Helens International Holdings posted a net profit of RMB13.72 million for the six months ended Jun 30, down 72.6 % year-on-year, as weaker same-store trading and a smaller bar network drove a 20.3 % fall in revenue to RMB232.09 million.

Basic earnings per share fell to RMB0.011 from RMB0.040 a year earlier. The board declared an interim dividend of RMB0.0410 per share, payable on or about Sep 30 to shareholders on the Hong Kong and Singapore registers as of Sep 18. No interim payout was made in the comparable period last year.

Revenue from self-operated bars and franchises totalled RMB148.27 million, down 19.0 % YoY, while franchise-related income, including sales to “HiBeer Partnership” outlets, slipped 22.4 % to RMB83.82 million. Profit before tax contracted to RMB14.16 million, with the margin narrowing to 6.1 % from 17.8 %.

The top-line contraction reflected a net reduction of 25 bars over the past 12 months to 555 outlets at end-June and a 21 % drop in same-store daily turnover. Contribution margin on Helen’s-branded drinks eased to 75.8 % from 80.2 % after price cuts, while other income streams including third-party beverages and snacks also retreated. Finance income decreased to RMB8.82 million from RMB19.19 million as deposit balances shrank, and net other losses widened to RMB8.82 million, weighed by bar closure costs and foreign-exchange losses.

Looking ahead, the group plans to bolster same-store performance by refreshing its product mix, upgrading marketing and membership programmes, and deepening integration of public- and private-domain traffic. Management said bar-level margins should recover as these steps stabilise sales. Expansion will focus on fortifying the self-operated network and fine-tuning the “HiBeer Partnership” model, while ongoing investment in supply-chain consolidation and space design aims to align offerings with evolving consumer lifestyles.