Business
Covid-19 and Business Update
Covid-19 and Business Update.
About this update from Portmeirion Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n RNS Number : 0460I\n Portmeirion Group PLC\n 30 March 2020\n \n \n \n \n 30 March 2020\n \n \n \n \n \n Portmeirion Group PLC\n \n \n ('the Group' or 'Portmeirion Group')\n \n \n \n \n \n Covid-19 and Business Update\n \n \n \n \n \n Portmeirion Group PLC, the designer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of high quality homewares under the Portmeirion, Spode, Royal Worcester, Pimpernel, Wax Lyrical and Nambé brands, announces the following business update. \n \n \n Further to the announcement of the Group's preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2019 on 19 March 2020, the Board would like to update on the impact of the Covid-19 virus and the steps we have taken to safeguard the long term health of our business. \n \n \n Portmeirion Group is a well-diversified business. We sell in over 70 countries, have two UK factories and also work with premium quality sourced factories around the world.\n \n \n The Board is supportive of the government's efforts to contain Covid-19 and as a Company are fully committed to following all guidance provided and instructions issued by the government and Public Health England to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. \n As a result and with effect from 26 March 2020, the Group's Stoke-on-Trent ceramic factory has taken a three week temporary break which includes one week of regular planned Easter holiday. The safety of our teams is paramount and we will take this time to work on implementing further safe self-distancing procedures. We have good depth of stock in our warehouses which will continue to supply our customers around the world. Although we are seeing short term order reduction from UK and US retailers due to government restrictions on retail store openings, our online sales grew strongly through March and we have a significant forward export order book. Far Eastern markets, which were first hit by the virus, are now starting to return to normal and we are pleased to be taking significant orders from our export markets. Similarly our supply chains and sourced factories in this part of the world have also resumed work. \n \n \n Our UK home fragrance company Wax Lyrical has shown great endeavour in the past 10 days, converting two production lines at the Cumbria-based factory to making much needed alcohol-based hand sanitiser and spray. We w...