Clicks Group share price falls 6.2% following festive season sales report
Retail
Clicks sales at its retail stores increased by Retail sales, which includes Clicks, UniCare, The Body Shop and Sorbet corporate stores increased by 6%. Clicks' comparable store sales increased by 3.7% in the 20-week period to January 11, 2026, compared with a year before, after sales were impacted by delays in implementing a warehouse system. .
Image: Simphiwe Mbokazi/Independent Newspapers
Clicks Group's share price fell sharply by 6.21% Thursday afternoon on the JSE after it reported that comparable retail sales during the festive season increased by slightly less than at the same time a year before.
The beauty, health and pharmacy store group said in a trading update on Thursday that turnover had increased 7.4% for the 20-week period to January 11, 2026. Pharmacy turnover increased by 9%. Distribution turnover increased by 11.4%.
The share price fell to R324.95 on Thursday afternoon, a price also slightly lower than R349.91 on the same day a year ago.
Retail sales for the period, which includes Clicks, UniCare, The Body Shop and Sorbet corporate stores increased by 6%. Sales in comparable stores increased by 3.7% (it grew by 5.9% in 2023), with selling price inflation averaging 2.4% (3.5%) and volume growth of 1.3% (2.4%).
CEO Bertina Engelbrecht said retail turnover was impacted by aggressive competitor discounting activity over the festive period.
In addition, delays in implementing a warehouse management system at the Clicks retail distribution centre in Cape Town resulted in lower product availability in Western Cape stores.
"Management estimates the impact of the systems delay on retail sales at approximately R120 million. Product availability in the region has improved since the start of January 2026 and is expected to reach targeted levels during February 2024," she said.
Engelbrecht said the overall Clicks performance was driven by strong pharmacy sales growth of 9% since the start of the financial year, as well as record Black Friday sales and robust customer demand for Christmas gifting ranges.
Group turnover increased by 7.4% (2023: 8.1%) to R19.5bn compared to the corresponding 20 weeks in the previous financial year. UPD's wholesale turnover increased by 11.4% (9.5%), supported by higher purchasing compliance across its core wholesale channels and an increase in the number of Clicks pharmacies opened.
However, UPD's notional turnover in bulk agency distribution clients declined by 20.2%, impacted by the non-renewal of two contracts in the fourth quarter of the 2023 financial year. As a result, UPD's total managed turnover decreased by 0.2% for the period.
The group's results for the six months to February 28, 2024 are expected to be released on or about April 23, 2024.
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