Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Oct 10, 2023
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from your stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser or other independent adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in DFS Furniture plc, please forward this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible either to the purchaser or transferee or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass the documents to the person who now holds the shares.

DFS Furniture plc
Notice of Annual General Meeting Friday 10 November 2023 at 2.30pm
This document should be read as a whole. Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chair of DFS Furniture plc set out on page 2 of this document which contains the recommendation by the Directors to Shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. Shareholders should read the whole of this document and not rely just on the summarised information set out in the Letter from the Chair.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at 2.30pm on 10 November 2023 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, DN6 7NA is set out on pages 3-5 of this document. Shareholders will also find enclosed with this document a form of proxy to use in connection with the Annual General Meeting.
To be valid, the form of proxy should be completed, signed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon, as soon as possible and, in any event, so as to reach the Company's registrars, Equiniti, by no later than 2.30pm on 8 November 2023. You may appoint a proxy in CREST by completing and transmitting a CREST proxy instruction to Equiniti so that it is received by no later than 2.30pm on 8 November 2023. The form of proxy can be delivered by post or by hand to Equiniti Limited, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA. Completion and return of a form of proxy will not preclude shareholders from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting should they choose to do so. Further instructions relating to the form of proxy are set out in the notice of the Annual General Meeting.
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I am pleased to give you notice of the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of DFS Furniture plc (the "Company") which will be held at 2.30pm on Friday 10 November 2023 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, DN6 7NA.
The primary focus of the AGM will be on the formal business set out in the Notice of Meeting. However, to facilitate the engagement we value with our shareholders, the meeting will include a Question-and-Answer session. Shareholders that wish to attend the AGM in person are requested to notify the Group Company Secretary, Elizabeth McDonald, by emailing [email protected] by no later than 5.00pm on 7 November 2023.
The formal Notice of AGM and the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are set out on pages 3 to 5 of this document. The following is a brief summary of the items of business:
The business of the meeting will be conducted on a poll. Whilst the Company is looking forward to welcoming our shareholders to our AGM this year, to ensure shareholders can exercise their right to vote we would encourage shareholders to vote in the following ways:
Please note that all Proxy Forms and appointments, whether postal or electronic, must be received by 2.30pm on 8 November 2023.
The results of voting on the resolutions will be published on the Company's corporate website, www.dfscorporate.co.uk, as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the AGM.
Your Board considers that the resolutions to be put to the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommends that you vote in favour of them. The Directors intend to vote in favour of these resolutions in respect of their own shareholdings. The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank all shareholders for their continued support and wishes them well.
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If I am appointed as proxy I will, of course, vote in accordance with any instructions given to me. If I am given discretion as to how to vote, I will vote in favour of each of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.
Yours faithfully
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of DFS Furniture plc will be held at 2.30pm on Friday 10 November 2023 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Doncaster, DN6 7NA to consider and, if thought appropriate, pass the following resolutions of which resolutions 1 to 13 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 14 to 17 will be proposed as special resolutions.
and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with any treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or laws of, any territory or any matter.
The authorities conferred on the Directors to allot securities under paragraph (a) and (b) will expire on the date of the Company's next annual general meeting, or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner, unless previously revoked or varied by the Company, and such authority shall extend to the making before such expiry of an offer or an agreement that would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
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and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with any treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or laws of, any territory or any matter; and
(b) to the allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares (otherwise than under paragraph (a) above) up to a nominal amount of £1,170,722.10
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner (unless previously revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting), but in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority ends and the Directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner (unless previously revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting), but in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the Directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
THAT the Company be and is hereby authorised generally and unconditionally to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the Companies Act 2006) of ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company provided that:
(a) the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares that may be purchased is 23,414,442;
(ii) the value of an ordinary share calculated on the basis of the higher of the price quoted for:
The authority conferred by this resolution shall expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner, save that the Company may, before the expiry of the authority granted by this resolution, enter into a contract to purchase ordinary shares under the authority conferred by this resolution which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiry of such authority.
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By order of the Board of Directors
Group Company Secretary DFS Furniture plc 10 October 2023
Registered Office DFS Furniture plc 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street Doncaster DN6 7NA
Registered in England and Wales No. 07236769
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Appointment of a proxy does not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person.
In the case of a shareholder which is a company, the Proxy Form must be executed under its common seal or signed on its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company. Any power of attorney or any other authority under which the Proxy Form is signed (or a duly certified copy of such power or authority) must be included with the Proxy Form. If you have not received a Proxy Form and believe that you should have one, or if you require additional Proxy Forms, please contact Equiniti Limited at Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA or on +44 (0)371 384 2030, lines open 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank or public holidays). (Please use the UK telephone country code when calling from outside the UK).
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CREST Personal Members or other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have appointed a voting service provider(s), should refer to their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf. In order for a proxy appointment made using the CREST service to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a CREST Proxy Instruction) must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited's (EUI) specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message, regardless of whether it constitutes the appointment of a proxy or is an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy, must, in order to be valid, be transmitted so as to be received by Equiniti Limited (ID RA19) no later than 2.30pm on 8 November 2023, or, in the event of an adjournment of the meeting, 48 hours before the adjourned meeting. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST Applications Host) from which the issuer's agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST. After this time, any change of instructions to proxies appointed through CREST should be communicated to the appointee through other means.
CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note that EUI does not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular message. Normal system timings and limitations will therefore apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member or sponsored member or has appointed a voting service provider(s), to procure that his/her CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers, are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.
The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001.
If you submit more than one valid proxy appointment, the appointment received last before the latest time for the receipt of proxies will take precedence.
The revocation notice must be received by Equiniti no later than 2.30pm on 8 November 2023. If you attempt to revoke your proxy appointment but the revocation is received after the time specified, your original proxy appointment will remain valid unless you attend the meeting and vote in person.
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Shareholders who are unable to attend the AGM in person are invited to submit any questions via email to the Company Secretary using the following address: [email protected].
Where the Company is required to publish such a statement on its website:
The request:
In order to be able to exercise the shareholders' right to require the Company to publish audit concerns (see Note 18), the relevant request must be made by:
a shareholder or shareholders having a right to vote at the meeting and holding at least 5% of total voting rights of the Company; or
For information on voting rights, including the total number of voting rights, see Note 16 above and the website referred to in Note 24 below.
If you are a person who has been nominated under section 146 of the Companies Act 2006 to enjoy information rights ("Nominated Person"):
you may have a right, under an agreement between you and the shareholder of the Company who has nominated you to have information rights ("Relevant Shareholder"), to be appointed or to have someone else appointed as a proxy for the meeting;
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Except as provided above, shareholders who have general queries about the meeting should use the following means of communication (no other methods of communication will be accepted):
by contacting the Registrar's helpline on +44 (0)371 384 2030. Lines are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank or public holidays in England & Wales); or
You may not use any electronic address provided either in this Notice of Annual General Meeting or in any related documents (including the Letter from the Chair and Proxy Form) to communicate with the Company for any purposes other than those expressly stated.
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Resolutions 1 to 13 are proposed as ordinary resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
Resolutions 14 to 17 are proposed as special resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
An explanation of each of the resolutions is set out below.
The Directors present the Company's Annual Report, including the financial statements, the Directors' report and the Independent Auditor's report for the 52 weeks ended 25 June 2023, to the shareholders at the AGM.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval of the final dividend recommended by the Directors. The Directors are proposing a final dividend of 3.0 pence per ordinary share in respect of the 52 weeks ended 25 June 2023 for the shareholders to approve which will be paid on 29 December 2023 to the holders of ordinary shares on 1 December 2023.
Shareholders are asked to approve the Annual Remuneration Report section of the Directors' Remuneration Report, which is set out on pages 94 to 114 of the Annual Report for the 52 weeks ended 25 June 2023. The Company's auditor, KPMG LLP, have audited those parts of the Directors' Remuneration Report that are required to be audited and their report may be found on pages 104 to 111 of the Annual Report.
Resolutions 4 to 10 deal with the re-election/election of Directors. In accordance with the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code, all of the Directors, are subject to re-election by shareholders at the AGM. The biographies of each of the Directors are set out on pages 63 and 64 of the Annual Report.
The Board considers that each of the Directors proposed for re-election/election has made and continues to make an effective contribution to the Company, is committed to their roles and makes available the time necessary to perform their duties. The Company considers that each independent Director is independent by taking into consideration the independence criteria set by the UK Corporate Governance Code. The Company confirms that there have been no previous or existing relationships, transactions or arrangements between each of the independent Directors and the Company, any of its Directors, any controlling shareholder of the Company or any associate of a controlling shareholder within the meaning of Listing Rule 13.8.17R (1).
All of the independent Directors are experienced and have a broad knowledge of the retail sector. In light of their career experience and knowledge, the Board considers that each Director brings valuable skills to the Board and provides an impartial viewpoint. Details of the skill set of each of the Directors are set out on page 82 of the Annual Report.
Under section 489 of the Companies Act 2006, the auditor of a public company has to be appointed before the end of each AGM at which the Company's annual accounts are presented. The Board recommends the re-appointment of KPMG LLP as auditor of the Company, to hold office from the conclusion of the AGM until the conclusion of the next AGM at which accounts are presented.
Resolution 12 seeks shareholder consent for the Audit Committee of the Company to determine KPMG LLP's remuneration.
Under the Companies Act 2006, the directors of a company may only allot new shares (or grant rights over shares) if authorised to do so by the shareholders in a general meeting. The authority which is sought in this respect is dealt with in Resolution 13. The authority sought in paragraph (a) of Resolution 13 will allow the Directors to allot shares up to a maximum nominal amount of £7,804,814 which represents approximately one third of the Company's issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at 5 October 2023, being the last practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
In accordance with the latest institutional guidelines issued by the Investment Association, the authority sought in paragraph (b) of Resolution 123 will also allow the Directors to allot shares (in connection with a rights issue and inclusive of any ordinary shares issued pursuant to the authority granted under paragraph (a)) up to a maximum nominal amount of £15,609,628 which represents approximately two thirds of the Company's issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at 5 October 2023, being the last practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
The Directors have no present intention to allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares pursuant to this authority. However, the Directors consider it desirable to have the flexibility to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place in appropriate circumstances.
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If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner.
If the Directors wish to allot shares or other equity securities for cash or to sell any shares which the Company holds in treasury, the Companies Act 2006 requires that such shares or other equity securities are offered first to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holding.
The Pre-emption Group Statement of Principles ("Statement of Principles") supports the annual disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of allotments of shares and other equity securities (and sales of treasury shares for cash) representing no more than:
The Statement of Principles defines 'specified capital investment' as meaning one or more specific capital investment related uses for the proceeds of an issuance of equity securities, in respect of which sufficient information regarding the effect of the transaction on the company, the assets the subject of the transaction and (where appropriate) the profits attributable to them is made available to shareholders to enable them to reach an assessment of the potential return.
In connection with (i) above, Resolution 14 renews the Directors' power to allot equity securities and sell treasury shares for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders. Apart from rights issues or any other pre-emptive offer concerning equity securities, the authority contained in this resolution will be limited to the issue of shares for cash up to a nominal value of £1,170,722.10 (which includes the sale on a non-pre-emptive basis of any shares held in treasury). This number represents approximately 5% of the Company's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 5 October 2023, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
Resolution 14 also seeks a disapplication of pre-emption rights on a rights issue, so as to allow the Directors to make appropriate arrangements in relation to fractional entitlements or other legal or practical problems which might arise. If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner.
Resolution 15 seeks the separate and additional authority in connection with (ii) above. The Directors confirm, in accordance with the Statement of Principles, that they will only allot shares representing more than 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares) for cash pursuant to the authority referred to in Resolution 15 where the allotment is in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment, which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment. Where the authority granted under Resolution 15 is used, the circumstances that have led to its use and the consultation process undertaken will be disclosed by the Company in its next annual report.
The Board also intends to adhere to the guidelines set out in the Statement of Principles and will not (except in relation to an issue pursuant to Resolution 15 in respect of the additional 5% referred to above) allot shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis pursuant to the authority in Resolution 14:
(i) in excess of an amount equal to 5% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares); or
(ii) in excess of an amount equal to 7.5% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) in a rolling three-year period.
If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner.
The Board has no present intention to exercise the authority granted under Resolution 14 or 15, other than to satisfy existing employee share-based awards, but the Directors consider that the authority sought is appropriate as it also provides the Company with the necessary flexibility to take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.
This resolution seeks authority for the Company to make market purchases of its own ordinary shares and is proposed as a special resolution. If passed, the resolution gives authority for the Company to purchase up to 23,414,442 of its ordinary shares, representing 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 5 October 2023, being the last practicable date before the publication of this Notice.
The resolution specifies the minimum and maximum prices which may be paid for any ordinary shares purchased under this authority, which reflect the requirements of the Listing Rules. If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 21 February 2025, whichever is sooner.
Pursuant to the Companies Act 2006, the Company can hold the shares which have been purchased as treasury shares and either resell them for cash, cancel them, either immediately or at a point in the future, or use them for the purposes of its employee share schemes. No dividends will be paid on, and no voting rights will be exercised in respect of, treasury shares. The Directors believe that it is desirable for the Company to have this choice as holding the purchased shares as treasury shares gives the Company the ability to re-sell or transfer them in the future, and so provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base. The Directors therefore intend to hold any ordinary shares purchased under this authority as treasury shares.
Ordinary shares will only be repurchased for the purposes of employee share schemes, or if the Directors consider such purchases to be in the best interests of shareholders generally and that they can be expected to result in an increase in earnings per share. The authority will only be used after careful consideration, taking into account market conditions prevailing at the time, other investment opportunities, appropriate gearing levels and the overall financial position of the Company. Ordinary shares held as treasury shares will not automatically be cancelled and will not be taken into account in future calculations of earnings per share (unless they are subsequently resold or transferred out of treasury).
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As at 5 October 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice), there were 15,031,846 outstanding share-based awards or options granted under all incentive plans operated by the Company, which if exercised would represent 6.4% of the issued share capital of the Company (excluding shares held in treasury). If this authority were exercised in full, that percentage would increase to 7.1%.
This resolution seeks the approval of shareholders to reduce the notice period required for a general meeting to 14 clear days. Changes made to the Companies Act 2006 by the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009 (the "Shareholders' Rights Regulations") increased the notice period required for general meetings (other than annual general meetings) to 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot be less than 14 clear days. Please note that if this resolution is approved, it will not apply to annual general meetings, which will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
It is intended that the shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be in the interests of the shareholders as a whole. The Company will comply with the requirement under the Shareholders' Rights Regulations to provide appropriate facilities for electronic voting at general meetings held on less than 21 clear days' notice. If given, the approval will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting, at which point it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed.
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