Item 1A.Risk Factors
Set forth below are material risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows and cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by us. Although we believe that we have identified and discussed below the key risks and uncertainties affecting our business, there may be additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known or that are not currently believed to be material that may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.
Macroeconomic, Industry and Business Risks
The current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly adversely impacted and is expected to continue to adversely impact our business, and any future outbreak of COVID-19 or any other highly infectious disease could have a similar impact.
Governmental authorities nationally and in affected regions have taken numerous actions and mandated various restrictions in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), including travel restrictions, restrictions on public gatherings, “shelter at home” orders and advisories and quarantining of people who may have been exposed to the virus. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity and caused significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. The outbreak has triggered a severe global economic crisis that has caused a recession in some nations and in others a depression.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our business and has had a significant adverse effect on our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, liquidity and cash flows, and will continue to adversely impact and cause disruption to our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, liquidity and cash flows. In particular, effective March 22, 2020, the Company temporarily closed all of its stores, distribution centers (other than processing of received inventory) and corporate offices to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19. The Company began re-opening stores on May 11, 2020, with the majority of stores, as well as all distribution centers, re-opened by mid-June 2020, and substantially all stores re-opened by the end of the second quarter. Despite re-opening our stores, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to negatively impact the traffic at our stores and our operating results.
Factors that could negatively impact our ability to successfully operate during the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (or subsequent outbreaks, either more broadly or within our stores) or another pandemic include:
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•our ability to continue to operate, or re-open any closed stores or distribution centers in a timely manner;
•our ability to retain, and not furlough, corporate associates, in the event that we are required to cease or significantly limit our operations again in the future;
•our ability to reinstate any furloughed store and distribution center associates;
•our ability to enter into rent deferral arrangements with our landlords;
•supply chain delays due to closed factories or distribution centers, reduced workforces or labor shortages, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in affected areas;
•reduced demand for the merchandise we sell or our ability to move existing inventory, including potentially having to sell existing inventory at a discount or write-down the value of inventory, and the costs, challenges and expenses of updating, procuring and replacing inventory;
•delays in, or our ability to complete, planned store openings on the expected terms or timing, or at all;
•fluctuations in regional and local economies, including unemployment rates; changes to salary and wage rates; and consumer confidence and spending;
•our ability to attract customers to our stores, and the willingness of our associates to staff our stores and distribution centers, given the risks, or perceived risks, of gathering in public places;
•our ability to delay merchandise and other payments to vendors;
•the impact of pandemic-related litigation or claims from customers, associates, suppliers, regulators or other third parties;
•incremental costs to operate during a pandemic, including costs of implementing additional safety measures;
•our ability to pay associate compensation, including incentive compensation payments, in a timely manner, or at all;
•our ability to continue to incentivize and retain associates, as well as our ability to preserve liquidity to be able to take advantage of market conditions; and
•difficulty accessing debt and equity capital on attractive terms, or at all, and a severe disruption and instability in the global financial markets or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations or address maturing liabilities.
The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, liquidity and cash flows will depend largely on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak within the U.S., as well as the availability of, and prevalence of access to, effective medical treatments and vaccines; related economic uncertainties and government stimulus measures; the related impact on consumer confidence and spending; and when, or if, we will be able to resume normal operations, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Additionally, we may need to cease or significantly limit our operations again if subsequent outbreaks caused by new variants of the virus or otherwise occur, either more broadly or within our stores. Nevertheless, COVID-19 presents significant uncertainty and risk with respect to our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, liquidity and cash flows. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described throughout this Form 10-K.
A downturn in general economic conditions or consumer spending could adversely affect our business.
Consumer spending habits are affected by, among other things, prevailing global economic conditions, inflation, levels of employment, salaries and wage rates, prevailing interest rates, housing costs, energy costs, commodities pricing, income tax rates and policies, consumer confidence and consumer perception of economic conditions. In addition, consumer purchasing patterns may be influenced by consumers’ disposable income, credit availability and debt levels. Slowdown in the U.S. economy, an uncertain global economic outlook (such as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic) or a credit crisis could adversely affect consumer spending habits, resulting in lower net sales and profits than expected on a quarterly or annual basis. Consumer confidence is also affected by the domestic and international political situation and periods of social unrest. Our financial condition and operations could be impacted by changes in government regulations in areas, including taxes (e.g., any increase in the corporate tax rate enacted during the Biden administration) and healthcare. The outbreak or escalation of war, or the occurrence of terrorist acts or other hostilities in or affecting the U.S. could lead to a decrease in spending by consumers. In addition, natural disasters, industrial accidents, acts of war, and public health issues such as pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic) or epidemics could have the effect of disrupting supplies and raising prices globally which, in turn, may have adverse effects on the world and U.S. economies and lead to a downturn in consumer confidence and spending.
We face increased competition from other retailers that could adversely affect our business.
The retail sector is highly competitive, and retailers are constantly adjusting their business models, promotional activities and pricing strategies in response to changing conditions. We compete on the basis of a combination of factors, including, among others, price, breadth, quality and style of merchandise offered, in-store experience, level of customer service, ability to identify and respond to new and emerging fashion trends, brand image and scalability. We compete with a wide variety of retailers for customers, vendors, suitable store locations and personnel. In order to increase traffic and drive consumer spending, competitors, including department
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stores, mass merchants and specialty apparel stores, have been offering brand-name merchandise at substantial markdowns. Continuation of this trend, or the possible effect on consumer buying patterns that improving economic conditions could have, may cause consumer demand to shift from off-price retailers to other retailers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Certain traditional, full-price retail chains have developed off-price concepts, which may directly compete with our business. Our competitors, including such retail chains, may seek to emulate facets of our business strategy, which could result in a reduction of any competitive advantage or special appeal that we might possess. In addition, most of our products are sold to us on a non-exclusive basis. As a result, our current and future competitors may be able to duplicate or improve on some or all of our product offerings that we believe are important in differentiating our stores. If our competitors were to duplicate or improve on some or all of our in-store experience or product offerings, obtaining the products we sell may become increasingly difficult, competition for customers may increase, and our competitive position and our business could suffer.
Our net sales, operating income and inventory levels fluctuate on a seasonal basis.
Our net sales and operating income fluctuate seasonally, with a higher level of our operating income typically realized during the second half of the year. Any decrease in sales or margins during this period could have a disproportionate effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Seasonal fluctuations also affect our inventory levels. We must carry a significant amount of inventory, especially before the holiday season selling period. If we are not successful in selling our inventory, we may have to write down our inventory or sell it at significantly reduced prices or we may not be able to sell such inventory at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
A reduction in traffic to, or the closing of, the other destination retailers in the shopping areas where our stores are located could significantly reduce our sales.
Many of our stores are strategically located in off-mall shopping areas known as “power centers.” Power centers typically contain three to five big-box anchor stores along with a variety of smaller specialty tenants. Due to many of our stores being located in such shopping areas, our sales are derived, in part, from the volume of traffic generated by the other destination retailers and the anchor stores in power centers where our stores are located. Customer traffic to these shopping areas may be adversely affected by the closing of such destination retailers or anchor stores, or by a reduction in traffic to such stores resulting from a regional or global economic downturn, a general downturn in the local area where our store is located, or a decline in the desirability of the shopping environment of a particular power center. Such a reduction in customer traffic would reduce our sales and leave us with excess inventory, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, profitability and cash flows. We may respond by increasing markdowns or transferring product to other stores to reduce excess inventory, which would further decrease our gross profits and net income.
Failure to identify customer trends and preferences to meet customer demand could negatively impact our performance and reputation.
Because our success depends on our ability to meet customer demand, we work to follow customer trends and preferences on an ongoing basis and to buy inventory in response to those trends and preferences. However, identifying consumer trends and preferences in the diverse product lines and many markets in which we do business and successfully meeting customer demand across those lines and for those markets on a timely basis is challenging. Although our flexible business model allows us to buy close to need and in response to consumer preferences and trends, and to expand and contract merchandise categories in response to consumers’ changing tastes, we may not do so successfully, which could adversely affect our sales and the markdowns required to move the resulting excess inventory will adversely affect our operating margins.
Customers may also have expectations about how they shop in stores, or more generally engage with businesses across different channels or media (through internet-based and other digital or mobile channels or particular forms of social media), which may vary across demographics and may evolve rapidly. Customers are increasingly using technology and mobile devices to rapidly compare products and prices and to purchase products. Failure to effectively meet these changing expectations and demands may adversely impact our reputation and our financial results.
Many stakeholders, including investors, customers, consumers and others, have increasingly focused on corporate social responsibility matters. If we do not (or are perceived not to) act responsibly with respect to any such matters, our reputation could be harmed, which could negatively impact our business, our relationship with our various stakeholders, and our results of operations.
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Extreme and/or unseasonable weather conditions caused by climate change or otherwise, or catastrophic events could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Extreme weather conditions in the areas in which our stores or distribution centers are located – especially in areas with a high concentration of our stores – could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, heavy snowfall or other extreme weather conditions over a prolonged period caused by climate change or otherwise might make it difficult for our customers or employees to travel to our stores. In addition, natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, and other extreme weather or climate conditions, or a combination of these or other factors, could severely damage or destroy one or more of our stores or distribution facilities located in the affected areas, or disrupt our computer systems, thereby disrupting our business operations. Any of these events or circumstances also could disrupt the operations of one or more of our vendors. Day-to-day operations, particularly our ability to receive products from our vendors or transport products to our stores, could be adversely affected, or we could be required to close stores.
Our business is also susceptible to unseasonable weather conditions. For example, extended periods of unseasonably warm temperatures during the Fall or Winter seasons or cool weather during the Spring or Summer seasons could render a portion of our inventory incompatible with those unseasonable conditions, particularly in light of our historical product mix. These prolonged unseasonable weather conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because higher net sales historically have occurred during the second half of the year, unseasonably warm weather during these months could have a disproportionately large effect on our business and materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Strategic Risks
We may not be able to sustain our growth plans or successfully implement our long-range strategic goals.
Our growth largely depends on our ability to successfully open and operate new stores, as well as to expand our distribution capabilities in order to support that growth. We intend to open 75 net new stores in 2021, while refreshing, remodeling or relocating a portion of our existing store base annually. We have identified numerous market opportunities that we believe will allow us to operate 2,000 stores over the long term. The success of these strategies is dependent upon, among other things, the current retail environment, the identification of suitable markets and the availability of real estate that meets our criteria for traffic, square footage, co-tenancies, lease economics, demographics, and other factors, the negotiation of acceptable lease terms, construction costs, the availability of financing, the hiring, training and retention of competent sales personnel, and the effective management of inventory to meet the needs of new and existing stores on a timely basis.
Notably, as we continue to evolve our off-price model, we plan on more effectively chasing the sales trend, making greater investments in our merchandising capabilities, operating with leaner inventories, improving operational flexibility, and challenging expenses, among other things. Executing these initiatives while also maintaining the current pace of our expansion may place increased demands on our operational, managerial and administrative resources. These initiatives may require us to increase the number of merchants and other associates we employ, modify how we manage our liquidity and inventory, as well as to monitor and upgrade our management information and other systems and our distribution infrastructure.
We may not be able to successfully execute our growth and other strategies on a timely basis or at all. If we fail to implement these strategies successfully, if we cannot keep up with the pace required for execution, or if these strategies do not yield the desired outcomes, our financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Failure to execute our opportunistic buying and inventory management process could adversely affect our business.
We purchase the majority of our inventory opportunistically, with our buyers purchasing close to need. Establishing the “treasure hunt” nature of the off-price buying experience to drive traffic to our stores requires us to offer changing assortments of merchandise in our stores. While opportunistic purchasing provides our buyers the ability to buy at desirable times and prices, in the quantities we need and into market trends, it places considerable discretion with our buyers, which subjects us to risks related to the pricing, quantity, nature and timing of inventory flowing to our stores. If we are unable to provide frequent replenishment of fresh, high quality, attractively priced merchandise in our stores, it could adversely affect traffic to our stores as well as our sales and margins. We base our purchases of inventory, in part, on our sales forecasts. If our sales forecasts do not match customer demand, we may experience higher inventory levels and need to markdown excess or slow-moving inventory, leading to decreased profit margins, or we may have insufficient inventory to meet customer demand, leading to lost sales, either of which could adversely affect our financial performance. We need to purchase inventory sufficiently below conventional retail to maintain our pricing differential to regular department and specialty store prices, and to attract customers and sustain our margins, which we may not achieve at various times and which could adversely affect our results.
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In order to better serve our customers and maximize sales, we must properly execute our inventory management strategies by appropriately allocating merchandise among our stores, timely and efficiently distributing inventory to such locations, maintaining an appropriate mix and level of inventory in such locations, appropriately changing the allocation of floor space of stores among product categories to respond to customer demand, and effectively managing pricing and markdowns, and there is no assurance we will be able to do so. In addition, as we execute inventory localization initiatives, there could be disruptions in inventory flow and placement. Failure to effectively execute our opportunistic inventory buying and inventory management strategies could adversely affect our performance and our reputation.
In addition to our own execution, we may need to react to factors affecting inventory flow that are outside our control, such as adverse weather, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics (including COVID-19) or other changes in conditions affecting our vendors and others in our supply chain, such as political instability, labor issues (including strikes or threats of strikes and scarcity of labor) and increased labor costs, reduced freight capacity and other transportation issues, or increasing cost of regulations. If we are not able to adjust appropriately to such factors, our inventory management may be affected, which could impact our performance and our reputation.
Operational Risks
If we cannot optimize our existing stores or maintain favorable lease terms, our growth strategy and profitability could be negatively impacted.
We lease substantially all of our store locations. Most of our current leases expire at various dates after ten-year terms, the majority of which are subject to our option to renew such leases for several additional five-year periods. While we have the right to terminate some of our leases under specified conditions, including by making specified payments, we may not be able to terminate a particular lease if or when we would like to close a particular store. If we decide to close stores, we are generally required to continue to perform obligations under the applicable leases, which generally include, among other things, paying rent and operating expenses for the balance of the lease term, or paying to exercise rights to terminate, and performing any of these obligations may be expensive. When we assign leases or sublease space to third parties, we may remain liable on the lease obligations, which could lead to significant expense if the assignee or sublessee does not perform. In addition, when the lease terms for the stores in our ongoing operations expire, our ability to renew such expiring leases on commercially acceptable terms or, if such leases cannot be renewed, our ability to lease a suitable alternative location, and our ability to enter into leases for new stores on favorable terms will each depend on many factors, some of which may not be within our control, such as conditions in the local real estate market, competition for desirable properties and our relationships with current and prospective lessors. As we renew and replace our store leases, we also strive to optimize the size of our existing stores to ensure maximum space utilization, which frequently means adjusting operations to accommodate smaller space through alternative floor plans and inventory turn optimization.
In addition, to the extent that our new store openings are in existing markets, we may experience reduced net sales volumes in existing stores in those markets. We expect to fund some of our expansion through cash flow from operations, lease incentives from our lessors, and, if necessary, by borrowings under our line of credit. If we experience a decline in performance or lease payment allowances from our lessors become unavailable, we may slow or discontinue store openings, relocations, refreshes and/or remodels.
If we are unable to effectively manage our existing portfolio of real estate leases, renew existing leases or lease suitable alternative locations, enter into leases for new stores on favorable terms, or optimize our existing stores, our growth and profitability may be negatively impacted.
If we are unable to purchase attractive brand name merchandise in sufficient quantities at competitive prices, we may be unable to offer an appealing merchandise mix and our sales may be harmed.
Our ability to purchase merchandise opportunistically from third party vendors depends upon the continuous, sufficient availability of high quality merchandise that we can acquire at prices sufficiently below those paid by conventional retailers in order to achieve the value proposition we strive to provide to our customers. Some of our key vendors may limit the number of retail channels they use to sell their merchandise, which may result in intense competition among retailers to obtain and sell these goods. In addition, most of the brands of our top vendors are sold by competing retailers and some of our top vendors also have their own dedicated retail stores. Moreover, we typically buy products from our vendors on a purchase order basis. We have no long-term purchase contracts with any of our vendors and, therefore, have no contractual assurances of continued supply, pricing or access to products, and any vendor could change the terms upon which they sell to us or discontinue selling to us at any time. Finally, if our vendors are better able to manage their inventory levels and reduce the amount of their excess inventory, the amount of high quality merchandise available to us could be materially reduced.
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If our relationships with our vendors are disrupted, we may not be able to acquire the merchandise we require in sufficient quantities or on terms acceptable to us. Any inability to acquire high quality merchandise would have a negative effect on our business and operating results because we would be missing products from our merchandise mix unless and until alternative supply arrangements were made, resulting in deferred or lost sales. In addition, events that adversely affect our vendors could impair our ability to obtain desired merchandise in sufficient quantities. Such events include difficulties or problems associated with our vendors’ businesses, finances, labor, importation of products, costs, production, insurance and reputation.
Our failure to attract, train and retain quality employees and temporary personnel in appropriate numbers could adversely affect our business.
Our performance depends on recruiting, developing, training and retaining quality sales, systems, distribution center and other employees in large numbers as well as experienced buying and management personnel, and we invest significant resources in training and motivating them to maintain a high level of job satisfaction. Many of our store and distribution center employees are in entry level or part-time positions with historically high rates of turnover, which can lead to increased training and retention costs, particularly if employment opportunities increase. Availability and skill of employees may differ across markets in which we do business and in new markets we enter, and we need to manage our labor needs effectively.
In addition, because of the distinctive nature of our off-price model, we must provide significant internal training and development for key employees across the company, including within our buying organization. Similar to other retailers, we face challenges in securing and retaining sufficient talent in management and other key areas for many reasons, including competition in the retail industry generally and for talent in various geographic markets. If we do not continue to attract qualified individuals, train them in our business model, support their development and retain them, our performance could be adversely affected or our growth could be limited.
We are also dependent upon temporary personnel to adequately staff our stores and distribution facilities, with heightened dependence during busy periods such as the holiday season and when multiple new stores are opening. Although we strive to secure long-term contracts on favorable terms with our service providers and other vendors, we may not be able to avoid unexpected operating cost increases in the future, such as those associated with minimum wage increases or enhanced health care requirements. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will receive adequate assistance from our temporary personnel, or that there will be sufficient sources of suitable temporary personnel to meet our demand. Any such failure to meet our staffing needs or any material increases in associate turnover rates could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. Further, any negative publicity regarding the agencies from which we source temporary personnel, such as in connection with immigration issues or employment practices, could damage our reputation, disrupt our ability to obtain needed labor or result in financial harm to our business.
Labor costs, including healthcare costs, and other challenges from our large workforce may adversely affect our results and profitability.
We have a large workforce, and our ability to meet our labor needs while controlling costs, including costs of providing health, retirement and other associate benefits, is subject to various factors such as unemployment levels; prevailing wage rates and minimum wage requirements; participant benefit levels; economic conditions; interest rate changes; health and other insurance costs; and the regulatory environment, including health care legislation, and with respect to governmental labor and employment and associate benefits programs and requirements. When wage rates or benefit levels increase in the market or the unemployment rate is otherwise low, increasing our wages or benefits to compete for employees may cause our earnings to decrease, while failing to increase our wages or benefits competitively or reducing our wages or benefits could result in a decline in our ability to attract or retain employees or in the quality of our workforce, causing our customer service or performance to suffer, which could negatively impact our results.
Parties with whom we do business may be subject to insolvency risks or may otherwise become unable or unwilling to perform their obligations to us.
We are party to contracts, transactions and business relationships with various third parties, including vendors, suppliers, service providers and lenders, pursuant to which such third parties have performance, payment and other obligations to us. In some cases, we depend upon such third parties to provide essential leaseholds, products, services or other benefits, including with respect to store and distribution center locations, merchandise, advertising, software development and support, logistics, other agreements for goods and services in order to operate our business in the ordinary course, extensions of credit, hedging instruments and other vital matters. Economic, industry and market conditions could result in increased risks to us associated with the potential financial distress of such third parties.
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If any of the third parties with which we do business become subject to bankruptcy, receivership or similar insolvency proceedings, our rights and benefits in relation to our contracts, transactions and business relationships with such third parties could be terminated, modified in a manner adverse to us, or otherwise impaired. We cannot make any assurances that we would be able to arrange for alternate or replacement contracts, transactions or business relationships on terms as favorable as our existing contracts, transactions or business relationships, if at all. Any inability on our part to do so could negatively affect our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.
Many of our vendors produce merchandise overseas, and our business is exposed to the risk of foreign and domestic operations and international tax policies and trade relations.
We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. As a result, we are dependent upon the timely receipt of quality merchandise from vendors, many of which produce merchandise overseas. Factors which affect overseas production could affect our vendors and, in turn, our ability to obtain inventory and the price levels at which they may be obtained. Factors that cause an increase in merchandise costs or a decrease in supply could lead to generally lower sales and gross margins in the retail industry.
Such factors include:
Any of the foregoing factors, or a combination thereof, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Over the past few years, uncertainty has increased with respect to tax and trade policies, tariffs and government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries. Although we source the majority of our merchandise from third party vendors located in the U.S., the production of that merchandise occurs primarily overseas. As a result, we continue to evaluate the impact of the effective and any additional proposed tariffs on our supply chain, costs, sales and profitability. Given the uncertainty regarding the scope and duration of the tariffs on Chinese goods, including whether the new Biden administration will relax or revoke certain or all of such tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, as well as the potential for additional trade actions by the U.S. or other countries, the impact on our operations and results is uncertain, and we can provide no assurance that any strategies we implement to mitigate the impact of such tariffs or other trade actions will be successful.
In addition, other major developments in tax policy or trade relations, such as the disallowance of tax deductions for imported merchandise or the imposition of additional unilateral tariffs on imported products, could increase the cost of products purchased from suppliers in such countries or restrict the importation of products from such countries, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and liquidity.
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Any disruption to our distribution network could cause disruptions in our business, a loss of sales and profits, increases in our expenses, and other material adverse effects.
Most of the merchandise we purchase is shipped directly to our distribution centers, where it is prepared for shipment to the appropriate stores. The success of our stores depends on their timely receipt of merchandise, and a strong, efficient and flexible distribution network is critical to our ability to grow and to maintain a low-cost operating structure. A disruption within our distribution network, including the shutdown of or loss of significant capacity by one or more of our current primary distribution centers such as we experienced in Spring 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our ability to deliver inventory in a timely manner and significantly disrupt our business. In addition, any failure to continue to add capacity to our existing distribution centers and build out planned additional distribution centers timely and cost effectively could adversely affect our business.
In addition to the distribution centers that we operate, we have arrangements with third parties for the use of pool point facilities, which we believe streamline and optimize our distribution network. If complications arise with a pool point facility or its operator, or if any such facility is severely damaged or destroyed, it may cause delays in the delivery of our merchandise to our stores. We also may be affected by disruptions in the global transportation network such as port strikes, weather conditions, work stoppages or other labor unrest, which may also adversely affect our ability to deliver inventory on a timely basis. We also depend upon third-party carriers for shipment of merchandise; any interruption in service by these carriers for any reason could cause disruptions in our business, a loss of sales and profits, and other material adverse effects.
Finally, if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, we could experience renewed supply chain delays due to closed factories or distribution centers, reduced workforces or labor shortages, transportation delays, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
If we are unable to protect our information systems against service interruption, misappropriation of data, breaches of security, or other cyber-related attacks, our operations could be disrupted, we may suffer financial losses and our reputation may be damaged.
We rely extensively on various information systems, including data centers, hardware, software and applications to manage many aspects of our business, including to process and record transactions in our stores, to enable effective communication systems, to plan and track inventory flow, to manage logistics and to generate performance and financial reports. In addition, some aspects of our business, like that of most retailers, involve the receipt, storage and transmission of customers’ personal information and consumer preferences, as well as confidential information about our employees, our vendors and our Company, some of which is entrusted to third-party service providers and vendors. We are dependent on the integrity, security and consistent operations of these systems and related back-up systems, software, tools (including encryption technology) and monitoring to provide security and oversight for processing, transmission, storage and the protection of such confidential information.
Like most major corporations, however, we, our customers and our third-party services providers face an evolving, increasing threat landscape in which cybercriminals, among others, employ a complex array of techniques designed to access personal and other information, including, for example, the use of fraudulent or stolen access credentials, malware, ransomware, phishing, denial of service and other types of attacks. Hardware, software or applications we develop or obtain from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that are not presently known and could unexpectedly compromise information security. In addition, our employees, contractors or third parties with which we do business or to which we outsource business operations may attempt to circumvent our security measures in order to misappropriate such information, and may purposefully or inadvertently cause a breach involving such information or become subject to various other cyber-crimes. Further, our computer systems and the third-party systems of our vendors are also subject to damage or interruption from a number of non-criminal causes, including power outages; computer and telecommunications failures; computer viruses; and design or usage errors by our employees or contractors.
In December 2020, we were notified that a recent update to one of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC (SolarWinds) network management software products contained data collection malware that had been distributed to thousands of its clients, including federal, state and local government agencies, educational institutions and several private companies and governments around the world. Based on our diligence performed to date, we believe that the Company’s IT systems were not directly impacted by this incident. We are, however, continuing to work with our cybersecurity vendors to monitor any impact or activity related to the malware and are tracking governmental notifications and directives as they are issued. We have also invested additional resources to determine whether any of our third party vendors with access to our information were impacted by this incident.
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If we or third parties with which we do business were to fall victim to successful cyber-attacks or experience other cybersecurity incidents such as the SolarWinds incident, including the loss of individually identifiable customer or other sensitive data, we may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences, which may include:
• increased cybersecurity and other insurance premiums;
• damage to our competitiveness, stock price, and long-term stockholder value.
Despite advances in security hardware, software, and encryption technologies, the methods and tools used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems are constantly changing and evolving, and may be difficult to anticipate or detect for long periods of time, and there is no guarantee that the proactive measures we put in place will be adequate to safeguard against all data security breaches or misuses of data. In fact, as more business activities have shifted online due to COVID-19 restrictions and otherwise, and as many of our non-store associates are working remotely, we face an increased risk due to the potential interruptions to internal or external information technology infrastructure as well as increased threats and attempts to breach our security networks.
Although we endeavor to protect consumer identity and payment information through the implementation and modification of security technologies, processes and procedures, including training programs for employees to raise awareness about phishing, malware and other cyber risks and certification of our major technology suppliers and any outsourced services through accepted security certification measures, we could experience increased costs associated with maintaining these protections as threats of cyber-attacks increase in sophistication and complexity. In addition, there are additional inherent risks associated with modifying or replacing systems, and with new or changed relationships, including accurately capturing and maintaining data, realizing the expected benefit of the change and managing the potential disruption of the operation of the systems as the changes are implemented. Potential issues associated with implementing technology initiatives and the time and resources required to optimize the benefits of new elements of our systems and infrastructure could reduce the efficiency of our operations in the short term.
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 payments using a variety of methods, including cash, checks, credit and debit cards, and gift cards, and we may offer new payment options over time. Acceptance of these payment methods 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 or costly.
For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, 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 also subject us to potential fraud and theft by criminals, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in the payment 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 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, which may result in 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.
Our future growth and profitability could be adversely affected if our advertising and marketing programs are not effective in generating sufficient levels of customer awareness and traffic.
We rely on advertising to increase consumer awareness of our product offerings and pricing to drive traffic to our stores. In addition, we rely and will increasingly rely on other forms of media advertising, including digital, social media and e-marketing. Our
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future growth and profitability will depend in part upon the effectiveness and efficiency of our advertising and marketing programs. Our advertising and marketing programs may not be successful if we do not:
• convert customer awareness into actual store visits and product purchases.
Our planned advertising and marketing expenditures may not result in increased total or comparable store sales or generate sufficient levels of product awareness. Further, we may not be able to manage our advertising and marketing expenditures on a cost-effective basis. Additionally, some of our competitors may have substantially larger marketing budgets, which may provide them with a competitive advantage over us.
Damage to our corporate reputation or brand could adversely affect our sales and operating results.
Building brand reputation is important to our continuing success. Our reputation is partially based on perceptions of various subjective qualities and overall integrity. Any incident that erodes the trust or confidence of our customers or the general public could adversely affect our reputation and business, particularly if the incident results in significant adverse publicity or governmental inquiry. In addition, information concerning us, whether or not true, may be instantly and easily posted on social media platforms and similar devices at any time, which information may be adverse to our reputation or business.
The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Damage to our reputation in any form could result in declines in customer loyalty and sales, affect our vendor relationships, development opportunities and associate retention, and otherwise adversely affect our business.
Legal, Regulatory, Compliance and Tax Risks
Difficulty complying with existing and changing laws, rules, regulations and local codes could negatively affect our business operations and financial performance.
We are subject to federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations in the operation of our business. In addition to complying with current laws, rules and regulations, we must also comply with new and changing laws and regulations, new regulatory initiatives, evolving interpretation of existing laws by judicial and regulatory authorities, and reforms in jurisdictions where we do business. Complying with local zoning codes, real estate land use restrictions, employment-related laws, and other local laws across numerous jurisdictions is particularly challenging as we grow the number of our stores in new municipalities and need to stay abreast of changes in such local laws. The increasing proliferation of local laws, some of which may be conflicting, further complicates our efforts to comply with all of the various laws, rules and regulations that apply to our business.
All of the above legal, regulatory and administrative requirements collectively affect multiple aspects of our business, including those involving labor and employment benefits; health, welfare and finance; real estate management; consumer protection and product safety; climate change, supply chain, energy and waste; electronic communications, data protection and privacy; and protection of third party intellectual property rights. Changes to these laws and regulations could increase our costs of compliance or of doing business, and could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if we fail to comply with these laws, rules and regulations, we may be subject to judgments, fines or other costs or penalties, which could materially adversely affect our business operations and financial performance.
Issues with merchandise safety could damage our reputation, sales and financial results.
Various governmental authorities in the jurisdictions where we do business regulate the safety of the merchandise we sell to consumers. Regulations and standards in this area, including those related to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, state regulations like California’s Proposition 65, and similar legislation, impose restrictions and requirements on the merchandise we sell in our stores. These regulations change from time to time as new federal, state or local regulations are enacted. If we or our merchandise vendors are unable to comply with regulatory requirements on a timely basis or at all, or to adequately monitor new regulations that may apply to existing or new merchandise categories, significant fines or penalties could be incurred or we could have to curtail some aspects of our sales or operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
We rely on our vendors to provide quality merchandise that complies with applicable product safety laws and other applicable laws, but they may not comply with their obligations to do so. Although our arrangements with our vendors frequently provide for indemnification for product liabilities, the vendors may fail to honor those obligations to an extent we consider sufficient or at all. Issues with the safety of merchandise, and issues with the authenticity of merchandise, or customer concerns
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about such issues, regardless of our fault, could cause damage to our reputation and could result in lost sales, uninsured product liability claims or losses, merchandise recalls and increased costs, and regulatory, civil or criminal fines or penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Compliance with increasingly rigorous privacy and data security regulations could be costly, affect or limit our business opportunities and how we collect and/or use data, and potentially subject us to fines and lawsuits.
As described above, the protection of customer, employee, vendor and Company data is critical to our business. As the regulatory environment relating to retailers’ and other companies’ obligation to protect such sensitive data becomes increasingly rigorous, with new and evolving requirements applicable to our business, compliance with those requirements could result in additional costs; could have a significant impact on our current and planned privacy, data protection and information security-related practices, our collection, use, sharing, retention and safeguarding of customer and/or employee information, and some of our current or future business plans; and a material failure on our part to comply could subject us to fines or other regulatory sanctions and potentially to lawsuits.
In recent years, there has been increasing regulatory enforcement and litigation activity in the area of privacy, data protection and information security in various states in which we operate. Compliance with the evolving privacy regulatory landscape will likely increase the costs of doing business, especially if we face differing regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions and/or a lack of adequate regulatory guidance. New legislation or regulations, including any potential comprehensive federal privacy legislation, as well as any associated inquiries or investigations or any other government actions, could also result in negative publicity, require significant management time and attention, and subject us to remedies that may harm our business, including fines or demands or orders that we modify or cease existing business practices.
Legal and regulatory proceedings could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
We are subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings relating to our business, certain of which may involve jurisdictions with reputations for aggressive application of laws and procedures against corporate defendants. We are impacted by trends in litigation, such as representative claims under the California Private Attorneys’ General Act and class action litigation brought under various consumer protection, employment, and privacy and information security laws. Accruals are established based on our best estimates of our potential liability. However, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation. Regardless of the outcome or whether the claims are meritorious, legal and regulatory proceedings may require that we devote substantial time and expense to defend our Company. Unfavorable rulings could result in a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Use of social media by the Company or third parties at our direction in violation of applicable laws and regulations may adversely impact our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.
There has been a substantial increase in the use of social media platforms and other forms of internet-based communications, which allow individuals access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. We have increasingly utilized social media in our marketing and employment recruiting efforts in order to reach as many current and potential new customers and potential employment candidates as efficiently and cost effectively as possible, and have also retained third parties, such as influencers, with expertise and distinction in the social media realm to bolster our social media efforts. As laws and regulations rapidly evolve to govern the use of these platforms, the failure by us, our employees or third parties acting at our direction to abide by applicable laws and regulations in the use of these platforms could adversely impact our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.
Risk Related to Our Substantial Indebtedness and Corporate Structure
Our ability to generate sufficient cash depends on numerous factors beyond our control, and we may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt obligations.
As of January 30, 2021, our obligations include (i) $961.4 million, inclusive of original issue discount, under our $1,200.0 million senior secured term loan facility (Term Loan Facility), (ii) $805 million under the Convertible Notes, and (iii) $300 million under the Secured Notes. We had no outstanding balance on our $600.0 million asset-based lending facility (ABL Line of Credit) as of January 30, 2021. Our debt obligations also include $47.7 million of finance lease obligations as of January 30, 2021. Estimated cash required to make interest payments for these debt obligations amounts to approximately $74.6 million in the aggregate for the fiscal year ending January 29, 2022.
Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our debt, and to fund planned capital expenditures, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future, which is to some extent subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative,
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regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt and meet our other commitments, we will be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as refinancing all or a portion of our debt, selling material assets or operations or raising additional debt or equity capital. We may not be able to successfully carry out any of these actions on a timely basis, on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or be assured that these actions would be sufficient to meet our capital requirements. In addition, the terms of our existing or future debt agreements may restrict us from affecting any of these alternatives.
Our failure to comply with the agreements relating to our outstanding indebtedness, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default that could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and our financial condition.
If an event of default under any of the agreements relating to our outstanding indebtedness occurred, the holders of the defaulted debt could cause all amounts outstanding with respect to that debt to be due and payable immediately. Our assets or cash flow may not be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our outstanding debt instruments if accelerated upon an event of default. Further, if we are unable to repay, refinance or restructure our secured indebtedness, the holders of such debt could proceed against the collateral securing that indebtedness through foreclosure proceedings and/or by forcing us into bankruptcy or liquidation. In addition, any event of default or acceleration under one debt instrument could also result in an event of default under one or more of our other debt instruments.
The conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
In the event the conditional conversion feature of our Convertible Notes is triggered, holders of the Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert their notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Convertible Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation in cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders of Convertible Notes do not elect to convert their notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Convertible Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
The accounting method for convertible debt securities that may be settled in cash, such as the Convertible Notes, could have a material effect on our reported financial results.
Under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (“ASC 470-20”), an entity must separately account for the liability and equity components of the convertible debt instruments (such as the Convertible Notes) that may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion in a manner that reflects the issuer’s economic interest cost. The effect of ASC 470-20 on the accounting for the Convertible Notes is that the equity component is required to be included in the additional paid-in capital section of stockholders’ equity on our consolidated balance sheet at the issuance date and the value of the equity component would be treated as debt discount for purposes of accounting for the debt component of the notes. As a result, we will be required to record a greater amount of non-cash interest expense as a result of the accretion of the discounted carrying value of the notes to their face amount over the term of the Convertible Notes. We will report larger net losses (or lower net income) in our financial results because ASC 470-20 will require interest to include both the amortization of the debt discount and the instrument’s non-convertible coupon interest rate, which could adversely affect our reported or future financial results and the trading price of our common stock.
In addition, under certain circumstances, convertible debt instruments (such as the Convertible Notes) that may be settled entirely or partly in cash may be accounted for utilizing the treasury stock method, the effect of which is that the shares issuable upon conversion of such convertible notes are not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share except to the extent that the conversion value of such notes exceeds their principal amount. Under the treasury stock method, for diluted earnings per share purposes, the transaction is accounted for as if the number of shares of common stock that would be necessary to settle such excess, if we elected to settle such excess in shares, are issued.
Accounting Standards Update 2020-06, “Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity,” will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 and interim periods within those years, and may be early adopted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Once we adopt this new guidance, the accounting methodology noted above will no longer be applicable. The new guidance removes from GAAP the separation models for convertible debt with a cash conversion feature. As a result, after adopting the guidance, entities will no longer separately present imbedded conversion features in equity, and will instead account for the convertible debt wholly as debt. Among other things, the new guidance also requires use of the if-converted method when calculating the dilutive impact of convertible debt
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on earnings per share. While we are still in the process of determining the impact of adopting this guidance, we do anticipate that the new guidance will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. The Company anticipates a significant reclassification from equity to debt, as well as a reduction in interest expense, due to eliminating the amortization of the debt discount. Additionally, this guidance may cause a change to our diluted share count in certain periods.
Conversion of the Convertible Notes will dilute the ownership interest of existing stockholders, including holders who had previously converted their Convertible Notes, or may otherwise depress the price of our common stock.
The conversion of some or all of the Convertible Notes will dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders to the extent we deliver shares of our common stock upon conversion of any of the Convertible Notes. The Convertible Notes may from time to time in the future be convertible at the option of their holders prior to their scheduled terms under certain circumstances. Any sales in the public market of the common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the Convertible Notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the Convertible Notes could be used to satisfy short positions, or anticipated conversion of the Convertible Notes into shares of our common stock could depress the price of our common stock.
It is unclear how changes in the method for determining LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate, may affect the financial obligations owed by us that are linked to LIBOR, or how such changes could affect our results of operations or financial condition.
Certain of our credit agreements currently use LIBOR as a reference rate to calculate interest rates. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. Subsequently, in a November 30, 2020 announcement, LIBOR’s administrator signaled to the market that the discontinuation of certain LIBOR rates would be delayed until June 30, 2023. It is unclear whether LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, announced an alternative to U.S. dollar LIBOR with a new index calculated by short term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities, called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). Whether or not SOFR or another alternative reference rate attains market traction as a LIBOR alternative or replacement for U.S. dollar-denominated instruments remains in question and future of LIBOR at this time is uncertain. To address a potential transition away from LIBOR, the Term Loan Facility and ABL Line of Credit agreements each provide for an agreed upon methodology to amend such agreements to substitute LIBOR with an agreed replacement rate, subject to our consent and the applicable administrative agent, and in each case subject to a short lender negative consent period. However, there is no guarantee that any such replacement rate would be agreed by the applicable agents and lenders or that such consents would be obtained, and in such event we would be required to pay a rate of interest higher than expected on the amount owed under such agreements where the interest rate is subject to LIBOR. We have also entered into LIBOR based interest rate swap agreements to manage our exposure to interest rate movements resulting from changes in the benchmark interest rate of LIBOR. Any replacement of LIBOR as the basis on which interest on our floating-rate debt and/or under our interest rate swaps is calculated may result in interest rates and/or payments that do not correlate over time with the interest rates and/or payments that would have been made on our obligations if LIBOR was available in its current form.
In addition, any further changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are a holding company and rely on dividends, distributions and other payments, advances and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our obligations.
We are a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of our own. As a result, we are largely dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from our subsidiaries to meet our obligations. The deterioration of income from, or other available assets of, our subsidiaries for any reason could limit or impair their ability to pay dividends or other distributions to us.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our stock price has been and may continue to be volatile.
The market price of our common stock has fluctuated substantially in the past and may continue to fluctuate significantly. For example, in Fiscal 2020, our stock price fluctuated from a high of $271.75 to a low of $105.67. Future announcements or disclosures concerning us or any of our competitors, our strategic initiatives, our sales and profitability, our financial condition, any quarterly
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variations in actual or anticipated operating results or comparable sales, any failure to meet analysts’ expectations and sales of large blocks of our common stock, among other factors, could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially. In addition, the stock market has experienced price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market price of many retail and other stocks that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law might discourage or delay acquisition attempts for us that stockholders might consider favorable.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of the Company more difficult without the approval of our Board of Directors. These provisions:
• prohibit stockholders from calling special meetings of stockholders;
These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions under Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of the Company, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors they choose or to cause us to take other corporate actions they desire.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to limited exceptions, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) any other action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described above. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Because we do not intend to pay cash dividends in the near term, stockholders may not receive any return on investment unless they are able to sell their common stock for a price greater than their purchase price.
The continued operation and expansion of our business will require substantial funding. Accordingly, we do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends on shares of our common stock in the near term. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, including those under agreements governing our existing indebtedness, any potential future indebtedness we may incur, restrictions
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imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. Accordingly, if stockholders purchase shares of our common stock, a gain on investment will depend on an increase in the price of our stock, which may never occur.
General Risk Factors
The loss of executives or other key personnel may disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results.
We depend on the contributions of key personnel in various functions for our continued success. These executives and other key personnel may be hired by our competitors, some of which have considerably more financial resources than we do. The loss of key personnel, or the inability to hire, train, motivate and retain qualified employees, or changes to our organizational structure, operating results, or business model that adversely affect morale or retention, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Effective succession planning is also a key factor for our success. Our failure to enable the effective transfer of knowledge and facilitate smooth transitions with regard to key personnel could adversely affect our strategic planning and execution and negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to enable the effective transfer of knowledge and facilitate smooth transitions for key personnel, the operating results and future growth for our business could be adversely affected, and the morale and productivity of the workforce could be disrupted.
Circumstances limiting our ability, or the ability of our vendors, to access capital markets could adversely affect our business or financial condition.
Changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions, limited liquidity and interest rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing or restrict our access to this potential source of future liquidity. A decrease in the ratings that rating agencies assign to our short- and long-term debt may also negatively impact our access to the debt financing markets and increase our cost of borrowing. These circumstances may negatively impact our access to capital markets, which could have a materially adverse impact on our business or financial condition.
In many cases, our vendors depend upon commercial credit to finance their operations. If they are unable to secure commercial financing, our vendors could seek to change the terms on which they sell to us, which could negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, the inability of vendors to access liquidity, or the insolvency of vendors, could lead to their failure to deliver merchandise to us.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results or financial condition.
Generally accepted accounting principles and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, such as inventories, leases, and self-insurance reserves, are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments. Changes in these rules or their interpretation, or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments, could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance or financial condition.
Our business could be impacted as a result of actions by activist stockholders or others.
From time to time, we may be subject to legal and business challenges in the operation of our Company due to stockholder proposals, media campaigns, proxy contests, and other such actions instituted by activist stockholders or others. Responding to such actions could be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations, may not align with our business strategies and could divert the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management from the pursuit of current business strategies. Perceived uncertainties as to our future direction as a result of stockholder activism or potential changes to the composition of the Board of Directors may lead to the perception of a change in the direction of the business or other instability, and may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not Applicable.
Item 2. Properties
We own the land and/or buildings for 34 of our stores and have leases for 727 of our stores. Our new stores are generally leased for an initial term of ten years, the majority of which are subject to our option to renew such leases for several additional five-year periods. Store leases generally provide for fixed monthly rental payments, plus the payment, in most cases, of real estate taxes and
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other charges with escalation clauses. In many locations, our store leases contain formulas providing for the payment of additional rent based on sales. Most of our stores are freestanding or located in regional power centers, strip shopping centers or in malls.
We own approximately 235 acres of land in Burlington and Florence, New Jersey on which we have constructed our corporate campus, which includes our corporate headquarters and a warehouse facility. We own approximately 43 acres of land in Edgewater Park, New Jersey on which we have constructed our Edgewater Park, New Jersey distribution center and an office facility. We lease approximately 35,000 square feet of office space in New York City (east coast buying office), and 25,000 square feet of office space in Los Angeles, California (west coast buying office).
As described in Item 1, Business, we currently operate multiple distribution centers and warehousing facilities.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Like many retailers, the Company has been named in potential class or collective actions on behalf of groups alleging violations of federal and state wage and hour and other labor statutes, and alleged violation of state consumer and/or privacy protection and other statutes. In the normal course of business, we are also party to representative claims under the California Private Attorneys’ General Act and various other lawsuits and regulatory proceedings including, among others, commercial, product, product safety, employee, customer, intellectual property and other claims. Actions against us are in various procedural stages. Many of these proceedings raise factual and legal issues and are subject to uncertainties.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Market Information
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BURL.”
Holders
As of February 26, 2021, we had 237 holders of record of our common stock. This figure does not include the significantly greater number of beneficial holders of our common stock.
Dividends
During the past two fiscal years, we have not declared, and do not anticipate declaring in the near term, dividends on shares of our common stock. We currently do, and intend to continue to, retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund all of the Company's capital expenditures, business initiatives, and to support any potential opportunistic capital structure initiatives. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, including those under agreements governing our existing indebtedness, or any potential future indebtedness we may incur, restrictions imposed by applicable law, capital requirements and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant.
In addition, since we are a holding company, substantially all of the assets shown on our consolidated balance sheets are held by our subsidiaries. Accordingly, our earnings, cash flow and ability to pay dividends are largely dependent upon the earnings and cash flows of our subsidiaries and the distribution or other payment of such earnings to us in the form of dividends.
Stock Performance Graph
The performance graph below and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.
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The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock from the closing prices as of the end of each fiscal year from January 30, 2016 through January 30, 2021, with the return on the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index and the S&P Retailing Index over the same period. This graph assumes an initial investment of $100 and assumes the reinvestment of dividends, if any. Such returns are based on historical results and are not intended to suggest future performance.
Base Period Indexed Returns for Fiscal Years Ended
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Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The following table provides information regarding our purchases of common stock during the three fiscal months ended January 30, 2021:
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data
The following table presents selected historical consolidated financial data. The historical consolidated balance sheet data and consolidated statement of operations data for Fiscal 2020, Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018 and for the fiscal years ended February 3, 2018 (Fiscal 2017) and January 28, 2017 (Fiscal 2016) have been derived from our historical audited Consolidated Financial Statements.
The historical consolidated financial data presented below should only be read in conjunction with our audited Consolidated Financial Statements (and the related notes thereto) and Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, each of which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Our historical consolidated financial data may not be indicative of our future performance.
Fiscal Year Ended (1)
(dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:
Net (loss) income per common share—basic: $ (3.28 ) $ 7.05 $ 6.21 $ 5.64 $ 3.06
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data (end of the period):
Other Financial Data:
Comparable store sales growth(5) N/A 3 % 3 % 3 % 5 %
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Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
For purposes of the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” unless the context requires otherwise, references to “the Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Burlington Stores, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
The following discussion summarizes the significant factors affecting our consolidated operating results, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows as of and for the periods presented below. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with “Item 6, Selected Financial Data” and our Consolidated Financial Statements, including the notes thereto, appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report.
In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, such as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions set forth under the caption above entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in Item 1A, Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Annual Report.
General
We are a nationally recognized off-price retailer of high-quality, branded apparel at everyday low prices. We opened our first store in Burlington, New Jersey in 1972, selling primarily coats and outerwear. Since then, we have expanded our store base to 761 stores as of January 30, 2021 in 45 states and Puerto Rico. We have diversified our product categories by offering an extensive selection of in-season, fashion-focused merchandise at up to 60% off other retailers’ prices, including: women’s ready-to-wear apparel, menswear, youth apparel, baby, beauty, footwear, accessories, home, toys, gifts and coats. We sell a broad selection of desirable, first-quality, current-brand, labeled merchandise acquired directly from nationally-recognized manufacturers and other suppliers.
Executive Summary
COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) outbreak to be a global pandemic. As a result, we began the temporary closing of some of our stores, and effective March 22, 2020, we made the decision to temporarily close all of our stores, distribution centers (other than processing of received inventory) and corporate offices to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19. We began re-opening stores on May 11, 2020, with the majority of stores, as well as all distribution centers, re-opened by mid-June 2020, and substantially all stores re-opened by the end of the second quarter. We are currently unable to determine how long the conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will continue, including the imposition of social distancing protocols and other restrictions on our store operations, and whether potential subsequent additional outbreaks will lead to a reduction in customer traffic and additional temporary store closures.
These developments have caused significant disruptions to our business and have had a significant adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The continuing extent of which will be primarily based on a variety of factors, including the production and administration of effective medical treatments and vaccines, the timing and extent of any recovery in traffic and consumer spending at our stores, supply chain delays due to closed factories or distribution centers, reduced workforces or labor shortages, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas, and any future required store closures because of COVID-19 resurgences.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary closing of our stores, we provided two weeks of financial support to associates impacted by these store closures and by the shutdown of distribution centers. We temporarily furloughed most store and distribution center associates, as well as some corporate associates, but continued to provide benefits to furloughed associates in accordance with our benefit plans. In addition, we paid 100% of their medical benefit premiums during the period they were furloughed. During the second quarter, we recalled all furloughed associates at our re-opened stores, as well as our corporate and distribution facilities.
In order to maintain financial flexibility during these uncertain times, we completed several debt transactions in the first quarter of Fiscal 2020. In March 2020, we borrowed $400 million on our existing $600 million senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the ABL Line of Credit), of which $150 million was repaid during the second quarter, and the remaining $250 million was repaid during the fourth quarter. In April 2020, we issued $805 million of 2.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the Convertible
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Notes), and through our indirect subsidiary, Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation (BCFWC), issued $300 million of 6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (the Secured Notes). Refer to Note 7, “Long Term Debt,” for further discussion regarding these debt transactions.
Additionally, we took the following steps to further enhance our financial flexibility:
• Negotiated rent deferral agreements with landlords.
• Suspended our share repurchase program.
Due to the aging of inventory related to the temporary store closures discussed above, as well as the impact of seasonality on our merchandise, we recognized inventory markdown reserves of $271.9 million during the first quarter of Fiscal 2020. These reserves covered markdowns taken during the second quarter of Fiscal 2020. These charges were included in “Cost of sales” on our Consolidated Statement of (Loss) Income.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) was signed into law, which provides emergency economic assistance for American workers, families and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic relief package includes government loan enhancement programs and various tax provisions to help improve liquidity for American businesses. Based on our evaluation of the CARES Act, we believe we qualify for certain employer refundable payroll credits, deferral of applicable payroll taxes, net operating loss (NOL) carrybacks and immediate expensing for eligible qualified improvement property. We recorded a tax benefit of $86.8 million in our effective income tax rate for the year ended January 30, 2021 for the increased benefit from NOL carrybacks to earlier years when the tax rate was higher than the current year. The Company estimates that it will obtain a one-time tax refund of $219.7 million from the carryback of federal NOLs, which is included in the line item “Prepaid and other current assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. Refer to Note 15, “Income Taxes” for further discussion.
We continue to keep health and safety as a top priority as we operate our stores and distribution centers. We have implemented social distancing and safety practices, including:
• One way entrances and exits at the front of the store
• Wider check-out lanes, with social distancing markers on the floor
• A physical barrier between customers and associates at each register
• Closing all fitting rooms
• Providing sanitization materials throughout the store
• Making shopping cart wipes available
Store Openings, Closings and Relocations
During Fiscal 2020, we opened 62 new stores, inclusive of 17 relocations, and closed 11 stores, exclusive of the aforementioned relocations, bringing our store count as of January 30, 2021 to 761 stores. We continue to pursue our growth plans and invest in capital projects that meet our financial requirements. During the fiscal year ending January 29, 2022 (Fiscal 2021), we plan to open approximately 75 net new stores,which includes approximately 100 gross new stores, along with approximately 25 store relocations and closings.
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Ongoing Initiatives for Fiscal 2021
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the health and safety of our customers, associates, and the communities that we serve has been our top priority. Accordingly, we moved quickly to close our stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices in March 2020. We continue to keep health and safety as a top priority as we operate our stores and distribution centers.
As discussed above, we began re-opening stores on May 11, 2020 in accordance with applicable government guidelines, with the majority of our stores re-opened by mid-June 2020, and substantially all stores re-opened by the end of the second quarter. While our stores were closed, our primary short-term financial objective was to effectively manage and enhance our liquidity. As our stores return to normal operations and we receive more clarity on the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to focus on a number of ongoing initiatives aimed at increasing our overall profitability by improving our comparable store sales trends, increasing total sales growth and reducing expenses. These initiatives include, but are not limited to:
• Driving Comparable Store Sales Growth.
We intend to continue to increase comparable store sales through the following initiatives:
• Expanding and Enhancing Our Retail Store Base.
We intend to expand and enhance our retail store base through the following initiatives:
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• Enhancing Operating Margins.
We intend to increase our operating margins through the following initiatives:
Uncertainties and Challenges
There are uncertainties and challenges that we face as an off-price retailer that could have a material impact on our revenues or income.
COVID-19. The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business will depend largely on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak within the U.S., as well as the availability of, and prevalence of access to, effective medical treatments and vaccines; related economic uncertainties and government stimulus measures; the related impact on consumer confidence and spending; and when, or if, we will be able to resume normal operations, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Nevertheless, COVID-19 presents material uncertainty and risk with respect to our business, financial performance and condition, operating results, liquidity and cash flows.
General Economic Conditions.Consumer spending habits, including spending for the merchandise that we sell, are affected by, among other things, prevailing global economic conditions, inflation, levels of employment, salaries and wage rates, prevailing interest rates, housing costs, energy costs, commodities pricing, income tax rates and policies, consumer confidence and consumer perception of economic conditions. In addition, consumer purchasing patterns may be influenced by consumers’ disposable income, credit availability and debt levels.
A broader, protracted slowdown in the U.S. economy, an extended period of high unemployment rates, an uncertain global economic outlook or a credit crisis could adversely affect consumer spending habits resulting in lower net sales and profits than expected on a quarterly or annual basis. Consumer confidence is also affected by the domestic and international political situation. Our financial condition and operations could be impacted by changes in government regulations in areas including, but not limited to, taxes and healthcare. Ongoing international trade and tariff negotiations could have a direct impact on our income and an indirect impact on consumer prices. The outbreak or escalation of war, or the occurrence of terrorist acts or other hostilities in or affecting the U.S., or public health issues such as pandemics or epidemics, including the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, could lead to a decrease in spending by consumers. In addition, natural disasters, public health issues, industrial accidents and acts of war in various parts of the world could have the effect of disrupting supplies and raising prices globally which, in turn, may have adverse effects on the world and U.S. economies and lead to a downturn in consumer confidence and spending.
We closely monitor our net sales, gross margin and expenses. We have performed scenario planning such that if our net sales decline for an extended period of time, we have identified variable costs that could be reduced to partially mitigate the impact of these declines. If we were to experience adverse economic trends and/or if our efforts to counteract the impacts of these trends are not sufficiently effective, there could be a negative impact on our financial performance and position in future fiscal periods.
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Seasonality of Sales and Weather Conditions. Our business, like that of most retailers, is subject to seasonal influences. In the second half of the year, which includes the back-to-school and holiday seasons, we generally realize a higher level of sales and net income.
Weather continues to be a contributing factor to the sale of our clothing. Generally, our sales are higher if the weather is cold during the Fall and warm during the early Spring. Sales of cold weather clothing are increased by early cold weather during the Fall, while sales of warm weather clothing are improved by early warm weather conditions in the Spring. Although we have diversified our product offerings, we believe traffic to our stores is still driven, in part, by weather patterns.
Competition and Margin Pressure. We believe that in order to remain competitive with retailers, including off-price retailers and discount stores, we must continue to offer brand-name merchandise at a discount to prices offered by other retailers as well as an assortment of merchandise that is appealing to our customers.
The U.S. retail apparel and home furnishings markets are highly fragmented and competitive. We compete for business with department stores, off-price retailers, internet retailers, specialty stores, discount stores, wholesale clubs, and outlet stores as well as with certain traditional, full-price retail chains that have developed off-price concepts. At various times throughout the year, traditional full-price department store chains and specialty shops offer brand-name merchandise at substantial markdowns, which can result in prices approximating those offered by us at our Burlington Stores. We anticipate that competition will increase in the future. Therefore, we will continue to look for ways to differentiate our stores from those of our competitors.
The U.S. retail industry continues to face increased pressure on margins as overall challenging retail conditions have led consumers to be more value conscious. Our “open to buy” paradigm, in which we purchase both pre-season and in-season merchandise, allows us the flexibility to purchase less pre-season with the balance purchased in-season and opportunistically. It also provides us with the flexibility to shift purchases between suppliers and categories. This enables us to obtain better terms with our suppliers, which we expect to help offset any rising costs of goods.
Key Performance Measures
We consider numerous factors in assessing our performance. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold, our focus shifted toward maintaining and enhancing our liquidity position, so that we would be able to operate with reduced revenues for an extended period and take advantage of opportunistic buys as our stores re-opened. As our operations return to normal, management continues to evaluate our other key performance measures, including, net (loss) income, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBIT, comparable store sales, gross margin, inventory and store payroll.
Liquidity. Liquidity measures our ability to generate cash. Management measures liquidity through cash flow, which is the measure of cash generated from or used in operating, financing, and investing activities. We took several steps during the year ended January 30, 2021 to effectively manage our liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic, including careful management of operating expenses, working capital and capital expenditures, as well as suspending our share repurchase program. Additionally, we borrowed $400 million on our existing ABL Line of Credit, issued $805 million of our Convertible Notes, and through BCFWC, issued $300 million of our Secured Notes. We repaid $150 million on the ABL Line of Credit during the second quarter of Fiscal 2020, and the remaining $250 million during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020. At January 30, 2021, we had $476.8 million available under the ABL Line of Credit.
Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash and cash equivalents, increased $977.2 million during Fiscal 2020, compared with an increase of $275.5 million during Fiscal 2019. Refer to the section below entitled “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for further explanation.
Net (loss) income. We recorded a net loss of $216.5 million during Fiscal 2020 compared with net income of $465.1 million during Fiscal 2019. This decrease was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Refer to the section below entitled “Results of Operations” for further explanation.
Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT: Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT are non-GAAP financial measures of our performance.
We define Adjusted Net (Loss) Income as net (loss) income, exclusive of the following items, if applicable: (i) net favorable lease costs; (ii) costs related to debt issuances and amendments; (iii) loss on extinguishment of debt; (iv) impairment charges; (v) amounts related to certain litigation matters; (vi) non-cash interest on the Convertible Notes; (vii) costs related to closing the e-
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commerce store; and (viii) other unusual, non-recurring or extraordinary expenses, losses, charges or gains, all of which are tax effected to arrive at Adjusted Net (Loss) Income.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income, exclusive of the following items, if applicable: (i) interest expense; (ii) interest income; (iii) loss on extinguishment of debt; (iv) income tax (benefit) expense; (v) depreciation and amortization; (vi) impairment charges; (vii) costs related to debt issuances and amendments; (viii) amounts related to certain litigation matters; (ix) costs related to closing the e-commerce store; and (x) other unusual, non-recurring or extraordinary expenses, losses, charges or gains.
We define Adjusted EBIT as net (loss) income, exclusive of the following items, if applicable: (i) interest expense; (ii) interest income (iii) loss on extinguishment of debt; (iv) income tax (benefit) expense; (v) impairment charges; (vi) net favorable lease costs; (vii) costs related to debt issuances and amendments; (viii) amounts related to certain litigation matters; (ix) costs related to closing the e-commerce store; and (x) other unusual, non-recurring or extraordinary expenses, losses, charges or gains.
We present Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBIT because we believe they are useful supplemental measures in evaluating the performance of our business and provide greater transparency into our results of operations. In particular, we believe that excluding certain items that may vary substantially in frequency and magnitude from what we consider to be our core operating results are useful supplemental measures that assist investors and management in evaluating our ability to generate earnings and leverage sales, and to more readily compare these metrics between past and future periods.
Adjusted Net (Loss) Income has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered either in isolation or as a substitute for net (loss) income or other data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Among other limitations, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income does not reflect the following items, net of their tax effect:
• favorable lease costs;
• costs related to debt issuances and amendments;
• losses on extinguishment of debt;
• amounts charged for certain litigation matters;
• impairment charges on long-lived assets;
• costs related to closing the e-commerce store; and
During Fiscal 2020, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income decreased $664.3 million to a loss of $169.5 million. This decrease was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Refer to the section below entitled “Results of Operations” for further explanation.
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The following table shows our reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted Net (Loss) Income for Fiscal 2020, Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018:
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30, February 1, February 2,
Reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted Net (Loss) Income:
Non-cash interest expense on convertible notes (b) 23,988 — —
Costs related to debt issuances and amendments (c) 3,633 (375 ) 2,496
Loss on extinguishment of debt (d) 202 — 1,823
Litigation matters (e) 22,788 — —
E-commerce closure(f) 1,549 — —
(d) Amounts relate to the refinancing of the Term Loan Facility.
(e) Represents amounts charged for certain litigation matters.
(f) Represents costs related to the closure of our e-commerce store.
Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered either in isolation or as a substitute for net (loss) income or other data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Among other limitations, Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect:
• interest expense on our debt;
• losses on the extinguishment of debt;
• costs related to debt issuances and amendments;
• amounts charged for certain litigation matters
• impairment charges on long-lived assets;
• costs related to closing the e-commerce store;
• income tax (benefit) expense; and
During Fiscal 2020, Adjusted EBITDA decreased $942.3 million to a loss of $62.7 million. This decrease was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Refer to the section below entitled “Results of Operations” for further explanation.
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The following table shows our reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted EBITDA for Fiscal 2020, Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018:
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30, February 1, February 2,
Reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted EBITDA:
Loss on extinguishment of debt (a) 202 — 1,823
Costs related to debt issuances and amendments (b) 3,633 (375 ) 2,496
Litigation matters (c) 22,788 — —
E-commerce closure (d) 1,549 — —
(a) Amounts relate to the refinancing of the Term Loan Facility.
(c) Represents amounts charged for certain litigation matters.
(d) Represents costs related to the closure of our e-commerce store.
Adjusted EBIT has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered either in isolation or as a substitute for net (loss) income or other data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Among other limitations, Adjusted EBIT does not reflect:
• interest expense on our debt;
• losses on the extinguishment of debt;
• costs related to debt issuances and amendments;
• favorable lease cost;
• amounts charged for certain litigation matters;
• impairment charges on long-lived assets;
• costs related to closing the e-commerce store;
• income tax (benefit) expense; and
During Fiscal 2020, Adjusted EBIT decreased $952.2 million to a loss of $282.8 million. This decrease was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Refer to the section below entitled “Results of Operations” for further explanation.
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The following table shows our reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted EBIT for Fiscal 2020, Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018:
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30, February 1, February 2,
Reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted EBIT:
Loss on extinguishment of debt (a) 202 — 1,823
Costs related to debt issuances and amendments (b) 3,633 (375 ) 2,496
Litigation matters (d) 22,788 — —
E-commerce closure (e) 1,549 — —
(a) Amounts relate to the refinancing of the Term Loan Facility.
(d) Represents amounts charged for certain litigation matters.
(e) Represents costs related to the closure of our e-commerce store.
Comparable Store Sales. Comparable store sales measure performance of a store during the current reporting period against the performance of the same store in the corresponding period of the previous year. The method of calculating comparable store sales varies across the retail industry. As a result, our definition of comparable store sales may differ from other retailers.
We define comparable store sales as merchandise sales of those stores commencing on the first day of the fiscal month one year after the end of their grand opening activities, which normally conclude within the first two months of operations. If a store is closed for seven or more days during a month, our policy is to remove that store from our calculation of comparable stores sales for any such month, as well as during the month(s) of their grand re-opening activities. Comparable store sales were flat during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020, compared to increases of 4% and 1% during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018, respectively. Comparable store sales were not meaningful for the full year period ended January 30, 2021 due to the extended store closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparable store sales increased 3% in both full year periods for Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018.
Various factors affect comparable store sales, including weather conditions, current economic conditions, the timing of our releases of new merchandise and promotional events, the general retail sales environment, consumer preferences and buying trends, changes in sales mix among distribution channels, competition and the success of marketing programs.
Gross Margin. Gross margin is the difference between net sales and the cost of sales. Our cost of sales and gross margin may not be comparable to those of other entities, since some entities include all of the costs related to their buying and distribution functions, certain store-related costs and other costs, in cost of sales. We include certain of these costs in the line items “Selling, general and administrative expenses” and “Depreciation and amortization” in our Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income. We include in our “Cost of sales” line item all costs of merchandise (net of purchase discounts and certain vendor allowances), inbound freight, distribution center outbound freight and certain merchandise acquisition costs, primarily commissions and import fees. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales decreased to 38.2% during Fiscal 2020, compared with 41.8% during Fiscal 2019, driven primarily by aged inventory markdowns in the first quarter due to our extended store closures.
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Inventory. Inventory at January 30, 2021decreased to $740.8 million from $777.2 million at February 1, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to a 16% decrease in comparable store inventory, driven by our strategy of operating with leaner in-store inventory. This decrease was partially offset by our 34 net new stores since the end of Fiscal 2019, as well as reserve inventory, which was 38% of total inventory as of the end of Fiscal 2020, compared with 33% as of the end of Fiscal 2019.Reserve inventory includes all inventory that is being stored for release either later in the season, or in a subsequent season. We intend to continue to build up our reserve merchandise in order to more effectively chase sales trends.
In order to better serve our customers and maximize sales, we continue to refine our merchandising mix and inventory levels within our stores. By appropriately managing our inventories, we believe we will be better able to deliver a continual flow of fresh merchandise to our customers.
Inventory turnover and comparable store inventory turnover are performance metrics that indicate how efficiently inventory is bought and sold. They each measure the length of time that we own our inventory.
Inventory turnover is calculated by dividing cost of goods sold by the average cost value of our inventory for the period being measured. Our inventory turnover rate improved approximately 15% during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020, compared with the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019. Due to the extended store closures during the year, inventory turnover for the full year is not meaningful.
Comparable store inventory turnover is calculated by dividing comparable store sales by the average comparable store retail value of inventory for the period being measured. The comparable store retail value of inventories is estimated based on the original sales price of items on hand reduced by retail reductions, which include sales, markdowns taken, an estimated shortage adjustment and employee discounts, for our comparable stores. Our comparable store inventory turnover rate improved approximately 27% during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020 compared with the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2019. Due to the extended store closures during the year, comparable store inventory turnover for the full year is not meaningful.
The difference between inventory turnover and comparable store inventory turnover is primarily the result of the latter not including distribution center and warehouse inventory or inventory at new and non-comparable stores. Inventory held at our warehouses and distribution centers includes merchandise being readied for shipment to our stores and reserve inventory acquired opportunistically for future store release. The magnitude of reserve, at any one point in time, is dependent on the buying opportunities identified in the marketplace.
We present inventory turnover because it demonstrates how effective we are at managing our inventory. We present comparable store inventory turnover as we believe this is a useful supplemental metric in evaluating the effectiveness of our merchandising efforts, as a faster comparable store inventory turnover generally leads to reduced markdowns and more fresh merchandise in our stores.
Store Payroll. The method of calculating store payroll varies across the retail industry. As a result, our store payroll may differ from other retailers. We define store payroll as regular and overtime payroll for all store personnel as well as regional and territory personnel, exclusive of payroll charges related to corporate and warehouse employees.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily furloughed most store associates in March 2020, while providing two weeks of financial support to impacted associates. We also continued to provide benefits to furloughed associates, including paying 100% of their current medical benefit premiums while they were furloughed. As a result of these actions, store payroll costs decreased to $572.0 million during Fiscal 2020, compared with $623.1 million during Fiscal 2019.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth certain items in the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated.
Percentage of Net Sales
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30, February 1, February 2,
Selling, general and administrative expenses 40.5 30.7 30.4
Costs related to debt issuances and amendments 0.1 (0.0 ) 0.0
Depreciation and amortization 3.8 2.9 3.3
Impairment charges - long-lived assets 0.1 0.1 0.1
Other income - net (0.1 ) (0.2 ) (0.2 )
Loss on extinguishment of debt 0.0 — 0.0
(Loss) income before income tax (benefit) expense (7.7 ) 8.0 7.8
Income tax (benefit) expense (3.8 ) 1.6 1.4
Net (loss) income (3.9 )% 6.4 % 6.4 %
Performance for Fiscal Year Ended January 30, 2021 (Fiscal 2020) Compared with Fiscal Year Ended February 1, 2020 (Fiscal 2019)
Net sales
Net sales decreased $1,509.7 million, or 20.8%, to $5,751.5 million, driven primarily by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other revenue
Other revenue decreased $12.7 million to $12.4 million, driven primarily by a decrease in layaway fees, as well as a reduction in shipping income due to the closure of the e-commerce store. Our layaway program was suspended as of the end of Fiscal 2020.
Cost of sales
Cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased to 61.8% during Fiscal 2020, driven primarily by markdowns on aged inventory in the first quarter due to the extended store closures. On a dollar basis, cost of sales decreased $673.7 million, or 15.9%, primarily driven by our overall decrease in sales. Product sourcing costs, which are included in the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in our Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income, were $433.8 million during Fiscal 2020, compared to $339.1 million during Fiscal 2019.
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Selling, general and administrative expenses
The following table details selling, general and administrative expenses for Fiscal 2020 compared with Fiscal 2019. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
(in millions)
Fiscal Year Ended
The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the overall decrease in sales. We took significant steps to reduce selling, general and administrative expenses during this period. Among other things, we worked with landlords to modify payment terms for certain leases, furloughed most store and distribution center associates, as well as some corporate associates, temporarily eliminated the salary of the CEO and cash compensation for our Board of Directors, and temporarily reduced the salaries for our executive leadership team by 50%, with smaller salary reductions for all employees through a certain level. On a dollar basis, these actions were more than offset by an increase in products sourcing costs, as well as COVID-19 related expenses and store re-opening costs.
Costs related to debt issuances and amendments
During Fiscal 2020, we incurred legal fees related to the issuance of our Secured Notes of $2.5 million, as well as legal and placement fees of $1.1 million related to the refinancing of our Term Loan Facility. During Fiscal 2018, we recorded total estimated costs related to debt amendments of $2.5 million, primarily as a result of the repricing of our Term Loan Facility. During Fiscal 2019, we reversed $0.4 million of this estimated expense based on actual expenses incurred.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense related to the depreciation of fixed assets amounted to $220.4 million during Fiscal 2020, compared with $210.7 million during Fiscal 2019. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily driven by capital expenditures related to our new and non-comparable stores.
Impairment charges—long-lived assets
Impairment charges related to long-lived assets were $6.0 million and $4.3 million during Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively, related to store-level assets and lease assets at 14 stores and 3 stores (including the online store), respectively.
The recoverability assessment related to these store-level assets requires various judgments and estimates, including estimates related to future revenues, gross margin rates, store expenses, market rent rates and other assumptions. We base these estimates upon our past and expected future performance. We believe our estimates are appropriate in light of current market conditions. However, future impairment charges could be required if we do not achieve our current revenue or cash flow projections for each store.
Other income, net
Other income, net (consisting of gains and losses on disposition of assets, gains and losses on insurance proceeds and other miscellaneous items) decreased $8.2 million to $8.4 million during Fiscal 2020. The decrease in other income was primarily driven by one-time insurance gains recognized during Fiscal 2019.
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Interest expense
Interest expense increased $46.9 million to $97.8 million. The increase was primarily driven by the issuance of our $805 million Convertible Notes and our $300 million Secured Notes, as well as the higher average balance on our ABL Line of Credit. This increase was partially offset by the refinancing of our Term Loan Facility in February 2020, which reduced the applicable interest rate margins on our Term Loan Facility from 2.00% to 1.75%, as well as a decrease in average LIBOR.
Our average interest rates and average balances related to our variable rate debt for Fiscal 2020 compared with Fiscal 2019 are summarized in the table below:
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30, February 1,
Average interest rate – ABL Line of Credit 1.9% 3.7%
Average interest rate – Term Loan Facility 2.2% 4.2%
Average balance – ABL Line of Credit (in millions) $ 256.6 $ 81.5
Average balance – Term Loan Facility (in millions) (a) $ 961.4 $ 961.4
(a) Excludes original issue discount
Income tax (benefit) expense
Income tax (benefit) expense was a benefit of $221.1 million for Fiscal 2020 compared with expense of $115.4 million for Fiscal 2019. The effective tax rate was 50.5% related to pretax loss of $437.6 million for Fiscal 2020, and 19.9% related to pretax income of $580.5 million for Fiscal 2019. The income tax benefit in the current year is a result of the pre-tax loss and the carry-back of net operating losses arising in Fiscal 2020 to the five prior tax years, as permitted under the CARES Act. The increase in the income tax rate is a function of current year losses facilitating a refund receivable upon amending previously filed returns at a 35% tax rate. Additionally, excess tax benefit from stock compensation drove an increase in the tax rate related to pre-tax loss in Fiscal 2020, compared to a decrease in the tax rate related to pre-tax income in Fiscal 2019.
Net (loss) income
We recorded a net loss of $216.5 million during Fiscal 2020 compared with net income of $465.1 million for Fiscal 2019. This decrease was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all our stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Performance for Fiscal Year Ended February 1, 2020 (Fiscal 2019) Compared with Fiscal Year Ended February 2, 2019 (Fiscal 2018)
For a discussion related to Fiscal 2019 performance compared to Fiscal 2018 performance, refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 (Fiscal 2019 10-K).
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our ability to satisfy interest and principal payment obligations on our outstanding debt will depend largely on our future performance which, in turn, is subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors beyond our control. If we do not have sufficient cash flow to service interest and principal payment obligations on our outstanding indebtedness, and if we cannot borrow or obtain equity financing to satisfy those obligations, our business and results of operations will be materially adversely affected. We cannot be assured that any replacement borrowing or equity financing could be successfully completed on terms similar to our current financing agreements, or at all.
As a result of the uncertainty regarding the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related impact on store traffic, the Company has taken a more conservative approach to managing its cash flow during Fiscal 2020. These measures included carefully managing operating expenses, working capital and capital expenditures during the period, as well as suspending the Company’s share repurchase program.
We completed several debt transactions in order to facilitate increased financial flexibility during this period. During March 2020, we borrowed $400 million on our existing ABL Line of Credit. We repaid $150 million on the ABL Line of Credit during the second quarter of Fiscal 2020, and the remaining $250 million during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020. On April 16, 2020, we issued
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$805 million of our Convertible Notes, and through BCFWC, issued $300 million of Secured Notes. The proceeds of the Convertible Notes and Secured Notes are being used for general corporate purposes.
We believe that cash generated from operations, along with our existing cash and our ABL Line of Credit, will be sufficient to fund our expected cash flow requirements and planned capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months as well as the foreseeable future. However, there can be no assurance that we would be able to offset declines in our comparable store sales with savings initiatives in the event that the economy declines, or we are again required to cease or significantly limit our operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cash Flows
Cash Flows for Fiscal 2020 Compared with Fiscal 2019
We generated $977.2 million of cash flows during Fiscal 2020 compared with $275.5 million during Fiscal 2019.
Net cash provided by operating activities amounted to $219.2 million and $891.7 million during Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively. The decrease in our operating cash flows was primarily driven by the temporary closure of all stores and the subsequent business disruption upon re-opening caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Net cash used in investing activities was $274.1 million and $324.6 million during Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively. This change was primarily the result of a decrease in capital expenditures. Some of our new store, store remodel and other store expenditure projects were moved to future periods as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $1,032.2 million during Fiscal 2020 compared to a use of $291.6 million during Fiscal 2019. This change was primarily driven by our cash flow management efforts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included issuing $805 million of our Convertible Notes, and through BCFWC, issuing $300 million of Secured Notes, and suspending our share repurchase program.
Changes in working capital also impact our cash flows. Working capital equals current assets (exclusive of restricted cash) minus current liabilities. We had working capital at January 30, 2021 of $820.0 million compared with a working capital deficit of $51.1 million at February 1, 2020. The increase in working capital was primarily due to our increased cash balance, as a result of issuing the Convertible Notes and the Secured Notes, as well as an increase in prepaid income taxes. These increases were partially offset by an increase in other current liabilities (primarily due to deferral of rent payments and accrued interest), as well as an increase in accounts payable.
For a discussion of our cash flows for Fiscal 2019 compared to Fiscal 2018, refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in our Fiscal 2019 10-K.
Capital Expenditures
For Fiscal 2020, cash spend for capital expenditures, net of $40.7 million of landlord allowances, amounted to $232.4 million. These capital expenditures include approximately $97 million, net of the previously mentioned landlord allowances and insurance recoveries, for store expenditures (new stores, remodels and other store expenditures). In addition, we made capital expenditures of approximately $79 million to support our supply chain initiatives, with the remaining capital to support information technology and other business initiatives. We incurred cash spend on capital expenditures of $268.9 million, net of approximately $56.3 million of landlord allowances and $5.1 million of insurance recoveries related to property and equipment, during Fiscal 2019.
We estimate that we will spend approximately $470 million, net of approximately $15 million of landlord allowances, in capital expenditures during Fiscal 2021, including approximately $205 million, net of the previously mentioned landlord allowances, for store expenditures (new stores, remodels and other store expenditures). In addition, we estimate that we will spend approximately $140 million to support our supply chain initiatives, with the remaining capital used to support our information technology and other business initiatives.
Share Repurchase Program
On August 14, 2019, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $400 million of common stock, which is authorized to be executed through August 2021. This repurchase program is funded using our available cash and borrowings on our ABL Line of Credit.
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During Fiscal 2020, we repurchased 243,573 shares of common stock for $50.2 million under our share repurchase program. As part of the Company’s cash management efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, we suspended our share repurchase program in March 2020. As of January 30, 2021, we had $348.4 million remaining under our share repurchase authorization.
We are authorized to repurchase shares of our outstanding common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions under our repurchase program. The timing and amount of stock repurchases will depend on a variety of factors, including the market conditions as well as corporate and regulatory considerations. Our share repurchase program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time, and we have no obligation to repurchase any amount of our common stock under the program.
Dividends
During the past two fiscal years, we have not declared, and do not anticipate declaring in the near term, dividends on shares of our common stock. We currently do, and intend to continue to, retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund all of the Company's capital expenditures, business initiatives, and to support any potential opportunistic capital structure initiatives. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, including those under agreements governing our existing indebtedness, or, any potential future indebtedness we may incur, restrictions imposed by applicable law, capital requirements and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant.
In addition, since we are a holding company, substantially all of the assets shown on our consolidated balance sheets are held by our subsidiaries. Accordingly, our earnings, cash flow and ability to pay dividends are largely dependent upon the earnings and cash flows of our subsidiaries and the distribution or other payment of such earnings to us in the form of dividends.
Debt and Hedging
As of January 30, 2021, our obligations include $958.4 million, inclusive of original issue discount, under our Term Loan Facility, $648.3 million, inclusive of original issue discount, of Convertible Notes and $300.0 million of Secured Notes. There were no outstanding borrowings on our ABL Line of Credit as of January 30, 2021. Our debt obligations also include $47.7 million of finance lease obligations as of January 30, 2021. Refer to Note 7 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, “Long Term Debt,” for an overview of the terms and conditions of these instruments.
Term Loan Facility
At January 30, 2021, our borrowing rate related to the Term Loan Facility was 1.9%.
On February 26, 2020, we completed a repricing of our Term Loan Facility, which among other things, reduced the interest rate margins applicable to our Term Loan Facility from 1.00% to 0.75%, in the case of prime rate loans, and from 2.00% to 1.75%, in the case of LIBOR loans, with the LIBOR floor continuing to be 0.00%.
ABL Line of Credit
At January 30, 2021, we had $476.8 million available under the ABL Line of Credit. The maximum borrowings under the ABL Line of Credit during Fiscal 2020 amounted to $400.0million. Average borrowings during Fiscal 2020 amounted to $256.6 million at an average interest rate of 1.9%.
Convertible Notes
On April 16, 2020, we issued $805 million of Convertible Notes. An aggregate of up to 3,656,149 shares of common stock may be issued upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, which number is subject to adjustment up to an aggregate of 4,844,410 shares following certain corporate events that occur prior to the maturity date or if we issue a notice of redemption, and which is also subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments.
The Convertible Notes are general unsecured obligations of the Company. The Convertible Notes bear interest at a rate of 2.25% per year, payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year, beginning on October 15, 2020. The Convertible Notes will mature on April 15, 2025, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased.
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Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding January 15, 2025, the Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the occurrence of certain events and during certain periods. Thereafter, the Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date. The Convertible Notes have an initial conversion rate of 4.5418 shares per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $220.18 per share of our common stock), subject to adjustment if certain events occur. The initial conversion price represents a conversion premium of approximately 32.50% over $166.17 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on April 13, 2020 (the pricing date of the offering) on the New York Stock Exchange. Upon conversion, we will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election. We will not be able to redeem the Convertible Notes prior to April 15, 2023. On or after April 15, 2023, we will be able to redeem for cash all or any portion of the Convertible Notes, at our option, if the last reported sale price of our common stock is equal to or greater than 130% of the conversion price for a specified period of time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal aggregate amount of the Convertible Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Holders of the Convertible Notes may require us to repurchase their Convertible Notes upon the occurrence of certain events that constitute a fundamental change under the indenture governing the Convertible Notes at a purchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. In connection with certain corporate events or if we issue a notice of redemption, it will, under certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate for holders who elect to convert their Convertible Notes in connection with such corporate event or during the relevant redemption period for such Convertible Notes.
The Convertible Notes contain a cash conversion feature, and as a result, we have separated it into liability and equity components. We valued the liability component based on our borrowing rate for a similar debt instrument that does not contain a conversion feature. The equity component, which is recognized as a debt discount, was valued as the difference between the face value of the Convertible Notes and the fair value of the liability component.
Secured Notes
On April 16, 2020, our indirect subsidiary, BCFWC, issued $300 million of Senior Secured Notes. The Secured Notes are senior, secured obligations of BCFWC, and interest is payable semiannually in cash at a rate of 6.25% per annum on April 15 and October 15 of each year, beginning on October 15, 2020. The Secured Notes are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by Burlington Coat Factory Holdings, LLC, Burlington Coat Factory Investments Holdings, Inc. and BCFWC’s subsidiaries that guarantee the loans under the Term Loan Facility and ABL Line of Credit. The Secured Notes will mature on April 15, 2025 unless earlier redeemed or repurchased.
Hedging
On December 17, 2018, the Company entered into an interest rate swap contract, which was designated as a cash flow hedge. This interest rate swap, which hedges $450 million of our Term Loan Facility, became effective May 31, 2019 and matures December 29, 2023.
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Certain Information Concerning Contractual Obligations
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our obligations to make future payments under current contracts as of January 30, 2021:
Payments Due By Period
Total Less Than 1 Year 2-3 Years 4-5 Years Thereafter
(in thousands)
(3) Finance lease obligations include future interest payments.
Our agreements with three former employees to pay their respective beneficiaries $1.0 million upon their deaths for a total of $3.0 million is not reflected in the table above because the timing of the payments is unpredictable.
The table above excludes ASC Topic No. 740 “Income Taxes” (Topic No. 740) liabilities which represent uncertain tax positions related to temporary differences. The total Topic No. 740 liability was $16.9 million, inclusive of $10.6million of interest and penalties included in our total Topic No. 740 liability neither of which is presented in the table above as we are not certain if and when these payments would be required.
The table above excludes our irrevocable letters of credit guaranteeing payment and performance under certain leases, insurance contracts, debt agreements, merchandising agreements and utility agreements in the amount of $54.9 million as of January 30, 2021.
As of January 30, 2021, insurance reserves amounted to $80.9 million. These amounts are excluded from the table above as we are not certain if and when these payments would be required.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe there are several accounting policies that are critical to understanding our historical and future performance as these policies affect the reported amounts of revenues and other significant areas that involve management’s judgments and estimates. The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities; (ii) the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements; and (iii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, inventories, long-lived assets, intangible assets, goodwill, insurance reserves and income taxes. Historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances form the basis for making estimates and judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. As of the end of Fiscal 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. As a result, many of our estimates and judgments carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, our estimates may change materially in future periods. A critical accounting estimate meets two criteria: (1) it requires assumptions about highly uncertain matters and (2) there would be a material effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements from either using a different, although
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reasonable, amount within the range of the estimate in the current period or from reasonably likely period-to-period changes in the estimate.
While there are a number of accounting policies, methods and estimates affecting our Consolidated Financial Statements as addressed in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” areas that are particularly critical and significant include:
Revenue Recognition. While revenue recognition for the Company does not involve significant judgment, it represents an important accounting policy. We record revenue at the time control of goods are transferred to the customer, which we determine to be at point of sale and delivery of merchandise, net of allowances for estimated future returns, which is estimated based on historical return rates. We present sales, net of sales taxes, in our Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income. We account for layaway sales in compliance with ASC Topic No. 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” Layaway sales are recognized upon delivery of merchandise to the customer. The amount of cash received upon initiation of the layaway is recorded as a deposit liability within the line item “Other current liabilities” in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Stored value cards (gift cards and store credits issued for merchandise returns) are recorded as a liability at the time of issuance, and the related sale is recorded upon redemption.
We estimate and recognize stored value card breakage income in proportion to actual stored value card redemptions. We determine an estimated stored value card breakage rate by continuously evaluating historical redemption data. Breakage income is recognized on a monthly basis in proportion to the historical redemption patterns for those stored value cards for which the likelihood of redemption is remote.
Inventory. Our inventory is valued at the lower of cost or market using the retail inventory method. Under the retail inventory method, the valuation of inventory and the resulting gross margin are determined by applying a calculated cost to retail ratio to the retail value of inventory. The retail inventory method is an averaging method that results in valuing inventory at the lower of cost or market provided markdowns are taken timely to reduce the retail value of inventory. Inherent in the retail inventory method calculation are certain significant management judgments and estimates including merchandise markon, markups, markdowns and shortage, which significantly impact the ending inventory valuation as well as the resulting gross margin. Management believes that our retail inventory method provides an inventory valuation which approximates cost using a first-in, first-out assumption and results in carrying value at the lower of cost or market. We reserve for aged inventory based on historical trends and specific identification. Our aged inventory reserve contains uncertainties as the calculations require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment regarding a number of factors, including market conditions, the selling environment, historical results and current inventory trends. A 1% change in the dollar amount of retail markdowns would have resulted in an increase in markdown dollars, at cost, of approximately $4.5 million for Fiscal 2020.
Estimates are used to record inventory shortage at retail stores between physical inventories. Actual physical inventories are conducted at least annually to calculate actual shortage. While we make estimates on the basis of the best information available to us at the time the estimates are made, over accruals or under accruals of shortage may be identified as a result of the physical inventory counts, requiring adjustments.
Insurance Reserves. We have risk participation agreements with insurance carriers with respect to workers’ compensation, general liability insurance and health insurance. Pursuant to these arrangements, we are responsible for paying individual claims up to designated dollar limits. The amounts included in our costs related to these claims are estimated and can vary based on changes in assumptions or claims experience included in the associated insurance programs. For example, changes in legal trends and interpretations, as well as changes in the nature and method of how claims are settled, can impact ultimate costs. An increase in workers’ compensation claims by employees, health insurance claims by employees or general liability claims may result in a corresponding increase in our costs related to these claims. Insurance reserves amounted to $80.9 million and $79.0 million at January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements and their impact in our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Fluctuations in Operating Results
We expect that our revenues and operating results may fluctuate from fiscal quarter to fiscal quarter or over the longer term. Certain of the general factors that may cause such fluctuations are discussed in Item 1A, Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Annual Report.
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Seasonality
Our business, like that of most retailers, is subject to seasonal influences. In the second half of the year, which includes the back-to-school and holiday seasons, we generally realize a higher level of sales and net income. Weather is also a contributing factor to the sale of our clothing. Generally, our sales are higher if the weather is cold during the Fall and warm during the early Spring. Sales of cold weather clothing are increased by early cold weather during the Fall, while sales of warm weather clothing are improved by early warm weather conditions in the Spring. Although we have diversified our product offerings, we believe traffic to our stores is still driven, in part, by weather patterns.
Inflation
We do not believe that our operating results have been materially affected by inflation during Fiscal 2020, Fiscal 2019 or Fiscal 2018. Historically, as the costs of merchandising and related operating expenses have increased, we have been able to mitigate the effect of such impact on our operations.
The U.S. retail industry continues to face increased pressure on margins as commodity prices increase and the overall challenging retail conditions have led consumers to be more value conscious. Our “open to buy” paradigm, in which we purchase both pre-season and in-season merchandise, allows us the flexibility to purchase less pre-season with the balance purchased in-season and opportunistically. It also provides us the flexibility to shift purchases between suppliers and categories. This enables us to obtain better terms with our suppliers, which we expect to help offset the expected rising costs of goods.
Market Risk
We are exposed to market risks relating to fluctuations in interest rates. Our borrowings contain floating rate obligations and are subject to interest rate fluctuations. The objective of our financial risk management is to minimize the negative impact of interest rate fluctuations on our earnings and cash flows. We manage interest rate risk through the use of our interest rate cap contracts.
As more fully described in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, “Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” we enter into interest rate derivative contracts to manage interest rate risks associated with our long term debt obligations. The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in the line item “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. We continue to have exposure to interest rate risks to the extent they are not hedged.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Other than operating leases consummated in the normal course of business (prior to our adoption of ASU 2016-02) and letters of credit, as more fully described above under the caption “Certain Information Concerning Contractual Obligations,” we are not involved in any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future impact on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources. As a result of adopting ASU 2016-02, our operating leases are included in our Consolidated Balance Sheet for Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to certain market risks as part of our ongoing business operations. Primary exposures include changes in interest rates, as borrowings under our ABL Line of Credit and Term Loan Facility bear interest at floating rates based on LIBOR or the base rate, in each case plus an applicable borrowing margin. The interest rate of our Term Loan Facility is also dependent on the prime rate, and the federal funds rate as further discussed in Note 7 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, “Long Term Debt.”
We manage our interest rate risk through the use of interest rate derivative contracts. For our floating-rate debt, interest rate changes generally impact our earnings and cash flows, assuming other factors are held constant.
On December 17, 2018, we entered into an interest rate swap contract, which was designated as a cash flow hedge. This interest rate swap became effective on May 31, 2019. It has a notional principal amount of $450.0 million, a swap rate of 2.72%, and matures on December 29, 2023.
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On February 26, 2020, we completed a repricing of our Term Loan Facility, which among other things, reduced the interest rate margins applicable to our Term Loan Facility from 1.00% to 0.75%, in the case of prime rate loans, and from 2.00% to 1.75%, in the case of LIBOR loans, with the LIBOR floor continuing to be 0.00%.
We have unlimited interest rate risk related to borrowings on our variable rate debt in excess of the notional principal amount of our interest rate swap contract.
At January 30, 2021, we had $961.4 million of floating-rate debt, exclusive of original issue discount. Based on $961.4 million outstanding as floating-rate debt, a one percentage point interest rate increase as of January 30, 2021 (after considering our interest rate swap contract and assuming current borrowing level remains constant), would cause an increase to cash interest expense of $5.2 million per year, resulting in $5.2 million less in our pre-tax earnings. This sensitivity analysis assumes our mix of financial instruments and all other variables will remain constant in future periods. These assumptions are made in order to facilitate the analysis and are not necessarily indicative of our future intentions.
Our ability to satisfy our interest payment obligations on our outstanding debt will depend largely on our future performance, which, in turn, is in part subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors beyond our control. If we do not have sufficient cash flow to service our interest payment obligations on our outstanding indebtedness and if we cannot borrow or obtain equity financing to satisfy those obligations, our business and results of operations will be materially adversely affected. We cannot be assured that any replacement borrowing or equity financing could be successfully completed.
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Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Page
Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 50