Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Furnishings, Fixtures & Appliances / Topps Tiles

Topps Tiles

tpt · LSE Consumer Cyclical
Claim this profile
Ticker tpt
Exchange LSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Furnishings, Fixtures & Appliances
Employees 1001-5000
← All annual reports
FY2015 Annual Report · Topps Tiles
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
T

O

P

P

S

T

I

L

E

S

P

L

c

A

n

n

u

A

L

R

E

P

O

R

T

A

n

d

A

c

c

O

u

n

T

S

f

O

R

T

h

E

5

3

w

E

E

k

P

E

R

I

O

d

E

n

d

E

d

3

O

c

T

O

b

E

R

2

0

1

5

T oP P S  T iL E S  PLc

A n nU A L  RE PoRT An d   A c c oUnT S   

fO R ThE  5 3  wE Ek  P E R I Od  En dEd 

3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

ST Oc k   cOdE:   T P T

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welcome

TOPPS hAS dELIvEREd A STROng 
PERfORmAncE fOR ThE yEAR, wITh 
OuR wELL-ESTAbLIShEd fOcuS On 
cOnvEnIEncE, InSPIRATIOn And 
RAngE dRIvIng SALES TO A nEw 
REcORd And EnAbLIng uS TO hIT  
OuR STRATEgIc gOAL Of A OnE  
ThIRd ShARE Of ThE dOmESTIc 
TILE mARkET A yEAR AhEAd Of 
SchEduLE. OuR STRATEgy Of OuT -
SPEcIALISIng ThE SPEcIALISTS  
cOnTInuES TO bE vER y EffEcTIvE  
And wILL REmAIn AT ThE hEART Of 
whAT wE dO AS wE SEEk TO buILd 
On ThESE fOundATIOnS And 
TARgET fuRThER PROfITAbLE SALES  
gROwTh.

  Read our Chairman’s Statement on pages 04 and 05

  Read more in the Strategic Report on pages 08 to 33

InvESTOR wEbSITE

LOOk OuT fO R ThES E IcOnS
wI ThIn ThE RE PO RT

  Read more content in this report

  Read more content online

we maintain an investors website containing a 
wide range of information of interest to investors:

www.toppstiles.co.uk/media-centre/
investors

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Image:  
Regional ReflectionsTm Annan

 
S T R AT E G I C   R E P O R T

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPT

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015

O V E R V I E W

S T R AT E G I C   R E P O R T

G O V E R N A N C E

F I N A N C I A L   S TAT E M E N T S

A D D I T I O N A L   I N F O R M AT I O N

28 cORPORATE SOcIAL RESPOnSIbILITy

ch a i r m a n ’s 
S t a t e m e n t

0 4

O V E R V I E W

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPT

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015

O V E R V I E W

S T R AT E G I C   R E P O R T

G O V E R N A N C E

F I N A N C I A L   S TAT E M E N T S

A D D I T I O N A L   I N F O R M AT I O N

Chairman’s S TATEM EN T

THE BOARD IS ENERGISED 
ABOUT THE FUTURE 
OPPORTUNITY FOR TOPPS 
AND WE BELIEVE THERE IS 
SIGNIFICANT SCOPE FOR 
FURTHER GROWTH IN THE 
BUSINESS. 

Darren Shapland 
Chairman

INTRODUCTIO N

I am delighted to be presenting my 
first Chairman’s statement on behalf 
of Topps, having joined the Board in 
March this year. Topps is a business I 
have long admired and I have always 
felt that the brand was strong and the 
business was well run. Following an 
extensive induction I am pleased to 
be able to report to shareholders that 
this is indeed the case. I have been 
fortunate in my career to have spent 
more than 30 years working in some 
great consumer businesses and I have 
found that Topps benchmarks very well 
on a number of levels, including the 
strength of its store portfolio, growth 
potential, operating margins, financial 
position, cashflow generation and 
balance sheet strength.

Clarity of purpose and effective 
internal communications are the 
cornerstone of any company’s success 
and the executive team at Topps 
have made this an absolute priority, 
investing a significant amount of 
time to ensure that all colleagues 
understand the organisation’s 
objectives and the part each 
individual plays in delivering that plan. 

The business is also closely focussed 
on performance management, with 
measures for strategic, financial and 
operational metrics at the heart of 
performance discussions throughout 
the business. The combination of these 
is key to the success of the business 
and the reward structure which all 
colleagues participate in.

TRA DIN G AND   
FIN AN CIA L P ERFORMA NCE

Taking the above into consideration 
I am particularly pleased to be able 
to report on a strong year for the 
business. Trading performance has 
been consistently robust across the 
year with overall sales growing by 
8.7% and adjusted profit before tax up 
by 19.3% to £20.4 million. Revenue 
for the period was £212.2 million 
which is an all-time record for Topps. 

CAPITAL STRU CTU RE   
AN D DIVIDEND

Topps has delivered a strong set of 
financial results this year and we 
remain comfortable with our overall 
financial position and the capital 
structure that we have in place. 
We continue to feel that the current 

structure gives us a good balance 
of capital efficiency and financial 
flexibility. The Board has reviewed 
its dividend policy during the year 
and has recognised that the current 
level of dividend cover is relatively 
modest. The Board considers that a 
dividend cover of approximately 25 is 
achievable over the medium term and 
should be sustainable at this level. 

As a result, the Board is recommending 
to shareholders an increased final 
dividend of 2.25 pence per share 
(2014: 1.60 pence per share). This 
will bring the total dividend for the 
year to 3.00 pence per share (2014: 
2.25 pence per share), an increase 
of 33%. As a consequence of this 
recommendation dividend cover for  
the year is 2.725 (2014: 2.95). 

STRATEGY

Our market share has moved forwards 
again this year and we have now 
attained our strategic goal of taking 
one in every three pounds spent in 
the UK domestic tile market. This has 
been delivered a full year ahead of 
the original strategic plan projections 
– a tremendous achievement for the 

4

business and a testament to the focus 
of the whole team.

Topps successful strategy of “Out-
Specialising the Specialists” will 
remain at the heart of our growth 
plans as we continue to focus on 
inspiring our customers, maximising 
convenience and offering the most 
authoritative range in our market. 
More detail on the company’s strategy 
and the effectiveness with which it is 
being delivered can be found in the 
following pages.

TH E  BOA RD  AND   
CO RPORATE GOVERN ANCE

Governance is something that the Board 
of Topps takes very seriously and we 
have been working on several fronts 
to further improve our compliance with 
best practice during the year.

Two key changes in the composition 
of the Board occurred during the year, 
with Keith Down joining in February 
as a non-executive director and Audit 
Committee Chair and my appointment 
as Chairman in March. As a result of 
these changes I am pleased to confirm 
that all of the non-executive directors 
are now independent and we have 
been fully compliant with this part 
of the governance code since these 
changes came into effect.

At this point I would like to extend 
my thanks and that of the Board 
and wider business to the previous 
Chairman Michael Jack for his service 
as a Non-Executive Director for over 
15 years including the last three and 
half years as Chairman. We are 
grateful for Michael’s unwavering 
dedication and support to the 
business over this period and his very 
significant contribution – we wish him 
the very best for the future.

During the year we conducted a 
strategic risk review – the highlights of 
which are included later in this report. 

In summary, we were reassured by the 
results of this process. The outputs of 
the review will form part of our future 
Audit Committee agenda.

We have also conducted a thorough 
assessment of the performance of the 
Board and the committees, including 
my own performance as Chairman, 
which concluded that the Board is 
operating effectively. Information 
on the actions we are working on 
to improve in the current financial 
year, can be found in the Corporate 
Governance section of this report.

OUR  PEO PLE

We are very proud of our colleagues 
across all parts of the business whether 
it be in the stores, the distribution 
centre or the support functions. 
Topps’ service metrics are excellent, 
benefitting from extensive training and 
development programmes and constant 
communication and improvement 
processes across the business. 
Above all though, it’s the hard work, 
dedication and “can do” attitude that 
our colleagues demonstrate every day 
that make this business successful and 
we thank all our colleagues for all their 
continued efforts. 

TH E  FUT UR E  FOR  TOPPS 

The Board is energised about the 
future opportunity for Topps and we 
believe there is significant scope for 
further growth in the business. Our 
existing strategy of “Out-Specialising 
the Specialists” remains very much 
fit for purpose and the management 
team will continue to evolve the key 
strands of this strategy to maximise the 
opportunities and drive performance. 
Retailing of home improvements never 
stands still and the business is showing 
that it can lead the way through a 
combination of inspiring its customers, 
offering a leading range and 
maximising convenience. The Board 
remains confident that this consistent 
drive to improve the offer, allied to the 
excellent service which our colleagues 
deliver, will be the foundation of our 
future success.

Darren Shapland 
Chairman

Read more in the Strategic Report  
on pages 08 to 33

Read more in the Financial Review  
on pages 19 to 25

Image: 
SilvabirchTM Alpine Shimmer

5

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

O u r 
S t r a t e g y

1 0

Our STRATEGY

In 2013 the Group set itself the strategic goal of taking 
profitable market share with a specific target of a one third 
share of the UK domestic tile market. Progress towards this 
target has been driven by our successful strategy of “Out 
Specialising the Specialists” which provides our customers 
with a combination of inspirational service, unrivalled 
range and convenience through our seamless multi-channel 
offering. We are pleased to report that Topps has now 
successfully achieved this goal, a full year ahead of the 
original plan. 

Looking ahead, we plan to maintain our momentum by 
focussing the organisation on further profitable sales growth. 
“Out Specialising the Specialists” has been very effective, 
enabling Topps to grow its share of the UK domestic tile 
market in each of the last seven years, and will remain at 
the heart of our growth plans. In addition, we have begun 
to evaluate potential opportunities to use our existing sales 
channels to access more of the total tile market, including the 
commercial sector. We already service a small element of the 
commercial sector through our existing network and believe 
this could represent an important source of future profitable 
growth for the business. 

Strategic  
PILLARS

 Read more 
 on page 11

R

A

N

G

E

P ROFI TABLE
SALES GROWTH

CONVE N I E N C E

 Read more 
 on page 12

N

TIO
A
IR
P
S
N

I

LEGEND

STRATEGIC PILLARS

STRATEGIC GOAL

 PILLARS

10

ST RATEGIC PILLAR ONE

Range 

As the UK’s leading specialist tile 
retailer, we understand the importance 
of offering great quality products in the 
latest designs at a range of prices, to 
help our customers get the most from 
their home improvement project. We 
are constantly refreshing our range 
and launch at least one new product 
every week both in store and online. 
This unrivalled authority in product 
range is critical to our competitive 
advantage.

As customer tastes continue to evolve 
and improved technology in tile 
manufacture allows greater diversity 
in style and design, we are finding 
that customers are also increasingly 
adventurous in their choices. Topps 
works collaboratively with leading 
manufacturers from around the world 
to ensure its range remains at the 
forefront of innovation. Areas such 
as digital inkjet print technology, for 
example, have revolutionised what 
can be done with patterned and 
natural effect tiles. Where we partner 
with manufacturers to drive this kind of 
innovation by utilising our expert skills 
and knowledge this will often result 
in exclusive products and ranges, 
with many of these becoming top 
sellers, further reinforcing Topps market 
leading authority with our customers. 

Through Topps, customers can access 
a sector leading range of over 5,000 
items, which we manage carefully, 
providing the right choices by product 
sector and updating to stay ahead of 
the competition. 

2015 has seen the development of the 
Topps own brand range with several 
new tile and stone lines launched in 
own brand packaging, as well as the 
launch of a complete Topps tile care 
range and other tiling essentials such 
as tools. 

Through improved new product 
development processes our buyers are 
bringing new products to the market 
faster and much more frequently than 
our competitors. Sales of new tile 
ranges launched over the last twelve 
months have been over £12 million, 
accounting for 9.3% of our tile sales, 
demonstrating the positive customer 
reaction to new product innovation. 

Read about our Marketplace  
on page 08

Read about our Business Model  
on page 09

Read about our Product Innovation 
and our Regional Reflections Range 
on pages 16 and 17

Image: 
Shibori

Image: 
GrosvenorTM

What our 
customers   
are saying
“Having been to a number 

of tile stores I have found 
Topps Tiles to be one of 

the best. Its wide range of 
tiles and great customer 

ser vice makes it a great 
place to shop.”

Image: 
Regional ReflectionsTM Dwyran

Our strategy is centred on delivering outstanding value to 
our customers by specifically focusing on three key areas:

IN SPIR AT ION
We provide our customers with market leading levels of 
personalised service combined with an inspirational in-
store environment that features innovative merchandising, 
creative room set photography and visualisation.

CO NVENIENC E
Convenience is a vital element of our customers’ 
decision to shop with us. Our scale, expertise, and 
online and mobile experience combined with seamless 
integration across all of our channels to market is an 
important source of competitive advantage.

RA NGE
We offer unrivalled authority in product range, 
including all the latest designs of high quality products, 
with most of our tiles exclusively sourced for Topps. 
Our collaborative new product development process 
ensures we have the up-to-date ranges and a broad 
band of prices to help our customers get the most from 
their home improvement projects.

 Read more 
 on page 13

See our Key Performance Indicators 
on page 18

Read how Topps mitigates Risks and 
Uncertainties on pages 26 and 27

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

1 1

ke y 
P e r f o r m a n c e 
I n d i c a t o r s

1 8

S T R AT E G I C   R E P O R T

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPT

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015

O V E R V I E W

S T R AT E G I C   R E P O R T

G O V E R N A N C E

F I N A N C I A L   S TAT E M E N T S

A D D I T I O N A L   I N F O R M AT I O N

Key PE RFO RMAN C E I N DI CATO RS  (K P Is )

Financial REVIEW

The Board monitor a number of financial and non-financial metrics and KPIs both for the Group and by individual store, 
including:

FIN AN CIA L KP Is

LIKE-FO R-L IKE SA LES G ROWTH
YEAR-O N-YEAR

+5.4%

2014: +8.1%

TOTAL SAL ES GROWTH 
YEAR-O N-YEAR

+8.7%

2014: +9.8%

* Adjusted PBT as defined on page 3.

NO N-FINAN CIAL  KPIs

MARKET SHA RE

33.3%
( + 0 . 7 % )
2014: 32.6%

NET PROMOTER SCORE

73.0%
( - 0 . 5 % )
2014: 73.5%

NO TES

GRO SS MARGIN

+61.2%
( + 3 0 b p s )
2014: 60.9%

ADJ USTED PBT*

£20.4m
( + 1 9 . 3 % )
2014: £17.1m

NET DEBT

£28.4m
( - £ 2 . 1 m )
2014: £30.5m

INVENTORY  DAYS

124
( - 6 . 8 % )
2014: 133

CARBO N EMISSION S PER 
STO RE (TO NNES P ER AN NUM)

36.9
( - 1 6 . 5 % )
2014: 44.2

NU MB ER O F STORES 
AT YEAR EN D

347
( + 1 2 )
2014: 335

•	 Net Promoter Score is calculated based on customer feedback to the question of how likely they are to recommend 
Topps Tiles to friends or colleagues. The scores are based on a numerical scale from 0–10 which allows customer 
to be split into promoters (9–10), passives (7–8) and detractors (0–6). The final score is based on the percentage 
of promoters minus the percentage of detractors. Prior year comparative data has been restated to include on-line 
responses.

•	 Energy carbon emissions has been compiled in conjunction with our supplier (SSE) and is based on the actual energy 
consumed multiplied by Environment Agency approved emissions factors. Vehicle emissions has been calculated by 
our in-house transport team based on mileage covered multiplied by manufacturer quoted emission statistics. 

•	 Market share data is derived from the annual MBD report on the UK tile market. Data for 2014 was originally stated 

at 30.3% but was restated by MBD in the 2015 market report.

The Board receive regular information on these and other metrics for the Group as a whole. This information is reviewed 
and updated as the Directors feel appropriate.

18

Robert Parker 
Chief Financial Officer

FINA NCI AL O BJEC TIVES 

In addition to the key strategic 
objectives highlighted in the Strategy 
section the business maintains a strict 
financial discipline, including:

•	 Primary focus on increasing 

revenues and cash generation, 
maintaining cost disciplines and 
optimising gross margins;

•	 Capital structure and net debt – the 
level of net debt has now been 
reduced to a point that the Board 
feels is an appropriate balance of 
an efficient capital structure and 
financial flexibility. The business 
remains cash generative and as 
we move forwards the Board will 
continue to adopt a progressive 
dividend policy; and 

•	 Maximising earnings per share 

and shareholder returns, including 
bi-annual review of our dividend 
policy.

2015 WAS A SUCCESSFUL 
YEAR FOR TOPPS AND WE 
HAVE NOW DELIVERED TWO 
CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF 
STRONG SALES GROWTH 
AND CORRESPONDINGLY 
ROBUST PROGRESS ON 
PROFITS AND EARNINGS  
PER SHARE. 

GROUP REVENUE

£212.2m

£195.2m

£177.7m

£177.8m

£175.5m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

GROSS  MA RGI N

60.0%

60.2%

59.6%

60.9%

61.2%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

PROFIT  AN D L OSS AC COUNT
Revenue

Revenue for the period ended  
3 October 2015 increased by 8.7% 
to £212.2 million (2014: £195.2 
million). The trading period was 53 
weeks, as opposed to 52 weeks in the 
prior year, removing the effect of this 
additional week of sales would result in 
sales growth of 6.7%. Like-for-like store 
sales increased by 5.4% in the period, 
which consisted of a 5.3% increase in 
the first half of the financial period and 
a 5.5% increase in the second half. 

Gros s Margin

Overall gross margin was 61.2% 
compared with 60.9% in the previous 
financial period. Over the first half 
of the period the gross margin was 
60.7%, and we delivered a gross 
margin of 61.7% in the second half 
of the period. Gross margin in the 
second half includes some gains 
which crystallised in the period but 
apply to the year as a whole and as 
a consequence we consider the full 
year margin as a good guide to future 
margin expectations, with some modest 
growth targeted as we move forwards. 

19

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

Proof 7  8 December 2015 7:48 PM 

24457.04

Contents

Overview
Ifc wELcOmE

02 AT A gLAncE

04 chAIRmAn’S STATEmEnT

Strategic Report

08 mARkETPLAcE

09 OuR buSInESS mOdEL

10 OuR STRATEgy

11 RAngE

12 InSPIRATIOn

13 cOnvEnIEncE

18 kEy PERfORmAncE IndIcATORS

19 fInAncIAL REvIEw

26 RISkS And uncERTAInTIES

Governance

36 bOARd Of dIREcTORS

38 dIREcTORS’ REPORT

43 cORPORATE gOvERnAncE STATEmEnT

48 REmunERATIOn REPORT

Financial Statements
66 IndEPEndEnT AudITORS’ REPORT

71 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT  

Of fInAncIAL PERfORmAncE

71 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT  

Of cOmPREhEnSIvE IncOmE

72 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT Of

fInAncIAL POSITIOn

73 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT Of

chAngES In EquITy

74 cOnSOLIdATEd cASh fLOw  

STATEmEnT

75 nOTES TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

100 cOmPAny bALAncE ShEET

101 nOTES TO ThE cOmPAny fInAncIAL

STATEmEnTS

Additional Information

104 fIvE yEAR REcORd

105 nOTIcE Of AnnuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

110 ExPLAnATOR y nOTES TO ThE nOTIcE Of 

AnnuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

113 ThE TEAm

122 STORE LOcATIOnS

1

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OverviewStrategic repOrtgOvernancefinancial StatementSadditiOnal infOrmatiOn 
 
 
 
At A  gLAncE

TOPPS hAS Th IS 

yEAR AchIEvEd ITS 

STRATEgIc gOAL 

Of AccOunTIng 

fOR APPROxImATELy 

£1 In EvERy £3 

SPEnT I n Th E uk 

dOmESTIc TILE 

mARkET.

TOPPS hAS OvER  

340 STORES AcROSS  

ThE uk, PRImARIL y 

cOmPETIng In 

ThE uk dOmESTIc 

TILE mARkET . wE 

hAvE A bROAd 

gEOgRAPhIc REAch 

AcROSS ThE uk wITh 
mOST cuSTOmERS  

REquIRIng LESS ThAn 

A 20 mInuTE dRIvE  

TImE TO REAch ThEIR  

LOcAL STORE.

2

Topps is the uk’s leading specialist 
retailer of tiles. Our business is focussed 
on the market for the refurbishment 
of domestic housing and provides an 
industry leading range of tiles and 
associated accessories appropriate to 
this market. Our customer base includes 
both homeowners (predominantly retail 
customers) and tile fitters (trade customers) 
and our business is based on a broadly 
even split between the two customer 
types. 

Our colleagues are a key ingredient of 
our business model – our customers rely 
on our expert product knowledge and 
world class customer service. 

346   
stores

 See our full Store list  
 on page 122

3

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

16

52

52

16

72

135

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPToverviewHighlights

gROuP REvEnuE

£212.2m
( + 8 . 7 % )
2014: £195.2m

gROSS mARgIn

61.2%
( + 3 0 b p s )
2014: 60.9%

fInAL dIvIdEnd

2.25p 
( + 4 0 . 6 % )
2014: 1.60p

LIkE-fOR-LIkE 1

+5.4%

2014: +8.1%

AdjuSTEd PROfIT bEfORE TAx

2

STATuTOR y mEA SuRES

P ROfIT bEfO RE TAx

£17.0m 
( + 1 . 8 % )
2014: £16.7m

bA SIc EA RnIn gS PE R ShAR E

6.75p 
( + 4 . 0 % )
2014: 6.49p

£20.4m 
( + 1 9 . 3 % )
2014: £17.1m

AdjuSTEd EARnIngS PER ShARE

3

8.17p 
( + 2 3 . 2 % )
2014: 6.63p

TOTAL dIvIdEn d

3.00p 
( + 3 3 . 3 % )
2014: 2.25p

nE T dEbT 4

£28.4m

2014: £30.5m

fInAncIAL hIghLIghTS
•	 Record sales of £212.2m. Like-for-like sales growth of 5.4% 
•	 gross margin increased to 61.2% (2014: 60.9%) reflecting further 
sourcing gains and our focus on a differentiated product offer

cuRR EnT TRAdIn g An d O uT LO Ok
•	 The group is now trading from 346 stores (2014: 336 stores)
•	 In the first eight weeks of the new financial period, group revenues, 
stated on a like-for-like basis, increased by 3.3% (2014: 5.8%) 

•	 Adjusted profit before tax2 of £20.4 million, up by 19.3%
•	 Increased final dividend of 2.25 pence per share (2014: 1.6 pence  
per share), making a total for the year of 3.00 pence per share  
(2014: 2.25 pence per share), an increase of 33%

•	 net debt4 at period end reduced to £28.4 million (2014: £30.5 million)

OPERAT IOnAL hIghLIghTS
•	 Strategy of “Out Specialising the Specialists” continues to deliver 

successful results

•	 Strategic goal of taking £1 in every £3 spent in the uk domestic tile market 
achieved one year early – seventh consecutive year of market share gains
•	 Trade sales increased to 50% of total (2014: 46%) driven by growth of 

nO TES

1 

2 

Like-for-like revenues are defined as sales from stores that have been trading for more than 52 weeks.

Adjusted profit before tax excludes several items we have incurred during the period which are not 
representative of underlying performance, these are set out as follows: 

AdjUSTEd PRE T Ax PRofiT

PRESEnTEd on ThE f AcE of ThE incomE STATEmEnT
AS non-REcURRinG iTEmS:

—  business simplification exceptional costs (as detailed in the 

2015 
£m

20.4

2014 
£m

17.1

financial review)

(2.6)

nil

PRESEnTEd AS PART of oPERATinG coSTS WiThin ThE
RELEvAnT incomE STATEmEnT cAPTionS:

our trade loyalty programme and trend for “do it for me” 

— restructuring costs

•	 Sales benefiting from increased investment in new product development – 

9.3% of tile revenues generated from ranges launched in the last 12 months
•	 multiple initiatives to extend the appeal of the Topps brand underway, 

including:
 — A programme of ‘all store improvements’, inspired by the boutique 
format, to introduce new branding, display and merchandising 
treatments across the entire Topps estate

 — Active management of store portfolio – 19 new openings,  
9 closures, 2 relocations and 13 refits completed in the year

 — Encouraging overall progress made with boutique format, with further 

work planned in the year ahead to optimise performance

—  the impairment of plant, property and equipment

— freehold property disposal 

— premium receivable on the early exit of a store

—  gains relating to the forward currency contracts the group (defined 
as Topps Tiles Plc and all its subsidiaries) has in place (per IAS39)

—  charges for interest against a historic tax liability

—  write down of the unamortised issue costs relating to the 

2011 Revolving credit facility

STATUToR y PRE T Ax PRofiT

(0.2)

(0.3)

nil

0.5

0.1

(0.9)

nil

17.0

(0.2)

(0.3)

0.4

nil

0.1

(0.1)

(0.3)

16.7

3 

Adjusted for the post tax effect of the items highlighted above.

4  net debt is defined as loan facilities drawn down less cash and cash equivalents.

3

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OverviewStrategic repOrtgOvernancefinancial StatementSadditiOnal infOrmatiOn   
 
Chairman’s STATEmEnT

ThE bOARd IS EnERgISEd 
AbOuT ThE fuTuRE  
OPPORTunITy fOR TOPPS  
And wE bELIEvE ThERE IS  
SIgnIfIcAnT ScOPE fOR  
fuRThER gROwTh In ThE  
buSInESS. 

Darren Shapland 
chairman

InTROducTIOn

I am delighted to be presenting my 
first chairman’s statement on behalf 
of Topps, having joined the board in 
march this year. Topps is a business I 
have long admired and I have always 
felt that the brand was strong and the 
business was well run. following an 
extensive induction I am pleased to 
be able to report to shareholders that 
this is indeed the case. I have been 
fortunate in my career to have spent 
more than 30 years working in some 
great consumer businesses and I have 
found that Topps benchmarks very well 
on a number of levels, including the 
strength of its store portfolio, growth 
potential, operating margins, financial 
position, cashflow generation and 
balance sheet strength.

clarity of purpose and effective 
internal communications are the 
cornerstone of any company’s success 
and the executive team at Topps 
have made this an absolute priority, 
investing a significant amount of 
time to ensure that all colleagues 
understand the organisation’s 
objectives and the part each 
individual plays in delivering that plan. 

The business is also closely focussed 
on performance management, with 
measures for strategic, financial and 
operational metrics at the heart of 
performance discussions throughout 
the business. The combination of these 
is key to the success of the business 
and the reward structure which all 
colleagues participate in.

TRAdIng And 
fInAn cIAL P ERfORmAncE

Taking the above into consideration 
I am particularly pleased to be able 
to report on a strong year for the 
business. Trading performance has 
been consistently robust across the 
year with overall sales growing by 
8.7% and adjusted profit before tax up 
by 19.3% to £20.4 million. Revenue 
for the period was £212.2 million 
which is an all-time record for Topps. 

cAPITAL STRucTuRE    
And dIvIdEn d

Topps has delivered a strong set of 
financial results this year and we 
remain comfortable with our overall 
financial position and the capital 
structure that we have in place. 
we continue to feel that the current 

structure gives us a good balance 
of capital efficiency and financial 
flexibility. The board has reviewed 
its dividend policy during the year 
and has recognised that the current 
level of dividend cover is relatively 
modest. The board considers that a 
dividend cover of approximately 25 is 
achievable over the medium term and 
should be sustainable at this level. 

As a result, the board is recommending 
to shareholders an increased final 
dividend of 2.25 pence per share 
(2014: 1.60 pence per share). This 
will bring the total dividend for the 
year to 3.00 pence per share (2014: 
2.25 pence per share), an increase 
of 33%. As a consequence of this 
recommendation dividend cover for  
the year is 2.725 (2014: 2.95). 

STRAT Egy

Our market share has moved forwards 
again this year and we have now 
attained our strategic goal of taking 
one in every three pounds spent in 
the uk domestic tile market. This has 
been delivered a full year ahead of 
the original strategic plan projections 
– a tremendous achievement for the 

4

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPToverview 
business and a testament to the focus 
of the whole team.

Topps successful strategy of “Out-
Specialising the Specialists” will 
remain at the heart of our growth 
plans as we continue to focus on 
inspiring our customers, maximising 
convenience and offering the most 
authoritative range in our market. 
more detail on the company’s strategy 
and the effectiveness with which it is 
being delivered can be found in the 
following pages.

T hE bOARd And 
c ORPORATE gOvE RnAncE

governance is something that the board 
of Topps takes very seriously and we 
have been working on several fronts 
to further improve our compliance with 
best practice during the year.

Two key changes in the composition 
of the board occurred during the year, 
with keith down joining in february 
as a non-executive director and Audit 
committee chair and my appointment 
as chairman in march. As a result of 
these changes I am pleased to confirm 
that all of the non-executive directors 
are now independent and we have 
been fully compliant with this part 
of the governance code since these 
changes came into effect.

At this point I would like to extend 
my thanks and that of the board 
and wider business to the previous 
chairman michael jack for his service 
as a non-Executive director for over 
15 years including the last three and 
half years as chairman. we are 
grateful for michael’s unwavering 
dedication and support to the 
business over this period and his very 
significant contribution – we wish him 
the very best for the future.

during the year we conducted a 
strategic risk review – the highlights of 
which are included later in this report. 

In summary, we were reassured by the 
results of this process. The outputs of 
the review will form part of our future 
Audit committee agenda.

we have also conducted a thorough 
assessment of the performance of the 
board and the committees, including 
my own performance as chairman, 
which concluded that the board is 
operating effectively. Information 
on the actions we are working on 
to improve in the current financial 
year, can be found in the corporate 
governance section of this report.

OuR PE O PL E

we are very proud of our colleagues 
across all parts of the business whether 
it be in the stores, the distribution 
centre or the support functions. 
Topps’ service metrics are excellent, 
benefitting from extensive training and 
development programmes and constant 
communication and improvement 
processes across the business. 
Above all though, it’s the hard work, 
dedication and “can do” attitude that 
our colleagues demonstrate every day 
that make this business successful and 
we thank all our colleagues for all their 
continued efforts. 

ThE fuTuRE fOR TOPP S

The board is energised about the 
future opportunity for Topps and we 
believe there is significant scope for 
further growth in the business. Our 
existing strategy of “Out-Specialising 
the Specialists” remains very much 
fit for purpose and the management 
team will continue to evolve the key 
strands of this strategy to maximise the 
opportunities and drive performance. 
Retailing of home improvements never 
stands still and the business is showing 
that it can lead the way through a 
combination of inspiring its customers, 
offering a leading range and 
maximising convenience. The board 
remains confident that this consistent 
drive to improve the offer, allied to the 
excellent service which our colleagues 
deliver, will be the foundation of our 
future success.

Darren Shapland 
chairman

Read more in the Strategic Report  
on pages 08 to 33

Read more in the Financial Review  
on pages 19 to 25

Image: 
SilvabirchTm Alpine Shimmer

5

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OverviewStrategic repOrtgOvernancefinancial StatementSadditiOnal infOrmatiOn 
 
cASE STUdy

OuR SuccESSfuL  
rebrand  
...

Our all store improvement programme is 
much more than a change in logo colour 
and in-store signage; it is a major investment 
designed to create a more inspirational and 
professional looking store to help broaden 
our customer base by persuading new 
customers to consider Topps.

Personal Touch 
we’ve added to the in-store experience 
with the introduction of state-of-the-art iPads

Read more about our Convenience  
Strategic Pillar on page 13

6

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptOvE RvI Ew

ST R AT EgIc  R E P O R T

gOvE RnAn cE

fInAn cI A L S TAT EmEnT S

Ad dI T I OnA L In fO RmAT I On

Strategic 
Report

C o n t e n t s
08 mARkETPLAcE

09 OuR buSInESS mOdEL

10 OuR STRATEgy

11 RAngE

12 InSPIRATIOn

13 cOnvEnIEncE

18 kEy PERfORmAncE IndIcATORS

19 fInAncIAL REvIEw

26 RISkS And uncERTAInTIES

28 cORPORATE SOcIAL RESPOnSIbILITy

The in-store customer interaction at Topps 
is vitally important as over 99% of our 
customers visit a store at some stage in 
their shopping journey. customers tell us 
that this is because of the tactile nature 
of the product and the ability to browse 
and explore such a wide selection of 
tiles. Every year we invest in a range of 
improvements across all stores. during 
the year we invested around £2 million 
in new signage and exterior upgrades 
for all of our stores which now feature the 
new branding.

The display and merchandising upgrades 
that we’ve implemented have resulted in 
the most up-to-date store formats, to make 
the overall shopping experience fresher, 
simpler and more appealing.

7

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015Strategic REPORT

The content of this Strategic report meets the content 
requirements of the Strategic Report as set out in s414a 
of the companies Act 2006. This Strategic report and 
chairman’s Statement contains certain forward-looking 
statements. These statements are made by the directors 
in good faith based on the information available to them 
up to the time of their approval of this report and such 
statements should be treated with caution due to the inherent 
uncertainties, including both economic and business risk 
factors, underlying any such forward-looking information.

Matthew Williams 
chief Executive Officer

Marketplace

ThE uk TILE mARkET And 
PERfORmAncE Of ThE buSInESS

Topps predominantly serves the 
domestic tile market with all of our 
products going into the refurbishment of 
existing uk housing stock. Our market 
is therefore discretionary in nature 
– the vast majority of expenditure is 
driven by a customer choosing to 
improve their home, with very little 
related to essential maintenance. 
This puts a particular emphasis on 
consumer confidence as a key driver of 
our market and performance.

In addition, one of the key influences 
in a customer taking on a home 
improvement project is their purchase 
of a new home – housing transactions 
are therefore a very useful indicator 
of likely future demand. following 
strong growth in 2014, housing 
transactions have flattened out at 
approximately 1.2 million per annum. 
This remains well below the all-time 
peak of 1.7 million recorded in 2007 
but also significantly above the very 
low levels we saw during 2009 of 
approximately 0.7 million.

we also consider uk house price data 
to be a useful indicator of the relative 
health of our market. house prices are 
a good reflection of both the housing 
market and consumer confidence as 
home owners tend to feel more affluent 
in a rising market. during the year we 
have seen an increase in house prices, 
with the average price of a house 
in the uk rising to £195,585, an 
increase of 3.8% on the previous year 
(source: nationwide). 

The annual tile industry report 
published by mbd covers the whole 
of the uk tile market (domestic 
& commercial) and is based on 
manufacturer and supplier data. 
growth of the entire market in 2014 
was 5.5% on a value basis. for 2015, 
based on mbd volume estimates, 
industry and supplier data we estimate 
c.3.6% growth on a value basis. 

Read our Strategy on page 10

hISTOR y Of TOPPS mARkET  
ShARE In ThE dOmESTIc TILE  
mARkET

33.3%

32.6%

29.9%

30.6%

27.9%

26.1%

35.0%
33.0%
31.0%
29.0%
27.0%
25.0%
23.0%
21.0%
19.0%
17.0%
15.0%

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

T OPPS POSITIOn wI ThIn ThE  
whOLE mARkET (dOmESTIc 
And cOmmERcIAL)

DOMESTI C

TOPPS

DIY  SHEDS

SPECIALISTS

OTHE R

COMM ERCIAL

18%

17%

16%

4%

LARGE  COMM ERCI AL

27%

NEW BUIL D HOUSI NG 10%

SMAL L BUSIN ESS

8%

8

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptBusiness mOdEL

Our business model is how we create value. All of our key activities, undertaken with our suppliers, through our people 
and for our customers, are focused on delivering our strategy.

O

LL

A

S

O

U

P

U

R

B

O

P

L
I

E

C

I

R

A

R

N

R

A

N

G

E

G

T
I

O

N

&

I

O

G

U

L

O

R

B

S

A

L

U

N

P

E

P

T

L

W

I

E

O

R

R

S

K

P

R

O
D
U
C
T

N
N
O
V
A
T
I
O
N

R
A
N
G
E

O W N E D   S U P PLY CHAIN

DIR
E

C

C

&

T

S

M ERS
DE 50 %
%    TRA

O
T
S
U
C
R
U
O
T
E
    R

0
5
AIL

N  &

D

ER LO YALT Y
ERATIO
N
A
R
B
SID
N
O
C

M
O
T
S
U
C

TIO
A
IR
P
S
N

I

N

P RO FI TA BL E
SA LE S  GR OW TH

C
U

S
E
R

V

I

K
N
O
W

L

E

C

E

S

T

O

&

M

E

E

D

X

R

G

P

E

E

R

T

E

CONVE N I E N C E

C

N

D

E

G

A

OLLEAGUE
GEMENT &
VELOPMENT

E   &
R E S

O

O N LI N

T

S

OUR PEO P L E
1,947 COLL E A G U E S

LEGEND

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

KEY ACTI VITES

STRATEGIC PILLARS

STRATEGIC GOAL

Topps is the uk’s leading specialist 
retailer of tiles. we supply tiles 
and associated accessories for 
the refurbishment of uk domestic 
housing to both a trade and retail 
customer base.

we operate a vertically integrated 
supply chain sourcing many of our 
bestselling tiles direct from factories 
around the world and rely on strong 
relationships with key suppliers 
who we often work together with to 
develop new product innovations.

Our business operates from over 340 
uk based retail outlets of c.5,000 
sq ft which are typically located on 
trade parks or on main arterial roads 
in locations near existing dIy outlets. 
we operate our stores on a lease 
basis with an average unexpired lease 
of c.eight years.

Topps stores carry a market leading 
range of tiles and associated products, 
the majority of which is available 
in stock to take away. Our store 
colleagues are a key ingredient of our 
business model – our customers rely 

on our expert product knowledge and 
service based approach.

combining the key aspects of our 
business has created a model which 
has endured for the last 50 years and, 
when combined with our strategy we 
believe will continue to serve us well 
into the future.

See our Key Performance Indicators 
on page 18

Read how Topps mitigates Risks and 
Uncertainties on pages 26 and 27

9

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOn 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our STRAT Egy

In 2013 the group set itself the strategic goal of taking 
profitable market share with a specific target of a one third 
share of the uk domestic tile market. Progress towards this 
target has been driven by our successful strategy of “Out 
Specialising the Specialists” which provides our customers 
with a combination of inspirational service, unrivalled 
range and convenience through our seamless multi-channel 
offering. we are pleased to report that Topps has now 
successfully achieved this goal, a full year ahead of the 
original plan. 

Looking ahead, we plan to maintain our momentum by 
focussing the organisation on further profitable sales growth. 
“Out Specialising the Specialists” has been very effective, 
enabling Topps to grow its share of the uk domestic tile 
market in each of the last seven years, and will remain at 
the heart of our growth plans. In addition, we have begun 
to evaluate potential opportunities to use our existing sales 
channels to access more of the total tile market, including the 
commercial sector. we already service a small element of the 
commercial sector through our existing network and believe 
this could represent an important source of future profitable 
growth for the business. 

Strategic  
PILLARS

 Read more 
 on page 11

R

A

N

G

E

PROFITABLE
SALES GROWTH

CONVE N I E N C E

 Read more 
 on page 12

N

TIO
A
IR
P
S
N

I

LEG END

STRATEGIC PILLARS

STRATEGIC GOAL

 PILLARS

10

Image: 
Regional ReflectionsTm dwyran

Our strategy is centred on delivering outstanding value to 
our customers by specifically focusing on three key areas:

InS PI RATI On
we provide our customers with market leading levels of 
personalised service combined with an inspirational in-
store environment that features innovative merchandising, 
creative room set photography and visualisation.

cOn vEnI En cE
convenience is a vital element of our customers’ 
decision to shop with us. Our scale, expertise, and 
online and mobile experience combined with seamless 
integration across all of our channels to market is an 
important source of competitive advantage.

RAn gE
we offer unrivalled authority in product range, 
including all the latest designs of high quality products, 
with most of our tiles exclusively sourced for Topps. 
Our collaborative new product development process 
ensures we have the up-to-date ranges and a broad 
band of prices to help our customers get the most from 
their home improvement projects.

 Read more 
 on page 13

See our Key Performance Indicators 
on page 18

Read how Topps mitigates Risks and 
Uncertainties on pages 26 and 27

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tpt 
STRATEgIc P IL L AR OnE

Range 

As the uk’s leading specialist tile 
retailer, we understand the importance 
of offering great quality products in the 
latest designs at a range of prices, to 
help our customers get the most from 
their home improvement project. we 
are constantly refreshing our range 
and launch at least one new product 
every week both in store and online. 
This unrivalled authority in product 
range is critical to our competitive 
advantage.

As customer tastes continue to evolve 
and improved technology in tile 
manufacture allows greater diversity 
in style and design, we are finding 
that customers are also increasingly 
adventurous in their choices. Topps 
works collaboratively with leading 
manufacturers from around the world 
to ensure its range remains at the 
forefront of innovation. Areas such 
as digital inkjet print technology, for 
example, have revolutionised what 
can be done with patterned and 
natural effect tiles. where we partner 
with manufacturers to drive this kind of 
innovation by utilising our expert skills 
and knowledge this will often result 
in exclusive products and ranges, 
with many of these becoming top 
sellers, further reinforcing Topps market 
leading authority with our customers. 

Through Topps, customers can access 
a sector leading range of over 5,000 
items, which we manage carefully, 
providing the right choices by product 
sector and updating to stay ahead of 
the competition. 

2015 has seen the development of the 
Topps own brand range with several 
new tile and stone lines launched in 
own brand packaging, as well as the 
launch of a complete Topps tile care 
range and other tiling essentials such 
as tools. 

Through improved new product 
development processes our buyers are 
bringing new products to the market 
faster and much more frequently than 
our competitors. Sales of new tile 
ranges launched over the last twelve 
months have been over £12 million, 
accounting for 9.3% of our tile sales, 
demonstrating the positive customer 
reaction to new product innovation. 

Read about our Marketplace  
on page 08

Read about our Business Model  
on page 09

Read about our Product Innovation 
and our Regional Reflections Range 
on pages 16 and 17

Image: 
Shibori

Image: 
grosvenorTm

What our 
customers   
are saying
“having been to a number 
of tile stores I have found 

Topps Tiles to be one of 

the best. Its wide range of 

tiles and great customer 

ser vice makes it a great 

place to shop.”

11

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnOur STRAT Egy

cOnT In uEd

STRATEgIc P IL L AR TwO

Inspiration 

Providing customers with an 
inspirational shopping experience has 
been critical to Topps market share 
growth over recent years. due to the 
relatively infrequent purchase cycle of 
our retail customers we believe that 
high levels of service and expertise in 
store are key elements of our success. 
we have an absolute commitment to 
delivering best in class customer service 
and this is essential in helping our 
customers to make informed choices. 
we focus on offering friendly, honest 
and helpful advice without ever being 
pushy. All of our stores are mystery 
shopped once every month and we 
also monitor each store’s net Promoter 
Score1 (nPS) on a monthly basis.

Our customers’ home improvement 
projects are becoming ever more 
adventurous and the support required 
even more involved. As a specialist 
business with a total focus on tiles we 
are ideally placed to respond to this 
trend and meet our customers’ needs. 
Our specialist team of advisors can 
truly inspire our customers and support 
them with all the expert advice they 
need to make their project a success.

The widely reported trend towards 
“do it for me” over “do it yourself” 
continues and we are seeing the 
impact of this in our business. Our 
retail customers are increasingly 
choosing to employ the services of 
a professional fitter and will often 
transact through them. Even in these 
scenarios we play an important 
facilitator role, often introducing home 
owners to loyal trade fitters. 

This year we have significantly 
extended the trade loyalty programme 
we launched in 2014 and this is 
helping us to extend both our trade 
customer base and also increase the 
“share of wallet” from our existing 
trade customers. Our trade loyalty 
programme has gone from strength 
to strength this year as the trend to 
“do it for me” has accelerated. work 
continues to drive participation levels 
further and to boost the rewards 
available to our most loyal trade 
customers. The relationship between 
our store teams and their trade 
customers remains a key element of 
our success in this sector of the market. 

As a result trade sales have continued 
to increase their share of the sales mix 
and now account for 50% (2014: 
46%) of our total sales. 

we continue to invest across our store 
estate to ensure that our stores are 
inspirational places to shop. The major 
focus this year has been on improving 
the external appearance of our stores. 
The biggest element of this has been 
a new branding treatment, with all 
stores having now received new 
exterior signage. customer feedback 
regarding the new branding has been 
consistently strong and we believe this 
is an important element in extending 
our customer reach while also ensuring 
that the Topps brand continues to 
appeal to existing customers.

Read about our Successful Rebrand  
on pages 06 and 07

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

What our 
customers   
are saying
“The team were amazing, 

they showed me many 

different options that 

inspired me and suited 

my budget.”

1  A full explanation of the nPS methodology 
and associated scores can be found within 
the kPIs section of this report.

12

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptSTRATEgIc P IL L AR ThREE

Convenience

convenience across all our shopping 
channels is a vital element of our 
customers’ decision to shop with us. 
Our scale, expertise and ability to 
seamlessly integrate all of our channels 
to market is an important source of 
competitive advantage.

In 2014, the group developed the 
“boutique” format, an experimental 
new small store concept, which 
incorporated a fresh new store design 
and a number of innovative in-store 
features. designed principally as a 
method for bringing the Topps offer 
to smaller high Street locations, the 
development of the boutique format 
has also inspired a variety of new 
initiatives across the core store estate, 
which are bringing significant benefits 
to the Topps business as a whole. 

Image: 
visualiser is easily accessible on 
laptops, tablets and mobile phones

m o b i l e

s t o r e s

CREDIT CARD
A NAME

r e m o t e
p a y m e n t s

o n - l i n e

t r a d e
fi t t e r s

w e b   c h a t

STO RE S

Our stores remain by far our most 
dominant channel with over 99% of our 
customers visiting a store at some stage 
in their shopping journey with Topps. 
customers tell us that this is because 
of the tactile nature of the product, 
the market leading service levels on 
offer and good stock availability. we 
have continued to focus on optimising 
returns from the existing store estate, 
adding new locations selectively where 
we believe strong opportunities exist. 
we also target tactical relocations of 
individual stores where this is supported 
by a local market opportunity. In the last 
12 months we opened 11 new core 
stores and closed six, resulting in a net 
increase of five core stores to bring 
the total, at year end, to 323 (2014: 
318). These new stores have performed 
well and we remain very satisfied with 
the return on investment. In addition to 
the improvements made to all stores 
detailed above, we fully refitted 13 
stores and made minor improvements in 
seven other stores during the period. 

In the year ahead we have plans in 
place to continue with a similar range 
of activities. we expect to increase the 
core store estate by 10 new units and 
fully refit around 15 stores plus other 
minor works as appropriate. we will 
also continue our programme of all store 
improvements which will be focussed 
on the new merchandising treatments 
inspired by our boutique concept that 
we have trialled at our new Lab Stores at 
worcester and Shoreditch.

during the year we conducted a 
strategic review of our clearance 
stores. Over recent years we have 

13

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnOur STRAT Egy

cOnT In uEd

Convenience 

cOnT In uEd

converted many of the clearance 
stores to the more profitable core Topps 
format and most of the remaining 
units are located very close to existing 
core stores. As a result of the review 
we have decided to consolidate the 
business behind the core format. At the 
period end we had 11 (2014: 12) 
Topps clearance stores and in the year 
ahead four of these will be converted 
to the core format and the remaining 
seven will be closed.

The boutique format was extended 
during the year with the addition of a 
further eight stores, including the first 
two outside of London, in cheshire. This 
brings the total number of boutique stores 
trading to 13 (2014: five). In addition to 
extending our reach, boutique continues 
to generate lots of rich learning – that we 
are utilising in the core estate wherever 
appropriate. we continue to believe 
there is an opportunity for a roll-out of 
this format and are focusing our efforts 
on further refinement and evolution in the 
year ahead to optimise its performance. 
As a result, while there may be some 
movement in the boutique store portfolio 
in the current year, the number of stores 
trading is likely to remain at around the 
current level.

given the closure of the remaining 
clearance format stores, we expect 
modest net growth in store numbers for 
the year ahead and will continue to 
grow our core Topps format both next 
year and beyond.

OnLInE

Online research is a vital part of 
any customer journey never more so 
than when customers are looking for 
inspiration. The ability to research 

projects online is one of the ways in 
which we offer customers convenience 
and we strive to provide a consistent 
experience across all touch points 
including store visits, online and 
mobile. we also utilise the on-line 
payment facility to help deliver 
convenience to customers who have 
ordered in store or over the phone but 
wish to pay for remotely. 

Over 70% of our customers use our 
website at some point in their journey, 
as well as making numerous trips to a 
store. we therefore believe the ‘pure 
play’ online market for tiles remains very 
small and our ability to combine our 
website offering with the skilled advice 
and convenience available through 
a physical store presence gives us a 
significant competitive advantage over 
any pure play online retailer of tiles. 

This year has seen the launch of a 
market-leading internet-based tile 
visualiser which is accessed through 
our web site. we have also enabled 
colleagues to use this as part of the 
in store sales process by providing 
an iPad to demonstrate to customers 
exactly how various tile combinations 
look in a variety of room sets.

TRAdE

while tradesmen are a distinct 
customer group they are also a very 
important as an alternative channel 
to market for Topps, with some of 
our customers being introduced to 
us through their chosen tile fitter. Of 
these new customers, a portion will 
transact directly, with the remainder 
finding it more convenient to transact 
through their fitter, such that we may 
never deal with those end consumers 

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

What our 
customers   
are saying
“I ordered them online 

and within a couple of 
hours I had a phone 

call from Topps Tiles to 

say they were ready for 

collection at our local 

store.”

Read Topps At a Glance  
on page 02

Read about our Marketplace  
on page 08

14

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptin store. we continue to see good 
growth potential in our trade business 
as home owners rely increasingly 
on specialist tradesmen to complete 
their tiling projects and expect the 
proportion of group sales coming 
through this channel to increase further.

STRAT EgIc EnAbLERS

In addition to the three key areas of 
strategic focus highlighted above there 
are a number of “strategic enablers” 
which the business considers key to 
successfully delivering its strategy. 

Brand Awareness  & 
Consideration

Topps has further extended its market 
leadership over the past year, and is 
investing to further grow both its brand 
awareness and its ‘consideration’ 
amongst consumers who are already 
aware of the brand. As we continue to 
evolve as a business we believe that 
the Topps brand can appeal to an ever 
wider proportion of potential customers. 

The high profile nature of our store 
locations provide us with good levels 
of local awareness. during the year 
we have focussed on consideration 
by significantly improving the “kerb 
appeal” of our stores. The main activity 
has been new signage which adopts 
the brand representation developed for 
our boutique small store concept.

we have continued to invest in a 
broad range of traditional and digital 
media which have been designed 
to bolster overall awareness and 
consideration levels. we have also 
evolved our mix of media to target 
consumers who are actively engaged 
in a tile related purchasing decision. 

Colleag ue  En gage m ent  & 
Commu nic at i ons

It is imperative that all of our people 
have a clear understanding of 
the organisation’s goals and the 
strategic plan to attain them. we 
invest significant time and effort in 
communicating and engaging all 
of our colleagues in our plans for 
the business. during the year we 
held two major conference events 
– attended by all of our store and 
support office managers. In addition 
to these major communication events 
we regularly update all colleagues on 
the company’s progress via email, 
our in-house magazine, quartile, and 
a recently introduced system of text 
messaging from our cEO sent directly 
to colleagues mobile phones. we also 
operate a very successful employee 
forum, TeamTalk, which allows 
colleagues to have their say in how we 
operate our business and we conduct 
a regular colleague engagement survey.

Visualiser 
Store colleagues are our strongest 
asset and we wanted the visualiser 
to be an extension of this

P eo ple  D ev e lopm e nt

we have a strong culture and history 
of growing and developing our people 
from within the organisation and it is 
important to us that our employees 
fulfil their potential during their time 
at Topps. we have been providing 
Adult Apprenticeship qualifications for 
the last six years in Topps and around 
800 colleagues have benefitted from 
this programme. Technical training 
is also very important to us in order 
to maintain our credentials as the 
leading specialist tile retailer – store 
colleague learning and development 
is supported by an e-learning platform 
which regularly includes new courses 
on the latest products, services and 
processes. we are in the process of 
developing more opportunities for 
colleagues to benefit from a wider 
development offering provided by our 
in-house team of Trainers and Advisors.  
Over the course of the coming year 
we will focus on developing new 
content to support an even bigger 
push on colleague development.

Read about Our People  
on page 32

Read about Corporate Social 
Responsibility on pages 28 to 33

15

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPT

cASE STUdy

PROducT 
innovation  
...

Dwyran™

RIch & vARIEd fInISh
Slate Effect

The slate industry in wales began 
during the Roman period. Our dwyran 
quarried slate effect tiles are a popular 
choice for those looking for a rich and 
varied finish.

Langport™

fInE-gRAInEd
Limestone Effect

Inspired by white Lias Limestone found 
in Somerset, Langport’s warming white 
tones and delicate grey veining is an 
ideal choice to make a room look light 
and enhance your living space.

Launched in the summer of 2015, ‘Regional 
Reflections’ is an innovative collection of 
six stone-effect ceramic tiles that have taken 
their influence from the quarried stone that 
can be found throughout the uk. 

This exclusive collection of 29.8 x 59.8cm 
tiles is made in britain and has been 
created using the latest inkjet technology 
which gives an authentic effect, but without 
the associated cost of natural stone or the 
need for sealing and maintenance.

Each stone’s name within the collection 
has taken its influence from the village 
or town near to the quarry where the 
natural product is found and each tile 
pays homage to the natural stone that has 
formed a part of our landscape.

Available in six neutral colours, the 
palette of black, greys, cream and white, 
demonstrates the timeless quality of this 
collection, with each tile reflecting its own 
distinctive characteristics of the particular 
regional stone: Limestone, Sandstone and 
Riven Slate.  

16

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportTopps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015

Annan™

wARmIng TOnES
Sandstone Effect
Annan is a medieval town in the south 
west of Scotland. many of its buildings 
are built from the local red sandstone. 
The Annan stone-effect tile features 
directional warming red tones against a 
sumptuous cream base.

AnnAn

lOwICK

dwyRAn

COtteSMORe

lAnGPOR t

AShInGtOn

Lowick™

dRAmATIc ShAdIng
Limestone Effect
Lowick is a village and civil parish in 
the South Lakeside district of cumbria. 
Inspired by the natural limestone quarried 
in cumbria, the Lowick stone-effect tile is 
the perfect way to connect with mother 
nature and bring a touch of the Lake 
district into your home.

Cottesmore™

vARIEd TExTuRES
Limestone Effect
Taking inspiration from the limestone 
quarried in Rutland, cottesmore is a 
reflection of the moss green-grey stone 
that can be found in several cathedrals, 
Oxford’s colleges and the houses of 
Parliament.

Ashington™

dELIcATE fOSSIL dETAILS
Limestone Effect

named after a hamlet in dorset, 
Ashington is inspired by the natural 
limestone that is found along the South 
coast and has been used in many 
historical monuments, churches and 
buildings including corfe castle, the 
british Library and westminster Abbey.

17

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

OverviewStrategic repOrtgOvernancefinancial StatementSadditiOnal infOrmatiOnKey PERfORmAncE IndIcATORS (kP Is

)

The board monitor a number of financial and non-financial metrics and kPIs both for the group and by individual store, 
including:

fInAncIAL kPIs

LIkE-fOR-LIkE SALE S gROwTh
yEAR-On- yEAR

+5.4%

2014: +8.1%

TOTAL SALES gROwTh  
yEAR- On-yEAR

+8.7%

2014: +9.8%

* Adjusted PbT as defined on page 3.

nOn-fInAncIAL  kPIs

mARkET ShARE

33.3%
( + 0 . 7 % )
2014: 32.6%

nET PROmOT ER  ScORE

73.0%
( - 0 . 5 % )
2014: 73.5%

nOTES

gROSS  mARgIn

+61.2%
( + 3 0 b p s )
2014: 60.9%

AdjuS TEd PbT*

£20.4m
( + 1 9 . 3 % )
2014: £17.1m

nE T dEbT

£28.4m
( - £ 2 . 1 m )
2014: £30.5m

In vEnTO R y dA yS

124
( - 6 . 8 % )
2014: 133

cARbOn EmI SSI OnS  PE R 
STORE  (TOn nE S  PE R Ann um)

36.9
( - 1 6 . 5 % )
2014: 44.2

numbE R Of STO RE S 
AT yEAR  En d

347
( + 1 2 )
2014: 335

•	 net Promoter Score is calculated based on customer feedback to the question of how likely they are to recommend 
Topps Tiles to friends or colleagues. The scores are based on a numerical scale from 0–10 which allows customer 
to be split into promoters (9–10), passives (7–8) and detractors (0–6). The final score is based on the percentage 
of promoters minus the percentage of detractors. Prior year comparative data has been restated to include on-line 
responses.

•	 Energy carbon emissions has been compiled in conjunction with our supplier (SSE) and is based on the actual energy 
consumed multiplied by Environment Agency approved emissions factors. vehicle emissions has been calculated by 
our in-house transport team based on mileage covered multiplied by manufacturer quoted emission statistics. 

•	 market share data is derived from the annual mbd report on the uk tile market. data for 2014 was originally stated 

at 30.3% but was restated by mbd in the 2015 market report.

The board receive regular information on these and other metrics for the group as a whole. This information is reviewed 
and updated as the directors feel appropriate.

18

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptFinancial REvIEw

Robert Parker 
chief financial Officer

fInAncIAL ObjEcTIvES  

In addition to the key strategic 
objectives highlighted in the Strategy 
section the business maintains a strict 
financial discipline, including:

•	 Primary focus on increasing 

revenues and cash generation, 
maintaining cost disciplines and 
optimising gross margins;

•	 capital structure and net debt – the 
level of net debt has now been 
reduced to a point that the board 
feels is an appropriate balance of 
an efficient capital structure and 
financial flexibility. The business 
remains cash generative and as 
we move forwards the board will 
continue to adopt a progressive 
dividend policy; and 

•	 maximising earnings per share 

and shareholder returns, including 
bi-annual review of our dividend 
policy.

2015 wAS A SuccESSfuL  
yEAR fOR TOPPS And wE  
hAvE nOw dELIvEREd TwO  
cOnSEcuTIvE yEARS Of 
STROng SALES gROwTh 
And cORRESPOndIngL y 
RObuST PROgRESS On 
PROfITS And EARnIngS   
PER ShARE. 

gR OuP REvEn uE

£212.2m

£195.2m

£177.7m

£177.8m

£175.5m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

gR OS S mARgIn

60.0%

60.2%

59.6%

60.9%

61.2%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

PROfIT  And L O SS AccOu nT
Revenue

Revenue for the period ended  
3 October 2015 increased by 8.7% 
to £212.2 million (2014: £195.2 
million). The trading period was 53 
weeks, as opposed to 52 weeks in the 
prior year, removing the effect of this 
additional week of sales would result in 
sales growth of 6.7%. Like-for-like store 
sales increased by 5.4% in the period, 
which consisted of a 5.3% increase in 
the first half of the financial period and 
a 5.5% increase in the second half. 

Gross Marg in

Overall gross margin was 61.2% 
compared with 60.9% in the previous 
financial period. Over the first half 
of the period the gross margin was 
60.7%, and we delivered a gross 
margin of 61.7% in the second half 
of the period. gross margin in the 
second half includes some gains 
which crystallised in the period but 
apply to the year as a whole and as 
a consequence we consider the full 
year margin as a good guide to future 
margin expectations, with some modest 
growth targeted as we move forwards. 

19

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnAnnual cost savings of at least £0.5 
million will be realised from the 
second half of 2016 onwards and 
the business will also benefit from 
operational efficiencies as a result of 
this simplification. 

O pe rat ing  Profi t

Operating profit for the period  
was £18.9 million (2013: £18.2 
million), representing 8.9% of sales 
(2013: 9.3%).

Excluding the adjusting items detailed 
above operating profit was £21.5 
million (2013: £18.7 million), 
representing 10.1% of sales  
(2013: 9.6%).

O t he r Gai ns and L oss es

during the period we disposed of one 
freehold property with no gain (2014: 
gain £0.4 million). 

F inanc ing

The net underlying interest charge for 
the year was £1.1 million (2014: 
£1.6 million), excluding the impact of 
currency revaluations. The underlying 
interest charge has fallen compared to 
the prior financial period due the full 
year impact of the 2014 renegotiation 
of the Rolling credit facility with 
associated lower borrowing and 
improved rate.

Financial REvIEw

cOnT In uEd

Operating  Exp enses

Total operating costs have risen from 
£100.7 million to £111.0 million, 
an increase of 10.2%. costs as a 
percentage of sales were 52.3% 
compared to 51.6% in the previous 
period. when one-off adjusting items 
(detailed below) are excluded, operating 
costs were £108.4 million (2014: 
£100.2 million), equivalent to 51.1%  
of sales (2014: 51.3% of sales).

The movement in adjusted operating 
costs is explained by the following  
key items:

•	 Operating a 53 week year, verses 
a 52 week year in the prior period 
has added £1.9m to costs

during the period we incurred several 
charges which we have excluded from 
our adjusted operating costs as they 
are not representative of the underlying 
cost base of the business. These are: 

 — exceptional business restructuring 
costs (as detailed below) of  
£2.6 million (2014: £nil)

 — other business restructuring costs of 
£0.2 million (2014: £0.2 million)

 — the impairment of plant, property 
and equipment of £0.3 million 
(2014: £0.3 million)

 — 2015 also saw a one-off gain 

relating to the receipt of a premium 
for the early exit of a store of  
£0.5 million (2014: £nil)

•	 Inflation at an average of 

Restructu ring  Cos ts

approximately 1.5% has increased 
our cost base by around £1.5 
million 

The group is progressing two key 
initiatives to simplify and streamline  
its operations, these are: 

•	 The average number of uk stores 

trading during the financial period 
was 341 (2013: 329), which 
generated an increase in costs of 
approximately £2.8 million 

•	 Investment in additional store labour 
hours, supporting like for like store 
sales growth, accounted for  
£0.6 million of additional costs

•	 Employee profit share costs have 
increased by £0.6 million due to 
targets across the business being 
exceeded as a result of the strong 
business performance

•	 Increase in support costs of £0.8 
million, with increased marketing 
costs of £0.4 million being the 
largest single item.

•	 The remaining elements of the cost 

base are flat when compared to the 
prior year

i.  The centralisation of its support 

functions into one site at Leicester, 
incurring a one-off restructuring 
charge of £1.5 million (2014: £nil)

ii.  The closure of seven clearance 
stores, with the remaining four 
being converted to the core 
Topps format, incurring a one-off 
restructuring charge of £1.1 million 
(2014: £nil)

These costs have been treated as 
exceptional items and have been 
reported separately on the face of the 
income statement. There was no cash 
impact in the period resulting from 
these changes but it is expected that 
there will ultimately be an equivalent 
cash cost to the business. The timing 
of the cash outflow will primarily be 
driven by successful negotiation to  
exit leases.

20

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptThe company has in place a number 
of forward currency contracts 
giving rise to a “marked to market” 
revaluation as required by IAS39 
“financial Instruments: Recognition and 
measurement”. This revaluation has 
generated a fair value (non-cash) gain 
of £0.1 million (2014: £0.1 million 
gain). The group does not apply 
IAS39 to these instruments and hence 
any gains or losses against these 
derivatives are applied directly to the 
income statement rather than being 
offset against balance sheet reserves.

In addition to the above charges 
and gains we have also provided for 
£0.9 million of interest against historic 
outstanding tax liabilities (2014:  
£0.1 million charge).

net interest cover was 23.8 times 
(2014: 14.2 times) based on earnings 
before interest, tax, depreciation and 
the impairment of plant, property and 
equipment, excluding the impact of 
IAS39 in finance charges. The 2014 
year included a write down of the 
unamortised issue costs relating to 
the 2011 Revolving credit facility of 
£0.3 million (2015: £nil).

Image: 
metro grey

Profit Be fore  Tax

Adj uST Ed PR OfI T bEfOR E TAx

Reported profit before tax was  
£17.0 million (2014: £16.7 million).

£20.4m

£17.1m

The group profit before tax margin 
was 8.0% (2014: 8.6%).

£13.9m

£12.8m

£13.0m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

TRAdIng In ThE fIRST  

EIghT wEEkS Of ThE  

nEw fInAncIAL yEAR  

hAS bEEn In LInE wITh 

OuR ExPEcTATIOnS

Excluding the adjusting items detailed 
on page 3 profit before tax was 
£20.4 million (2014: £17.1 million).

The group adjusted profit before tax 
margin was 9.6% (2014: 8.8%).

Tax 

The effective rate of corporation Tax 
for the period was 23.2% (2014: 
25.0%). 

The group tax rate is higher than the 
prevailing uk corporation tax rate due 
to non-deductible expenditure and 
depreciation on assets not qualifying 
for capital allowances. 

Ear nings P e r Share

basic earnings per share were  
6.75 pence (2014: 6.49 pence).

diluted earnings per share were  
6.73 pence (2014: 6.43 pence). 

21

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnFinancial REvIEw

cOnT In uEd

AdjuST Ed EPS

6.18p

5.44p

5.11p

8.17p

6.63p

Excluding the adjusting items detailed 
on page 3 adjusted earnings per 
share were 8.17 pence (2014:  
6.63 pence).

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

T OTAL dIvIdEnd

3.00p

2.25p

1.25p

1.50p

1.10p

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

cAPITAL ExPEndI TuRE

£10.8m

£12.0m

£11.2m

£6.1m

£5.5m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

nET dEbT

£50.9m

£45.6m

£36.6m

£30.5m

£28.4m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

22

Dividend and Di vi dend  po li cy

The board has reviewed its dividend 
policy during the year and has 
recognised that the current level of 
dividend cover is relatively modest. The 
board considers that a dividend cover 
of approximately 25 is achievable 
over the medium term and should be 
sustainable at this level. As a result of 
the proposed future policy, the dividend 
for this year has been based on an 
approximately 2.725 level of cover.

The board is recommending to 
shareholders a final dividend of 2.25 
pence per share (2014: 1.60 pence 
per share). This will cost £4.3 million 
(2014: £3.1 million). The shares will 
trade ex-dividend on 7 january 2016 
and, subject to approval at the Annual 
general meeting, the dividend will be 
payable on 4 february 2016.

This brings the total dividend for the 
year to 3.00 pence per share (2014: 
2.25 pence per share), an increase 
of 33%.

bALAncE ShEET

Ca pital e xpe nd it ur e

capital expenditure in the period 
amounted to £12.0 million (2014: 
£11.2 million), an increase of 7.1%. 

key investments are as follows:

 — new stores (core format and 

boutique) £3.3 million – 19 new 
openings, two relocations and nine 
closures (2014: £3.1 million)

 — Store refits £3.0 million (2014: 

£2.7 million)

 — Store rebranding £2.5 million 

(2014: £0.4 million)

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

 — Other store related strategic 

initiatives £0.7 million (2014: 
£1.1 million)

 — Other expenditure of £1.2 million, 

including £0.8 million of IT 
investment (2014: £1.0 million)

 — freehold and leasehold investments 

£1.3 million – two freehold 
purchases in the period (2014: 
£2.9 million), and one freehold 
disposal. 

The board expects capital expenditure 
to continue at broadly the same level 
in the current financial year.

At the period end the group held 
nine freehold or long leasehold 
sites including two warehouses and 
distribution facilities with a total 
carrying value of £16.5 million 
(2014: eight freehold or long 
leasehold sites valued at £16.0 
million). The carrying value is 
based on the historic purchase cost, 
capital expenditure less accumulated 
depreciation.

P rope r t y  Dis posa ls

during the period we disposed of one 
freehold property with no gain or loss 
(2014: one property generated £0.4 
million gain).

I nve nt or y

Inventory at the period end was 
£27.4 million (2014: £27.8 million) 
representing 124 days turnover (2014: 
133 days turnover). The absolute level 
of inventory is broadly stable, with 
days cover reducing as we grow sales 
on the same stock base. 

Capi t al St ru ct u re  and Tre as ur y

cash and cash equivalents at the 
period end were £16.6 million 
(2014: £19.5 million) with 
borrowings of £45.0 million (2014: 
£50.0 million). 

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptImage: 
Attingham Seagrass

wE ARE cOnfIdEnT  

ThAT ThE gROuP’S  

SuccESSfuL STRATEgy 

Of “OuT SPEcIALISIng 

ThE SPEcIALISTS” hAS  

SIgnIfIcAnT fuRThER  

POTEnTIAL And 

wILL undERPIn OuR  

PROgRESS In ThE yEAR  

AhEAd.

gOIng cOn cERn 

when considering the going concern 
test the board review several factors 
including a detailed review of the 
above risks and uncertainties, the 
group’s forecast covenant and cash 
headroom against lending facilities 
(which were refinanced in june 
2014) and management’s current 
expectations. As a result of this 
review the board believes that the 
group will continue to meet all of 
its financial commitments as they fall 
due and will be able to continue as a 
going concern. Therefore, the board 
considers it appropriate to prepare 
the financial statements on the going 
concern basis.

This gives the group a net debt position 
of £28.4 million (2014: £30.5 
million). This was better than previously 
expected due to the non-payment 
of historic tax and interest charges 
of c.£4 million (which will now fall 
in 2016) and an improved working 
capital position compared to the interim 
position, principally driven by inventory.

C ash flow 

cash generated by operations was 
£24.2 million, compared to £24.9 
million last period. The year end 
in 2015 fell on the 3 October and 
was therefore after key month-end 
payments had been made (suppliers, 
landlords and colleagues), whereas in 
the prior period ended 27 September 
the equivalent payments had not been 
paid. This timing difference is the 
principal driver of the small reduction 
in cash generation year on year. 

23

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnFinancial REvIEw

cOnT In uEd

2.25p
+40.6%

fInAL dIvIdEnd

2014: 1.60p

3.00p
+33.3%

TOTAL dIvIdEnd

2014: 2.25p

LOng  TERm  vI AbI L ITy

In accordance with code provision 
2.2 of the 2014 corporate 
governance code (‘the 2014 
code’), in addition to the going 
concern statement the directors have 
also assessed the prospects of the 
group over a longer period.* This 
assessment has been done over a 
period of 3 years for the following 
reasons:

 — this is the basis on which strategic 
financial plans are prepared; and

 — the business is largely dependent 
on uk consumer confidence and 
discretionary spending which is 
difficult to project beyond this 
period. 

The directors’ assessment has been 
made with reference to the group’s 
current position and prospects, the 
group’s strategy, and principal risks 
facing the company (including the 
mitigants described), as detailed in the 
Strategic Report. 

The board considers the key risks to 
delivery of these financial plans to 
be a reduction in the level of sales 
growth and possibly a resultant 
weakening in gross margin. As a 
result a number of sales and gross 
margin based sensitivities have 
been prepared and reviewed by the 
board. It should also be noted that the 
group is operationally geared which 
means that there is a relatively high 
level of impact from any increases 
or decreases in levels of turnover. A 
sustained decrease in levels of turnover 
would be managed by a reduction in 
operational expenditure, reductions in 

capital expenditure, tighter working 
capital controls and possible restriction 
of company dividends. The conclusion 
of these sensitivities is that the group 
has a good level of financial flexibility 
and is well positioned to withstand 
a number of risks occurring and or 
a sustained reduction in levels of 
consumer spending. 

based on this review the directors 
confirm that they have a reasonable 
expectation that the group will 
continue to operate and meets its 
liabilities, as they fall due, for the next 
3 years.

cuRR EnT TRAdIn g An d 
m ARkE T c On dITI OnS fOR
ThE y EA R AhEAd 

2015 was a successful year for 
Topps and we have now delivered 
two consecutive years of strong sales 
growth and correspondingly robust 
progress on profits and earnings per 
share. 

Trading in the first eight weeks of 
the new financial year has been in 
line with our expectations, with like 
for like sales increasing by 3.3% 
(2014: 5.8%). we are confident 
that the group’s successful strategy 
of “Out Specialising the Specialists” 
has significant further potential and 
will underpin our progress in the year 
ahead.

*  due to our accounting period commencing 

prior to 1 October 2014, we are not obliged 
to and are not adopting the 2014 code in full, 
however, in the spirit of best practice and in 
light of our business planning process (which 
assess business viability in the longer term), we 
are adopting this provision of the 2014 code.

24

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tpt   
cAuTIOnAR y STATEmEnT

this Strategic Report, and Chairman’s 
statement have been prepared solely 
to provide additional information to 
shareholders to assess the Group’s 
strategies and the potential for those 
strategies to succeed. these reports 
should not be relied on by any other 
party or for any other purpose.

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

The directors, in preparing this 
Strategic and Operational Review, 
have complied with s414a of the 
companies Act 2006. This business 
Review has been prepared for the 
group as a whole and therefore gives 
greater emphasis to those matters 
which are significant to Topps Tiles 
Plc and to its subsidiary undertakings 
when viewed as a whole.

dIREcTORS’ R ESPOnSIbI LI Ty 
STATEmEnT

we confirm 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 company and 
the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole; 
and

Image: 
This year has seen the launch 
of a market-leading internet-
based tile visualiser

•	 the Strategic Report, which is 

incorporated into the directors’ 
Report includes a fair review of 
the development and performance 
of the business and the position of 
the company and the undertakings 
included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole, together with a 
description of the principal risks 
and uncertainties they face and a 
fair, balanced and reasonable view 
of the business.

An nuA L gEnE RAL  mEE TIn g

The Annual general meeting for the 
period to 3 October 2015 will be 
held on 28 january 2016 at 10am at 
the marriot hotel, Leicester.

Matt Williams 
chief Executive Officer 

Rob Parker  
chief financial Officer

1 december 2015

25

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnRisks And uncERTAInTIES

The board conducts a continuing review of key risks and uncertainties. during the year the Audit committee have 
discussed the key strategic risks, the likelihood and impact of these occurring and mitigants we have in place.

UK Economy And conSUmER confidEncE

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The economy may deteriorate 

consumers need to feel confident to 

we believe that through a combination of a robust level of 

and impact on consumer 

invest money into their homes. In the 

profitably and financial flexibility the business is able to 

confidence.

event of a significant reduction in 

withstand short term trading pressures. This has been proven in 

house prices, housing transactions or 

recent years over the period of the financial crisis. Longer term 

consumer confidence we would expect 

we consider that the uk housing market remains attractive and 

this to adversely impact on business 

we believe there remains significant upside from a sustained 

performance.

economic recover y.

APPRoPRiATE bUSinESS STRATEGy

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

Our business strategy will not 

without a clear company goal and a 

The strategy is reviewed annually, updated as required and 

be successfully delivered.

well understood strategy to deliver, the 

approved by the board. bi-annual communication events ensure 

risk is that the business loses focus and 

around two thirds of all colleagues are directly briefed by the 

fails to deliver its objectives.

Executive and regular updates are provided to all colleagues on 

our progress towards our goals.

The board reviews progress on key strategic initiatives at each 

meeting.

ThREAT of nEW EnTRAnTS

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

new entrants may seek to erode 

Loss of market share leading to reduced 

we constantly review our competitor set but at the same time we are 

our market share.

sales and profitability.

clear on what differentiates Topps from its competitors. Exceptional 

customer service, market leading product offer and unrivalled multi-

channel convenience are the key elements of our business which, 

whilst imitated, have never effectively been replicated.

LoSS of KEy PERSonnEL

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The loss of key individuals 

Increased competition also introduces 

colleague turnover is monitored. we also have a focus on colleague 

could impact on the ability 

the risk of increased colleague turnover 

engagement surveys to gauge the views of our people across the 

of the business to deliver its 

and the resulting loss of knowledge, 

business. Pay and benefits are benchmarked to ensure we are 

objectives.

disruption and associated costs.

rewarding our people in line with their contribution to the business.

In addition we have a detailed succession plan for each key 

executive and non-compete clauses for senior colleagues.

LoSS of KEy PERfoRminG SToRES

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The loss of key performing 

Loss of a multiple number of top 

we conduct regular reviews of all stores’ profitability and for our 

stores which contribute a 

performing stores could cause a   

most profitable units security of tenure is key. we review lease 

material amount of group 

material impact on the company’s 

terms where appropriate and will pro-actively re-gear leases to 

earnings.

profitability.

ensure we always have at least several years of security.

given our geographic coverage it is also likely that if a key 

performing store did close we would migrate some sales into 

neighbouring stores.

we also recognise that freehold is the ultimate mitigant and as 

part of our continuing review of key stores we consider this where 

appropriate.

26

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptLoSS of A KEy SUPPLiER

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The loss of a key supplier   

The loss of a key supplier would 

Our supply chain is diverse and due to our scale we can source 

could impact on our ability to 

potentially lead to disruption in supply 

products directly from manufacturers anywhere in the world. 

trade.

of key selling products leading to loss 

for most products we sell there is an alternative available. If 

of sales and profits.

there was not, this would affect the entire market place and 

accordingly should not lead to a loss of competitiveness.

finAncinG

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The group has a £50 million 

The most likely impact of not being able 

Loan renewal discussions are conducted well in advance in order 

revolving credit facility in place 

to renew the loan facility would be the 

to allow sufficient time to cater for different negotiation scenarios 

which was refinanced in june 

requirement to raise additional funding 

and would include both existing and new banks to gauge 

2014 and expires in june 

from shareholders. 

interest. 

2019. The loan facility contains 

financial covenants which are 

tested on a bi-annual basis. 

The key risks would be either 

not negotiating new facilities in 

advance of expiry or breaching 

a loan covenant which would 

have an adverse impact on the 

group’s financing position.

The impact of breaching a loan 

Loan covenants are measured monthly and reported to the board. 

covenant would likely be financial in 

The company planning model is updated several times a year and 

terms of additional charges and fees. 

gives good for ward visibility. Any potential issues would be dealt 

At its worst it would also mean the loan 

with well in advance by pro-active discussions with lenders.

would be repayable which would be 

likely to result in a fundraising.

TEchnoLoGy foR comPETiTivE Adv AnTAGE

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

utilisation of emerging 

we know that c.70+% of customers 

we have a dedicated online team who are responsible for Topps 

technologies is an important 

will research their purchase online 

web based activities. The team conduct regular reviews of our 

source of competitive 

before visiting a store. This research 

website vs our key competitors and also review other online 

advantage. digital media tools 

includes the company website but also 

activity such as social media posts involving Topps. A new cRm  

such as the company website, 

other forms of social media such as 

system has been developed which will launch in 2016 and 

social media, and customer 

facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. 

should ensure that we stay at the forefront of our market for the 

Relationship management 

modern cRm systems are important 

immediate future. we work closely with manufacturers of tiles to 

(cRm) are key to our continued 

in establishing a relationship with our 

ensure we are helping to drive innovation in our market and to 

success. The technology used 

customers and engaging with them on 

also benefit from exclusive arrangements wherever possible.

in tile manufacturing can also 

a personalised basis. Technology used 

be an important source of 

in tile manufacture has also moved 

competitive advantage.

for ward significantly in recent years 

failure to keep pace with 

– in particular using digital printing 

technology is a key risk.

technology to create a broad range of 

designs and effects on the tile surface.

mAjoR REPUTATionAL dAmAGE

RiSK

imPAcT

miTiGATion

The Topps brand is a 

whilst impacts from reputational 

governance and internal controls are the key mitigants against 

ver y important part of our 

damage could be wide ranging the 

reputational damage. The company operates a wide range of 

competitive advantage. 

most likely impact would be financial 

processes and procedures designed to ensure that we are fully 

Possible areas of impact could 

resulting from damage to our brand and 

compliant with all legal requirements and operate industr y & 

be due a failure in our core 

consequent loss of sales.

governance best practice across the entire business.

processes around our products, 

our stores, our supply chain or 

our people.

The directors will continue to monitor all of the key risks and uncertainties and the board will take appropriate actions to 
mitigate these risks and their potential outcomes.

27

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnCorporate SOcI AL RESPOnSIbI LI Ty

As a company with a national 
presence and an international supply 
chain we take seriously the impact 
we have in the places where we do 
business. 

Over the last twelve years we have 
developed our corporate Social 
Responsibility (cSR) policies to 
respond to the growing need we 
face to be good neighbours in the 
communities where we trade, help 
protect our environment, and look 
after the people we employ.

The company’s board has been 
fully engaged in this process from its 
outset and in 2013 we appointed our 
non-executive director, Andy king, to 
have specific responsibility for further 
developing policies in this area.

we are proud of our achievements in 
this field to date which have seen us 
become a major supporter of national 
charities, consistently reduce our 
environmental impact and fully invest 
in the people we employ.

OuR cOm mu nI Ty An d 
chARITy wO Rk

At the heart of all of our community 
and charity work are our staff. They 
play an active role in helping us to 
become “good neighbours” in the 
communities where we trade and 
through a company-wide ballot they 
decide, every five years, which 
national charity they want to support.

LOcA L cOm m unI Ty

Locally, in our role as a good 
neighbour, we have continued to 
support a wide range of causes.  
Through the donation of tiles we have 
supported community mosaics in Rhyl, 
folkestone, maidstone and Stevenage, 
a junior sports club refurbishment in 
hemel hempstead, a wildlife park zoo 
in canterbury and a dementia care 
home in Swindon.

we have also supported local tiling 
colleges and construction courses with 
the supply of free tiles, including the 
birmingham Tiling college, Solihull 
Tiling college, a construction Training 
college in dartford and groundworks 
in Stoke-on-Trent which is a facility 
that educates 13–16 year olds in 
construction skills.

This year we have also formed a 
partnership with bury college where 
we offer a supported internship 
at our bury store to enable young 
people with learning disabilities the 
opportunity to gain work experience 
and achieve their working aspirations.

yOuTh SPO RT

At Topps, we have always recognised 
the benefits that participation in sport 
can bring to the communities in which 
we trade and we are proud to be 
involved in helping children to get 
outdoors and become active through 
our youth football sponsorship.

for some time we have understood 
that sponsoring just one sport can 
be restrictive to other sporting 
communities, therefore in 2015, we 
were delighted to extend our support 
to include youth rugby and youth 
hockey. 

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Birmingham Tiling College  
we are proud to support local 
tiling colleges and construction 
courses

Tile Donations  
we continue to support projects 
through the donation of tiles and 
accessories

Youth Sport  
Our youth sport programme  
was extended in 2015 to include 
rugby and hockey

28

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptchARITy SuPPORT

Topps has supported help for heroes 
since 2008 and has raised over 
£300,000 for them in this time.  
following a company-wide ballot in 
Autumn 2014, our colleagues voted 
to switch their support to macmillan 
cancer Support, a partnership which 
will stay in place until at least the 
end of 2019. we have already seen 
some fantastic fundraising events from 
our colleagues, including marathon 
running, bike rides, barbeques and 
coffee mornings. we will also be 
donating 4p directly to macmillan from 
each 5p charged for a carrier bag 
under the government’s new scheme.

LEIcESTERShIRE cARES  

This year we have become official 
members of “Leicestershire cares” who 
are a local charity organisation who 
enable businesses to support the local 
community through employees’ giving 
up their time to help with various 
community initiatives. 

Supporting Leicestershire cares is 
fully aligned to our general focus 
on colleague engagement and 
also provides further development 
opportunities for our people. we have 
agreed to do five “team challenges” 
this year which involve teams from 
across our Leicestershire headquarters 
going out to support various one 
day community projects – such as 
maintenance of community facilities. 

Leicestershire cares offers a range of 
ways to support the community beyond 
the ‘team challenges’ so this is an 
exciting partnership with the potential 
to grow over time.

Macmillan Cancer Support  
Topps colleagues voted to 
support macmillan following a 
company-wide ballot

Leicestershire Cares  
2015 saw Topps become 
official members of 
Leicestershire cares

29

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnCorporate SOcI AL RESPOnSIbI LI Ty

cOnT In uEd

EnvIROnmEnTAL I mPAcT

To ensure that Topps can become 
a more sustainable business our 
environmental programme has focused 
on three key areas – reducing the 
energy used in our stores, waste 
recycling and lowering the emissions 
from our transport fleet.

In our stores lighting and heating has 
both a major environmental and cost 
impact on the business; to reduce this 
we have taken the following steps. 

•	 Since October 2013 all our electricity 
has come from renewable sources; 

•	 we have replaced old inefficient 
lighting in our stores with modern 
low energy use equipment; and

•	 To help us accurately monitor and 
control our use of energy we are 
working with our utility provider to 
install smart meter systems in all our 
stores. This programme together 
with our continuing review of new 
technologies in this field will help 
us in being able to make further 
energy use reductions wherever we 
identify opportunities.

carbon emissions from the business 
are included within the directors’ 
Report section of this document.

wASTE

we continue to recover several types 
of recyclable waste from stores for 
processing at our distribution centre  
in Leicester.

In our all of our stores we have 
a system of dry mixed recycling.  
This enables cardboard, paper, 
newspaper, plastic film, bottles, steel, 
aluminium cans all to be collected by 
our refuse partner using only one bin.  
In parallel we have recycling facilities 
in all our offices for paper, cardboard, 
hard plastics and cans. 

In addition, old IT equipment is also 
included in our waste management 
programme. we use our own transport 
fleet to ensure that store generated 
waste is brought to our distribution 
centre at grove Park in Leicester for 
onward transport for recycling. The 
number of journeys for this purpose is 
minimised by the use of compaction 
techniques.

At our distribution centre, we continue 
to reduce the amount of waste going to 
landfill by segregating waste into seven 
distinct streams, namely polypropylene 
banding, plastic, polythene, cardboard, 
scrap metal, wooden packaging, tiles 
and end of life pallets all of which are 
segregated and processed through our 
recycling partner.

As part of our commitment to our 
environmental agenda, we are also 
working on a project that aims to see 
us at 0% landfill from our store waste by 
the end of 2017. This will include new 
waste facilities for stores and providing 
them with full visibility of their waste 
costs, so they can monitor and track 
how they are performing as a store. 

TRAnSPO RT

Our vehicle fleet covered 3,144,682 
kilometres last year delivering stock to 
our stores.  we are constantly looking 
for ways to improve the efficiency of 
our transport operation, which can in 
turn reduce the amount of emissions 
produced.

In july 2015, we made significant 
changes to our network which saw the 
introduction of transport outbases – we 
now have six regional stockless depots 
which are used for making deliveries 
to stores. The operating principle is 
to maximise the use of each vehicle 
by using them to deliver to stores by 
day then moving stock between the 
distribution centre and the outbases 
by night.

In 2016, we will explore further 
opportunities to improve our vehicle 
utilisation. This may include delivering 
to some of our stores outside of normal 
trading hours, in order to maximise 
transport efficiency. To support this, 
we are currently trialling a very low 
noise electric version of our truck-
mounted forklifts. The transport industry 
is becoming increasingly focused on 
low noise technology for deliveries in 
urban areas and we have provided 
information to Transport for London 
as part of a case study into the new 
forklift technology.

we procured four new mAn Euro 6 
vehicles in 2015, which are already 
showing improved fuel efficiency 
compared to the rest of the fleet. we 
will procure up to a further 10 vehicles 
in early 2016 as part of a rolling fleet 
replacement programme.

Our teams continue to “backhaul” 
stock directly from seven of our uk 
suppliers. This is the collaborative 
principle of using our own transport to 
collect stock from suppliers while our 
vehicles are already out making other 
deliveries, therefore reducing overall 
vehicle movements in the supply chain.

we are in the process of installing 
digital video recording equipment 
across our fleet. This is designed 
to improve the insurance claims 
experienced in the event of an incident 
and is starting to be adopted across 
many other commercial vehicle fleets.

In April of this year, we also changed 
our home delivery service from over 
250 providers to one nationwide 
provider meaning that we can 
consolidate orders and utilise our 
suppliers fleet to minimise our carbon 
footprint.

30

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptNew Truck Design  
we go miles for the love of 
tiles!

we have a policy on timber products 
and have adopted the principles and 
criteria of the forest Stewardship 
council as our benchmark.

Our full policy can be found on our 
website at www.toppstiles.co.uk in 
the investor section under corporate 
Responsibility.

 Read more about our Corporate
 Responsibility online at
 www.toppstiles.co.uk

Through 2014 we comprehensively 
reviewed all of our product suppliers 
from an ethical and environmental 
sourcing stance. All our ongoing 
product supply partners meet 
standards we would expect and are 
100% compliant with our ethical 
sourcing & environmental programmes.  

All our ceramic & porcelain tiles 
and natural stone products are fully 
compliant with European standards; 
all boxes and crates carry the 
cE marking. The declaration of 
Performance (dOP) certificates are 
available upon request and are held 
on our cE database.

SuPPL y chAIn

we source the products we sell from 
around the world to bring the latest 
styles and designs to the uk market.   
To address any possible concerns 
that affect labour standards, factory 
conditions and human rights, our 
buyers and buying agents conduct 
regular supplier visits and factory tours 
to ensure that all contracts for supply 
of goods include our requirements in 
relation to each of these issues. 

All of our suppliers comply with our 
Ethical Sourcing & Environmental 
programme which covers two main 
principles: 

•	 Employing a free, safe and fairly 

treated workforce

•	 compliance with all environment 

legislation, optimised recycling and 
minimising environmental impact

31

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOnCorporate SOcI AL RESPOnSIbI LI Ty

cOnT In uEd

OuR PEOPLE

Our colleagues are a central focus for 
us and we want to ensure they have 
the right capabilities and that they feel 
engaged and proud of working for 
Topps. In doing this we strive to create 
an environment across all areas of the 
business which is inspiring to both our 
employees and our customers. 

cOLLEAguE wELLbEIng

we provide a helpline service for all 
colleagues to give them a channel 
for expressing concerns and seeking 
advice regarding workplace issues. 

Our in-house health & Safety team 
also maintain a regular dialogue with 
colleagues. They carry out periodic 
inspections and assessments to ensure 
risks are minimised or removed in our 
stores, warehouse and offices. 

To promote effective communication 
and employee involvement, we also 
operate a health & Safety committee, 
which meets on a bi-annual basis and 
is chaired by a main board director, 
Rob Parker.

we also provide an Employee 
Assistance Programme to give all 
employees access to information, 
resources and counselling to help 
balance work, family and personal life.

cOmmunIcATIOn And 
EngAgEmEnT

communication with our colleagues is 
vital and we have a plan and various 
initiatives in place to ensure regular 
and effective dialogue. 

we have a number of existing 
communication channels, including 
an internal magazine, quarterly h&S 
bulletin and a weekly stores bulletin 
and we have just introduced a text 
service where colleagues can register 
to receive key business updates from 
the chief Executive directly to their 
mobile phone. moreover, we have an 
intranet which is a key engagement 
tool and acts as a “one-stop shop” for 
all information that colleagues across 
the business require.

during the year we conducted 
our largest ever conference for all 
our managers. At this event, we 
celebrated the achievement of our 
previous strategic goal, communicated 
our refreshed strategy for the business 
and outlined the part every colleague 
can play in helping us to achieve the 
next stage of the company’s success.

Our colleague representative forum 
(“TEAm Talk”) is now firmly embedded 
across the entire business and 
continues to provide a framework for 
colleagues to participate in two-
way communication, giving them a 
platform from which to help shape and 
influence decision making within the 
group.

As an initiative to measure, recognise 
and improve colleague engagement 
levels, we have once again completed 
the best companies annual survey.  
Last year we were awarded the best 
companies ‘Ones to watch’ status 
(fourth category) and we achieved 
this status again in 2015 but with 
a positive like for like improvement 
on our overall engagement score. 
Our aspiration is now to continually 
improve our colleague engagement 
levels and move from best companies 
fourth category into their first category 
over the next five years.

we have reviewed and re-established 
our core “behaviours” that we wish 
to ensure each and every colleague 
within the company demonstrates. 
we have this year introduced these 
behaviours to our senior team to 
ensure they are firmly embedded 
and consistently demonstrated by our 
leaders before cascading these to all 
other colleagues next year.

we also have two initiatives planned 
this year to specifically develop our 
internal and external employee brand 
in a drive to attract and retain the 
talent needed to support our growth 
plans.  These are to review our 
careers website and clearly define our 
employee value proposition.

Rewarding our employees for all their 
hard work is part of the Topps ethos 
and everyone has the opportunity 
to enhance their basic pay through 
additional performance-related 
incentives. In 2015 we increased our 
standard basic pay over and above 
the national minimum wage for all 
colleagues. The company operates 
a “save as you earn” plan which 
is open to all colleagues and gives 
everyone the opportunity to become 
a shareholder in the business on 
advantageous terms.

In addition to the above measures, 
we have an annual “back to the floor” 
programme where every member of 
the senior management team spends 
time working in our stores – we 
believe this provides us with a much 
greater level of understanding of our 
business and remains an integral part 
of positive customer and colleague 
focused culture.

32

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Strategic reportwww.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: tptcASE STUdy

cOLLEAguE  
training & 
development  
...

Topps Tiles Store manager, nick gadd from fulham, was 
awarded the South-East nOcn Learning at work Award at 
the Adult Learners’ week Awards 2015. 

Praised for using his Retail management Advanced 
Apprenticeship to guide and lead a unified workforce, nick 
used the skills he had learnt to build a motivated team. 
he created a special ambience that ultimately turned the 
Topps Tiles fulham branch into a high performing store, 
with exceptional levels of customer service and employee 
engagement.

Award winner  
nick gadd accepting the 
nOcn Learning at work 
award

Read more about our Corporate Responsibility 
online at www.toppstiles.co.uk

EmPLOyEE dEvELOPmEnT

As a group we actively encourage 
employee development, we have a 
strong culture and history of growing 
and developing our people from within 
the organisation and it is important 
to us that our employees fulfil their 
potential during their time at Topps.

Around 80 colleagues from across 
the business are currently enrolled 
on either a Retail or Team Leading 
Apprenticeship, both of which are 
delivered by our in-house team of 
qualified assessors.  

upon completion of their 
Apprenticeship, these colleagues 
will increase the overall number of 
participants that have benefitted from 
the programme to more than 800 in 
six years.

In addition to the various 
apprenticeship qualifications, we 
continue to deliver training that 
supports our latest products, processes 
and services both in the classroom and 
online. we also provide softer skills 
development for colleagues across the 
business. 

This year we have also outlined our 
three year learning & development 
(“L&d”) plan to further increase the 
quality and quantity of our support 
available to all colleagues with the 
objective of increasing capability 
levels across the business.

33

Around 80 colleagues  
are currently enrolled on an 
Apprenticeship

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015OveRviewStRAtegic RepORtgOveRnAncefinAnciAl StAtementSAdditiOnAl infORmAtiOngOvE RnAn cE

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPT

cASE STUdy

wORLd-cLASS  
customer 
service   
...

Our store colleagues continue to provide 
world-class customer service and are being 
further trained to deliver an even greater 
inspirational shopping experience.

Our Colleagues: 
Raj, matthew and kristian

Our Colleague: Rob 
we are dedicated to providing world 
class levels of customer service

Read more about our Inspiration  
Strategic Pillar on page 12

34

Proof 5  9 December 2015 6:10 PM 

24457.04

OvE RvI Ew

ST R AT EgIc  R E P O R T

gOvE RnAn cE

fInAn cI A L S TAT EmEnT S

Ad dI T I OnA L In fO RmAT I On

Governance

C o n t e n t s

36 bOARd Of dIREcTORS

38 dIREcTORS’ REPORT

43 cORPORATE gOvERnAncE STATEmEnT

48 REmunERATIOn REPORT

for many years, Topps Tiles stores have 
delivered excellent customer service and 
this has been illustrated by continued 
improvement in net Promoter Scores 
which are well ahead of the competition 
(independent surveys).

Other brand audit and mystery shop 
research supports this and the top 5 
words most frequently used to describe 
Topps are: friendly, helpful, value, 
knowledge, professional.

35

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015Board Of dIREcTORS

5

3

2

1

4

6

1 dARREn ShAPLAn d
NON-ExECuTIvE ChAIRMAN

darren has over 25 years of retail and public 
company experience, having held senior financial 
and operational positions within The burton 
group, Arcadia and kingfisher. darren was chief 
financial Officer at j Sainsbury’s plc. between 
2005 and 2010 before being appointed group 
development director, a position he held between 
2010 and 2011. he was also non-Executive 
chairman of Sainsbury’s bank from 2006 to 
2013 and chief Executive of carpetright plc. 
from 2012-2013.

darren is currently chairman of Poundland group 
Plc and non-Executive director and chairman of 
the Audit committee at wolseley Plc.

2 mATThEw wILLI AmS
ChIEF ExECuTIvE OFFICER

matt joined the company in 1998 as Property 
director soon after its IPO. he spent the next 
six years expanding the company’s store base, 
acquiring more than 200 new sites, which still 
make up a large part of the store portfolio today. 
Promoted to the role of chief Operating Officer 
in 2004 and joining the PLc board in 2006, he 
was a key member of the team that established 
Topps as the leading specialist tile retailer in the 
uk. In 2007 he was promoted to chief Executive 
Officer. matt is also a non-executive director of 
The Original factory Shop.

3 RObERT P ARkER
C hIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Rob joined Topps Tiles in 2007 as finance 
director. Rob’s previous role before joining the 
group was director of finance & IT for Savers 
health & beauty Ltd. Prior to that Rob was with 
the boots group Plc for 10 years, ultimately as 
director of finance for boots Retail International. 

he is responsible for all aspects of finance, 
human resources, property, IT, and company 
legal matters.

4  kE ITh dOwn   (c, d, E )
NON-ExE CuT IvE DIR EC TOR

keith is a chartered accountant and is currently the 
chief financial Officer of dunelm group Plc, and 
has held this post since december 2015. he was 
previously the group finance director of the go-
Ahead group Plc and jd wetherspoon plc. keith 
joined the board of Topps Tiles in february 2015.

5 cLAIR E TInEy 
NON-ExE CuT IvE DIR EC TOR

(b, f , d, h)

claire runs her own business as an hR 
consultant, Executive coach and facilitator, 
having spent 15 years as an Executive director 
in a number of retail businesses including 
mothercare and wh Smith. most recently she 
was hR director at mcArthurglen, the developer 
and owner of designer outlet villages throughout 
Europe. She was previously a non-Executive 
director of family mosaic and is also a non-
Executive director of grey 4 gold. claire joined 
the board of Topps Tiles in november 2011.

6  Andy k Ing   (g, E , h)
NON-ExE CuT IvE DIR EC TOR

Andy is the managing director of dobbies 
garden centres. Previously he was chief 
Executive of notcutts garden centres for five 
years and prior to that he held global marketing 
director roles at The body Shop, mothercare and 
wh Smith, having previously spent nine years at 
boots The chemists. until december 2011 Andy 
was a non-executive director at The chartered 
Institute of Environmental health. Andy joined the 
board of Topps Tiles in january 2012.

36

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

STuART  dA vEy  (A)
CO MPA Ny SECR ETAR y 
AN D SEC RE TA R y O F 
BO A RD SuBC OM MI TT EES

Stuart qualified as a Solicitor in 1987. 

he joined Topps Tiles in 2005 having 

previously worked in private practice 

and in house with national westminster 

bank Plc. Stuart became group Lawyer 

in 2010 and was appointed company 

Secretary in September 2014.

A.   Secretary of the Audit, nomination and 
Remuneration committees
B.  
Senior Independent director
C.  
chairman of Audit committee
d.  
member of nomination committee
e.   member of Remuneration committee
F.   chairman of Remuneration committee
G.  
chairman of nomination and 
governance committee
member of the Audit committee

h.  

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceExecutive   
TEAm

mATThEw wILLIAmS
ChIEF ExECuTIvE OFFICER

RObERT P ARkER
ChIEF FI N ANC IAL  OF FI CE R

bRIAn LInnIngTOn
COMMERCIAL DI RE CTOR

A chemistry graduate with an mbA, 

brian Linnington has many years retail 

business experience starting his career at 

boots where his roles included category 

general manager Toiletries, International 

country manager for holland and then 

Taiwan and finally multichannel director 

for boots uk. Prior to joining Topps Tiles 

in december 2012 brian was Product 

and marketing director at vision Express 

for four years. brian is responsible for all 

aspects of buying, marketing and online 

in Topps.

RIchARd cARTE R

OPER AT IO NS DI R ECTO R

Richard is an experienced retailer who 

has worked for both blue chip retailers 

as well as smaller more entrepreneurial 

businesses. Richard has previously held 

senior operations roles with the Spirit 

group (Punch Taverns), virgin Retail, 

dixons, Office world (Staples) and 

started his career with Asda on their 

retail operations graduate recruitment 

programme. Richard joined Topps in 

2010 and has accountability for retail 

operations, supply chain and the trade 

customer division.

OuR  
Advisors 
...

SEcR ETAR y

S. davey 

REgIS TER Ed nu mbER

3213782

REgIS TER Ed Of fIcE
Thorpe way, grove Park
Enderby, Leicestershire
LE19 1Su

AudI TO R
deloitte LLP
manchester, united kingdom

bAn kE RS
barclays bank Plc 
3 hardman Street, Spinningfields, 
manchester, m3 3hf

REgIS TRA RS
capita IRg Plc, bourne house,   
34 beckenham Road, beckenham, 
kent, bR3 4Tu 

SO L IcITO R S
Osborne clark
One London wall, London, Ec2y 5Eb

fInAncI AL  P R  Ad vIS ORS
citigate dewe Rogerson
3 London wall buildings
London, Ec2m 5Sy

bR OkER S
Peel hunt, moor house,   
120 London wall, London, Ec2y 5ET

Liberum, Ropemaker Place,  
25 Ropemaker Street, London 
Ec2y 9Ly

37

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationDirectors’ REPORT

The directors present their Annual 
Report on the affairs of the group, 
together with the financial Statements 
and Auditor’s Report, for the 53 week 
period ended 3 October 2015. The 
corporate governance Statement set 
out on pages 43 to 47 forms part of 
this report.

The company conducts an annual 
strategic risk discussion with the  
Audit committee chairman and   
senior managers from the business 
which includes a wide range of  
risks including commercial, continuity 
and environmental, social and 
governance risks.

PRIncIPAL AcTIvITy

RESuLTS An d dIvIdEn dS

The principal activity of the group 
comprises the retail distribution of 
ceramic and porcelain tiles, natural 
stone, wood flooring and related 
products.

STRAT EgIc REvIEw

The company, being the listed entity 
Topps Tiles Plc, is required by the 
companies Act to set out in this report 
a fair review of the business of the 
group during the financial period 
ended 3 October 2015 and of the 
position of the group at the end of 
that financial period. we are also 
required to set out a description of the 
principal risks and uncertainties facing 
the group. 

The information that fulfils the 
requirements of the Strategic Review 
can be found within the chairman’s 
statement on page 4, the Strategic 
Report on pages 8 to 27, and the 
corporate Social Responsibility 
statement on pages 28 to 33, which 
are incorporated in this report by 
reference. The future prospects of the 
group are highlighted in both the 
chairman’s and the Strategic Report.

The directors monitor a number 
of financial and non-financial key 
performance indicators (kPIs) for 
the group and its stores. The most 
significant of these are detailed on 
page 18.

The audited financial Statements for 
the 53 week period ended 3 October 
2015 are set out on pages 71 to 
103.

The group’s profit for the period 
from continuing operations, after 
taxation, was £13,065,000 (2014: 
£12,512,000).

during the interim period a dividend of 
0.75 pence per share was declared 
and paid (2014: interim dividend of 
0.65 pence per share was paid).

following careful consideration, and 
for the reasons given in the chairman’s 
statement of this report, the board 
is recommending the payment of a 
final dividend of 2.25 pence per 
share, totalling £4,358,000 (2014: 
1.60 pence per share, totalling 
£3,098,000). 

dIREcTOR S

The directors of the company, who 
served throughout the year and 
thereafter, were as follows:

d Shapland non-Executive chairman

mTm 
williams

R Parker

c Tiney

A king

k down

chief Executive Officer

chief financial Officer

Senior Independent 
non-Executive director

non-Executive director 

non-Executive director 

In line with the updated code on 
corporate governance all directors 
are subject to annual re-election at the 
next Annual general meeting.

All resolutions at the Annual general 
meeting are passed on a show of 
hands, in line with our Articles of 
Association. The results of the votes 
polled in advance are also disclosed 
to members present and in the event 
that the polled votes did not support 
the resolution the chairman would 
formally call for a poll, thereby 
ensuring that all members interests are 
represented.

The company provides insurance 
against directors’ and Officers’ 
liabilities to a maximum value of 
£10,000,000.

The directors’ interests in the shares of 
the company are set out on page 62.

details of directors’ share options are 
provided in the directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 60, 61 and 62.

ShAR E cAP ITAL

details of the company’s authorised 
and issued share capital, together 
with details of the movements in 
the company’s issued share capital 
during the period, are shown in note 
20 to the financial Statements. The 
company has one class of ordinary 
shares in issue, which carry no right to 
fixed income. Each share carries the 
right to one vote at general meetings 
of the company.

There are no specific restrictions 
on the size of a holding nor on the 
transfer of shares, which are both 
governed by the general provisions 
of the Articles of Association and 
prevailing legislation. The directors are 
not aware of any agreements between 

38

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceholders of the company’s shares that 
may result in restrictions on the transfer 
of securities or on voting rights.

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

chAngE Of cOnTROL  – 
SIgnIfIcAnT AgREEmEnTS

The group is party to significant 
agreements, including commercial 
contracts, financial and property 
agreements and employees’ share 
plans, which contain certain 
termination and other rights for the 
counter parties upon a change of 
control of the company. Should the 
counter parties choose to exercise 
their rights under the agreements on a 
change of control such arrangements 
would need to be renegotiated. 
none of these are considered to 
be significant in terms of the likely 
impact on the business of the group 
as a whole. There are no agreements 
between any group company and 
any of its employees or a director 
of the company which provides 
for compensation to be paid to the 
employee or director for termination 
of employment or for loss of office as 
a consequence of a takeover of the 
company, other than provisions that 
would apply on any termination of 
employment.

SuPP LIE R PA ymEnT PO L Icy

The group’s policy is to negotiate 
terms of payment with suppliers 
when agreeing the terms of each 
transaction, ensuring that suppliers 
are made aware of the terms of 
payment and that both parties abide 
by those terms. The effect of the 
group’s negotiated payment policy 
is that trade payables at the period 
end represented 46 days purchases 
(2014: 54 days). Trade payables 
days is calculated by dividing the 
trade and other payables by the 
aggregate of cost of sales and 
relevant non inventory expenditure, 
multiplied by 365 days across all 
periods, to aid comparability.

cARbOn REP O RTIng

As detailed in the cSR section of 
this report on page 30 our primary 
energy consumption is electricity 
used across our store estate. In-store 
lighting is a major driver of overall 
consumption and we have been 
working on installing modern, energy 
efficient lighting for the last few years. 
we continue to experiment with new 
technology to establish its suitability for 
our business. Emissions per store are 
calculated on average stores across 
the year.

Energy carbon emissions has been 
compiled in conjunction with our 
supplier (SSE) and is based on the 
actual energy consumed multiplied 
by Environment Agency approved 
emissions factors.

vehicle emissions has been calculated 
by our in-house transport team based 
on mileage covered multiplied 
by manufacturer quoted emission 
statistics. 

chARI TAbL E An d PO LI TIcAL
cOnT RIbuTI OnS

The group has a designated 
charitable partner, the macmillan 
Trust. Across the business colleagues 
engage in numerous fundraising 
activities which are document in the 
cSR section of this report. during the 
period the group made no monetary 
charitable donations (2014: £nil). The 
group made no political contributions 
(2014: £nil).

Su bSTAnTI AL ShAREhO LdIn gS

In addition to the directors’ 
shareholdings noted on page 62, as 
at 3 October 2015 the company 
had been notified, in accordance 
with chapter 5 of the disclosure and 
Transparency Rules, of the following 
interests in 3% or more of its issued 
share capital.

ELEcTRIcITy  

gAS & OIL

cOmmERcIAL fLEET  

cOmPAny cARS  

TOTAL

2015

2014

co2 
(TonnES)

co2 
(TonnES)/
SToRE

co2 
(TonnES)

co2 
(TonnES)/
SToRE

6,563

2,716

2,922

386

19.3

8.0

8.6

1.1

8,794

2,606

2,754

373

12,587

36.9

14,527

26.7

7.9

8.4

1.1

44.2

39

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Directors’ REPORT

cOnT In uEd

wILLIAmS S k m ESq

bLAckROck InvESTmEnT mgT (uk)

AxA InvESTmEnT mAnAgERS SA

InvEScO ASSET mAnAgEmEnT

SchROdER InvESTmEnT mgT

AvIv A PLc & ITS SubSIdIARIES  

cAPITAL RESEARch gLObAL InvESTORS  

In addition to the above shareholdings 
between the 3 October 2015 and 
the 7 december 2015 we have been 
notified of the following changes in 
shareholdings:

•	 Old mutual increased their holding 
to 9,742,079 on the1 October 
2015

•	 Aviva plc & its subsidiaries reduced 
their holding to 7,710,497 on the 
8 October 2015

•	 Invesco Limited increased their 
holding to 9,688,829 on the  
19 October 2015

•	 Old mutual decreased their holding 
to 9,625,922 on the 2 november 
2015

•	 Old mutual increased their holding 
9,681,392 on the13 november 
2015

•	 Aviva plc & its subsidiaries 
increased their holding to 
7,908,126 on the 19 november 
2015

•	 Aviva plc & its subsidiaries reduced 
their holding to 7,614,853 on the 
26 november 2015

nUmbER

20,593,950

20,271,483 

19,213,670 

9,679,056 

8,216,970

7,746,366 

5,906,000 

% hELd

10.6%

10.5% 

9.9%

5.0%

4.2%

4.0%

3.0%

cORPOR ATE SOcI A L  
RES POnSIbI LI Ty

Topps has a long standing corporate 
Social Responsibility (cSR) agenda 
covering community & charity, 
Environment and Our People. The full 
detail of our current cSR activities 
is detailed in this report. we take 
the impact of our business on our 
environment extremely seriously 
and have included a range of 
environmental metrics within the 
directors’ Report Section of this report.

Read about Corporate Social 
Responsibility on pages 28 to 33

humAn RIg hTS

we are also very mindful of human 
rights issues within our organisation. 
The key area in which this would 
impact our business is in our supply 
chain. All of our directly employed 
colleagues are based in the uk and 
covered by uk employment law, with 
which we are fully compliant. within 
our supply chain we source from 
factories in many countries around the 

world. Our specialist team of buyers 
and their agents personally inspect 
factory facilities to satisfy themselves 
with regard to working conditions 
before new suppliers are engaged. 
we also have commercial agreements 
in place that require our suppliers to 
be fully compliant with local laws and 
we pay particular attention to labour 
standards and factory conditions. no 
issues were raised during the year.

dIvER SI Ty

The nomination and governance 
committee reviews the balance of 
skills, knowledge and experience on 
the board regularly. Its policy with 
regard to gender is that we recognise 
the need for a greater level of diversity 
across all levels in our organisation; 
however, we do not endorse positive 
discrimination and encourage 
colleagues to appoint the very best 
possible candidate to the post. during 
the year we have seen an improvement 
in overall diversity but also recognise 
that within our senior manager 
population we are lacking diversity.

Our workforce at period end date comprises:

dIREcTORS

SEnIOR mAnAgERS

OThER EmPLOyEES

ToTAL EmPLoyEES

% of ToTAL

40

2015

2014

mALE

fEmALE

ToTAL

mALE

fEmALE

ToTAL

6

16

1,523

1,545

1

0

401

402

7

16

1,924

1,947

79.4%

20.7%

5

14

1,459

1,478

81.3%

1

0

338

339

18.7%

6

14

1,797

1,817

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernance 
I nfORmATIOn gIvEn TO ThE
AudI TO R

Each of the directors at the date of 
approval of this annual report confirms 
that:

•	 So far as the director is aware, 

there is no relevant audit 
information of which the company’s 
auditor is unaware; and

•	 The director has taken all the steps 
that ought to have been taken as a 
director in order to make himself/
herself aware of any relevant audit 
information and to establish that the 
company’s auditor is aware of that 
information.

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

Au dI TOR

A resolution to re-appoint deloitte 
LLP as the company’s auditor will be 
proposed at the forthcoming Annual 
general meeting.

EquAL OPPORTunITIES

ShARE O PTI On  Sc hEmES

The directors recognise the importance 
of motivating employees and 
believe that one of the most effective 
incentives is increased employee 
participation in the company through 
share ownership.

This has been achieved through the 
introduction of a number of employee 
Sharesave, share bonus, approved 
and unapproved share option 
schemes, since the flotation in 1997.

The total number of options held by 
employees, including directors, is 
7,946,737 (2014: 6,338,668). 

As described in note 28, employee 
share purchase plans are open to 
almost all employees and provide for 
a purchase price equal to the daily 
average market price over the 3 
days preceding the start of the offer 
period, less 20%. The shares can 
be purchased during a two week 
offer period, which during the period 
ended 3 October 2015 fell between 
5th january 2015 and 21st january 
2015, the offer price to employees 
was 92 pence.

details of directors’ share options are 
provided in the directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 60, 61 and 62.

At Topps Tiles we are committed to 
equal opportunities and ensure that 
we hire on potential, promote on 
talent and reward on success. we 
aim to promote equality of opportunity 
in employment regardless of age, 
gender, colour, ethnic or national 
origin, culture, religion or other 
philosophical belief, disability, marital 
or civil partnership status, political 
affiliation, sexual identity or sexual 
orientation

EmPLOyEE cOnSuLTATIOn

The group places considerable 
value on communication with and 
involvement of employees and has 
continued to keep all employees 
informed on matters affecting them 
and on the various factors affecting 
the performance of the group. This is 
achieved through formal and informal 
meetings, electronic announcements 
and the company magazine. Regular 
forums have been established to 
ensure that employee representatives 
are consulted on a wide range of 
matters affecting their current and 
future interests. 

fInAncIAL  RISk mAnAgEmEnT
ObjEcTIvES And P OLIcI ES

, 

The group is exposed to certain 
financial risks, namely interest rate 
risk, currency risk and credit risk. 
Information regarding such financial 
risks is detailed in notes 14,15,16,17 
and 18. The group’s risk management 
policies and procedures are also 
discussed in the Strategic Report on 
pages 19 to 27.

41

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Directors’ REPORT

cOnT In uEd

In preparing the group financial 
statements, International Accounting 
Standard 1 requires that directors:

RE SPOnSIbIL I Ty  S TATEmEnT

we confirm that to the best of our 
knowledge:

•	 the Annual Report and financial 

statements, taken as a whole, are a 
fair, balanced and understandable 
and provide the information 
necessary for shareholders to 
assess the company’s performance, 
business model and strategy;

•	 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 company and 
the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole; 
and

•	 the management report, which is 
incorporated into the directors’ 
report, includes a fair review of 
the development and performance 
of the business, the position of the 
company and the undertakings 
included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole, together with a 
description of the principal risks 
and uncertainties that they face.

by order of the board

R Parker 
director 

1 december 2015

•	 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 entity’s financial position and 
financial performance; and

•	 make an assessment of the 

company’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 company’s transactions. They 
must also disclose with reasonable 
accuracy, at any time, the financial 
position of the company and 
enable themselves to ensure that the 
financial statements comply with the 
companies Act 2006. They are also 
responsible for safeguarding the assets 
of the 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 company’s website. 
Legislation in the united kingdom 
governing the preparation and 
dissemination of financial statements 
may differ from legislation in other 
jurisdictions.

dIREcTORS’ RESPOnSIbI LI TIES  
STATEmEnT

The directors are responsible for 
preparing the Annual Report, directors’ 
Remuneration Report and the financial 
statements in accordance with 
applicable law and regulations.

company law requires the directors 
to prepare financial statements for 
each financial year. under that law 
the directors are required to prepare 
the group financial statements 
in accordance with International 
financial Reporting Standards (IfRSs) 
as adopted by the European union 
and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 
They have elected to prepare the 
parent company financial statements 
in accordance with united kingdom 
generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice (united kingdom Accounting 
Standards and applicable law). under 
company law the directors must not 
approve the accounts unless they are 
satisfied that they give a true and 
fair view of the state of affairs of the 
company and of the profit or loss of 
the company 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 judgments and accounting 

estimates that are reasonable and 
prudent;

•	 state whether applicable uk 

Accounting Standards have 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 
company will continue in business.

42

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernance 
Corporate gOvE RnAncE STATEmEnT

ThE bOARd hAS REvIEwEd 
ThE cOnTEnTS Of ThIS  
REPORT And cOnSIdER  
ThE dOcumEnT TO bE  
fAIR, bALAncEd, And 
undERSTAndAbLE And An 
AccuRATE REPRESEnTATIOn 
Of ThE cuRREnT POSITIOn 
Of ThE buSInESS.

Darren Shapland 
ChAIRMAN

Dear shareholder   
... 
The company is committed to the principles of corporate 
governance contained in the 2012 uk corporate 
governance code issued by the financial Reporting 
council (“the code”) for which the board is accountable 
The board has agreed to seek to comply with the provisions 
of the 2014 uk corporate governance code at the 
earliest opportunity and as a result the board early adopted 
the requirement to produce a viability statement and is 
currently working to the updated code on internal controls.

The board has reviewed the contents of this report 
and consider the document to be fair, balanced, and 
understandable and an accurate representation of the 
current position of the business. The basis for this view 
is that all of the directors are furnished with the requisite 
information to perform their duties and are provided access 
to key members of management as they require. The board 
meet regularly and are given adequate time to probe, 
debate and challenge business performance as and when 
they consider it necessary to do so. The board has also 
discussed the detail of the financial results with the Audit 
committee and are satisfied they have been prepared 
appropriately. having gained a thorough understanding 
of the business each member has also had the opportunity 
to review and influence this report and as such have 
concluded in line with the statement above.

STATEmEnT Of  cOmPL IAncE wI Th ThE c OdE

The company has applied the principles set out in 
the code, including both the main Principles and the 
supporting principles, by complying with the code as 
reported above. further explanations of how the main 
Principles have been applied are set out below and in the 
directors’ remuneration report and Audit committee report.

during the year the board undertook an evaluation of the 
Audit, Remuneration and nomination and governance 
committee processes and performance of the chairs 
of these sub-committees. we have agreed some minor 
refinements following this review.

In addition each board member completed a detailed 
evaluation of the chairman’s performance on completion of 
six months of the role.

Overall the evaluation process was very positive identifying 
on-going training and education as an area board 
members would like to be further developed and  
a programme is being implemented to enhance this area. 

The financial year has seen significant changes in terms 
of the composition of the board with the retirement of both 
the Rt.hon. michael jack as chairman and Alan white as 
the senior independent non-executive director and chair 
of the Audit committee. keith down was appointed as 
non-executive director and chair of the Audit committee 
in february 2015 and I was appointed non-Executive 
chairman in march 2015. The board of directors currently 
comprises six members, of which four are considered 

43

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationCorporate gOvE RnAncE STATEmEnT

cOnT In uEd

independent. The Senior Independent 
non-Executive director is claire Tiney, 
who also chairs the Remuneration 
committee. brief biographical details 
of all directors are given on pages 36 
and 37. The board meets at least ten 
times a year. certain defined issues 
are reserved for the board including 
approval of financial Statements 
and circulars, annual budgets, 
strategy, directors’ appointments, 
internal control and risk management, 
corporate governance, key external 
and internal appointments and 
pensions and employee incentives. 
board members are responsible 
for their own development but are 
provided access to the company’s 
advisors and regularly attend external 
presentations and workshops on areas 
considered relevant and appropriate, 
including environmental, social and 
governance issues. In particular all 
members of the board have access 
to the deloitte Academy in London 
which offers seminars and professional 
updates on a range of relevant topics 
useful to enhancing the board’s 
knowledge and understanding of 
corporate governance. Provision has 
also been made within the boards 
timetable for regular updates in 
relation to areas including executive 
remuneration, the market and 
corporate governance. 

In advance of board meetings 
directors are supplied with up to 
date information about trading 
performance, the group’s overall 
financial position and its achievement 
against prior year, budgets and 
forecasts. 

where required, a director may seek 
independent professional advice at 
the expense of the company. All 
directors have access to the company 
Secretary and they may also 
address specific issues to the Senior 
Independent non-Executive director. 

All directors are subject to annual re-
election. directors are elected at the 
first Agm after appointment. All non-
Executive directors have written letters 
of appointment.

The board acknowledges the code’s 
position with respect to the potential 
loss of independence of non-Executive 
directors who have served more than 
nine years and that the chairman 
(the Rt.hon. michael jack) exceeded 
this term. during this period the 
board included three independent 
non-Executive directors out of a 
total board of six members reflecting 
corporate governance best practice. 
Subsequently darren Shapland was 

appointed after the company’s Agm 
to facilitate a smooth transition on the 
retirement of the Rt.hon. michael jack 
from the board. The board considers 
that, darren Shapland, claire Tiney, 
Andy king and keith down are 
independent for the purposes of the 
code. The terms and conditions for 
the appointment of non-Executive 
directors are available for inspection 
on request.

The board review the independence  
of non-Executive directors on an 
ongoing basis.

The board operates three committees. 
These are the nomination and 
governance committee, the 
Remuneration committee and the Audit 
committee. All of these committees 
meet regularly and have formal written 
terms of reference which are available 
for inspection on request.

ATTEndAn cE AT bOA Rd And  c Om mI TT EE mE E T IngS

The following table shows the number of board and committee meetings held 
during the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015 and the attendance record 
of the individual directors.

BOARD

AUDIT
COMMITTEE

NOMINATION & 
GOVERNANACE 
COMMITTEE

J.M. JACK

D. SHAPLAND

M.T.M. 
WILLIAMS

R. PARKER

A. WHITE

C. TINEY

A. KING

K. DOWN

5

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

7

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

12

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

12

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

12

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

12

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

8

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 12

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 2

6

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

0

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

6

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

6

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

0

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

6

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

6

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

0

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 6

REMUNERATION
COMMITTEE

£

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

n/a

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

n/a

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

1

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

3

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

3

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

2

MEETINGS OF
A POSSIBLE 3

44

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceThe role of the  
b O A Rd  Of dIREcTORS

The board of directors has overall responsibility for approving our company strategy and the governance of the business. 
The primary goal of the board is to ensure that the company is being run in the best long term interests of both the 
company itself and all of its stakeholders. Stakeholders include employees, shareholders, suppliers and any other creditors 
of the business.

Sub-committee  
RESPOnSIbILITIES

AudIT cOmmITTEE

•	 financial Reporting

•	 External audit

nOmInATI On  An d 
gOvERnAncE cOm mI TTEE

REm unER ATI On 
cOmmITT EE

•	 board Structure

•	 chairman and Executive 

•	 Risk management and internal 
controls including internal audit

•	 board Appointments

•	 board Succession Plans

•	 whistleblowing fraud and anti-

•	 Senior Executive Appointments

bribery

director Pay

•	 Senior Executive Pay

•	 Share Incentive Plans

 Read more on page 46

 Read more on page 47

 Read more on page 48

bOARd cOmPOSITIOn

bO ARd TEn uRE

EXECUTIVE

33.3%

NON-EXECUTIVE

66.6%

gEndER dIvERSITy

MALE

83.3%

FEMALE

16.6%

0–3 YEARS

33.3%

3–6 YEARS

33.3%

ABOVE 6 YEARS

33.3%

  Read the directors’ biographies 
on pages 36 and 37

45

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationCorporate gOvE RnAncE STATEmEnT

cOnT In uEd

STATEmEnT AbOuT APPL
ThE PRIncIPLES Of ThE cOdE

yIng 

The company has applied the 
principles of the uk corporate 
governance code as reported above. 
further explanation of how the code 
has been applied in connection with 
directors’ remuneration is set out in the 
Remuneration Report.

AudIT cOmmITTEE  

The Audit committee consists of 
independent non-Executive directors. 
The chairman is keith down who 
succeeded Alan white in february 
2015 and the other members are 
claire Tiney and Andy king. The 
qualifications of the Audit committee 
members are detailed on page 
36. Its chairman has particularly 
relevant experience, being a qualified 
chartered accountant and who is 
currently serving as the chief financial 
Officer of a listed company.

The Audit committee considers the 
nature and scope of the audit process 
(both internal and external) and its 
effectiveness. It also monitors, reviews 
and approves the internal audit 
programme, meets with the external 
auditor and considers the Annual 
and Interim financial Statements 
before submission to the board. The 
committee reviews and monitors the 
external auditor’s independence and 
objectivity and the effectiveness of the 
audit process.

In addition the committee is 
responsible for ensuring that the 
arrangements are in place to enable 
staff, in confidence, to raise any 
concerns about possible improprieties 
in matters of financial reporting or 
other matters. no issues have been 
identified during the period.

The committee is responsible for the 
review of the company’s key strategic 
risks which include those to its business 

model future performance, solvency 
and liquidity and this process is 
performed by the committee chairman 
in conjunction with a number of senior 
operational managers. It also reviews 
the group’s system of internal control 
and reports its findings twice a year 
to the board. The committee meets 
with the external auditor and other 
members of the board attend at the 
invitation of the Audit committee 
chairman. 

The Audit committee provide 
advice to the board on whether the 
annual report is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the 
necessary information shareholders 
require to assess the company’s 
performance, business model and 
strategy. In doing so the following 
issues have been addressed 
specifically:

•	 REvIEw Of kEy STRATEgIc 

RISkS – the committee conducts 
an annual review of key strategic 
risks and invites a cross section of 
company management in order 
to ensure that the review includes 
a detailed understanding of the 
business. The review highlights the 
key risks based on a combination 
of likelihood and impact and then 
also considers what appropriate 
mitigants should be implemented 
(highlights from this work are 
included in the Strategic Review)

•	 REvIEw Of POOR PERfORmIng 
STORES – as part of both the 
interim and full year end review 
process poor performing stores 
are considered and any related 
impairments and/or property 
provisions are provided for. 
management will then follow up 
with detailed action plans to either 
improve store performance or seek 
an exit solution. dilapidations are 
provided for across the entire store 

portfolio. The Audit committee 
also review progress towards these 
plans at the following review.

•	 REvIEw Of InvEnTOR y – 

ensuring that inventory is correctly 
valued is a key area of focus for 
the Audit committee. The finance 
function performs ongoing detailed 
checks of supplier invoices by 
comparing to system prices and 
management conduct a regular 
review of any products being 
sold, or likely to be sold, below 
the original cost price. Inventory 
provisions are prepared in 
accordance with these reviews. 

•	 SuPPLIER REbATES – the business 
has a number of agreements in 
place which generate additional 
income subject to pre-agreed 
purchase thresholds being 
triggered. The key risk is inaccurate 
or optimistic estimates of volume 
that lead to inappropriate income 
recognition. These are reviewed to 
ensure that any estimates of future 
income are robust.

•	 REvEnuE REcOgnITIOn – like-
for-like (“LfL”) sales growth is one 
of our key kPI’s and linked to this 
is the risk that our reported revenue 
could be misstated due to a failure 
in compliance with our company 
procedures. The key risk would be 
customer orders which have not 
yet been fulfilled being included as 
sales. This risk is routinely checked 
as part of our internal store auditing 
programme.

•	 gOIng cOncERn & LOng 

TERm vIAbILITy STATEmEnT – the 
chief financial Officer provides an 
assessment of the company’s ability 
to continue to trade on both a 12 
month look forward test basis and 
also a longer term review – over 
3 years. The conclusion of those 
reviews is included in the Strategic 
Review section of this report.

46

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernance•	 buSInESS SImPLIfIcATIOn 

InITIATIvE – during the period 
the board decided to pursue two 
business simplification initiatives. 
They were the centralisation of 
support functions on to one site 
at Leicester and the closure of the 
remaining Topps clearance stores. 
The committee have reviewed 
the financial provision relating to 
these initiatives and have satisfied 
themselves that appropriate 
provision has been made

Part of the role of the Audit committee 
is to review the independence of the 
company’s auditor. The company’s 
external auditor, deloitte LLP 
(“deloitte”), also provides non-audit 
services to the company in the form 
of tax compliance and remuneration 
advice. The Audit committee is 
satisfied that deloitte LLP has adequate 
policies and safeguards in place to 
ensure that auditor objectivity and 
independence is maintained. The Audit 
committee is aware that providing 
audit and non-audit advice could lead 
to a potential conflict of interest. The 
level of fees paid to deloitte LLP for 
non-audit services has been considered 
by the Audit committee and is not 
perceived to be in conflict with auditor 
independence. In order to ensure 
the continued independence and 
objectivity of the external auditor, there 
is an established policy regarding the 
provision of non-audit services which 
is that all non-audit services are put out 
to tender and the contract awarded 
based on quality. The Audit committee 
has concluded that the auditor, 
deloitte, is independent.

deloitte has been auditor for the group 
since September 2003. The audit 
partner’s first period of signing was the 
financial period ended 27 September 
2014. consideration is also given, by 
the committee, to the work of deloitte 
and their independence in deciding 

whether an audit tender is required. 
currently it is satisfied by the work of 
deloitte and their independence, and 
has consequently proposed their  
re-appointment. The committee has 
also considered the requirements of 
the Eu Audit Regulations and has 
concluded that the company is not 
required to rotate and tender for Audit 
Services until 2023.

nOmInAT IOn An d 
gOvERnAncE cOm mITTE E

The nomination and governance 
committee is chaired by Andy king. 
The composition of the committee 
has changed during the year with 
the departure of Alan white and the 
appointment of darren Shapland and 
keith down as new non-Executive 
directors. The committee members 
are darren Shapland, keith down 
and claire Tiney. The formal terms of 
reference for this committee require 
it to make recommendations to the 
board for appointments of directors 
and other senior executive staff. 

The nomination and governance 
committee is also responsible for 
diversity and our policy is included in the 
Strategic Review section of this report. 

during the year the nomination and 
governance committee, in conjunction 
with a professional recruitment firm 
engaged in the recruitment and 
subsequent appointment of keith down 
as non-executive director and chair 
of the Audit committee and darren 
Shapland as non-executive chairman.

dIALOguE wITh InST ITuTI OnA L
ShAREhO LdE RS

The directors seek to build on a mutual 
understanding of objectives between 
the company and its institutional 
shareholders by making annual 
presentations and communicating 
regularly throughout the year. following 
my appointment to the board I also 

wrote to major shareholders indicating 
my availability to meet with them on 
an individual basis to discuss matters 
relating to the company. 

Read more online at  
www.toppstiles.co.uk

m AInTEnAn cE Of  A S Oun d 
SySTEm  Of  InTERnAL
cOnT RO L

The board has established a continuous 
process for identifying, evaluating 
and managing the significant risks the 
group faces and regularly reviews the 
process. The board is responsible for 
the group’s system of internal control 
and for reviewing its effectiveness. 
Such a system is designed to manage 
rather than eliminate the risk of failure 
to achieve business objectives and 
can only provide reasonable and not 
absolute assurance against material 
misstatement or loss.

As previously stated the company 
is committed to complying with 
corporate governance guidelines 
and currently complies with the 2012 
uk corporate governance code The 
Audit committee assists the board in 
discharging its responsibilities in this 
regard. The outcomes from the recent 
key risks and uncertainties review are 
detailed in the Strategic Review section 
of this report and the board has also 
considered all significant aspects of 
internal control in conjunction with the 
review of the work of Internal Audit. 

during the course of its review of the 
system of internal control, the board 
has not identified nor been advised 
of any failings or weaknesses which 
it has determined to be significant. 
Therefore a confirmation in respect 
of necessary actions has not been 
considered necessary.

Darren Shapland 
chairman of the board 

1 december 2015

47

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
 
Remuneration REPORT

S t a t e m e n t   f r o m   t h e  ch a i r m a n   o f   t h e   R e m u n e r a t i o n  co m m i t t e e

ThE cOmmITTEE hAS  
cOnTInuEd TO mOnITOR  
ExEcuTIvE REmunERATIOn 
POLIcy TO TAkE AccOunT  
Of EvOL vIng mARkET  
PRAcTIcE whILST ALSO  
SEEkIng TO EnSuRE ThAT  
A STAbLE fRAmEwORk IS  
mAInTAInEd

Claire Tiney 
chAIRmAn Of ThE REmunERATIOn cOmmITTEE

Dear shareholder   
... 
I am pleased to present the directors’ report on remuneration.

achieving all four of the individual targets specifically 
focussed upon delivery of the strategic plan carried a 
maximum of 5% of salary for each target and a further 63% 
for delivery above the PbT target for the year.

This report is presented in two sections: the Annual Report 
on Remuneration and the directors’ Remuneration Policy. 
The Annual Report on Remuneration provides details of the 
amounts earned in respect of the 53 week period ended 
3 October 2015 and how the directors’ Remuneration 
Policy will be operated for the 52 week period 
commencing 4 October 2015. This is subject to an 
advisory vote at the 2016 Annual general meeting. The 
directors’ Remuneration Policy sets out the forward-looking 
remuneration policy. It was the subject of a binding vote at 
the 2015 Annual general meeting.

REvI Ew  Of  ThE 2014/15 fInAn cI A L yE AR

The Remuneration committee remains committed to a 
responsible approach to executive pay. As described 
in the financial Review section of this Annual Report, 
the company has delivered an 8.7% increase in overall 
revenues which has generated a 19.3% increase in 
adjusted pre-tax profits to £20.4 million. In addition the 
board are recommending a final dividend to shareholders 
of 2.25 pence per share which will bring the dividend for 
the year to 3.00 pence per share, an increase of 33% on 
the prior period. 

consequently, the Executive directors will receive 83% 
bonus (2014:74% preceding approval of the current 
Remuneration Policy). The maximum annual bonus potential 
was up to 100% of salary. This has been reached by 

further details regarding the annual bonus earned in 
respect of the 53 week period ending 3 October 2015 
are included on pages 59 and 60.

during the period the following changes to base salary and 
benefits were made with effect from 1 june 2015:

•	 The base salary increase for matt williams was 2% which 
was within the range of salary increases across the group. 

•	 As outlined in last years’ report The committee resolved 
to increase the base salary for Rob Parker by 5%. These 
increases reflects the growth of the company, prevailing 
market conditions and internal base salary relativities

O uTL O Ok  fOR ThE 20 1 5/ 16  fInAn cI AL  yE AR

The committee has continued to monitor executive 
remuneration policy to take account of evolving market 
practice whilst also seeking to ensure that a stable 
framework is maintained to avoid making unnecessary and 
frequent changes to the structure of pay. Accordingly, the 
existing remuneration policy and fundamental structure of 
the package remains largely unchanged. 

Claire Tiney 
chairman of the Remuneration committee   

1 december 2015

48

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernancedIREcTORS’ REmunERATIOn PO LIcy

This part of the report sets out the company’s directors’ Remuneration Policy, which, was subject to a binding shareholder 
vote at the 2015 Annual general meeting and remains in force for a 3 year period from that date.

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

PURPoSE And 

comPonEnT

LinK To STRATEGy oPERATion

mAximUm 

oPPoRTUniTy

PERfoRmAncE  

mEASURES

bASE SALAR y core element of 

Salaries are usually reviewed 

while there is no maximum salar y, 

not applicable.

fixed remuneration 

annually taking into account: 

increases will normally be in line 

set at a market 

competitive level 

with the aim to 

•	 underlying group performance;

with the typical level of salar y 

increase awarded (in percentage of 

•	 role, experience and individual 

salar y terms) to other employees in 

attract and retain 

performance; 

the group. 

Executive directors 

of the calibre 

required.

•	 competitive salary levels and 

Salar y increases above this 

market forces; and

level may be awarded in certain 

•	 pay and conditions elsewhere 

in the group.

circumstances, such as, but not 

limited to:

•	 where an Executive director has 
been promoted or has had a 

change in scope or responsibility;

•	 an individual’s development or 

performance in role (e.g. to align 

a newly appointed Executive 

director’s salary with the market 

over time);

•	 where there has been a change in 

market practice; or

•	 where there has been a change in 
the size and/or complexity of the 

business

Such increases may be implemented 

over such time period as the 

committee deems appropriate.

bEnEfiTS

fixed element of 

Executive directors receive 

whilst the committee has not set 

not applicable.

remuneration set at 

benefits in line with market 

an absolute maximum on the level 

a market competitive 

practice, and these include 

of benefits Executive directors may 

level with the aim to 

principally life insurance, 

receive, the value of benefits is 

attract and 

income protection, private 

set at a level which the committee 

retain Executive 

medical insurance, company 

considers to be appropriately 

directors of the 

car or car allowance and fuel 

positioned taking into account 

calibre required.

allowance and, where relevant, 

relevant market levels based on the 

relocation expenses.

nature and location of the role and 

individual circumstances.

Other benefits may be 

provided based on individual 

circumstances. These may 

include, for example, travel 

expenses.

49

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

PURPoSE And 

comPonEnT

LinK To STRATEGy oPERATion

mAximUm 

oPPoRTUniTy

PERfoRmAncE  

mEASURES

PEnSionS

Provides market 

Executive directors are eligible 

Set at a level which the committee 

not applicable.

competitive 

to participate in the defined 

considers to be appropriately 

post-employment 

contribution pension scheme. 

positioned taking into account relevant 

benefits (or cash 

In appropriate circumstances, 

market levels based on the nature and 

equivalent) with the 

such as where contributions 

location of the role and individual 

aim to attract and 

exceed the annual or lifetime 

circumstances.

retain Executive 

allowance, Executive directors 

directors of the 

may be permitted to take a cash 

calibre required.

supplement instead of contributions 

The contribution levels for the year 

2014/15 were set at 12.5% of salary. 

to a pension plan.

contributions of up to 20% of salary 

may be made to take account of 

a change in the scope of the role, 

increase in responsibility and/or a 

change in the size and/or complexity 

of the business.

ALL EmPLoyEE  

To create alignment 

Executive directors are entitled 

Participation limits are those set by 

not subject to performance 

ShARE  

with the group and 

to participate in a tax qualifying 

the uk tax authorities from time to 

measures in line with hmRc  

SchEmES

promote a sense of 

all employee SAyE under which 

time.

practice.

ownership.

they may make monthly savings 

contributions over a period of three 

or five years linked to the grant 

of an option over the company’s 

shares with an option price which 

can be at a discount of up to 

20% to the market value of shares 

at grant.

Executive directors are also 

entitled to participate in an 

hmRc tax-qualifying Share 

Incentive Plan (“SIP”).

50

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceExEcUTivE diREcToRS

PURPoSE And 

comPonEnT

LinK To STRATEGy oPERATion

mAximUm 

oPPoRTUniTy

PERfoRmAncE  

mEASURES

AnnUAL 

Rewards 

Awards are based on annual 

The maximum bonus opportunity 

Targets are set annually reflecting 

bonUS

performance against 

performance against key financial 

for an Executive director will not 

the company’s strategy and are 

annual targets 

targets and/or the delivery of 

exceed 100% of salar y.

aligned with key performance 

which support the 

personal/strategic objectives. 

indicators. 

strategic direction of 

the group.

Pay-out levels are determined by 

the committee after the year end 

based on performance against 

those targets.

The committee has discretion to 

amend the pay-out should any 

formulaic output not reflect the 

committee’s assessment of overall 

business performance.

for up to two years following 

the payment of an annual bonus 

award, the committee may require 

the repayment of some or all of 

the award if an act or omission or 

a failure to apply reasonable skill 

and judgement leads to a material 

loss to the group or serious 

reputational damage to the group 

or a material misstatement of the 

group’s financial statements.

up to 20% of the bonus will be 

based on non-financial strategic 

measures and/or individual 

performance and the balance 

will be assessed against key 

financial performance metrics of 

the business.

F inanc ial m e t ri cs

There is no minimum payment 

at threshold performance and 

all of the maximum potential 

will be paid out for maximum 

performance, with scaled vesting 

in between.

N on- financi al or 
indi v idu al m et ri cs

vesting of the non-financial or 

individual strategic awards will 

apply based on the committee’s 

assessment of the extent to which 

a non-financial or individual 

strategic metric has been met.

51

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

PURPoSE And 

comPonEnT

LinK To STRATEGy oPERATion

mAximUm 

oPPoRTUniTy

PERfoRmAncE  

mEASURES

LonG TERm 

To incentivise 

Long-term incentive awards are 

The normal maximum award is 

Relevant performance measures 

incEnTivE  

Executive 

granted under the LTIP, 

100% of salar y in respect of a 

are set that reflect underlying 

PLAn (“LTiP”)

directors, and to 

approved by shareholders on  

financial year. under the share 

business performance.

deliver genuine 

23 january 2013. 

plan rules the overall maximum 

performance-related 

pay, with a clear 

line of sight for 

Executives and 

under the LTIP, awards of nil cost 

share options or conditional shares 

may be made.

opportunity that may be granted in 

respect of a financial year is 200% 

of salar y. The normal maximum 

award limit will only be exceeded 

direct alignment 

Awards may be settled in cash at 

in exceptional circumstances 

Performance measures and 

their weighting where there is 

more than one measure are 

reviewed annually to maintain 

appropriateness and relevance.

with shareholders’ 

the election of the committee.

involving the recruitment or 

for achievement of threshold 

interests.

The vesting of awards will be 

retention of an Executive director.

performance 25% of the 

maximum opportunity will vest.

subject to the achievement 

The market value of the shares 

of specified performance 

subject to an award is based on 

There will usually be straight line 

conditions, over a period of at 

the three day average share price 

vesting between threshold and 

least three years. 

immediately prior to the company’s 

maximum performance.

year end, unless the committee 

determines other wise.

The committee may make a 

dividend equivalent payment 

(‘dividend Equivalent’) to reflect 

dividends that would have been 

paid over the period to vesting on 

shares that vest. This payment may 

be in the form of additional shares 

or a cash payment equal to the 

value of those additional shares.

The committee has the right 

to reduce, cancel or impose 

further conditions on unvested or 

unexercised awards if there has 

been a material misstatement of 

the company’s financial results, a 

material failure of risk management 

by the company or if there has 

been serious reputational damage 

to the company as a result 

of the participant’s misconduct 

or otherwise.

for up to two years following the 

payment of a long-term incentive 

award, the committee may require 

the repayment of some or all of 

the award if an act or omission or 

a failure to apply reasonable skill 

and judgement leads to a material 

loss to the group or serious 

reputational damage to the group 

or a material misstatement of the 

group’s financial statements. 

52

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernancenon-ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

PURPoSE And LinK To STRATEGy

APPRoAch of ThE comPAny

Sole element of non-Executive 

fees are normally reviewed annually.

director remuneration, set at 

a level that reflects market 

conditions and is sufficient 

to attract individuals with 

appropriate knowledge and 

experience.

fees paid to non-Executive directors for their ser vices are approved by the board. fees may include a 

basic fee and additional fees for further responsibilities (for example, chairmanship of board committees 

or holding the office of senior independent director). fees are based on the level of fees paid to non-

Executive directors ser ving on the board of similar-sized uk listed companies and the time commitment 

and contribution expected for the role. Typically, any fee increase will be in line with the wider 

workforce. fee increases may be awarded above this level in certain circumstances such as (but not 

limited to):

•	 where there has been a change in market practice;

•	 where there has been a change in the size and complexity of the company; or

•	 where there has been an increase in the non-Executive director’s time commitment to the role.

Overall fees paid to non-Executive directors will remain within the limits set by the company’s Articles 

of Association.

non-Executive directors cannot participate in any of the company’s share options schemes and are 

not eligible to join the company’s pension scheme. non-Executive directors may be eligible to receive 

benefits such as the use of secretarial support, travel costs or other benefits that may be appropriate.

ExPLAnATIOn Of 
P ERfORmAncE mEASuRES  
c hOSEn

Performance measures are selected 
that are aligned with the performance 
of the group and the interests of 
shareholders. Stretching performance 
targets are set each year for the annual 
bonus and long term incentive awards. 
when setting these performance 
targets, the committee will take into 
account a number of different reference 
points, which may include the 
company’s business plans and strategy 
and the economic environment. full 
vesting will only occur for what the 
committee considers to be a stretching 
performance. 

The annual bonus can be assessed 
against financial and individual/
strategic measures determined by 
the committee. The committee 
considers that profit before tax is a 
key performance metric for the annual 
bonus and specific strategic objectives 
for each director which are aligned to 
delivering the overall business strategy 
encourages behaviours which facilitate 
profitable growth and the future 
development of the business.

Long-term performance measures are 
chosen by the committee to provide 
a robust and transparent basis on 
which to measure the company’s 
performance over the longer term 
and to provide alignment with the 
business strategy. They are selected 
to be aligned with the interests of 
shareholders and to drive business 
performance whilst not encouraging 
excessive risk taking. 

The committee retains the ability to 
adjust or set different performance 
measures if events occur (such as 
a change in strategy, a material 
acquisition and/or a divestment of 
a group business or a change in 
prevailing market conditions) which 
cause the committee to determine that 
the measures are no longer appropriate 
and that amendment is required so that 
they achieve their original purpose.

Awards and options may be adjusted 
in the event of a variation of share 
capital in accordance with the rules of 
the LTIP.

PO L Icy  fO R ThE  
REmu nE RATIOn Of  EmP LOyE ES  
mO R E gEnE RAL L y

Remuneration arrangements are 
determined throughout the group 
based on the same principle that 
reward should be achieved for 
delivery of the business strategy and 
should be sufficient to attract, retain 
and motivate high-calibre employees. 

IL LuST RATI OnS Of  AP P LIcATI On 
Of  REm u nER ATIOn  PO L Icy

Illustrations were provided for in the 
2013/2014 Annual Report.

Read more online at  
www.toppstiles.co.uk

AP PR OAc h TO R EcRuI TmEnT
REmu nE RATI On

The policy aims to facilitate the 
appointment of individuals of sufficient 
calibre to lead the business and 
execute the strategy effectively for 
the benefit of shareholders. when 
appointing a new Executive director, 
the committee seeks to ensure that 
arrangements are in the best interests 
of the company and not to pay more 
than is appropriate.

53

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Remuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

to provide a bonus or long-term 
incentive award for that year 
as there would not be sufficient 
time to assess performance. 
Subject to the limit on variable 
remuneration set out below, the 
quantum in respect of the months 
employed during the year may 
be transferred to the subsequent 
year so that reward is provided 
on a fair and appropriate basis;

 — if the Executive director will be 
required to relocate in order 
to take up the position, it is 
the company’s policy to allow 
reasonable relocation, travel 
and subsistence payments. Any 
such payments will be at the 
discretion of the committee. 

•	 The committee may also alter the 

performance measures, performance 
period and vesting period of the 
annual bonus or LTIP, subject to the 
rules of the LTIP, if the committee 
determines that the circumstances of 
the recruitment merit such alteration. 
The rationale will be clearly 
explained in the following directors’ 
Remuneration Report.

•	 The maximum level of variable 

remuneration which may be granted 
(excluding “buyout” awards as 
referred to below) is 300% of salary. 

Any share awards referred to in 
this section will be granted as far 
as possible under the company’s 
existing share plans. If necessary, and 
subject to the limits referred to above, 
recruitment awards may be granted 
outside of these plans as permitted 
under the Listing Rules which allow for 
the grant of awards to facilitate, in 
unusual circumstances, the recruitment 
of an Executive director.

The committee may make payments 
or awards in respect of hiring an 
employee to “buyout” remuneration 
arrangements forfeited on leaving a 
previous employer. In doing so the 
committee will take account of relevant 
factors including any performance 
conditions attached to the forfeited 
arrangements and the time over which 
they would have vested. The committee 
will generally seek to structure buyout 
awards or payments on a like for like 
basis to the remuneration arrangements 
forfeited. Any such payments or awards 
are limited to the expected value of the 
forfeited awards. where considered 
appropriate, such special recruitment 
awards will be liable to forfeiture or 
“malus” and/or “clawback” on early 
departure.

where a position is filled internally, 
any ongoing remuneration obligations 
or outstanding variable pay elements 
shall be allowed to continue 
according to the original terms.

fees payable to a newly-appointed 
chairman or non-Executive director 
will be in line with the fee policy in 
place at the time of appointment.

SERvIcE cOnTR AcT S

It is the company’s policy that 
Executive directors are offered 
permanent contracts of employment 
with a twelve month notice period. 
under an event of contract termination 
any severance payment would be 
subject to negotiation but would be 
with regard to length of service and 
prevailing notice period.

company policy also states that 
non-Executive directors should have 
contracts of services with an indefinite 
term providing for a maximum 
of six months’ notice. The role of 
chairman is also non-Executive, with 
an indefinite term contract and a 
maximum six months’ notice.

The committee will take into 
consideration a number of relevant 
factors, which may include the calibre 
of the individual, the candidate’s 
existing remuneration package, and the 
specific circumstances of the individual 
including the jurisdiction from which the 
candidate was recruited.

when hiring a new Executive director, 
the committee will typically align 
the remuneration package with the 
above Policy. The committee may 
include other elements of pay which it 
considers are appropriate, however, 
this discretion is capped and is subject 
to the principles and the limits referred 
to below. 

•	 base salary will be set at a level 
appropriate to the role and the 
experience of the Executive director 
being appointed. This may include 
agreement on future increases up to 
a market rate, in line with increased 
experience and/or responsibilities, 
subject to good performance, 
where it is considered appropriate.

•	 Pension and benefits will be 

provided in line with the above 
Policy.

•	 The committee will not offer non-
performance related incentive 
payments (for example a 
“guaranteed sign-on bonus”). 

•	 Others elements may be included in 

the following circumstances:

 — an interim appointment being 

made to fill an Executive director 
role on a short-term basis;

 — if exceptional circumstances 

require that the chairman or a 
non-Executive director takes on 
an executive function on a short-
term basis;

 — if an Executive director is 

recruited at a time in the year 
when it would be inappropriate 

54

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernancePAymEnTS fOR LOSS Of OffIcE

The principles on which the determination of payments for loss of office will be approached are set out below:

PAymEnT in LiEU of noTicE

The company has discretion to make a payment in lieu of notice. Such a payment 

PoLicy

would be calculated by reference to basic salar y and shall include compensation for 

any employer pension contributions for the unexpired period of notice. The payment 

may also include compensation for benefits for the period.

AnnUAL bonUS

This will be at the discretion of the committee on an individual basis and the 

decision as to whether or not to award a bonus in full or in part will be dependent 

on a number of factors, including the circumstances of the individual’s departure and 

their contribution to the business during the bonus period in question. Any bonus 

amounts paid will typically be pro-rated for time in ser vice during the bonus period 

and will, subject to performance, be paid at the usual time (although the committee 

retains discretion to pay the bonus earlier in appropriate circumstances).

LTiP

The extent to which any unvested award will vest will be determined in accordance 

with the rules of the LTIP. 

unvested awards will normally lapse on cessation of employment. however, if the 

participant leaves due to death, illness, injur y, disability, sale of his employer or 

any other reason at the discretion of the committee, the committee shall determine 

whether the award will vest at cessation or at the normal vesting date. In either 

case, the extent of vesting will be determined by the committee taking into account 

the extent to which the performance condition is satisfied and, unless the committee 

determines other wise, the period of time elapsed from the date of grant to the date 

of cessation relative to the performance period. Awards may then be exercised 

during such period as the committee determines. 

Awards which have already vested at the date of cessation may be exercised for 

such period as the committee determines. 

chAnGE of conTRoL

The extent to which unvested awards will vest will be determined in accordance with 

the rules of the LTIP. 

Awards under the LTIP will vest early on a takeover, merger or other relevant 

corporate event. The committee will determine the level of vesting taking into 

account the extent to which the performance condition is satisfied and, unless the 

committee determines other wise, the period of time elapsed from the date of grant 

to the date of the relevant corporate event relative to the performance period. The 

committee has discretion under the rules of the LTIP to vest awards on a different 

basis. 

miTiGATion

The committee’s practice is that if an Executive director’s employment is terminated 

any compensation payment will be calculated in accordance with normal legal 

principles including the application of mitigation to the extent appropriate to the 

circumstances of the termination. 

ALL EmPLoyEE ShARE PLAnS

Payments may be made either in the event of a loss of office or a change of control 

under the all employee share plans, which are governed by the rules and the 

legislation relating to such tax qualifying plans. There is no discretionar y treatment 

for leavers or on a change of control under these schemes.

In appropriate circumstances, payments may also be made in respect of accrued 

holiday,  outplacement and legal fees.

55

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

where a buyout award is made 
under the Listing Rules then the leaver 
provisions would be determined at the 
time of the award.

The committee reserves the right to 
make additional exit payments where 
such payments are made in good 
faith in discharge of an existing legal 
obligation (or by way of damages for 
breach of such an obligation) or by 
way of settlement or compromise of 
any claim arising in connection with 
the termination of a director’s office or 
employment. 

where the committee retains 
discretion it will be used to provide 
flexibility in certain situations, 
taking into account the particular 
circumstances of the director’s 
departure and performance.

There is no entitlement to any 
compensation in the event of a non-
Executive directors’ appointment being 
terminated.

ExISTIng cOnTRAcTuAL
ARRAngEmEnTS

The committee retains discretion to 
make any remuneration payment or 
payment for loss of office outside the 
policy in this report:

•	 where the terms of the payment 
were agreed before the policy 
came into effect; 

•	 where the terms of the payment 
were agreed at a time when the 
relevant individual was not a 
director of the company and, in 
the opinion of the committee, the 
payment was not in consideration 
of the individual becoming a 
director of the company; and

•	 to satisfy contractual commitments 

under legacy remuneration 
arrangements.

for these purposes, “payments” 
includes the satisfaction of awards of 
variable remuneration and, in relation 
to an award over shares, the terms of 
the payment are agreed at the time the 
award is granted. 

STATEmEnT Of 
cOnSIdER AT IOn Of 
EmPLOymEnT cOn dI TI OnS
ELSEwhE RE In  ThE cOmPAn y

when determining the remuneration 
arrangements for Executive 
directors, the committee takes into 
consideration, as a matter of course, 
the pay and conditions of employees 
throughout the group. In particular, the 
committee is kept informed on:

•	 salary increase for the general 

employee population;

•	 overall spend on annual bonus; and

•	 participation levels in the annual 

bonus and share plans.

Although no consultation with 
employees takes place in relation to 
determining the remuneration policy for 
directors, the group has various ways 
of engaging employees collectively, as 
teams and one to one which provide 
a forum for employees to express their 
views on the company’s executive and 
wider employee reward policies.

STATEmEnT Of 
cOnS IdER ATIOn  Of 
ShA REhO LdE R vIEwS

The committee is committed to an 
ongoing dialogue with shareholders 
and welcomes feedback on directors’ 
remuneration. Prior to the new LTIP 
being formally put to shareholders in 
2013, the committee engaged with 
major shareholders and institutional 
bodies setting out the proposals and 
rationale for the changes on variable 
pay arrangements for Executive 
directors. major shareholders were 
also advised of the rationale for 
the increase in the annual bonus 
opportunity for 2014/15. 

56

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernance 
 
AnnuAL REPORT On REmunERATI On
Single fig ure table

The tables below detail the total remuneration receivable by each director for the 52 week period ended 27 September 
2014 and the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015.

2014/15

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

non-ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

j m jAck 1

A whITE 2

c TInEy

A kIng

d ShAPLAnd 3

k dOwn 4

SALARy And 
fEES
£’000

bEnEfiTS
£’000

389

243

104 

8

43

42

62

28

32

29

–

–

–

–

–

–

AnnUAL 
bonUS
£’000

318

198

–

–

–

–

–

–

LTiP
£’000

PEnSion
£’000

ToTAL 
REmUnERATion
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

48

30

–

–

–

–

–

–

787

500

104

8

43

 42

62

28

1 

j m jack retired from his role as non-Executive chairman on the 18 march 2015 and was replaced by darren Shapland. The board asked j m jack to 
remain as an advisor to the board until the 14/15 Agm and has been recompensed by continuing to receive a fee during this period

2  Resigned 8 december 2014
3  Appointed 19 march 2015 
4  Appointed 2 february 2015

2013/14

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

non-ExEcUTivE

j m jAck

A whITE

c TInEy

A kIng

SALARy And 
fEES
£’000

bEnEfiTS
£’000

AnnUAL 
bonUS
£’000

LTiP
£’000

PEnSion
£’000

ToTAL 
REmUnERATion
£’000

375

227

102

42

41

41

34

30

–

–

–

–

278

168

–

–

–

–

122

71

–

–

–

–

41

25

–

–

–

–

849

521

102

42

41

41

The figures in the single figure tables above are derived from the following:

SALARy And fEES

ThE AmoUnT of SALARy/fEES REcEivEd in ThE PERiod

bEnEfiTS

PEnSion

AnnUAL bonUS

LTiP

The taxable value of benefits received in the period. These are principally life insurance, income 
protection, private medical insurance, company car or car allowance, fuel allowance and the value of 
SAyE scheme options granted during the period. The value attributable to sharesave scheme options 
is calculated on the following basis: monthly contribution x 12 x 20% (being the discount applied to 
market value in determining the exercise price). 

The pension figure represents the cash value of company pension contributions paid to the Executive 
directors as part of the company’s defined contribution scheme.

The annual bonus is the cash value of the bonus earned in respect of the period. A description of 
performance against the objectives which applied for the period is provided on pages 59 and 60.

The LTIP figure stated for the period 2013/14 represents the value of matching awards granted under 
the Topps Tiles Plc 2010 deferred bonus Long Term Incentive Plan that vested in respect of the period. 
for the matching share awards granted on 28 november 2012 EbITdA earnings growth over the two 
year performance period to 27 September 2014 has been 12.9% therefore the matching share awards 
vested in full in november 2014. The estimated face value of the vested shares is based on a share 
price of 108 pence being the average market value of the company’s shares for the last quarter of the 
52 week period ended 27 September 2014.

57

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

IndIvIduAL ELEmEnTS Of REmunE RATI On
Base salar y and  fees

base salaries for individual directors are reviewed annually by the committee and are set with reference to the 
Remuneration Policy. during the period the following changes to base salary were made with effect from 1 june 2015:

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

bASE SALARy  
1 jUnE 
2014

bASE SALARy  
1 jUnE 
2015

£380,708

£388,323

£235,143

£246,901

% incREASE

2%

5%

The base salary increase for matt williams was in line with the range of salary increases across the group. The base 
salary increase for Rob Parker reflects the growth of the company, prevailing market conditions and internal base salary 
relativities and in line with the statement made in the 2013/2014 Annual Report.

The non-Executive directors’ fees were increased with effect from 1 june 2015 in line with the increase for the wider 
workforce:

bASIc fEE

AddITIOnAL fEES

SEnIOR IndEPEndEnT dIREcTOR/chAIR Of REmunERATIOn cOmmITTEE

chAIR Of ThE nOmInATIOnS cOmmITTEE

chAIR Of ThE AudIT cOmmITTEE

TOTAL PEnSIOn EnTITLEmEnTS

fEES 1 jUnE 
2014

fEES 1 jUnE 
2015

% incREASE

£36,516

37,246

£6,120

£5,100

£5,100

6,242

5,202

5,202

2%

2%

2%

2%

during the year the company pension benefit represented 12.5% of salary for the Executive directors and is in line with 
the Remuneration Policy. 

58

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceAnnuAL bOnuS

for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015, the maximum annual bonus opportunity was 100% of salary. 
To encourage behaviours which facilitate profitable growth and future development of business up to 80% of salary could 
be earned for delivering PbT above the adjusted PbT target and up to 20% of salary could be earned for the achievement 
of individual objectives specifically delivering the strategic plan. 

The following table sets out the bonus pay-out to the Executive directors for 2014/15 and how this reflects performance 
for the period.

AdjUSTEd PbT 1 

£20 million

£20.4 million

TARGET

AcTUAL PERfoRmAncE

STRATEGic 

objEcTivES

met in full

met in full

met in full

met in full

The strategic targets for the period 

related to:

•	 Increase market share 

•	 Average Transaction value (“ATv”)

•	 discounting

•	 customer Service

The committee considers that 

the detailed strategic targets are 

commercially sensitive and should 

therefore remain confidential to 

the company. They provide our 

competitors with insight into our 

business plans, expectations and 

our strategic actions. 

ToTAL bonUS  

EARnEd

1  Adjusted PbT as defined in the financial review section of this report.

AnnuAL bOnuS fOR  2015/16

ExEcUTivE diREcToR bonUS EARnEd 
AS A PERcEnTAGE of SALARy

63%

20%

5%

5%

5%

5%

83%

The maximum annual bonus opportunity for 2015/16 financial year is 100% of salary. up to 20% of salary will continue 
to be focused upon achievement of individual objectives specifically delivering the strategic plan. The element of the 
annual bonus that can be earned for delivering PbT above the adjusted PbT target for the year is 80% of salary. 

The committee considers that the actual annual bonus targets are commercially sensitive and should therefore remain 
confidential to the company. however, the Remuneration committee will continue to disclose how the bonus pay-out 
delivered relates to performance against the targets on a retrospective basis.

59

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

LOng  TERm IncEnTIvES
Awar ds vesting in respect o f the  fi na nc i al  y e ar

no LTIP award vested during the financial year

AwARdS gRAnTEd d uRIng ThE  fInAn cI AL  yE AR

The LTIP was approved by shareholders on 23 january 2013. for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015 the 
following awards were granted to Executive directors on 12 december 2014.

TyPE of 
AWARd

PERcEnTAGE 
of SALARy

nUmbER of 
ShARES

fAcE vALUE 
AT GRAnT1

% of AWARd 
vESTinG AT 
ThREShoLd

PERfoRmAncE 
PERiod

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

nil-cost option

nil-cost option

100%

100%

359,159

£380,709

221,833

£235,142

25%

25%

3 years

3 years

1  valued using a share price of 106.00 pence based on the average three day share price ending on 27 September 2014.

The awards will vest based on the following cumulative Adjusted EPS targets:

cUmULATivE AdjUSTEd EPS foR ThE PERiod 2014/15 To 2016/17

PERcEnTAGE of ThE AWARd ThAT WiLL vEST

23.02 pence 

25%

greater than 23.02 pence but less than 24.83 pence

determined on a straight line basis between 25% and 100%

24.83 pence

100%

Adjusted EPS is defined as stated in the company’s accounts for the relevant financial period excluding exceptional items 
and subject to such adjustments as the board in its discretion determines are fair and reasonable.

These targets equate to adjusted EPS growth of c.7% growth from the 2014/15 outturn for 25% vesting and c.11% for 
100% vesting.

notwithstanding the cumulative Adjusted EPS targets calculated above, the extent to which the awards will vest will 
be subject to the committee’s assessment of the quality of earnings over the performance period. The committee may 
reduce the extent to which the award would otherwise vest if the committee determines that the cumulative Adjusted EPS 
achieved is not consistent with the achievement of commensurate underlying financial performance taking into account 
such factors as the committee considers appropriate, including market share, margin performance, net debt, overall 
returns to shareholders and shareholder value creation.  

LOng  TERm IncEnTIvES fOR 201 5/1 6

no changes to the quantum or performance conditions are proposed. The maximum LTIP opportunity will remain at 100% 
of salary and the proportion of the award vesting for threshold performance remains at 25% of salary. 

The awards will vest based on the following cumulative Adjusted EPS targets that equate to adjusted EPS growth of c.7% 
growth from the 2015/16 outturn for 25% vesting and c.11% for 100% vesting. 

cUmULATivE AdjUSTEd EPS foR ThE PERiod 2015/16 To 2017/18

PERcEnTAGE of ThE AWARd ThAT WiLL vEST

27.29 pence 

25%

greater than 27.29 pence but less than 29.42 pence

determined on a straight line basis between 25% and 100%

29.42 pence

100%

Adjusted EPS is defined as stated in the company’s accounts for the relevant financial period excluding exceptional items 
and subject to such adjustments as the board in its discretion determines are fair and reasonable.

60

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernance 
ALL EmPLOyEE ShARE PLAnS

The Executive directors may participate in the company’s all employee share plans, the Topps Tiles Plc SAyE Scheme 
(SAyE Scheme) and the Topps Tiles Plc Share Incentive Plan (SIP), on the same basis as other employees. 

The SAyE Scheme provides an opportunity to save a set monthly amount (currently up to £500) over three years towards 
the exercise of a discounted share option, which is granted at the start of the three years. 

The SIP provides an opportunity for employees to buy shares from their pre-tax remuneration up to the limit permitted by 
the relevant tax legislation (currently £1,800 per year). no matching shares are awarded. 

Options and awards under these plans are not subject to performance conditions.

The following SAyE options were granted to the Executive directors during the financial year ended 3 October 2015:

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

TyPE of AWARd1

nUmbER of 
ShARES

fAcE vALUE 
AT GRAnT2

dIScOunTEd ShARE OPTIOn

dIScOunTEd ShARE OPTIOn

3,913

3,913

£4,745

£4,745

1 

2 

In accordance with the scheme rules, the options are granted with an exercise price set at a discount of up to 20% to the market value of a share when 
the invitations to acquire the option are issued. for the awards granted in 2014/15, the share price at the date of invitation was 115 pence and the 
exercise price is 92 pence per share. In accordance with the scheme rules, the exercise of the options is not subject to any performance condition. 
The face value of the award is calculated by multiplying the number of shares under option by the market value of a share on the date of grant (being 
121.25 pence for these options granted on 28 january 2015).

STATEmEnT Of dI REcTORS’ ShAR EhOLdIng  An d  ShA RE InTE R E ST S

In order to further align the Executive directors’ long term interests with those of shareholders, the committee introduced 
shareholding guidelines in 2013. The guidelines require that, with effect from 2013/14, Executive directors build up 
a shareholding of one times salary over a period of five years. The table below sets out the number of shares held or 
potentially held by directors (including their connected persons where relevant) as at 3 October 2015.

m T m wILLIAmS

R PARkER

ShAREhoLdinG GUidELinES

cURREnT ShAREhoLdinG (AS % of SALARy)

100% of salary

100% of salary

670%

123%

61

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

The interests of each Executive director of the company as at 3 October 2015 were as follows:

diREcToR

TyPE

oWnEd 

ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

m T m wILLIAmS

Shares

1,748,986

LTIP shares

SAyE options

n/a

n/a

R PARkER

Shares

204,208

LTIP shares

SAyE options

non-ExEcUTivE diREcToRS

d ShAPLAnd

k dOwn

c TInEy

A kIng

Shares

Shares

Shares

Shares

n/a

n/a

80,000

n/a

15,480

n/a

ExERciSEd 
dURinG ThE 
yEAR

UnvESTEd 
And 
SUbjEcT To 
PERfoRmAncE 
condiTionS

UnvESTEd 
And noT 
SUbjEcT To 
PERfoRmAncE 
condiTionS

vESTEd

ToTAL AS AT 
3 ocTobER 
2015

n/a

n/a

0

n/a

n/a

0

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1,565,381

n/a

n/a

945,571

n/a

n/a

1,748,986 

1,565,381

15,958

n/a

n/a

n/a

15,958

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

15,958

204,208

945,571

15,958

80,000

n/a

15,480

n/a

note. director’s shareholdings include shares held by their connected persons where relevant.

PAymEnTS mAdE TO fORmER dI REcT OR S d uRIn g  ThE P E RI Od

As mention earlier in this report The Right honourable michael jack cbE retired from his role as non- Executive chairman 
during the year and was replaced by darren Shapland. The board asked him to remain an advisor up until the 14/15 
Agm and has been recompensed by continuing to receive a fee during this period.

PAymEnTS fOR LOSS Of OffIcE mAdE d uR In g  ThE P E RI Od

no payments for loss of office were made in the period to any director of the company.

62

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernancePERfORmAncE gRAPh

The graph below shows the TSR performance for the company’s shares in comparison to the fTSE Small cap Index for the 
five years to 3 October 2015. for the purposes of the graph, TSR has been calculated as the percentage change during 
the five-year period in the market price of the shares, assuming that dividends are reinvested. The graph shows the value, 
by the end of the 2014/15 financial year, of £100 invested in the group over the last five financial years compared 
with £100 invested in the fTSE Small cap Index which the directors believe is the most appropriate comparative index.

350.00

300.00

250.00

200.00

150.00

100.00

50.00

0

0
1
0
2
/
0
1
/
1
0

1
1
0
2
/
1
0
/
1
0

1
1
0
2
/
4
0
/
1
0

1
1
0
2
/
7
0
/
1
0

2
1
0
2
/
1
0
/
1
0

2
1
0
2
/
4
0
/
1
0

2
1
0
2
/
7
0
/
1
0

2
1
0
2
/
0
1
/
1
0

3
1
0
2
/
1
0
/
1
0

3
1
0
2
/
4
0
/
1
0

3
1
0
2
/
7
0
/
1
0

3
1
0
2
/
0
1
/
1
0

4
1
0
2
/
1
0
/
1
0

4
1
0
2
/
4
0
/
1
0

4
1
0
2
/
7
0
/
1
0

4
1
0
2
/
0
1
/
1
0

5
1
0
2
/
1
0
/
1
0

5
1
0
2
/
4
0
/
1
0

5
1
0
2
/
7
0
/
1
0

TPT

FTSE 250

hISTORIcAL chIEf  ExEcuTIvE REmunE RATI On  OuTcOmE S

The table below shows details of the total remuneration and annual bonus and LTIP vesting (as a percentage of the 
maximum opportunity) for the chief Executive over the last five financial years.

53 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 3 OcTObER 2015

52 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

52 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 28 SEPTEmbER 2013

52 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 29 SEPTEmbER 2012

52 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 1 OcTObER 2011

53 wEEk PERIOd EndEd 2 OcTObER 2010

ToTAL 
REmUnERATion

AnnUAL bonUS AS A % 
of mAximUm oPPoRTUniTy

LTiP AS A % of 
mAximUm oPPoRTUniTy

812

849

564

579

384

515

83%

99%

46.3%

35.2%

0%

40%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

note: The board has resolved that the Performance condition attached to the LTIP Award made on the 26 february 2013 relating to the three consecutive 
financial periods of the company beginning with the company’s 2012/2013 financial period has been satisfied and will vest during the period ending   
1 October 2016.

63

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationRemuneration REPORT

cOnT In uEd

cEO PA y IncREASE In RELATIOn TO ALL EmPL OyE E S

The table below sets out in relation to salary, taxable benefits and annual bonus the percentage change in remuneration 
for m T m williams compared to the wider workforce. for these purposes, the wider workforce includes all employees.

PERcEnTAGE chAnGE

SALAR y 1

TAxAbLE bEnEfITS

AnnuAL bOnuS

cEo

1.9%

-5.2%

14.4%

WidER 
WoRKfoRcE

3.6%

-1.1%

6.1%

1  m T m williams’ salary was increased by 2% with effect from 1 june 2015.  because this table shows the difference between mr williams’ full year 

salary for 2013/14 and 2014/15, the percentage increase shown is less than 2%.

SPEnd On PA y

The following table sets out the percentage change in dividends and the overall expenditure on pay (as a whole across 
the organisation).

dIvIdEndS And ShARE buybAckS

OvERALL ExPEndITuRE On PA y

52 WEEK PERiod 
EndEd 27 SEPTEmbER 
2014

53 WEEK PERiod 
EndEd 3 ocTobER 
2015

2.25 pence per share

3.00

£45,865,000

51,529,000

PERcEnTAGE chAnGE

33%

12%

cOnSIdERAT IOn by ThE dIREcTORS Of mAT TE R S R E L AT In g  T O dI R EcT O R S’ R Em unE RAT I On

The committee is composed of the company’s independent non-Executive directors, claire Tiney (chairman), Andy king 
and keith down. The company Secretary attends the meetings as secretary to the committee.

The role of the committee is to:

•	 determine the pay and benefits of the Executive directors in accordance with the Remuneration Policy.

•	 determine the short and long-term incentives for Executive directors in accordance with the Remuneration Policy.

•	 To determine awards against incentive schemes.

•	 To consult with major shareholders about changes to these incentive schemes.

•	 To determine fees payable to the non-Executive chairman.

•	 To review the Remuneration Report.

•	 To monitor the level and structure of remuneration for senior management.

AdvISORS

The committee is assisted in its work by the chief Executive Officer and finance director. The chief Executive Officer 
is consulted on the remuneration of those who report directly to him and also of other senior executives. no Executive 
director or employee is present or takes part in discussions in respect of matters relating directly to their own remuneration. 

during the financial period, the committee received independent advice from the following external consultant:

64

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTgovernanceAdviSoR

dETAiLS of 
APPoinTmEnT

SER vicES PRovidEd 
by ThE AdviSoR

fEES PAid by ThE  
comPAny foR AdvicE  
To ThE commiTTEE And 
bASiS of chARGE

oThER SER vicES 
PRovidEd To ThE  
comPAny in ThE 52 
WEEK PERiod EndEd 
27 SEPTEmbER 2014

dELoiTTE LLP

Appointed by the 

Advice on developments in executive 

£13000 (excluding vAT).

External auditor and certain 

committee in june 

pay and the operation of the 

2012.

company’s incentive plans.

charged on a time/cost basis 

or fixed fee dependent on the 

other ser vices (see page 84 

of the Annual Report).

Advice on market practice and 

nature of the project.

shareholder perspectives.

Advice on the new reporting 

regulations in connection with the 

disclosure of directors’ remuneration.

The Remuneration committee took into account the Remuneration consultants group’s code of conduct when reviewing 
the appointment of deloitte and also took into account deloitte’s role as external auditor. As deloitte is the external auditor 
to the company, deloitte’s advice to the Remuneration committee is governed by certain guidelines and safeguards. The 
Remuneration committee is satisfied that the remuneration advice provided by deloitte is objective and independent. The 
Remuneration committee plans to change the advisors to the committee during this financial year and will commence a 
tendering process after the Agm in january 2016.

STATEmEnT Of vOTIng AT LAST Ag m

The following table sets out actual voting in respect of the resolution to approve the directors’ Remuneration Report at the 
company’s Annual general meeting on 22 january 2015.

voTES foR

% of voTE

voTES 
AGAinST

% of voTE

diScRETion

% of voTE

voTES 
WiThhELd

113,470,441

92.33%

9,402,110

7.65%

27,887

0.02%

897,379

RESoLUTion

APPROvE  

REmunERATIOn 

REPORT

APPROv AL

This Report was approved by the board on 1 december 2015 and signed on its behalf by:

Claire Tiney 

chairman of the Remuneration committee 

1 december 2015

65

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationIndependent AudITORS’ REPORT TO ThE  
mEm bERS Of TOPPS TILES PLc

oPinion on finAnciAL  

In our opinion:

STATEmEnTS of ToPPS TiLES  

•	

the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as 

PLc

at 3 October 2015 and of the group’s profit for the 53 week period then ended;

•	

the group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with International financial Reporting 

Standards (IfRSs) as adopted by the European union;

•	

the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with united kingdom 

generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•	

the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the companies Act 2006 

and, as regards the group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

The financial statements comprise the consolidated Statement of financial Performance, the consolidated 

Statement of comprehensive Income, the consolidated Statement of financial Position and Parent 

company balance Sheet, the consolidated cash flow Statement, the consolidated Statement of changes 

in Equity and the related notes 1 to 29. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the 

preparation of the group financial statements is applicable law and IfRSs as adopted by the European 

union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the parent company 

financial statements is applicable law and united kingdom Accounting Standards (united kingdom 

generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

SEPARATE oPinion in 

As explained in note 2 to the group financial statements, in addition to complying with its legal obligation 

RELATion To ifRSS AS iSSUEd 

to apply IfRSs as adopted by the European union, the group has also applied IfRSs as issued by the 

by ThE iASb

International Accounting Standards board (IASb).

In our opinion the group financial statements comply with IfRSs as issued by the IASb.

GoinG concERn And ThE  

As required by the Listing Rules we have reviewed the directors’ statement regarding the appropriateness 

diREcToRS’ ASSESSmEnT  

of the going concern basis of accounting contained within note 2 to the financial statements and the 

of ThE PRinciPAL RiSKS  

directors’ statement on the longer-term viability of the group (contained within the strategic report, on 

ThAT WoULd ThREATEn ThE  

page 24). 

SoL vEncy oR LiqUidiTy of 

ThE GRoUP

we have nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to:

•	

the directors’ statement in note 2 to the financial statements about whether they considered it appropriate to adopt 

the going concern basis of accounting in preparing them and their  identification of any material uncertainties to 

the group’s ability to continue to do so over a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the 

financial statements;

•	

the director’s explanation (on page 24) as to how they have assessed the prospects of the group, over what 

period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate, and their statement as to whether 

they have a reasonable expectation that the group will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities 

as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing attention to any 

necessary qualifications or assumptions.

we agreed with the directors’ adoption of the going concern basis of accounting and we did not identify 

any such material uncertainties. however, because not all future events or conditions can be predicted, 

this statement is not a guarantee as to the group’s ability to continue as a going concern.

indEPEndEncE

we are required to comply with the financial Reporting council’s Ethical Standards for Auditors and we 

confirm that we are independent of the group and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in 

accordance with those standards. we also confirm we have not provided any of the prohibited non-audit 

ser vices referred to in those standards.

oUR ASSESSmEnT of RiSKS  

The assessed risks of material misstatement described below are those that had the greatest effect on our 

of mATERiAL miSSTATEmEnT

audit strategy, the allocation of resources in the audit and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

66

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statementsOvE RvI Ew

ST R AT EgIc  R E P O R T

gOvE RnAn cE

fInAn cI A L S TAT EmEnT S

Ad dI T I OnA L In fO RmAT I On

Financial 
Statements

C o n t e n t s

66 IndEPEndEnT AudITOR’S REPORT

71 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT  

Of fInAncIAL PERfORmAncE

71 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT  

Of cOmPREhEnSIvE IncOmE

72 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT Of

fInAncIAL POSITIOn

73 cOnSOLIdATEd STATEmEnT Of

chAngES In EquITy

74 cOnSOLIdATEd cASh fLOw  

STATEmEnT

75 nOTES TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnT

RiSK

hoW ThE ScoPE of oUR AUdiT RESPondEd 
To ThE RiSK

invEnToR y

we tested the cost of inventor y (on a sample 

The key inventor y risk 

basis) by reference to supplier invoice costs. we 

relates to the valuation 

have performed our net realisable value testing to 

of inventor y (which 

determine that the group sells these products at a 

includes tiles, adhesives, 

price greater than cost.

stone and wood 

products), given the size 

of the inventor y balance 

(gross inventor y – £30.2 

million) and it is the 

Additionally, in performing our net realisable value 

testing, we have compared the level of provisioning 

made by management against sales made below cost 

during the period and after the period end. 

single largest current 

we have also reviewed sales made post year end 

asset balance on the 

to determine if any further inventor y lines were sold 

consolidated statement 

below cost.

of financial position.

PRoPERTy PRoviSionS

we assessed the appropriateness and completeness 

The property provisions 

of onerous lease and dilapidation provisions by 

arise from the group’s 

challenging management’s principal assumptions 

portfolio of 347 stores.

in identifying and providing for the group’s at-risk 

The appropriateness 

properties.   

and completeness of 

Our audit team included property specialists who 

onerous lease (£1.4 

assisted us in evaluating the directors’ estimates, 

million) and dilapidation 

for example, those relating to the length of time 

provisions (£1.6 million) 

anticipated to exit onerous lease agreements on 

in relation to those stores 

vacant or loss making stores. 

is judgemental as they 

include an assessment of 

the likely future periods 

over which leasehold 

properties may be vacant 

and estimates of future 

costs of making good 

we also challenged management’s assumptions 

in relation to the calculation of onerous leases at 

loss-making stores by reviewing management’s track 

record of returning such stores to profit and the period 

of time management assume will take to exit the 

property where relevant. 

dilapidations.

we have also challenged management’s assumptions 

regarding the calculation of the dilapidation 

The accounting policies 

provision, including validating property information 

in respect of property 

back to the original lease documentation and 

provisions are outlined 

agreeing dilapidation charges historically incurred to 

in note 2(w). 

third party source. In performing this work we have 

The balance sheet 

assessed whether the provisions are appropriately 

provisions are disclosed 

discounted.

in note 19.   

67

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015 
 
Independent AudITORS’ REPORT TO ThE  
mEm bERS Of TOPPS TILES PLc 

cOnT In uEd

RiSK

hoW ThE ScoPE of oUR AUdiT RESPondEd To ThE RiSK

REvEnUE REcoGniTion

we have performed substantive testing of revenue recorded within the first 

we have identified a revenue risk in relation to the timing 

and last 15 days of the 2016 and 2015 financial periods (on a sample basis) 

of revenue recognition on open orders (i.e. sales not 

respectively to test the appropriateness of revenue recognition of open orders 

completed) where goods can take up to 15 days to be 

around the period end and that only delivered/collected goods have been 

delivered and therefore could be subject to manipulation. 

recognised as income in the year.

The risk also encompasses store sales where deposits are 

made for inventor y items which have a long lead time or 

are currently out of stock.   

The group’s policy, as outlined in note 2(f), is to recognise 

such revenue when the inventor y is delivered or collected 

as opposed to when payment is received (which is earlier).

we have in turn, agreed amounts where legal title of the goods have not been 

transferred, back to the deposit liability recorded within the balance sheet.

AccoUnTinG foR SUPPLiER REbATES

for those agreements open at the year-end we obtained a sample of supplier 

The group has a number of contractual incentives including 

agreements and assessed the appropriateness of the recognition of income by 

rebates with its suppliers. These arrangements have a 

assessing the underlying contractual arrangements, the likelihood of meeting the 

number of thresholds and settlement dates that require 

contractual thresholds (considering the volumes achieved at the period end and 

management to exercise judgment when calculating the 

the level of activity with the customer) and recalculating the amount of income 

rebate receivable and the appropriate recognition within 

recognised.

the income statement. 

we performed analytical procedures (alongside our other substantive tests) 

The accounting policy for supplier income is detailed in 

for supplier agreements recognised, such as comparing income to the level of 

note 2(w).

purchases and sales made, to assess the completeness of the supplier income 

in the year. we also arranged for a sample of supplier confirmations to be 

circularised to confirm the carr ying values at the period end.

AccoUnTinG foR RESTRUcTURinG PRoviSionS

Our work on property related charges has been performed alongside our 

during the year costs of £2.6 million have been recognised 

property provision risk procedures. further to this, we have assessed whether 

by the group relating to the restructuring of the group’s 

the communications to landlords occurred before the balance sheet date 

operations. This was in order to focus on the core Topps 

and the strategic plan had been widely announced so that the restructuring 

Tiles business following closure of 9 Tile clearance stores 

recognition criteria were met. Additionally we confirmed that for all closed 

and to realise synergies with one head office function. Of 

Tile clearance stores the carr ying value of property, plant and equipment was 

this £1.7 million relates to property charges (onerous leases 

provided for. 

we have performed substantive testing over the redundancy element including 

reviewing correspondence with the affected parties so as to assess whether the 

recognition criteria were met. we obtained management’s calculation of the 

redundancy provision and validated the relevant inputs to respective employee 

data.

and impairment of property, plant and equipment) and 

£0.9 million relates to redundancy costs which includes 

relocation of the finance function to the head office in 

Leicester. Restructuring provisions need to meet specific 

criteria (possessing a detailed formal plan and raising a 

valid expectation in those affected by the plan) in order 

to be eligible for recognition and require management 

judgement when calculating the amounts that require 

provision.

The group’s accounting policies for restructuring provisions 

and property provisions are in note 2(w). The provision 

balance is disclosed in note 19.

In the current period an additional risk has been included within this audit report relating to the accounting for the provisions relating to 
the restructuring of the group’s operations which resulted in costs totalling £2.6 million.

The description of risks above should be read in conjunction with the significant issues considered by the Audit committee discussed on 
pages 46 and 47.

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.

68

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statementsoUR APPLicATion of 

we define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable 

mATERiALiTy

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.

we determined materiality for the group to be £1,000,000 (2014: £829,000), which is 5% (2014: 5%) 

of normalised pre-tax profit (2014: statutor y pre-tax profit). Pre-tax profit has been normalised by adding 

back restructuring costs incurred during the year of £2.6 million as these have been determined to be non-

recurring and the normalised profit more truly represents the underlying business. There were no such costs 

in the previous year and as such no normalisation adjustments were applied.

we agreed with the Audit committee that we would report to the committee all audit differences in excess 

of £20,000 (2014: £16,000), 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. 

An ovER viEW of ThE ScoPE  

Our group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the group and its environment, including 

of oUR AUdiT

group-wide controls, and assessing the risks of material misstatement. Audit work to respond to the risks of 

material misstatement was performed directly by the group audit engagement team.

given the nature of the group’s corporate structure where all evidence relating to each component 

is compiled at the group’s head office, we performed an audit covering all of the group’s trading 

components. with the exception of dormant components, no components were scoped out of the audit.

Our audit work was executed at levels of materiality applicable to each individual entity which were 

lower than group materiality and ranged from £2,000 to £900,000 (2014: £6,000 to £746,000).

At the parent entity level we also tested the consolidation process and carried out analytical procedures 

to confirm our conclusion that there were no significant risks of material misstatement of the aggregated 

financial information of the remaining components not subject to audit or audit of specified account 

balances.

As part of the inventor y count programme, alongside attendance at the group’s main warehouse, members 

of the audit team attended 22 (2014: 12) of the group’s stores as part of their consideration of the 

controls around revenue, inventor y, inventor y count procedures and physical asset verification. This 

programme of visits was designed so that the audit team visited different store locations compared to 

previous years depending upon risks identified in conjunction with the work performed by Internal Audit.

oPinion on oThER  

In our opinion:

mATTERS PREScRibEd by ThE  

•	

the part of the directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the 

comPAniES AcT 2006

companies Act 2006; and

•	

the information given in the Strategic Report and the directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial 

statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

mATTERS on Which WE ARE REqUiREd To REPoRT by ExcEPTion

AdEqUAcy of ExPLAnATionS  

under the companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

REcEivEd And AccoUnTinG  

•	 we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

REcoRdS

•	 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.

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 or the part of the directors’ Remuneration Report to be 

audited is not in agreement with the accounting records and returns. we have nothing to report arising 

from these matters.

69

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationIndependent AudITORS’ REPORT TO ThE  
mEm bERS Of TOPPS TILES PLc 

cOnT In uEd

coRPoRATE GovERnAncE  

under the Listing Rules we are also required to review part of the corporate governance Statement 

STATEmEnT

relating to the company’s compliance with certain provisions of the uk corporate governance code. w e 

have nothing to report arising from our review.

oUR dUTy To REAd oThER  

under International Standards on Auditing (uk and Ireland), we are required to report to you if, in our 

infoRmATion in ThE    

opinion, information in the annual report is:

AnnUAL REPoRT

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

•	 apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, our knowledge of the group acquired in 

the course of performing our audit; or

•	 otherwise misleading.

In particular, we are required to consider whether we have identified any inconsistencies between our 

knowledge acquired during the audit and the directors’ statement that they consider the annual report is 

fair, balanced and understandable and whether the annual report appropriately discloses those matters 

that we communicated to the audit committee which we consider should have been disclosed. we confirm 

that we have not identified any such inconsistencies or misleading statements.

RESPEcTivE RESPonSibiLiTiES

As explained more fully in the directors’ Responsibilities Statement, the directors are responsible for the 

of diREcToRS And AUdiToR

preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our 

responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable 

law and International Standards on Auditing (uk and Ireland).  we also comply with International Standard 

on quality control 1 (uk and Ireland). Our audit methodology and tools aim to ensure that our quality 

control procedures are effective, understood and applied. Our quality controls and systems include our 

dedicated professional standards review team and independent partner reviews.

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.

ScoPE of ThE AUdiT of ThE  

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements 

finAnciAL STATEmEnTS

sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, 

whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are 

appropriate to the group’s and the parent company’s circumstances and have been consistently applied 

and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; 

and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-

financial information in the annual report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial 

statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially 

inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become 

aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our 

report.

Damian Sanders (Senior satutory auditor) 
for and on behalf of deloitte LLP  
chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 
manchester 
united kingdom 
1 december 2015

70

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
Consolidated STATEmEnT Of 
fInAn cIAL PERfORmAncE
fO R ThE  5 3   wE EkS En dEd   3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

GRoUP REvEnUE – conTinUinG oPERATionS

cOST Of SALES

gROSS PROfIT  

EmPLOyEE PROfIT ShARIng

dISTRIbuTIOn And SELLIng cOSTS  

OThER OPERATIng ExPEnSES

AdmInISTRATIvE cOSTS  

SALES And mARkETIng cOSTS  

GRoUP oPERATinG PRofiT bEfoRE ExcEPTionAL iTEmS

buSInESS SImPLIfIcATIOn cOSTS

GRoUP oPERATinG PRofiT

OThER (LOSSES)/gAInS  

InvESTmEnT REvEnuE

fInAncE cOSTS

PRofiT bEfoRE TAxATion

TAxATIOn 

PRofiT foR ThE PERiod ATTRibUTAbLE To EqUiTy hoLdERS of ThE comPAny

EARninGS PER oRdinAR y ShARE fRom conTinUinG oPERATionS

— bASIc

— dILuTEd

Consolidated STATEmEnT Of 
cOmP REhEnSIvE IncOmE
fO R ThE  5 3   wE EkS En dEd   3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

PROfIT fOR ThE PERIOd

TOTAL cOmPREhEnSIvE IncOmE fOR ThE PERIOd ATTRIbuTAbLE

TO EquITy hOLdERS Of ThE PAREnT cOmPAny

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

3

212,221

195,237

(82,319)

(76,367)

129,902

118,870

(10,405)

(76,204)

(5,846)

(9,827)

(69,161)

(5,359)

(13,485)

(11,665)

4

5

7

7

5

8

26

10

(5,079)

21,502

(2,619)

18,883

(23)

242

(2,083)

17,019

(3,954)

13,065

6.75p

6.73p

(4,672)

18,186

–

18,186

401

251

(2,147)

16,691

(4,179)

12,512

6.49p

6.43p

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

13,065

12,512

13,065

12,512

71

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
 
 
Consolidated STATEmEnT Of 
fInAn cIAL POSITIOn
A S AT  3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

non-cURREnT ASSETS

gOOdwILL

dEfERREd TAx ASSET

PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

cURREnT ASSETS

InvEnTORIES

TRAdE And OThER REcEIv AbLES

cASh And cASh EquIv ALEnTS

ToTAL ASSETS

cURREnT LiAbiLiTiES

TRAdE And OThER PA yAbLES

cuRREnT TAx LIAbILITIES

PROvISIOnS

nET cURREnT ASSETS

non-cURREnT LiAbiLiTiES

bAnk LOAnS

dEfERREd TAx LIAbILITIES

PROvISIOnS

ToTAL LiAbiLiTiES

nET ASSETS

EqUiTy

ShARE cAPITAL

ShARE PREmIum

Own ShARES

mERgER RESERvE

ShARE bASEd PA ymEnT RESERvE

cAPITAL REdEmPTIOn RESERvE

RETAInEd LOSSES

ToTAL fUndS ATTRibUTAbLE To EqUiTy hoLdERS of ThE PAREnT

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

notes

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

11

19

12

14

15

16

19

17

19

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

245

319

47,094

47,658

27,408

8,041

16,564

52,013

99,671

245

–

41,294

41,539

27,846

5,800

19,547

53,193

94,732

(33,987)

(36,240)

(5,048)

(1,736)

(40,771)

11,242

(4,888)

(876)

(42,004)

11,189

(44,692)

(49,581)

–

(3,410)

(261)

(2,043)

(88,873)

(93,889)

10,798

843

6,457

1,906

(630)

(399)

2,820

20,359

6,455

1,879

(656)

(399)

1,941

20,359

(19,715)

(28,736)

10,798

843

The financial statements of Topps Tiles Plc, registered number 3213782, on pages 71 to 99 were approved by the board of directors 
and authorised for issue on 1 december 2015. They were signed on its behalf by:

M T M Williams 
R Parker 
directors

72

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
Consolidated STATEmEnT Of 
c hAngES In EquITy
fO R ThE  5 3   wE EkS En dEd   3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

ShARE
cAPiTAL
£’000

ShARE
PREmiUm
£’000

oWn
ShARES
£’000

mERGER
RESERvE
£’000

ShARE-
bASEd
PAymEnT
RESERvE
£’000

cAPiTAL
REdEmPTion
RESERvE
£’000

RETAinEd 
EARninGS
£’000

ToTAL
EqUiTy
£’000

6,404

1,492

(10)

(399)

649

20,359

(38,679)

(10,184)

–

51

–

387

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(650)

4

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,292

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

12,512

12,512

–

438

(3,175)

(3,175)

–

–

–

(650)

4

1,292

606

606

6,455

1,879

(656)

(399)

1,941

20,359

(28,736)

843

–

2

–

–

–

–

–

–

27

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(504)

530

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

879

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

13,065

13,065

–

29

(4,534)

(4,534)

–

–

–

490

(504)

530

879

490

6,457

1,906

(630)

(399)

2,820

20,359

(19,715)

10,798

bALAncE AT  

28 SEPTEmbER 2013

PROfIT And TOTAL  

cOmPREhEnSIvE IncOmE fOR

ThE PERIOd

ISSuE Of ShARE cAPITAL

dIvIdEndS

Own ShARES PuRchASEd In 

ThE PERIOd

Own ShARES ISSuEd In ThE  

PERIOd

cREdIT TO EquITy fOR EquITy-

SETTLEd ShARE bASEd PA ymEnTS

dEfERREd TAx On ShARE-bASEd 

PAymEnT TRAnSAcTIOnS

bALAncE AT  

27 SEPTEmbER 2014

PROfIT And TOTAL  

cOmPREhEnSIvE IncOmE fOR

ThE PERIOd

ISSuE Of ShARE cAPITAL

dIvIdEndS

Own ShARES PuRchASEd In 

ThE PERIOd

Own ShARES ISSuEd In ThE  

PERIOd

cREdIT TO EquITy fOR EquITy-

SETTLEd ShARE bASEd PA ymEnTS

dEfERREd TAx On ShARE-bASEd 

PAymEnT TRAnSAcTIOnS

bALAncE AT  

3 ocTobER 2015

73

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
 
 
Consolidated cASh fLOw STATEmEnT

fO R ThE  5 3   wE EkS En dEd   3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

13,065

12,512

3,954

2,083

(242)

23

4,179

2,147

(251)

(401)

18,883

18,186

5,243

432

1,409

2,619

(2,125)

438

(2,680)

24,219

(1,882)

(3,882)

18,455

4,553

348

1,292

–

1,834

(1,650)

348

24,911

(1,695)

(2,582)

20,634

127

140

(12,058)

(11,450)

512

(504)

733

(646)

(11,923)

(11,223)

(4,534)

(3,175)

29

(10)

(5,000)

(9,515)

(2,983)

19,547

16,564

438

(570)

(5,000)

(8,307)

1,104

18,443

19,547

cASh fLoW fRom oPERATinG AcTiviTiES

PROfIT fOR ThE PERIOd

TAxATIOn

fInAncE cOSTS

InvESTmEnT REvEnuE

OThER gAInS/(LOSSES) On SALE Of fREEhOLd PROPERTIES

gROuP OPERATIng PROfIT

Adjustments for:

dEPREcIATIOn Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

ImPAIRmEnT Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

ShARE OPTIOn chARgE

buSInESS SImPLIfIcATIOn cOSTS

(IncREASE)/dEcREASE In TRAdE And OThER REcEIv

AbLES

dEcREASE/(IncREASE) In InvEnTORIES

(dEcREASE)/IncREASE In PA yAbLES

cASh GEnERATEd by oPERATionS

InTEREST PAId

TAxATIOn PAId

net cAsh from operA ting Activities

invESTinG AcTiviTiES

InTEREST REcEIvEd

PuRchASE Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

PROcEEdS On dISPOSAL Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

PuRchASE Of Own ShARES

net cAsh used in investment Activities

finAncinG AcTiviTiES

dIvIdEndS PAId

PROcEEdS fROm ISSuE Of ShARE cAPITAL

LOAn ISSuE cOSTS

REPAymEnT Of bAnk LOAnS

net cAsh used in finAncing Activities

nET (dEcREASE)/IncREASE In cASh And cASh EquIv

ALEnTS

cASh And cASh EquIv ALEnTS AT bEgInnIng Of PERIOd

cASh And cASh EqUiv ALEnTS AT End of PERiod

74

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
Notes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

fO R ThE  5 3   wE EkS En dEd   3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

1 gEnERAL InfORmATIOn

Topps Tiles Plc is a company incorporated in the united kingdom under the companies Act 2006. The address of the registered office is given 
on page 37. The nature of the group’s operations and its principal activity are set out in the directors’ Report on page 38.

These financial statements are presented in pounds sterling because that is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the group 
operates.

ADOPTION OF NEw AND REvISED STANDARDS

In the current period, the following new and revised standards and interpretations have been adopted and may affect the future amounts reported 
in the financial statements:

IfRS 13 – fair value measurement, this standard defines fair value, sets out in a single IfRS a framework for measuring fair value and requires 
disclosures about fair value measurements.

STANDARDS NOT AFFECTING ThE REPORTED RESuLTS NOR ThE FINANCIAL POSITION

The following new and revised Standards and Interpretations have been adopted in the current year. Their adoption has not had any significant 
impact on the amounts reported in these financial statements that may impact the accounting for future transactions and arrangements.

IAS 1 (amended) – Presentation of Items of Other comprehensive Income, the amendments improve the consistency and clarity of the presentation 
of items of other comprehensive income.

IAS 19 (revised) – Employee benefits, this revised standard prescribes the accounting and disclosure by employers for employee benefits.

Improvements to IfRSs 2011–13. Aside from those items already identified above, the amendments made to standards under the 2010 
improvements to IfRSs have had no impact and will not have any impact on the group.

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the following Standards and Interpretations which have not been applied in these 
financial statements were in issue but not yet effective (and in some cases had not yet been adopted by the Eu):

IfRS 9 – financial Instruments

IfRS 11 – joint Arrangements

IfRS 15 – Revenue from contracts with customers

IAS 16 and IAS 38 (amended): clarification of Acceptable methods of depreciation and Amortisation

IAS 27 (amended): Equity method in Separate financial Statements 

IAS 1 – disclosure initiative

The directors anticipate that the adoption of these standards and interpretations in future periods will have no material impact on the financial 
statements of the group.

2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES

The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

A) BASIS OF ACCOuNTING

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International financial Reporting Standards ‘IfRSs’. The financial statements 
have also been prepared in accordance with IfRSs adopted by the European union and therefore the group financial statements comply 
with Article 4 of the Eu IAS regulation. The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except for the revaluation of 
derivative financial instruments. historical cost is generally based on the fair value of the consideration given in exchange for the assets.

B) GOING CONCERN

when considering the going concern test the board review several factors including a detailed review of the above risks and uncertainties, the 
group’s forecast covenant and cash headroom against lending facilities and management’s current expectations (see Strategic Report for further 
details). As a result of this review the board believes that the group will continue to meet all of its financial commitments as they fall due and will 
be able to continue as a going concern. Therefore, the board considers it appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern 
basis.

75

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd
C) BASIS OF CONSOLIDATION

The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the company and entities controlled by the company (its 
subsidiaries). control is achieved where the company has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an investee entity so as to 
obtain benefits from its activities.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the period are included in the consolidated Statement of financial Performance from 
the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial 
statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by the group. All intra-group transactions, balances, 
income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation.

D) FINANCIAL PERIOD

The accounting period ends on the Saturday which falls closest to 30 September, resulting in financial periods of either 52 or 53 weeks.

Throughout the financial statements, directors’ Report and business Review, references to 2015 mean at 3 October 2015 or the 53 weeks then 
ended; references to 2014 mean at 27 September 2014 or the 52 weeks then ended. 

E) GOODwILL

goodwill arising in a business combination is recognised as an asset at the date that control is acquired (the acquisition date). goodwill is 
measured as the excess of the sum of the consideration transferred, the amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the fair value of 
the acquirer’s previously held equity interest (if any) in the entity over the net of the acquisition-date amounts of the identifiable assets acquired and 
the liabilities assumed.

If, after reassessment, the group’s interest in the fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets exceeds the sum of the consideration transferred, 
the amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the fair value of the acquirer’s previously held equity interest in the acquiree (if any), 
the excess is recognised immediately in profit or loss as a bargain purchase gain.

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

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

goodwill arising on acquisitions before the date of transition to IfRSs has been retained at the previous uk gAAP amounts subject to being tested 
for impairment at that date. goodwill of £15,080,000 written off to reserves under uk gAAP prior to 1998 has not been reinstated and will not 
be included in determining any subsequent profit or loss on disposal.

F) REvENuE RECOGNITION

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

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

•	 the group has transferred to the buyer the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods;

•	 the group retains neither continuing managerial involvement to the degree usually associated with ownership nor effective control over 

the goods sold;

•	 the amount of revenue can be measured reliably;

•	 it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity; and

•	 the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

The level of sales returns is closely monitored by management and provided for when management considers them to be significant and deducted 
from income.

Interest income is recognised when it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the group and the amount of income can be measured 
reliably. Interest income is accrued on a time basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and at the effective interest rate applicable, which is 
the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts through the expected life of the financial asset to that asset’s net carrying amount on 
initial recognition.

dividend income from investments is recognised when the shareholders’ rights to receive payment have been established (provided that it is 
probable that the economic benefit will flow to the group and the amount of income can be measured reliably).

76

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd
G) ExCEPTIONAL ITEMS

Items are classed as exceptional where they relate to one-off costs incurred in the period that the directors do not expect to be repeated in 
the same magnitude on an annual basis, or where the directors consider the separate disclosure to be necessary to understand the group’s 
performance. The principles applied in identifying exceptional costs are consistent between periods. See note 4 for details of exceptional items in 
the current period.

h) PROPERTy, PLANT AND EquIPMENT

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

depreciation is charged so as to write off the cost of assets, less estimated residual value, over their estimated useful lives, on the following bases:

fREEhOLd buILdIngS

2% PER Annum On cOST On A STRAIghT

-LInE bASIS

ShORT LEASEhOLd LAnd And buILdIngS

OvER ThE PERIOd Of ThE LEASE, uP TO 25 yEARS On A STRAIghT LInE bASIS

fIxTuRES And fITTIngS

OvER 10 yEARS, ExcEPT fOR ThE fOLLOwIng; 4 yEARS fOR cOmPuTER EquIPmEnT

OR 5 yEARS fOR dISPLA y STAndS, PER Annum AS APPROPRIATE

mOTOR vEhIcLES

25% PER Annum On A REducIng bALAncE bASIS

freehold land is not depreciated.

Residual value is calculated on prices prevailing at the date of acquisition.

Assets held in the course of construction for production, supply or administrative purposes, or for purposes not yet determined, are carried at cost, 
less any recognised impairment loss. cost includes professional fees and, for qualifying assets, borrowing costs capitalised in accordance with 
the group’s accounting policy. depreciation of these assets, on the same basis as other property assets, commences when the assets are ready 
for their intended use.

The gain or loss arising on the disposal or retirement of an asset is determined as the difference between the sales proceeds and the carrying 
amount of the asset and is recognised in the Statement of financial Performance.

I) IMPAIRMENT OF TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS ExCLuDING GOODwILL

At each period end, the group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets 
have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent 
of the impairment loss (if any). where the asset does not generate cash flows that are independent from other assets, the group estimates the 
recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs. An intangible asset with an indefinite useful life is tested for impairment 
at least annually and whenever there is an indication that the asset may be impaired.

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

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

where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of 
its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had 
no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (cash-generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised as income 
immediately, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation 
increase.

j) INvENTORIES

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value and relate solely to finished goods for resale, and net of supplier rebates. 
cost comprises the purchase price of materials and an attributable proportion of distribution overheads based on normal levels of activity and is 
valued at standard cost. net realisable value represents the estimated selling price, less costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution. 
Provision is made for those items of inventory where the net realisable value is estimated to be lower than cost. The net replacement value of 
inventories is not considered materially different from that stated in the consolidated Statement of financial Position.

77

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Notes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd
k) TAxATION

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax charge for the period and deferred tax.

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

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

deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries, and interests in jointly controlled entities, 
except where the group is able to control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the 
foreseeable future.

deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised based on tax laws 
and rates that have been enacted at the balance sheet date. deferred tax is charged or credited in the Statement of financial Performance, except when 
it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity.

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

L) FOREIGN CuRRENCy

The individual financial statements of each group company are presented in pounds sterling (its functional currency). for the purpose of the 
consolidated financial statements, the results and financial position of each group company are expressed in pounds sterling, which is the 
functional currency of the company, and the presentational currency for the consolidated financial statements.

Transactions in currencies other than the entity’s functional currency (foreign currencies) are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the 
dates of transactions. At each period end, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the 
rates prevailing on that date. non-monetary items carried at fair value that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates 
prevailing at the date when the fair value was determined. non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency 
are not retranslated.

Exchange differences arising on the settlement of monetary items, and on the retranslation of monetary items, are included in the Statement of 
financial Performance for the period.

Exchange differences arising on the retranslation of non-monetary items carried at fair value are included in Statement of financial Performance 
for the period.

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

•	 exchange differences on transactions entered into to hedge certain foreign currency risks (see below under financial instruments/ 

hedge accounting); and

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

M) LEASES

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to income on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease even where payments 
are not made on such a basis, except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits 
from the lease asset are consumed or a provision has been made for an onerous lease. contingent rentals arising under operating leases are 
recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred.

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

The group provides for the unavoidable costs prior to lease termination or sub-lease relating to onerous leases. dilapidation costs are provided 
for against all leasehold properties across the entire estate.

78

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd
N) INvESTMENTS

fixed asset investments are shown at cost less provision for impairment.

O) RETIREMENT BENEFIT COSTS

for defined contribution schemes, the amount charged to the Statement of financial Performance in respect of pension costs is the contributions 
payable in the period. differences between contributions payable in the period and contributions actually paid are shown as either accruals or 
prepayments in the consolidated Statement of financial Position.

P) FINANCE COSTS

finance costs which are directly attributable to the construction of tangible fixed assets are capitalised as part of the cost of those assets. The 
commencement of capitalisation begins when both finance costs and expenditures for the asset are being incurred and activities that are 
necessary to get the asset ready for use are in progress. capitalisation ceases when substantially all the activities that are necessary to get the 
asset ready for use are complete.

All other finance costs of debt are recognised in the Statement of financial Performance over the term of the debt at a constant rate on the  
carrying amount.

q) FINANCIAL INSTRuMENTS

financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised in the group’s Statement of financial Position when the group becomes a party to the 
contractual provisions of the instrument.

All financial assets are recognised and derecognised on a trade date where the purchase or sale of a financial asset is under a contract whose 
terms require delivery of the financial asset within the timeframe established by the market concerned, and are initially measured at fair value, plus 
transaction costs, except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss, which are initially measured at fair value.

financial assets are classified into the following specified categories: financial assets ‘at fair value through profit or loss’ (fvTPL), ‘held-to-maturity’ 
investments, ‘available-for-sale’ (AfS) financial assets and ‘loans and receivables’. The classification depends on the nature and purpose of the 
financial assets and is determined at the time of initial recognition.

FINANCIAL ASSETS AT FvTPL

financial assets are classified as at fvTPL where the financial asset is either held for trading or it is designated as at fvTPL. The group has no 
designated fvTPL financial assets.

A financial asset is classified as held for trading if:

•	 it has been acquired principally for the purpose of selling in the near future; or

•	 it is a part of an identified portfolio of financial instruments that the group manages together and has a recent actual pattern of short-

term profit-taking; or

•	 it is a derivative that is not designated and effective as a hedging instrument.

financial assets at fvTPL are stated at fair value, with any resultant gain or loss recognised in profit or loss. The directors use their judgement in 
selecting an appropriate valuation technique for financial instruments not quoted in an active market. valuation techniques commonly used by 
market practitioners are applied, such as discounted cash flows and assumptions regarding market volatility.

LOANS AND RECEIv ABLES

Trade receivables, loans, and other receivables that have fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market are classified 
as loans and receivables. Loans and receivables are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment. 
Interest income is recognised by applying the effective interest rate, except for short-term receivables when the recognition of interest would be 
immaterial.

EFFECTIvE INTEREST METhOD

The effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a debt instrument and of allocating interest income over the relevant 
period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts (including all fees on points paid or received 
that form an integral part of the effective interest rate, transaction costs and other premiums or discounts) through the expected life of the debt 
instrument, or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.

Income is recognised on an effective interest basis for debt instruments other than those financial assets and liabilities classified as at fvTPL.

79

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd

IMPAIRMENT OF FINANCIAL ASSETS

financial assets, other than those at fvTPL, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each Statement of financial Position date. financial assets are 
impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the 
estimated future cash flows of the investment have been impacted.

for certain categories of financial asset, such as trade receivables, assets that are assessed not to be impaired individually are subsequently assessed 
for impairment on a collective basis. Objective evidence of impairment for a portfolio of receivables could include the group’s past experience 
of collecting payments, an increase in the number of delayed payments in the portfolio past the average credit period of 43 days, as well as 
observable changes in national or local economic conditions that correlate with default on receivables.

for financial assets carried at amortised cost, the amount of the impairment is the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present 
value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate.

The carrying amount of the financial asset is reduced by the impairment loss directly for all financial assets with the exception of trade receivables, 
where the carrying amount is reduced through the use of an allowance account. when a trade receivable is considered uncollectible, it is written off 
against the allowance account. Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off are credited against the allowance account. changes in the 
carrying amount of the allowance account are recognised in profit or loss.

If, in a subsequent period, the amount of the impairment loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after 
the impairment was recognised, the previously recognised impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss to the extent that the carrying amount 
of the investment at the date the impairment is reversed does not exceed what the amortised cost would have been had the impairment not been 
recognised.

CASh AND CASh EquIv ALENTS

cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily 
convertible to a known amount of cash within three months and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

DERECOGNITION OF FINANCIAL ASSETS

The group derecognises a financial asset only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire; or it transfers the financial 
asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset to another entity. If the group neither transfers nor retains substantially 
all the risks and rewards of ownership and continues to control the transferred asset, the group recognises its retained interest in the asset and 
an associated liability for amounts it may have to pay. If the group retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of a transferred 
financial asset, the group continues to recognise the financial asset and also recognises a collateralised borrowing for the proceeds received.

FINANCIAL LIABILITIES AND EquITy

financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity 
instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the group after deducting all of its liabilities. Equity instruments issued 
by the group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs.

financial liabilities are classified as at fvTPL where the financial liability is either held for trading or it is designated as at fvTPL. The group does 
not have any designated fvTPL liabilities.

A financial liability is classified as held for trading if:

•	 it has been incurred principally for the purpose of disposal in the near future; or 

•	 it is a part of an identified portfolio of financial instruments that the group manages together and has a recent actual pattern of short-

term profit taking; or

•	 it is a derivative that is not designated and effective as a hedging instrument.

financial liabilities at fvTPL are stated at fair value, with any resultant gain or loss recognised in profit or loss. 

OThER FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

Other financial liabilities, including borrowings, are initially measured at fair value, net of transaction costs. Other financial liabilities are 
subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, with interest expense recognised on an effective yield basis. The 
effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a financial liability and of allocating interest expense over the relevant 
period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments through the expected life of the financial liability, 
or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.

DERECOGNITION OF FINANCIAL LIABILITIES

The group derecognises financial liabilities when, and only when, the group’s obligations are discharged, cancelled or they expire.

80

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd

DERIv ATIvE FINANCIAL INSTRuMENTS

The group’s activities expose it to the financial risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates.

The group uses foreign exchange forward contracts to manage its foreign currency risk. The group does not hold or issue derivative financial 
instruments for speculative purposes.

The use of financial derivatives is governed by the group’s policies approved by the board of directors, on the use of financial derivatives.

derivatives are initially recognised at fair value at the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured to their fair 
value at each period end date. The resulting gain or loss is recognised in profit or loss immediately.

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

derivatives embedded in other financial instruments or other host contracts are treated as separate derivatives when their risks and characteristics 
are not closely related to those of the host contracts and the host contracts are not measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognised in 
profit or loss.

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

R) ShARE-BASED PA yMENTS

The group has applied the requirements of IfRS 2 Share-based Payments. In accordance with the transitional provisions, IfRS 2 has been applied 
to all grants of equity instruments after 7 november 2002 that were unvested as of 1 October 2005.

The group issues equity settled share based payments to certain employees. Equity settled share based payments are measured at fair value 
(excluding the effect of non market-based vesting conditions) at the date of grant. The fair value determined at the grant date of the share based 
payment is expensed on a straight line basis over the vesting period, based on the group’s estimate of shares that will eventually vest. fair value 
is measured by use of the black Scholes model.

The group provides employees with the ability to purchase the group’s ordinary shares at 80% of the current market value through the operation 
of its share save scheme. The group records an expense, based on its estimate of the 20% discount related to shares expected to vest on a 
straight line basis over the vesting period.

S) TRADE PA yABLES

Trade payables are initially measured at fair value and are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

T) OPERATING PROFIT

Operating profit is stated after charging restructuring costs but before property disposals, investment income, finance costs and fair value 
movement in derivative contracts.

u) PROvISIONS

Provisions are recognised when the group has a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a result of a past event, and it is probable that the 
group will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of that obligation. Provisions are measured 
at the directors’ best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation at the balance sheet date, and are discounted to present value 
where the effect is material.

v) SuPPLIER INCOME

Amounts receivable from suppliers are initially held on the balance sheet within the cost of inventory and recognised within the income statement 
once the contractual terms of the supplier agreements are met and the corresponding inventory has been sold.

volume rebates and price discounts are recognised in the income statement, as a reduction in cost of sales, in line with the recognition of the sale 
of a product.

w) CRITICAL ACCOuNTING juDGEMENTS AND kEy SOuRCES OF ESTIMATION uNCERTAINTy

In the application of the group’s accounting policies, which are described above, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and 
assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated 
assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions 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 the revision and future periods if the revision affects both 
current and future periods.

81

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

2 AccOunTIng POLIcI ES  cOnT InuEd

The critical judgement, apart from those involving estimations (which are dealt with separately below), that the directors have made in the 
process of applying the group’s accounting policies and that has the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in financial statements is 
the detailed criteria for the recognition of revenue from the sale of goods set out in IAS 18 Revenue. In particular the largest judgement is where 
there are open orders and these goods have not been delivered to the customer, and in these cases the directors believe the significant risks and 
rewards of ownership of the goods have not been transferred to the buyer and therefore do not recognise revenue on these orders.

kEy SOuRCES OF ESTIMATION uNCERTAINTy

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

INvENTOR y

At the period end there were £1.9 million (2014: £2.2 million) of overheads and £2.0 million (2014: £2.1 million) of supplier income (rebates) 
absorbed into the inventory balance. Additionally there were £0.7 million (2014: £0.6 million) of provisions against the net realisable value of 
inventories.

PROPERTy PROvISIONS

ONEROuS LEASE PROvISION

during the period the group has continued to review the performance of its store portfolio, which has resulted in no further stores being exited 
before their lease terms had expired (2014: two stores). In respect of the leases in relation to stores exited before lease end dates in prior periods 
that are still vacant, the group has provided for what it considers to be the unavoidable costs prior to lease termination or sublease. The group 
has further reviewed any trading loss making stores and provided for those leases considered to be onerous. These estimates are based upon 
available information and knowledge of the property market. The ultimate costs to be incurred in this regard may vary from the estimates.

DILAPIDATIONS PROvISION

The group has estimated its likely dilapidation charges for its store portfolio and provided accordingly. This estimate involves an assessment of 
average costs per store and the expected exit period for the current portfolio, and is based on management’s best estimate, taking into account 
knowledge of the property market and historical trends. The ultimate costs to be incurred may vary from the estimates.

SuPPLIER INCOME

The group has arrangements with a number of its suppliers which award rebates on satisfaction of purchase thresholds or discounts against 
certain inventory lines. At the period end, the group has invoiced £1.2 million of rebates (2014: £1.2 million) which are still outstanding 
in receivables and holds £2.0 million (2014: £2.1 million) of rebates within the inventory balance (as above) and accrued rebates of £1.4 
million (2014: £1.1 million). The group does not recognise the amounts received from suppliers within the income statement until the associated 
inventories are sold to the customers of the group.

BuSINESS SIMPLIFICATION COSTS

during the period the group announced its intentions to relocate the finance function to its head office in Leicester, resulting in the closure of a 
support office. Additionally a decision has been made to exit the Topps clearance format in order to focus on the core Topps Tiles brand. These 
decisions have led to a review of the onerous lease and related property provisions and a number of redundancy announcements.

3 REvEnuE

An analysis of group revenue is as follows:

REvEnuE fROm ThE SALE Of gOOdS

fAIR vALuE gAIn On fORw ARd cuRREncy cOnTRAcTS

InvESTmEnT REvEnuE

TOTAL REvEnuE

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

212,221

195,237

135

107

110

141

212,463

195,488

Investment revenue represents bank interest receivable. There are no other gains recognised in respect of loans and receivables.

82

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements4 ExcEPTIOnAL I TEmS – buSInES S SImP LIfIcATI On  cO ST S

during the period the group announced the decision to relocate the finance function to Leicester and exit the Topps clearance format in the 
first half of 2015-16 financial period. This will result in the exit of one central support office and nine store locations. Accordingly the group 
has provided for the expected exposure to future lease commitments on these properties, resulting in a charge of £1.7million. Addtionally, an 
impairment review has been conducted of the property, plant and equipment held by these locations, resulting in a charge of £0.2million. The 
group has also provided for other restructuring costs related to this decision, resulting in a charge of £0.7million.

incLUdEd in AdminiSTRATivE ExPEnSES:

ImPAIRmEnT Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

RESTRucTuRIng cOSTS

PROPERTy RELATEd PROvISIOnS

5 PROfIT bEfORE TAxATIOn

Profit before taxation for the period has been arrived at after charging/(crediting):

dEPREcIATIOn Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

ImPAIRmEnT Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT*

dISPOSAL Of PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT LOSS/(gAIn)

PROPERTy RELATEd PROvISIOnS chARgEd/(uTILISEd)*

RESTRucTuRIng cOSTS

STAff cOSTS (SEE nOTE 6)

OPERATIng LEASE REnTALS

wRITE dOwn Of InvEnTORIES REcOgnISEd AS An ExPEnSE

cOST Of InvEnTORIES REcOgnISEd AS ExPEnSE

nET fOREIgn ExchAngE gAIn

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

172

736

1,711

2,619

–

–

–

–

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

5,243

266

23

1,729

736

51,530

23,388

3,431

78,152

4,553

399

(401)

(7)

–

45,865

21,168

2,584

73,783

(135)

(268)

The disposal of property, plant and equipment loss relates to the sale of one freehold property (2014: one freehold property).

* Included in the amounts above for property related provisions and impairment of property, plant and equipment, are the business simplification costs in note 4.

83

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

5 PROfIT bEfORE TAxATIOn 

cOnT InuEd

Analysis of auditor’s remuneration is provided below:

fEES PAyAbLE TO ThE cOmPAny’S AudITOR wITh RESPEcT TO ThE cOmPAny’S AnnuAL AccOunTS

fEES PA yAbLE TO ThE cOmPAny’S AudITOR And ThEIR ASSOcIATES fOR OThER AudIT

SERvIcES TO ThE gROuP:

  AudIT Of ThE cOmPAny’S SubSIdIARIES PuRSuAnT TO LEgISLATIOn

TOTAL AudIT fEES

OThER ASSuRAncE

TAxATIOn cOmPLIAncE SERvIcES

REmunERATIOn cOmmITTEE AdvIcE

ShARE PLAn AdvIcE

TOTAL nOn AudIT fEES

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

30

30

85

115

10

70

2

11

93

85

115

10

70

13

–

93

208

208

A description of the work of the Audit committee is set out on page 46 and includes an explanation of how auditor objectivity and 
independence is safeguarded when non-audit services are provided by the auditor.

6 STAff cOSTS

The average monthly number of persons and their full time equivalents employed by the group and company in the uk during the accounting 
period (including executive directors) was:

SELLIng

AdmInISTRATIOn

ThEIR AggREgATE REmunERATIOn cOmPRISEd:

wAgES And SALARIES (IncLudIng LTIP, SEE nOTE 28)

SOcIAL SEcuRITy cOSTS  

OThER PEnSIOn cOSTS (SEE nOTE 27b)

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
nUmbER
EmPLoyEd

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
nUmbER 
EmPLoyEd

1,731

184

1,915

1,619

175

1,794

46,844

41,577

3,838

848

3,636

652

51,530

45,865

details of directors’ emoluments are disclosed on pages 48 to 65. The group considers key management to be the directors only. Employee 
profit sharing of £10.4 million (2014: £9.8 million) is included in the above and comprises sales commission and bonuses.

84

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
7 InvESTmEnT REvEnuE, fInAncE cOSTS And  f

AI R vALuE LO SS On  InT ERE ST R AT E dER Iv

ATIvES

invESTmEnT REvEnUE

bAnk InTEREST REcEIv AbLE And SImILAR IncOmE

fAIR vALuE gAIn On fORw ARd cuRREncy cOnTRAcTS

finAncE coSTS

InTEREST On bAnk LOAnS And OvERdRAfTS

InTEREST On undERPAId TAx* 

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

107

135

242

(1,231)

(852)

(2,083)

141

110

251

(2,042)

(105)

(2,147)

*  The group has historically provided for tax on open hmRc enquiries, some of which have now been resolved. As a result, some historic tax payments have 

been reallocated between periods which, whilst leading to a net reduction in the overall level of provision required, has required a reallocation of provision from 
corporation tax payable to cover interest which may become due on underpaid tax in earlier periods. In the event that additional tax is ultimately due in those 
earlier periods, it is estimated that £2.0 million of late payment interest would fall due, of which £1.1 million was provided for in the prior period. In addition the 
group made a payment on account of £0.8 million in the period, in partial settlement of these open enquires.

hELd foR TRAdinG ASSETS And LiAbiLiTiES

fORwARd cuRREncy cOnTRAcTS gAInS

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

135

135

110

110

no finance costs are appropriate to be capitalised in the period, or the prior period.

Interest on bank loans and overdrafts represents gains and losses on financial liabilities measured at amortised cost. There are no other gains or 
losses recognised in respect of financial liabilities measured at amortised cost.

8 TAxATIOn

conTinUinG oPERATionS:

cuRREnT TAx — chARgE fOR ThE PERIOd

cuRREnT TAx — AdjuSTmEnT In RESPEcT Of PREvIOuS PERIOdS

dEfERREd TAx — EffEcT Of REducTIOn In uk cORPORATIOn TAx RATE

dEfERREd TAx — chARgE fOR PERIOd (nOTE 19)

dEfERREd TAx — AdjuSTmEnT In RESPEcT Of PREvIOuS PERIOdS (nOTE 19)

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

3,946

4,087

103

–

(158)

63

(57)

(81)

133

97

3,954

4,179

corporation tax in the uk is calculated at 20.5% (2014: 22%) of the estimated assessable profit for the period.

The government has announced that it intends to reduce the rate of corporation tax to 19% with effect from 1 April 2017 and 18% from 1 April 
2020. As this legislation was not substantively enacted by 3 October 2015, the impact of the anticipated rate change is not reflected in the tax 
provisions reported in these accounts.

85

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

8 TAxATIOn  cOnTInuEd

The charge for the period can be reconciled to the profit per the statement of financial performance as follows:

conTinUinG oPERATionS:

PROfIT bEfORE TAxATIOn

TAx AT ThE uk cORPORATIOn TAx RATE Of 20.5% (2014: 22%)

TAx EffEcT Of ExPEnSES ThAT ARE nOT dEducTIbLE In dETERmInIng TAxAbLE PROfIT

TAx EffEcT Of REducTIOn In uk cORPORATIOn TAx RATE

TAx EffEcT Of chARgEAbLE gAIn LOwER ThAn PROfIT On SALE Of fREEhOLd PROPERTy

TAx EffEcT Of TAngIbLE fIxEd ASSETS whIch dO nOT quALIfy fOR cAPITAL ALLOw

AncES  

TAx EffEcT Of AdjuSTmEnT In RESPEcT Of PRIOR PERIOdS

TAx ExPEnSE fOR ThE PERIOd

9 dIvIdEndS

InTERIm dIvIdEnd fOR ThE PERIOd EndEd 3 OcTObER 2015 Of £0.0075 

(2014: £0.0065) PER ShARE

PROPOSEd fInAL dIvIdEnd fOR ThE PERIOd EndEd 3 OcTObER 2015 Of 

£0.0225 (2014: £0.0160) PER ShARE

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

17,019

3,489

119

–

(2)

182

166

16,691

3,672

367

(81)

(21)

201

41

3,954

4,179

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

1,447

1,257

4,358

3,098

The proposed final dividend is subject to approval by shareholders at the Annual general meeting and has not been included as a liability in 
these financial statements.

10 EARnIngS PER ShARE

The calculation of earnings per share is based on the earnings for the financial period attributable to equity shareholders and the weighted 
average number of ordinary shares.

wEIghTEd A vERAgE numbER Of ShARES

fOR bASIc EARnIngS PER ShARE

ImPAcT Of TREASuR y ShARES

wEIghTEd A vERAgE numbER Of ShARES undER OPTIOn

fOR dILuTEd EARnIngS PER ShARE

2015
nUmbER of
ShARES

2014
nUmbER of
ShARES

193,683,323 192,850,860

(799,088)

–

1,234,227

1,690,097

194,118,462 194,540,957

The calculation of the basic and diluted earnings per share used the denominators as shown above for both basic and diluted earnings  
per share.

86

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements11 gOOdwILL

cOST And cARR yIng AmOunT AT 28 SEPTEmbER 2013, 27 SEPTEmbER 2014 

And 3 OcTObER 2015

£’000

245

The balance of goodwill remaining is the carrying value that arose on the acquisition of Surface coatings Ltd in 1998.

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

The recoverable amounts are determined from value in use calculations. The key assumptions for the value in use calculations are those regarding 
the discount rates, growth rates and expected changes to, selling prices and direct costs during the period. management estimates discount rates 
based on the group’s weighted average cost of capital. The growth rates are based on industry growth forecasts. changes in selling prices and 
direct costs are based on past practices and expectations of future changes in the market. discounted cash flows are calculated using a post-tax 
rate of 12.0% (2014: 12.0%).

The group prepares cash flow forecasts derived from the most recent financial budgets approved by management for the next five years and 
extrapolates cash flows for the following five years. The growth rate applied does not exceed the average long-term growth rate for the relevant 
markets. There are no reasonable changes that would result in the carrying value of goodwill being reduced to its recoverable amount.

As a result of the annual test of impairment of goodwill, no impairment has been identified for the current period. 

12 PROPERTy, PLAnT And EquIPmEnT

coST

AT 28 SEPTEmbER 2013

AddITIOnS

dISPOSALS

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

AddITIOnS

dISPOSALS

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

AccUmULATEd dEPREciATion And imPAiRmEnT

AT 28 SEPTEmbER 2013

chARgE fOR ThE PERIOd 

PROvISIOn fOR ImPAIRmEnT

ELImInATEd On dISPOSALS

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

chARgE fOR ThE PERIOd 

PROvISIOn fOR ImPAIRmEnT

ELImInATEd On dISPOSALS

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

cARRyinG AmoUnT

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

LAnd And bUiLdinGS

fREEhoLd
£’000

ShoRT
LEASEhoLd
£’000

15,360

2,872

(281)

17,951

1,129

(520)

18,560

1,842

–

(10)

1,832

231

(109)

1,954

fixTURES
And
fiTTinGS
£’000

56,350

8,345

(1,236)

63,459

10,643

(1,793)

72,309

1,619

1,678

35,009

242

–

(94)

51

–

(10)

1,767

1,719

290

–

(11)

2,046

16,514

16,184

38

–

(109)

1,648

306

113

4,228

389

(1,115)

38,511

4,896

266

(1,627)

42,046

30,263

24,948

moToR
vEhicLES
£’000

166

15

(61)

120

5

(67)

58

64

32

10

(35)

71

19

–

(43)

47

11

49

ToTAL
£’000

73,718

11,232

(1,588)

83,362

12,007

(2,488)

92,881

38,370

4,553

399

(1,254)

42,068

5,243

266

(1,790)

45,787

47,094

41,294

freehold land and buildings include £4,104,000 of freehold land (2014: £4,104,000) on which no depreciation has been charged in the 
current period. There is no material difference between the carrying and market values.

cumulative finance costs capitalised in the cost of tangible fixed assets amount to £nil (2014: £nil).

contractual commitments for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment are detailed in note 27.

during the period, the group has closed nine stores in the uk. As the fixtures and fittings within these stores cannot be re-used in other locations 
within the group, the carrying value of these assets has been fully provided for in the period, with the associated impairment charge of 
£266,000 (2014: £389,000) included within other operating expenses.

87

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

13 SubSIdIARIES

A list of all subsidiaries, including the name, country of incorporation and proportion of ownership interest is given in note 3 to the company’s 
separate financial statements.

14 TRAdE And OThER REcEIv

AbLES

AmoUnTS f ALLinG dUE WiThin onE yEAR:

AmOunTS REcEIv AbLE fOR ThE SALE Of gOOdS

ALLOw AncE fOR dOubTfuL dEbTS

OThER dEbTORS And PREPA ymEnTS

— REnT And RATES

— OThER

2015
£’000

712

(27)

4,808

2,548

8,041

2014
£’000

740

(45)

3,324

1,781

5,800

The directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables at 3 October 2015 and 27 September 2014 approximates to 
their fair value on the basis of discounted cash flow analysis.

CREDIT RISk

The group’s principal financial assets are bank balances and cash and trade receivables.

The group considers that it has no significant concentration of credit risk. The majority of sales in the business are cash based sales in the stores.

Total trade receivables (net of allowances) held by the group at 3 October 2015 amounted to £0.7 million (2014: £0.7 million). These 
amounts mainly relate to sundry trade accounts and Tesco clubcard Scheme generated sales. In relation to these sales, the average credit period 
taken is 51 days (2014: 61 days) and no interest is charged on the receivables. Trade receivables between aged over 60 days are provided 
for based on estimated irrecoverable amounts from the sale of goods, determined by reference to past default experience.

before accepting any new customer, the group uses an external credit scoring system to assess the potential customer’s credit quality and defines 
credit limits by customer. Limits and scoring attributed to customers are reviewed periodically. Of the trade receivables balance at the end of the 
year, £146,000 (2014: £120,000) is due from Tesco Plc, the group’s largest customer.

Included in the group’s trade receivable balance are debtors with a carrying amount of £96,000 (2014: £42,000) which are past due at 
the reporting date for which the group has not provided as there has not been a significant change in credit quality and the amounts are still 
considered recoverable. The group does not hold any collateral over these balances. 

Ageing of past due but not impaired receivables

gREATER ThAn 60 dA yS

2015
£’000

96

2014
£’000

42

The allowance for doubtful debts was £27,000 by the end of the period (2014: £45,000). given the minimal receivable balance, the directors 
believe that there is no further credit provision required in excess of the allowance for doubtful debts.

The allowance for doubtful debts includes £27,000 relating to individually impaired trade receivables (2014: £45,000) which are due from 
companies that have been placed into liquidation. 

The directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables is approximately equal to their fair value.

88

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements15 cASh And cASh EquIv ALEnTS

cash and cash equivalents comprise cash held by the group and short term bank deposits (with associated right of set off) net of bank overdrafts, 
with an original maturity of three months or less. The carrying amount of these assets approximates their fair value. A breakdown of significant 
bank and cash balances by currency is as follows:

STERLIng

uS dOLLAR

EuRO

TOTAL cASh And cASh EquIv ALEnTS

16 OThER fInAncI AL LIAbI LI TIES
TRADE AND OThER PA yABLES

AmoUnTS f ALLinG dUE WiThin onE yEAR

TRAdE PA yAbLES

OThER PA yAbLES

AccRuALS And dEfERREd IncOmE

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

16,519

19,367

14

31

31

149

16,564

19,547

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

15,505

4,940

14,041

34,486

18,193

5,841

12,206

36,240

Trade payables and accruals principally comprise amounts outstanding for trade purchases and on-going costs. The average credit period taken 
for trade purchases is 46 days (2014: 58 days). no interest is charged on these payables. 

The directors consider that the carrying amount of trade payables at 3 October 2015 and 27 September 2014 approximates to their fair value 
on the basis of discounted cash flow analysis.

17 bAnk  LOAnS

bAnk LOAnS (ALL STERLIng)

ThE bORROwIngS ARE REPA yAbLE AS fOLLOwS:

On dEmAnd OR wIThIn OnE yEAR

In ThE SEcOnd yEAR

In ThE ThIRd TO fIfTh yEAR

LESS: TOTAL unAmORTISEd ISSuE cOSTS

ISSuE cOSTS TO bE AmORTISEd wIThIn 12 mOnThS

AmOunT duE fOR SETTLEmEnT AfTER 12 mOnThS

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

44,576

49,467

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

–

–

45,000

45,000

(424)

–

–

50,000

50,000

(533)

44,576

49,467

116

114

44,692

49,581

The directors consider that the carrying amount of the bank loan at 3 October 2015 and 27 September 2014 approximates to its fair value 
since the amounts relate to floating rate debt.

89

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Notes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

17 bAnk  LOAnS  cOnTInuEd

The average weighted interest rates paid on the loan were as follows:

LOAnS

2015
%

2.36

2014
%

3.05

The group borrowings are arranged at floating rates, thus exposing the group to cash flow interest rate risk.

during the previous period the group agreed a new five year revolving credit facility of £50.0 million, expiring 1 june 2019. As at the financial 
period end £45.0 million of this facility was drawn (2014: £50.0 million). The loan facility contains financial covenants which are tested on a 
bi-annual basis.

At 3 October 2015, the group had available £5.0 million (2014: £nil) of undrawn committed banking facilities.

18 fInAncIAL InSTRumEnTS

financial liabilities held for trading were reclassified in the prior period in order to more appropriately reflect the requirements of IAS1. 
classification as non-current liabilities ensures the instrument mirrors the cash flows of the loan facility, which it is in place to hedge against. 

CAPITAL RISk MANAGEMENT

The group manages its capital to ensure that entities in the group will be able to continue as a going concern while maximising the return to 
stakeholders through the optimisation of the debt and equity balance. The group’s overall strategy remains unchanged from 2014. The capital 
structure of the group consists of debt, which includes the borrowings disclosed in note 17, cash and cash equivalents disclosed in note 15 and 
equity attributable to equity holders of the parent, comprising issued capital, reserves and retained earnings as disclosed in notes 20 to 26.

The group is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOuNTING POLICIES

details of the significant accounting policies and methods adopted, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of measurement and the basis 
on which income and expenses are recognised, in respect of each class of financial asset, financial liability and equity instrument are disclosed 
in note 2q to the financial statements.

categories of financial instruments:

cARRyinG vALUE And 
fAiR vALUE

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

finAnciAL ASSETS

LOAnS And REcEIv AbLES (IncLudIng cASh And cASh EquIv

ALEnTS)

17,249

20,242

fAIR vALuE ThROugh PROfIT And LOSS

finAnciAL LiAbiLiTiES

fAIR vALuE ThROugh PROfIT And LOSS

AmORTISEd cOST

117

–

–

18

60,197

66,579

The group considers itself to be exposed to risks on financial instruments, including market risk (including currency risk), credit risk, liquidity risk 
and cash flow interest rate risk. 

The group seeks to mitigate the effects of these risks by using derivative financial instruments to hedge these risk exposures economically. The 
use of financial derivatives is governed by the group’s policies approved by the board of directors, which provide written principles on foreign 
exchange risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, the use of financial derivatives and non-derivative financial instruments, and the investment of excess 
liquidity. The group does not enter into or trade financial instruments, including derivative financial instruments, for speculative purposes. 

MARkET RISk

The group’s activities expose it primarily to the financial risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The group enters 
into forward foreign exchange contracts to hedge the exchange rate risk arising on the import of goods.

90

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements18 fInAncIAL InSTRumEnTS 
cOnTInuEd
FOREIGN CuRRENCy RISk MANAGEMENT

The group undertakes certain transactions denominated in foreign currencies. hence, exposures to exchange rate fluctuations arise. Exchange 
rate exposures are managed within approved policy parameters utilising forward foreign exchange contracts. 

The carrying amounts of the group’s foreign currency denominated monetary assets and monetary liabilities at the reporting date are as follows:

EuRO

uS dOLLAR

ASSETS

LiAbiLiTiES

2015
£’000

31

14

2014
£’000

149

31

2015
£’000

2,201

500

2014
£’000

1,502

792

FOREIGN CuRRENCy SENSITIvITy ANAL ySIS

The group is mainly exposed to the currency of china and brazil (uS dollar currency) and to various European countries (Euro) as a result of 
inventory purchases. The following table details the group’s sensitivity to a 10% increase and decrease in Sterling against the relevant foreign 
currencies. 10% represents management’s assessment of the reasonably possible change in foreign exchange rates. The sensitivity analysis includes 
only outstanding foreign currency denominated monetary items and adjusts their translation at the period end for a 10% change in foreign currency 
rates. A positive number below indicates an increase in profit and other equity where Sterling strengthens 10% against the relevant currency.

PROfIT OR LOSS mOvEmEnT On A 10% STREngThEnIng In STERLIng AgAInST ThE EuRO

PROfIT OR LOSS mOvEmEnT On A 10% STREngThEnIng In STERLIng AgAInST ThE uS dOLLAR

PROfIT OR LOSS mOvEmEnT On A 10% wEAkEnIng In STERLIng AgAInST ThE EuRO

PROfIT OR LOSS mOvEmEnT On A 10% wEAkEnIng In STERLIng AgAInST ThE uS dOLLAR

CuRRENCy DERIv ATIvES

2015
£’000

197

44

(241)

(54)

2014
£’000

123

69

(150)

(85)

The group utilises currency derivatives to hedge significant future transactions and cash flows. The group uses foreign currency forward contracts 
in the management of its exchange rate exposures. The contracts are denominated in uS dollars and Euros.

At the balance sheet date, the total notional amounts of outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts that the group has committed to are 
as below:

fORwARd fOREIgn ExchAngE cOnTRAcTS

2015
£’000

6,597

2014
£’000

5,766

These arrangements are designed to address significant exchange exposures for the first half of 2015 and are renewed on a revolving basis as 
required.

At 3 October 2015 the fair value of the group’s currency derivatives is a £117,000 gain within prepayments (note 14) (2014: a liability 
of £18,000 held in accruals and deferred income). These amounts are based on the market value of equivalent instruments at the balance 
sheet date.

gains of £135,000 are included in finance costs (note 7) (2014: £110,000 gain).

INTEREST RATE RISk MANAGEMENT

The group is exposed to interest rate risk as entities in the group borrow funds at floating interest rates. due to the reduced level of floating rate 
borrowings and the current low level of interest rates, management have not deemed it necessary to implement measures that would mitigate 
this risk. The group’s exposures to interest rates on financial assets and financial liabilities are detailed in the liquidity risk management section of 
this note.

91

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

18 fInAncIAL InSTRumEnTS 
INTEREST RATE SENSITIvITy ANAL ySIS

cOnTInuEd

The sensitivity analyses below have been determined based on the exposure to interest rates for both derivatives and non-derivative instruments at 
the balance sheet date. for floating rate liabilities, the analysis is prepared assuming the amount of liability outstanding at the balance sheet date 
was outstanding for the whole year. A 50 basis points increase or decrease is used when reporting interest rate risk internally to key management 
personnel and represents management’s assessment of the possible change in interest rates.

If interest rates had been 50 basis points higher/lower and all other variables were held constant, the group’s profit would be impacted as 
follows:

(LOSS) OR PROfIT

The group’s sensitivity to interest rates mainly relates to the revolving credit facility.

CREDIT RISk MANAGEMENT

50 bASiS PoinTS 
incREASE 
in inTEREST RATES

2015
£’000

(184)

2014
£’000

(195)

50 bASiS PoinTS 
dEcREASE 
in inTEREST RATES

2015
£’000

184

2014
£’000

195

credit risk refers to the risk that a counter party will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the group. management has 
considered the counterparty risk associated with the cash and derivative balances and do not consider there to be a material risk. The group has 
a policy of only dealing with creditworthy counterparties. The group’s exposure to its counterparties is reviewed periodically. Trade receivables 
are minimal consisting of a number of insurance companies and sundry trade accounts, further information is provided in note 14. 

The carrying amount of financial assets recorded in the financial statements, which is net of impairment losses, represents the group’s maximum 
exposure to credit risk without taking account of the value of any collateral obtained

LIquIDITy RISk MANAGEMENT

ultimate responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the board of directors. The group manages liquidity risk by maintaining adequate 
reserves, banking facilities and borrowing facilities by continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows and matching the maturity profiles 
of financial assets and liabilities. 

LIquIDITy AND INTEREST RISk TABLES

The following tables detail the group’s remaining contractual maturity for its non-derivative financial liabilities. The tables have been drawn 
up based on the undiscounted cash flows (and on the assumption that the variable interest rate remains constant at the latest fixing level of 
2.28688% (2014: 2.45694%)) of financial liabilities based on the earliest date on which the group can be required to pay. The table includes 
both interest and principal cash flows.

2015

nOn-InTEREST bEARIng

vARIAbLE InTEREST RATE InSTRumEnTS

2014

nOn-InTEREST bEARIng

vARIAbLE InTEREST RATE InSTRumEnTS

LESS ThAn 
1 monTh
£’000

20,444

78

LESS ThAn
 1 monTh
£’000

24,034

95

1–3 monThS
£’000

3 monThS To 
1 yEAR
£’000

–

186

–

792

1–3 monThS
£’000

3 monThS To 
1 yEAR
£’000

–

5,199

–

882

1–5 yEARS
£’000

–

47,823

1–5 yEARS
£’000

–

49,210

ToTAL
£’000

20,444

48,879

ToTAL
£’000

24,034

55,386

The group is financed through a £50 million (2014 £50 million), revolving credit facility of which £45 million (2014 £50 million) was utilised. 
At the balance sheet date the total unused amount of financing facilities was £5 million (2014 £nil). The group expects to meet its other 
obligations from operating cash flows and proceeds of maturing financial assets.

The following table details the group’s liquidity analysis for its derivative financial instruments. The table has been drawn up based on the 
undiscounted net cash inflows/(outflows) on the derivative instruments that settle on a net basis and the undiscounted gross inflows and 
(outflows) on those derivatives that require gross settlement. when the amount payable or receivable is not fixed, the amount disclosed has been 
determined by reference to the projected interest and foreign currency rates as illustrated by the yield curves existing at the reporting date.

92

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements18 fInAncIAL InSTRumEnTS 

cOnTInuEd

2015

fOREIgn ExchAngE fORw ARd 

cOnTRAcTS PA ymEnTS

fOREIgn ExchAngE fORw ARd 

cOnTRAcTS REcEIPTS  

2014

fOREIgn ExchAngE fORw ARd 

cOnTRAcTS PA ymEnTS

fOREIgn ExchAngE fORw ARd 

cOnTRAcTS REcEIPTS  

LESS ThAn 
1 monTh
£’000

1–3 monThS
£’000

3 monThS To 
1 yEAR
£’000

1–5 yEARS
£’000

5+ yEARS
£’000

–

–

(3,331)

(3,267)

3,358

3,362

–

–

–

–

LESS ThAn
 1 monTh
£’000

1–3 monThS
£’000

3 monThS To 
1 yEAR
£’000

1–5 yEARS
£’000

5+ yEARS
£’000

–

–

(2,903)

(2,864)

2,884

2,888

–

–

–

–

ToTAL
£’000

(6,598)

6,720

ToTAL
£’000

(5,767)

5,772

FAIR vALuE OF FINANCIAL INSTRuMENTS

The fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities are determined as follows:

•	 foreign currency forward contracts are measured using quoted forward exchange rates and yield curves derived from quoted interest 

rates matching maturities of the contracts.

•	 The fair values are therefore categorised as Level 2 (2014: Level 2), based on the degree to which the fair value is observable. Level 
2 fair value measurements are those derived from inputs other than unadjusted quoted prices in active markets (level 1 categorisation) 
that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).

19 PROvISIOnS

OnEROuS LEASE PROvISIOn

buSInESS SImPLIfIcATIOn PROvISIOn

dILAPIdATIOnS PROvISIOn

cuRREnT

nOn-cuRREnT

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

cREATEd In ThE yEAR

uTILISATIOn Of PROvISIOn

RELEASE Of PROvISIOn In ThE PERIOd

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

2015
£’000

1,368

2,208

1,569

5,145

1,736

3,409

5,145

bUSinESS 
SimPLificATion 
PRoviSion
£’000

onERoUS 
LEASE 
PRoviSion
£’000

diLAPidATionS 
PRoviSion
£’000

–

2,208

–

–

1,493

1,426

754

(880)

–

322

(178)

–

2,208

1,367

1,570

2014
£’000

1,493

–

1,426

2,919

876

2,043

2,919

ToTAL
£’000

2,919

3,284

(1,058)

–

5,145

93

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

19 PROvISIOnS  cOnTInuEd

The onerous lease provision relates to estimated future unavoidable lease costs in respect of closed, non-trading and loss making stores. The 
provision is expected to be utilised over the following four financial periods. The dilapidations provision represents management’s best estimate 
of the group’s liability under its property lease arrangements based on past experience and is expected to be utilised over the following six 
financial periods. The business simplification provision relates to the decision to exit the Topps clearance format and relocation of the finance 
function to Leicester, resulting in redundancies and the subsequent closure of nine store locations and one support office (see note 4). The 
business simplification provision is expected to be utilised over the next 12 months. In addition to the provision £0.3 million of related costs have 
been incurred and expensed in the period and £0.1 million is reflected in the value of inventories in the consolidated Statement of financial 
Performance.

The following are the deferred tax liabilities/(assets) recognised by the group and movements thereon during the current and prior reporting 
period.

AS AT 28 SEPTEmbER 2013

chARgE TO IncOmE

chARgE In RESPEcT Of PREvIOuS

PERIOdS

ImPAcT Of RATE chAngE

cREdIT TO EquITy

AS AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

chARgE/(cREdIT) TO IncOmE

chARgE In RESPEcT Of PREvIOuS

PERIOdS

cREdIT TO EquITy

AccELERATEd 
TAx 
dEPREciATion
£’000

1,573

26

74

(215)

–

1,458

2

63

–

AS AT 3 ocTobER 2015

1,523

oThER 
ShoRT-TERm 
TiminG 
diffEREncES
£’000

(23)

–

23

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

ShARE-bASEd 
PAymEnTS
£’000

(478)

80

–

50

(315)

(663)

(205)

–

(485)

(1,353)

ExchAnGE 
RATE 
diffEREncES
£’000

inTEREST 
RATE 
hEdGinG
£’000

(28)

22

–

4

–

(2)

24

–

–

22

(2)

2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

REnT fREE
£’000

(616)

4

–

80

–

(532)

21

–

–

(511)

ToTAL
£’000

426

134

97

(81)

(315)

261

(158)

63

(485)

(319)

The government has announced that it intends to reduce the rate of corporation tax to 19% with effect from 1 April 2017 and 18% from 1 April 
2020. As this legislation was not substantively enacted by 3 October 2015, the impact of the anticipated rate change is not reflected in the 
tax provisions reported in these accounts.  The effect of the future changes from 20% is expected to be to increase the net deferred tax asset by 
£0.1million. To the extent that the deferred tax reverses more quickly/slowly than this the impact on the net deferred tax asset/liability will be 
reduced/increased.

20 cALLEd-uP ShARE cAPITAL

AuThORISEd 240,000,000 (2014: 240,000,000) ORdInAR y ShARES Of 3.33P EAch (2014: 3.33P)

AuThORISEd 37,000,000 (2014: 37,000,000) REdEEmAbLE b ShARES Of £0.54 EAch

AuThORISEd 124,890,948 (2014: 124,890,948) IRREdEEmAbLE c ShARES Of £0.001 EAch

ISSuEd And fuLLy-PAId 193,700,459* (2014: 193,636,240*) ORdInARy ShARES Of 3.33P EAch (2014: 3.33P)

TOTAL

2015
£’000

8,000

2014
£’000

8,000

19,980

19,980

125

125

28,105

28,105

6,457

6,457

6,455

6,455

during the period the group issued 64,219 (2014: 1,508,571) ordinary shares with a nominal value of £2,141 (2014: £50,286) under 
share option schemes for an aggregate cash consideration of £28,733 (2014: £438,111).

* during the period £504,000 (2014: £650,000) shares were purchased by Topps Tiles Employee benefit Trust on behalf of the group.

94

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
 
21 ShARE PREmIum

AT START Of PERIOd

PREmIum On ISSuE Of nEw ShARES

AT End Of PERIOd

22 Own ShARES

AT START Of PERIOd

AcquIREd In ThE PERIOd

dISPOSEd Of On ISSuE In ThE PERIOd

AT End Of PERIOd

2015
£’000

1,879

27

1,906

2015
£’000

(656)

(504)

530

(630)

2014
£’000

1,492

387

1,879

2014
£’000

(10)

(650)

4

(656)

A subsidiary of the group holds 799,000 (2014: 923,000) shares with a nominal value of £27,000 acquired for an average price of £0.79 
per share (2014: £31,000 acquired for an average price of £0.71 per share) and therefore these have been classed as own shares.

23 mERgER RESERvE

AT START And End Of PERIOd

2015
£’000

(399)

2014
£’000

(399)

The merger reserve arose on pre 2006 acquisitions, the directors do not consider this to be distributable as at 3 October 2015 (2014: same).

24 ShARE-bASEd PA ymEnT RESERvE

AT START Of PERIOd

cREdIT TO EquITy fOR EquITy-SETTLEd ShARE bASEd PA

ymEnTS

AT End Of PERIOd 

2015
£’000

1,941

879

2,820

2014
£’000

649

1,292

1,941

The share-based payment reserve has arisen on the fair valuation of save as you earn schemes and Long-term incentive plans. The directors do 
not consider this to be distributable as at 3 October 2015 (2014: same).

25 cAPITAL REdEmPTI On RESERvE

AT START And End Of PERIOd

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

20,359

20,359

The capital redemption reserve arose on the cancellation of treasury shares and as a result of a share reorganisation in 2006. The directors do 
not consider this to be distributable as at 3 October 2015 (2014: same).

95

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

26 RETAInEd L OSSES

AT 28 SEPTEmbER 2013

dIvIdEndS (nOTE 8)

dEfERREd TAx On ShARESA vE SchEmE TAkEn dIREcTL

y TO EquITy

nET PROfIT fOR ThE PERIOd

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

dIvIdEndS (nOTE 8)

dEfERREd And cuRREnT TAx On ShARESA vE SchEmE TAkEn dIREcTL

y TO EquITy

nET PROfIT fOR ThE PERIOd

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

27 fInAncIAL cOmmITmEnTS
A) CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

£’000

(38,679)

(3,175)

606

12,512

(28,736)

(4,534)

490

13,065

(19,715)

At the end of the period there were capital commitments contracted of £114,000 (2014: £164,000).

B) PENSION ARRANGEMENTS

The group operates a defined contribution pension scheme for employees. The assets of the schemes are held separately from those of the group 
in independently administered funds. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the group to the funds and amounted to 
£848,000 (2014: £652,000). At the period end there were no outstanding contributions (2014: same).

C) LEASE COMMITMENTS

minimum future sublease payments expected to be received under non-cancellable subleases amount to £3,093,000 (2014: 2,652,000).

The group has entered into non-cancellable operating leases in respect of motor vehicles, equipment and land and buildings.

minimum lease payments under operating leases recognised as an expense for the period were £23,388,000 (2014: £21,168,000) which 
includes property service charges of £783,000 (2014: £767,000).

At the balance sheet date, the group had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases 
which fall due as follows:

— wIThIn 1 yEAR

— wIThIn 2 - 5 yEARS

— AfTER 5 yEARS

2015

2014

LAnd And
bUiLdinGS
£’000

21,868

69,785

54,619

oThER
£’000

847

797

–

LAnd And
bUiLdinGS
£’000

19,936

66,554

58,285

oThER
£’000

868

949

–

146,272

1,644

144,775

1,817

Operating lease payments primarily represent rentals payable by the group for certain of its office and store properties. Leases are negotiated for 
an average term of 15 years and rentals are fixed for an average of 5 years (2014: 5).

96

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements28 ShARE-bASEd PA ymEnTS

The group operates six share option schemes in relation to group employees.

ShARE-BASED PA yMENT PLANS

Employee share purchase plans are open to almost all employees and provide for a purchase price equal to the daily average market price 
on the date of grant, less 20%. The shares can be purchased during a two-week period each financial period. The shares so purchased are 
generally placed in the employee share savings plan for a 3 or 5 year period.

movements in share based payment plan options are summarised as follows:

2015

2014

OuTSTAndIng AT bEgInnIng Of PERIOd

ISSuEd duRIng ThE PERIOd

ExPIREd duRIng ThE PERIOd

ExERcISEd duRIng ThE PERIOd

OuTSTAndIng AT End Of PERIOd

ExERcISAbLE AT End Of PERIOd

nUmbER of 
ShARE
oPTionS

2,485,176

887,775

(339,627)

(64,219)

2,969,105

–

WEiGhTEd 
AvERAGE 
ExERciSE 
PRicE
£

0.37

0.98

0.31

0.29

0.63

–

The inputs to the black-Scholes model for the above 3 (2014: 3 and 5) year plans are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

— %

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

dIvIdEnd yIELd 

— yEARS

— %

— %

nUmbER of 
ShARE
oPTionS

3,352,424

910,851

(269,528)

(1,508,571)

2,485,176

–

2015

90.5

71.1

WEiGhTEd 
AvERAGE 
ExERciSE 
PRicE
£

0.37

0.98

0.31

0.29

0.63

–

2014

79.0

63.2

42.2, 36.4  
and 35.1 

42.2 and 
43.7

3

0.42

2.03

3 or 5

0.60

2.79

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the group’s share price over the previous 3 years (2014: 3 or 5 
years). The expected risk used in the model has been adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, 
exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

DEFERRED BONuS LONG-TERM INCENTIvE PLAN

during the financial period ended 28 September 2013 an award was made under the deferred bonus long term incentive plan (LTIP) for the 
Senior management Team. under this bonus scheme 25% of the award (net of tax) is deferred in the form of shares for a two year period, with 
a matching share award (on a gross basis) that vests at the end of two years subject to the achievement of performance conditions relating to 
continuing employment within the business and EbITdA earnings growth measured over the two year period. 

This scheme was replaced in january 2013 when a new Long Term Incentive Plan was approved by shareholders and as such there will be no 
further awards under this scheme.

The total number of shares awarded was nil (2014:191,084), and the fair value of these deferred shares as at 3 October 2015 was £nil 
(2014: £88,000).

The total number of matching shares that are expected to be awarded, subject to fulfilment of the performance conditions is nil (2014: 363,614) 
and the fair value of these matching shares as at 3 October 2015 was £nil (2014: £167,000). no options were granted or exercised during 
the period (2014: none). There were no options outstanding at 3 October 2015 (2014: same).

97

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotes TO ThE fInAncIAL STATEmEnTS

cOnT In uEd

28 ShARE-bASEd PA ymEnTS  cOnTInuEd

The inputs to the black–Scholes model are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

— %

— yEARS

— %

2015

–

–

–

–

–

2014

46.0

 £nil

36.9

2

0.3

The scheme closed at the end of the prior period. In the prior period expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility 
of the group’s share price over the financial periods 2012/13 and 2013/14. The expected risk used in the model was adjusted, based on 
management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

LONG TERM INCENTIvE PLAN

during the financial period, a new three year Long Term Incentive plan was approved by shareholders. under this plan a number of share options 
were granted to senior management. These options will vest in november 2017 subject to the achievement of certain performance criteria.

The total number of share options granted was 1,422,348 (2014: nil) and the fair value of these options as at 3 October 2015 was 
£1,439,000 (2014: £nil).

The inputs to the black–Scholes model are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

— %

— yEARS

— %

2015

106.0

£nil

35.1

3

0.5

2014

–

 –

–

–

–

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the group’s share price over the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 
financial periods. The expected risk used in the model has been adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-
transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

during the 2012/13 financial period, a three year Long Term Incentive plan was approved by shareholders. under this plan a number of share 
options were granted to senior management. These options will vest in december 2015 subject to the achievement of certain performance 
criteria.

The total number of share options granted was 2,073,474 (2014: 2,073,474) and the fair value of these options as at 3 October 2015 was 
£929,000 (2014: £929,000).

The inputs to the black–Scholes model are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

— %

— yEARS

— %

2015

46.3

£nil

42.2

3

0.6

2014

46.3

£nil

42.2

3

0.6

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the group’s share price over the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 
financial periods (2014: 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 financial period). The expected risk used in the model has been adjusted, based 
on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

during the previous financial period, a three year Long Term Incentive plan was approved by shareholders. under this plan a number of share 
options were granted to senior management. These options will vest in december 2016 subject to the achievement of certain performance 
criteria.

The total number of share options granted was 1,441,695 (2014: 1,532,730) and the fair value of these options as at 03 October 2015 was 
£1,296,000 (2014: £1,351,000).

98

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements28 ShARE-bASEd PA ymEnTS  cOnTInuEd

The inputs to the black–Scholes model are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

— %

— yEARS

— %

2015

93.2

£nil

42.2

3

1.1

2014

93.2

£nil

42.2

3

1.2

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the group’s share price over the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 
financial periods (2014: 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 financial periods). The expected risk used in the model has been adjusted, 
based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

during the 2012/13 financial period members of the management team were granted share options that are due to vest in October 2015, 
subject to the fulfilment of criteria. The number of shares that are expected to be awarded is 260,000 (2014: 260,000) and the fair value of 
these shares as at 3 October 2015 was £127,000 (2014: £127,000).

The inputs to the black–Scholes model are as follows:

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ShARE PRIcE 

— PEncE

wEIghTEd A vERAgE ExERcISE PRIcE 

— PEncE

ExPEcTEd vOLATILITy 

ExPEcTEd LIfE 

RISk-fREE RATE Of InTEREST 

— %

— yEARS

— %

2015

46.3

 £nil

42.2

3

0.56

2014

46.3

 £nil

42.2

3

0.56

Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the group’s share price over the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 
financial periods. The expected risk used in the model has been adjusted, based on management’s best estimate, for the effects of non-
transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural forces.

In total, the group recognised a total expense of £1,409,000 (2014: £1,292,000) relating to share based payments.

29 RELATEd PARTy TRAnSAcTI OnS

S.k.m. williams is a related party by virtue of his 9.99% shareholding (19,343,950 ordinary shares) in the group’s issued share capital (2014: 
10.6% shareholding of 20,593,950 ordinary shares).

At 3 October 2015 S.k.m. williams was the landlord of four properties leased to multi Tile Limited, a trading subsidiary of Topps Tiles Plc, for 
£240,000 (2014: three properties for £162,000) per annum.

no amounts were outstanding with S.k.m. williams at 3 October 2015 (2014: £nil).The lease agreements on all properties are operated on 
commercial arm’s length terms

Transactions between the company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not disclosed 
in this note. In accordance with the exemption available under IAS24.

The remuneration of the board of directors, who are considered key management personnel of the group was £1.6 million (2014: £1.6 million) 
including share based payments of £nil (2014: £193,000). further information about the remuneration of the individual directors is provided in 
the Remuneration Report on pages 48 to 65.

99

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationCompany bALAncE ShEE T

A S AT  3  OcT ObE R  2 0 1 5

fixEd ASSETS

InvESTmEnTS

cURREnT ASSETS

dEbTORS duE wIThIn OnE yEAR

dEbTORS duE AfTER OnE yEAR

cASh AT bAnk And In hAnd

cREdiToRS: AmOunTS f ALLIng duE wIThIn OnE yEAR

nET cURREnT ASSETS

nET ASSETS

cAPiTAL And RESER vES

cALLEd-uP ShARE cAPITAL

ShARE PREmIum

ShARE bASEd PA ymEnT RESERvE

cAPITAL REdEmPTIOn RESERvE

OThER RESERvE

PROfIT And LOSS AccOunT

EqUiTy ShAREhoLdERS’ fUndS

53 WEEKS
EndEd
3 ocTobER
2015
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
27 SEPTEmbER
2014
£’000

notes

3

4

4

5

6,7

7

7

7

7

7

493

3,059

10,554

20,840

15,179

46,573

(3,415)

43,158

43,651

6,457

1,906

3,354

20,359

6,200

5,375

43,651

5,306

123,200

18,689

147,195

(5,197)

141,998

145,057

6,455

1,879

1,945

20,359

6,200

108,219

145,057

The financial statements of Topps Tiles Plc, companies house number 3213782, were approved by the board of directors on 
1 december 2015 and signed on its behalf by:

M T M Williams 
R. Parker 
directors

100

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statementsNotes TO ThE cOmPAny fInAncIAL
STATEmEnTS

1 bASIS Of AccOunTIng

The separate financial statements of the company are presented as required by the companies Act 2006. They have been prepared under the 
historical cost convention and in accordance with united kingdom Accounting Standards and law.

based on a detailed review of the risks and uncertainties discussed within the Strategic and Operational Review, and management’s current 
expectations the board believes that the company will continue to meet all of its financial commitments as they fall due and will be able to 
continue as a going concern. 

The current economic climate creates a degree of uncertainty in the outlook which when combined with the financial covenants included in 
our loan facilities, has led the board to conduct a detailed review of a number of different trading scenarios, including reasonably possible 
downsides, as well as possible mitigating actions, should they be required. 

based on this analysis the board has concluded that the company would be able to fully meet all of its financial commitments for the foreseeable 
future and therefore consider it appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis.

There have been no changes to the principal accounting policies in the period, all of which have been applied consistently throughout the period 
and the preceding period.

The company issues equity settled share based payments to certain employees. Equity settled share based payments are measured at fair value 
at the date of grant.

fixed asset investments are shown at cost less provision for impairment.

The company has taken advantage of the exemption in fRS 8 from disclosing transactions with other members of the group and the exemption 
in fRS 29 for making disclosures relating to financial instruments.

2 LOSS fOR ThE PERIOd

As permitted by section 408 of the companies Act 2006 the company has elected not to present its own profit and loss account for the period. 
Topps Tiles Plc reported a loss for the financial period ended 3 October 2015 of £102,844,000 (2014: £611,000 profit), as a result of the 
impairment of inter-company investments in Topps Tiles holdings Limited of £105,100,000 (2014: £nil).

The auditor’s remuneration for services to the company was £40,000 for audit related work (2014: £40,000 for audit related work). fees 
relating to non-audit work totalled £nil (2014: £nil), see note 4 to the group financial statements for further details.

The company had no other employees other than the directors (2014: same), whose remuneration is detailed on page 57.

3 fIxEd ASSET In vES TmEnTS

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

mOvEmEnT In ShARE OPTIOnS gRAnTEd TO EmPLOyEES

ImPAIRmEnT Of InvESTmEnT In TOPPS TILES hOLdIngS*

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

ShARES
£’000

3,059

179

(2,745)

493

*  during the period the group undertook a corporate restructuring process, leading to the acquisition of Topps Tiles (uk) Limited by Tiles4Less Limited. following an 
impairment review, the directors decided that the investment held by Topps Tiles Plc in the intermediary holding company of Topps Tiles (uk) Limited (Topps Tiles 
holdings Limited) could not be supported. The subsequent impairment charge of £2,745,000 has been utilised against the non-distributable reserves held in the 
company.

101

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Notes TO ThE cOmPAny fInAncIAL
STATEmEnTS
cOnT In uEd

3 fIxEd ASSET In vES TmEnTS 

cOnTInuEd

The company has investments in the following subsidiaries which affected the profits or net assets of the group.

SUbSidiARy UndERTAKinG

TOPALPhA LImITEd*

AcRAmAn (318) LImITEd

AcRAmAn (319) LImITEd

TOPALPhA (ORPIngTOn) LImITEd

TOPALPhA (RhyL) LImITEd

% of iSSUEd 
ShARES hELd

PRinciPAL AcTiviTy

100%

PROPERTy mAnAgEmEnT And InvESTmEnT

100%

dORmAnT

100%

dORmAnT

100%

dORmAnT

100%

dORmAnT

TOPALPhA (wAREhOuSE) LImITEd

100%

PROPERTy mAnAgEmEnT And InvESTmEnT And PROvISIOn Of 

wAREhOuSIng SERvIcES

TOPALPhA (STOkE) LImITEd

100%

PROPERTy mAnAgEmEnT And InvESTmEnT

.

TILES4LESS LImITEd*

TOPPS TILES (uk) LImITEd

100%

InTERmEdIATE hOLdIng cOmPAny

100%

RETAIL And whOLESALE Of cERAmIc TILES, wOOd fLOORIng And 

TOPPS TILES hOLdIngS LImITEd*

100%

InTERmEdIATE hOLdIng cOmPAny

TOPPS TILE kIngdOm LImITEd

100%

InTERmEdIATE hOLdIng cOmPAny

RELATEd PROducTS

muLTI TILE LImITEd

100%

RETAIL And whOLESALE Of cERAmIc TILES, wOOd fLOORIng And 

RELATEd PROducTS

TOPPS TILES dISTRIbuTIOn L Td

100% whOLESALE And dISTRIbuTIOn Of cERAmIc TILES, wOOd fLOORIng And 

RELATEd PROducTS.

muLTI-TILE dISTRIbuTIOn LImITEd

100%

InTERmEdIATE hOLdIng cOmPAny.

TOPPS TILES I.P cOmPAny LImITEd

100% OwnERShIP And mAnAgEmEnT Of gROuP InTELLEcTuAL PROPERTy.

cIRcuITcOuRT LImITEd

bEST4TILES LImITEd*

100%

dORmAnT

100%

dORmAnT

TOPPS TILES EmPLOyEE bEnEfIT TRuST*

100%

EmPLOyEE bEnEfIT TRuST

TOPPS TILES quEST TRuSTEE LImITEd*

100%

dORmAnT

* held directly by Topps Tiles Plc

The investments are represented by ordinary shares.

All undertakings are incorporated in great britain and are registered and operate in England and wales. 

4 dEbTORS

AmOunTS f ALLIng duE wIThIn OnE yEAR:

AmOunTS OwEd by SubSIdIAR y undERTAkIngS

OThER dEbTORS

PREPAymEnTS And AccRuEd IncOmE

AmOunTS f ALLIng duE AfTER OnE yEAR:

AmOunTS OwEd by SubSIdIAR y undERTAkIng

2015
£’000

2014
£’000

10,035

5,253

3

516

36

17

10,554

5,306

20,840

123,200

An impairment review was conducted, following the corporate restructuring process detailed in note 3. This resulted in a decision by the directors 
that the inter-co debtor held by the company with Topps Tiles holdings Limited could not be fully supported. The subsequent impairment charge of 
£102,359,799 has been utilised against the non-distributable reserves held in the company.

102

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statements 
 
 
 
5 cREdITORS: AmOunTS f ALLIng duE wIThIn OnE yEA R

TRAdE And OThER cREdITORS

AmOunTS OwEd TO SubSIdIAR

y undERTAkIngS

AccRuALS And dEfERREd IncOmE

6 cALLEd-uP ShARE cAPI TAL

AuThORISEd 240,000,000 (2014: 240,000,000) ORdInAR y ShARES Of 3.33P EAch (2014: 3.33P)

AuThORISEd 37,000,000 (2014: 37,000,000) REdEEmAbLE b ShARES Of £0.54 EAch

AuThORISEd 124,890,948 (2014: 124,890,948) IRREdEEmAbLE c ShARES Of £0.001 EAch

ISSuEd And fuLL y-PAId 193,700,459 (2014: 193,636,240) ORdInAR y ShARES Of 3.33P EAch 

(2014: 3.33P)

2015
£’000

560

222

2,633

3,415

2015
£’000

8,000

2014
£’000

17

2,796

2,384

5,197

2014
£’000

8,000

19,980

19,980

125

125

28,105

28,105

6,457

6,455

* during the period 431,108 (£504,000) shares were purchased by Topps Tiles Employee benefit Trust on behalf of the group (2014: 441,594 shares – £500,000).

during the period the group allotted 64,219 (2014: 1,508,571) ordinary shares with a nominal value of £2,141  (2014: £50,286) under 
share option schemes for an aggregate cash consideration of £28,733 (2014: £438,111).

7 RESERvES

comPAny

AT 27 SEPTEmbER 2014

LOSS fOR ThE PERIOd

dIvIdEnd REcEIvEd fROm gROuP

cOmPAnIES

dIvIdEnd PAId TO EquITy 

ShAREhOLdERS

wRITE dOwn Of InvESTmEnT

ISSuE Of nEw ShARES

cREdIT TO EquITy fOR EquITy-SETTLEd 

ShARE bASEd PA ymEnTS

AT 3 ocTobER 2015

ShARE-
bASEd
PAymEnT
RESERvE
£’000

ShARE
PREmiUm
£’000

cAPiTAL
REdEmPTion
RESERvE
£’000

oThER
RESERvES
£’000

PRofiT
And LoSS
AccoUnT
£’000

ToTAL
£’000

1,879

1,945

20,359

6,200

108,219

145,057

ShARE
cAPiTAL
£’000

6,455

–

–

–

–

2

–

–

–

–

–

27

–

6,457

1,906

–

–

–

–

–

1,409

3,354

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(203)

(203)

6,999

6,999

(4,535)

(4,535)

(105,105)

(105,105)

–

–

29

1,409

20,359

6,200

5,375

43,651

At 3 October 2015, the directors consider the other reserve of £6,200,000 to remain non distributable. 

The directors consider £nil (2014: £105,106,000) of profit and loss account reserves not to be distributable at 3 October 2015. The prior 
period amount arose on an unrealised gain on the intragroup disposal of subsidiary companies. An impairment has been recognised against the 
related intercompany investment balance in the current period.

103

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional information 
Five yEAR REcORd

u nAu dI T Ed

comPAny

gROuP REvEnuE

gROuP OPERATIng PROfIT

PROfIT bEfORE TAxATIOn

ShAREhOLdERS’ fundS (dEfIcIT)

bASIc EARnIngS PER ShARE

dIvIdEnd PER ShARE

dIvIdEnd cOvER

AvERAgE numbER Of EmPLOyEES

ShARE PRIcE (PERIOd End)

52 WEEKS
EndEd
1 ocTobER
2011
£’000

52 WEEKS
EndEd
29 SEPTEmbER
2012
£’000

52 WEEKS 
EndEd 
28 SEPTEmbER 
2013
£’000

52 WEEKS 
EndEd 
27 SEPTEmbER 
2014
£’000

53 WEEKS 
EndEd 
3  ocTobER 
2015
£’000

175,525

177,693

177,849

195,237

212,221

13,980

7,908

15,462

12,493

13,845

10,601

(25,462)

(17,348)

(10,184)

3.04p

1.50p

1.92

1,661

34.0p

5.14p

1.10p

4.68

1,654

46.0p

4.76p

1.25p

3.17

1,720

93.0p

18,186

16,691

843

6.49p

1.65p

3.94

1,794

18,883

17,019

10,798

6.75p

2.34p

2.88

1,915

105.0p

148.75p

All figures quoted are inclusive of continued and discontinued operations.

104

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTfinancial statementsOvE RvI Ew

ST R AT EgIc  R E P O R T

gOvE RnAn cE

fInAn cI A L S TAT EmEnT S

Ad dI T I OnA L In fO RmAT I On

Additional 
Information

C o n t e n t s
104 fIvE yEAR REcORd

105 nOTIcE Of AnnuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

110

ExPLAnATOR y nOTES TO ThE nOTIcE Of 

AnnuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

113 ThE TEAm

122 STORE LOcATIOnS

Notice Of  AnnuAL  
gEnER AL mEETIng

nOtICe IS heReBy GIVen that the Annual general meeting of Topps Tiles 
Plc (the “company”) will be held at the marriott hotel, Smith w ay, grove 
Park, Enderby, Leicestershire LE19 1Sw on 28 january 2016 at 10.00 a.m. 
for the following purposes: 

ORdInAR y buSInESS

To consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolutions 1–11 (inclusive) 
which will be proposed as Ordinary Resolutions:

1.  To receive and adopt the company’s Annual Report and financial 

Statements for the financial period ended 3 October 2015 together 
with the last directors’ Report, the last directors’ Remuneration Report 
and the Auditors’ Report on those accounts and the auditable part of the 
directors’ Remuneration Report.

2.  To declare a final dividend of 2.25 pence per ordinary share for the 

financial period ended 3 October 2015 payable on 4 february2016 to 
shareholders who are on the register of members of the company on   
8 january 2016.

3.  To approve the directors’ Remuneration Report (other than the part 

containing the directors’ Remuneration Policy) for the financial period 
ended 3 October 2015 as set out on pages 48 to 65 of the company’s 
Annual Report and financial Statements for that period.

4.  To re-elect matthew williams as a director of the company.

5.  To re-elect Robert Parker as a director of the company.

6.  To re-elect darren Shapland as a director of the company.

7.  To re-elect claire Tiney as a director of the company.

8.  To re-elect Andy king as a director of the company.

9.  To re-elect keith down as a director of the company

10.  To re-appoint deloitte LLP as auditors of the company to hold office 

from the conclusion of this Annual general meeting until the conclusion 
of the next general meeting at which the Annual Report and financial 
Statements are laid before the company 

11.  To authorise the directors to determine the remuneration of the auditors.

SP EcI AL buSInESS

To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the resolutions set out below which, in 
the case of Resolution 12 will be proposed as an Ordinary Resolution and, 
in the case of Resolutions 13 to 15 (inclusive), will be proposed as Special 
Resolutions.

12.  ThAT, in substitution for any equivalent authorities and powers granted to 

the directors prior to the passing of this resolution, the directors be and 
they are generally and unconditionally authorised pursuant to Section 551, 
companies Act 2006 (the “Act”):

a.    to exercise all powers of the company to allot shares in the company, 

and grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares 
of the company (such shares, and rights to subscribe for or to convert 
any security into shares of the company being “relevant securities”) up 
to an aggregate nominal amount of £2,152,317(such amount to be 
reduced by the nominal amount of any allotments or grants made under 
paragraph (b) below in excess of £2,152,317and further

105

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015Notice Of  AnnuAL gEnE RAL mEETIng

cOnT In uEd

b.    to allot equity securities (as defined in Section 560 of the Act) up to an aggregate nominal amount of £4,304,634 (such amount to 
be reduced by the nominal amount of any allotments or grants made under paragraph (a) above) in connection with an offer by way 
of rights issue;

i. 

in favour of holders of ordinary shares in the capital of the company, where the equity securities respectively attributable to 
the interests of all such holders are proportionate (as nearly as practicable) to the respective number of ordinary shares in the 
capital of the company held by them; and

ii. 

to holders of any other equity securities as required by the rights of those securities or as the directors otherwise consider 
necessary, 

but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the directors may deem necessary or expedient to deal with treasury 
shares, fractional entitlements or legal, regulatory or practical problems arising under the laws or requirements of any overseas 
territory or by virtue of shares being represented by depository receipts or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock 
exchange or any other matter whatsoever,

provided that, unless previously revoked, varied or extended, this authority shall expire on the earlier of the date falling 18 months 
after the date of the passing of this resolution and the conclusion of the next Annual general meeting of the company, except that 
the company may at any time before such expiry make an offer or agreement which would or might require relevant securities to be 
allotted after such expiry and the directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if this authority 
had not expired.  

13.  ThAT,  the directors be and they are empowered to allot equity securities (as defined in Section 560 of the Act) of the company 
wholly for cash pursuant to the authority of the directors under Section 551 of the Act conferred by resolution 12 above (in 
accordance with Section 570(1) of the Act) and/or by way of a sale of treasury shares (in accordance with Section 573 of 
the Act), in each case as if Section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to such allotment provided that the power conferred by this 
resolution shall be limited to:

a. 

the allotment of equity securities in connection with an offer of, or invitation to apply for, equity securities (but in the case of the 
authority granted under paragraph (b) of resolution 12, by way of a rights issue only):

i. 

in favour of holders of ordinary shares in the capital of the company, where the equity securities respectively attributable to 
the interests of all such holders are proportionate (as nearly as practicable) to the respective number of ordinary shares in 
the capital of the company held by them; and

ii. 

to holders of any other equity securities as required by the rights of those securities or as the directors otherwise consider 
necessary,

but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the directors may deem necessary or expedient to deal with treasury 
shares, fractional entitlements or legal, regulatory or practical problems arising under the laws or requirements of any overseas 
territory or by virtue of shares being represented by depository receipts or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock 
exchange or any other matter whatsoever; and

b. 

the allotment, otherwise than pursuant to sub-paragraph (a) above, of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value equal 
to £645,695 and

unless previously revoked, varied or extended, this power shall expire on the earlier of the date falling 18 months after the date of 
the passing of this resolution and the conclusion of the next Annual general meeting of the company except that the company may 
before the expiry of this power make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such 
expiry and the directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if this power had not expired. 

14.  ThAT, the company be generally and unconditionally authorised for the purposes of section 701 of the Act to make market 

purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the Act) of Ordinary Shares of 31⁄3p each in the capital of the company 
(“Ordinary Shares”) provided that:

a. 

the maximum number of Ordinary Shares hereby authorised to be purchased is 19,370,853 (representing 10% of the 
company’s issued Ordinary Share capital);

b. 

the minimum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is 31⁄3p;  

106

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional information 
c. 

the maximum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share shall be an amount equal to 105% 
of the average of the middle market quotations for an Ordinary Share as derived from the London Stock Exchange daily 
Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the date on which such Ordinary Share is contracted to be 
purchased; and

this authority shall, unless previously renewed, revoked or varied, expire on the earlier of the date falling 18 months after the date 
of the passing of this resolution and the conclusion of the next Annual general meeting, but the company may enter into a contract 
for the purchase of Ordinary Shares before the expiry of this authority which would or might be completed (wholly or partly) after its 
expiry.

15.  ThAT, a general meeting other than an annual general meeting may be called on not less than 14 clear days’ notice.

dated: 18 december 2015 
Registered Office:  
Thorpe way 
grove Park
Enderby
Leicestershire
LE19 1Su 
Registered number: 3213782 

by order of the board
Stuart Davey
company Secretary 

notes
1.  The right to vote at the meeting is determined by reference to the register of members. Only those members registered in the register 
of members of the company as at 6:00pm on 26 january 2016 or, in the event that the meeting is adjourned, close of business on 
such date being not more than 2 days prior to the date fixed for the adjourned meeting shall be entitled to attend and vote at the 
meeting in respect of the number of shares registered in their name at that time. changes to entries in the register of members after 
6:00pm on 26 january 2016 or, in the event that the meeting is adjourned, after 2 working days before the time of any adjourned 
meeting, shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote at the meeting.

2.  A member is entitled to appoint one or more persons as proxies to exercise all or any of his rights to attend, speak and vote at the 
meeting. A proxy need not be a member of the company. A form of proxy is enclosed and notes for completion can be found on 
the form and should be read carefully before it is completed. To be valid, the form of proxy must be completed, signed and sent to 
the offices of the company’s registrars, capita Asset Services, PxS, The Registry, 34 beckenham Road, beckenham, kent bR3 4Tu  
together with the power of attorney or other authority (if any) under which it is signed or a notarially certified or office copy of the 
same, so as to arrive no later than 10.00 am on 26 january 2016 (or, in the event that the meeting is adjourned, no later than 2 
working days before the time of any adjourned meeting).

3.  A member may appoint more than one proxy in relation to the meeting provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights 

attached to a different share or shares held by him. To appoint more than one proxy, you will need to complete a separate proxy 
form in relation to each appointment. you may photocopy the enclosed proxy form, indicating clearly on each proxy form the name 
of the proxy you wish to appoint and the number of shares in relation to which the proxy is appointed. All forms must be signed and 
should be returned together in the same envelope. you can only appoint a proxy using the procedures set out in these notes and the 
notes to the proxy form. The right of a member under section 324 of the companies Act 2006 (the “Act”) to appoint a proxy does 
not apply to a person nominated to enjoy information rights under section 146 of the Act.

4.  The appointment of a proxy will not preclude a member from attending and voting in person at the meeting if he or she so wishes.

5.  As at the close of business on the date of this notice, the company’s issued share capital comprised 193,708,537 ordinary shares 

of 31⁄3p each. Each ordinary share carries the right to one vote at a general meeting of the company. no ordinary shares were 
held in treasury and accordingly the total number of voting rights in the company as at the close of business on the date of this 
notice is 193,708,537.

6.  A vote withheld is not a vote in law, which means that the vote will not be counted in the calculation of votes for or against the 

resolution. If no voting indication is given, your proxy will vote or abstain from voting at his or her discretion. your proxy will vote (or 
abstain from voting) as he or she thinks fit in relation to any other matter which is put before the meeting. The notes to the proxy form 
explain how to direct your proxy to vote on each resolution or withhold their vote.

7. 

In the case of joint holders, where more than one joint holders purports to appoint a proxy, only the appointment submitted by the 
most senior holder will be accepted. Seniority is determined by the order in which the names of the joint holders appear in the 
company’s register of members in respect of the joint holding (the first named being the most senior).

107

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationNotice Of  AnnuAL gEnE RAL mEETIng

cOnT In uEd

8.  cREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies through the cREST electronic proxy appointment service may do so by 
using the procedures described in the cREST manual. cREST personal members or other cREST sponsored members and those 
cREST members who have appointed a voting service provider(s), should refer to their cREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) 
who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf. 

In order for a proxy appointment or instruction made using the cREST service to be valid, the appropriate cREST message (a 
“cREST Proxy Instruction”) must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear uk & Ireland Limited specifications and 
must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the cREST manual. The message, regardless of whether 
it constitutes the appointment of a proxy or an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy, must, in order 
to be valid, be transmitted so as to be received by the issuers’ agent (Id RA10) by the latest time for receipt of proxy appointments 
specified in this notice. for this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the timestamp applied 
to the message by the cREST Applications host) from which the registrars are able to retrieve the message by enquiry to cREST 
in the manner prescribed by cREST. After this time, any change of instructions to proxies appointed through cREST should be 
communicated to the appointee through other means.  

cREST members and, where applicable, their cREST sponsors or voting service provider(s) should note that Euroclear uk & Ireland 
Limited does not make available special procedures in cREST for any particular messages. normal system timings and limitations 
will therefore apply in relation to the input of cREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the cREST member concerned to 
take (or, if the cREST member is a cREST personal member or sponsored member or has appointed a voting service provider(s), to 
procure that his cREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is 
transmitted by means of the cREST system by any particular time. In this connection, cREST members and, where applicable, their 
cREST sponsors or voting service providers are referred, in particular, to those sections of the cREST manual concerning practical 
limitations of the cREST system and timings. 

The company may treat as invalid a cREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the uncertificated 
Securities Regulations 2001 (as amended).

9.  where a copy of this notice is being received by a person who has been nominated to enjoy information rights under section 146 

of the Act (“nominee”):

a. 

b. 

the nominee may have a right under an agreement between the nominee and the member by whom he was appointed, to be 
appointed, or to have someone else appointed, as a proxy for the meeting; or

if the nominee does not have any such right or does not wish to exercise such right, the nominee may have a right under any 
such agreement to give instructions to the member as to the exercise of voting rights.

108

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional information 
 
 
10.  capita Asset Services maintain the company’s share register. They also provide a telephone helpline service on 0871 664 0300 
(calls cost 10p a minute plus network extras). Lines are open from 8:30am to 5:30pm, monday to friday. If you have any queries 
about voting or about your shareholding, please contact capita Asset Services.

11.  members have the right to ask questions at the meeting in accordance with section 319A of the Act.

12.  It is possible that, pursuant to requests made by members of the company under section 527 of Act, the company may be required 
to publish on a website a statement setting out any matter relating to: (a) the audit of the company’s accounts (including the auditors’ 
report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the meeting; or (b) any circumstance connected with an auditor of 
the company ceasing to hold office since the previous meeting at which annual accounts and reports were laid in accordance with 
section 437 of the companies Act 2006. The company may not require the members requesting any such website publication 
to pay its expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 of the Act. where the company is required to place a statement on 
a website under section 527 of the Act, it must forward the statement to the company’s auditor not later than the time when it 
makes the statement available on the website. The business which may be dealt with at the meeting includes any statement that the 
company has been required under section 527 of the Act  to publish on a website.

13.  The following documents are available for inspection by members at the registered office of the company (except bank holidays) 

during the normal business hours and at the place of the meeting not less than 15 minutes prior to and during the meeting:

a. 

the register of directors’ interests required to be kept under section 809 of the Act; 

b.  copies of the directors’ service contracts and letters of appointment of the non-executive directors; and

c.  a copy of the company’s Articles of Association.

14.  Information regarding the meeting, including the information required by section 311A of the Act, is available from the company’s 

website – www.toppstiles.co.uk.

109

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationExplanatory nOTE S TO ThE nOTIcE Of 
An nuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

ThE AnnuAL gEnERAL mEETIng of the company will be held at the marriott hotel, Smith w ay, grove Park, Enderby, Leicestershire 
LE19 1Sw on 28 january 2016 at 10.00 a.m.

four of the resolutions are to be taken at this year’s Annual general meeting as special business. by way of explanation of these and the 
other resolutions:

ORdInAR y buSInESS
Resolution 1
Receiving the accounts and rep or ts

All quoted companies are required by law to lay their annual accounts before a general meeting of the company, together with the 
directors’ reports and auditors’ report on the accounts. At the Annual general meeting, the directors will present these documents to the 
shareholders for the financial period ended 3 October 2015.

Resolution 2
declaration of final dividend 

A final dividend of 2.25 pence per Ordinary Share is recommended by the directors for payment to shareholders on the register of 
members of the company at 6.00 p.m. on 8 january 2016. Subject to approval by the Ordinary Shareholders at the Annual general 
meeting, the dividend will be paid 4 february 2016. An interim dividend of 0.75p was declared which means the total dividend level 
will 3.00 pence per Ordinary Share for the 53 weeks prior to 3 October 2015.

Resolution 3
directors’ Remuneration Rep or t

All quoted companies are required by law to produce for each financial year a directors’ remuneration report which sets out the 
Remuneration committee’s policy in relation to directors’ remuneration, together with the remuneration and benefits paid to directors 
during the year. The company is also required to put an ordinary resolution to shareholders approving the report at the meeting at which 
the company’s report and accounts for that year are laid (excluding the section of the report comprising the directors’ remuneration 
policy). As the directors’ remuneration policy was approved at last year’s annual general meeting and as no changes to the policy are 
currently being proposed, no resolution will be proposed this year in relation to the directors’ remuneration policy. Accordingly, resolution 
3 seeks the approval of the directors’ remuneration report which is set out on pages 48 to 65 of the report and accounts for the financial 
period ended 3 October 2015 (excluding the directors’ remuneration policy).

Resolutions 4 to 9
Re-electi on of directors

The company’s articles of association require that all members of the board of directors submit themselves for re-election at least every 
three years. Although not required by the company’s articles, the directors will, in the interests of good corporate governance under the 
uk corporate governance code, retire voluntarily and offer themselves for re-election. brief biographical details about all the directors 
appear on pages 36 and 37 of the Annual Report and financial Statements.

Resolution 10
Re - appo i n tm en t  of  auditors

This resolution concerns the re-appointment of deloitte LLP as auditors until the conclusion of the next general meeting at which accounts 
are laid, that is, the next Annual general meeting.

Resolution 11
Audi tors’ remuneration

This resolution authorises the directors to fix the auditors’ remuneration.

SPEcIAL buSInESS
Resolution 12
directors’ power to a llot  sha res

This resolution complies with guidance issued by the Investment Association and will, if passed, authorise the directors to allot:

•	 relevant securities up to a maximum nominal amount of £2,152,317 which represents approximately one-third of the company’s 

issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at the date of this notice. This maximum is reduced by the nominal amount of any 
equity securities allotted under the authority set out in paragraph 12(b) in excess of £2,152,317; and

110

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional information•	 in relation to a pre-emptive rights issue only, equity securities (as defined by section 560 of the Act) up to a maximum nominal amount 
of £4,304,634 which represents approximately two-thirds of the company’s issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at 
the date of this notice. This maximum is reduced by the nominal amount of any relevant securities allotted under the authority set out in 
paragraph 12(a).

Therefore, the maximum nominal amount of relevant securities (including equity securities) which may be allotted under this resolution is 
£4,304,634.

As at the date of this notice, the company does not have any treasury shares.

The directors do not have any present intention of exercising the authorities conferred by this resolution but they consider it desirable 
that the specified amount of authorised but unissued share capital is available for issue so that they can more readily take advantage of 
possible opportunities.

Resolution 13
disapplication of statutor y  rights o f pre -e m pt i on

This resolution authorises the directors in certain circumstances to allot equity securities for cash other than in accordance with the statutory 
pre-emption rights (which require a company to offer all allotments for cash first to existing shareholders in proportion to their holdings).  The 
relevant circumstances are either where the allotment takes place in connection with a rights issue or the allotment is limited to a maximum 
nominal amount of £645,695, representing approximately 10% of the nominal value of the issued ordinary share capital of the company as 
at 9 december 2015 being the latest practicable date before publication of this notice. unless revoked, varied or extended, this authority will 
expire at the conclusion of the next Annual general meeting of the company or 18 months after the passing of the resolution, whichever is 
the earlier.

The board confirms that it will only allot shares representing more than 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the company (excluding 
treasury shares), for cash pursuant to the authority referred to in paragraph (b) of Resolution 13, where that allotment is in connection with an 
acquisition or specified capital investment (within the meaning given in the Pre–Emption group’s Statement of Principles) which is announced 
contemporaneously with the allotment, or which has taken place in the preceding six month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the 
allotment. In respect of the authority referred to in paragraph (b) of Resolution 13, the board also confirms its intention to follow the provisions of 
the Pre–Emption group’s Statement of Principles regarding cumulative usage of authorities within a rolling three–year period where the Principles 
provide that usage in excess of 7.5% of issued ordinary share capital of the company (excluding treasury shares) should not take place without 
prior consultation with shareholders, except in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment as referred to above.

TREASuR y ShAR ES  

The company may hold any shares it buys back “in treasury” and then sell them at a later date for cash rather than simply cancelling 
them.  Any such sales are required to be made on a pre-emptive, pro-rata basis to existing shareholders unless shareholders agree by 
special resolution to disapply such pre-emption rights. Accordingly, in addition to giving the directors power to allot unissued ordinary 
shares on a non pre-emptive basis, resolution 13 will also give directors power to sell ordinary shares held in treasury on a non- pre-
emptive basis, subject always to the limitations noted above. The directors consider that the power proposed to be granted by resolution 
13 is necessary to retain flexibility, although they do not have any intention at the present time of exercising such power. As at the date of 
this notice, the company does not have any treasury shares.

Resolution 14
Authority to purchase shares (mark e t pu rc ha se s )

This resolution authorises the board to make market purchases of up to 19,370,853  ordinary shares (representing approximately 10% of the 
company’s issued ordinary shares as at 9 december 2015, being the latest practicable date before publication of this notice). Shares so 
purchased may be cancelled or held as treasury shares. The authority will expire at the end of the next Annual general meeting of the company 
or 18 months from the passing of the resolution, whichever is the earlier. The directors intend to seek renewal of this authority at subsequent Annual 
general meetings. 

The minimum price that can be paid for an ordinary share is 31⁄3p  being the nominal value of an ordinary share.  The maximum price 
that can be paid is 5% over the average of the middle market prices for an ordinary share, derived from the daily Official List of the 
London Stock Exchange, for the five business days immediately before the day on which the share is contracted to be purchased.

The directors intend to exercise this right only when, in light of the market conditions prevailing at the time and taking into account all 
relevant factors (for example, the effect on earnings per share), they believe that such purchases are in the best interests of the company 
and shareholders generally.

111

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationExplanatory nOTE S TO ThE nOTIcE Of 
An nuAL gEnERAL mEETIng

Theoverall position of the company will be taken into account before deciding upon this course of action. The decision as to whether any 
such shares bought back will be cancelled or held in treasury will be made by the directors on the same basis at the time of the purchase.

As at 9 december 2015, being the latest practicable date before publication of this notice, there were outstanding awards under the 
company’s various share option schemes in respect of 8,176,737 ordinary shares in the capital of the company representing 4.2% 
of the company’s issued ordinary share capital. If the authority to purchase the company’s ordinary shares were exercised in full, the 
number of outstanding options would represent 5.0% of the company’s issued ordinary share capital following the repurchase of shares.

Resolution 15
notice period for general meeti ngs

The companies (Shareholders’ Rights) Regulations 2009 require the company to call general meetings (other than annual general 
meetings) on at least 21 clear days’ notice unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period of not less than 14 clear days. Such 
approval was granted at last year’s annual general meeting and this resolution therefore seeks to renew this approval. The approval will 
be effective until the company’s next annual general meeting, at which it is intended a similar resolution will be proposed. The directors’ 
intention is to only call general meetings on less than 21 days’ notice where such shorter notice period would be in the interests of 
shareholders as a whole.

112

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationThe TEAm

A
Aaron butler
Aaron hider
Aaron Lonie
Aaron Rivett
Aaron Smith
Abbeygail boutell
Abby Tween
Abdirahman Ibrahim
Abdul Rouf
Abdul yasir
Adam bennett
Adam cato
Adam chapman
Adam clarke
Adam cook
Adam crowe
Adam gilkes
Adam godfrey
Adam Ireland
Adam nuttall
Adam Parsons
Adam Riley
Adam Robinson
Adam Rodriguez
Adam Rous
Adam Shearsmith
Adam walker
Adam ward
Adam ware
Adam williams
Adil Rajah
Adnan Abdullah
Adrian kimber
Adrian Panzariuc
Afrim mensah
Ahmad Ebrahimi Senobari
Aisha yerimah
Akiyemi Orekoya
Aklakud duha
Akshey vadgama
Alan clague
Alan haji
Alan hughes
Alan Parker
Alan Saunders
Alan Sinclair
Alan Smalley
Alan Sproston
Alan wrighting
Aled collier
Aleksandrs gulenkovs
Alen Sithiravel
Alex Abram

Alex hedges
Alex whitmore
Alexander Armstrong
Alexander bradley
Alexander Esposito
Alexander findley
Alexander heskett
Alexander kempson
Alexander mackley
Alexander Onions
Alexander Torres
Alexander williams
Alexandra davies
Alexandria crowther
Alexandria ferguson
Alfie Abbott
Ali Abshir Ibrahim
Ali Rizvi
Alison hunt
Alison walkinshaw
Alister watt
Allan busby
Allan harper
Alnavaz nuralah
Alwyn bolton
Amanda brogan
Amanda green
Amanda hullett
Amanda Samuel
Amandeep bains
Amber west
Amy hughes
Amy mcgregor
Amy Simmonds
Amy Smith
Amy wirtz
Ananthan Sivanesan
Anantharupan Ananthapuvirajah
Andre Osei
Andrea crooks
Andrea moon
Andrew baldock
Andrew belson
Andrew callister
Andrew canham
Andrew chapman
Andrew childs
Andrew clay
Andrew clayton
Andrew collins
Andrew cox
Andrew curr
Andrew davis
Andrew green
Andrew hamilton

Andrew hanson
Andrew harrison
Andrew huntingford
Andrew king
Andrew middleton
Andrew Page
Andrew Phillips
Andrew Playfoot
Andrew Riley
Andrew Sansum
Andrew Scorgie
Andrew Sharkey
Andrew Shaw
Andrew Taylor
Andrew wade
Andrew wagstaff
Andrew warne
Andrew waterfield
Andrew wathan
Andrew wilkinson
Andrew winterburn
Andrew woods
Andrew young
Aneta kleczek
Angela capp
Angela Toseland
Ann warren
Anna forden
Anna moulding
Anna wedrzyk
Anna-marie Tough
Annmarie malone
Anthony bradford
Anthony christopher
Anthony cox
Anthony daly
Anthony davies
Anthony dedman
Anthony docherty
Anthony dolan
Anthony gibby
Anthony gilbert
Anthony havvas
Anthony james
Anthony Linsell
Anthony molyneux
Anthony Tarr
Antonia hughes
Antonio Perkins
Antony belham
Anub varghese
Anwar marshall
Arkadiusz halas
Aron hoff
Arron Turner

Arthur van Aswegen
Aruna mistry
Ashleigh Richards
Ashleigh Tucker
Ashley cutler
Ashley hegarty
Ashley mansfield
Ashley martin
Ashley Rivett
Ashraful haque
Asteraya Engdayehu
Astone davids
Atul Patel
Audrius kolojanskas
Augustus hagan

b
barbara connor
barbara Smith
barri barnes
barry beaver
barry Edwards
barry hanlon
barry hodges
barry jones
barry Taylor
barry Theobald
barry Thomas
barry veasey
beatrice Onnerth
ben Armitage
ben bright
ben harris
ben holloway
ben howard
ben moore
ben Richmond
ben Tallis
benjamin fullman
benjamin goodey
benjamin Lawson
benjamin moughan
benjamin Rich
benjamin Rowe
benjamin willis
benjamin woollins
berek k-caeser
beth crozier
bianca gradinaru
billy hutchins
billy Lodge
billy Taylor
bobby Attwood
bolaji Adeyanju
brad Squires

113

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationThe TEAm

cOnT In uEd

bradley moore
brandon Abels
brandon Adeniji
brant wells
bregetta hill
brendan flynn
brett goulden
brian cariello
brian cook
brian cooper
brian cox
brian crews
brian flatters
brian king
brian Linnington
bruce fielding
bruce garrod
bruno bernasconi
bryan Taylor
byron Tree

c
cade Somerville
caitlin Snider
calbert hall
callum beedles
campbell marr
carl courtney
carl cumberbatch
carl foster
carl fraser
carl hermitt
carl whatley
carl willshee
carley brown
carlos Alford maestre
carlos chowdhury
carlos do Rosario botecas
carol English
carol Tromans
caroline bailey
caroline beattie
caroline bennett
caroline bray
caroline may
caroline vernon-Sutton
carolyn Paull
carolynn Remington-hobbs
catherine britton
catherine Platt
catherine Smith
catrin Anthony-Evans
cecilia Lamb
chamyse morley
charlene walpole

114

charles Robbins
charles Roussard
charles Taylor
charlie Pelchat
charlotte brooks
charlotte fitzgerald
charlotte godfrey
charlotte Lammin
charlotte Stringfellow
charmaine chapman
chelsea battle
chelsea cragg
chelsea crichton
chelsea dale
cherie Ahmet
cheryl vearncombe
chetna Shah
chloe Singleton
choudre grobler
chris dixon
christain mccarthy
christian banham
christine berry
christine hendry
christine Taylor
christine Thistlethwaite
christopher beeson
christopher bland
christopher bolton
christopher bowden
christopher brereton
christopher butler
christopher collins
christopher cooper
christopher cooper
christopher curtis
christopher d’Arts
christopher Edwards
christopher foster
christopher france
christopher harbutt
christopher heyes
christopher holland
christopher howe
christopher joynes
christopher Lamb
christopher Leach
christopher moore
christopher nicholls
christopher nixon
christopher nottle
christopher Perry
christopher Potter
christopher Sansby
christopher Simpson

christopher Tame
christopher Turley
christopher walley
christopher wells
christopher williamson
clair jeffries
claire chaffe
claire harris
claire Rayton
claire Sarnecki
claire Tiney
clare barden
clare cohring
clare fuller
clare Shepherd
claudine charles-Scotton
colin clarke
colin dickson
colin griffiths
colin harvey
colin hayward
colin hoban
colin joy
colin markham
colin nuttall
colin Rymer
colin Skinner
colin Taylor
connor Saunders
connor Swan
connor Turner
conrad harrup
cora morrison
corrie-Leigh goodhew
corrina bowers
cory handford
craig connor
craig dolling
craig henley
craig johnson
craig murphy
craig Reed
cristina cole
czeslaw majorek

d
daisy utley
dale benford
damian harrison
damian Liu
damien mole
damontre Love
daniel Ashby
daniel bevan
daniel brain

daniel caruana
daniel chambers
daniel clayton
daniel cox
daniel Evans
daniel fallows
daniel friend
daniel grunwell
daniel hamilton
daniel Ingham
daniel jenkins
daniel jones
daniel jones
daniel Lawrie
daniel Little
daniel mcLean
daniel milner
daniel musguin
daniel neary
daniel Parsons
daniel Philpott
daniel Poile
daniel Robinson
daniel Saltmarsh
daniel Scott francis
daniel Sheppard-brown
daniel Thornley
daniel willows
daniel wren
daniel wright
danielle kirby
danielle noyes
danielle Omara
danielle Rains
danielle whittaker
danny burgess
danny mcInnes
danny Ostler
darius bright
darran wood
darren bebbington
darren chester
darren doughty
darren harper
darren mencarini
darren mitchell
darren morgan
darren murray
darren Shapland
darren Sherwood
darren Square
darren wagg
darren weedon
darron bicknell
darron kerr

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationdarryl ferry
david Atherton
david Augustus
david beasley
david blackhurst
david blades
david bolingbroke
david brooks
david burnikell
david callaghan
david carpenter
david clare
david clark
david coupland
david Elliott
david fletcher
david hamer
david harper
david hatton
david hayers
david henderson
david hill
david hirst
david hope
david hussey
david jardim
david jobling
david jones
david kershaw
david kettlewell
david knight
david Lane
david Locke
david Longman
david macartney
david marsh
david matthews
david medlam
david meers
david miller
david murray
david nichol
david Oliver
david Palmer
david Plant
david Prime
david Rendall
david Savage
david Sheehy
david Shewan
david Simms
david Simons
david Sinclair
david Smith
david Steel

david Stott
david Thomasson
david Thompson
david Timbrell-clark
david Townsley
david webb
david webb
david weller
david whitelaw
david wilson
david yallop
dawn Allan
dawn gale curtis
dean kelly
dean marshall
dean miller
dean newell
dean Partridge
dean Smith-crome
dean Titchen
dean woolley
deana Turner
deborah Edwards
deborah gobey
deborah Rooney
declan matthiesen
decland Speede
denis Ahmet
denis O’brien
denise johnson
dennis jovellanos
dennis Lammas
dennis Rawding
denzil johns
derek Amoo
derek goosen
derek Sim
dermott Reilly
desiree Turner
devias gudka
devindren govender
dewi Evans
dexter Lawrie
didar uddin
dilawar Ali
dilip Parmar
dinesh Amin
dipal Parikh
dominic d’Souza
dominic gray
dominic hall
dominic johnson
dominic Reilly
dominic Summers
donald benson

donald magullian
donald morrissey
donald nyoni
donna douglas
donovan Robinson
dorothy Stewart
douglas bingham
douglas nicol
drew Aldom
duncan foy
duncan mayman
dwain mensah
dylan Roberts
dylan Taylor

E
Eamonn clancy
Edgars Lesinskis
Edward murphy
Eirini messaritaki
Elaine noone
Elizabeth harbord
Elizabeth Selfridge
Ellie howcroft
Emily Lenton
Emily madge
Emily mansell
Emma childs
Emma crucefix
Emma curtis
Emma dudley
Emma french
Emma Peat
Emma whatson
Emran mannan
Emre caran
Entiliano marku
Eric Asuming
Ermiyas girma
Ewa Lukaszewska
Ezra Evans

f
faisal Ashraf
faisle Sharif
faizar Ali
fay dodson
fayzur Rahman
felipe west
fiona grant
fitz martin
fizan Rajah
frances Aylward
francesca wright

francis weldon
frank gardner
frank hibbert
fred Therme

g
gabriella carvalho
gage wheeldon
gail Purves
gareth davies
gareth fogden
gareth meakings
gareth moss
gareth Pye
garry hardy
gary Allum
gary Ashdown
gary bloomfield
gary curtis
gary gear
gary gledhill
gary gledhill
gary hawrylak
gary marsden
gary marshall
gary nash
gary Pickavance
gary Roberts
gary Shapcott
gary Thatcher
gary woolmore
gavin bennett
gavin collins
gavin magwood
gavin meek
gavin mitchell
geeta makwana
gemma gilliver
gemma haynes
gemma kleeman
gemma Stephens
geoffrey greenwood
george Astill
george birkley
george burns
george hawkes
george martinesz
georgina carlberg
geraint griffiths
geraint Thorne
ghirmai Solomon
gianfranco Zanolini
gianluca Ostinelli
gillian grace
gino muco

115

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationThe TEAm

cOnT In uEd

glendale canoville
glenis gibson
glenn claridge
glenn Elgy
glyn Rogers
gordon davies
graeme Inchley
graham cooper
graham foster
graham jones
graham Livingstone
graham vance
grant harris
greg Lloyd
gregory mchugh
grenville davies
gurinder chana
gurnaam Sharma

h
hannah carter
hannah Peeroo
hannah Pritchard
hanz nelson
harmeet jassal
haroon cockar
harriet goodacre
harry biggs
harry kay
harsimran Singh bagga
hazel millington
heather findler
heather-marie cooper
helen beaumont
helen gosling
helen hughes
helen walker
henry Smith
hesham kashi
himesh hirani
hitesh nathu
holly baxter
holly nettleton
hugh Selley

I
Iain Arnott
Ian Aikman
Ian bird
Ian bloomfield
Ian caley
Ian costen
Ian hughes
Ian marshall

116

Ian marshall
Ian mcneish
Ian noon
Ian Paterson
Ian Snook
Ian Sykes
Ian Tivendale
Ibrahim Ali
Ilars Skabeikis
Imran Ashraf
Inderdeep dhanjal
Irene dickinson
Ivan Paitoo
Iyuthanraj Ratnam

j
jaasir wazir
jacek Zebrowski
jack Allardyce
jack cairns
jack campany
jack coker
jack finlay
jack fry
jack haynes
jack Ingram
jack maddison
jack millman
jack O’neill
jack Relfe
jack walker
jack webster
jack white
jack whitehead
jack williamson
jacqueline byrne
jacqueline desborough-
morehead
jacqueline farnan
jade bunce
jahtal nisa Roberts-joseph
jailuene Peake
jajwinder harar
jake Osborn
jake Shopland
jake woods
james bayley
james biesty
james cameron
james carpenter
james clifford
james cooney
james davies
james faulkner
james fox

james heard
james hoare
james hollis
james holt
james hubball
james jeffreys
james Lawson
james mcgeoch
james morgan
james Pannett
james Patston
james Pearson
james Pilfold
james Robertson
james Rolfe
james Saunders
james Snuggs
james Taylor
james Teahan
james Tuvey
james vander Plank
james walker
james watt
james worden
jamie Evans
jamie jenkinson
jamie Rose
jamie Sia
jamie wenborn
jan Reddi
jane harrison
janet Riley
janice millett
janine moon
jarreth hawkins
jasbir Singh
jason barker
jason buckley
jason coupland
jason darcy
jason Ealden
jason gallagher
jason knox
jason meadows
jason Pratt
jason Rose
jason Thomas
jason wilcox
jaunius kurstakas
javeed Parkar
jay Strawford
jayandrie chetty
jayaprakash Paragjee
jayden cuthbert
jaymal Arjan

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

jayne warlow
jeannette hastie
jed nethercot
jedrzej Politowski
jeff Arscott
jeffrey Armstrong
jeffrey mudiman
jemma wyatt
jennifer Seabrook
jennifer wall
jennifer yates
jenny Inkson
jessica cokeley
jessica mccarthy
jessica Rowlands
jessica Thiari
jigna naran Lalji
jill cox
joanna dimonaco
joanna herbert
joanna Terrell
joanne cox
joanne Elton
joanne harris
jodie jones
joe Lamond
joe mathews
joe mcPherson
joe Smith
joel barker
john bingley
john bourke
john cook
john cooper
john Ellis
john fawkes
john field
john forden
john gardner
john harris
john harrison
john hesp
john hickey
john hughes
john keouski
john mcLaren
john moat
john murphy
john Page
john Shaw
john Smith
john Tait
john Taylor
john Thompson
johnathan mccallum

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationjon davis
jon Reynolds
jon Thatcher
jon-Paul hughes
jonathan boxall
jonathan coombs
jonathan coyne
jonathan East
jonathan hall
jonathan hargreaves
jonathan morgan
jonathan Pringle
jonathan Roberts
jonathan Samuel
jonathan Sheerin
jonathan Smith
jonathan Stearman
jonathan Stone
jonathan Sutton
jonathan wallace
jonathan williams
jonathan woodroff
jonathon Turner
jordan gibbins
jordan macdonald
jordan webb
josef kinski
joseph cox
joseph daly
joseph gregorace
joseph jones
joseph Reames
joseph Shyne
joseph Sweeney
josephina Lane
josephine ketskemety
joshua batterham
joshua blain
joshua darby
joshua Elliott
joshua groener
joshua jackson
joshua Lambert
joshua Outram
joshua Paton-Rolls
joshua Rapley
joshua wright
judith duncan
juginder gill
julia kerr
julian myles
julie brachtvogel
julie cox
julie fewings
julie-anne harris

juliet wilford
justin bradley
justin coyle
justin Evans
justin korankye-Addai
justin marlow
juttinder digpal

k
kalpeshkumar Patel
kamal Embarek
kamaljit Atkar
kamaljit Thandi
kamil janas
kamlesh Shah
karen brook
karen dodds
karen Leimetter
karen Sutcliffe
karis hall
karl Aran
karl batterham
karl haines
karl Lippiatt
karl Stephens
karl Turner-Talmage
karl verry
karl white
kashan Riley
katarzyna Roberts
kate flitton
kate O’connor
katerina gavriel
kathrine wainwright
kathryn baird
kathryn finch
kathryn Pell
kathryn Robinson
katie boggis
katie brindley-hughes
katie bush
katy hyslop
kawaljit gulati
keiran Ling
keith Alexander
keith Ambrose
keith baker
keith down
keith Earl
keith fitzpatrick
keith johnson
keith Rudkin
kelly Savile
kelly weyman
kelly-Anne O’connor

kelvin Lansdowne
kenneth Owen
kenneth westley
kenneth williams
kerri Atkinson
kevan Richardson
kevin Atherton
kevin baker
kevin bowtle
kevin fox
kevin hailes
kevin hardy
kevin hartley
kevin hodson
kevin jeans
kevin jones
kevin nicol
kevin Redmond
kevin Rowe
kevin Sheils
kevin Smith
kevin Thorne
kieran barnes-warden
kieran corben
kieran fleet
kieran gardiner
kieron clarke
kim Liddle
kim moriarty
kirandeep kaur
kirk Irvine
kirsten cummings
kirstie Leonard
kirstie mcdowell
kirti Patel
kranthi billakanti
kristian catterall
kristopher bailey
kristopher brough-Rutland
krystian Sior
krystle milan
kuljit Aujla
kunal Pandya
kyle francis
kyle hardie
kyle morris-campbell
kyle nightingill
kyle welford

L
Lance cale
Lara mckenzie
Laura Adams
Laura costa
Laura henry

Laura horton
Laura jacques
Laura james
Laura johnson
Laura Racey
Laura Sansom
Lauren bettison
Lauren holmes
Laurence jones
Laurence Pendrill
Lauris Popovs
Lavarn morgan
Layla kellaway
Layla Pring
Layla Pyatt
Leah morgan
Leanne curry
Leanne Palmer
Lee Adam
Lee baxter
Lee carlos
Lee cash
Lee clarke
Lee dering
Lee dover
Lee galloway
Lee gardner
Lee gibson
Lee graham
Lee hutchinson
Lee jacovou
Lee james
Lee johnstone
Lee jones
Lee mcconnell
Lee Read
Lee west
Lee wilkinson
Leigh hyam
Leighton davies
Leon O’neill
Leon Pryce
Leona Parker
Leonard finch
Leonora moses
Lesley watson
Lesley willcox
Lesley wilson
Leslie Shemmeld
Lewis Adkins
Lewis Axford
Lewis collins
Lewis crossley
Lewis hall
Lewis harry

117

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationThe TEAm

cOnT In uEd

Lewis Prentice
Lewis Saunders
Lewis walter
Lewis williams
Leza mcdonald
Liam Allen
Liam bantin
Liam cowan-fields
Liam hogan
Liam hubbard
Liam hunt
Liam moore
Liam Piper
Liam Rushton
Lianne harrison-Allcock
Libby field
Linda herbert
Linda Scott
Lindsey flint
Lisa Algar
Lisa cullen
Lisa holmes
Lisa noel
Lisa Pallett
Lloyd jackson
Loucas Louca
Louis whittle
Louise jeffery
Louise wilson
Luana freeman
Lucas mavlappas
Lucinda mazzei
Lucy mcgennity-bane
Lucy Taylor-Simpson
Luke cameron
Luke day
Luke durham
Luke kerr
Luke Livermore
Luke mcnally
Luke Patel
Luke Potiphar
Luke Saunders
Luke Tilley
Luke Tilson
Luke woodward
Luke woodward
Luther Tunmore-Lansdowne-kyi
Lynette Levi
Lynn Pearson
Lynsey Smart

118

m
maciej krzyzaniak
maciej Rabczewski
mahesh wara
mahomadzuber Saiyed
malcolm ferguson
malcolm Temple
mandy Aidney
manjit Aluwahlia
mansoor Ali
marc Trim
marcin kupczyk
marcin malinowski
marcin Sakowicz
marcin Senkowski
marcus battie
marek kloda
margaret Lawrie
maria drozdova
maria furniss
maria Thompson
marie biggs
marius jackevicius
mark Allenden
mark Allman
mark bianchi
mark braithwaite
mark brown
mark burgess
mark coe
mark davies
mark discombe
mark frisby
mark fuller
mark gasson
mark holland
mark hunter
mark johnson
mark johnston
mark keymer
mark Lever
mark maciver
mark mott
mark Owen
mark Palmer
mark Pancott
mark Ridley
mark Stephens
mark Tennant
mark Thompson
mark Tilley
mark vaughan
mark waldock
mark walters

mark whitaker
mark winder
mark winger
mark woodyatt
mark wordley
mark wright
mark wylie
marlon barnes
marlon bright
martha karczewska
martin derricott
martin Evans
martin foster
martin Osborne
martin Pickard
martin Sloggett
martin Smyth
martin Turner
martin williams
martin williams
martin winterburn
martin wys
martina way
martyn costen
martyn Lovell
martyn Somerville
martyn Spring
martyn Strange
mary Syme
mathew clifton
mathew demaurie
mathew Lampard
mathew Tapp
matthew Antell
matthew Attwood
matthew britton
matthew copestake
matthew crowton
matthew dunne
matthew fisher
matthew foster
matthew foulger
matthew harris
matthew hawley
matthew hay
matthew holland
matthew Ingram
matthew jones
matthew king
matthew Lindsay
matthew Love
matthew mcPhee
matthew moore
matthew nash
matthew Richardson

matthew Robinson
matthew Robinson
matthew Sims
matthew Stevenson
matthew Stewart
matthew warne
matthew wesson
matthew whitlock
matthew williams
matthew williams
matthew woodhouse
matthew wright
megan broadway
mehmet Asdoyuran
mehran ulhaq
melanie Abbott
melanie gray
melanie Toole
melissa wadman
mellissa hemming
melton Thompson
melvyn chamberlain
mervyn Thorne
michael boland
michael boughton
michael bowden
michael buckley
michael comer
michael congdon
michael darroch
michael dinnage
michael dinter
michael Earls
michael Edwards
michael Edwards
michael fannon
michael fawcett
michael finkill
michael finn
michael foley
michael goodfield
michael griffiths
michael haggett
michael hall
michael hopper
michael howden
michael huskisson
michael jack
michael jenks
michael kolapo
michael Lay
michael Litster
michael Locke
michael Lovelock
michael mcgarry

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationmichael mcnally
michael moss
michael queen
michael quinn
michael upton
michael van Sittert
michael weeks
michaela Thomas
michaella watson
michal Politowski
michele Trickett
michelle hill
michelle kempson
michelle le monnier
michelle moore
mick wells
miles burden
mindaugas kairys
mitchell williams
mkhonto gumede
mohamed mufallal
mohamed Patel
mohammad mukhtar
mohammad uddin
mohammed Amin
mohammed hoque
mohammed jamil
mohammed jimale
mohammed khalid
mohammed Parvaz
mohammed Ibad khan
morva Leslie
mr Thomas watson
mr Topps (retired)
mubashir uddin
muhammad Ikram Shafqat
murdo martin
mustafa khan
mustafa mohamed

n
naomi mckenzie
narinder chatha
natalie boyd
natalie mccuaig-finlay
natalie Paine
natalie Palumbo
natalie Ratsavong
natasha danby
natasha hibberd
nathan Austin
nathan cavanagh
nathan coulthard
nathan harry
nathan Sobers

nathan wells
nathan wilson
nathan winterton
nauris vinkelis
ndumiso mafa
neil Ammon
neil brownley
neil hendy
neil homan
neil jones
neil muckle
neil Pears
neil Roessner
neil Southgate
neil Sparkes
neil Topping
neil wardlaw
neil williams
nicholas Aylwin
nicholas billyeald
nicholas gadd
nicholas harden
nicholas houghton
nicholas Lawrence
nicholas Lee
nicholas Lodge
nicholas Redway
nicholas Stone
nicholas walch
nicholas withers
nicholaus buchanan
nick wardman
nicky glenister
nicola howlett
nicola mcwatt
nicola Squires
nicole Andrews
nigel fleming
nikki hymers
nirmal Sagoo
nishit Shah
numan usman

O
Oliver haghighi
Olivia harte
Olivia Pilson-wood
Omid Ibrahimi
Ovidiu Agache
Owen Tudor
Oz masaya
Ozan kaya

P
Paige makepeace
Pankaj bhardwaj
Paolo Segagni
Paresh nagar
Patricia duncan
Patrick coleman
Paul baxter
Paul burkett
Paul burrow
Paul cartledge
Paul chambers
Paul chapman
Paul clark
Paul cowen
Paul dalby
Paul davey
Paul Elliott
Paul freeborn
Paul galvin
Paul goddard
Paul hargreaves
Paul hesketh
Paul holmes
Paul hutchins
Paul Irving
Paul kelly
Paul Laverty
Paul Lee
Paul Lester
Paul Logue
Paul mccabe
Paul miller
Paul mills
Paul nicholls
Paul noyes
Paul Semple
Paul Silvester
Paul Smith
Paul Starkey
Paul Tennant
Paul Third
Paul Tregaskis
Paul west
Paul whittington
Paul whitworth
Paul wilson
Paula budsworth
Pauline harrison
Pawel Pudelko
Pawel warych
Penny davis
Pete bauer
Peter Anderson

Peter callan
Peter charters
Peter crimp
Peter gibbons
Peter goulding
Peter hanley
Peter higgins
Peter hogg
Peter james
Peter knights
Peter Lees
Peter Simmonds
Peter Sincock
Peter Turtle
Peter vallely
Peter wiles
Peter young
Philip cranston
Philip d’Souza
Philip dunn
Philip gallop
Philip jones
Philip kelly
Philip kelly
Philip mccarney
Philip Okai
Philip Stocks
Phillip brundell
Phillip goode
Phillip gundel
Phillip walters
Phillipa hewitt
Phoebe webb
Poonam Patel
Portia boehmer
Preline martha
Pritisha mukherjee
Przemyslaw drabinski

q
quadeer Ahmed
quang Pham

R
Rachel cartmell
Rachel fellows
Rachel johnson
Rae williams
Rafal Szlachetka
Rain Richmond
Raj Surani
Rajiv vadgama
Rajneet Sahota
Raul Ivanescu

119

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationThe TEAm

cOnT In uEd

Ravendra bishun
Rebeca wallis
Rebecca butler
Rebecca julier-goodwin
Rebecca kelly
Rebecca mills
Rebecca moore
Rebecca Oblein
Rebecca Ogilvie
Rebecca Redfern
Rezim Ahmad
Rhys bennett
Rhys hedges
Richard bickers
Richard bleach
Richard bourne
Richard brooks
Richard carter
Richard carter
Richard clark
Richard davies
Richard diamond
Richard Edwards
Richard geare
Richard hickman
Richard hopkin
Richard hudson
Richard Lewington
Richard mann
Richard mccracken
Richard Oates
Richard Oldale
Richard Palfrey
Richard Slack
Richard Small
Richard westell
Rickie byrne
Ricky bishop
Ricky freeman-Roach
Robbie Perry
Robel ghebrewold
Robert Adams
Robert Adkins
Robert Allman
Robert ballantyne
Robert beard
Robert black
Robert chawner
Robert clark
Robert clarke
Robert clarke
Robert collins
Robert Exley
Robert gedlek
Robert george

120

Robert howker
Robert jackson
Robert jay
Robert jones
Robert keohone
Robert king
Robert knight
Robert kreamer
Robert kweli
Robert moss
Robert myers
Robert Parker
Robin Auld
Robin Perrin
Robin Stagg
Roger gridley
Roger Lazenby
Romal williams
Romans Petuhovs
Ronald woolgar
Rory Reeves
Ross Ashbrook
Ross copley
Ross dyson
Ross kerr
Ross knight
Ross Langford
Ross matthews
Roxanne Evans
Russell Arnold
Ryan Apark
Ryan bryant
Ryan coleman
Ryan curd
Ryan french
Ryan jones
Ryan Lawrence-cokayne
Ryan Randall
Ryan Ruffle
Ryan watts

S
Sabina Redlin
Sahibjit Samra
Sahla Trew
Salman bawani
Sam Attfield
Sam davis
Sam Thomas
Samantha cunnington
Samantha Evans
Samantha gray
Samantha Leavis
Samantha makrygiannis
Samantha Simons

Sameer jamdar
Samson Okolosi
Samuel carey
Samuel heath
Samuel kirk
Samuel Robinson
Samuel white
Samuel yoganathan
Sandra Ramsay
Sanjeev Pal
Sarah bacon
Sarah barker
Sarah burnard
Sarah cassam
Sarah dobson
Sarah drake
Sarah harrup
Sarah jordan
Sarah kite
Sarah mclure
Sarah newcomb
Sarah jane Pierpoint
Satinder nandhra
Satvinder Sandhu
Savio coutinho
Scott Ahmad
Scott birdseye
Scott bond
Scott currie
Scott gill
Scott goodway
Scott johnston
Scott meadows
Scott Pattison
Scott Summers
Scott Thirlaway
Scott williams
Sean cahill
Sean collins
Sean dare
Sean gee
Sean king
Sean mcLean
Sean Tagney
Sean Taylor
Sean Tugman
Sean weatherby
Shafeek mohamed
Shahid mahmood
Shamara mckenzie-Rochester
Shana Esworthy
Shane bryan
Shane daley
Shane England
Shane Lindsay

Shane malone
Shane mason
Shane Till
Shannon Oliver
Sharif Islam
Sharon beckett
Sharon buckley
Sharon Papantoniou-barrett
Sharon Simmonds
Shaun dodson
Shaun harwood
Shaun mayes
Shaun Pawsey
Shaun Scanlon
Shaun Scott
Shauna campbell
Shaynah gandhi
Sheikh Saidy
Shelley burton
Shelley carey
Shelley Rutter
Shineat nicholls
Shirley moore
Shrina Shah
Shyam Pankhania
Shylo brookes
Sian Austen
Silvi Atanasova
Silvonne mcLean
Simon beare
Simon bodell
Simon brookfield
Simon brookfield
Simon chappell
Simon coombs
Simon farley
Simon frew
Simon green
Simon grimmett
Simon jackson
Simon jones
Simon knight
Simon Lasham
Simon Leslie
Simon Lewis
Simon marks
Simon morgan
Simon neal
Simon Pitt
Simon Roberts
Simon webb
Simon witham
Simona barticel
Sinead gray
Siobhan Ashman

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationSkender Trstena
Sophie doggart
Sophie Pitt
Sophie Pritchard
Stanislaw maciorowski
Stefan clark-carter
Steffan williams
Stephanie Ailwood
Stephanie hogg
Stephanie nevett
Stephen Adams
Stephen Amos
Stephen Anthony
Stephen bloomfield
Stephen boyd
Stephen brown
Stephen carr
Stephen clayton
Stephen collins
Stephen corkett
Stephen Edmonds
Stephen Erskine
Stephen foote
Stephen france
Stephen freeman
Stephen gaylor
Stephen green
Stephen hall
Stephen Iwasyszyn
Stephen kelly
Stephen Lopes
Stephen machin
Stephen maidment
Stephen marshall
Stephen morris
Stephen Phillips
Stephen Rowlinson
Stephen Sanders
Stephen Seymour
Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith
Stephen Spurgeon
Stephen Starkie
Stephen welsby
Stephen west
Steven birch
Steven bristow
Steven dooley
Steven dyer
Steven gillham
Steven higgins
Steven howells
Steven Ives
Steven jenkins
Steven kane

Steven kernot
Steven Larner
Steven macarthur
Steven Presley
Steven Richards
Steven Souter
Steven walker
Steven whitehead
Steven wood
Steven woods
Stuart baigent
Stuart barrett
Stuart clarke
Stuart corlett
Stuart davey
Stuart dixon
Stuart fletcher
Stuart furlonger
Stuart harris
Stuart Langford
Stuart munton
Stuart Pemberton
Stuart Rees
Stuart Ross
Stuart Smith
Stuart whitby
Stuart williams
Sukhdev bains
Sule daley
Surmukh jandu
Susan Attwell
Susan bill
Susan black
Susan henshall
Susan hulme
Susan Law
Susan Shields
Syed Ali

T
Tahmid Islam
Tami Robinson
Tammie O’Lone
Tammie Spencer
Tauseef usman
Terence dooley
Teresa Allen
Terry Salisbury
Terry Smith
Tevyn mathurin
Theruchenthuran Erathinasingam
Thomas brien
Thomas britten
Thomas crawford
Thomas cunningham

Thomas Elliott
Thomas Evans
Thomas fitzgerald
Thomas gercs
Thomas Lewis
Thomas Lowe
Thomas miller
Thomas mills
Thomas moran
Thomas murray
Thomas newman
Thomas Otley
Thomas Parkes
Thomas Ross
Thomas Ryan
Thomas Seaden
Thomas Surridge
Thomas Swain
Thomas utting
Thomas wade
Thomas wade
Thomas weedon
Thomas whitlock
Tim chatfield
Tim Richards
Timea Szabo
Timmy Sandwell
Timothy bentley
Timothy bird
Timothy boardman
Timothy coupland
Timothy hartwick
Timothy Stanhope
Timothy Tatlock
Timothy Tuff
Tobias knox
Toby bayley
Toby collins
Todd Routledge
Tom mason
Toni gormley
Toni Lambert
Tony dumbleton
Tony higson
Tracey hansard
Tracy wearmouth
Tracy wickenden
Trashgim Syla
Travis Thompson
Trevor Thomas
Tyrell beckham
Tyrone gambrell

u
udo jungbecker
useni feno

v
veronica Evett
victoria carrington
victoria moore
vilius meilus
vinod joshi

w
waqar Raja
warren bester
wayne farini
wayne Randall
wayne Reed
wei mean donlan
wesley neukermans
will carter
william bailey
william barreda
william gunshon
william Lewinton
william Ralls
william Short
william wylie
wyn dunn-davies

y
yasinul hoque
yohannes getachew
yvonne burgess

Z
Zahid hossain
Zainab Idris
Zlatko milovanovic
Zoe Atkinson
Zoe fletcher
Zoe killick
Zydrunas Slazikas

121

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

Topps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015overviewStrategic reportgovernancefinancial StatementSadditional informationStore LOcATIOnS

Lond on
chesham
chingford
colindale
golders green
harrow
hayes
highgate
maida vale
new Southgate
new Southgate Tc
north finchley
Park Royal
Ruislip
Southall
Staples corner
uxbridge
wembley
willesden
barking
beckton
catford
charlton
dagenham
dartford
Eltham
forest hill
Ilford
Ilford Seven kings
mile End
Old kent Road
Romford
Shoreditch
Acton
battersea
brentford
cheam
East Sheen
feltham
fulham
gunnersbury
hounslow
Penge
Raynes Park
Streatham
Surbiton
Twickenham
vauxhall
wandsworth
wimbledon
borehamwood
Enfield
hemel hempstead
St Albans
waltham cross

122

Sale
Salford
Snipe (Audenshaw)
Stockport
Stockport Tc
wakefield
bury

Scot land an d 
nor th er n I rel and
Aberdeen (bridge of don)
Aberdeen (wellington)
Ayr
belfast newtonabbey
dumfries
dundee
Edinburgh (fort kinnaird)
Edinburgh (Seafield)
belfast boucher Road
Elgin
glasgow
govan
greenock
hillington
Inverness
Shawfield
Sighthill
wishaw

Sout h
cribbs causeway
Evesham
hereford
cambridge
kings Lynn
Peterborough (boongate)
Peterborough (Rex centre)
St neots
Stamford
wisbech
huntingdon
market harborough
northampton (Orbital Park)
wellingborough
worcester
Abingdon
basingstoke
bristol
cheltenham
chippenham
cirencester
clevedon
frome
gloucester

beckenham
bromley common
croydon (Purley)
croydon (Thornton)
Orpington
Orpington Tc
west wickham
clapham
Islington
walton on Thames
bayswater boutique
wimbledon boutique

mid lan ds
barnsley
doncaster
doncaster Sprotborough
grimsby
hull
hull Tc
Rotherham
Sheffield meadowhall
worksop
newcastle-under-Lyme
northwich
boston
chesterfield
derby (meteor)
derby (Osmaston)
grantham
Lincoln (Outer circle)
Lincoln (St marks)
Long Eaton
mansfield
newark
nottingham (castle Park)
nottingham Lady bay
Spalding
binley
coventry
Enderby
Erdington
kettering baron
kings heath
Leicester
Loughborough
nuneaton
Rugby
Sheldon
Solihull
Stratford
burton on Trent
cannock
congleton
crewe

fenton
great barr
kidderminster
Lichfield
nantwich
Redditch
Shrewsbury
Stoke On Trent Tc
Tamworth
Telford
west bromwich
wolverhampton

nor th
carlisle
workington
darlington
durham dragonville
gateshead
harrogate
northallerton
Scarborough
Sheffield Penistone Road
Sunderland
Stockton
Tyneside
york clifton moor
Aintree
Anfield
barrow
birkenhead
blackburn
blackpool marton
bolton
chester
chorley
cleveleys
morecambe
Ormskirk
Preston
St helens
warrington
widnes
wigan
wigan Tc
bradford
cheadle
cheetham hill
failsworth
huddersfield
hyde
Leeds
macclesfield
Oldham
Pontefract

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationProof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

124

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

www.toppstiles.co.uk   Stock code: TPTadditional informationTopps Tiles Plc Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 week period ended 3 October 2015

OvE RvI Ew

ST R AT EgIc  R E P O R T

gOvE RnAn cE

fInAn cI A L S TAT EmEnT S

Ad dI T I OnA L In fO RmAT I On

wales
bangor
barry
bridgend
cardiff (hadfield Rd)
cardiff (newport Rd)
carmarthen
cross hands
flint
haverfordwest
merthyr Tydfil
neath
Rhyl
Swansea (cwmdu)
Swansea (Llan Samlett)
wrexham

camberley
chichester
fareham
farnborough
farnham
gatwick
guildford
hedgend
horsham
Isle Of wight
Lewes
millbrook Southampton
newhaven
Portsmouth
waterlooville
wokingham
barnstaple
bodmin
bournemouth
bridgewater
christchurch
dorchester
Exeter
Exmouth
glastonbury
Launceston
Plymouth
Plymouth Tc
Poole
Salisbury
Taunton
Torquay
Truro
weymouth
yeovil
Ashford
bexhill
broadstairs
canterbury
Eastbourne
folkestone
maidstone
Sevenoaks
Sittingbourne
Strood
Tonbridge
Tunbridge wells
uckfield
hailsham

hengrove
newbury
Oxford (botley)
Oxford (cowley)
Reading
Swindon
Swindon Tc
weston Super mare
winchester
witney
basildon
braintree
bury St Edmunds
chelmsford
chelmsford Springfield
clacton on Sea
colchester
cromer
great yarmouth
Ipswich
Lowestoft
martlesham
norwich
norwich hall Road
norwich mile cross
Rayleigh
Southend
Sudbury
Thetford
Aylesbury
high wycombe
Slough
windsor
brentwood
crayford
Erith
grays
byfleet
East molesey
banbury
bedford (Elm farm)
bicester
bishops Stortford
buckingham
harlow
harlow Tc
Letchworth
Loughton
Luton
milton keynes
Stevenage
watford
welwyn garden city
bognor Regis
brighton

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04

T

O

P

P

S

T

I

L

E

S

P

L

c

A

n

n

u

A

L

R

E

P

O

R

T

A

n

d

A

c

c

O

u

n

T

S

f

O

R

T

h

E

5

3

w

E

E

k

P

E

R

I

O

d

E

n

d

E

d

3

O

c

T

O

b

E

R

2

0

1

5

Topps Tiles Plc
Thorpe Way, Grove Park, Enderby,
Leicestershire
LE19 1SU
United Kingdom

www.toppstiles.co.uk

Proof 9    9 December 2015 6:10 PM    24457.04