Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Sep 30, 2023

Our Company

Sally Beauty Holdings is a leading international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. As experts in hair color and care, we aim to empower our customers to express themselves through their hair and beyond. We operate two business segments that offer beauty products in key categories, including hair care, hair color, styling tools and nails.

Sally Beauty Supply (“SBS”) – An omni-channel retailer that offers professional-quality beauty supplies at attractive prices and provides education to retail consumers and salon professionals throughout North America, South America and Europe. SBS operates primarily through retail stores (generally operating under the Sally Beauty banner) and digital platforms, including our www.sallybeauty.com (http://www.sallybeauty.com) website and a mobile commerce-based app.

Beauty Systems Group (“BSG”) – A leading full-service omni-channel distributor that offers professional beauty supplies exclusively to salons and salon professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada. These salon professionals primarily rely on just-in-time inventory due to capital constraints and limited warehouse and shelf space. BSG operates through company-operated stores (generally operating under the Cosmo Prof banner), franchised stores, distributor sales consultants (“DSCs”) and digital platforms, including our www.cosmoprofbeauty.com (http://www.cosmoprofbeauty.com) website, a mobile commerce-based app and chain portals.

The breadth, depth and professional quality of our hair color and care assortment provides us with a differentiated core business in an industry which is otherwise fragmented. Due to our long history, brand heritage, product and process-specific knowledge and training of associates, we provide unmatched hair color and care expertise to consumers. We also have strong positioning with suppliers given our focus and economies of scale of purchasing. By operating in a variety of channels, we are able to reach broad, diversified geographies and customer segments using a variety of product assortments and tactics.

Operating and Growth Strategy

Our operating and growth strategy is guided by our vision to own professional hair color and care for both the do-it-yourself (“DIY”) enthusiast and professional stylist. SBS’s differentiation is to offer a vast array of hair color and care solutions for in-home use, and this is supported by the content and education we provide our customers. While at BSG, we are the largest North American distributor of professional hair color and care, offering stylists and salons the most extensive portfolio of third-party brands in the market.

We remain focused on driving top line growth and profitability by executing on our strategic initiatives:

Customer Centricity

Our DIY customers and professional stylists value the services, education and innovation we provide. We continue to build customer centricity through our value-added services and concepts, including Studio by Sally, Cosmo Prof Direct, Licensed Colorist on Demand (“LCOD”), Happy Beauty Co. and Walmart.com digital marketplace. As we gain insights and customer feedback from these concepts, we believe there are opportunities for us to expand on these concepts further and to provide growth beyond our core.

Owned Brands and Innovation

We believe our focus on growing our owned brands at SBS and innovating will help us attract new customers and keep long-term relationships with existing customers. During the fiscal year, we expanded our owned brand portfolio with the launch of bondbar and brought to market many innovative products from new and key vendors. At BSG, we launched brands like Amika, Wella’s Ultimate Repair and Danger Jones, and expanded our distribution with Color Wow. Additionally, at the end of the fiscal year, we expanded our distribution rights and significantly strengthened BSG’s position in a strategically important market with the asset acquisition of Goldwell of New York. Going into next fiscal year, we are focused on expanding on our owned brand offerings to drive higher sales penetration, increasing our BSG distribution footprint through expanding high-profile brands, and bringing to market innovation across our key categories of hair care and hair color.

Efficiency and Optimization

During the fiscal year, we were able to substantially complete our distribution center consolidation and store optimization plan (the “Plan”), resulting in strong sales recapture rates and cost savings. We also set in motion our Fuel for Growth (“FFG”) initiative. FFG is a mandate to rethink the way we work, generating cost savings and modernizing key parts of our business. For example, our transition to pooled distribution and ongoing changes to our store shipping frequency has lowered our transportation costs. We believe these efficiency and optimization initiatives will help us offset inflationary pressures and continued growth investments in the upcoming fiscal year.

We believe focusing in these areas will position our company for future growth, further enhance our ability to meet our customers where they are, and attract new customers.

Store Design and Locations

Sally Beauty Supply

SBS has retail stores in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Chile. Stores are designed to highlight our extensive product offerings and differentiated position in hair color, hair care, styling tools and nails. We apply strong category management processes, including store specific planograms, to maintain consistent merchandise presentation across our store base. In the U.S. and Canada, our average store offers an average of 7,000 beauty products and is approximately 1,650 square feet in size. Stores are typically located in strip shopping centers, which are occupied by other high traffic retailers such as grocery stores, mass merchants and home improvement centers. Store formats, including average size and product selection, vary by marketplace to meet the needs of the customer.

We calibrate store renewals, remodels and expansions between new and existing geographies. In existing marketplaces, we add stores to provide additional coverage and strategically close or relocate underperforming stores as necessary. In new marketplaces, SBS selects geographic areas and store sites on the basis of demographic information, the quality and nature of neighboring tenants, store visibility and location accessibility. SBS generally seeks to expand in geographically contiguous areas to leverage its expertise.

During the fiscal year, we began testing two new store concepts, Happy Beauty Co. and Studio by Sally.

Happy Beauty Co. is a unique new retail store concept that brings to market an engaging beauty experience with thousands of quality products priced under $10 in an accessible, fun and expressive environment. Stores feature both third-party brands and our owned brands encompassing four key categories: cosmetics & facial care, bath & body, nails and hair. The initial pilot stores were opened in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona markets. If our pilot stores are successful, we believe there is an opportunity for 500-1,000 locations across the U.S.

Studio by Sally is a new pilot store concept that adds an in-person educational salon experience where licensed stylists will train and educate customers, empowering them to personally achieve their desired results. As of September 30, 2023, we have six Studio by Sally pilot stores opened in various markets and have been encouraged with the results. Looking to fiscal year 2024, we anticipate converting up to 30 additional stores. Longer term, we anticipate a mix of conversions and relocations, and we believe there is an opportunity to scale to over 100 Studio by Sally locations throughout the U.S. in the coming years.

SBS’s store count for the last three fiscal years is summarized in the following table:

(1) Includes ten pilot stores for Happy Beauty Company opened in fiscal year 2023.

(2) In fiscal years 2023 and 2022, we closed 294 stores and 36 stores, respectively, in connection with our Distribution Center Consolidation and Store Optimization Plan (“the Plan”).

Beauty Systems Group

BSG stores, including franchise-based Armstrong McCall stores, are designed to highlight our extensive product offerings to salons and salon professionals. Our stores, on average, offer approximately 8,000 professional beauty products tailored to the territory and are segmented into distinctive areas arranged by product type, with certain areas dedicated to leading third-party brands. Our company-operated stores average approximately 2,700 square feet and are located primarily in secondary strip shopping centers, being a destination exclusively for licensed cosmetologists.

BSG’s store count for the last three fiscal years is summarized in the following table:

(1) In fiscal years 2023 and 2022, we closed 26 stores and 7 stores, respectively, in connection with the Plan.

Merchandise

We believe our product offerings, led by our hair color and care categories, provide us a competitive advantage. During the last three fiscal years, our hair color and care products made up approximately 70% of our total consolidated sales. Key products included within our sales categories are as follows:

• Hair Color – Developer/lightener, semi-permanent/demi-permanent/permanent hair color, toner
• Hair Care – Shampoo and conditioner, hair gels and creams, hair spray
• Styling Tools – Hair dryers, irons, curling rods/rollers/pins, brushes/combs, clippers/trimmers/accessories, shears, razors, salon accessories
• Nails – Polish, gel, acrylics, dips, nail accessories & supplies
• Skin and Cosmetics – Cosmetics, cosmetic accessories, hair removal, skincare, jewelry
• Other Beauty Products – Salon chairs, dryers, basics

Additionally, as a top destination to shop for professional color and care, our goal is to be in-stock in these core categories at every opportunity.

Sally Beauty Supply

SBS carries an extensive selection of leading third-party, owned and exclusive-labeled brand professional beauty supplies across a variety of product categories. As leaders in the beauty industry, we believe we are uniquely positioned to adapt and innovate within our brands, partnerships and product offerings to provide the looks customers want. We believe this focus helps us attract new customers and keep long-term relationships with existing customers. During the fiscal year, we have invested more into marketing of our owned brands and launched our new owned branded vegan product line – bondbar – that’s SLS/SLES-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free and cruelty-free. Continuing the success of bondbar's initial launch of hair repair products, we expanded the brand's product line to include a full shade range of permanent hair color with built-in bonding technology during the fiscal year and will be expanding our assortment for color and care lines in fiscal year 2024. These initiatives have helped deliver an increase in our owned brands sales penetration, resulting in higher SBS profit margins.

We believe that our owned and exclusive-labeled brands, available only at SBS, offer equal or better quality than leading third-party brands. During the last three fiscal years, our SBS U.S. and Canada-owned and exclusive-labeled brand sales accounted for approximately 48%, 45%, and 45%, respectively.

Beauty Systems Group

BSG carries an extensive selection of leading, third-party branded products, many of which are under exclusive distributions rights, at competitive prices across a variety of product categories. We have exclusive and non-exclusive distribution rights with several key vendors for well-known brands in certain geographies and continue to pursue the acquisition of additional distribution rights. As the largest North American distributor of professional hair color and care, carrying an extensive selection of branded merchandise is critical to maintaining relationships with our professional customers.

Marketing and Advertising

Sally Beauty Supply

We target existing and potential customers through an integrated marketing approach designed to reach the customer through a variety of media channels, including digital advertising, e-mail, social media, text messaging, mobile app push notifications, direct mail, radio and experiential advertising.

SBS’s marketing initiatives are designed to drive customer traffic through added education, content and community building. We leverage a combination of internal and external influencers/content experts to educate and make customers feel confident about DIY hair color, hair care, nails and other beauty trends. Our external influencers consist of content creators and/or professional stylists who are DIY experts in their areas of focus and aim to inspire, educate and empower beauty enthusiasts. Additionally, our internal Sally Beauty Associate Affiliate Program encourages our associates to share their unique expertise with customers on social media to curate a community of inspiring, diverse creators who are using SBS merchandise for their DIY beauty, nails, hair and self-expression.

Beauty Systems Group

BSG’s marketing programs are designed to promote its extensive selection of brand name products at competitive prices and to educate, motivate and empower existing and potential customers. We work closely with our vendors to provide promotional offers for certain products to target existing and potential customers. We distribute promotional material through multiple channels, including print mail, e-mail, SMS, mobile app push notifications, social media, trade shows, educational events, store personnel and DSCs. As of September 30, 2023, we had a network of 670 DSCs who personally consult, support and sell directly to salons and salon professionals. In addition, we believe that our digital platforms enhance other efforts intended to promote awareness of our products by salons and salon professionals.

Customer Loyalty

In the U.S. and Canada, our Sally Beauty Rewards Program is designed to earn SBS customer loyalty and was recognized as one of “America’s Best Loyalty Programs” by Newsweek & Statista in 2022 and 2023. The program is free to join, and it provides our loyalty customers the ability to earn points on their SBS purchases, that convert to Sally Beauty Rewards when certain thresholds are attained. Through the program, these customers may also receive exclusive savings and personalized marketing offers.

In the U.S., we also offer our SBS customers the opportunity to apply for the Sally Beauty Rewards Credit Card that provides additional benefits to being a Sally Beauty Rewards member. Additionally, we offer our SBS professional customers and BSG customers the opportunity to apply for the Cosmo Prof Rewards Credit Card, which provides discounts on Cosmo Prof purchases or points through the Sally Beauty Rewards Program on SBS purchases.

Through these programs, we are able to collect valuable point-of-sale customer data as a means of increasing our understanding of customers and enhancing our ability to personalize our marketing. We will continue to monitor and evolve our Sally Beauty Rewards Program in an effort to further enhance the customer experience and promote repeat sales from both retail customers and salon professionals. Outside the U.S. and Canada, our customer loyalty and marketing programs vary by marketplace.

Digital Strategy

We continue to grow our digital footprint, not only through our marketing and customer relationship efforts, but also through our digital platforms in each segment. We believe we are uniquely positioned to continue expanding our digital sales penetration thanks to our omni-channel business model, which enables us to meet our customers where they are; in store or online, or through a hybrid approach such as our “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) option. Additionally, our digital strategy of enhancing our customer centricity aims to expand our services ecosystem to support professional stylists as well as increase education and expertise to inspire and support all of our customers.

To that end, we are excited to continue our digital expansion through our recent initiatives, such as our stylist platform, Cosmo Prof Direct, powered by Salon HQ and our new Licensed Colorist on Demand ("LCOD") featured on our website, www.sallybeauty.com (http://www.sallybeauty.com).

In BSG, Cosmo Prof Direct is a platform that gives our stylists the ability to curate a product selection from thousands of choices and enable clients to purchase directly from their shops without having to hold inventory. During the fiscal year, the platform has continued to expand, ending the fiscal year with more than 4,300 digital storefronts. We continue to gain traction as stylists gaining a deeper understanding of how they can leverage this resource to profitably grow their business.

In SBS, we recently launched LCOD to provide our customers with a more engaging shopping experience. Our LCOD is a digital-focused initiative where customers can live chat by text, voice or video with a licensed colorist to learn more about our hair color product offerings and how to use our products to achieve their desired results. This online option is available in all 50 states and appears as a chat box when customers are browsing our selection of hair color merchandise. While still in its initial launch phase, we are gaining valuable insights and customer feedback. Furthermore, during the fiscal year, we launched a digital marketplace selling initiative with Walmart.com, and are expanding to other online sites to fuel digital sales growth and attract new customers to our Sally brands.

Distribution

We currently receive our merchandise through several distribution centers in the U.S. and various other countries. Our distribution centers service our stores, orders from our DSCs and ship-to-customer orders through various freight carriers. We procure our owned-branded merchandise through domestic and foreign vendors and work closely with our overseas vendors to fulfill production orders and schedule ocean and freight carriers to deliver to our distribution centers.

Over the past several years, we have made significant investments in our end-to-end supply chain systems and processes to build a best-in-class merchandising and supply chain platform for the future. As a result, earlier this fiscal year, we started testing a new shipping frequency from our distribution centers to a limited population of SBS and BSG stores by leveraging investments within our supply chain systems. This change has resulted in improved labor productivity, reduced freight costs and has lowered our carbon emissions, while allowing us to maintain healthy in-stock levels. Based on the positive results from the test, we are expanding this program to the majority of our remaining SBS and BSG store fleet throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Additionally, customers are looking for more convenient options for receiving merchandise, which is helping drive their purchasing decisions. As such, we have made significant investments to “meet them where they are.” When ordering through our digital platforms, our customers can select different fulfillment options, including: BOPIS; deliver by common carrier (from store or distribution centers); and 2-hour delivery. Introduced in fiscal year 2021, our BOPIS and 2-hour delivery methods have continued to see increased traction. For the fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, BOPIS and 2-hour delivery has made up approximately 42%, 33%, and 19%, respectively, of our SBS U.S and Canada sales through our digital platforms.

Seasonality

Our business is generally not seasonal, but typically has higher sales in our first quarter related to the holiday sales period.

Our Competition

The primary competitive factors in our industry are: the price of branded and owned-brand products; exclusive distribution contracts; the quality, perceived value, brand name recognition, packaging and variety of the products sold; customer service; efficiency of distribution networks; and the availability of desirable store locations.

SBS competes primarily with beauty product wholesale and retail outlets, including local and regional open-line beauty supply stores, professional-only beauty supply stores, mass merchandisers, online retailers, drug stores, department stores and supermarkets as well as salons that sell hair care products. BSG competes primarily with beauty product wholesale suppliers, including online retailers and manufacturers selling their products directly to salons and salon professionals.

We face competition from certain manufacturers that use their own sales forces to distribute their professional beauty products directly or that align themselves with our competitors. Some of these manufacturers are vertically integrated through the acquisition of distributors and stores. We also face competition from authorized and unauthorized retailers as well as internet sites offering professional salon-only products.

Our Suppliers

We purchase our merchandise directly from manufacturers through supply contracts and purchase orders. For fiscal year 2023, our five largest suppliers – Henkel AG & Co. KGaA; Wella Company; the Professional Products Division of L'Oreal USA S/D, Inc., or L’Oreal; John Paul Mitchell Systems; and Kao Corporation – accounted for approximately 43% of our consolidated merchandise purchases. We have developed long-standing, relationships, some of which are exclusive, with these suppliers and many others, which we believe is core to our competitive advantage. We purchase products from these and many other manufacturers on an at-will basis or under contracts which can generally be terminated without cause upon 90 days or less notice or expire without express rights of renewal.

Intellectual Property

In the U.S. and in other countries where we operate, we have registered or legally protected trademarks, copyrights, internet domain names, service marks and trade names that are used to promote and market our business, stores, digital platforms and products. We believe many of these are well recognized and have significant value, including but not limited to: Sally®, Sally Beauty®, Cosmo Prof®, Armstrong McCall®, ION® and Beyond the Zone®.

Our Company Purpose & Values

Our Company Purpose & Values are intended to establish our rallying cry and focus our teams on the impact we intend to have in the world.

Our Purpose: TO INSPIRE A MORE COLORFUL, CONFIDENT AND WELCOMING WORLD

Our Values:

• BE YOURSELF. Come as you are—everyone is welcome here.
• BE AN INSPIRATION. Share your passion and knowledge with your team, your customers, the world.
• BE BOLD. Dive in. Move fast. Say yes.
• BE AN OWNER. Drive growth. Create your future.
• BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER. Take care of each other, our community and our planet.

More information on our Purpose & Values can be found at: www.sallybeautyholdings.com/our-company/purpose-and-values (http://www.sallybeautyholdings.com/our-company/purpose-and-values).

Human Capital Management

As of September 30, 2023, we had approximately 27,000 global associates, including approximately 13,000 full-time associates. We believe they are our greatest asset with their combined skills, knowledge, work/life experiences and capabilities. At the front line interacting with our customers or behind-the-scenes supporting our field teams, our associates play a major role in our business. While we often emphasize our technology-based transformations and our wide variety of professional beauty products as key attributes, nothing happens or succeeds without our people.

In return for what they do for us, among many other things, we strive to:

• Ensure our associates work in a safe, healthy environment;
• Provide competitive compensation and benefits packages that attract and retain talent in every facet of our business – stores, direct sales, distribution centers and corporate headquarters. Our benefits range from medical, dental and vision care – including options for our part-time associates – to 401(k), short and long-term disability and a robust Employee Assistance Program. Starting fiscal year 2023, we began providing six weeks of paid parental leave for mothers, fathers or partners upon the birth or placement of a child;
• Provide meaningful, engaging learning and development that grows our associates’ knowledge and capability with respect to our business and skills that will help them in business and life; and
• Create an environment and culture where everyone can bring their true self to work, because our differences are what make us beautiful. At SBH, we believe our focus on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging are crucial

to improving how we interact with and influence our associates, customer environments and broader communities. We are committed to being a force for change.

Associate Health & Safety

We strive to create a safe and healthy work environment for all associates

We place a high value on the health and safety of our associates, customers, suppliers and vendors. This commitment is evidenced, in part, by our background check policy for new hires, training and policy implementations related to handling both associate and customer incidents, partnerships to maintain the stores and make necessary repairs, as well as ongoing support in the field and at the support center.

Additionally, we value our partnerships with suppliers and vendors and understand the impact they can have on our associates. Thus, SBH has included rules governing their conduct, both with respect to expectations while interacting with our associates and, with our foreign suppliers, assurances that they too are providing a safe and healthy working environment for their associates.

Labor Practices

We provide competitive wages and benefits in a positive work environment where we focus on doing what is right

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer with up-to-date policies, procedures and practices with respect to such important issues as safety, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. We provide focused training on these issues to our associates and managers.

We clearly communicate that any concerns related to issues such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation – and other issues such as wage law compliance and fraud – should be reported immediately. We also communicate the avenues available to our associates to do so through our “SBH CARES” communications and posters. The reporting avenues include options to do so by phone or online through our “Employee Concern Line” and to do so anonymously if an associate prefers to take that approach.

We ensure compliance with other important labor and employment law issues through a variety of processes and procedures, using both internal and external expertise and resources.

We also emphasize the importance of taking care of our associates in our Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the standard of conduct that applies to all of our associates, executive officers and Board of Directors. The Code reflects the core principles of conducting our business as a good corporate citizen in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to us and the conduct business with regard for the welfare of our associates and providing equal opportunity to all associates and job applicants. You can review this important document at http://investor.sallybeautyholdings.com.

Associate Engagement, Development and Culture

We live our values, listen to our associates and take action

We make significant efforts to ensure our associates are informed, engaged and excited about the work they are doing and contributions they are making to our Company and our customers. We are committed to providing associates with what they need to thrive and grow their career. We significantly invest in our talent processes and set clear expectations around leadership competencies and our cultural values at all levels in the organization. At SBH, we consider the whole end-to-end talent cycle of an associate to ensure we select exceptional people to represent our business and best serve our customer. This includes robust interviewing processes as well as comprehensive onboarding programs to ensure new hires are set up to succeed in their early stages of joining SBH. There is also a strong cadence on completing regular cycles of performance management, linked to our Company values and leadership competencies, as well as regular reviews of our talent and succession pipelines.

Importantly, we devote significant effort and resources to the development of our associates, including providing almost all of our associates access to state-of-the-art learning management systems. We use these platforms to provide specifically designed and interactive award-winning e-learning courses in sales and service, product and hair knowledge, compliance training, and health and safety.

We also place significant value and attention on responding to feedback and input from associates. This includes surveys regarding issues such as Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging and our annual engagement survey. We review our team’s input and comments, identify common themes and set out action plans to respond. We believe listening is crucial, but taking action and making commitments are even more important.

A core focus of our associate engagement and culture are our efforts focused on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, discussed below.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

At Sally Beauty we celebrate differences, inclusivity and self-expression. This fundamental aspect of SBH’s culture is rooted in our belief that beauty is for everyone, and everyone should find their own path to beauty. Our associates and our customers care about celebrating diversity and self-expression. We want our Company and our stores to be places where all of our associates and customers feel valued for who they are and experience a sense of belonging.

We come together to create a culture for “One & All”

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging are at the heart of who we are as a Company – at the Board level, throughout our global workforce and in our shared commitment to serving a diverse customer base and their communities.

Our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Mission Statement:

We find beauty in YOU!

Finding beauty in diversity is in our DNA because our differences are what make us beautiful. Our diversity, inclusivity and self-expression are what fuel our innovation and growth.

At SBH, we come together to create a culture for ONE & ALL.

At the Board Level: Our Board’s composition leads the Company’s commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Having diverse voices on our Board enhances the Board’s expertise, broadens its viewpoint and sets the tone to encourage leaders at all levels of the Company to listen to the concerns of our associates and customers alike. Our Compensation & Talent Committee provides hands-on oversight and guidance of our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging initiatives. Our Board believes listening and responding to diverse voices is crucial to the Company’s success and long-term sustainability.

In Our Workforce: Our SBH Team in the U.S. & Canada is approximately 90% women and approximately 50% people of color. This year, Newsweek recognized SBH among America’s Greatest Workplaces, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. We recognize and celebrate the bedrock values of workforce diversity, inclusion, belonging and engagement within our teams. For us, these are key drivers of the success of the business, as our associates should – and do – reflect the various qualities of our customers and what they desire and expect from SBH.

During the fiscal year, we further embedded the Company’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), with our first four groups that represent our Black, Hispanic, Women and LGBTQ+ associates. These ERGS have made a meaningful impact on our team and business, and we will continue to connect and engage them on how we do business, how we best serve our customers, and how we enhance our team and culture.

In Our Customer Base: Our customers span the entire continuum of gender and ethnic diversity. We sell beauty products to treat and style every kind of hair; we deliver a tailored assortment of beauty products that serve the local communities where our over 3,500 U.S. and Canada stores are located. Serving the diverse demographics and needs of our customers drives a culture and workforce that embraces and reflects the communities we serve.

We will continue to develop and evolve how we enhance Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging throughout SBH. We recognize the value these initiatives bring to our Company, our associates, our customers and the communities we serve.

More information on our approach to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging can be found at: www.sallybeautyholdings.com/our-company/diversity-inclusion-and-belonging (http://www.sallybeautyholdings.com/our-company/diversity-inclusion-and-belonging).

Regulation

We are subject to a number of U.S., federal, state and local laws and regulations as well as the laws and regulations applicable in each foreign country or jurisdiction in which we do business. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, the composition, packaging, labeling and safety of the products we sell, the methods we use to sell these products and the methods we use to import these products.

For example, in the U.S., most of the products we sell and the content and methods of advertising and marketing utilized are subject to both federal and state regulations administered by a host of federal and state agencies, including, in each case, one or more of the following: the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Products Safety Commission. The transportation and disposal of many of our products are also subject to federal and state regulation. State and local agencies regulate many aspects of our business. We also face comprehensive regulation outside the U.S., focused primarily on product labeling and safety issues. We believe we are in material compliance with the laws and regulations we are subject to, although no assurance can be provided that this will remain true going forward or that we will not be required to incur meaningful expenses complying with such laws and regulations.

As of September 30, 2023, we supplied franchised stores primarily located in the U.S. As a result of these franchisor-franchisee relationships, we are subject to regulation when offering and selling franchises. The applicable laws and regulations affect our business practices, as franchisor, in a number of ways, including restrictions placed upon the offering, renewal, termination and disapproval of assignment of franchises. To date, these laws and regulations have not had a material effect upon our operations.

Access to Public Filings

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports are available, without charge, on our website, www.sallybeautyholdings.com (http://www.sallybeautyholdings.com), as soon as reasonably possible after they are filed electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, under the Exchange Act. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains our reports, proxy and information statements, and other information we file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). We will provide copies of such reports to any person, without charge, upon written request to our Investor Relations Department at our principal office. The information found on our website shall not be considered to be part of this or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Important risk factors that could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods are described below. These factors are not intended to be an all-encompassing list of risks and uncertainties and are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks not currently known to us, or we currently deem to be immaterial, also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods.

Operational, Strategic and General Business Risks

The beauty products distribution industry is highly competitive and is consolidating.

We face significant competition from other beauty stores and outlets, salons, mass merchandisers, online retailers, drug stores and supermarkets. The primary competitive factors in the beauty products distribution industry are price, quality, perceived value, consumer brand name recognition, packaging and variety and availability, customer service, desirable store locations, in-stock inventory and, with respect to e-commerce, look and feel of website and delivery times and costs. Competitive conditions may limit our ability to maintain prices or may require us to reduce prices in efforts to retain business or channel share, particularly because customers are able to quickly and conveniently comparison shop and determine real-time product availability using digital tools, which can lead to decisions driven solely by price, the functionality of the digital tools, or a combination of these and other factors. Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do and are less leveraged than our business and may therefore be able to spend more aggressively on advertising and promotional activities and respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions. Furthermore, there are few significant barriers to entry into the marketplace for most of the products we sell making it easy for new market entrants to compete with us. We expect existing competitors, business partners and new entrants to the beauty products distribution industry to constantly revise or improve their business models in response to challenges from competing businesses, including ours. If these competitors introduce changes or developments that we cannot address in a timely or cost-effective manner, our business may be adversely affected.

In addition, our industry is consolidating, which may give our suppliers and our competitors increased negotiating leverage and greater marketing resources. For instance, we may lose customers if those competitors which have broad geographic reach attract additional salons (individual and chain) that are currently BSG customers, or if professional beauty supply manufacturers align themselves with our competitors or begin selling direct to customers. Not only does consolidation in distribution pose risks from competing distributors, but it may also place more leverage in the hands of certain manufacturers, resulting in smaller margins on products sold through our network.

If we are unable to compete effectively in our marketplace or if competitors divert our customers away from our networks, it would adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be unable to anticipate and effectively respond to changes in consumer preferences and buying trends in a timely manner.

Our success depends in part on our ability, and our distributed third-party brands' ability, to anticipate, gauge and react in a timely manner to changes in consumer spending patterns and preferences for specific beauty products. If we or the brands we distribute do not timely identify and properly respond to evolving trends and changing consumer demands for beauty products in the geographies in which we compete, our sales may decline significantly. Furthermore, we may accumulate additional inventory and be required to mark down unsold inventory to prices that are significantly lower than normal prices, which would adversely impact our margins and could further adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, a large percentage of our SBS product sales come from our owned and exclusive-label brand products. The development and promotion of these owned and exclusive-label brand products often occur well before these products are sold in our stores. As a result, the success of these owned and exclusive-label brand products is largely dependent on our ability to develop products that meet future consumer preferences at prices that are acceptable to our customers. Furthermore, we may have to spend a significant amount on the advertising and marketing of our owned and exclusive-label brands to drive customer awareness of these brands. There can be no assurance that any new owned and exclusive-label brand will meet consumer preferences, gain acceptance among our customer base or generate sales to become profitable or to cover the costs of its development and promotion.

We expect continuously changing fashion-related trends and consumer tastes to influence future demand for beauty products. Changes in consumer tastes, fashion trends and brand reputation can have an impact on our financial performance. If we or third-party brands we distribute are unable to anticipate and respond to trends in the marketplace for beauty products and changing consumer demands and/or maintain a strong brand reputation, our business could suffer.

Our future success depends in part on our ability to successfully implement our strategic initiatives to improve the customer experience, attract new customers and improve the sales productivity of our stores.

We are continuing the implementation of a significant number of strategic initiatives designed to enhance our customer centricity, increase our owned brand sales penetration, improve operational efficiency and optimize our capabilities, including through closure of underperforming stores and consolidation of distribution centers. There can be no assurance that these or future strategic initiatives will be successful. Furthermore, we are investing significant resources in these initiatives and the costs of the initiatives may outweigh their benefits. If these strategic initiatives are not successful, our comparative sales will suffer and our growth prospects, financial results, profitability and cash flows will also be adversely impacted.

Our restructuring plans may not be successful, or we may not fully realize the expected cost savings and/or operating efficiencies.

Our ability to grow profitably depends in large part on our ability to successfully control or reduce our operating expenses. In furtherance of this strategy, we have engaged and continue to engage in activities to reduce or control costs, some of which are complicated and require us to expend significant resources to implement. Over the past several years, we have implemented, and plan to continue to implement, plans to transform the Company for the future and support long-term sales growth and profitability. These programs are intended to touch all aspects of the business, enhance operating capabilities and create greater efficiencies. These strategic plans present potential risks that may impair our ability to achieve anticipated operating enhancements and efficiencies and/or cost reductions.

We depend upon manufacturers who may be unable to provide products of adequate quality or who may be unwilling to continue to supply products to us.

We do not manufacture any products we sell and instead purchase our products from recognized brand manufacturers and private label fillers. We depend on a limited number of manufacturers for a significant percentage of the products we sell.

Additionally, since we purchase products from many manufacturers and fillers under at-will contracts and contracts which can be terminated without cause upon 90 days’ notice or less, or which expire without express rights of renewal, manufacturers and fillers could discontinue sales to us immediately or upon short notice. Some of our contracts with manufacturers may be terminated if we fail to meet specified minimum purchase requirements. If minimum purchase requirements are not met, we do not have contractual assurances of continued supply. In lieu of termination, a manufacturer may also change the terms upon which it sells, for example, by raising prices or broadening distribution to third parties. For these and other reasons, we may not be able to acquire desired merchandise in sufficient quantities or on acceptable terms in the future.

Changes in SBS’s and BSG’s relationships with suppliers occur often and could positively or negatively impact the net sales and operating earnings of both business segments. Some of our suppliers may seek to decrease their reliance on distribution intermediaries, including full-service/exclusive and open-line distributors like BSG and SBS, by promoting their own distribution channels. These suppliers may offer advantages, such as lower prices, when their products are purchased from distribution channels they control. If our access to supplier-provided products were to diminish relative to our competitors or we were not able to purchase products at the same prices as our competitors, our business could be materially and adversely affected. Also, consolidation among suppliers may increase their negotiating leverage, thereby providing them with competitive advantages that may increase our costs and reduce our revenues, adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the impact of these developments, if they were to occur, will not adversely impact revenue or margins or that our efforts to mitigate the impact of these developments will be successful.

Furthermore, from time to time, we receive shipments of product from our suppliers that fail to conform to our quality control standards. A failure in our quality control program may result in diminished inventory levels and product quality, which in turn may result in increased order cancellations and product returns, decreased consumer demand for our products, or product recalls, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Any significant interruption in the supply of products by manufacturers and fillers or disruptions in our supply chain infrastructure could disrupt our ability to deliver merchandise to our stores and customers in a timely manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Manufacturers and owned and exclusive-label brand fillers of beauty supply products are subject to certain risks that could adversely impact their ability to provide us with their products on a timely basis, including inability to procure ingredients, industrial accidents, environmental events, strikes and other labor disputes, union organizing activity, disruptions in logistics or information systems, loss or impairment of key manufacturing sites, product quality control, safety, licensing requirements and other regulatory issues, as well as natural disasters, pandemics and other external factors over which neither they nor we have control.

In addition, we directly source many of our owned and exclusive-label brand products, including, but not limited to, styling tools, salon equipment, sundries and other promotional products, from foreign third-party manufacturers and many of our vendors also use overseas sourcing to manufacture some or all of their products. Any event causing a sudden disruption of manufacturing or imports from such foreign countries, including the imposition of additional or increased import restrictions, duties or tariffs, political instability, local business practices, legal or economic restrictions on overseas suppliers’ ability to produce and deliver products or acts of war or terrorism or pandemics, could materially harm our operations to the extent they affect the production, shipment or receipt of merchandise. Our operating results depend to some extent on the orderly operation of our receiving and distribution processes, which depend on manufacturers’ adherence to shipping schedules and our effective management of our distribution facilities and capacity.

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of inventory may result in higher cost of goods, which we may not be able to pass on to the customers.

Our suppliers frequently attempt to pass on higher production costs, which have generally increased as a result of inflation over the past few years, which may impact our ability to maintain or grow our margins. The price and availability of raw materials may be impacted by inflation, demand, regulation, weather and other factors. Additionally, manufacturers have and may continue to have increases in other manufacturing costs, such as transportation, labor and benefit costs. These increases in production costs result in higher merchandise costs to us. We may not always be able to pass on those cost increases to our customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our e-commerce businesses may be unsuccessful or, if successful, may redirect sales from our stores.

We offer many of our beauty products for sale through our e-commerce businesses in the U.S. (such as www.sallybeauty.com (http://www.sallybeauty.com), www.cosmoprofbeauty.com (http://www.cosmoprofbeauty.com), www.cosmoprofequipment.com (http://www.cosmoprofequipment.com) and mobile commerce-based apps) and abroad. We have recently undertaken a number of initiatives to significantly advance our digital commerce capabilities and grow our e-commerce businesses. As a result, we are more susceptible to risks and difficulties frequently experienced by internet-based businesses, including risks related to our ability to attract and retain customers on a cost-effective basis and our ability to operate, support, expand and develop our e-commerce operations, websites and software and other related operational systems. Furthermore, our e-commerce businesses face significant competition from larger retailers with more established e-commerce platforms as well as online retailers, including Amazon, and on-line store e-commerce platforms such as Shopify.

Although we believe our participation in both e-commerce and physical store sales is a distinct advantage for us due to synergies and the potential for new customers, supporting product offerings through both of these channels could create issues that have the potential to adversely affect our results of operations. For example, growth in our e-commerce business relative to in-store sales may result in dilution of operating margin and profit due to higher delivery expenses incurred in our e-commerce sales. Furthermore, if our e-commerce businesses successfully grow, they may do so in part by attracting existing customers, rather than new customers, who choose to purchase products from us online rather than from our physical stores, thereby reducing the financial performance of our stores. In addition, offering different products through each channel could cause conflicts and cause some of our current or potential internet customers to consider competing distributors of beauty products. In addition, offering products through our e-commerce channels (particularly directly to consumers through our professional business) could cause some of our current or potential vendors to consider competing internet offerings of their products either directly or through competing distributors. As we continue to grow our e-commerce businesses, the impact of attracting existing rather than new customers, of conflicts between product offerings online and through our stores, and of opening up our channels to increased internet competition could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including operating margin, profit, future growth and comparative sales. Furthermore, our recent initiatives to upgrade our e-commerce platforms may not be successful in driving traffic to our websites and increasing our online sales in the long term, which could adversely impact our net sales.

Diversion of professional products sold by BSG could have an adverse impact on our revenues.

The majority of the products that BSG sells, including those sold by our Armstrong McCall franchisees, are meant to be used exclusively by salons and individual salon professionals or sold exclusively to their retail consumers. However, despite our efforts to prevent diversion, incidents of product diversion occur, whereby our products are sold by these purchasers (and possibly by other bulk purchasers such as franchisees) to wholesalers and ultimately to general merchandise retailers, among others. These retailers, in turn, sell such products to consumers. The diverted product may be old, tainted or damaged and sold through unapproved outlets, all of which could diminish the value of the particular brand. In addition, such diversion may result in lower net sales for BSG should consumers choose to purchase diverted products from retailers rather than purchasing from our customers or choose other products altogether because of the perceived loss of brand prestige. Furthermore, in many instances, BSG is subject to certain anti-diversion obligations under these manufacturers’ contracts, that if violated may result in the termination of such contracts. In addition, our investigation and enforcement of these anti-diversion obligations may require us to cease selling to customers suspected of diversion which could impact BSG’s net sales.

The loss of exclusive distribution rights with key vendors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have exclusive and non-exclusive distribution rights with several key vendors for well-known brands in certain geographies. If key vendors ceased granting us exclusive distribution rights, or decided to utilize other distribution channels for their products, therefore widening the availability of these products in other channels, the revenue we earn from the sale of such products could be negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

BSG’s financial results are affected by the financial results of BSG’s franchised-based business (Armstrong McCall).

BSG receives revenue from its sale of products to Armstrong McCall franchisees. Accordingly, a portion of BSG’s financial results is dependent upon the operational and financial success of these franchisees, including their implementation of BSG’s strategic plans. If sales trends or economic conditions worsen for Armstrong McCall’s franchisees, their financial results may worsen. Additionally, the failure of Armstrong McCall franchisees to renew their franchise agreements, any requirement that Armstrong McCall restructure its franchise agreements in connection with such renewals, or any failure of Armstrong McCall to meet its obligations under its franchise agreements, could result in decreased revenues for BSG or create legal issues with our franchisees or with manufacturers.

Furthermore, our franchisees may not run the stores and sales teams according to our standards, which could have a material adverse effect on our brand reputation and our business.

If we are unable to optimize our store base by profitably opening and operating new stores and closing less profitable stores, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Our future growth strategy depends in part on our ability to optimize and profitably operate our stores in existing and additional geographic areas, including in international geographies, and to close underperforming stores. While the capital requirements to open an SBS or BSG store, excluding inventory, vary from geography to geography, such capital requirements have historically been relatively low in the U.S. and Canada. Despite these relatively low opening costs, we may not be able to open all the new stores we plan to open and we may be unable to optimize our store base by closing stores that are underperforming or open stores that are profitable, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, we may incur costs associated with the closure of underperforming stores and such store closures may adversely impact our revenues.

In addition, as we continue to open new stores, our management – as well as our financial, distribution and information systems – and other resources will be subject to greater demands. If our personnel and systems are unable to successfully manage this increased burden, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected.

If our marketing, advertising and promotional programs are unsuccessful, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

If our marketing, advertising and promotional programs are unsuccessful, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. Customer traffic and demand for our merchandise are influenced by our advertising, marketing and promotional activities. We use marketing, advertising and promotional programs to attract customers through various media, including social media, websites, mobile applications, e-mail, and print. Our future growth and profitability will depend in part upon the effectiveness and efficiency of our advertising and marketing programs. Further, disruption to certain media channels could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In particular, there has been a substantial increase in the use of social media platforms – including blogs, social media websites and other forms of digital communications – and the influence of social medial influencers in the beauty products industry. Furthermore, social media advertising and marketing continues to increase in importance as consumers are paying less attention to more traditional media. As a result, the success of our marketing and advertising programs are increasingly dependent on the effectiveness of industry influencers that we engage to promote our products. Furthermore, actions taken by these individuals could harm our brand image. Our marketing efforts through social media platforms and influencers may not be successful and the availability of these platforms may make it easier for smaller competitors to compete with us.

Negative commentary regarding us or the products we sell may be also posted on social media platforms or other electronic means at any time and may be adverse to our reputation or business. Customers value readily available information and often act on such information without further investigation and without regard to its accuracy. Any harm to us or the products we sell may be immediate without allowing us an opportunity for redress or correction.

If we fail to attract and retain highly skilled management and other personnel at all levels of the Company, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.

Our success has depended, and will continue to depend, in large part on our ability to attract and retain senior executives who possess extensive knowledge, experience and managerial skill applicable to our business. Significant leadership changes or executive management transitions involve inherent risk and any failure to ensure the effective transfer of knowledge and a smooth transition could hinder our strategic planning, execution and future performance. In addition, from time to time, key executive personnel leave our Company, and we may not be successful in attracting, integrating and retaining the personnel required to grow and operate our business profitably. While we strive to mitigate the negative impact associated with the loss of a key executive employee, an unsuccessful transition or loss could significantly disrupt our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also dependent on recruiting, training, motivating, managing and retaining our store employees that interact with our customers on a daily basis. Many team members are in entry-level or part-time positions with historically high turnover rates. Competition for these types of qualified employees, especially in light of recent labor shortages among entry-level workers, is intense and the failure to attract, retain and properly train qualified and motivated employees could result in decreased customer satisfaction, loss of customers and lower sales. In addition, our ability to meet our labor needs while controlling labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including market pressures with respect to prevailing wage rates, unemployment levels, and health and other insurance costs; the impact of legislation or regulations governing labor relations, immigration, minimum wage and healthcare benefits; changing demographics; and our reputation within the labor market. Our inability to control our labor costs could affect our results of operations and result in lower margins in our two segments.

We may not be successful in introducing additional store concepts.

We may, from time to time, seek to develop and introduce new store concepts. Our ability to succeed in the early stages of new concepts could require significant capital expenditures and management attention. Additionally, any new concept is subject to certain risks, including customer acceptance, competition, product differentiation, challenges relating to economies of scale in merchandise sourcing and the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, including management and designers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to develop and grow these or any other new concepts to a point where they will become profitable, or generate positive cash flow. If we cannot successfully develop and grow these new concepts, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely impacted.

General Economic, Market and Foreign Risks

The political, social and economic conditions in the geographies we serve may affect consumer purchases of discretionary items such as beauty products and salon services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our results of operations may be materially affected by conditions in the global capital markets and the economy and regulatory environment generally, both in the U.S. and internationally. Concerns over inflation, rising interest rates, labor shortages, energy costs, geopolitical issues, uncertainty with respect to elections, terrorism, civil unrest, the availability and cost of credit, the mortgage market, and the real estate and other financial markets in the U.S. and Europe have contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the U.S. and certain foreign economies. We appeal to a wide demographic consumer profile and offer an extensive selection of beauty products sold directly to retail consumers and salons and salon professionals. Continued uncertainty in the economy could adversely impact consumer purchases of discretionary items such as beauty products as well as adversely impact the frequency of salon services performed by professionals using products purchased from us. Factors that could affect consumers’ willingness to make such discretionary purchases include: inflation, general business conditions, levels of employment, interest rates, tax rates, the availability of consumer credit and consumer confidence in future economic conditions. A prolonged economic downturn or acute recession can adversely affect consumer spending habits and result in lower than expected net sales. The economic climate could also adversely affect our vendors. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the disruption to the global economy and to our business, along with any sustained decline in our stock price, could lead to triggering events that may indicate that the carrying value of certain assets – including inventories, accounts receivables, long-lived assets, intangibles and goodwill – may not be recoverable, which could lead to impairment or other asset write-downs in the future.

Price inflation for labor, materials and services, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We experienced considerable price inflation in costs for labor, materials and services during the past two years. While inflation is stabilizing, we may not be able to continue to pass through inflationary cost increases and, if inflationary pressures are sustained, we may only be able to recoup a portion of our increased costs in future periods. Our ability to raise prices to reflect increased costs may also be limited by competitive conditions in the market for our products.

The occurrence of natural disasters or acts of violence or terrorism could adversely affect our operations and financial performance.

The occurrence of natural disasters (the severity and frequency of which may be exacerbated by climate change) or acts of violence, terrorism or civil unrest could result in physical damage to our properties, the temporary closure of stores or distribution centers, the temporary lack of an adequate work force, the temporary or long-term disruption in the supply of products (or a substantial increase in the cost of those products) from domestic or foreign suppliers, the temporary disruption in the delivery of goods to our distribution centers (or a substantial increase in the cost of those deliveries), the temporary reduction in the availability of products in our stores and/or the temporary reduction in visits to stores by customers. If one or more natural disasters or acts of violence or terrorism were to impact our business, we could, among other things, incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with distributing products. Furthermore, insurance costs associated with our business may rise significantly in the event of a large scale natural disaster or act of violence or terrorism.

Currency exchange rate fluctuations could result in higher costs and decreased margins and earnings.

Many of our products are sold outside of the United States. As a result, we conduct transactions in various currencies, which increase our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar and recently these foreign currencies have in general weakened significantly against the U.S. dollar. Our international revenues and expenses generally are derived from sales and operations in foreign currencies, and these revenues and expenses could be affected by currency fluctuations, including amounts recorded in foreign currencies and translated into U.S. dollars for consolidated financial reporting. Currency exchange rate fluctuations could also disrupt the business of the independent manufacturers that produce our products by making their purchases of raw materials as well as transportation and freight, more expensive and more difficult to finance. Foreign currency fluctuations could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to risks related to our international operations.

We operate on a global basis, and approximately 10% of our net revenues from continuing operations in fiscal year 2023, were generated outside North America. Non-U.S. operations are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including ongoing instability or changes in a country’s or region’s economic, regulatory or political conditions, including inflation, recession, interest rate fluctuations, sovereign default risk and actual or anticipated military or political conflicts, labor market disruptions, sanctions, boycotts, new or increased tariffs, quotas, exchange or price controls, trade barriers or other restrictions on foreign businesses, our failure to effectively and timely implement processes and policies across our diverse operations and employee base and difficulties and costs associated with complying with a wide variety of complex and potentially conflicting regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Non-U.S. operations also increase the risk of non-compliance with U.S. laws and regulations applicable to such non-U.S. operations, such as those relating to sanctions, boycotts and improper payments.

In addition, sudden disruptions in business conditions as a consequence of events such as terrorist attacks, war or other military action or the threat of further attacks, including the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East, pandemics or other crises or vulnerabilities or as a result of adverse weather conditions or climate changes, may have an impact on consumer spending, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows as well as the trading price of our securities.

A reduction in traffic to, or the closing of, other retailers in shopping areas where our SBS stores are located could significantly 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.

As a result of our real estate strategy, most of our SBS stores are located in strip shopping centers. These strip shopping centers are occupied by other high traffic retailers such as grocery stores, mass merchants and home improvement centers. As a consequence of most of our SBS stores being located in strip shopping centers, our sales are derived, in part, from the volume of traffic generated by the other high traffic retailers where our stores are located. Customer traffic to these strip shopping centers may be adversely affected by the closing of stores in the strip shopping center, or by a reduction in traffic to such stores resulting from a regional or global economic downturn, an outbreak of flu or other viruses (such as COVID-19), a general downturn in the local area where our SBS store is located, or a decline in the desirability of the shopping environment of a particular strip shopping center. Such a reduction in customer traffic could 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.

Regulatory, Legal and Cybersecurity Risks

If products sold by us are found to be defective in labeling or content, our credibility and that of the brands we sell may be harmed, marketplace acceptance of our products may decrease, and we may be exposed to liability in excess of our products liability insurance coverage and manufacturer indemnities.

We do not control the production process for the products we sell. We may not be able to identify a defect in a product we purchase from a manufacturer or owned and exclusive-label brand filler before we offer such product for resale. In many cases, we rely on representations of manufacturers and fillers about the products we purchase for resale regarding the composition, manufacture and safety of the products as well as the compliance of our product labels with government regulations. Our sale of certain products exposes us to potential product liability claims, recalls or other regulatory or enforcement actions initiated by federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities or through private causes of action. Such claims, recalls or actions could be based on allegations that, among other things, the products sold by us are misbranded, contain contaminants or impermissible ingredients, provide inadequate instructions regarding their use or misuse, include inadequate warnings concerning flammability or interactions with other substances or that we knew or should have known of an alleged defect. For example, recently numerous cases have been filed against beauty product manufacturers and distributors alleging harm from chemical hair straighteners and hair relaxer products, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. Claims against us could also arise as a result of the misuse by purchasers of such products or as a result of their use in a manner different than the intended use. We may be required to pay for losses or injuries actually or allegedly caused by the products we sell and to recall any product we sell that is alleged to be or is found to be defective. Furthermore, such claims could have an adverse impact on our reputation.

Any actual defects or allegations of defects in products sold by us could result in adverse publicity and harm our credibility or the credibility of the manufacturer, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we may have indemnification rights against the manufacturers of many of the products we distribute and rights as an “additional insured” under the manufacturers’ insurance policies, it is not certain that any manufacturer or insurer will be financially solvent and capable of making payment to any party suffering loss or injury caused by products sold by us or if all losses would be covered by such indemnification rights or insurance policies. If we are forced to expend significant resources and time to resolve such claims or to pay material amounts to satisfy such claims, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We could be adversely affected if we do not comply with current laws and regulations or if we become subject to additional or more stringent laws and regulations.

We are subject to a number of federal, state and local laws and regulations in the U.S. as well as applicable laws and regulations in each foreign marketplace in which we do business. These laws and regulations govern the composition, packaging, labeling and safety of the products we sell as well as the methods we use to sell and import these products and other aspects of our business. Non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations of governmental authorities, including the FDA and similar authorities in other jurisdictions – by us or the manufacturers and fillers of the products sold by us – could result in fines, product recalls and enforcement actions and otherwise restrict our ability to market certain products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the laws and regulations applicable to us or manufacturers of the products sold by us may become more stringent. Failure to comply with these new and existing regulations could result in significant fines or damages, in addition to costs and expenses to defend claims related thereto. Legal compliance could also lead to considerably higher internal regulatory costs. Manufacturers may try to recover some or all of any increased costs of compliance by increasing the prices at which we purchase products, and we may not be able to recover some or all of such increased cost in our own prices to our customers. We are also subject to state and local laws and regulations that affect our franchisor-franchisee relationships. Increased compliance costs and the loss of sales of certain products due to more stringent or new laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The risks associated with climate change and other environmental impacts and increased focus by stakeholders on environmental issues, including those associated with climate change, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Climatologists predict the long-term effects of climate change and global warming will result in the increased frequency, intensity and duration of weather events, which could significantly disrupt supply chains, potentially impacting our vendors’ raw material costs and the production of products we sell. These weather events could also lead to an increased rate of temporary store closures and reduced customer traffic at our stores.

In addition, concern over climate change may result in new or increased regional, federal or global legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases. These requirements may lead to an increase in tax, transportation and utility expenses.

Lastly, there is increased focus, including by governmental and non-governmental organizations, investors, customers and consumers on these and other environmental sustainability matters, including deforestation, land use, climate impact and recyclability or recoverability of packaging, including plastic. Our reputation could be damaged if we or others in our industry do not act, or are perceived not to act, responsibly with respect to our impact on the environment.

Failure to meet evolving expectations for reporting on environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") matters could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.

Expectations from investors, customers, team members, government agencies and other third parties concerning ESG reporting have increased, and our ability to meet those expectations is dependent on a variety of factors, including cooperation from sourcing vendors and other third parties and having access to consistent and reliable data. Negative customer perceptions regarding the safety and sourcing of the products we sell and the sufficiency and transparency of our reporting on ESG matters and events that give rise to actual, potential, or perceived compliance and social responsibility concerns could hurt our reputation, result in lost sales, cause our customers to seek alternative sources for their needs and make it difficult and costly for us to regain the confidence of our customers. Furthermore, costs associated with ESG initiatives may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results.

If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights or if our products are found to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, it could materially and negatively impact our business.

We rely upon trade secrets and know-how to develop and maintain our competitive position. Our trademarks, certain of which are material to our business, are registered or legally protected in the U.S., Canada and other countries in which we operate. The success of our business depends to a certain extent upon the value associated with our intellectual property rights. We protect our intellectual property rights through a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, applying for and obtaining trademark protection in the U.S., Canada and other countries throughout the world in which our business operates. We also rely on trade secret laws, in addition to confidentiality agreements with vendors, employees, consultants and others who have access to our proprietary information. While we intend to vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, we may not be successful. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. The costs required to protect our intellectual property rights and trademarks are expected to continue to be substantial.

Furthermore, the industry in which we operate is characterized by the need for a large number of copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks and by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. A third-party may at any time assert our products violate such party’s intellectual property rights. Successful intellectual property claims against us could result in significant financial liabilities and/or prevent us from selling certain of our products. In addition, the resolution of infringement claims may require us to redesign our products, to obtain licenses to use intellectual property belonging to third parties, which may not be attainable on reasonable terms, or to cease using the intellectual property altogether.

We may be adversely affected by any disruption in our information technology systems.

Our operations are dependent upon our information technology systems, which encompass all of our major business functions. A substantial disruption in our information technology systems for any prolonged time period (arising from, for example, system capacity limits from unexpected increases in our volume of business, outages or delays in our service) could result in delays in receiving inventory and supplies or filling customer orders and adversely affect our customer service and relationships. In addition, our information technology systems may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from circumstances beyond our control, including, without limitation, fire, natural disasters, power outages, systems disruptions, system conversions, security breaches, cyberattacks, phishing attacks, viruses and/or human error. In any such event, we could be required to make a significant investment to fix or replace our information technology systems, and we could experience interruptions in our ability to service customers. Such delays, problems or costs may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We continuously need to improve and upgrade our systems and infrastructure while maintaining their reliability and integrity. The expansion of our systems and infrastructure will require us to commit substantial financial, operational and technical resources before the volume of our business increases, with no assurance the volume of business will increase. The development and implementation of new systems and any other future upgrades to our systems and information technology may require significant costs and divert our management’s attention and other resources from our core business. There are also no assurances these new systems and upgrades will provide us with the anticipated benefits and efficiencies. Many of our systems are proprietary and, as a result, our options are limited in seeking third-party help with the operation and upgrade of those systems. There can be no assurance the time and resources our management will need to devote to operations and upgrades, any delays due to the installation of any upgrade (and customer issues therewith), any resulting service outages, or the impact on the reliability of our data from any upgrade or any legacy system, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, control environment or results of operations.

Unauthorized access to confidential information and data on our information technology systems, security and data breaches and/or failure to comply with rapidly evolving data privacy laws could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

As part of our operations, we, together with third parties acting on our behalf, receive, process and maintain sensitive and confidential information about our customers, employees and other third parties. Processing, maintenance and transmission of information is a critical part of our business operations. We have physical, technical and procedural safeguards in place that are designed to protect information and protect against security and data breaches as well as fraudulent transactions and other activities. We believe that our security safeguards follow appropriate practices in the prevention of security and data breaches and the mitigation of cybersecurity risks. Despite these safeguards and our other security processes and protections, our systems and processes may be vulnerable to security breaches and cyber-attacks, which are evolving and increasingly sophisticated (such as denial-of-service, ransomware, phishing, supply chain and social engineering attacks), as well as to physical breach, vandalism, sabotage, user malfeasance, viruses, misplaced or lost data and inadvertent data disclosure by third parties or us.

A significant data security breach, including misappropriation of our customers’ or employees’ confidential information, could result in significant costs to us, which may include, among others, potential liabilities to payment card networks for reimbursements of credit card fraud and card reissuance costs, including fines and penalties, potential liabilities from governmental or third-party investigations, proceedings or litigation, legal, forensic and consulting fees and expenses, costs and diversion of management attention required for investigation and remediation actions, and the negative impact on our reputation and loss of confidence of our customers, suppliers and others, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results. If our third-party suppliers of vendors are subject to cyber-attacks, data breaches, other security incidents, or disruption of information technology systems or software, such events could expose us to liability, damage our reputation, and have a material adverse effect on our business. While we carry insurance that would mitigate losses in connection with security breaches and cyber incidents, insurance may be insufficient to compensate us fully for potentially significant losses.

There can be no assurance that our security upgrades and other measures will be effective, we will not suffer a criminal attack in the future, unauthorized parties will not gain access to confidential information, or any such incident will be discovered promptly. In particular, we understand that the techniques used by criminals to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target; accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. The failure to promptly detect, determine the extent of and appropriately respond to a significant data security breach could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We are also subject to an evolving body of federal, state and non-U.S. laws, rules, regulations, guidelines and principles regarding data privacy and security, the scope and impact of which are uncertain. Several governments, as well as the EU, have regulations dealing with the collection and use of personal information obtained from their citizens, and regulators globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations, and there is an increase in allowing private rights of action. In 2023, changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act occurred in the form of the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which expanded consumer privacy rights and extend application to our California employees. In addition, a number of U.S. states have enacted consumer privacy laws that are expected to take effect in 2024 and beyond, or have revived existing state laws with new meaning, potentially subjecting retailers to privacy-based class action lawsuits. We also expect to see rapid changes and corresponding regulator action and private rights of action related to the use of text messaging to communicate with customers, the collection and use of biometric data and dark patterns. We continue to monitor our compliance with the European privacy regulation, General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which applies to how organizations are required to handle the personal data of EU citizens and individuals residing in the EU as well as the UK GDPR post-Brexit. Data privacy is, and may continue to be, a rapidly evolving area of law. Any potential inability to comply with such laws, rules, regulations, guidelines and principles or to quickly adapt our practices to reflect them as they develop, could potentially subject us to significant fines, damages, liabilities and reputational harm, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Financial Risks

Our comparable sales and quarterly financial performance may fluctuate for a variety of reasons.

Our comparable sales and quarterly results of operations have fluctuated in the past and we expect them to continue to fluctuate in the future. A variety of factors affect our comparable sales and quarterly financial performance, including:

• changes in our merchandising strategy or mix;
• a portion of a typical new store’s sales coming from customers who previously shopped at other existing stores;
• the timing and effectiveness of our marketing and promotional activities and those of our competitors;
• the effects of severe weather events or other natural disasters;
• the number of shopping days in a quarter;
• fluctuations in the cost to purchase products we sell;
• store closures in response to state or local regulations due to health concerns; and
• worldwide economic conditions and, in particular, the retail sales environment in the North America and Europe

Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect our quarterly financial performance. Accordingly, our results, including comparable sales, for any one fiscal quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any other quarter, and may even decrease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A portion of our indebtedness is subject to floating interest rates.

Outstanding borrowings under our ABL facility, if any, and our term loan B are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates were to increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness referred to above would increase even if the principal amount borrowed remained the same, and our net earnings and cash flows will correspondingly decrease. We are currently party to, and in the future, we may enter into additional, derivative instruments, such as interest rate caps and swaps, to reduce our exposure to changes in interest rates on our term loan B. However, we may not maintain derivative instruments with respect to all of our variable rate indebtedness, and any instruments we enter into may not fully mitigate our interest rate risk.

We have substantial debt and may incur substantial additional debt, which could adversely affect our financial health, our ability to obtain financing in the future and our ability to react to changes in our business.

As of September 30, 2023, certain of our subsidiaries, including Sally Holdings LLC, which we refer to as Sally Holdings, had an aggregate principal amount of approximately $1.1 billion of outstanding debt.

Our substantial debt could have significant consequences. For example, it could:

• make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations to our lenders, resulting in possible defaults on and acceleration of such indebtedness;
• limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or general corporate purposes;
• require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of such cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes;
• restrict the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or otherwise transfer assets to us, which could limit our ability to conduct repurchases of our own equity securities or pay dividends to our stockholders, thereby limiting our ability to enhance stockholder value through such transactions;
• increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including interest rate fluctuations (because a portion of our borrowings are at variable rates of interest), including borrowings under our $500 million asset-based senior secured loan facility, which we refer to as the “ABL facility” and our term loan B;
• place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors with proportionately less debt or comparable debt at more favorable interest rates and that, as a result, may be better positioned to withstand economic downturns;
• require us to comply with restrictive covenants that may restrict our ability to, among other things, pay dividends, conduct share repurchases, make acquisitions, dispose of assets or prepay debt;
• limit our ability to refinance indebtedness or cause the associated costs of such refinancing to increase; and
• limit our flexibility to adjust to changing market conditions and ability to withstand competitive pressures, or prevent us from carrying out capital spending that is necessary or important to our growth strategy and efforts to improve operating margins or our business.

Any of the foregoing impacts of our substantial indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Each of our ABL facility, institutional term loan and senior notes contain certain covenants and restrictions that we are required to comply with. Our ability to comply with these covenants and restrictions may be affected by economic, financial and industry conditions beyond our control. The breach of any of these covenants and restrictions could result in a default under either the ABL facility, the institutional term loan or the indentures that would permit the applicable lenders or senior note holders, as the case may be, to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest. If we are unable to repay debt, lenders having secured obligations, such as the lenders under the ABL facility, could proceed against the collateral securing the debt. In any such case, our subsidiaries may be unable to borrow under the ABL facility and may not be able to repay the amounts due under the senior notes and the institutional term loan. This could have serious consequences to our financial condition and results of operations and could cause us to become bankrupt or insolvent.

In addition, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. As of September 30, 2023, our ABL facility provided us commitments for additional borrowings of up to approximately $482.6 million, subject to borrowing base limitations, outstanding letters of credit and limitations on cash hoarding above certain balances, once utilized. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks we face would increase, and we may not be able to meet all our debt obligations.

Substantially all of our stores and a number of our warehouse and remote office locations are leased while our corporate headquarters in Denton, Texas and three warehouses/distribution centers are owned. The average store lease is for a term of five years with customary renewal options. The following table provides the number of stores per state in the U.S. and certain international locations, as of September 30, 2023:

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The following table provides locations for our significant offices and warehouses and our corporate headquarters, as of September 30, 2023:

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We are involved, from time to time, in various claims and lawsuits incidental to the conduct of our business. We carry insurance coverage in such amounts in excess of our self-insured retention as we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances and may or may not cover any or all of our liabilities in respect of these matters. Although the ultimate disposition of these claims and proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not currently believe the ultimate resolution of these matters will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations. However, there can be no assurances that future adverse judgments and costs would not be material to our financial position, cash flows or results of operations for a particular period.

The following section discusses management’s view of Sally Beauty’s financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year 2023 compared to fiscal year 2022. See Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, for a discussion of the financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021. This section should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of Sally Beauty and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section may contain forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these forward-looking statements that could cause results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements.

Financial Results Summary of the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2023:

• Consolidated net sales for the fiscal year decreased $87.4 million, or 2.3%, to $3,728.1 million and included a negative impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates of $9.2 million, or 0.2% of consolidated net sales;
• Consolidated comparable sales for the fiscal year increased 1.4%, compared to the prior fiscal year;
• Consolidated gross profit decreased by $21.0 million, or 1.1%, to $1,898.2 million. Gross margin increased 60 basis points to 50.9% compared to the prior fiscal year;
• Consolidated operating earnings for the fiscal year decreased $12.6 million, or 3.7%, to $325.0 million. Operating margin decreased 10 basis points to 8.7% compared to the prior fiscal year;
• Consolidated net earnings for the fiscal year decreased $1.0 million, or 0.6%, to $184.6 million;
• Diluted earnings per share for the fiscal year were $1.69 compared to $1.66 for the prior fiscal year; and
• Cash provided by operations was $249.3 million for the fiscal year compared to $156.5 million for the prior fiscal year.

Distribution Center Consolidation and Store Optimization Plan

Last fiscal year, we announced our Distribution Center Consolidation and Store Optimization Plan (the "Plan"). The Plan was designed to improve overall profitability by optimizing our store base and distribution network through the planned closing of 330 SBS stores, 35 BSG stores and two BSG distribution centers. This fiscal year, we were able to complete the majority of our planned closures and further optimized our store supply chain network based on our new store fleet, while meeting our sales recapture and cost savings expectations. As of September 30, 2023, we have two BSG stores left to be closed as part of the Plan and expect additional immaterial costs to be incurred in the first half of fiscal year 2024.

See Note 16 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report for more information on the Plan.

Trends Impacting Our Business

Global inflationary pressures continued to influence consumer and stylist shopping behavior along with the cost for products and services. In the U.S. and Canada, we saw our SBS retail customers color their hair less frequently and reduce the size of their basket when they shop with us, while at BSG we saw a continuation of stylist demand trends of buying closer to needs we’ve seen over the last several quarters. These inflationary pressures have also impacted wages, especially among retail and hourly employees, as we have experienced an increase in our labor costs in order to attract and retain associates.

During the fiscal year, these headwinds have resulted in lower traffic and conversion in our business and increases in certain operating costs. We continue to monitor these challenges and implement measures to help mitigate their impacts, including managing our inventory levels to reduce out-of-stock items, adjusting our promotional activities, optimizing our store base and expanding our partnerships with delivery service providers. Although these initiatives have helped mitigate ongoing macro-headwinds, we cannot reasonably predict the long-term effects of inflation. Furthermore, in a measure to curb inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve has increased the federal funds effective rate. In turn, these increases have raised the interest expense of some of our customers’ outstanding borrowings which has reduced their discretionary spending.

Comparable Sales

The Company’s initiative to invest in our digital platforms support our omni-channel strategy to provide customers an enhanced shopping experience. As such, we believe that comparable sales is an appropriate performance indicator to measure our sales growth compared to the prior period. Our comparable sales include sales from stores that have been operating for 14 months or longer as of the last day of a month and e-commerce revenue. Additionally, comparable sales include sales to franchisees and full-service sales. Our comparable sales metric excludes the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates and sales from stores relocated until 14 months after the relocation. Revenue from acquired stores are excluded from our comparable sales calculation until 14 months after the acquisition. Our calculation of comparable sales might not be the same as other retailers as the calculation varies across the retail industry.

Results of Operations

Key Operating Metrics

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, information concerning key measures we rely on to assess our operating performance (dollars in thousands):

(a) Unallocated expenses represent certain corporate costs (such as payroll, share-based compensation, employee benefits and travel expense for corporate staff, certain professional fees and corporate governance expenses) that have not been charged to our segments and are included in SG&A expenses in our consolidated statements of earnings.

(b) Restructuring primarily relates to the Plan.

The Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2023, compared to the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2022

Net Sales

SBS. The decrease in net sales for SBS was primarily driven by the following (in thousands):

(a) Includes closed stores, including stores closed under the Plan, net of stores opened for less than 14 months.

SBS's sales decrease was primarily driven by the impact of store closures in connection with the Plan in an amount of approximately $112.0 million, partially offset by a significant portion of these sales being recaptured in other locations including within comparable sales. The increase in SBS's comparable sales was a result of growth in our average unit retail, primarily from inflationary impacts and pricing leverage, partially offset by a decrease in our average units per transaction.

BSG. The decrease in net sales for BSG was driven by the following (in thousands):

(a) Includes closed stores, including stores closed under the Plan, net of stores opened (or acquired) for less than 14 months.

BSG's sales decrease was primarily driven by the impact of store closures in connection with the Plan in an amount of approximately $8.8 million and the negative impacts of exchanges rates, partially offset by a significant portion of these sales being recaptured in other locations, including within comparable sales. Additionally, BSG’s comparable sales were impacted by the continuation of stylist demand trends seen over the last several quarters, which resulted in fewer transactions and units per transaction, partially offset by an increase in our average unit retail.

Gross Profit

SBS. SBS’s gross profit decrease was driven by lower net sales, partially offset by a higher gross margin. SBS’s gross margin grew as a result of pricing leverage, increased penetration of our owned-brand products and adjustments to our expected obsolescence reserve related to the Plan.

BSG. BSG’s gross profit decreased as a result of lower net sales, while BSG’s gross margin was unchanged. Gross margin included lower product margin resulting from an unfavorable sales channel mix between stores and lower-margin Regis e-commerce sales, and a shift in some distribution center costs from selling, general and administrative expenses into gross margin, offset by adjustments to our expected obsolescence reserve related to the Plan.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SBS. SBS’s SG&A expenses decreased $15.8 million, or 1.7%, to $907.2 million for fiscal year 2023, which includes the favorable impact from foreign exchange rates of $0.6 million due to the weakening of the U.S. Dollar compared to currencies in our foreign operations. As a percentage of SBS net sales, SG&A for fiscal year 2023 was 42.4% compared to 42.1% for fiscal year 2022. The increase as a percentage of sales was driven by higher wage and bonus expenses, partially offset by cost savings from the closure of stores in connection with the Plan and lower advertising expenses.

BSG. BSG’s SG&A expenses decreased $0.7 million, or 0.1%, to $451.2 million for fiscal year 2023 and includes a favorable impact from foreign exchange rates of $2.5 million. As a percentage of BSG net sales, SG&A for fiscal year 2023 was 28.4% compared to 27.9% for fiscal year 2022. The increase was primarily driven by higher labor and bonus expenses, partially offset by a shift in some distribution center costs from selling, general and administrative expense into gross margin.

Unallocated. Unallocated SG&A expenses, which represent certain corporate costs that have not been charged to our reporting segments, increased $18.4 million, or 10.3%, to $197.5 million, primarily due to higher wage and bonus expenses, insurance costs and information technology expenses. These increases were partially offset by prudent cost control and the lapping of disposal costs for obsolete personal-protective equipment inventory.

Restructuring

For fiscal year 2023, we substantially completed the planned closures under the Plan and incurred $17.2 million in restructuring charges, primarily from lease termination costs. For fiscal year 2022, we incurred $27.6 million in restructuring charges, which includes $24.8 million in asset impairments related to the Plan and other expenses in connection with a prior restructuring plan. See Note 16 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report for more information on our restructuring plans.

Interest Expense

The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to the lapping of debt extinguishment costs related to the repayment of our 8.75% Senior Notes due 2025 in fiscal year 2022, partially offset by debt extinguishment costs related to the repricing of our Term Loan B, higher interest rates on our variable rate debt and an increase in our average borrowings outstanding under our ABL facility. Additionally, our interest rate derivatives have helped mitigate some of the impacts from higher interest rates on a portion of our variable rate debt.

Provision for Income Taxes

For fiscal year 2023 and 2022, our effective tax rate was 26.8% and 24.8%, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to additional taxes and interest recorded in the current fiscal year in connection with the one-time transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings ("Repatriation Tax") related to fiscal year 2018, and the net benefit recognized in the prior fiscal year from the release of $19.9 million of valuation allowances against foreign subsidiary net operating losses in the prior year for which a tax benefit was recognized, offset by $7.0 million in expense arising from uncertain tax positions. See Note 14, Income Taxes, for more information on our effective tax rate.

Our effective tax rate may fluctuate on a quarterly and/or annual basis due to various factors including, but not limited to, total earnings and the mix of earnings by jurisdiction, new tax laws, as well as changes in valuation allowances and uncertain tax positions.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash from operations, cash and cash equivalents, and borrowings under our ABL facility. A substantial portion of our liquidity needs arise from funding the costs of our operations, working capital, capital expenditures and debt-servicing. Additionally, under our share repurchase program (see below for more details) we will from time-to-time repurchase shares of our common stock on the open market to return value to our shareholders. At September 30, 2023, we had $605.6 million in our liquidity pool, which includes amounts available for borrowings under our ABL facility of $482.6 million and cash and cash equivalents of $123.0 million. Based upon the current level of operations and anticipated growth, we anticipate existing cash balances (excluding certain amounts permanently invested in connection with foreign operations), as well as cash expected to be generated by operations and funds available under the ABL facility, will be sufficient to fund working capital requirements, potential acquisitions, anticipated capital expenditures (including information technology investments and store projects) and service our debt obligations over the next 12 months.

Our working capital (current assets less current liabilities) increased $184.2 million to $648.7 million at September 30, 2023, compared to $464.5 million at September 30, 2022. The increase in our working capital was driven by higher inventory balances, resulting from $17.2 million from foreign exchange rates and inflationary vendor cost increases, partially offset by the optimization efforts to improve inventory stocking levels. The increase was further driven by an increase in cash and cash equivalents, fewer outstanding borrowings under our ABL facility, a reduction in our accounts payable due to the timing of payments, and impacts of optimization efforts around inventory purchases. The ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 2.12 to 1.00 at September 30, 2023, compared to 1.70 to 1.00 at September 30, 2022.

Share Repurchase Programs

During the fiscal years 2023 and 2022, we repurchased and subsequently retired approximately 1.5 million shares and 6.8 million shares of our common stock under our share repurchase program at a cost of $15.0 million and $130.3 million, respectively, excluding the impact of excess taxes on share repurchases. Share repurchases are funded primarily with cash from operations and, occasionally, with borrowings under the ABL facility. As of September 30, 2023, we had approximately $580.8 million of additional share repurchase authorization remaining under our Share Repurchase Program, that expires September 30, 2025.

Historical Cash Flows

The following table shows our sources and uses of cash for the periods presented (in thousands):

Operating Activities

The increase in net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal year 2023, compared to fiscal year 2022, was primarily driven by fewer inventory purchases in the current year as a result of the Plan and the additional inventory purchases related to BSG's growth through distribution partnerships in the prior fiscal year.

Investing Activities

The decrease in net cash used by investing activities for fiscal year 2023, compared to fiscal year 2022, was primarily due to fewer capital expenditures, partially offset by cash paid for acquisitions this fiscal year compared to last fiscal year. During the fiscal year ended 2023, we had total capital expenditures of approximately $97.8 million, excluding amounts paid in connection with the prior year, primarily in connection with investments in technology and store leasehold improvements.

Financing Activities

Net cash used by financing activities decreased as a result of fewer debt repayments during the fiscal year, compared to prior fiscal year, and fewer shares repurchased under our share repurchase program.

Debt and Guarantor Financial Information

During fiscal year 2023, we entered into a seven-year term loan facility agreement in the aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million and used the proceeds to subsequently repay our previously existing term loan facility. Subsequently during the fiscal year, we were successfully able to negotiate a reduction in the fixed interest rate spreads on borrowings under the term loan facility.

At September 30, 2023, we had $1,078.0 million in outstanding debt, excluding finance lease obligations, unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts, in the aggregate, of $8.0 million. Our debt consists of $680.0 million in 2025 Senior Notes outstanding and $398.0 million remaining on our term loan. At September 30, 2023, there were no outstanding borrowings under our ABL facility. We utilize our ABL facility for the issuance of letters of credit, certain working capital and liquidity needs, and to manage normal fluctuations in our operational cash flow. In that regard, we may from time to time draw funds under the ABL facility for general corporate purposes, including funding of capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt servicing and, occasionally, share repurchases. Amounts drawn on our ABL facility are generally paid down with cash provided by our operating activities. During fiscal year 2023, the weighted average interest rate on our borrowings under the ABL facility was 6.1%.

We are currently in compliance with the agreements and instruments governing our debt, including our financial covenants.

See Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 contained in this Annual Report for additional information about our debt.

Guarantor Financial Information

Our 2025 Senior Notes were issued by our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Sally Holdings LLC and Sally Capital Inc. (the “Issuers”). The notes are unsecured debt instruments guaranteed by us and certain of our wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries (together, the “Guarantors”) and have certain restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to make certain restrictive payments to Sally Beauty. The guarantees are joint and several, and full and unconditional. Certain other subsidiaries, including our foreign subsidiaries, do not serve as guarantors.

The following summarized consolidating financial information represents financial information for the Issuers and the Guarantors on a combined basis. All transactions and intercompany balances between these combined entities has been eliminated.

The following table presents the summarized balance sheets information for the Issuers and the Guarantors as of September 30, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

(in thousands)

The following table presents the summarized statement of earnings information for fiscal year 2023 (in thousands):

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at September 30, 2023 (in thousands):

(a) Long-term debt obligations include future interest payments on our debt outstanding as of September 30, 2023. The amounts shown above do not include deferred debt issuance costs reflected in our consolidated balance sheets, nor do they include the impact of any interest received from the impact of our interest rate swap.

(b) The amounts reported for operating leases do not include common area maintenance (CAM), property taxes or other executory costs. The amounts shown above do not include immaterial contingent liabilities for operating leases for which we are liable in the event of default by a franchisee.

(c) Purchase obligations reflect legally binding agreements that are entered into by us to purchase goods or services, that specify minimum quantities to be purchased and with fixed or variable price provisions. Amounts shown do not reflect open purchase orders, mainly for merchandise, to be fulfilled within one year, which are generally cancellable or contracts that tend to be reoccurring in nature and similar in amount year over year.

(d) Other long-term obligations, including current portion, principally represent obligations under our insurance and self-insurance programs. These obligations are included in accrued liabilities and other liabilities, as appropriate, in our consolidated balance sheets.

(e) The table above does not include an estimated $8.3 million of unrecognized tax benefits due to uncertainty regarding the realization and timing of the related future cash flows, if any.

The information contained in the table above with regards to our long-term debt obligations is based on the current terms of such debt obligations and does not reflect any assumptions about our ability or intent to refinance any of our debt either on or before their maturity. In the event we refinance some or all of the debt either on or before maturity, actual payments for some of the periods shown may differ materially from the amounts reported herein. In addition, other future events, including potential increases in interest rates, could cause actual payments to differ materially from these amounts.

Off-Balance Sheet Financing Arrangements

At September 30, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements other than obligations under letters of credit, as discussed above.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and disclosure. Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions used, which could have a material impact to financial statements. We believe the following are our most critical accounting estimates that require subjective judgments, estimates and assumptions:

Valuation of Inventory

Our inventory is stated at the lower of weighted average cost or net realizable value. In assessing the net realizable value of inventory, we will adjust the carrying value of inventory for estimated shrinkage, damage and obsolescence using several key factors including estimates of the future demand for our products, historical turn-over rates, the age and sales history of the inventory, and historic as well as anticipated changes in SKUs.

We estimate inventory shrinkage between physical counts and product damage based upon our historical experience. Actual results differing from these estimates could significantly affect our carrying value of inventory and cost of goods sold. Inventory shrinkage, in the aggregate, has remained less than 1.0% of consolidated net sales over the past two fiscal years. A 10% change in our estimate of inventory shrinkage and obsolescence reserves at September 30, 2023, would impact net earnings by approximately $2.1 million.

Vendor Rebates and Concessions

We deem cash consideration received from a vendor to be a reduction of the cost of goods sold unless it is in exchange for an asset or service or a reimbursement of a specific, incremental, identifiable cost incurred by us in selling the vendor’s products. The majority of cash consideration we receive is considered to be a reduction of inventory and a subsequent reduction in cost of goods sold as the related products are sold. We consider the facts and circumstances of the various contractual agreements with vendors in order to determine the appropriate classification of amounts received in our consolidated statements of earnings. We record cash consideration expected to be received from vendors in accounts receivables, other when earned and at the amount we believe will be collected. These receivables could be significantly affected if the actual amounts subsequently collected differ from our expectations. Historically, adjustments between the amount recorded and the amount collected have not had a material impact to our results of operations.

Insurance

We retain a substantial portion of the risk related to employee health (primarily in the U.S.), workers’ compensation and general liability. However, we maintain stop-loss coverage to limit the exposure related to certain insurance risks. We base our health insurance liability estimate on trends in claim payment history, historical trends in claims incurred but not yet reported and other components such as expected increases in medical costs, projected premium costs and the number of plan participants. Additionally, we base our estimates for workers’ compensation, general and product liability on an actuarial analysis performed by an independent third-party actuary. We review our insurance liability on a regular basis and adjust our accruals accordingly.

Changes in facts and circumstances may lead to a change in the estimated liability due to revisions of the estimated ultimate costs that affect our liability insurance coverage. Our liabilities could be significantly affected if actual results differ from our expectations or prior actuarial analyses. A 10% adjustment in our insurance liabilities at September 30, 2023, would impact net earnings by approximately $1.6 million.

The changes in our insurance liabilities were as follows (in thousands):

Income Taxes

We record income tax provisions in our consolidated financial statements based on an estimate of current income tax liabilities. The development of these provisions requires judgments about tax positions, potential outcomes and timing. If we prevail in tax matters for which provisions have been established or are required to settle matters in excess of established provisions, our effective tax rate for a particular period could be significantly affected.

Additionally, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between our financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are estimated to be recovered or settled. We believe it is more-likely-than-not that our results of operations in the future will generate sufficient taxable income to realize our deferred tax assets, net of the valuation allowance currently recorded. We have recorded a valuation allowance to account for uncertainties regarding the recoverability of certain deferred tax assets, primarily foreign loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards. In the future, if we determine certain deferred tax assets will not be realizable, the related adjustments could significantly affect our effective tax rate at that time. An estimated tax benefit related to an uncertain tax position is recorded in our consolidated financial statements only after determining a more-likely-than-not probability that the uncertain tax position will withstand challenge, if any, from applicable taxing authorities.

Assessment of Long-Lived Assets for Impairment and Restructuring

We review long-lived assets, including operating lease assets, for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable based on estimated undiscounted future cash flows. Long-lived assets are reviewed at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows, which typically is at the store level. In assessing for impairment, we determine the fair value of each individual store by discounting projected future cash flows. There are certain estimates and assumptions used to arrive at estimated future cash flows, including projected earnings and growth rates. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is considered impaired when the carrying value of the asset or asset group exceeds the expected future cash flows from the asset or asset group. The impairment loss recognized is the excess of the carrying value of the asset or asset group over its fair value.

When we commit to an exit plan of scale that we believe will result in the disposal of long-lived assets prior to the end their useful lives, the approval of such plan may be considered a triggering event and therefore require a reassessment of asset carrying values for recoverability, based on projected cash flows. If the carrying values are not recoverable, write-downs or impairment charges may be required to bring carrying values of certain long-lived assets, including operating lease asset, to fair value. In connection with facility and store closures, we typically will also incur charges for employee severance, disposal costs and other expenses incurred with closures. These charges are accrued and estimated based on facts and circumstances at the time. Actual cash flows and expected payments could be significantly different from our estimates.

For fiscal years 2023 and 2021, no material impairment losses were recognized. For fiscal year 2022, we recognized an impairment loss of $24.8 million in connection with the Plan within restructuring.

Assessment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets for Impairment

We review goodwill and intangible assets for impairment annually, or when events or circumstances indicate it is more-likely-than-not that the value of the asset may be impaired. In assessing these types of assets for impairment, there are significant estimates and assumptions used to determine the fair value, including relevant market and economic conditions, anticipated future revenues and cash flows, royalty rates and discount rates.

When assessing goodwill for impairment, we may perform a qualitative assessment which evaluates macro-economic conditions, current and projected cash flows, and other events or changes in circumstances to determine if a quantitative assessment is necessary. During quantitative assessment, we use a discounted cash flow model to determine an estimated fair value. If it is determined that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment charge will be recorded to bring the carrying value down to its fair value.

At the end of September 2023, we determined that a triggering event had occurred, due to the recent decline in the Company's share price and market capitalization, among other factors. As a result, we conducted a quantitative assessment at September 30, 2023. The analysis requires management to make estimates and assumptions, which may differ significantly from actual results, particularly if there are significant adverse changes in our operating environment.

Based on our discounted cash flow analysis, we estimated the fair value, at September 30, 2023, for our BSG reporting unit to be approximately 18% more than its carrying value. Goodwill allocated to the BSG reporting unit, which is also defined as our BSG segment, was $457.8 million as of September 30, 2023. The critical assumptions used as part of our evaluation include a projected long-term revenue growth rate of 2.0% and a discount rate of 11.25%, based on a weighted-average cost of capital analysis (adjusted for company specific risk). The assumptions used to estimate fair value were based on the past performance of the reporting unit as well as the projections incorporated in our strategic plan, adjusted for consistency with the valuation objective of estimating the fair value of the reporting unit under ASC 350. Assuming all changes are isolated, a decrease of 100 bps in our long-term revenue growth rate would reduce our estimated fair value to be approximately 8% more than its carrying value, while a 100 bps increase to our discount rate would reduce our estimated fair value to be approximately 7% more than its carrying value.

Additionally, we determined our estimated fair value for SBS reporting unit was substantially higher that its carrying value. Goodwill allocated to the SBS reporting unit, which is also defined as our SBS segment was $75.3 million as of September 30, 2023.

Based on our quantitative analysis, we determined that no impairment existed with either reporting unit. As such, no impairment was recorded for the fiscal years 2023, 2022 or 2021.

Like goodwill, our indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment by comparing the fair value of each asset to its carrying value, but only if a triggering event exists. As of September 30, 2023, our indefinite-lived assets were comprised of only trade names. To determine the fair value of each trade name, we use the relief-from-royalty method, which estimates what a third-party would be willing to pay in royalties to receive a benefit from the use of the asset. If it is determined the asset’s fair value is less than its carrying value, then an impairment charge is recorded to reduce the carrying value down to its fair value. Due to the aforementioned goodwill triggering event, during the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company determined that a triggering event had occurred for its intangible assets. As a result, we conducted a quantitative assessment for these intangibles at September 30, 2023, and determined that the estimated fair value for all of our material trade names were substantially higher than their carrying values. No impairment losses were recognized in fiscal years 2023, 2022 or 2021.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

There have been no recent accounting pronouncements issued that will have a material impact to our business.

As a multinational corporation, we are subject to certain market risks including risks resulting from our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations, changes in interest rates and government actions. We consider a variety of practices to manage these market risks, including, when deemed appropriate, the use of derivative financial instruments. Currently, we do not purchase or hold any derivative instruments for speculative or trading purposes, and are restricted from engaging in, by our debt and credit agreements.

Foreign currency exchange rate risk

We are exposed to potential gains or losses from foreign currency fluctuations affecting net investments in subsidiaries (including intercompany balances not permanently invested) and earnings denominated in foreign currencies as well as exposure resulting from the purchase of merchandise by certain of our subsidiaries in a currency other than their functional currency and from the sale of products and services among the parent company and subsidiaries with a functional currency different from the parent or among subsidiaries with different functional currencies. Our primary exposures are to changes in exchange rates for the U.S. dollar versus the Euro, the British pound sterling, the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso. In addition, we currently have exposure to the currencies of certain countries located in South America and from time to time we may have exposure to changes in the exchange rate for the British pound sterling versus the Euro in connection with the sale of products and services among certain of our European subsidiaries. For each of the fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, less than 20% of our consolidated net sales were made in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

A 10% increase or decrease in the exchange rates for the U.S. dollar versus the foreign currencies to which we have exposure would have impacted our consolidated net sales by approximately 1.8% in the fiscal year 2023, and it would have impacted our consolidated net assets by approximately 2.2% at September 30, 2023.

As more fully discussed in Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report, we use, from time to time, foreign exchange forward contracts to mitigate exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

Interest rate risk

We are sensitive to interest rate fluctuations as a result of borrowings under our ABL facility and term loan B. At September 30, 2023, there were no outstanding borrowings under the ABL facility, and the term loan B had $398.0 million in outstanding principal balance. Additionally, at September 30, 2023, we held a $200 million of SOFR denominated interest hedged under an interest rate swap agreement to help mitigate a portion of our interest rate risk. At September 30, 2023, a 1.0 percentage point interest rate increase would negatively impact our annual interest expense and cash flows by $2.2 million.

As more fully discussed in Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report, we use, from time to time, derivative instruments in order to manage risk relating to cash flows and interest rate exposure.

Credit risk

We are exposed to credit risk in connection with certain assets, primarily accounts receivable. We provide credit to customers in the ordinary course of business and perform ongoing credit evaluations. We believe our exposure of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is largely mitigated by our broad customer base and that our allowance for doubtful accounts is sufficient to cover customer credit risks at September 30, 2023.

Our derivative instruments expose us to credit risk in the event of default by a counterparty. We believe such exposure is mitigated by the substantial resources and strong creditworthiness of the counterparties to our derivative instruments at September 30, 2023. In the event a counterparty defaults in its obligation under our derivative instruments, we could incur substantial financial losses. However, at the present time, no such losses are deemed probable.

Background. Attached as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K are certifications of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and our Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), which are required in accordance with Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act. This “Controls and Procedures” section includes information concerning the controls and controls evaluation referred to in the certifications. Part II, Item 8 — Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K sets forth the attestation report of KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, regarding its audit of our internal control over financial reporting. This section should be read in conjunction with the certifications and the KPMG attestation report for a more complete understanding of the topics presented.

Controls Evaluation and Related CEO and CFO Certifications. Our management, with the participation of our CEO and CFO, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. The controls evaluation was conducted by our Disclosure Committee, comprised of senior representatives from our finance, accounting, internal audit and legal departments under the supervision of our CEO and CFO.

Certifications of our CEO and our CFO, which are required in accordance with Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, are attached as exhibits to this Annual Report. This “Controls and Procedures” section includes the information concerning the controls evaluation referred to in the certifications, and it should be read in conjunction with the certifications for a more complete understanding of the topics presented.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls. We do not expect our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all fraud. A system of controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system are met. Because of the limitations in all such systems, no evaluation can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. Furthermore, the design of any system of controls and procedures is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how unlikely. Because of these inherent limitations in a cost-effective system of controls and procedures, misstatements or omissions due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

Scope of the Controls Evaluation. The evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures included a review of their objectives and design, our implementation of the controls and procedures and the effect of the controls and procedures on the information generated for use in this Annual Report. In the course of the evaluation, we sought to identify whether we had any data errors, control problems or acts of fraud and to confirm appropriate corrective action, including process improvements, was being undertaken if needed. This type of evaluation is performed on a quarterly basis so conclusions concerning the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures can be reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Many of the components of our disclosure controls and procedures are also evaluated by our internal audit department, by our legal department and by personnel in our finance organization. The overall goals of these various evaluation activities are to monitor our disclosure controls and procedures on an ongoing basis and to maintain them as dynamic systems that change as conditions warrant.

Conclusions regarding Disclosure Controls. Based on the required evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of September 30, 2023, we maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.

Management of the Company, including the CEO and CFO, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to management and our Board of Directors regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. A system of internal controls may become inadequate over time because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023. using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of September 30, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles based on such criteria.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Please refer to KPMG’s Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting on page F-1 of the financial statements, which begin on page 47 of this Annual Report.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. During our last fiscal quarter, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.