Kogan.com, which includes the Dick Smith, Matt Blatt and Brosa brands, grew first-half gross sales by more than a fifth to $501.6 million, as its bottom-line net profit grew 16 per cent to $12 million.
It also made a gross profit of $114.2 million, beating consensus estimates by four per cent, while cash earnings of $24.4 million pipped expectations by 23 per cent.
The site's parent company Kogan Group, which includes New Zealand online retailer Mighty Ape, posted a net profit of $8.2 million, representing a 20 per cent drop on the prior corresponding half year as Mighty Ape's incorporation and performance weighed.
"Kogan.com is firing on all cylinders," founder and chief executive Ruslan Kogan told analysts via an artificial intelligence bot during an earnings briefing on Monday.
"We drove gross sales past $500 million, growing 21 per cent on the prior corresponding period, while revenue grew by 17 per cent."
Mr Kogan, who joined the session in person for questions, said the AI-assisted presentation was "a practical example of Kogan DNA".
"We are constantly finding smarter, faster and more cost-effective ways to operate, whether it is in our logistics, our marketing or our investor relations," he said.
Neither the presentation nor the results release detailed any AI-related efficiencies or savings.
Kogan maintained its guidance for the full year but was conservative about the near-term prospects for its NZ online gaming retailer Mighty Ape, given the economic headwinds there and ongoing changes to the business, which Kogan acquired in 2020.
"Kogan.com is doing the heavy lifting," chief financial officer David Shafer said.
The first half had been one of transition, Mr Shafer said, focused on integrating Mighty Ape and its team and implementing Kogan's operating model.
Kogan's active customers grew 28 per cent year-on-year to three million, while Mighty Ape's customer base grew five per cent to 700,000.
Mr Shafer could not confirm the source of Kogan's extra users.
Kogan's founder was optimistic about returning Mighty Ape's books to the black.
"It's a business model that has very strong metrics around it, and we are taking that playbook and implementing it in New Zealand for Mighty Ape," Mr Kogan said.
Investors responded positively to the update, sending Kogan shares more than five per cent higher to $3.27.
Kogan will pay a dividend of eight cents for the six months ended December.
