byon-20241231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
Or
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-41850
BEYOND, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
433 W. Ascension Way, 3rd Floor
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
(801) 947-3100
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share BYON New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes oNoý
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes oNoý
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yesý No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yesý No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ý
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. o
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No ý
The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second quarter (June 28, 2024), was approximately $0.6 billion based upon the last sales price reported by the New York Stock Exchange. For purposes of this disclosure, shares of Common Stock held by directors and certain officers and by others who may be deemed to be affiliates of the registrant have been excluded. The exclusion of such shares is not intended to, and shall not, constitute a determination as to which persons or entities may be affiliates as that term is defined in the federal securities laws.
There were 53,144,790 shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $0.0001, outstanding on February 21, 2025.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain information required by Part III of Form 10-K is incorporated by reference to the Registrant's proxy statement for the 2025 Annual Stockholders Meeting, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Report relates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 3
Summary Risk Factors 4
Part I
Item 1. Business 5
Item 1A. Risk Factors 12
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 28
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 28
Item 2. Properties 29
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 29
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 29
Part II
Item 6. [Reserved] 32
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 43
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 44
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 83
Item 9B. Other Information 85
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 85
Part III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 86
Item 11. Executive Compensation 86
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 86
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 87
Signatures 92
Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock.com, Beyond+, Welcome Rewards, and Zulily are registered trademarks of Beyond, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks and trade names which may be referred to herein are the property of their respective owners.
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SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report") and the information incorporated herein by reference, and our other public documents and statements our officers and representatives may make from time to time, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of these laws. You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "contemplate," "seek," "assume," "believe," "intend," "plan," "forecast," "goal," "estimate," or other similar terms or expressions or the negative of these terms or expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying terms or expressions.
These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, and on management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, you are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to assumptions, risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that are difficult to predict, and that actual results and outcomes may be materially different from the results, performance, achievements, or outcomes expressed or implied by any of our forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including the risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in this Annual Report, especially under the headings "Summary of Risk Factors," "Risk Factors," "Legal Proceedings," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Although we believe that our assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this Annual Report, we cannot guarantee or offer any assurance of future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements or events. Our forward-looking statements contained in this report speak only as of the date of this Annual Report and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report or any changes in our expectations or any change in any events, conditions or circumstances on which any of our forward-looking statements are based.
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SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our common stock. The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include the following:
•We depend on third-party companies to perform functions critical to our business, and any failure or increased cost on their part could have a material adverse effect on our business.
•We face intense competition and may not be able to compete successfully against existing or future competitors.
•We may not timely identify or effectively respond to consumer needs, expectations or trends, which could adversely affect our relationship with our customers, the demand for our products and services, and our market share.
•Our business depends on effective marketing, including marketing via email, search engine marketing, influencer marketing, and social media marketing. Our competitors have and may continue to cause us to increase our marketing costs and decrease certain other types of marketing, and have and may continue to outspend us on marketing or be more efficient in their spend.
•Economic factors, including recessions, other economic downturns, inflation, our exposure to the U.S. housing market, and decreases in consumer spending, have affected and could continue to adversely affect us.
•Tariffs, bans, or other measures or events that increase the effective price of products or limit our ability to access products we or our suppliers or fulfillment partners import into the United States could have a material adverse effect on our business.
•Our changing business model and use of the Overstock brand, Bed Bath & Beyond brand, Zulily brand, and Beyond brand, could negatively impact our business.
•The changing job market, the changes in our leadership team, the change in our compensation approach, changing job structures, or any inability to attract, retain and engage key personnel could affect our ability to successfully grow our business.
•We rely upon paid and natural search engines to rank our product offerings, and our financial results may suffer if we are unable to maintain our prior rankings in natural searches.
•If we are not profitable and/or are unable to generate sufficient positive cash flow from operations, our ability to continue in business will depend on our ability to raise additional capital, obtain financing or monetize significant assets, and we may be unable to do so.
•Our business depends on the Internet, our infrastructure and transaction-processing systems, and catastrophic events could adversely affect our operating results.
•Compliance with ever-evolving federal, state, and foreign laws and other requirements relating to the handling of information about individuals necessitates significant expenditure and resources, and any failure by us, our vendors or our business partners to comply may result in significant liability, negative publicity, and/or an erosion of trust, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
•If we or our third-party providers experience cyberattacks or data security incidents, there may be damage to our brand and reputation, material financial penalties, and legal liability, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
•Failure to comply with, or changes in, laws, regulations and enforcement activities may adversely affect the products, services and markets in which we operate.
•From time to time we are subject to various legal proceedings which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
•Damage to our reputation or brand image could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.
•If we do not successfully optimize and operate our fulfillment center or customer service operations, our business could be harmed.
•If we fail to effectively utilize technological advancements, including in artificial intelligence, our business and financial performance could be negatively impacted.
•Global conflict could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
•Product safety and quality concerns could have a material adverse impact on our revenue and profitability.
•We depend on our suppliers' and fulfillment partners' representations regarding product safety, content and quality, product compliance with various laws and regulations, including registration and/or reporting obligations, and for proper labeling of products.
•We have an evolving business model, which increases the complexity of our business.
•Investment in new business strategies, acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, or other transactions could disrupt our ongoing business, present risks not originally contemplated and materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
The following description of our business contains forward-looking statements relating to future events or our future financial or operating performance that involve risks and uncertainties, as set forth above under "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements." Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors described in this Annual Report, including those set forth under "Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" Item 1A under the heading "Risk Factors," or elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Introduction
Beyond, Inc, is an e-commerce affinity marketing company with a singular focus: connecting consumers with products and services they love. As the owner of the iconic Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily brands, as well as several other brands, we strive to curate an exceptional online shopping experience. Our suite of premier online retail brands allow us to offer a comprehensive array of products and add-on services, catering to customers in the United States and Canada along with customers in Mexico through trademark licensing. Our e-commerce platform, which is also accessible through our mobile app, includes www.bedbathandbeyond.com, www.bedbathandbeyond.ca, www.overstock.com, and www.zulily.com, and is collectively referred to as the "Website." The Website is targeted at customers seeking a diverse array of top-tier, on-trend products at competitive prices. From furniture, bedding, and bath essentials to patio and outdoor furniture, area rugs, tabletop and cookware, décor, storage, jewelry, watches, and fashion – we offer an extensive range of products at a smart value. In addition to products, we also offer an increasing number of add-on services across our platforms, including warranties, shipping insurance, installation services, and access to home loans.
Our company, based in Murray, Utah, was founded as a Utah limited liability company in 1997, reorganized as a C corporation in the State of Utah in 1998, and reincorporated in Delaware in 2002. We launched our initial website in March 1999. In November 2023, we changed our corporate name from Overstock.com, Inc. to Beyond, Inc., and transferred the principal listing of our common stock from the Nasdaq Global Market to the New York Stock Exchange. As used herein, "Beyond", "the Company", "we", "our" and similar terms include Beyond, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Our Business
Our mission revolves around delivering an unparalleled shopping experience for products and services, tailored especially for our target audience – discerning consumers who seek seamless support in their search for high-quality, stylish products at competitive prices. Our commitment extends to providing a diverse range of offerings that cater to varied budget requirements.
In an ever-evolving market, our focus is on standing out in the online sphere by offering products and services for the home. We believe that our competitive edge lies in the following:
•Simplified Customer Experience: We prioritize an easy, user-friendly interface, emphasizing price, value, and quality. Our extensive product range is delivered in a personalized format, accessible seamlessly through our mobile app, and complemented by our dedicated customer service team.
•Cutting-edge Technologies: Our proprietary technologies and strategic technical alliances enhance the overall shopping experience, providing our customers with an intuitive and streamlined experience.
•Specialized Logistics: Our logistics capabilities are finely tuned to the demands of the furniture and home furnishings category, which we have honed over decades of e-commerce expertise.
•Strategic Partnerships: We foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with third-party manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers, collectively referred to as our "partners". This network forms the backbone of our supply chain, allowing us to pursue our goal of consistently meeting customer demands. In addition to our partners, we've entered into a collaborative partnership with Kirkland's Home brand that will allow us to bring back the brick & mortar experience to our customers by providing Kirkland's, Inc. with an exclusive license to operate Bed Bath & Beyond neighborhood stores. We also partner with third parties to provide various financial products and services.
•Customer Loyalty Programs: Our customer engagement and retention are bolstered by our Beyond+ membership program and our Welcome Rewards loyalty program, enhancing the overall value proposition for our customers.
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We endeavor to continually expand our product assortment, which as of the date of this Annual Report, reaches into the millions, to keep pace with current trends and evolving customer preferences. The vast majority of our retail transactions are fulfilled through our network of partners, who benefit from the access we provide to a large customer base and a suite of convenient services, including marketing, order fulfillment, customer service, and returns handling. Our asset-light supply chain allows us to ship directly to customers from our partners or our warehouses, which primarily handle orders from our partners' owned inventory.
Additional Offerings
We offer additional products or services that may complement our primary retail offerings but are not significant to our revenues, including:
•Business Advertising Opportunities: Providing businesses with a platform to showcase their products or services on our Website, fostering additional exposure and opportunities for collaboration.
•Marketplace Services: Offering a unique service to our partners, enabling them to showcase and sell their products on third-party sites through our Marketplace, creating additional avenues for sales and visibility.
•International Sales Support: Facilitating international sales for certain customers outside the United States through third-party logistics providers, broadening our reach and enhancing global accessibility.
•Supplier Oasis Integration: Our Supplier Oasis platform, a singular integration point that empowers our partners to efficiently manage their products, inventory, and sales channels. This streamlined interface also provides access to multi-channel fulfillment services through our expansive distribution network, enhancing operational efficiency for our valued partners.
Manufacturer, Distributor, and Supplier Relationships
We proactively cultivate and nurture relationships with manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers to help provide an uninterrupted stream of diverse product offerings for our customers. While our manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers regularly update us on available product quantities, our arrangements with them typically do not guarantee the sustained availability of these products over a predetermined period. Our relationships are generally non-exclusive. This allows us the flexibility to exercise discretion in selecting and changing suppliers based on our evolving product assortment needs. The terms under which products are sold through our Website are predominantly in our discretion.
Sales and Marketing
We employ a diverse array of strategies to market to and engage our retail consumer audience, using both traditional and digital channels. Our outreach includes targeted direct mail as well as online initiatives, encompassing search engine marketing, display ads, affiliate marketing, e-mail campaigns, and social media promotions. Additionally, we enhance brand visibility through comprehensive advertising efforts across television, video ads, streaming video and audio platforms, social media channels, and strategic event sponsorships.
Customer Service
Our commitment to delivering unparalleled customer service extends across our channels, including our app and Website. Staffed by a team of dedicated in-house and outsourced professionals, our customer service department seeks to provide prompt and thorough responses to customer inquiries via phone, SMS, instant online chat, and e-mail, regarding product information, order details, shipping status, returns, and various other customer queries.
In addition to our in-house services, we have trusted partners who independently manage their customer service requests that are held to our high standards, as outlined in their agreements with us.
Technology
We use our internally developed Website alongside a dynamic blend of proprietary technologies, open source solutions, and commercially licensed technologies to bolster our operational capabilities. We maintain connectivity to the Internet through partnerships with multiple telecommunications companies, in order to promote seamless access.
Our primary computer infrastructure is in a data center in Utah. We leverage additional data centers and tap into the resources of public cloud providers which play a pivotal role in functions such as backups, redundancy measures, development
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and testing environments, disaster recovery protocols, and the overarching support of our corporate systems infrastructure. On December 20, 2024, we consummated the sale of our corporate headquarters located at 799 West Coliseum Way, Midvale, Utah, for $52.0 million. As part of the sale, we negotiated a lease agreement with the Buyer that allows us to continue to occupy and use the headquarters' data center, comprising approximately 5,000 square feet within the main building at the headquarters, and permit the data center to continue to be served by the existing building generators. See Item 2—"Properties."
Competition
E-commerce is intensely competitive and has relatively low barriers to entry. We believe that competition in this industry is based predominantly on:
•price;
•product and services quality and assortment;
•shopping convenience and product findability;
•website organization and experience;
•order processing and fulfillment;
•order delivery time and accuracy;
•customer service;
•website functionality on mobile devices;
•brand recognition; and
•brand reputation.
We compete with a diverse range of discount general retailers, off-price and club retailers, private sales platforms, specialty retailers, and liquidators in the online pure-play, brick-and-mortar, and omni-channel retail spheres, where the potential exists for competitors to emulate our strategies and target our customer base.
Our current and potential e-commerce competitors include entities that may have greater brand recognition, longer operating histories, larger customer bases, and significantly greater financial, marketing, and other resources than we do. Further, any of them may enter into strategic or commercial relationships with larger, more established and well-financed companies, including exclusive distribution arrangements with our vendors or service suppliers that could deny us access to key products or needed services at competitive prices or at all, or acquisitions of our suppliers or service providers, which could have the same effect. Many of them do or could devote greater resources to marketing and promotional campaigns and devote substantially more resources to their websites and systems development than we do. Many have supply chain operations that decrease product shipping times to their customers, have options for in-store product pick-up, allow in-store returns, or offer other delivery and returns options that we do not have. New technologies, the continued enhancement of existing technologies, developments in related areas such as same-day product deliveries, and the development of proprietary delivery systems increase competitive pressures on us.
Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets
We regard our domain names and other intellectual property as critical to our success. We rely on a combination of laws and regulations, including via contractual restrictions with our employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates, and others to establish and protect our proprietary rights, including the law pertaining to trade secrets.
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Government Regulation and Legal Matters
We are subject to a wide variety of laws, rules, mandates, and regulations, some of which apply or may apply to us as a result of our business, and others of which apply to us for other reasons, such as our status as a publicly-held company or the places in which we operate. Our business is subject to general business regulations and laws, and regulations and laws specifically governing the internet, e-commerce, and other financial products and services we offer or may offer. Existing and future laws and regulations, directives (including executive orders) and changing enforcement priorities, may result in increasing expenses and may impede our growth. Applicable and potentially applicable regulations and laws include without limitation regulations and laws regarding taxation, business licensing or certification requirements, advertising practices, online services, the use of cryptocurrency, intellectual property rights, privacy, encryption, restrictions on pricing or discounts, and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable U.S. and foreign laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials and other third parties, privacy, consumer and data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, mobile communications, electronic device certification, electronic waste, energy consumption, environmental regulation, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, employment, import and export matters including tariffs and the importation of specified or proscribed items and importation quotas, information reporting requirements, access to our services and facilities, the design and operation of websites, health, safety, and sanitation standards, the characteristics and quality of products and services, product labeling and unfair and deceptive trade practices.
From time to time, we receive claims and become subject to regulatory investigations or other governmental actions, including consumer protection, employment, intellectual property, and other commercial litigation related to the conduct of our business. We periodically prosecute lawsuits to enforce our legal rights. These matters and other types of claims could result in legal expenses, fines, adverse judgments or settlements and increase the cost of doing business. They could also require us to change our business practices in expensive and significant ways. In addition, litigation could result in legal outcomes or interpretations of the law that may limit our current or future business, require us to change our business practices, or increase our costs or otherwise adversely impact our business.
For further information, see (Item 1A—"Risk Factors") and the information set forth under Item 8 of Part II, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data"—Note 15—Commitments and Contingencies, Legal proceedings and contingencies, contained in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" of this Annual Report.
Human Capital Management
On December 31, 2024, we had approximately 610 full-time employees. We have never had a work stoppage and none of our employees are represented by a labor union. We consider our employee relations to be good. Competition for qualified personnel in our industry is high. Beyond places great value on its human capital management and knows its people are critical to driving the business to success. We focus on our human capital management in many ways, including the following.
Inclusion & Belonging
We embrace inclusion and belonging and collaboration in our workforce, our ways of thinking, and our decision-making. We know that fostering an inclusive culture delivers better business outcomes. We are committed to creating a workplace that values and celebrates the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of our employees. Our commitments to improving workplace practices include: (1) increasing employee engagement of our team at all levels, (2) continuing real and meaningful gender and race dialogue within our Company, (3) valuing the varied and broad voices of our employees, (4) fostering inclusion and safety within our workforce, (5) continuing to condemn all forms of discrimination and harassment, (6) encouraging our employees to vote by utilizing their flexible time away or voting time off, and (7) fostering an inclusive work environment where every employee feels valued and respected. Among the many ways we demonstrate these commitments are through our hiring and development practices, flexible and working-parent-friendly programs, anti-discrimination policies, a focus on pay equity, and promoting mentorship programs to support career growth for all employees.
We view inclusion and belonging as a competitive advantage that drives innovation, creativity, and success. We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and we believe that our commitment to inclusion and belonging will contribute to our long-term growth and sustainability. Through our commitments, actions, words, investments, and values, we promote a work environment that enables employees to feel safe to express their ideas and perspectives and feel they belong within our team.
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Workforce Compensation & Pay Equity
The total rewards philosophy of Beyond is to create and maintain competitive programs that attract, motivate, develop, and retain employees based on the prevailing industry and geographic labor markets where the Company does business. Our competitive compensation programs consist of cash and non-cash compensation based on relevant pay factors designed to balance market competitiveness and cost containment to incentivize achievement of financial performance goals and business objectives and to aid in retaining human capital. We designed our total rewards to link the market competitiveness of an employee's compensation with overall Company performance, aligning employees' financial interests with the interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Elements of our compensation package for all non-executive employees consists of base salary or wages, short-term bonus incentives to reward the achievement of key financial performance goals and business objectives, and for eligible key contributors, long-term equity incentives that align to the interests of the Company and its stockholders.
We monitor changes in the value of each employee's job annually and adjust base pay and short-term incentives based on a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, employee performance to pre-determined goals and the Company's overall performance against broader financial and operational goals and objectives. We determine external market competitiveness by gathering salary information from professionally managed third-party salary surveys and by determining pay for individual employees based on their skill level, experience, education, and any other relevant compensatory factors. We balance internal pay equity with external pay equity to ensure compensation is fairly and equitably dispersed and in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, or other legal requirements.
Management is committed to the proposition that the total rewards of every employee in pay and benefits are distributed regardless of their race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, color, veteran status, age, or disability. To further this commitment, we define appropriate metrics to track progress.
We offer all employees the ability to save for retirement by matching dollar for dollar up to 6% of their savings into a qualified savings plan up to certain pre-determined limits set by the IRS.
Our intention is to offer every employee fair and equitable cash compensation and competitive non-cash benefits to help employees manage the wealth, health, and wellness of both themselves and their families.
Talent Acquisition & Retention
We work diligently to attract the best talent from a diverse range of sources. We prioritize hiring local talent in the Salt Lake City market to support the current and future demands of our business. We also recruit talent from twenty-six states across the United States and the Republic of Ireland. We endeavor to establish relationships with universities, professional associations, and industry groups to proactively attract talent. We look for ways to improve our recruiting process regularly and ensure each applicant feels welcome and comfortable through the recruiting process. Our panel interviews are set up with a diverse group of interviewers to ensure for the best candidate experience.
We have a strong employee value proposition that leverages our culture, shared alignment to critical business and financial objective and goals, collaborative and flexible working environment, shared sense of purpose, desire to do the right thing and innovative work to attract talent to our company. We empower employees to find new and better ways of doing things and the scale of our business means that careers can develop in exciting and unexpected directions. To ensure the long-term continuity of our business, we actively manage the development of existing talent to fill the roles that are most critical to the on-going success of our Company.
Our employees have an average tenure of seven years overall, with an average tenure of six and a half years in our customer service and warehouse departments.
Employee Safety & Wellness
Creating a culture where all employees feel supported and valued is a key part of our Company mission. We continue to evolve our programs to meet our employees' wealth, health, and wellness needs, which we believe is essential to attract and retain employees of the highest caliber, and we offer a competitive benefits package focused on fostering work/life integration. We offer comprehensive benefit options to our employees and their families to live healthier and more secure lives. Some of the various insurances we offer include medical, dental, and vision, among others, along with health savings accounts, flexible
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spending accounts and generous 401(k) matching and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) programs. In addition to these more traditional benefits offerings, we also expanded our employee assistance program (EAP) to better align with our national employee base. We offer family planning services including fertility coverage to assist potential parents. We offer paid parental leave for all new parents who have been with the Company for at least 90-days to ensure they are able to adjust. We also offer a caregiver benefit to parents who need to travel for work, which allows employees who have a child under the age of two to travel with the employee. In 2024, we expanded our benefits to include a flexible work schedule by offering flexible time away (unlimited) to all exempt employees, to allow our employees maximum flexibility and trust in our performance-based culture. Additionally, we launched an employee volunteer program, We Go Beyond, pursuant to which each full-time employee spends at least 32 hours a year of work time volunteering for an organization of choice in their community.
Development & Training
We recognize how important it is for our employees to develop and progress in their careers. We provide a variety of resources to help our employees grow in their current roles and build new skills, including online development resources from a competency model development library to hundreds of online courses in our learning management system. We emphasize individual development planning as part of our annual goal setting process, and offer mentoring programs, along with change management and project management upskilling opportunities. We have leadership development resources for all leaders across the organization and continue to build tools for leaders to develop their teams on the job and in roles to create new opportunities to learn and grow. We also encourage higher education and continuing professional education by subsidizing these opportunities for our employees.
Company Culture
We attribute the high levels of employee engagement to our corporate culture. We strive for a work environment that is performance-based, results-driven, inclusive, agile, and collaborative. Our corporate vision, mission, values, leadership principles, and employee qualities help define who we are, where we are going, and the behavior we expect of the Company and our employees to be successful in the organization.
Our values articulate our commitment to an inclusive, outcome-driven work environment, and embody our "becoming" culture and spirit. Our three leadership principles guide our interactions with colleagues, creating a psychologically safe environment for productive and collaborative exchanges for improved outcomes. We strive to clearly define, look for, measure, and develop ten qualities in our employees so that we all become empowered to be effective and valuable contributors in the organization. We believe this culture allows us to attract, develop, engage, and retain highly qualified employees for each role in the organization. Our goal is for every employee to feel they are a valued and empowered member of a winning team, doing meaningful work, in an environment of trust. The Company endeavors to regularly reinforce this culture throughout the entire employee experience.
Oversight & Governance
Our focus on human capital management has been a hallmark of the Company for years, understanding that people truly are a Company's most valuable asset, and that culture is an organization's ultimate competitive advantage. Our 401(k) committee meets quarterly to review the plan and determine if any changes need to be made to the portfolio, in order to best serve our employees. Our board of directors dedicates time in quarterly meetings with management to discuss trends in hiring, engagement, and attrition. Our Compensation Committee is actively involved in determining competitive compensation strategies to help us continually improve in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent for our Company.
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Information About Our Executive Officers
The following persons were executive officers of Beyond as of February 25, 2025:
Executive Officers Age Position
Marcus Lemonis 51 Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dave Nielsen 55 President (Principal Executive Officer)
Adrianne Lee was appointed as our Chief Financial & Administrative Officer in February 2024, and previously served as Chief Financial Officer from March 2020 to February 2024. Prior to joining Beyond, Ms. Lee served as Senior Vice President and CFO of North America RAC from December 2018 to March 2020 and as Vice President—Global Financial Planning and Analysis and Corporate Development at The Hertz Corporation from December 2017 to December 2018.
Marcus Lemonis was appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Beyond, effective February 20, 2024. Mr. Lemonis joined the Board on October 2, 2023, and has served as Chairman of the Board since December 10, 2023. Mr. Lemonis has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Camping World Holdings, Inc. since 2002.
Dave Nielsen was appointed as our President in June 2024. Prior to that, Mr. Nielsen served as Division Chief Executive Officer, Overstock from February 2024 to June 2024, Interim Chief Executive Officer and President from November 2023 to February 2024, President from May 2019 to November 2023, and Chief Sourcing and Operations Officer from October 2018 to May 2019. Mr. Nielsen served as Chief Executive Officer and board member for Global Access from July 2015 to October 2018. Mr. Nielsen originally joined Beyond in 2009 and previously served as our Senior Vice President of Business Development, Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager and Co-President.
Available Information
We make our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, available free of charge through the Investor Relations section of our main website, www.beyond.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information filed by us. Our Internet Website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not a part of or incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Any investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please consider the following risk factors carefully. If any one or more of the following risks were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, and the market price of our securities could decrease significantly. Statements below to the effect that an event could or would harm our business (or have an adverse effect on our business or similar statements) mean that the event could or would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn could or would have a material adverse effect on the market price of our securities. Many of the risks we face involve more than one type of risk. Consequently, you should carefully read all of the risk factors below, and in any reports we file with the SEC after we file this Annual Report, before making any decision to acquire or hold our securities.
Risks Relating to Our Company and its Operational, Litigation and Regulatory Environment
We depend on third-party companies to perform functions critical to our business, and any failure or increased cost on their part could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We depend on third-party companies, including third-party carriers, insurers, warranty providers, and a large number of independent fulfillment partners whose products we offer for sale on our Website, to perform functions critical to our business and our ability to deliver products and services to our customers on time and at a reasonable cost. We depend on our carriers, insurers, warranty providers, and fulfillment partners to perform traditional retail operations such as maintaining inventory, preparing merchandise for shipment to our customers, delivering purchased merchandise on a timely and cost-effective basis, insuring the products, and offering warranty services associated with products. We also depend on the delivery and product assembly services that we and they utilize, on the payment processors that facilitate our customers' payments for their purchases, and on other third parties (including SaaS, IaaS, and other cloud-based third-party service providers) over which we have no control, for the operation of our business. Difficulties with any of our significant fulfillment partners or third-party carriers, insurers, warranty providers, delivery or product assembly services, payment processors or any of the third-party service providers involved in our business, regardless of the reason, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We face intense competition and may not be able to compete successfully against existing or future competitors.
The online retail market is evolving rapidly and is intensely competitive. Barriers to entry can be minimal, and current and new competitors can launch new websites at a relatively low cost. We currently compete with numerous competitors, including:
•online retailers with or without discount departments, including Amazon.com, AliExpress (part of the Alibaba Group), eBay, Temu, and Rakuten.com;
•online shopping services, including Google Shopping, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok;
•online specialty retailers such as Wayfair, Build.com, Houzz, Hayneedle, Rugs.com, Groupon, and World Market;
•furniture specialists including Bob's Discount Furniture, Havertys, Raymour & Flanigan, At Home, Tuesday Morning, Living Spaces, Nebraska Furniture Mart, RC Willey, and Rooms To Go;
•traditional general merchandise and specialty retailers and liquidators including Ashley Furniture, Best Buy, Big Lots, Costco, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, Gilt, Home Depot, HomeGoods, Hudson's Bay Company, IKEA, J.C. Penney Company, Kirkland's, Kohl's, Lands' End, Lowe's, Macy's, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Arhaus, RH, Ross Stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, T.J. Maxx, Target, Walmart, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma, all of which also have an online presence; and
•online liquidators such as SmartBargains.
We expect that existing and future traditional manufacturers and retailers will continue to add or improve their e-commerce offerings, and that our existing and future e-commerce competitors, including Amazon, will continue to increase their offerings, their delivery capabilities, and the ways in which they entice and enable shoppers to purchase goods, including their mobile technology and the voice-activated shopping services offered by Amazon. Further, large marketplace websites and sites which aggregate marketplace sellers with a large product selection are becoming increasingly popular. We may not be able to place our products on these sites to take advantage of their internal search platforms and some shoppers may begin their searches at these websites rather than utilize traditional search engines at all. Many of our competitors specialize in one or more of the areas in which we offer products. For example, our furniture offerings compete with numerous retail furniture websites
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and traditional furniture retail specialists. We also face competition from shopping services such as Google Shopping, which offers products from Walmart, Costco, Target and many other retailers. Competition from our competitors, many of whom have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, greater brand recognition, greater access to capital and significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do, affects us and has had and could continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We may not timely identify or effectively respond to consumer needs, expectations or trends, which could adversely affect our relationship with our customers, the demand for our products and services, and our market share.
The success of our business depends in part on our ability to identify and respond promptly to evolving trends in demographics, shifts in consumer preferences, expectations and needs, changes in the macroeconomic environment, and unexpected weather conditions, natural disasters, or public health issues (including pandemics and related impacts) that impact our customers, while also managing appropriate inventory levels and maintaining an excellent customer experience. It is difficult to successfully predict the products and services our customers will demand. As our customers expect a more personalized experience, our ability to collect, use, retain, and protect relevant customer data is important to our ability to effectively meet their expectations. Our ability to collect and use that data, however, is subject to a number of external factors, including the impact of legislation or regulations governing data privacy, data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence, and data security, as well as customer expectations around data collection, retention, and use. In addition, each of our primary customer groups has different needs and expectations, many of which evolve as the demographics in a particular customer group change. Customer preferences and expectations related to sustainability of products and operations are also changing. In addition, as the impacts of COVID-19 have subsided, customers have shifted more of their spending back to travel, dining and other experiences, compared to the historic levels of home improvement spending we saw during the heights of the pandemic. If we do not successfully differentiate the shopping experience to attract our customers and meet their individual needs and expectations, it may adversely impact our sales and our market share.
Customer expectations about the methods by which they purchase and receive products or services are also becoming more demanding. Customers routinely and increasingly use technology and a variety of electronic devices and digital platforms to rapidly compare products and prices, read product reviews, determine real-time product availability, and purchase products, and new channels and tools to expand the customer experience appear and change rapidly. We must continually anticipate and adapt to these changes in the shopping and purchasing process by continuing to adjust and enhance the customer experience as well as our delivery options. We cannot guarantee that our current or future fulfillment options will be maintained and implemented successfully or that we will be able to meet customer expectations on delivery or pickup times, options and costs.
Failure to provide a relevant and effective customer experience in a timely manner that keeps pace with technological developments and dynamic customer expectations, preferences, and trends or to differentiate the customer experience could adversely affect our relationship with our customers, the demand for our products and services, and our market share.
Our business depends on effective marketing, including marketing via email, search engine marketing, influencer marketing, and social media marketing. Our competitors have and may continue to cause us to increase our marketing costs and decrease certain other types of marketing, and have and may continue to outspend us on marketing or be more efficient in their spend.
We depend on effective marketing and inflow of customer traffic. We depend on search engine marketing, email, and other e-commerce marketing methods to promote our site and offerings and to generate a substantial portion of our revenue. If a significant portion of our target customers no longer utilize email, or if we are unable to effectively and economically deliver email or marketing materials through other channels to our potential customers, whether for legal, regulatory or other reasons, it would have a material adverse effect on our business. For example, some email services have features that organize incoming emails into categories and such categorization or similar inbox organizational features may result in our emails being delivered in a less prominent location in a customer’s inbox or viewed as “spam” by our customers and may reduce the likelihood of that customer opening our emails. Actions by third parties to block, impose restrictions on or charge for the delivery of emails or other messages could also adversely impact our business. From time to time, Internet service providers or other third parties may block bulk email transmissions or otherwise experience technical difficulties that result in our inability to successfully deliver emails or other messages to third parties.
We also rely on social media and influencers for marketing purposes, and anything that limits our ability or our customers' ability or desire to utilize social media could have a material adverse effect on our business, including changes to the terms of social networking services to limit promotional communications, any restrictions that would limit our ability or our customers' ability to send communications through their services, disruptions or downtime experienced by these social
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networking services, or decline in or cessation of the use of or engagement with social networking services, including due to legislation, regulation, or directives (including executive orders).
In addition to competing with us for customers, suppliers, and employees, our competitors have and may continue to directly increase our operating costs, by driving up the cost of various forms of online advertising. Furthermore, our competitors may outspend us or be more efficient on various forms of advertising or marketing, making our marketing efforts less effective. We may elect to decrease our use of search engine marketing or other forms of marketing from time to time in order to decrease our costs, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and business. We may also elect to spend additional amounts on search engine marketing or other forms of marketing from time to time in order to increase traffic to our Website, or to take other strategic actions to increase traffic and/or conversion, and such increased spending may not be effective on a cost-benefit basis, or at all. If we are unable to develop, improve, implement and maintain effective and efficient cost-effective advertising and marketing programs, it would have a material adverse effect on our financial results and business.
Economic factors, including recessions, other economic downturns, inflation, our exposure to the U.S. housing market, and decreases in consumer spending, have affected and could continue to adversely affect us.
Various economic conditions, including recessions, other economic downturns, inflation, weaknesses in the U.S. housing market, and decreased consumer discretionary spending have adversely affected and could further adversely affect our financial performance. We believe that our sales of home-related products are affected by the strength of the U.S. housing market and overall consumer sentiment on discretionary goods. Recessions or other economic downturns, in particular in the U.S. housing market, have negatively impacted our sales in the past, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business, and prospects in the future.Similarly, a substantial portion of the products and services we offer are products or services that consumers may view as discretionary items rather than necessities. As a result, our results of operations are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions that impact consumer spending, including discretionary spending. Difficult macroeconomic conditions also impact our customers' ability to obtain consumer credit and therefore their purchasing power. Other factors, including consumer confidence in the economy, employment levels, interest rates, inflation, fuel and energy costs, tax rates, and consumer debt levels could reduce consumer spending or change consumer purchasing habits. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business, and prospects.
Tariffs, bans, or other measures or events that increase the effective price of products or limit our ability to access products we or our suppliers or fulfillment partners import into the United States could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We and many of our suppliers and fulfillment partners source a large percentage of the products we offer on our Website from China and other countries. President Donald J. Trump has advocated for greater restrictions on international trade in general, including increased tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States, particularly from China. If the United States imposes tariffs or bans on imports, or if other factors that are outside of our control increase the prices of imported products sold on our Website or limit our ability to access products sold on our Website, the increased prices and/or supply chain challenges could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
Our changing business model and use of the Overstock brand, Bed Bath & Beyond brand, Zulily brand, and Beyond brand, could negatively impact our business.
Our business has undergone a number of changes in the recent past, including our company name changing from Overstock.com, Inc. to Beyond, Inc., our purchase of the Bed Bath & Beyond and Zulily brands, changing our company ticker symbol from OSTK to BYON, and transferring the listing of our common stock from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC to the New York Stock Exchange. These changes, along with others, may cause negative impacts to our business, including customer and stockholder confusion about our brands, the need for higher promotional discounting or marketing costs to acquire and maintain customers, diversion of the attention of management or key personnel, employee fatigue resulting from implementation efforts, disruptions to existing business relationships, and other unforeseen costs, expenses, losses, disruptions, delays, or negative impacts that could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
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The changing job market, the changes in our leadership team, the change in our compensation approach, changing job structures, or any inability to attract, retain and engage key personnel could affect our ability to successfully grow our business.
Our performance is substantially dependent on the continued service and performance of our senior management, our board of directors, and other key personnel. In 2024, we underwent significant changes to our executive management team and board of directors, structural changes to our organization, and changes to our workforce with reductions in force. Additionally, in 2024, we adjusted our approach to our executives' equity compensation from a fully time-based approach to a fully performance-based approach.
With many businesses allowing employees to work remotely, we are forced to compete with businesses in other locations and states to attract and retain key employees. We recently sold our corporate headquarters and announced that local employees will be asked to increase their onsite work from three days each week to four days each week at a new location. We also announced the elimination of our 9-80 schedule (where employees were permitted to work nine-hour days, rather than standard eight-hour days, and take every other Friday off from work). Changes in leadership, structural changes to our organization, reductions in force, changed approach to performance-based compensation, and changes in job structures could create consequences such as a lack of or decreased productivity, a lack of engagement, employee dissatisfaction, and employee fatigue, any of which could impair our ability to recruit, hire, and retain employees. Our success depends on our ability to identify, attract, recruit, hire, train, engage, retain, and motivate highly-skilled personnel necessary to successfully operate our business. Our failure to do any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We rely upon paid and natural search engines to rank our product offerings, and our financial results may suffer if we are unable to maintain our prior rankings in natural searches.
We rely on paid and natural search engines to attract consumer interest in our product offerings, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. Changes to their ranking algorithms and competition from other retailers to attract consumer interest may adversely affect our product offerings in paid and/or natural searches. Search engine companies change their natural search engine algorithms periodically and online retailers compete to rank well with these search engine companies. Our ranking in natural searches may be adversely affected by those changes, as has occurred from time to time, which has led us to pursue revenue growth in other more expensive marketing channels. Google's search engine is dominant in our business and has historically been a significant source of traffic to our website. Search engine companies may also determine that we are not in compliance with their guidelines from time to time, as has occurred in the past, and they may penalize us in their search algorithms as a result. In recent years, we have experienced declines in our rankings in Google's natural search engine, which has required us to utilize more expensive marketing channels or otherwise compensate for the loss of some of the natural search traffic. Any future declines in our rankings in Google's natural search engine could have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we are not profitable and/or are unable to generate sufficient positive cash flow from operations, our ability to continue in business will depend on our ability to raise additional capital, obtain financing or monetize significant assets, and we may be unable to do so.
At December 31, 2024, our accumulated deficit was $740.5 million. We experienced significant losses in years leading up to 2020. Although our financial results were significantly better in 2020 and 2021, we incurred additional losses in 2022 through 2024, which included significant non-cash losses on our equity method investments and a write-down loss on our corporate headquarters. If we are unable to successfully manage our business in the future, our ability to continue in business could depend on our ability to raise sufficient additional capital, obtain sufficient financing, or sell or otherwise monetize significant assets. Additionally, we may not be able to raise capital on acceptable terms or at all. The occurrence of any of the foregoing risks would have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
Our business depends on the Internet, our infrastructure and transaction-processing systems, and catastrophic events could adversely affect our operating results.
We are completely dependent on our infrastructure and on the availability, reliability and security of the Internet and related systems. Although we have migrated and continue to migrate some of our computer systems and operations to the public cloud, a substantial majority of our computer and communications infrastructure is running in our private cloud on hardware that is located at a single facility, which we sold on December 20, 2024. As part of the sale, we entered into a lease agreement that allows us to continue to occupy and use the data center at the facility.
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Our systems and operations, and those of the third parties that we rely on, are vulnerable to damage or interruption from natural disasters or extreme weather events (such as earthquakes, floods, fires and droughts), including those related to, or exacerbated by, climate change, other types of fires or floods, power loss, telecommunications failure, software or hardware malfunctions, terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, acts of war, break-ins, and similar events. The adverse effects of any such catastrophic event would be exacerbated if experienced at the same time as another unexpected and adverse event, such as a pandemic. Current events, including political events, social activism, tension and potential for violence, may impact our workforce, customers, properties and the communities where we operate. If our customers and employees do not perceive our response to be appropriate or adequate for a particular region or for our company as a whole, we could suffer damage to our reputation and brand, which could adversely affect our business. As a consequence of these or other catastrophic events, we may experience interruption to our operations or losses of property, equipment and/or inventory, which could adversely affect our revenue and profitability.
Our back-up facility by itself is not adequate to support fulfillment of sales orders. Our servers and applications are vulnerable to malware, physical or electronic break-ins, internal sabotage, and other disruptions, the occurrence of any of which could lead to interruptions, delays, loss of critical data or the inability to accept and fulfill customer orders. Any internal or critical third-party system interruption that results in the unavailability of our websites or our mobile app or reduced performance of our transaction systems could interrupt or substantially reduce our ability to conduct our business. We have experienced periodic systems interruptions due to server failure, application failure, power failure and intentional cyberattacks in the past, and may experience additional interruptions or failures in the future. Any failure or impairment of our infrastructure or of the availability of the Internet or related systems caused by any source, including the housing or maintenance of our hardware by a third party (including the purchaser of the facility where it is now located), or any inability to access or protect our hardware in a timely manner, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects. In addition, the occurrence of any event that would adversely affect e-commerce or discourage or prevent consumers from shopping online or via mobile apps could significantly decrease the volume of our sales.
Compliance with ever-evolving federal, state, and foreign laws and other requirements relating to the handling of information about individuals necessitates significant expenditure and resources, and any failure by us, our vendors or our business partners to comply may result in significant liability, negative publicity, and/or an erosion of trust, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In connection with running our business, we receive, store, use and otherwise process information that relates to individuals and/or constitutes "personal data," "personal information," "personally identifiable information," or similar terms under applicable data privacy laws (collectively, "Personal Information"), including from and about actual, former and prospective customers as well as our employees and business contacts. We also depend on a number of third party vendors in relation to the operation of our business, a number of which process Personal Information on our behalf. In addition, we share Personal Information with, and obtain Personal Information from, certain business partners pursuant to commercial arrangements.
We, our vendors and our business partners are subject to a variety of federal, state and foreign data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements. These requirements, and their application, interpretation and amendment are constantly evolving. It is also possible that new laws, regulations and other requirements, or amendments to or changes in interpretations of existing laws, regulations and other requirements, may require us to incur significant costs, implement new processes, or change our handling of information and business operations, which could ultimately hinder our ability to grow our business by extracting value from our data assets. For example, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission and state regulators enforce a variety of data privacy issues, such as promises made in privacy policies or failures to appropriately protect information about individuals, as unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act or similar state laws.
In addition, in recent years, certain states have adopted or modified data privacy and security laws and regulations that may apply to our business. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") requires businesses that process personal information of California residents to, among other things: provide certain disclosures to California residents regarding the business's collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information; receive and respond to requests from California residents to access, delete, and correct their personal information, or to opt-out of certain disclosures of their personal information; and enter into specific contractual provisions with service providers that process California resident personal information on the business's behalf. The enactment of the CCPA is prompting a wave of similar legislative developments in other states in the United States, which creates a patchwork of overlapping but different state laws. For example, since the
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CCPA went into effect, numerous state laws that share similarities with the CCPA are now in effect. Similar laws have been proposed in many other states and at the federal level as well.
Additionally, laws, regulations, and standards covering marketing, advertising, and other activities conducted by telephone, email, mobile devices, and the internet may be or become applicable to our business, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (the "TCPA"), the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (the "CAN-SPAM Act"), and similar state consumer protection and communication privacy laws. For example, we send text messages to customers as part of our business operations. The actual or perceived improper sending of text messages may subject us to potential risks, including liabilities or claims relating to consumer protection laws such as the TCPA, which imposes significant restrictions on the ability to make telephone calls or send text messages to mobile telephone numbers without the prior consent of the person being contacted.
We may also be subject to international privacy laws such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation and the UK General Data Protection Regulation, as well as laws and regulations in other jurisdictions. These laws contain significant privacy requirements that may impose restrictions on our ability to collect, use, and otherwise process Personal Information.
Even though we believe we are generally in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to privacy and data security, these laws are in some cases relatively new and the interpretation and application of these laws are uncertain. Any failure or perceived failure by us (or in some cases, our vendors and business partners) to comply with data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements could result in proceedings or actions against us by individuals, consumer rights groups, government agencies, or others. We could incur significant costs in investigating and defending such claims and, if found liable, pay significant damages or fines or be required to make changes to our business. Further, these proceedings and any subsequent adverse outcomes may subject us to significant negative publicity and an erosion of trust. If any of these events were to occur, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
If we or our third-party providers experience cyberattacks or data security incidents, there may be damage to our brand and reputation, material financial penalties, and legal liability, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on our computer systems, hardware, software, technology infrastructure and online sites and networks and those of our for both internal and external operations that are critical to our business (collectively, "IT Systems"). We own and manage some of these IT Systems but also rely on third parties for a range of IT Systems and related products and services, including but not limited to our suppliers, banks, credit card processors, delivery services, and public cloud providers. We and certain of our third-party providers collect, maintain and process data about customers, employees, business partners and others, including personal information, confidential and proprietary intellectual property, financial information, trade secrets, and other business information (collectively, "Confidential Information").
Our business involves the storage and transmission of Confidential Information, and we face numerous and evolving cybersecurity risks that could threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our IT Systems and Confidential Information, including from diverse threat actors, such as state-sponsored organizations, opportunistic hackers and hacktivists, as well as through diverse attack vectors, such as social engineering or phishing, malware (e.g., ransomware), malfeasance by insiders, human or technological error, and as a result of malicious code embedded in open-source software, or misconfigurations, bugs or other vulnerabilities in commercial software that is integrated into our or our third parties’ IT Systems, products or services. Because we make extensive use of third party suppliers and service providers, such as banks, credit card processors, delivery services and cloud services that support our internal and customer-facing operations, successful cyberattacks that disrupt or result in unauthorized access to third party IT Systems can materially impact our operations and financial results. Moreover, we have acquired and continue to acquire companies with cybersecurity vulnerabilities or unsophisticated security measures, which exposes us to significant cybersecurity, operational, and financial risks. Remote and hybrid working arrangements at our company (and at many third-party providers) also increase cybersecurity risks due to the challenges associated with managing remote computing assets and security vulnerabilities that are present in many non-corporate and home networks. Additionally, any integration of artificial intelligence in our or any service providers' or business partners' operations, products or services is expected to pose new or unknown cybersecurity risks and challenges.
Cyberattacks are expected to accelerate on a global basis in frequency and magnitude as threat actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated in using techniques and tools—including artificial intelligence—that circumvent security controls, evade detection and remove forensic evidence. As a result, we may be unable to detect, investigate, remediate or recover from
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future attacks or incidents, or to avoid a material adverse impact to our IT Systems, Confidential Information or business. There can also be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting our IT Systems and Confidential Information. Furthermore, given the nature of complex systems, software and services like ours, and the scanning tools that we deploy across our networks and products, we regularly identify and track security vulnerabilities. We are unable to comprehensively apply patches or confirm that measures are in place to mitigate all such vulnerabilities, or that patches will be applied before vulnerabilities are exploited by a threat actor.
We and certain of our third-party providers and business partners have experienced a variety of cyber-attacks, which have increased in number and variety over time. Any adverse impact to the availability, integrity or confidentiality of our IT Systems or Confidential Information can result in significant legal and financial exposure (such as class actions), regulatory investigations, damage to our reputation that cause us to lose existing or future customers, a loss of confidence in our security measures, and significant incident response, system restoration or remediation and future compliance costs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, operations results, and business. Moreover, any insurance coverage we may carry may be inadequate to cover the expenses and other potential financial exposure we could face due to a cyber-attack or data breach and there can be no assurance that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all.
Moreover, as we accept debit and credit cards for payment, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ("PCI-DSS"), issued by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. PCI-DSS contains compliance guidelines with regard to our security surrounding the physical and electronic storage, processing and transmission of cardholder data. If we are unable to comply with the security standards established by banks and the payment card industry, we may be subject to fines, restrictions and expulsion from card acceptance programs, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
We are subject to payment-related risks that could increase our operating costs, expose us to fraud or theft, subject us to potential liability, and potentially disrupt our business.
We accept or have accepted payments using a variety of methods, including credit and debit cards, electronic payments, digital wallets, loan programs including installment loans, and gift cards, and we may offer new payment options over time. Acceptance of these payment options subjects us to rules, regulations, contractual obligations and compliance requirements, including payment network rules and operating guidelines, data security standards and certification requirements, and rules governing electronic funds transfers. These requirements may change over time or be reinterpreted, making compliance more difficult, costly, or uncertain. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange fees and other costs to accept these payments, and we may also incur losses, all of which may increase over time and raise our operating costs. We rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards, and other forms of electronic payment. If these companies become unable to provide these services to us, or if their systems are compromised, it could potentially disrupt our business. The payment methods that we offer, and the selling channels in which we operate, also subject us to potential fraud and theft by threat actors, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in our sales, payments and payment processing systems. If we fail to comply with applicable rules or requirements for the payment methods we accept, or if payment-related data is compromised due to a breach or misuse of data, we may be liable for costs incurred by payment card issuing banks and other third parties or we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees, or our ability to accept or facilitate certain types of payments may be impaired. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, or may expect or demand payment methods that we do not currently offer, which could result in competitive disadvantages or require a shift to other payment types or potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs. As a result, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
We have significant deferred tax assets and may not be able to realize these assets in the future.
We have established a valuation allowance for our net deferred tax assets, primarily due to recent operating losses, forecasted near-term losses, and uncertainty regarding our future taxable income. Determining whether a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is appropriate requires judgment and an evaluation of all positive and negative evidence. At each reporting period, we assess the need for, or the sufficiency of a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets. We intend to maintain a valuation allowance on our net deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of the allowance.
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We may be required to recognize losses relating to our equity method investments.
At December 31, 2024, we held equity method investments totaling approximately $78.2 million. The underlying equity interests are in entities that are in the startup or development stages. Equity method interests are inherently risky because we do not have the ability to influence the business decisions underlying those investments and because the markets for the technologies or products these companies are developing are typically in the early stages and may never materialize. Since these investments are in companies that are in the early startup or development stages, even if their technology or products are viable, they may not be able to obtain the capital or resources necessary to successfully bring their technology or products to market. We have recognized losses related to these equity method securities in the past and may in the future recognize additional losses. Additionally, due to tax law limitations around deductibility of capital and investment losses, we may not be able to recognize a tax benefit on these losses when they occur. Any such loss could be material and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
If governmental entities or providers of consumer devices and internet browsers further restrict or regulate the use of "cookie" tracking technologies, the amount or accuracy of online user information we collect could decrease, which could harm our business and operating results.
Various federal, state and international governmental entities have enacted or are considering enacting legislation or regulations that could significantly restrict the ability of companies to use proprietary or third-party "cookies" and other methods of online tracking for behavioral advertising. For example, some governmental agencies have regulated the level of consumer notice and consent required before a company can employ cookies or other electronic tracking tools or the use of data gathered with such tools. Additionally, some providers of consumer devices and web browsers have implemented or plan to implement methods of making it easier for Internet users to prevent the placement of cookies, to block other tracking technologies or to require new permissions from users for certain activities, which have impacted us in the past and have the potential to significantly reduce the effectiveness of such practices and technologies in the future. Any further restriction on the use of cookies and other online tracking and advertising practices could lower the quality of the data we collect, negatively impact our targeted marketing capabilities, increase costs associated with developing or transitioning to new technologies or methods, and could impact our ability to compete. Increased restrictions on tracking technologies could also lead to increased compliance, legal, and regulatory risks, increased costs associated with the management thereof, and increased costs associated with potential fines, penalties, claims. defense costs, reputational harm, or other associated costs. Such restrictions on tracking could also limit our ability to effectively retain existing customers or acquire new customers and consequently, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
If the legal, regulatory, or tax treatment of our company changes adversely, it could impact our ability to conduct business and, accordingly, our financial results.
New or revised laws, regulations, or court decisions may subject us to additional requirements and new disclosures that could increase the cost of doing business, increase scrutiny for the way decisions are made, decrease our revenues, increase our expenses, or impact our business model. For example, various jurisdictions around the world have enacted or are considering revenue-based taxes such as digital advertising taxes, data collection taxes, and other targeted taxes, which could lead to inconsistent and potentially overlapping tax regimes that could increase our expenses. Other new or revised legal, regulatory, or tax treatment could expose us to additional risk, increase the cost of doing business online, and increase internal costs necessary to capture data, report data, and collect and remit taxes. Any of these items could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Failure to comply with, or changes in, laws, regulations and enforcement activities may adversely affect the products, services and markets in which we operate.
From time to time, we are subject to claims, individual and class action lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, government and regulatory investigations, inquiries, actions or requests, and other proceedings alleging violations of laws, rules, and regulations with respect to taxation, advertising practices, online services, intellectual property rights, privacy, consumer and data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, mobile communications, electronic device certification, electronic waste, energy consumption, environmental regulation, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, employment (including diversity, equity and inclusion), labor rights, import and export matters including tariffs and the importation of specified or proscribed items and importation quotas, information reporting requirements (including sustainability reporting), access to our services and facilities, the design and operation of websites, health, safety, and sanitation standards, the characteristics and quality of products and services, product labeling and unfair and deceptive trade practices. There may be changes to the laws, regulation, standards, directives (including executive orders), and enforcement priorities that
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affect our operations in substantial and unpredictable ways at the federal and state level in the United States and in other countries in which our services are or may be used. Changes to laws, regulations and standards, including interpretation and enforcement of such laws, regulations and standards could increase the cost of doing business or otherwise change how or where we want to do business. In addition, changes to laws, regulations and standards could affect our merchants and software partners and could result in material effects on the way we operate and the cost to operate our business. Failure to comply with such laws, regulations and standards could result in harm to our members, employees and partners in the supply chain, significant costs to satisfy compliance, remediation or compensatory requirements, or the imposition of severe penalties or restrictions on operations by governmental agencies or courts that could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
From time to time we are subject to various legal proceedings which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are involved in various litigation matters from time to time. For more information regarding our material legal proceedings, please see Item 8 of Part II, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data"—Note 15—Commitments and Contingencies, subheading Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, contained in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" of this Annual Report. Such matters can be time-consuming, divert management's attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. Our insurance or indemnities may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. If we are unsuccessful in our defense in these litigation matters, or any other legal proceeding, we may be forced to pay damages or fines, enter into consent decrees or change our business practices, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Damage to our reputation or brand image could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.
Our reputation is largely based on public perceptions. Incidents that erode trust or confidence in us could adversely affect our reputation and thereby impact our business, particularly if the incidents result in rapid or significant adverse publicity, protests, litigation, boycotts, governmental inquiries, or other stakeholder responses. This could include incidents regarding our actions or inactions on issues related to corporate social responsibility or environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) matters, and any perceived lack of transparency about such matters. We have established, and may continue to establish, various goals and initiatives on ESG matters, including with respect to sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. We cannot guarantee that we will achieve these goals and initiatives. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to achieve these goals and initiatives could adversely affect our reputation. Further, stakeholder expectations regarding ESG matters continue to evolve and are not uniform, and our pursuit of our goals and initiatives could adversely impact our reputation due to such differing expectations. In turn, damage to our reputation or brand image could, among other things, adversely impact our customer loyalties and sales, our supply chain relationships and business opportunities, our ability to attract and retain talent sufficient to meet business needs, and results of operations. Any of the foregoing can be further exacerbated by changes to laws, regulation, standards, directives (including executive orders), and enforcement priorities. See "—Failure to comply with, or changes in, laws, regulations and enforcement activities may adversely affect the products, services and markets in which we operate."
Regulatory changes or actions may alter the nature of an investment in us or restrict the use of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in a manner that adversely affects our business, prospects and operations.
As cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have grown in both popularity and market size, governments around the world have reacted differently to them, with certain governments deeming them illegal while others have allowed their use and trade. Governments may in the future regulate, curtail or outlaw the ability for acquisition, use or redemption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Governments may take regulatory action that may increase the cost and/or subject cryptocurrency companies or blockchain technology to additional regulation. Similar actions by governments or regulatory bodies could result in restriction of the acquisition, ownership, holding, selling, use or trading of our securities.
In the United States and certain other jurisdictions, certain cryptocurrencies may be securities and subject to the securities laws of the relevant jurisdictions. If we fail to comply with any relevant laws, regulations or prohibitions that may be applicable to us, we could face regulatory or other enforcement actions and potential fines or other consequences. The rapidly evolving regulatory landscape with respect to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology may subject us to inquiries or investigations from regulators and governmental authorities, require us to make product changes, restrict or discontinue product offerings, and implement additional and potentially costly controls. If we fail to comply with regulations, requirements,
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prohibitions or other obligations applicable to us, we could face regulatory or other enforcement actions and potential fines and other consequences.
Cryptocurrencies have in the past and may in the future experience periods of extreme price volatility. Fluctuations in the value of any cryptocurrencies or other digital assets that we might hold could also lead to volatility in our financial results and could have an adverse impact on our business. These uncertainties, including accounting and tax developments, or other requirements relating to cryptocurrency or blockchain technology could expose us to litigation, regulatory action and possible liability, and have an adverse effect on our business.
If we do not successfully optimize and operate our fulfillment center or customer service operations, our business could be harmed.
We have expanded, contracted, and otherwise modified our fulfillment centers, warehouses, and customer service operations from time to time in the past, and expect that we will continue to do so. If we do not successfully optimize and operate our fulfillment center and customer service operations, it could significantly limit our ability to meet customer demand, customer shipping or return time expectations, or result in excessive costs and expenses for the size of our business. We may not be able to staff at optimal levels or manage our operations in an optimal way, which could result in reduced customer satisfaction and excess or insufficient inventory or warehousing capacity. Our failure to manage our fulfillment center or customer service operations optimally could adversely affect our financial results and customer experience and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
If we fail to effectively utilize technological advancements, including in artificial intelligence, our business and financial performance could be negatively impacted.
Our industry is highly competitive and is undergoing rapid changes due to technological advancement in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI). Our future success depends in part on our ability to effectively utilize these technological advancements. Our competitors may outpace us in incorporating AI into their product offerings and engagement with customers, which could affect our competitiveness and operational outcomes. Our efforts to utilize these technological advancements may not be successful, may result in substantial integration and maintenance costs, and may expose us to additional risks. For example, Personal Information that may be used in relation to AI could subject us to data privacy and cybersecurity risks. For more information, see "Risks Relating to Our Company and its Operational, Litigation, and Regulatory Environment." Additionally, the content, analyses, or recommendations generated by AI programs, if deficient, inaccurate, or biased, could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and operational results, as well as our reputation. Moreover, ethical concerns associated with AI could lead to brand damage, competitive disadvantages, or legal repercussions. Any problems with our implementation or use of AI or other technological advancements could negatively impact our business or results of our operations.
Global conflict could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Global conflict could increase costs and limit availability of fuel, energy, and other resources we depend upon for our business operations and could also limit product assortment availability. For example, while we do not operate in Russia or Ukraine, the tensions between the United States and Russia and the other effects of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, have resulted in many broader economic impacts such as the United States imposing sanctions and bans against Russia and Russian products imported into the United States. Such sanctions and bans have impacted and may continue to impact commodity pricing such as fuel and energy costs, making it more expensive for us and our partners to deliver products to our customers. Conflict in the Middle East has resulted in reduced access to shipping ports, which in turn has increased shipping times and costs. Further, we and many of our suppliers and fulfillment partners source a large percentage of the products we offer on our Website from China. Relations between the United States and China have become increasingly strained and if tensions were to escalate, it could limit or delay our ability to provide a full assortment of furniture and home furnishings on our Website. Sanctions, bans, trade restrictions, or other economic actions in response to present or future conflicts could result in an increase in costs, further disruptions to our supply chain, and a lack of consumer confidence resulting in reduced demand. Any of the foregoing could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We are partially self-insured with respect to our employees' health insurance. If the actual costs of these claims exceed the amounts we have accrued for them, we would incur additional expense.
Since January 1, 2017, we have been partially self-insured with respect to our employees' health insurance, except to the extent of stop-loss coverage that limits our losses both on a per employee basis and an aggregate basis. The actual costs of
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our employees' health insurance claims could exceed our estimates of those costs for a number of reasons, including more claims or larger claims than we expect, and increases in the costs of healthcare generally. If the actual cost of our employees' health insurance claims and related expenses exceeds the amounts we have accrued, we may be required to record additional charges for these claims and/or to establish additional cash reserves, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We may be unable to protect our proprietary technology and to obtain trademark protection for our marks.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the protection of our software and other proprietary intellectual property rights. We rely on a combination of laws, regulations, and contractual restrictions with our employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates, and others to establish and protect our proprietary rights, including the law pertaining to trade secrets. Despite these precautions, it may be possible for a third party to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or trade secrets without authorization. In addition, we cannot ensure that others will not independently develop similar intellectual property. Third parties have in the past recruited and may in the future recruit our employees who have had access to our proprietary technologies, processes and operations. These recruiting efforts expose us to the risk that such employees and those hiring them will misappropriate and exploit our intellectual property and trade secrets. We may be unable to protect against such risks, in the United States or elsewhere, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Although we have registered some of our, and are pursuing the registration of other key trademarks in the United States and some other countries, some of our trademarks and trade names may not be eligible to receive registered trademark protection. In addition, effective trademark protection may not be available or we may not seek protection in every country in which we market or sell our products and services, including in the United States. Our competitors might adopt product or service marks like our marks or might try to prevent us from using our marks. Any claim by another party against us, or customer confusion related to our trademarks, or our failure to obtain trademark registration, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We are currently subject to claims that we have infringed intellectual property rights of third parties and may be subjected to additional infringement claims in the future.
We have been in the past and may in the future be subject to claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others, by offering allegedly infringing products or otherwise. We have contested and expect to continue to contest claims we consider unfounded rather than settling such claims, even when we expect the costs of contesting the claims could potentially exceed the cost of settlement. Any claims may result in significant expenditure of our financial and managerial resources and may result in us needing to make significant damages or settlement payments or changes to our business. We could be prohibited from using software or business processes, or required to obtain licenses from third parties, which could be expensive or unavailable. Any such difficulties could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
Product safety and quality concerns could have a material adverse impact on our revenue and profitability.
If the products we sell fail to meet, or are alleged to fail to meet, applicable safety standards or our customers’ expectations regarding safety and quality, we could be exposed to increased legal risk and damage to our reputation. Failure to take appropriate actions in relation to product-related issues (for example, product recalls), could lead to violations of laws and regulations and leave us susceptible to government enforcement actions or private litigation. Recalls of products, particularly when combined with lack of available alternatives or difficulty in sourcing sufficient volumes of replacement products, could also have a material adverse impact on our revenue and profitability.
We depend on our suppliers' and fulfillment partners' representations regarding product safety, content and quality, product compliance with various laws and regulations, including registration and/or reporting obligations, and for proper labeling of products.
We rely on our suppliers' and fulfillment partners' representations of product safety, content and quality, product compliance with various laws and regulations, including registration and/or reporting obligations, and proper labeling of products. Issues or concerns regarding product safety, compliance, registration and/or reporting, labeling, content or quality could result in consumer or governmental claims and could adversely affect our financial results and business. Any indemnity agreement we may have with a supplier or fulfillment partner of a product may be inadequate or inapplicable, and any insurance coverage we may carry may be inadequate. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the expenditure of funds and management time and could have a negative impact on our business. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
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We have an evolving business model, which increases the complexity of our business.
We are modifying and expanding the types of products and services offered for sale on our websites, may further expand offerings in the future, and we do not know whether any of our modifications or expansions will be successful. From time to time, we have also modified aspects of our business model relating to our product mix and the mix of direct versus partner sourcing of the products offered for sale. Products purchased for direct sale come with additional risks and uncertainties, including costs to maintain inventory, risk of loss from theft or otherwise, and risks associated with the marketing and labeling of products. In addition, we continue to experiment with new technologies to enhance the customer experience and iterate on delivery of new features. The additions and modifications to our business have increased the complexity of our business and have impacted, and may in the future materially impact, our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources, and internal control and reporting functions. Further, our efforts to right-size our cost structure and create a more flexible technology stack may result in the introduction of technologies that are less mature or stable, which could cause problems in our website or back-end logistics systems or compliance efforts. Further, any new business, products or services, technology, or website we launch that is not favorably received by consumers could damage our reputation and our brand. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business, prospects, and the trading prices of our securities.
Investment in new business strategies, acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, or other transactions could disrupt our ongoing business, present risks not originally contemplated and materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
We have invested, and in the future may invest, in new business strategies, acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, or other transactions. We intend for these initiatives to drive efficiencies and improve margins. Such endeavors may involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, greater-than-expected liabilities and expenses, new claims or litigation, economic, political, legal and regulatory challenges associated with operating in new businesses, regions or countries, inadequate return on capital, unrealized benefits or unanticipated delays in realized benefits, potential impairment of tangible and intangible assets, and significant write-offs. Investment, acquisition, disposition and partnership transactions are exposed to additional risks, including the imposition of onerous conditions that could delay or prevent us from completing a transaction or otherwise limit our ability to fully realize the anticipated benefits of a transaction. Rapid, significant, and disruptive technological changes impact the industries in which we operate or in which we may in the future operate, including in areas such as tokenization, virtual currencies or cryptocurrencies, blockchain technologies, and the success of new business strategies, acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, or other transactions will depend, in part, on our ability to adapt and respond effectively to these changes. In addition, any new investments or acquisitions may require us to raise additional capital, including debt or equity securities. These transactions may impose additional restrictions on our ability to operate and/or may be dilutive to you. In the event that additional liquidity is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise the capital on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
These new ventures are inherently risky and may not be successful. If we do not successfully manage and execute these initiatives, or if they are inadequate or ineffective, we may fail to meet our financial goals and achieve anticipated benefits, improvements may be delayed, not sustained or not realized, and our business, operations and competitive position could be adversely affected.
If Pelion is not successful in managing the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund or has to resign if there is a change in the interpretation or application of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act"), we would be unable to realize the anticipated benefits of this arrangement.
As the general partner of the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund, Pelion has control over the limited partnership and its activities, including day-to-day operations and investment decisions. Pelion is able to sell investments of the limited partnership at any time, make additional investments, modify, amend or change existing investments, make new investments and otherwise control the activities of the limited partnership.
The success of the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund depends on Pelion's ability to successfully manage the activities of the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund portfolio companies and its existing and future portfolio company investments. Pelion may not be successful in managing these investments and we may not receive the benefits we anticipate of the transaction with Pelion. Moreover, even if successful in managing the Partnership, Pelion has the right to withdraw as general partner under certain circumstances, including certain changes in Pelion's status under the Advisers Act. The occurrence of such an event is beyond
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our control, and, as a result, there can be no assurance that Pelion will remain as general partner for the term contemplated. If Pelion is no longer serving as the general partner, we will have the right under the partnership agreement to appoint a new general partner; however, it may not be possible to accomplish this in a timely manner, which could result in the termination of the partnership. Even if a new general partner is appointed in a timely manner, it may be unable to manage the activities of the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund and its portfolio company investments, which would prevent us from receiving the anticipated benefits of the partnership.
Our international business efforts could adversely affect us.
We sell products in international markets and are seeking to expand our international sales. International sales and transactions are subject to inherent risks and challenges that could adversely affect us, including:
•the need to develop new supplier and manufacturer relationships and create new logistics capabilities;
•the need to comply with additional U.S. and foreign laws and regulations;
•changes in international laws, regulatory requirements, taxes and tariffs;
•our limited experience with different local cultures and standards;
•geopolitical events, such as war and terrorist attacks;
•the risk that the products we offer may not appeal to customers in international markets, whether due to the products themselves, the time to deliver, a lack of brand recognition, or another reason; and
•the additional resources and management attention required for such expansion.
Our international business operations could expose us to penalties for non-compliance with laws applicable to international business and trade, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Foreign data protection, privacy and other laws and regulations are different and often more restrictive than those in the United States. Compliance with such laws and regulations will result in additional costs and may necessitate changes to our business practices, which may adversely affect our business. A lack of brand recognition, increased costs associated with shipping products cross-border, increased times to deliver products to customers, or other matters that may reduce customer demand, could adversely affect our business. To the extent that we make purchases or sales denominated in foreign currencies, we are subject to foreign currency risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
We have entered into license agreements granting certain third parties the right to use certain of our trademarks, which could damage our brand and reputation.
We have entered into license agreements with several third parties, pursuant to which we have authorized these licensees to use certain of our trademarks on certain products and certain store locations. Any failure of these third parties to deliver products at of reasonably comparable quality and price to the products we offer in connection with these trademarks, to offer good customer experiences consistent with our brands, or any breach of our licensing agreements by a licensee could negatively impact our objectives, consistency with our brands, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and prospects.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock may be adversely affected by short-selling activities involving our common stock.
The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. Our stock price fluctuations may be due in part to short-selling activity related to our common stock. Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own, but rather has borrowed or intends to borrow from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities at a later date to return to the lender. A short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. It is therefore in the short seller’s interest for the price of the stock to decline, and some short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, opinions or characterizations regarding the relevant issuer, often involving misrepresentations of the issuer’s business prospects and similar matters calculated to create negative market momentum, which may permit them to obtain profits for themselves as a result of selling the stock short.
As a public entity, we may be the subject of concerted efforts by short sellers to spread negative information in order to gain a market advantage. The practice of short-selling activity may adversely affect our common stock price, which in turn could adversely affect our ability to raise capital and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, business and
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prospects. In addition, the publication of misinformation may also result in further lawsuits, the uncertainty and expense of which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and reputation. There are no assurances that we will not face short sellers’ efforts or similar tactics, and the market price of our common stock may decline as a result of their actions.
Significant fluctuations in our quarterly operating results may adversely affect the market prices of our common stock, and you may lose all or a part of your investment.
Our revenues and operating results have varied in the past and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, many of which are outside our control. In addition to the other risk factors described in this report, factors that have caused and/or could cause our quarterly operating results to fluctuate and in turn affect the market prices of our common stock include:
•increases in the cost of advertising and changes in our sales and marketing expenditures;
•our inability to attract new customers and retain existing customers or encourage repeat purchases;
•the extent to which our existing and future marketing campaigns are successful;
•price competition, particularly in the costs of marketing and product pricing;
•the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures;
•the amount and timing of our purchases of inventory;
•our inability to manage distribution operations or provide adequate levels of customer service;
•increases in the cost of fuel, transportation or distribution;
•our inability to implement technology changes or integrate operations and technologies from acquisitions or other business combinations;
•our efforts to offer new lines of products and services;
•our inability to attract users to our website;
•macroeconomic and geopolitical factors; and
•losses associated with our equity method investments.
Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and business and our ability to raise capital and could have a material adverse effect on the holders of our common stock.
Future sales or other distributions of our stock may depress our stock price or subject us to limitations on our ability to use our net operating and tax credit carryforwards.
Sales or other distributions of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, in the public market or otherwise, by us or by a significant stockholder, have in the past and could in the future, depress the trading price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. The transfer of ownership of a significant portion of our outstanding shares of stock in the public market or otherwise, by us or by a significant stockholder, within a rolling three-year period could adversely affect our ability to use our net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards to offset future taxable net income.
In addition, we may issue additional shares of our common or preferred stock from time to time in the future in amounts that may be significant. We have sold common stock including under our "at the market" sales agreement and in follow-on underwritten offerings in the past and may do so in the future. We also previously issued a class of preferred stock that was publicly traded and may in the future issue preferred stock that is publicly traded. The sale of substantial amounts of our common or any preferred stock, by us or a significant stockholder, or the perception that these sales may occur, could adversely affect the trading prices of our securities.
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Anti-takeover provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, and provisions of Delaware law, could impair a takeover attempt.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions which could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our Board of Directors. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions:
•limiting the ability of our stockholders to call and bring business before special meetings;
•only permitting the Board of Directors to fix the number of directors and to fill vacancies;
•prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors;
•prohibit stockholder action by written consent, which requires all stockholder actions to be taken at a meeting of our stockholders;
•requiring advance notice of stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at meetings of our stockholders and for nominations of candidates for election to our Board of Directors; and
•designating a state court located in the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for specified matters.
These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management.
Any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock or other securities and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock or other securities.
We are subject to rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC and the NYSE regarding our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, or report them in a timely manner.
We are subject to the rules and regulations established from time to time by the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"). These rules and regulations require, among other things, that we establish and periodically evaluate procedures with respect to our internal control over financial reporting. For example, we are required to assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). Such reporting obligations place a considerable strain on our financial and management systems, processes and controls, as well as on our personnel.
If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or if we are unable to comply with the requirements applicable to us as a public company, in a timely manner, including the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results, or report them within the timeframes required by the SEC. We could also become subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In addition, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, we may face restricted access to the capital markets, and our stock price may be adversely affected.
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We are subject to the risk of possibly becoming an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
The Investment Company Act regulates certain companies that invest in, holdor trade securities. Primarily as a result of a portion of our assets consisting of indirectly-held minority investment positions through the Medici Ventures, L.P. fund, we are subject to the risk of inadvertently becoming an investment company. Because registration under the Investment Company Act would make it impractical for us to operate our business, we need to avoid becoming subject to the registration requirements of the Investment Company Act. To do so, we may structure transactions in a less advantageous manner than if we did not have Investment Company Act concerns, or we may avoid otherwise economically desirable transactions and/or strategic initiatives due to those concerns. In addition, events beyond our control, including significant appreciation or depreciation in the value of certain of our holdings or adverse developments with respect to our ownership of certain of our subsidiaries, could result in us inadvertently becoming an investment company. If it were established that we were an investment company, there would be a risk, among other material adverse consequences, that we could become subject to monetary penalties or injunctive relief, or both, in an action brought by the SEC, that we would be unable to enforce contracts with third parties or that third parties could seek to obtain rescission of transactions with us undertaken during the period it was established that we were an unregistered investment company. If it were established that we were an investment company, it would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial operations and our ability to continue our business.
If securities analysts do not continue to publish research or reports about our business or if they downgrade our stock or our sector, or if there is any fluctuation in our credit rating, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for common stock relies in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or our business. We do not control these analysts. Securities and industry analysts may not publish research about us. If securities or industry analysts do not continue coverage of us, the trading price of our common stock would likely be negatively impacted. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our stock or our industry, or the stock of any of our competitors, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts stops covering us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Additionally, any fluctuation in the credit rating of us or our subsidiaries may impact our ability to access debt markets in the future or increase our cost of future debt which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition, which in return may adversely affect the trading price of shares of our common stock.
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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
Our company recognizes the critical importance of cybersecurity in our digital operations and has established a risk management program to address both internal and external cybersecurity threats. This program, guided by industry frameworks like NIST CSF and overseen by experienced leadership teams, integrates advanced security tools and practices into our broader enterprise risk management system, actively involving our Executive team and Board of Directors (the "Board") in its oversight. This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use NIST CSF and similar frameworks as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.
Despite our efforts and resource allocation, we acknowledge the challenges posed by the evolving nature of cyber threats and the limitations in fully mitigating these risks. We have not observed any significant impacts from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected our operational results and strategic or financial condition. Criteria used to determine the materiality of an incident includes, but is not limited to, evaluating the scope, nature, type, systems, data, operational impact, and pervasiveness of the incident. Materiality also considers both quantitative and qualitative factors in determining impact. Nevertheless, given the unpredictable nature of cyber threats, we cannot assure that potential future impacts will not have a material impact. See "Risk Factors – If we or our third-party providers experience cyberattacks or data security incidents, there may be damage to our brand and reputation, material financial penalties, and legal liability, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition."
Key elements of our cybersecurity risk management program include, but are not limited to, the following:
•risk assessments designed to help identify material risks from cybersecurity threats to our critical systems and information;
•a security team principally responsible for managing (1) our cybersecurity risk assessment processes, (2) our security controls, and (3) our response to cybersecurity incidents;
•the use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, test or otherwise assist with aspects of our security processes;
•cybersecurity awareness training of our employees, including incident response personnel and senior management;
•a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents; and
•a third-party risk management process for key service providers based on our assessment of their criticality to our operations and respective risk profile.
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board of Directors oversees the organization's preparedness for cyber threats as part of its risk oversight function. This involves working to understand our risk profile, reviewing our cybersecurity processes, and maintaining an incident response plan. The Board strives to engage in active participation in continuous cybersecurity strategy improvement. In March 2023, the Board enhanced its cybersecurity expertise with the addition of Joanna Burkey. Ms. Burkey has an extensive cybersecurity background and has served as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at both HP and Siemens.
The Audit Committee, designated as the responsible body for risk management and compliance oversight, endeavors to ensures information flow of risk by regularly reporting its activities to the Board, including those related to cybersecurity. Our cybersecurity program is led by our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), who has over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity field, and who is primarily responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. Their expertise is supported by industry certifications, regular participation in leading advanced training programs, and advisement roles.The CISO leads a dedicated team of security professionals who provide coverage of critical program capabilities. Our CISO and larger cybersecurity risk management team take steps to stay informed about and monitor efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private
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sources, including external consultants engaged by us; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in our IT environment.
Our CISO provides regular reports to the Audit and Technology Committees, senior management, and relevant stakeholders, for the purpose of keeping them informed on evolving cyber threats, ongoing assessments, and any significant findings. This collaborative approach is intended to support informed decision-making, and timely response to potential risks, safeguarding our critical assets and valuable information.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease various properties in the United States and internationally. We use our properties for corporate office space, data centers, and warehouse and fulfillment space. As of December 31, 2024, we operated the following facilities (square feet in thousands):
United States International Total
On December 20, 2024, we consummated the sale of our corporate headquarters located at 799 West Coliseum Way, Midvale, Utah to Salt Lake County, a body corporate and politic of the State of Utah. The transaction included an 18.6 acre parcel of land with improvements including the corporate headquarters building, and the sales price was $52.0 million.
As part of the sale, we negotiated a lease agreement with the buyer that allows us to continue to occupy and use the headquarters' data center, comprising approximately 5,000 square feet within the main building at the headquarters, and permit the data center to continue to be served by the existing building generators. Among other terms, this data center lease has an initial term of five years, subject to our right to terminate upon providing 30 days' notice to the buyer.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we are involved in, or become subject to litigation or other legal proceedings concerning consumer protection, employment, privacy, intellectual property, claims under the securities laws, and other commercial matters related to the conduct and operation of our business and the sale of products on our Website. We also prosecute lawsuits to enforce our legal rights. In connection with such litigation or other legal proceedings, we have been in the past and we may be in the future subject to equitable remedies relating to the operation of our business or judgments requiring us to pay significant damages or associated costs. Such litigation could be costly and time consuming and could divert or distract our management and key personnel from our business operations. Due to the uncertainty of litigation and depending on the amount and the timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of such matters could materially affect our business, results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. For additional details, see the information set forth under Item 8 of Part II, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data"—Note 15—Commitments and Contingencies, subheading Legal Proceedings and Contingencies, contained in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated by reference in answer to this Item.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market information
The principal U.S. trading market for our common stock is the New York Stock Exchange. Our common stock is traded under the symbol "BYON."
Holders
As of February 21, 2025, there were 387 holders of record of our common stock. Many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of the beneficial owners.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain any earnings for future growth and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay any dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our results of operations, financial conditions, contractual and legal restrictions and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant.
As discussed below under "—Preferred Stock Conversion," we converted all of our then-outstanding Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock into common stock on June 10, 2022, and did not pay a cash dividend prior to conversion in 2022. At December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, we had no preferred stock outstanding.
Recent sales of unregistered securities
None.
Issuer purchases of equity securities
See Note 17—Stockholders' Equity in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" included in Item 8 of Part II, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information regarding our authorized share repurchase program. There were no repurchases made during the three months ended December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the stock repurchase program is $69.9 million.
Preferred Stock Conversion
On May 12, 2022, Beyond stockholders voted to approve separate proposals to approve the amendment of the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation for both classes of its preferred stock to provide that each share of our Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock would be automatically converted into 0.90 of a share of our common stock (the "Conversion"). On June 10, 2022, in connection with the completion of the Conversion, the Company issued 4,097,697 shares of our common stock in exchange for the outstanding Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock on that date. As the fair value of our common stock issued exceeded the fair value of the Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock exchanged on the Conversion date, we recognized a non-cash deemed dividend to our preferred stockholders of $1.7 million due to the excess fair value per share compared to the conversion ratio. Following the Conversion, the Company eliminated the Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock class by filing Certificates of Elimination with the Delaware Secretary of State. The shares of preferred stock previously designated as Series A-1 and Series B preferred stock returned to the status of authorized and undesignated shares of preferred stock under our certificate of incorporation.
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COMPARISON OF 5-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
The following graph shows a comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total returns of NYSE Composite TR, the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P Retail Select Index. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each of the indexes during the last five fiscal years ended December 31, 2024. Data for the NYSE Composite TR, the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P Retail Select Index assume reinvestment of dividends. Stockholder returns over the indicated period are based on historical data and should not be considered indicative of future stockholder returns. They do not necessarily reflect management's opinion that such indices are an appropriate measure of the relative performance of the stock involved, and they are not intended to forecast or be indicative of possible future performance of the Company's common stock.
Prepared by Zacks Investment Research, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright 1980-2025.
Index Data: Copyright Standard and Poor's, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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ITEM 6.
[Reserved.]
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements relating to future events or our future financial or operating performance that involve risks and uncertainties, as set forth above under "Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements." or in Item 1A under the heading "Risk Factors" or included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, our future results may be significantly different from our historical results.
Overview
We are an e-commerce affinity marketing company that owns or has ownership interests in various retail brands with the aim of offering a comprehensive array of products and services that enable its customers to unlock their homes' potential through its vast data cooperative. In addition, we also offer an increasing number of add-on services across our platforms, including warranties, shipping insurance, installation services, and access to home loans. We will also be expanding our global loyalty program, Beyond +, to encompass all affiliated entities across our cooperative in order to incentivize customer retention within our growing ecosystem. We currently own Overstock, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Zulily. As used herein, "Beyond," "the Company," "we," "our" and similar terms include Beyond, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Through our Bed Bath & Beyond brand, we aim to provide an extensive array of home-related products tailored specifically for our target customers - consumers who seek comprehensive support throughout their shopping journey, aspiring to discover quality, stylish products at competitive prices that align with their budget requirements. We regularly refresh our product assortment to reflect the evolving preferences of our customers and aim to stay aligned with current trends. The mission of this brand is to achieve category-leading ownership of four distinct rooms of the home: the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the patio, and our goal is for our assortment to include not only core legacy categories like bedding and kitchenware, but also adjacent categories like bedroom and outdoor furniture and rugs. Leveraging an asset-light supply chain, we offer direct shipping to customers from both our suppliers and our leased warehouse.
Bed Bath & Beyond's strategic priorities include assortment curation to elevate product quality levels and improve ease of selection, as well as the addition of aspirational brands to elevate the curated shopping experience. Our goal is to elevate our website and customer engagement by fostering emotional connections, building trust, and delivering compelling, value-driven experiences.
Through our Overstock brand, we aim to provide a wide array of quality goods at discounted prices, and a treasure hunt-like experience for our target customers - consumers who are highly engaged, very accustomed to purchasing online, and actively seeking great deals. The mission of this brand is to delight our customers by offering them deals on products they will love. Our product assortment includes home categories such as indoor and outdoor furniture, rugs, décor, and lighting, as well as lifestyle categories such as jewelry and watches, apparel and accessories, sports and outdoor, and beauty and wellness.
Zulily's primary focus is attracting a loyal customer base with flash sales on women's, children's, and men's apparel, footwear, beauty, and wellness. The Zulily acquisition has provided the opportunity to expand our customer base with a younger demographic that shops more frequently with us than our other Beyond brands. Our marketing mix is also diversified and favors a social-first approach that is less reliant on search engine marketing.
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Executive Commentary
This executive commentary is intended to provide investors with a view of our business through the eyes of our management. As an executive commentary, it necessarily focuses on selected aspects of our business. This executive commentary is intended as a supplement to, but not a substitute for, the more detailed discussion of our business included elsewhere herein. Investors are cautioned to read our entire "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and our interim and audited financial statements, and the discussion of our business and risk factors and other information included elsewhere or incorporated in this report. This executive commentary includes forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned to read "Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements."
Our cash and cash equivalents balance decreased from $302.6 million as of December 31, 2023 to $159.2 million as of December 31, 2024, a decrease of $143.4 million, primarily as the result of net cash outflows from operating activities of $174.3 million, payments on long-term debt of $34.8 million, disbursement for Kirkland's notes receivable of $17.0 million, and expenditures for property and equipment of $14.3 million; offset by $51.4 million in proceeds from the sale of our corporate headquarters and $43.0 million in net proceeds from the sales of our common stock pursuant to our "at-the-market" public offering, net of offering costs.
Revenue decreased 11% in 2024 compared to 2023. This decrease was primarily due to an 8% decrease in orders delivered and a 3% decrease in average order value. The decrease in orders delivered was driven by a decline in website visits and conversion influenced in part by a shift in consumer spending preferences and macroeconomic factors impacting consumer sentiment. The decrease in average order value was largely driven by orders mixing into categories with lower average unit retail price.
Gross profit decreased 21% in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to a decrease in gross margin. Gross margin decreased to 20.8% in 2024, compared to 23.4% in 2023, primarily due to increased promotional discounting, increased carrier costs, and decreased marketing allowance.
Sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue increased to 17.1% in 2024 compared to 14.4% in 2023, primarily due to increased performance marketing expense and brand advertising.
Technology expenses decreased $2.6 million in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to a reduction in staff-related expenses, partially offset by one-time restructuring costs.
General and administrative expenses decreased $16.0 million in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to a reduction in staff-related and third-party expenses, partially offset by one-time restructuring costs.
Customer service and merchant fees increased $1.6 million in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to normalized service capacity in 2024 after understaffing in the second half of 2023, partially offset by decreased credit card costs driven by a decrease in order volume.
Additional commentary related to macroeconomic trends
We continue to monitor recent macroeconomic trends and geopolitical events, including, without limitation, tariffs, bans, or other measures or events that increase the effective price of products, higher interest rates, inflation, and existing and future laws and regulations, directives (including executive orders). These events have and may continue to negatively impact consumer confidence and consumer spending which have and may continue to adversely affect our business and our results of operations. Due to the uncertain and constantly evolving nature and volatility of these trends and events, we cannot currently predict their long-term impact on our operations and financial results. Nevertheless, as of December 31, 2024, the challenges arising from these events have not adversely affected our liquidity or capacity to service our debt, nor have these conditions required us to reduce our capital expenditures.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
We believe that our cash and cash equivalents currently on hand and expected cash flows from future operations will be sufficient to continue operations for at least the next twelve months. We continue to monitor, evaluate, and manage our operating plans, forecasts, and liquidity considering the most recent developments driven by macroeconomic conditions, such as supply chain challenges, inflation, rising interest rates, tariffs, bans, or other measures or events that increase the effective price of products, and other geopolitical events. We proactively seek opportunities to improve the efficiency of our operations and have in the past and may in the future take steps to realize internal cost savings, including aligning our staffing needs, creating a more variable cost structure to better support our current and expected future levels of operations and process streamlining.
We periodically evaluate opportunities to repurchase our equity securities, obtain credit facilities, or issue additional debt or equity securities, which may impact our future operations and liquidity. In addition, we may, from time to time, consider the investment in, or acquisition of, complementary businesses, products, services, or technologies to expand our business, any of which might affect our liquidity requirements or cause us to issue additional debt or equity securities that would be dilutive to stockholders.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, our growth, our ability to execute on our business strategy, our ability to realize the benefits of any investment in new business strategies, acquisitions, or other transactions, and consumer sentiment towards our offerings. In the event that additional liquidity is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise the capital on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Current sources of liquidity
Our principal sources of liquidity are existing cash and cash equivalents, and accounts receivable, net. At December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $159.2 million and accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $15.8 million.
Cash flow information is as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
Cash provided by (used in):
On June 10, 2024, we entered into a Capital on DemandTM Sales Agreement (the "Sales Agreement") with JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC ("JonesTrading"), under which we from time to time conduct "at the market" public offerings of our common stock. Under the Sales Agreement, JonesTrading, acting as our agent, may offer our common stock in the market on a daily basis or otherwise as we request from time to time. As of December 31, 2024, we had $156.1 million remaining available under our "at the market" sales program. We have no obligation to sell additional shares under the Sales Agreement, but we may do so from time to time. Under the agreement, we will pay JonesTrading up to a 2% sales commission on all sales. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 7,002,375 shares of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and have recognized $43.0 million in proceeds, net of $879,000 of offering costs, including commissions paid to JonesTrading.
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Future liquidity commitments
In October 2024, we entered into a strategic business relationship with Kirkland's Stores, Inc. in which we provided $17.0 million in debt financing, including an $8.5 million convertible promissory note and an $8.5 million non-convertible promissory note. On February 5, 2025, Kirkland's stockholders approved and we funded our additional commitment of $8.0 million in exchange for Kirkland's common stock.
In January 2025, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with BBBY Acquisition Co. LLC to acquire the rights of the Buy Buy Baby brand, as well as assets, information and content related to the associated Buy Buy Baby website for a total purchase price of $5.0 million payable at the closing of the transaction following a due diligence period. We funded the transaction in February 2025.
Operating activities
Cash received from customers generally corresponds to our net revenue as our customers primarily use credit cards to buy from us, causing our receivables from these sales transactions to settle quickly. Our payment terms with our partners generally extend beyond the amount of time necessary to collect proceeds from our customers.