Nova Announces Second Quarter 2021 Results
Average sales on an annual run-rate basis for stores converted to Value Buds now $3.5 million versus $1.4 million before conversion
EDMONTON, AB, Aug. 12, 2021 /CNW/ – Nova Cannabis Inc. (the “Company” or “Nova”) (TSX: NOVC) today released its unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements (the “interim financial statements”) and management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021.
During the second quarter we continued to successfully execute against our growth strategy capturing market share at an aggressive pace. In two months from conversion, our Value Buds stores are already operating at an average sales on an annual run-rate basis¹ of $3.5 million which is, in our estimation, at least three times the sales volume of the average Alberta cannabis retailer.
Darren Karasiuk, CEO of Nova
Value Buds is clearly resonating with Alberta cannabis consumers and drawing customers from the illicit market as well as legal cannabis retailers. We expect the same response in Ontario as we accelerate our pace of openings in Canada’s largest market. All signs suggest that our high-volume value conscious consumer strategy is disrupting the market, and we expect to benefit disproportionately from the growth tailwinds in our markets.
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¹Annual run rate is a non-IFRS financial measure that does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. For more information on non-IFRS financial measures, see the ‘Non-IFRS Financial Measures’ section and the ‘Non-IFRS Financial Measures’ in our MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, which is available on the Company’s website (www.novacannabis.ca) and on the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com).
Business and Operating Highlights
- Graduated from the TSX Venture Exchange and began trading on the TSX on July 15, 2021
- Converted thirty-six (36) stores from legacy banners to Value Buds
- Opened nine (9) new Value Buds stores: six (6) in Ontario and three (3) in Alberta
- Nova now has sixty (60) stores operating and a further twenty-five (25) new stores are under development/construction with thirty (30) more in Ontario under active negotiation
- Launched Nova Cannabis Analytics, an ancillary revenue stream offering comprised of a proprietary, regulatory-compliant data and analytics platform with several subscription agreements signed since its launch and subsequent to the end of the fiscal quarter
- Bolstered its board composition with the election of Marvin Singer, former senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright
Outlook
The Company expects to adopt an aggressive and disciplined stance toward growth focusing on:
- Organic store openings
- Opportunistic and sensible acquisitions to complement organic growth
- Same-store sales growth
- Private label
- Basket size growth
When it comes to both organic growth and acquisition opportunities, the Company is focused on store locations that management believes will have long-term viability. Management recognizes that in Ontario, due to its historically slow retail cannabis store rollout, many existing cannabis retail locations have enjoyed monopoly-like positions in very large trade areas. These monopolies have provided many cannabis retailers with revenues that we believe are unsustainable with greater competition and vulnerability to new retailers who can offer better pricing as well as traditional retail fundamentals such as visibility, parking, and proximity to other customer draws.
It is anticipated that all existing stores will be converted to Value Buds by the end of Q3 2021 and all new stores will be opened with the Value Buds banner. Value Buds stores are designed to accommodate the substantially increased customer count we see in these high-volume stores.
The Company continues to expect to have at least eighty-five (85) stores built and/or opened by the end of 2021.
Second Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights
The interim financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 reflect the results of the stores formerly owned by Alcanna Inc. as well as the results from the stores owned by the Company (when it was known as YSS Corp.) from the closing of the reverse take-over transaction on March 22, 2021 (the “RTO”) until June 30, 2021. The comparative period for 2020 in the interim financial statements only presents the financial results for the stores that were owned by Alcanna Inc. and operated under the Nova Cannabis banner with a different operating, pricing and margin strategy than they were operated within 2021. As such, the interim financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 are not directly comparable.
Sales increased 106.6% compared to the second quarter of 2020, to $29.7 million from $14.4 million. The increase is primarily due to the seven (7) retail cannabis stores that have opened since March 31, 2020, the retail cannabis stores acquired through the RTO and the increased sales from Nova Cannabis banner stores that were re-branded to Value Buds at various times throughout Q4 2020 and the first six months of 2021.
For further information, refer to the interim financial statements and the MD&A of the Company for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, which are available from the Company’s profile on SEDAR, at www.sedar.com, or on the Company’s website at www.novacannabis.ca.
CONFERENCE CALL
Management will conduct a conference call on August 13, 2021 at 12:00p.m. ET (10:00a.m. MT) to discuss its second quarter operating and financial results. To participate, please dial (416) 406-0743 or (800) 806-5484 and use the required participant access code: 2286294#. The playback will be made available approximately four hours after the event at (905) 694-9451 or (800) 408-3053, required access code: 5616005#.
ABOUT NOVA CANNABIS INC.
Nova Cannabis Inc. (TSX: NOVC) is one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing cannabis retailers with a goal to disrupt the cannabis retail market by offering a wide range of high-quality cannabis products at every-day best value prices. The Company currently operates sixty (60) locations across Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan primarily under its Value Buds and Nova Cannabis banners. The Company is majority owned by Alcanna Inc. (TSX: CLIQ).
Additional information about Nova Cannabis Inc. is available at www.sedar.com and the Company’s website at www.novacannabis.ca.
NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES
Average sales on an annual run-rate basis is not a measure recognized by IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Investors are cautioned that this measure should not replace sales, net earnings or loss (as determined in accordance with IFRS) as an indicator of the Company’s performance, of its cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities or as a measure of its liquidity and cash flows. The Company’s method of calculating the aforementioned non-IFRS financial measure may differ from the methods used by other issuers. Therefore, the measure may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.
Average sales on an annual run-rate basis is calculated by taking the average of the actual weekly sales for July 2021 of the stores that have been converted to Value Buds for at least eight (8) weeks, and multiplying by fifty-two (52) weeks. This is one of the key metrics that the Company uses to assess performance and provides a useful comparison as to how these stores that have been converted to our Value Buds discount banner are performing. Management believes the presentation of average sales on an annual run-rate basis provides for useful information to investors and shareholders as it provides increased transparency on the current performance of these stores.
