Drinks and vending data tech firm has reported a modest rise in revenue and profits following a "significant year of progress".
In final results, the Stockton-based maker of telemetry systems for retailers and hospitality companies saw revenue increase to £15.27m in the year to the end of March, up from £15.18m the year before. Operating profits before exceptional items, amortisation and share-based payments grew to £3.59m, from £3.47m. And gross margin fell only slight to 68.3%from 68.7%.
Growth came from the firm's hospitality division, which has seen momentum since Vianet's acquisition of US-based Beverage Metrics Inc in 2023. Now said to be firmly established, the drinks management system provider helped the division to grow revenue by 4.7% to £9.02m from £8.62m with operating profit up 6.3% to £4.18m, on the back of new long-term contract renewals with major operators such as Greene King, Punch and Heineken.
Vianet saw 361 disposal and temporary closures among its º£½ÇÊÓƵ pub customer base, down from, 454 last year, which led to a net reduction of 38 º£½ÇÊÓƵ installations and bringing total º£½ÇÊÓƵ and US installations down to about 9,600 sites. The firm said that predicting pub closures and openings was still challenging, particularly as the profitability threshold for managed venues continues to rise, resulting in more managed pubs changing to leased and tenanted models.
Meanwhile, across the firm's vending - or unattended retail - operation, revenue was down slightly to £6.25m from £6.56m. Adjusted operating profit was also down, at £2.13m compared with £2.46m in 2024.
That was despite a rise in the number of connected machines using Vianet tech. Bosses also pointed to 120 new contracts, including renewals with WSH, The Vending People and Rontec, among others in the fuel forecourt market.
James Dickson, chairman of Vianet Group, said: "These solid results underscore our focus on delivering exceptional customer value and position Vianet for sustained growth. Our unattended retail division remains highly competitive, securing long-term contracts with strong recurring revenue visibility and a valuable º£½ÇÊÓƵ market share. The hospitality division continues to deliver Ebita growth, with strategic investments in beverage metrics, advanced reporting tools and key partnerships unlocking new markets in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and US.
"We have proactively navigated challenges, including supply chain pressures, the 3G switch-off, and both economic and geopolitical uncertainties, while achieving solid financial performance and strong momentum in both divisions. Our unattended retail division secured 120 new contracts, driving higher value cashless device growth, while the hospitality division secured renewals with major clients like Greene King and Heineken.
~"The current financial year has started positively, and we are well-positioned to enter new verticals, continue to drive subscription revenues, and deliver on our growth objectives."
