Rest assured, Creightons’ upcoming half-year figures will be “notably higher” that a year ago. That’s the positive performance update Wednesday from the UK-based beauty and well-being brand owner.

OK, despite an expected “small reduction” in revenue, it said the group’s strategy of maintaining tight control of costs will deliver “a healthy operating profit” for the interim period to 30 September”. 

Also expect operating profit for the half to be “in excess of” the full-year operating profit before exceptionals of £1.5 million for the year ended last March.

That’s it for now until the results are published on 28 November with its presentation for shareholders, analysts and investors to be held a day later.

Those expected positive results will be welcome as the manufacturer endured a “challenging” full year that ended 31 March.

Shareholders this time will be looking forward to seeing what that “small reduction in revenue” will amount to after it fell 9.7% to £53.2 million at the year-end stage, with a mixed performance across its three revenue streams.

But that rise in expected profit will be boosted without being saddled by last year’s impairment charge for its Emma Hardie beauty business.

Last year, EBITDA increased to £3.2 million from £3 million from the year before and operating profit before exceptional items dipped marginally to £1.54 million from £1.58 million. 

At the time Creighton’s said a “significant feature [of its yearly performance] has been a gradual improvement throughout the year with margins significantly improved in the second half of the year”.