BENGALURU: Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited (Sterling Holidays) sales promotion spend (Sales Promo) Q4-2014 at Rs 2.194 crore (5.91 per cent of net sales) was (-23.99) per cent less than the Rs 2.8866 crore (8.40 per cent of net sales) in the immediate trailing quarter Q3-2014 and (-17.04) per cent less than the Rs 2.6448 crore (9.39 per cent of net sales) of the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

Note: Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million

Over nine quarters starting from Q4-2012 until Q4-2014, Sterling Holiday’s sales promo spend shows a slight downward trend in terms on absolute rupee value, but the drop is much steeper in terms of sales promo as percentage of net sales.

Overall, the company’s net sales show an upward trend and in Q4-2014 at Rs 37.11 crore was 7.98 per cent more than the Rs 34.37 crore in Q3-2014 and was 31.70 per cent more than the Rs 28.18 crore in Q4-2013. Please refer to Fig 1 below.

Over three years starting FY-2012 until FY-2014, Sterling Holidays sales promo spend at Rs 16.48 crore and 12.50 per cent of net sales was 32.90 per cent more than the Rs 12.40 crore (11.40 per cent of net sales) in FY-2013. The company’s net sales in FY-2014 at Rs 131.89 crore was 21.28 per cent more than the Rs 108.75 crore in FY-2013. Please refer to Fig 1A below

The company has in general been a loss making company. Please refer to Fig 2 below. With a new tie up with Thomas Cook International Limited expected to be completed by the end of this year, the company expects to turn the corner.

Sterling Holidays says that the significant improvement in the company’s performance in the year is an indicator of the strong resurgence of brand Sterling, a result of the strategic turnaround initiatives over the last couple of years.

It says further that the substantial investments the company made in enhancing the overall customer holiday experience through refurbishment of its resorts and an expanded menu of recreational and culinary experiences have resulted in a healthy rise in the number of Vacation Ownership members and non-members holidaying at the company’s resorts, leading to an increase in resort occupancy to 49 per cent from 41 per cent in the previous year.

Sterling Holidays managing director Ramesh Ramanathan said, “The company’s performance has been improving consistently over the last couple of years. The synergies with Thomas Cook with their wide reach and distribution in the travel space will help us strengthen our market position, increase our occupancy levels and allow expansion to new destinations and markets.”

completed by the end of this year, the company expects to turn the corner.