Wines, 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. This is disclosed 
within Angel funds and other deferred income on the face of the balance sheet.

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 website.

23 Borrowings

Current

Customer bond finance

Non-current

Borrowings

Debt issuance costs

108

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

35

35

29,644

(513)

29,131

29,166

35

35

–

–

–

35

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
On 31 March 2022, the Group entered into a 36-month senior secured credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank as administrative agent and 
issuing lender for up to $60 million of credit based on the inventory held by Nakedwines.com Inc. The facility is secured against the assets of 
the Group. At 3 April 2023, the carrying amount of inventories pledged as a security for liabilities was £39.2 million. 

On 19 October 2022, the Directors concluded a first amendment to the Group’s asset backed lending facility where the original profit 
condition covenant (calculated as a minimum repeat contribution level to be equal to or greater than facility defined quarterly contribution 
targets over the course of the agreement on signing), was replaced by a new facility defined adjusted EBITDA profit test. This new covenant 
came into effect for periods beginning after 26 September 2022. 

The introduction of the revised covenant has no financial effect on the operation of the credit agreement. However, the Directors believe 
that this new profit covenant test provides significantly greater latitude to the orderly operation of the facility across a wide range of 
economic circumstances. 

The Group met all its legacy covenant conditions prior to the commencement of the first amendment to the agreement and has met all its 
subsequent covenant commitments in the financial year. 

Following the first amendment to the agreement, the Group has three substantive financial condition covenants in relation to this credit 
facility: 

a) A facility defined minimum balance sheet current ratio test

b) A facility defined minimum qualified cash balance of $20 million to be held by loan parties at all times

c) A facility defined adjusted EBITDA profit test (as amended on 19 October 2022)

As set out in note 31 Events after the balance sheet date, on 22 August 2023 the Group concluded a further amendment to credit facility, 
revising the calculation of the facility defined adjusted EBITDA profit test. 

Effective from 27 March 2023, the Group’s credit facility was acquired as part of the loan portfolio purchased by First Citizens Bank & Trust 
Company (First Citizens Bank) as part of their acquisition of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A, formerly Silicon Valley Bank. The Directors have 
received written confirmation from First Citizens Bank that the Bank has assumed all the liabilities and obligations of Silicon Valley Bridge 
Bank, N.A. associated with this facility. The administrative agent and issuing lender for the facility is now Silicon Valley Bank, a division of 
First Citizens Bank.

24 Lease liabilities
The Group leases a winery and office facilities. The leases run for a period between one and ten years, with an option to renew the leases 
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. The maturity analysis of the lease 
liabilities is set out below:

Maturity analysis

Due within one year

Due between one and two years

Due between two and three years

Due after three years

Less: unearned interest

Lease liability analysed as:

Current

Non-current

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

2,301

1,773

1,298

1,008

6,380

(529)

5,851

1,089

818

530

1,432

3,869

(302)

3,567

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

2,030

3,821

5,851

991

2,576

3,567

109

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

25 Financial instruments
The Group’s financial instruments, other than derivatives, comprise cash 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 rate risk, 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. 

On 31 March 2022, the Group entered into a 36-month senior secured credit facility. Refer to note 23 Borrowings for details.

The Group’s net cash excluding lease liabilities 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 cash excluding lease liabilities position levels 
at the period end date may not be indicative of the cash excluding lease liabilities 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. Forward currency assets and liabilities are held at fair value and have been presented separately.

Due within
one year
£’000

Due between 
one and
two years
£’000

Due between 
two and
three years
£’000

Due after
three years
£’000

Held at 
amortised
cost
£’000

Total
£’000

Held at
fair value
£’000 

At 3 April 2023

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables

Vendor loan note

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial liabilities

Trade and other payables

Angel funds and other deferred income

Borrowings

Lease liabilities

Customer bond finance

3,198

480

39,474

43,152

(35,505)

(71,314)

–

(2,030)

(35)

–

10,711

–

10,711

–

–

–

(1,612)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(29,131)

(1,235)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(974)

–

3,198

11,191

39,474

53,863

(35,505)

(71,314)

(29,131)

(5,851)

(35)

3,198

11,191

–

14,389

(35,505)

(71,314)

–

–

39,474

39,474

–

–

–

(29,131)

(5,851)

(35)

–

–

(108,884)

(1,612)

(30,366)

(974)

(141,836)

(112,705)

(29,131)

At 28 March 2022

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables

Vendor loan note

Cash and cash equivalents

6,382

360

39,846

46,588

Financial liabilities

Trade and other payables

(43,735)

Angel funds and other deferred income

(76,003)

Lease liabilities

Customer bond finance

(991)

(35)

(120,764)

110

–

480

–

480

–

–

(745)

–

(745)

–

9,634

–

9,634

–

–

(473)

–

(473)

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1,358)

–

6,382

10,474

39,846

56,702

(43,735)

(76,003)

(3,567)

(35)

6,382

10,474

–

16,856

(43,735)

(76,003)

(3,567)

(35)

(1,358)

(123,340)

(123,340)

–

–

39,846

39,846

–

–

–

–

–

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables and a vendor loan note. The Group applies the IFRS 9 
Financial Instruments simplified approach to measuring expected credit losses as all assets, with the exception of the vendor loan note, are 
considered low risk.

The five-year, £12 million vendor loan note arising as part of the Group’s disposal of the Majestic group of companies is due in December 
2024. It is held on the balance sheet of Naked Wines plc at amortised cost and is subject to an annual impairment review.

An expected credit loss would occur if the Directors believed that there existed a risk to the timing or quantum of recovery of the amounts 
due from the issuer of the vendor loan note. Management’s annual impairment review of the vendor loan note considers the appropriate 
level of expected credit loss to hold against this financial asset. 

Vendor loan note recoverability is reported by the Directors as a principal risk on the basis of the limited publicly available financial 
information on the private buyer of the Majestic group of businesses which cannot be mitigated by established covenant reporting 
obligations and because of the timing and nature of the cashflows associated with this asset. 

Financial liabilities held at amortised cost consist of trade and other payables, Angel funds and other deferred income, lease liabilities 
and customer funded bonds. See note 22 Angel funds and other deferred income for an explanation of the nature of the funding made by 
“Angels” and Naked Wines’ rights and obligations in respect of these amounts. All financial liabilities are held at amortised cost.

The following table analyses the Group’s 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 3 April 2023

Outflow

Inflow

At 28 March 2022

Outflow

Inflow

Due within
one year
£’000

Due between 
one and
two years
£’000

(18,250)

17,990

(260)

(33,242)

33,085

(157)

–

–

–

(272)

277

5

Total
£’000

(18,250)

17,990

(260)

(33,514)

33,362

(152)

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 owner of the Majestic Wine businesses 
and relating to the vendor loan note as set out in accounting policy note 3.24 Financial instruments. 

In addition, the Group is exposed to credit risk in relation to a deposit with Barclays Bank of £0.3 million included in other debtors, which 
relates to a guarantee to HMRC for customs duties for the UK trading subsidiary, and the amounts receivable from the Group’s card 
acquiring partners, amounting to payments within the settlement system at any point in time. Barclays Bank UK plc held an investment 
grade credit rating at April 2023 and the Group’s principle card acquirer was the issuer of investment grade debt before and shortly after 
the end of Naked’s financial year, the best credit rating information available for this entity.

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. The Group does not have 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 receivables. 

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 a 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. 

The Group does not utilise any reverse factoring or supplier financing. 

111

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

25 Financial instruments (continued)
As at the balance sheet date, the ageing analysis of trade receivables is shown below. The expected credit loss is considered immaterial as 
the balances are mostly current.

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

Current
£’000

443

1,250

Up to three 
months  
past due
£’000

Three - 
six months  
past due
£’000

Over  
six months  
past due
£’000

137

–

–

11

1

–

Total trade 
debtors
£’000

581

1,261

Credit risk also arises from cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and deposits with banks and financial institutions. 
At the balance sheet date, balances held with the Group’s principal banks are held with institutions with investment grade credit ratings. 
The Directors note that subsequent to the year end, Western Alliance Bancorporation, the parent company of Bridge Bank who are one of 
the Company’s two borrowing facility partner banks, had their credit ratings reduced to a sub investment level by one of their credit rating 
agencies. Western Alliance Bancorporation retain an investment grade credit rating with their other rating agency. The Group’s financial 
derivative instruments partner does not require nor have a credit rating and is not subject to credit default swap rating. As such, the Board 
does not categorise this organisation as an investment grade entity. 

Interest rate risk
The Group’s interest rate risk arises primarily from its asset backed lending facility. At 3 April 2023, the Group had drawn $36.75 million 
as borrowings. 

Interest payable on this facility is calculated on a margin of between +325bps and +375bps above the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) 
with a commitment fee on undrawn funds. As an indicative impact of its financial effect, using a representative current SOFR rate which 
cannot be predicted in the future and average facility margins and may not be representative of actual final applicable margins, a $10 million of 
drawdown for 12 months would amount to an interest and commitment fee payable of approximately £0.7 million. Based on the current credit 
facility the Group has drawn, an increase in the SOFR interest rate of 5% would amount to an additional annual interest charge of £1.5 million. 

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 GBP, 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

3 April 2023

28 March 2022

1.828

1.761

1.240

1.206

1.750

1.850

1.309

1.368

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.

112

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
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:

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

Australian dollar : GBP

Euro : GBP

US dollar : GBP

Other currencies : GBP

52 weeks ended 28 March 2022

Australian dollar : GBP

Euro : GBP

US dollar : GBP

Other currencies : GBP

Sensitivity in 
exchange rate

Impact of increase  
in rate  
£’000

Impact of decrease 
in rate  
£’000

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

(43)

(695)

(62)

(59)

(116)

(2,893)

(128)

(367)

46

661

76

82

64

(673)

144

105

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.

A 5% sensitivity has been assumed as a midpoint of in year foreign exchange fluctuations on major currencies used by the Group. 

Currency:

Australian dollar

Euro

US dollar

Other currencies

Group’s functional currency:

GBP

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

3,445

43

24,272

46

27,806

11,668

39,474

5,076

166

15,289

7

20,538

19,308

39,846

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. 

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 that have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly 
or indirectly; and 

Level 3: 

 techniques which use inputs that have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable 
market data. 

There have been no financial instruments that 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 are due within one year. The fair value of the forward 
currency contracts was determined using quoted forward exchange rates matching the maturities of the contracts and includes counter 
party credit risk. The Group’s measurement of its financial instruments meets the criteria of Level 2 and hence all have been included in 
this classification.

113

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

25 Financial instruments (continued)

Forward foreign currency contracts

Australian dollar

Euro

New Zealand dollar

US dollar

South African rand

Forward foreign currency swaps

Australian dollar

Euro

New Zealand dollar

US dollar

South African Rand

At 3 April 2023

Fair value

At 28 March 2022

Fair value

Nominal value 
£’000

Assets
£’000

Liabilities
£’000

Nominal value 
£’000

Assets
£’000

Liabilities
£’000

724

13,701

832

1,554

255

17,066

208

105

350

150

372

1,185

18,251

–

13

–

2

–

15

–

–

10

5

–

15

30

(39)

(135)

(21)

(48)

(14)

(257)

(7)

–

–

–

(26)

(33)

(290)

1,753

21,068

2,375

2,644

2,307

30,147

–

3,367

–

–

–

3,367

33,514

76

–

45

69

134

324

–

–

–

–

–

–

324

(4)

(521)

(11)

(2)

(2)

(540)

–

64

–

–

–

64

(476)

Capital management
The primary objective of the Group’s capital management is to ensure that it maintains capital ratios sufficient to meet the needs of its 
banking partners and the Group’s own internal capital ratio targets, 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. 

The Group’s capital allocation policy is currently to:

1)   maintain a healthy balance sheet;

2)  invest in growth in a disciplined manner; 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 Group is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements.

26 Provisions

At 29 March 2021

Provided in the year

Released in the year

Foreign currency

At 28 March 2022

Provided in the year

Released in the year

Utilised in the year

Foreign currency

At 3 April 2023

114

Social security
costs
£’000

Loss on vouchers 
provision
£’000

Refund liability 
provision
£’000

Dilapidations 
provision
£’000

Redundancy 
provision
£’000

600

–

(271)

–

329

–

(161)

(118)

–

50

–

134

–

–

134

42

(134)

–

–

42

1,363

1,574

(1,307)

40

1,670

1,229

(1,614)

–

38

1,323

–

–

–

–

–

157

–

–

–

157

–

–

–

–

–

151

–

–

–

151

Total
£’000

1,963

1,708

(1,578)

40

2,133

1,579

(1,909)

(118)

38

1,723

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
Provisions have been analysed between current and non-current as follows:

Current

Non-current

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

1,709

14

1,723

2,011

122

2,133

Social security costs on share based payment awards
Social security costs which will become payable on exercise of share based payment awards have been provided for. The share based 
payment awards can be exercised at various dates from the balance sheet date to 12 August 2032. The value of social security costs payable 
on the vesting of share based payment awards is dependent on the Group’s share price at the date of exercise of those share based 
payment awards. 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 awards, has been calculated on the share price at the balance sheet date of 99p and the assumption 
that 100% of employees will take up their vested share based payment awards and that the rate of social security is 13.8% for UK employees, 
7.65% for US employees and 0% for Australian employees.

Loss on vouchers provision
This provision calculates the future expected loss Naked is expecting to make on an order that will be placed using vouchers that are 
currently out in circulation. The number of vouchers in circulation at the balance sheet date is identified and multiplied forecast redemption 
rates per deal and an average contribution based on historic deals from the past year.

Refund liability provision
Under the requirements of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Group has established a right of return provision under the 
requirements to recognise variable consideration in the form of a sales cancellation provision. The Group uses its accumulated historical 
experience to estimate the level of returns on a portfolio level using the expected value method. The resulting outflows are expected within 
six months.

Dilapidations provision
This provision relates to dilapidations on one of the office buildings leased by the Group.

Redundancy provision
Redundancies were announced prior to the year end and some of the individuals who are expected to receive redundancy payments are not 
due to leave until the following financial year.

27 Share capital and reserves

Authorised

Ordinary shares of 7.5p each

Allotted, called up and fully paid

At the beginning of the year

Issue of shares on the vesting of share based payment schemes

Issue of shares into the Naked Wines plc Share Incentive Plan

At the end of the year

3 April 2023

28 March 2022

Number of
shares

Value
£’000

Number of
shares

Value
£’000

140,000,000

10,500

140,000,000

10,500

73,439,132

565,003

–

5,508

73,161,485

42

–

269,412

8,235

5,487

20

1

74,004,135

5,550

73,439,132

5,508

During the year 565,003 (2022: 277,647) ordinary shares of 7.5p each were allotted for a consideration of £0.04 million (2022: £0.02 million). 
These shares were allotted under the terms of the Company’s share schemes, which are described in note 28 Share based payments.

Share premium
The share premium 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 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 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.

115

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

28 Share based payments
The charge recognised in the income statement in respect of share based payments is £1.6 million (2022: £1.3 million), which includes a credit 
of £0.1 million (2022: charge of £0.2 million) relating to the Chairman’s remuneration (see the Directors’ remuneration report on pages 58 to 
67 for further details).

Share schemes

Chairman’s remuneration

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

1,675

(71)

1,604

1,135

176

1,311

The Company operated three share schemes during the year, all of which are equity-settled.

a)  The Naked Wines 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. All LTIP awards have a three-year vesting period. The LTIP’s granted prior to July 2020 are 
subject to a relative Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) performance condition, where the TSR of the Company over the performance period is 
compared to the TSR of a comparator group of similar companies. The LTIP’s granted in July 2020 and July 2021 are subject to a combination 
of TSR performance and a non-market condition Standstill EBIT (refer to page 130 for the APM definition and page 133 for the calculation).

The following table reconciles the number of share options outstanding and the weighted average exercise price (WAEP) for the 
LTIP scheme:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Exercised

Lapsed

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

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

52 weeks ended 28 March 2022

LTIP shares

1,503,689

(453,554)

(312,218)

–

737,917

–

0.70

£nil

WAEP

–

£2.24

–

–

–

–

LTIP shares

1,649,706

(317,845)

(369,182)

541,010

1,503,689

–

1.28

£nil

WAEP

–

£7.59

–

–

–

–

Based on the share price of 99p at the year end, the Group expects to transfer an estimated amount of £0.03 million to the tax authorities to 
settle the employees’ tax obligation.

b)  The Naked Wines plc 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. All SIP awards have a three year vesting period and is not subject to any performance conditions other than continued employment.

The following table reconciles the number of share awards outstanding and the weighted average exercise price (WAEP) for the SIP scheme: 

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Exercised

Lapsed

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

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

52 weeks ended 28 March 2022

SIP shares

196,027

(50,096)

(21,338)

–

124,593

–

0.86

£nil

WAEP

–

£1.17

–

–

–

–

SIP shares

143,760

(21,709)

(24,462)

98,438

196,027

–

1.60

£nil

WAEP

–

£6.68

–

–

–

–

Based on the share price of 99p at the year end, the Group expects to transfer an estimated amount of £0.01 million to the tax authorities to 
settle the employees’ tax obligation.

c)  The Naked Wines plc Long-Term Inventive Plan 2022 (New LTIP) was adopted on 10 August 2022. The first grant of options under the rules 
of the scheme was made in August 2022. This scheme is unapproved. The New LTIP award will vest as follows: 25% of the Shares will vest 
on the first anniversary of the grant date and 6.25% per quarter thereafter subject to continued employment (i.e. the awards will fully 
vest after four years for all staff and after seven years for the CEO).

116

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table reconciles the number of share options outstanding and the weighted average exercise price (WAEP) for the New LTIP 
scheme:

Outstanding at the beginning of the year

Exercised

Lapsed

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

53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

LTIP shares

WAEP

–

–

(534,440)

3,257,990

2,723,550

–

9.37

£1.575

–

–

£1.575

£1.575

£1.575

–

Based on the share price at the year end being under water, there will be no employees’ tax obligation to settle.

The fair value of equity-settled share is estimated as at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

The following table lists the range of assumptions applied to the share based payment awards granted in the respective periods shown.

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022

New Long Term Incentive Plan

Long Term Incentive Plan

Share incentive plan

Weighted average share price at grant

Weighted average exercise price

Expected life of awards (years)

Contractual life (years)

Volatility (%)

Dividend yield (%)

Risk free interest rate (%)

£0.86

£157.50

6.29

4

58.5%

n/a

£8.60

£0.00

3

3

39.9% to 41.0%

n/a

1.95% to 1.98%

0.15% to 0.46%

Weighted average fair value of shares granted during the year

£0.86

£7.82

£8.59

£0.00

3

3

39.9%

n/a

0.15%

£8.59

The expected life of the shares 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.

29 Commitments

Future minimum amounts payable

Within one year

Between one and five years

Over five years

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

114,185

66,253

2,469

182,907

140,922

95,165

9,635

245,722

This note includes future minimum amounts payables for the provision of warehousing facilities, delivery services, logistics and 
bottling services and contractual obligations and commitments relating to wine. 

The contractual obligations and commitments relating to wine which are made in the course of securing the wine the Company sells to 
its customers, not previously disclosed, have been included for the first time. Prior year comparatives have been revised to include an 
additional £213 million of comparable wine purchase order commitments giving a total reported prior year wine order commitment of 
£223 million. 

Capital expenditure authorised and contracted for but not provided in the accounts is £nil (2022: £0.8 million).

117

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

30 Notes to the cash flow statement
(a) Reconciliation of profit to cash flows from operations

Cash flows from operations

Operating (loss)/profit

Add back/(deduct):

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment of goodwill, property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

Intangible assets previously capitalised under former accounting policy

Profit on sale of asset held for resale

Fair value movement on foreign exchange contracts

US segment inventory provision

Share based payment charges

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital

Increase in inventories1

(Decrease)/increase in Angel funds and other deferred income

Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables

(Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables

Net cash flows used in operations

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

(14,258)

4,299

18,183

327

253

(4,814)

109

10,254

1,604

15,957

(28,770)

(6,193)

3,501

(14,476)

(29,981)

1,904

3,558

–

18

–

–

(1,212)

–

1,311

5,579

(61,174)

3,582

(1,779)

12,863

(40,929)

1. 

 Increase in inventories is calculated as the GBP movement in the balance sheet of £23.3 million (FY23 inventory of £165.7 million less FY22 inventory of £142.4 million), plus the non-cash inventory 
provision of £10.3 million and after adjusting for FX of £4.8 million.

(b) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

(c) Analysis of movement in net cash and changes in liabilities arising from financing activities

Cash and cash equivalents

Borrowings:

Borrowings net of issuance costs

Customer funded bond

Lease liabilities

Net liabilities arising from financing activities

Total net cash/(borrowings)

1.   Non-cash movements relate to lease additions and foreign exchange movements.

28 March 2022
£’000

39,846

Cash flows
£’000

(685)

–

(35)

(3,567)

(3,602)

36,244

(29,673)

–

1,299

(28,374)

(29,059)

3 April 2023
£’000

39,474

28 March 2022
£’000

39,846

Non-cash
movements1
£’000

313

542

–

(3,583)

(3,041)

(2,728)

3 April 2023
£’000

39,474

(29,131)

(35)

(5,851)

(35,017)

4,457

118

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 202331 Events after the balance sheet date
On 22 August 2023, the Directors concluded an amendment to the principal covenant obligations of the Group’s asset backed lending 
facility. This amendment moves the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant commitment threshold from a trailing three to a trailing 
12-month basis from the beginning of FY25 and increases the size and specificity of the non-recurring expense add-back in the calculation 
of the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant commitment. The amendment also documented as a post-close completion obligation the 
inclusion of the Group’s Australian businesses as loan parties to the agreement. These revised covenant obligations come into effect for 
periods beginning after 2 October 2023.

The introduction of the revised covenant commitments has no financial effect on the operation of the credit facility. However, the Directors 
believe that the revised profit covenant test provides the Company with greater latitude in the unwind of the Group’s excess inventory and 
management of its operating cost base. 

There were no other events after the balance sheet date that had a material impact on the financial position and performance of the Group.

32 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 9 Staff costs. 

The recently appointed non-Executive Director Jack Pailing is the founder and portfolio manager at Colebrooke Partners Limited which 
holds 368,116 shares in Naked Wines plc.

There are no other related party transactions which require disclosure (2022: none).

33 Investments in subsidiaries
Details of the Group’s subsidiaries at 3 April 2023 are as follows:

Subsidiary

Primary activity

Place of incorporation and operation

% and class of shares held

Naked Wines Employee Share Ownership Trust Limited*

Trustee company

United Kingdom

Naked Wines International Limited*

www.nakedwines.com Limited

Holding company

United Kingdom

Retailing of wines

United Kingdom

Naked Wines Prepayments Trustee Company Limited

Trustee company

United Kingdom

100% ordinary shares

100% ordinary shares

100% ordinary shares

100% ordinary shares

Nakedwines.com Inc

Retailing of wines

United States of America

100% ordinary shares

Nakedwines.com Prepayment Protection Company LLC

Trustee company

United States of America

100% ordinary shares

Naked Wines Australia Pty Limited

NWA (Prepayments) Pty Limited

Naked Fine Wine Bonds plc

* Directly owned by the parent company.

Retailing of wines

Australia

Trustee company

Australia

Dormant company

United Kingdom

100% ordinary shares

100% ordinary shares

100% ordinary shares

Subsidiaries incorporated in the United Kingdom

The Union Building, 51-59 Rose Lane, Norwich, NR1 1BY, UK

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

Registered Address

All subsidiary undertakings have been included in the consolidation.

The subsidiaries have the same reporting date and cover the same period as that of the consolidated financial statements. 

119

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportCompany balance sheet
As at 3 April 2023

Non-current assets

Investments in subsidiaries

Loan notes receivable from subsidiaries

Right-of-use assets

Intangible assets

Deferred tax assets

Other receivables

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets classified as held for sale

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Lease liabilities

Provisions

Net current liabilities

Total assets less current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Provisions

Net assets

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Capital redemption reserve

Retained earnings

Total equity

Note

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

37

38

39

40

41

42

42

43

44

45

46

46

47

47

18,303

103,143

86

–

94

10,711

132,337

917

5,427

6,344

–

6,344

58,244

85,701

–

542

1,098

10,114

155,699

911

10,495

11,406

810

12,216

(55,355)

(42,759)

(87)

(187)

(55,629)

(49,285)

83,052

(14)

(14)

–

(207)

(42,966)

(30,750)

124,949

(122)

(122)

83,038

124,827

5,550

21,162

363

55,963

83,038

5,508

21,162

363

97,794

124,827

For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023, the Company reported a loss of £43.3 million (52 weeks ended 28 March 2022: profit of £0.9 million). 

The financial statements of Naked Wines plc were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 18 September 2023.  
They were signed on its behalf by James Crawford.

120

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company statement of changes in equity
For the 53 weeks ended 3 April 2023

At 29 March 2021

Profit for the year

Total comprehensive profit for the year

Shares issued

Share based payment charges – subsidiary 
employees

Share based payment charges – Company

Deferred tax on share based payments

At 28 March 2022

Loss for the year

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Shares issued

Share based payment charges – subsidiary 
employees

Share based payment charges – Company

Deferred tax on share based payments

At 3 April 2023

Note

Share capital
£’000

Share premium
£’000

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£’000

5,487

21,162

363

Retained 
earnings
£’000

95,814

Total equity
£’000

122,826

47

28

28

41

47

28

28

41

–

–

21

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5,508

21,162

363

–

–

42

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

942

942

(21)

572

739

(252)

97,794

(43,312)

(43,312)

(42)

894

710

(81)

942

942

–

572

739

(252)

124,827

(43,312)

(43,312)

–

894

710

(81)

5,550

21,162

363

55,963

83,038

121

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the Company financial statements

34 Significant accounting policies
Details of the Company are disclosed in note 1 General information.

Naked Wines plc is the parent of the Naked Wines group in whose consolidated financial statements its financial statements are 
consolidated. The Naked Wines plc Group annual report and accounts are available to the public and may be obtained via the Investors 
section of the Naked Wines website: www.nakedwinesplc.co.uk.

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, IFRS 5, IFRS 16 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.

The principal accounting policies adopted are the same as those set out in note 3 Accounting policies to the consolidated financial 
statements except as noted below. 

Revenue
Revenue in the Company represents management fee income from its subsidiary, Naked Wines International Limited. Management fee 
income is charged and invoiced on a quarterly basis in respect of each financial year.

Software as a Service (SaaS)
During the year, the Group revised its accounting policy in relation to upfront configuration and customisation costs incurred in 
implementing SaaS arrangements in response to the IFRIC agenda decision clarifying its interpretation of how current accounting 
standards apply to these types of arrangements published in April 2021. 

SaaS arrangements are service contracts providing the Group with the right to access the cloud provider’s application software over 
the contract period. Costs incurred to configure or customise, and the ongoing fees to obtain access to the cloud provider’s application 
software, are recognised as operating expenses when the services are received. Where costs incurred for the development of software 
code enhances, modifies, or creates additional capability to existing on-premise systems as part of a SaaS implementation are readily 
identifiable and meets the definition of and recognition criteria for an intangible asset, these costs are recognised as intangible software 
assets and amortised over the useful life of the software on a straight-line basis.

Share based payments
Refer to accounting policy note 3.11 Share based payments within the Group accounting policies. A capital contribution on share based 
payment awards granted to subsidiary employees is booked as an increase to the investment in subsidiaries.

Investments in subsidiaries
Investments in subsidiaries are stated at cost less, where appropriate, provisions for impairment. Detailed cash flow forecasts prepared 
on a business unit basis reflecting intergroup recharges and the availability of liquidity from Group sources are used as an indicator of 
impairment when looking at the recoverability of the parent company’s investments and loans in subsidiaries.

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 the estimated useful life of the asset. These assets relate to 
software and are charged to the income statement over five years. 

Property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets
Refer to accounting policy note 3.17 Property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets for depreciation methods, useful lives and 
depreciation rates used for each class of asset.

Impairment review of loan notes receivable from subsidiaries
Impairment reviews in respect of loan notes receivable from subsidiaries are performed at least on an annual basis and furthermore when 
an event indicates that an impairment review is necessary.

Assets classified as held for sale
Refer to accounting policy note 3.23 Assets classified as held for sale for details.

122

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 202335 Key accounting judgements and estimates
Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The Directors have prepared detailed value in use calculations, including separate cash flow forecasts for each business unit, for the 
purpose of evaluating the Company’s investment in subsidiaries for impairment. This exercise was performed following the significant 
decline in the Company’s market capitalisation during the year which amounts to an indicator of impairment. These calculations and 
forecasts contain estimates and judgements on the expected future trading prospects of each of the Company’s subsidiaries. For further 
disclosure relating to this key source of estimation uncertainty see note 4 Critical accounting policies, estimates and judgements. As a result 
of these assessments, the Directors identified that the carrying value of investments in subsidiaries had become partially impaired at the 
year end, as set out in note 37 Investment in subsidiaries. The Directors draw attention to the importance of the estimates and judgements 
contained within the value in use calculation to support the carrying value of the subsidiaries and note that in the event of a further 
adverse movement in either the value in use discount rate or in forecast cash flows that the carrying value of the Company’s investment in 
subsidiaries would be further impaired. 

The Directors do not consider that there are any other key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of causing a 
material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year and they have no critical accounting 
judgments. 

36 Staff costs
The average monthly number of employees (including Directors) during the year was as follows:

Administrative

The aggregate remuneration comprised:

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Contributions to defined contribution pension plans

Share based payment charges

Directors’ emoluments are as disclosed in note 9 Staff costs. 

37 Investment in subsidiaries 

Cost or valuation:

At 28 March 2022

Capital contribution on share based payment awards granted to subsidiary employees

At 3 April 2023

Amounts provided for:

At 28 March 2022

Impairments

At 3 April 2023

Net book value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
number

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
number

102

105

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£’000

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£’000

6,818

645

318

710

8,491

5,834

699

256

563

7,352

£’000

58,244

894

59,138

–

(40,835)

(40,835)

18,303

58,244

Details of the Company’s subsidiaries at 3 April 2023 are disclosed in note 33 Investments in subsidiaries.

The impairment test on the recoverability of the Company’s investment in subsidiaries has resulted in an impairment charge in the year of 
£40.8 million. Refer to note 34 Significant accounting policies for details of the basis of the impairment test.

123

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

37 Investment in subsidiaries (continued)

Sensitivity to further impairment charges
The key assumptions used in the recoverable amount estimates are the discount rate applied and the forecast cash flows. The Directors 
note the Company’s sensitivity to further impairment in the event of the following changes in key assumptions:

Carrying value written down by a further

In the event of:

Discount rate increasing by1

OR

Forecast cash flows declining by

Material change  
in impairment

Full impairment

£2.2m

£18.3m

0.9%

9.4%

(2.5)%

(20.5)%

1.   A range of discount rates have been used in calculating the recoverable amounts. The increases given represent a uniform increase across all markets. 

38 Loan notes receivable from subsidiaries
Inter-company balances held in the Company largely relate to investment in its trading subsidiaries through the provision of loan amounts. 
As such, these amounts are disclosed as loan notes receivable from subsidiaries reported within non-current assets. Loan notes receivable 
from subsidiaries are considered low credit risk as the subsidiaries are either solvent or benefit from ultimate parent company letters of 
support and are covered by the Group’s liquidity arrangements.

39 Right-of-use assets

Cost

At 28 March 2022

Additions

Disposals

At 3 April 2023

Accumulated depreciation

At 28 March 2022

Charge for the year

Disposals

At 3 April 2023

Net Book Value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

Buildings
£’000

Equipment,
fittings & vehicles
£’000

Total
£’000

–

124

–

124

–

(38)

–

(38)

86

–

12

–

(12)

–

(12)

–

12

–

–

–

12

124

(12)

124

(12)

(38)

12

(38)

86

–

Total cash outflow for leases was £0.04 million (2022: £0.003 million). The interest expense on lease liabilities is £nil (2022: £nil).

124

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
40 Intangible assets

Cost

At 28 March 2022

Transfer of Software as a Service to the income statement

At 3 April 2023

Accumulated amortisation

At 28 March 2022

Charge for the year

At 3 April 2023

Net Book Value

At 3 April 2023

At 28 March 2022

Software
£’000

1,833

(253)

1,580

(1,291)

(289)

(1,580)

–

542

41 Deferred tax assets
The Company has recognised deferred tax assets for deductible temporary differences that it believes are recoverable. These do not 
include any uncertain tax positions. The basis of the creation of these assets is the examination of underlying documents and relevant law 
and regulation for temporary timing differences and future profitability forecasts set out in the business plans approved by the Board.

Fixed assets

Provisions

Losses

Share based payments

28 March 2022
£’000

Recognised in 
income statement
£’000

Recognised in OCI
£’000

3 April 2023
£’000

–

112

735

251

1,098

29

(106)

(735)

(111)

(923)

–

–

–

(81)

(81)

29

6

–

59

94

Deferred tax assets arising from timing differences are not recognised to the extent that these amounts are recoverable through the 
reversal of the timing difference in the foreseeable future.

Deferred tax on losses of £6.2 million (2022: £4.4 million) 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. In the prior year, deferred tax on £3.9 million not previously recognised, was recognised and was utilised in the current year. There is 
no expiry date on these unrecognised losses. 

42 Trade and other receivables

Current
Vendor loan note

Other debtors

Prepayments

Non-current
Vendor loan note

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

480

40

397

917

360

–

551

911

10,711

10,114

The vendor loan note was initially measured at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost less any provision for impairment. 

125

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements 
continued

43 Asset classified as held for sale
Refer to note 20 Assets classified as held for sale for details.

44 Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Other taxes and social security

Amounts due to Group undertakings

Accruals

Other payables

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

360

24

50,964

3,800

207

55,355

82

200

39,951

2,478

48

42,759

The amounts due to Group undertakings have no fixed payment terms and are interest free.

45 Lease liabilities
The Company leases an office with a total term of 13 months. The maturity analysis of the lease is set out below, disclosed within 
current liabilities.

Due within one year

Less: unearned interest

46 Provisions

At 28 March 2022

Provided in the year

Released during the year

Utilised during the year

At 3 April 2023

Current

Non-current

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

89

(2)

87

Social security
costs
£’000

Redundancy 
provision 
£’000

329

–

(161)

(118)

50

–

151

–

–

151

–

–

–

Total 
£’000

329

151

(161)

(118)

201

3 April 2023
£’000

28 March 2022
£’000

187

14

201

207

122

329

Social security costs on share based payment awards
Social security costs which will become payable on exercise of share based payment awards have been provided. The share based payment 
awards can be exercised at various dates from the balance sheet date to 12 August 2032. The value of social security costs payable on the 
vesting of share based payment awards is dependent on the Group’s share price at the date of exercise of those share based payment 
awards. 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 awards has been calculated on the share price at the balance sheet date of 99p and the assumption that 100% 
of employees will take up their vested share based payment awards and that the rate of social security is 13.8% for UK employees, 7.65% for 
US employees and 0% for Australian employees.

Redundancy provision
Redundancies were announced prior to the year end and some of the individuals who are expected to receive redundancy payments are not 
due to leave until the following financial year.

126

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
47 Share capital and share premium
Details are disclosed in note 27 Share capital and reserves.

48 Share based payments
Refer to note 28 Share based payments for:

 • a description of each type of share based payment arrangement that existed at any time during the period, including the general terms 

and conditions of each arrangement;

 • the weighted average share price at the date of exercise for share awards exercised during the period; and

 • the range of exercise prices and weighted average remaining contractual life for share options outstanding at the end of the period.

49 Commitments

Future minimum amounts payable:
Within one year
Between one and five years

3 April 2023
£’000
237
595
832

28 March 2022
£’000
90
–
90

Commitments relate to committed software contract expenditure.

Capital expenditure authorised and contracted for but not provided in the accounts is £nil (2022: £771,000).

Naked Wines plc, the Company, guarantees Angel funds (refer to note 22 Angel funds and other deferred income for an explanation on what 
these funds are), and has provided a guarantee to the credit card acquirer through whom refunds would be made.

50 Events after the balance sheet date
On 22 August 2023, the Directors concluded an amendment to the principal covenant obligations of the Group’s asset backed lending 
facility. This amendment moves the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant commitment threshold from a trailing three to a trailing 
12-month basis from the beginning of FY25 and increases the size and specificity of the non-recurring expense add-back in the calculation 
of the facility defined adjusted EBITDA covenant commitment. The amendment also documented as a post-close completion obligation the 
inclusion of the Group’s Australian businesses as loan parties to the agreement. These revised covenant obligations come into effect for 
periods beginning after 2 October 2023.

The introduction of the revised covenant commitments has no financial effect on the operation of the credit facility. However, the Directors 
believe that the revised profit covenant test provides the Company with greater latitude in the unwind of the Group’s excess inventory and 
management of its operating cost base. 

There were no other events after the balance sheet date that had a material impact on the financial position and performance of the 
Company.

51 Related party transactions
The Company has identified the Directors of the Company as related parties for the purpose of FRS101. The compensation of key 
management personnel is disclosed in note 9 Staff costs. 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. The recently appointed non-Executive Director 
Jack Pailing is the founder and portfolio manager at Colebrooke Partners Limited which holds 368,116 shares in Naked Wines plc. 

There are no other related party transactions which require disclosure (2022: none).

52 Ultimate controlling party
The Company, Naked Wines plc, is the ultimate parent and the ultimate controlling party of the Naked Wines Group.

127

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportShareholder information

Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held at the offices of Fladgate LLP, 16 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5DG on 29 September 2023 at 4pm. The Notice  
of Meeting will be separately distributed to shareholders. The Company will hold an additional general meeting as soon as practicable  
and legally-permitted after publication of the Annual Report and Accounts to approve items related to the Annual Report and Accounts.

Key contacts:

Company Secretary
Anne Huffsmith

The Union Building

51-59 Rose Lane

Norwich NR1 1BY

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 Group

10th Floor

Central Square

29 Wellington Street

Leeds LS1 4DL

Investor Relations
IR@nakedwines.com

The Union Building

51-59 Rose Lane

Norwich NR1 1BY

Solicitors
Fladgate LLP

16 Great Queen Street

London, WC2B 5DG

Tax Advisor
Grant Thornton

30 Finsbury Square

London EC2A 1AG

Banker
Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First 
Citizens Bank & Trust Company

505 Howard Street, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105

128

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Glossary of definitions, alternative performance measures (APMs) 
and key performance indicators (KPIs)

Definitions

5* customer service

5-Year Forecast 
Payback

5-Year Lifetime 
Value (LTV)

Active Angel 

Adjusted EBIT

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

Customer 
experience KPI

The ratio of projected future Repeat Customer contribution we expect to earn from the new 
customers recruited in the year, divided by the Investment in New Customers. We forecast 
contribution at a customer level using a machine learning algorithm that weighs several 
characteristics including demographics, interactions and transactions forecast over a five-year 
horizon. This is then aggregated to a monthly, then annual, cohort level for reporting purposes. 
An explanation of why this is used is on page 31. As this is an undiscounted forward-looking 
estimate it cannot be reconciled back to reported financial results. 

Investment 
measure

The future Repeat Customer contribution we expect to earn from customers recruited in a discrete 
period of time. We calculate this future contribution using a machine learning 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 machine learning algorithms 
then predict the future (lifetime) value of that customer.

Investment 
measure

An Angel that is an active subscriber who has placed an order in the past 12 months.

Operating profit adjusted for amortisation of acquired intangibles, acquisition costs, impairment 
of goodwill, restructuring costs, fair value movement through the income statement on financial 
instruments and revaluation of funding cash balances held and any items that are either material, 
one-time charges we do not expect to be repeated, or are non-trading related. A reconciliation to 
operating profit can be found on the face of the Group income statement.

APM

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT plus depreciation and amortisation, but excluding any depreciation or amortisation 
costs included in our adjusted items e.g. amortisation of acquired intangibles.

APM

AGM

Angel

CAGR

Company, Naked or 
Naked Wines

Contribution

Annual General Meeting

A customer who deposits funds into their 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). We often split 
contribution into that from new and repeat customers as they can have different levels of profitability. 
A reconciliation of operating profit to contribution is shown in note 6 Segmental reporting.

DtC

EBIT

EBITDA

Direct-to-consumer

Operating profit as disclosed in the Group income statement.

EBIT plus depreciation and amortisation.

Free cash flow

Cash generated by operating activities less capital expenditure and before adjusted items and tax. 
A reconciliation of free cash flow is shown on page 132.

Group

Naked Wines plc and its subsidiary undertakings

APM

APM

Investment in 
New Customers 

The amount we have invested in acquiring new customers during the year, including contribution 
profit/loss from New Customer sales and advertising costs. Please note that we have updated 
the description of this term to elaborate on its components, however the underlying calculation 
has not changed.

Investment 
measure

LTIP

Long Term Incentive Plan

Marketing R&D

Expenditure focused on researching and testing new marketing channels and creative approaches, 
with the aim of opening up significant new growth investment opportunities.

Net cash excluding 
lease liabilities

New customer

New Customer 
sales

Other revenue

The amount of cash we are holding less borrowings at year end excluding lease liabilities.

APM

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 as a repeat customer.

Revenues derived from transactions with customers who meet our definition of a new customer. 
A reconciliation of total sales to New Customer sales is shown in note 6 Segmental reporting.

Revenue from stock optimisation activities. See accounting policy note 3.5 Revenue.

129

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic reportGlossary of definitions, alternative performance measures (APMs) and key performance indicators (KPIs)
continued

Definitions

Other contribution

The profit or loss attributable to sales meeting the definition of other revenue.

Product availability

The average percentage of products we have defined as core to the portfolio that is available 
to our customers throughout the year.

Repeat customer

A customer (Angel) who has subscribed and made their first monthly subscription payment.

Repeat Customer 
contribution

The profit attributable to sales meeting the definition of Repeat Customer sales after fulfilment 
and service costs. An explanation of why this is used is on page 31. A reconciliation of adjusted EBIT 
to Repeat Customer contribution is shown in note 6 Segmental reporting.

Repeat Customer 
contribution margin

Repeat Customer 
sales

Repeat Customer contribution as a percentage of 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. A reconciliation of total sales to Repeat Customer sales is shown 
in note 6 Segmental reporting.

Repeat Customer 
sales retention

The proportion of sales made to customers who met our definition of “repeat” last year and 
who placed orders again this year, calculated on a monthly basis and summed to calculate the 
full year retention.

SIP

Share Incentive Plan

Standstill EBIT

The adjusted EBIT that would be reported if Investment in New Customers was reduced to the 
level needed only to replenish the portion of the customer base that was lost to attrition during 
the period. See page 133 for calculation from constituent Group KPIs and APMs.

Total addressable 
market (TAM)

TAM represents the available market which Naked sees as a revenue opportunity which it 
could serve.

Investment 
measure

Customer 
experience KPI

Investment 
measure

Investment 
measure

Investment 
measure

Investment 
measure

Wine quality – “Buy 
it again” ratings

The percentage of “Yes” scores given by customers in the year indicating that the customer would 
buy the product again.

Customer 
experience KPI

Year 1 Payback

A short-term payback measure showing the actual return in this financial year of our investment 
in the prior year.

Investment 
measure

130

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023Alternative performance measures (APMs)

Reconciliation of reported results to 52 week comparable figures

FY23

FY22

Reported
£m

Adjusted 
items
£m

Adjusted
£m

Less 53rd 
week
£m

52 week
comparable
£m

Reported
£m

Adjusted 
items
£m

Adjusted
£m

Constant 
FX
£m

Prior year 
comparable
£m

Group
New Customer sales
Repeat Customer sales
Other revenue

Naked Wines US
New Customer sales
Repeat Customer sales
Other revenue

Naked Wines UK
New Customer sales
Repeat Customer sales

Naked Wines Australia
New Customer sales
Repeat Customer sales

Group
Investment in New Customers
Repeat Customer contribution

Repeat contribution margin (%)

Other contribution

Naked Wines US
Investment in New Customers
Repeat Customer contribution

Repeat contribution margin (%)

Other contribution

Naked Wines UK
Investment in New Customers
Repeat Customer contribution

Repeat contribution margin (%)

Naked Wines Australia
Investment in New Customers
Repeat Customer contribution

Repeat contribution margin (%)

l

s
e
a
S

s
t
s
o
c
g
n
i
s
i
t
r
e
v
d
a
r
e
t
f
a
n
o
i
t
u
b
i
r
t
n
o
C

d
n
a

l

a
r
e
n
e
G

e
v
i
t
a
r
t
s
i
n
m
d
a

i

s
t
s
o
c

Naked Wines US
Naked Wines UK
Naked Wines Australia
Unallocated

Group

r
e
h
t
O

s Profit on sale of property
t
s
o
c

Impairment

I

T
B
E

Naked Wines US
Naked Wines UK
Naked Wines Australia
Unallocated

Group

26.9
320.7
6.4
354.0

17.2
147.4
6.4
171.0

6.4
130.8
137.2

3.3
42.5
45.8

(21.4)
86.5
27%
(12.9)
52.2

(15.1)
50.3
34%
(12.9)
22.3

(3.4)
25.0
19%
21.6

(2.9)
11.2
26%
8.3

(13.6)
(6.9)
(3.6)
(28.9)
(53.1)

4.8
(18.2)

8.7
14.7
4.7
(42.4)
(14.3)

 –
 –
(3.1)
(3.1)

–
 –
(3.1)
(3.1)

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
13.2
13.2

 –
 –
 –
13.2
13.2

 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
 –

0.8
 –
 –
4.2
5.0

(4.8)
18.2

14.0
 –
 –
17.6
31.6

26.9
320.7
3.3
350.9

17.2
147.4
3.3
167.9

6.4
130.8
137.2

3.3
42.5
45.8

(21.4)
86.5
27%
0.3
65.4

(15.1)
50.3
34%
0.3
35.5

(3.4)
25.0
19%
21.6

(2.9)
11.2
26%
8.3

(12.8)
(6.9)
(3.6)
(24.7)
(48.0)

–
–

22.7
14.7
4.7
(24.7)
17.4

(0.9)
(6.2)
(0.1)
(7.2)

(0.4)
(3.3)
(0.1)
(3.8)

(0.4)
(1.6)
(2.0)

(0.1)
(1.3)
(1.4)

0.7
(1.7)
 –
(0.1)
(1.1)

0.7
(1.2)
 –
(0.1)
(0.6)

 –
(0.1)
 –
(0.1)

 –
(0.4)
 –
(0.4)

 –
 –
 –
 –
 –

–
–

(0.6)
(0.1)
(0.4)
 –
(1.1)

26.0
314.5
3.2
343.7

16.8
144.1
3.2
164.1

6.0
129.2
135.2

3.2
41.2
44.4

(20.7)
84.8
27%
0.2
64.3

(14.4)
49.1
34%
0.2
34.9

(3.4)
24.9
19%
21.5

(2.9)
10.8
26%
7.9

(12.8)
(6.9)
(3.6)
(24.7)
(48.0)

–
–

22.1
14.6
4.3
(24.7)
16.3 

34.0
315.1
1.2
350.3

17.6
138.7
1.2
157.5

11.3
135.6
146.9

5.1
40.8
45.9

(41.3)
86.2
27%
0.1
45.0

(23.2)
46.6
34%
0.1
23.5

(13.5)
28.2
21%
14.7

(4.6)
11.3
28%
6.7

(14.9)
(6.6)
(3.9)
(17.7)
(43.1)

–
–

8.6
8.1
2.9
(17.7)
1.9

 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
–
 –

–
–
 –
–
 –

–
–
 –
 –

–
–
 –
 –

 –
 –
 –
0.1
0.1

–
–

–
–
–
0.1
0.1

34.0
315.1
1.2
350.3

17.6
138.7
1.2
157.5

11.3
135.6
146.9

5.1
40.8
45.9

(41.3)
86.2
27%
0.1
45.0

(23.2)
46.6
34%
0.1
23.5

(13.5)
28.2
21%
14.7

(4.6)
11.3
28%
6.7

(14.9)
(6.6)
(3.9)
(17.6)
(43.0)

–
–

8.6
8.1
2.9
(17.6)
2.0

2.5
20.3
0.1
22.9

2.2
18.3
0.1
20.6

–
 –
 –

0.3
2.0
2.3

(3.3)
6.6
 –
 –
3.3

(3.1)
6.1
 –
 –
3.0

 –
 –
 –
 –

(0.2)
0.6
 –
0.4

(1.6)
 –
(0.2)
 –
(1.8)

–
–

1.4
 –
0.1
 –
1.5

36.5
335.4
1.3
373.2

19.8
157.0
1.3
178.1

11.3
135.6
146.9

5.4
42.8
48.2

(44.6)
92.8
28%
0.1
48.3

(26.3)
52.7
34%
0.1
26.5

(13.5)
28.2
21%
14.7

(4.8)
11.9
28%
7.1

(16.5)
(6.6)
(4.1)
(17.6)
(44.8)

–
–

10.0
8.1
3.0
(17.6)
3.5

131

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023FinancialsGovernance reportStrategic report 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alternative performance measures (APMs)
continued

General and administrative costs reconciliation

G&A costs per income statement

Add back/(deduct) adjusted items (see note 7):

Amortisation of acquired intangibles

Disposal of US inventory – charitable donations

Restructuring costs

Software as a Service costs

Legal settlement for Payment card Interchange fees

Fair value movement on open foreign exchange contracts

Plc company foreign exchange revaluations

G&A costs per note 6 Segmental reporting

Add back marketing R&D spend

G&A costs per the calculation of the APM Standstill EBIT

Add back share based payment charges including social security costs

Operating G&A costs

Free cash flow

Adjusted EBIT

Add back depreciation and amortisation (excludes adjusted amortisation of acquired intangibles)

Adjusted EBITDA

Intangible assets previously capitalised under former accounting policy

Add back share based payment charges

Cash flows before movements in working capital

Working capital movement

Inventories

Angel funds and other 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

Free cash flow

Reconciliation to statutory cash flow statement

Free cash flow

Cash adjusted items

Capital expenditure

Repayments of principal under lease liabilities

Net cash flows from operations

132

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023 
£m

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£m

(53.1)

(43.1)

1.3

0.8

1.5

2.3

(0.7)

(0.1)

–

(48.0)

5.4

(42.6)

1.5

(41.1)

1.3

–

–

–

–

(1.1)

(0.1)

(43.0)

3.0

(40.0)

1.1

(38.9)

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£m

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£m

17.4

3.3

20.7

0.3

1.6

22.6

(29.4)

(6.2)

3.5

(14.5)

(1.3)

(47.9)

(25.3)

(1.5)

(26.8)

(26.8)

(6.0)

1.5

1.3

(30.0)

2.0

2.3

4.3

–

1.3

5.6

(61.2)

3.6

(1.8)

12.9

(0.8)

(47.3)

(41.7)

(1.9)

(43.6)

(43.6)

–

1.9

0.8

(40.9)

Naked Wines plcAnnual Report and Accounts 2023 
 
 
Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Cash and cash equivalents

Borrowings:

Borrowings net of issuance costs

Customer funded bond

Net cash excluding lease liabilities

Standstill EBIT

Standstill EBIT is calculated as:

Repeat Customer contribution (a)

Less: replenishment spend (e)

Less: G&A costs1

(a) Repeat Customer contribution

(b) Repeat Customer sales retention

(c) Repeat Customer contribution lost to attrition (a x (1-b))

(d) Year 1 Payback

(e) Spend to replenish lost Repeat Customer contribution (c/d)

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£m

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£m

39.5

(29.2)

–

10.3

39.8

–

–

39.8

53 weeks ended
3 April 2023
£m

52 weeks ended
28 March 2022
£m

86.5

(49.7)

(42.6)

(5.8)

86.5

77.6%

19.4

39.0%

49.7

86.2

(25.0)

(40.0)

21.2

86.2

80.4%

16.9

67.5%

25.0

1    Refer to general and administrative costs reconciliation above. Adjusted items and marketing R&D spend included within G&A costs are excluded in the calculation of the Standstill EBIT due to 

these costs being one-off or non-recurring transactions.

Designed and produced by Friend 
www.friendstudio.com  
Print: Pureprint Group

This report has been printed on 
GalerieArt Matt which is FSC® certified 
and made from 100% Elemental 
Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp. The mill  
and the printer are both certified  
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management. The report was  
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C hris C ondos

USA

C hristopher L oewen

France

Núria Altés & Rafael de Haan

Spain

Fernando C andelario

USA

Tim Smith

Ken Wright

USA

Ana Diogo-Draper

USA

C hris Baker

USA

Paul Nelson

nakedwinesplc.co.uk

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