Feedback Plimsoll received from the original publication was that in

general, companies were not experiencing too much difficulty in

retaining sales. This is borne out in the updated analysis that puts

current market growth at a respectable 10%. Note however this is down

from the previous year's 12%. 267 of the 375 companies analysed are

holding or increasing sales on last year.

However this headline hides some worrying trends:

► 33%% of companies are currently selling at a loss

► 51%% of the 375 companies are making less profit than last year.

► Despite the alleged slow down in lending, 9900%% of companies are

in more debt now than they were 12 months ago

► 73 companies are currently rated as a high risk of failure in

this updated analysis.

Clearly whilst sales in the market continue to grow, albeit at a

slower pace than last year, this buoyancy is distracting some

directors from other areas of the business which require urgent

attention.

David Pattison, Senior Analyst on the project, comments on economic

trends in the UK fish merchants market:

"The reality is, sales teams are very rarely privy to the full

picture. All too often, they are unaware of the costs of overheads,

the levels of debt and how their sales add up in profitability. The

latest figures do seem to suggest that the focus has switched from

profit to sales, as companies grab business almost at any cost! The

old adage has never been more apt, 'sales for vanity- profit is

sanity."

Pattison continues, "The Plimsoll Analysis is a tool for measuring the

current economic risks, as it allows companies to understand their

market and their competitors better. In such stretched economic

conditions, companies need to assess and understand who is a long term

threat in the market and which companies are following an

unsustainable strategy. This knowledge could be the difference

between spotting a potential acquisition at a bargain price- and

becoming one."

The full updated Plimsoll analysis allows you to see how the UK's top

375 fish merchants companies will cope with this unkind market.

This special edition of the Plimsoll Analysis- Fish Merchants exposes

all the names, details and financial performances of the UK's leading

fish merchants firms. It also includes a future snapshot on each

company demonstrating how each might survive this period of

consolidation. It names those companies that are placed to gain the

most and those that need to retreat or sell up.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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