23rd Apr 2025 11:03
(Alliance News) - Hollywood Bowl PLC on Wednesday reported "excellent progress" in its growth strategy as it said first-half trading has performed in line with its expectations.
Hollywood Bowl is a Hertfordshire, England-based leisure operator of ten-pin bowling centres.
The company said revenue for the six months ended March 31 was GBP129.2 million, up 8.4% from GBP119.2 million the previous year.
On a like-for-like basis, the firm said revenue rose 2.1%, with it noting the adverse impact on like-for-like figures caused by the extra leap year day in 2024 and the later timing of Easter this year.
Hollywood Bowl attributed its revenue improvement to the ongoing successful execution of its strategy "to drive returns through investment in the size and quality of the estate and in the customer experience."
It noted that its performance was "strong" and reflected a continuation of demand for fun leisure activities as well as the attraction of bowling as an affordable activity.
Contributing to the increase, said the firm, was a record revenue month in December in the UK and Canada.
Hollywood Bowl's UK revenue was GBP108.2 million in the first half of financial 2025, up 4.7% from GBP103.3 million the prior year.
Canada revenue grew 33% to to GBP21.1 million from GBP15.9 million.
Hollywood Bowl said it remains confident in its outlook for financial year 2025.
It said it is on track to open two new centres in Uxbridge and Reading in the second half of financial 2025, as well as complete a refurbishment at one of its centres.
In Canada, it said that in the second half it will start the construction of a new centre in Alberta which will be due to open in the first half of financial year 2026. It added that it is on track to complete four refurbishments in the second half of financial 2025.
Hollywood Bowl said it remains on track to achieve its target total of 130 centres by 2035.
Its shares rose 3.4% to 276.50 pence in London on Wednesday morning.
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Burns said: "We are pleased with our half year performance, with results in line with our expectations, reflecting the ongoing demand for fun leisure activities and the attraction of bowling as an affordable, inclusive experience that everyone can enjoy.
"We have made excellent progress in executing our growth strategy, opening five new centres, and upgrading six centres across the UK and Canada. Our teams work extremely hard to deliver high-quality experiences and we continue to invest in growing our estate and enhancing our industry-leading proposition, while carefully controlling costs and cash."
By Olivia Mason-Myhill, Alliance News reporter
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