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For immediate release Financial highlights : ● ● ScS , one of the UK's largest retailers of upholstered furniture and floorings , is pleased to announce its audited preliminary results for the 53 weeks ended 31 July 2021 . ● ● ● ● ● ● ● SCS SOFA CARPET SPECIALIST ScS Group plc ( " ScS " or the " Group " ) Audited preliminary results for the 53 weeks ended 31 July 2021 STRONG YEAR OF RECOVERY ; REFRESHED STRATEGY TO DRIVE FUTURE GROWTH ● Operational highlights : One year like - for - like * order intake down only 1.5 % , despite being closed for 17 weeks in 2021 , compared with 9 weeks in 2020 ● Gross sales * increased 21.0 % to £ 324.5m ( 2020 : £ 268.1m ) Revenue up 21.6 % to £ 310.6m ( 2020 : £ 255.5m ) Gross profit increased 22.9 % to £ 147.0m ( 2020 : £ 119.6m ) Gross margin * improved to 45.3 % ( 2020 : 44.6 % ) Operating profit of £ 26.8m ( 2020 : £ 0.7m ) Underlying profit before tax * of £ 18.4m ( 2020 : £ 0.9m ) Profit before tax of £ 22.7m ( 2020 : loss of £ 3.1m ) 5 October 2021 Underlying earnings per share * of 41.3p ( 2020 : 2.6p ) Statutory earnings per share of 50.4p ( 2020 : loss per share 5.8p ) The result includes business rates relief of £ 10.2m ( 2020 : £ 3.4m ) , and CJRS benefit of £ nil ( 2020 : £ 5.0m ) Strong balance sheet with cash of £ 87.7m ( 2020 : £ 82.3m ) Recommended final dividend of 7.0p per share , which if approved , would give a full year dividend of 10.0p per share ( 2020 : nil ) " Excellent " Trust Score maintained on Trustpilot with 300,000 reviews Closing order book ( including VAT ) of £ 103.5m ( 2020 : £ 104.7m ) , £ 60.6m higher than at the same point in 2019 ● Repayment of the £ 3.0m furlough grants claimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme during the year following the successful re - opening of the Group's stores Launch of refreshed strategy Current trading and outlook : Like - for - like * order intake down only 6.5 % on 2019 , despite being closed for 17 weeks in 2021 Online sales increase of 146.0 % to £ 46.9m ( 2020 : £ 19.1m ) following continued investment in our online business coupled with an increase in online shopping during the periods of store closures Year to date trading has been in line with the Board's expectations Order intake up 11.9 % on a two year like - for - like * basis for the first nine weeks of the new financial year to 2 October 2021 , one year like - for - like * order intake down 21.0 % with the prior year benefiting from pent up demand following the end of the first national lockdown in late May 2020 Positive about prospects for the full year although we are mindful of the ongoing disruption to supply chains and cost inflation Steve Carson , Chief Executive Officer of ScS , commented : " Trading since the start of the new financial year has remained strong , with two year like - for - like order intake growth of 11.9 % for the nine weeks to 2 October 2021. One year like - for - like * orders have fallen 21.0 % as a result of the significant bounce following the lockdown in the prior year . We are delighted with the strong orders performance since the start of the new financial year . However , we are cognisant of the ongoing challenges we , and many other businesses , are facing with regards to the supply chain , including driver shortages , raw material increases and shipping costs and delays . * This report includes Alternative Performance Measures ( APMs ) which are defined and reconciled to IFRS information , where possible , within the Financial Review . 1