Business Overview H&T Group plc is incorporated in England and is the leading pawnbroking business by size of Pledge Book. The company provides lending solutions designed to meet the financing needs of the individuals in the non-standard credit population.


The Directors believe that the UK alternative credit industry in which it operates exclusively is an attractive marketplace that is not adequately serviced by mainstream lenders and, as such, that H&T provides a valuable source of credit to individuals in this part of the market. H&T has a diversifying product portfolio with its core pawnbroking activities being supplemented by activities such as cheque cashing, pay day advances, unsecured lending, jewellery retail and pre-paid debit cards.

History In 1992, when it had 27 stores, H&T was acquired by Cash America Inc. Following this change of ownership H&T continued to grow both in terms of number of stores and range of products and services offered.

Under the Cash America ownership, H&T began providing cheque cashing and pay day advance services. In 2001 the Company embarked on a programme to improve its retail offering, investing in extensive refurbishment and rebranding of its stores to make them more appealing from a retail perspective.

• expansion of geographical footprint: H&T continues to develop its store estate in underserved and attractive pawnbroking areas of which there are still a considerable number in the UK;
• introduction of new products and a financial services store format: the Company has continued to expand its product offering, rolling out the Kwikloan product to all stores, and being the first national chain to provide the CashPlus pre-paid debit card; and
• cost control: cost management has been an integral part of the Company’s strategy and a number of initiatives have been undertaken across the business in order to improve efficiency and profitability.