Analysis: The McColl's, Ao.com, Pets at Home and Poundland IPOs in focus

McColl’s

Snapshot: The 1,276-store newsagent and convenience retailer was the first retailer to confirm its intention to float last month. It plans to move its business towards convenience food shops as the market continues to boom.

Owner: McColl’s is 80% owned by management and 20% by Caird Capital.

Valuation: £225m

Board: The existing team of executive chairman James Lancaster, chief financial officer Jonthan Miller and chief operating officer Martyn Aguss will stay on board post-float. Former Dobbies finance director Sharon Brown and William Hill non-executive Georgina Harvey have joined McColl’s as non-executive directors.

Financials: McColl’s made revenue of £869.4m in 2013 and adjusted EBITDA of £34.9m. The retailer recorded a solid Christmas as total sales rose 2.6% and like for like sales were up 1.5% for the six week period to January 5.

Timeframe: McColl’s has not confirmed when it will float but it is understood an investor roadshow ends this week and the flotation could follow in the next two weeks.

Ao.com

Snapshot: The white goods etailer, led by founder John Roberts, is to float to allow it to expand into new categories and launch in Germany in the next year.

Owner: Roberts is the majority shareholder in the business

Valuation: £1bn

Board: Ao.com has hired Asos chairman and former Amazon executive Brian McBride as senior independent non-executive director, as well as former John Lewis finance director Marisa Cassoni and Rudolf Lamprecht as independent non-executives.

Financials: Sales increased 29.6% to £275.5m in the year to March 31 while EBITDA rose 57% to £10.7m.

Timeframe: Ao.com is expected to float March.

Poundland

Snapshot: The single-price retailer yesterday confirmed its intention to float, making it the first of the host of value retailers including B&M Bargains and Card Factory expected to go public. Poundland hopes to fund store expansion in the UK and internationally.

Owner: Warburg Pincus owns 75% of Poundland and management 25%

Valuation: £700m

Board: Poundland has bolstered its board for the float, hiring a string of non-executives in the shape of former Carpetright boss Darren Shapland,  Mondelez exective Trevor Bond, the group HR director of Merlin Entertainments, Tea Colaianni, and former Travelodge boss Grant Hearn. They complement an experienced management team including chief executive Jim McCarthy and its chairman and former Tesco finance boss Andy Higginson.

Financials: Overall sales advanced by 15.6% over 2012/13 to reach £880m. Sales have doubled over the last four years. Pre-tax profits were £34.3m last year.

Timeframe: Poundland is expected to float at the end of March

Pets at Home

Snapshot: The pets specialist is the market leader in its category and is on a “mission to be the best pet shop in the world”, according to chief executive Nick Wood.

Owner: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

Valuation: £1.5bn

Board: Pets at Home today said it has appointed four independent non-executive directors to the board and confirmed the appointment of Halfords chairman Dennis Millard as its deputy chairman. It said a fifth appointment will be made before its admission.

It emerged last week that Pets at Home had hired John Lewis IT director Paul Coby, former Carphone Warehouse executive Amy Stirling and Tessa Green, a trustee of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s charitable foundation, as non-executive directors.

Financials: Pets at Home recorded a 2.4% jump in like-for-likes and an 11.1% surge in underlying EBITDA growth to £87m in the 40 weeks to January 2. Underlying EBITDA is expected to be not less than £110.2m for the full-year to March 27.

Timeframe: Pets at Home has not confirmed when it intends to float but it is expected before Easter.