NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, INTO OR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM AN OFFER FOR SALE OF, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN IN ANY JURISDICTION, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AND UPON PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.                                    

29 June 2022

PROPOSED PLACING OF ORDINARY SHARES IN GB GROUP PLC ("GB GROUP" OR THE "COMPANY") REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 2.0% OF THE COMPANY'S ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL

AG Acuant Holdings, LP, an entity affiliated to Audax Management Company, LLC, (the "Seller" or "Audax") announces its intention to sell 5,000,000 ordinary shares of 2.5 pence each (the "Placing Shares"), representing approximately 2.0% of the Company's issued share capital (in aggregate) through a placing to institutional investors (the "Placing").

The Seller currently owns 9,623,234 shares in the Company, representing approximately 3.8% of the Company's issued share capital.

The price per Placing Share will be determined by way of an accelerated bookbuilding process to institutional investors. The bookbuilding period will commence immediately following this announcement, and may close at any time on short notice. Numis Securities Limited ("Numis") (the "Bookrunner" or the "Bank") is acting as sole bookrunner in connection with the Placing and has entered into a placing agreement with the Seller.

The Seller will be locked up in respect of its residual holdings until 90 days post settlement of the Placing, subject to customary exceptions.

The sale is subject to demand, price and prevailing market conditions. The final number of Placing Shares to be placed will be agreed by Numis and the Seller at the close of the bookbuilding process, and the results of the Placing will be announced as soon as practicable thereafter. The timings for the close of the bookbuild process and allocations are at the absolute discretion of Numis.

The Company will not receive any proceeds from the Placing.

For further information, please contact:

IMPORTANT NOTICE

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT: (A) IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA, PERSONS WHO ARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED BY NUMIS, QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION (WHICH MEANS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AND INCLUDES ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURES IN ANY MEMBER STATE) (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); AND/OR (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED WITHIN THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION AS IT FORMS PART OF RETAINED UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNON (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); OR (II) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER OR (III) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (A) AND (B) TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLACING SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.

This announcement and the information contained herein is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire or dispose of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful.

The securities referred to herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States or of Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan or of any other jurisdiction. Such securities may not be offered, sold or transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not otherwise subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offering of such securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

The securities referred to herein have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

No prospectus or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing. Any investment decision to buy securities in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information. Such information is not the responsibility of and has not been independently verified by Numis or the Seller or any of their respective affiliates (as such term is defined by Rule 501(b) of Regulation D of the U.S. Securities Act). The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete.

Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

The distribution of this announcement and the offering or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Seller, Numis or any of their respective affiliates that would, or which is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Seller and Numis to inform themselves about and to observe any applicable restrictions.

Numis, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom, is acting only for the Seller in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Seller for providing the protections offered to its clients nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any matters referred to in this announcement.

Numis and any of its affiliates acting as an investor for its own account may participate in the offering on a proprietary basis and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such Placing Shares. In addition they may enter into financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with which they may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Placing Shares. Numis does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.

None of Numis or any of its directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from this announcement) or any other information relating to the Company or its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

This announcement does not purport to identify or suggest the risks (direct or indirect) which may be associated with an investment in the Company's securities. The price of shares and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested on disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial advisor.

This document includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "intends", "expects", "will", or "may", or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to future events and assumptions relating to the Company's business, in particular from changes in political conditions, economic conditions, evolving business strategy, or the retail industry. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements in this document will be realised. As a result, no undue reliance should be placed on these forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results or otherwise.