Bassett Furniture Industries Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Nov 25, 2023

(dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

General

Bassett is a leading retailer, manufacturer and marketer of branded home furnishings. Our products are sold primarily through a network of Company-owned and licensee-owned branded stores under the Bassett Home Furnishings (“BHF”) name, with additional distribution through other wholesale channels including multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature Bassett galleries or design centers. We also sell our products through our newly redesigned website at www.bassettfurniture.com (http://www.bassettfurniture.com). We were founded in 1902 and incorporated under the laws of Virginia in 1930. Our rich 121-year history has instilled the principles of quality, value, and integrity in everything we do, while simultaneously providing us with the expertise to respond to ever-changing consumer tastes and meet the demands of a global economy.

With 87 BHF stores at November 25, 2023, we have leveraged our strong brand name in furniture into a network of Company-owned and licensed stores that focus on providing consumers with a friendly and casual environment for buying furniture and accessories. Our store program is designed to provide a single source home furnishings retail store that provides a unique combination of stylish, quality furniture and accessories with a high level of customer service. In order for the Bassett brand to reach markets that cannot be effectively served by our retail store network, we also distribute our products through other wholesale channels including multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature Bassett galleries or design centers. We use a network of over 30 independent sales representatives who have stated geographical territories. These sales representatives are compensated based on a standard commission rate. We believe this blended strategy provides us the greatest ability to effectively distribute our products throughout the United States and ultimately gain market share.

The BHF stores feature custom order furniture, free in-home or virtual design visits (“home makeovers”) and coordinated decorating accessories. Our philosophy is based on building strong long-term relationships with each customer. Salespeople are referred to as “Design Consultants” and are trained to evaluate customer needs and provide comprehensive solutions for their home decor. Until a rigorous training and design certification program is completed, Design Consultants are not authorized to perform in-home or virtual design services for our customers.

We consider our website to be the front door to our brand experience where customers can research our furniture and accessory offerings and subsequently buy online or engage with an in-store design consultant. Digital outreach strategies have become the primary vehicle for brand advertising and customer acquisition. As a result, we have been engaged in a multi-year cross-functional digital transformation initiative with the first phase consisting of the examination and improvement of our underlying data management processes. During fiscal 2022, we implemented a comprehensive Product Information Management system which allows us to enhance and standardize our product development and data management and governance processes. This results in more consistent data that our merchandizing and sales teams can use in analyzing various product and sales trends in order to make better informed decisions. We also introduced a new web platform in August of 2023 that leverages world class features including enhanced customer research capabilities and streamlined navigation. Since the debut of the new site, we have seen increased engagement with the brand through a greater number of page views per customer along with more time spent on the site. We have also seen an increase in average order value that has resulted in increased e-commerce revenue. We plan to implement several enhancements to the site in 2024 that will improve the overall customer experience and brand presentation. While we have made it easier to purchase on-line, we will not compromise our in-store experience or the quality of our in-home makeover capabilities. We spent over $4 million on developing and implementing the new website in 2023.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 we acquired Noa Home (see Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the acquisition). A mid-priced e-commerce furniture retailer headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Noa Home has operations in Canada, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. With a lean staffing model, the Noa Home team has built an operational blueprint that has the potential for significant growth. We believe the acquisition will provide Bassett with a greater online presence and will allow us to attract more digitally native consumers. We are currently in the process of expanding Noa Home’s product assortment and categories offered on the Canadian website. In August of 2023, we introduced the Noa Home brand in the United States.

In 2018, we added outdoor furniture to our offerings with the acquisition of the Lane Venture brand. Our strategy is to distribute these products outside of our BHF store network through independent sales representatives each of which have a stated geographic territory. Using Lane Venture as a platform, we developed the Bassett Outdoor brand that is only marketed through the BHF store network. This allows Bassett branded products to move from inside the home to outside the home to capitalize on the growing trend of outdoor living. In the second quarter of 2023, we debuted the Bassett Outdoor contract line at the HD Expo Show in Las Vegas targeting the hospitality segment.

We have factories in Newton, North Carolina that manufacture both stationary and motion upholstered furniture for inside the home along with our outdoor furniture offerings. We also have factories in Martinsville and Bassett, Virginia that assemble and finish our custom bedroom and dining offerings. In 2022, we purchased a facility which we had formerly leased in Haleyville, Alabama where we manufacture aluminum frames for our outdoor furniture.

In addition to the furniture that we manufacture domestically, we source most of our formal bedroom and dining room furniture (casegoods) and certain leather upholstery offerings from several foreign plants, primarily in Vietnam and China. Over 75% of our wholesale revenues are derived from products that are manufactured in the United States using a mix of domestic and globally sourced components and raw materials.

During the first quarter of 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Zenith Freight Lines, LLC (“Zenith”) to J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (“J.B. Hunt”), and the transaction was completed on February 28, 2022. As a result of the sale, the operations of our former logistical services segment, which consisted entirely of the operations of Zenith, are presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as discontinued operations.

Operating Segments

We have strategically aligned our business into three reportable segments:

• Wholesale
• Retail—Company-owned stores
• Corporate and other

Wholesale Segment Overview

The wholesale segment is involved principally in the design, manufacturing and sourcing of furniture products that are distributed through our BHF store network (both Company-owned and licensee-owned stores) and various independent retailers. The wholesale furniture industry is very competitive and there are a large number of manufacturers both within and outside the United States who compete in the market on the basis of product quality, price, style, delivery and service. Additionally, many retailers source imported product directly, thus bypassing domestic furniture manufacturers and wholesale importers. We believe that we can be successful in the current competitive environment because our products represent excellent value combining attractive prices, quality and styling, prompt delivery, and superior service.

Wholesale shipments by category for the last three fiscal years, excluding intercompany sales to our retail segment, are summarized below:

Approximately 22% of our 2023 and 2022 wholesale sales were of imported product compared to 24% in 2020. We define imported product as fully finished product that is sourced. Our domestic product includes certain products that contain components which were also sourced. We continue to believe that a blended strategy including domestically produced products primarily of a custom-order nature combined with sourcing of major collections provides the best value and quality of products to our customers.

The dollar value of our wholesale backlog, representing orders received but not yet shipped to the BHF store network or independent dealers, was $18,478 at November 25, 2023 and $35,336 at November 26, 2022.

We use lumber, fabric, leather, foam and other materials in the production of wood and upholstered furniture. These components are purchased from a variety of domestic and international suppliers and are widely available. The price and availability of foam, which is highly dependent on the cost of oil and available capacity of oil refineries, can be subject to significant volatility from time to time.

Retail Segment Overview – Company-Owned Retail Stores

The retail—Company-owned stores segment consists of 56 BHF stores that provide consumers with a friendly and casual environment for buying furniture and accessories. The retail furniture industry remains very competitive and includes local furniture stores, regional furniture retailers, national department and chain stores, single-vendor branded retailers and on-line retailers. As a whole, our store network which includes 31 licensee-owned stores, ranks in the top 30 in retail furniture sales in the United States. The following table shows the number of Company-owned stores by state at November 25, 2023:

Net sales for our Company-owned retail stores by major product category for the last three fiscal years are summarized below:

(1) Includes sales of goods other than Bassett-branded products, such as accessories and bedding, and also includes the sale of furniture protection plans.

We consider our website to be the front door to our brand experience where customers can research our furniture and accessory offerings and subsequently buy online or engage with an in-store design consultant. Customer acquisition resulting from our digital outreach strategies has increased our traffic to the website and our online orders. Digital advertising continued to dominate our marketing expenditures in 2023 as compared to traditional television and direct mail advertising. We plan to continue with increased levels of spending on digital advertising and outreach during 2024.

We also continue to re-examine the performance of every one of our stores. Store traffic has been declining and the effect on our retail model has become increasingly challenging. We believe that on a market-by-market basis, there will be fewer stores in the future. We will continue to evaluate store-by-store performance as we seek the optimal store count in the markets in which we compete at retail.

Corporate and Other

Corporate and other includes the shared costs of corporate functions such as treasury and finance, information technology, accounting, human resources, legal and others, including certain product development and marketing functions benefitting both wholesale and retail operations. We consider our corporate functions to be other business activities and have aggregated them with our other insignificant operating segment, Noa Home, acquired in late 2022.

Trademarks

Our trademarks, including “Bassett” and the names of some of our marketing divisions, products and collections, are significant to the conduct of our business. This is important due to consumer recognition of the names and identification with our broad range of products. Certain of our trademarks are licensed to independent retailers for use in full store and store gallery presentations of our products. We also own copyrights that are important in the conduct of our business.

Government Regulations

We believe that we have materially complied with all federal, state and local standards regarding safety, health and pollution and environmental controls.

We may also be affected by laws and regulations of countries from which we source goods. Labor, environmental and other laws and regulations change over time, especially in the developing countries from which we source. Changes in these areas of regulation could negatively impact the cost and availability of sourced goods. The timing and extent to which these regulations could have an adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations is difficult to predict. In addition, the imposition of new or increased duties, tariffs, retaliatory tariffs and trade limitations with respect to foreign-sourced products could negatively impact the cost of such goods. Based on the present facts, we do not believe that they will have a material adverse effect on our financial position or future results of operations.

Human Capital

We employed 1,389 people as of November 25, 2023. Our associate count represents a decrease of 172 from a year ago, 135 due to headcount reductions in our manufacturing facilities in response to business conditions, 22 primarily attributable to the reduction in the number of Company-owned retail stores and 15 related to the corporate overhead function. Headcount by segment is as follows:

• 705 in the wholesale segment
• 496 in the retail segment
• 188 in the corporate and other segment

We approach our workplace culture by being Invested… In Each Other, the tenets of which include fostering a workplace that promotes respect for each other, investing in our associates’ well-being, providing safe and comfortable work environments, offering opportunities to develop personally and professionally, being good stewards of the environment, and giving back to the communities in which we work and live. We believe that these investments are crucial to the success of our associates and our Company.

Workplace Respect

We value the diversity of our associates as an essential component in the way we do business. It continues to be Bassett’s policy to be equitable and impartial in our relations with our associates and to base all employment-related decisions upon valid, job-related factors, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran or other protected status. “Sex” includes gender identity and gender expression, transgender status, and pregnancy.

We continue to maintain and enforce our policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment in our workplace. Our managers are trained in how to prevent, recognize and respond to possible inappropriate behavior. Associates have several available avenues for reporting concerns, including a confidential hotline. We promptly and carefully investigate each complaint of harassment or discrimination. More details about our commitment to preventing discrimination and harassment in our workplaces are available on our website.

Quality of Life

We continue to invest in the physical and mental well-being of our associates, their spouses and their children.

• We offer several free online mental and behavioral health resources, with unlimited access to board-certified psychiatrists and licensed therapists.
• Our wellness programs, including onsite health clinics, personalized health coaching, mental health counseling, and incentivized healthy lifestyle choices, are designed to improve associate health and reduce healthcare costs for both the associate and the Company.
• We provide opportunities for our associates to meet with a certified financial planner for personalized retirement planning and budget counseling.
• We offer comprehensive benefit plans including Company subsidized health insurance, 401(k) Plan with Company matching contributions, and paid time off. We believe our benefit plans are competitive and meet the needs of most of our associates.

Work Environment

Our investments in our facilities continue, which improve our associates’ safety and comfort, and increase efficiency. These include:

• Completed renovations to the break area and restrooms at our Haleyville, Alabama manufacturing facility.
• Updated air-handling systems at our Newton, North Carolina upholstery facilities, which improved air circulation and quality.
• Renovated the break area at our Martinsville, Virginia plant.
• Continued with lighting improvements at our Bassett, Virginia facility.

We completed associate focus group meetings at our manufacturing locations, which solicited input for improving our facilities and work-life balance.

Professional Development

We offer opportunities to our associates for educational and skill development, including:

• Tuition reimbursement for associates who desire to further their education.
• Online training for managers, with classes completed monthly.
• Training for customer-facing associates designed to enhance the in-store and follow up experiences for our customers.

Environmental and Civic Responsibility

Representing our commitment to sustainably sourced hardwoods, each Arbor Day since 2021, over 30 of our associates travel to central Ohio to take part in the planting of Appalachian hardwood seedlings. This event is hosted by our BenchMade supply partners, and over 170,000 trees have been planted to date – and counting. Additionally, we remain committed to our recycling efforts. Materials recycled in 2023 include:

Our partnership with the Stephen Siller Tunnels2Towers Foundation, which began in 2019, continued last year as we furnished five smart homes built for wounded veterans and first responders. Additionally, our associates and Bassett have a long history of supporting the United Way both financially and by volunteering with United Way supported agencies.

Major Customers

Our risk exposure related to our customers, consisting primarily of trade accounts receivable along with certain guarantees, net of recognized reserves, totaled approximately $15,636 and $19,709 at November 25, 2023 and November 22, 2022, respectively. At November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, approximately 35% and 31%, respectively, of the aggregate risk exposure, net of reserves, was attributable to five customers. In fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, no customer accounted for more than 10% of total consolidated net sales.

Available Information

We file our annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov).

Through our website, www.bassettfurniture.com (http://www.bassettfurniture.com), we make available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing with the SEC, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments thereto.

The following risk factors should be read carefully in connection with evaluating our business and the forward-looking information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risk factors below represent what we believe are the known material risk factors with respect to us and our business. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, operations, industry, financial position or future financial results.

Risks Related to Our Retail Operations

We face a volatile retail environment and changing economic conditions that may further adversely affect consumer demand and spending.

Historically, the home furnishings industry has been subject to cyclical variations in the general economy and to uncertainty regarding future economic prospects. Should current economic conditions weaken, the current rate of housing starts decline, or rising inflation persist, consumer confidence and demand for home furnishings could deteriorate which could adversely affect our business through its impact on the performance of our Company-owned stores, as well as our licensees and the ability of a number of them to meet their obligations to us.

Our retail stores face significant competition from national, regional and local retailers of home furnishings, including increasing on-line competition via the internet.

The retail market for home furnishings is highly fragmented and intensely competitive. We currently compete against a diverse group of retailers, including national department stores, regional or independent specialty stores, and dedicated franchises of furniture manufacturers. National mass merchants such as Costco also have limited product offerings. We also compete with retailers that market products through store catalogs and the internet. In addition, there are few barriers to entry into our current and contemplated markets, and new competitors may enter our current or future markets at any time. We have also seen increasing competition from retailers offering consumers the ability to purchase home furnishings via the internet for home delivery, and this trend is expected to continue. Our existing competitors or new entrants into our industry may use a number of different strategies to compete against us, including aggressive advertising, pricing and marketing, extension of credit to customers on terms more favorable than we offer, and expansion into markets where we currently operate. Competition from any of these sources could cause us to lose market share, revenues and customers, increase expenditures or reduce prices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our licensee-owned stores may not be able to meet their obligations to us.

We have a significant amount of accounts receivable attributable to our network of licensee-owned stores. We also guarantee two leases of one of our licensees. If these stores do not generate the necessary level of sales and profits, the licensees may not be able to fulfill their obligations to us resulting in additional bad debt expenses and real estate related losses.

We may incur significant future losses due to our recent acquisition of Noa Home

If expected growth trends in Noa Home’s revenue fail to materialize, we may be unable to recover our investment in Noa Home, including any additional financial support we may find necessary to provide. This may result in significant operating losses from Noa Home which could have an adverse impact on our future cash flows and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Brand and Product Offerings

Failure to successfully anticipate or respond to changes in consumer tastes and trends in a timely manner could adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

Sales of our furniture are dependent upon consumer acceptance of our designs, styles, quality and price. As with all retailers, our business is susceptible to changes in consumer tastes and trends. We attempt to monitor changes in consumer tastes and home design trends through attendance at international industry events and fashion shows, internal marketing research, and communication with our retailers and design consultants who provide valuable input on consumer tendencies. However, such tastes and trends can change rapidly and any delay or failure to anticipate or respond to changing consumer tastes and trends in a timely manner could adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

In addition, certain suppliers may require extensive advance notice of our requirements in order to produce products in the quantities we desire. This long lead time may require us to place orders far in advance of the time when certain products will be offered for sale, thereby exposing us to risks relating to shifts in consumer demand and trends, and any downturn in the U.S. economy.

Our success depends upon our brand, marketing and advertising efforts and pricing strategies, and if we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, or if we are not successful in these efforts and strategies, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

Maintaining and enhancing our brand is critical to our ability to expand our base of customers and drive increased traffic at both Company-owned and licensee-owned stores and to our website. Digital advertising and outreach continue to dominate our marketing expenditures. We also invested heavily in our website and e-commerce. We cannot provide assurance that our marketing, advertising and other efforts to promote and maintain awareness of our brand will not require us to incur substantial costs. If these efforts are unsuccessful or we incur substantial costs in connection with these efforts, our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Material Sourcing and Supply

Our use of foreign sources of production for a portion of our products exposes us to certain additional risks associated with international operations.

Our use of foreign sources for the supply of certain of our products exposes us to risks associated with overseas sourcing. These risks are related to government regulation, volatile ocean freight costs, delays in shipments, extended lead time in ordering. Governments in the foreign countries where we source our products may change their laws, regulations and policies, including those related to tariffs and trade barriers, investments, taxation and exchange controls which could make it more difficult to service our customers resulting in an adverse effect on our earnings.

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials could result in increased costs or cause production delays which might result in a decline in sales, either of which could adversely impact our earnings.

We use various types of wood, foam, fibers, fabrics, leathers, and other raw materials in manufacturing our furniture. Certain of our raw materials, including fabrics, are purchased both abroad and domestically. Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials could result in increased costs or a delay in manufacturing our products, which in turn could result in a delay in delivering products to our customers. For example, lumber prices fluctuate over time based on factors such as weather and demand, which in turn impact availability. There is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully pass along additional cost increases as they arise and rising inflation could have an adverse impact upon consumer demand for discretionary items such as home furnishings. Production delays or upward trends in raw material prices could result in lower sales or margins, thereby adversely impacting our earnings.

Risks Related to Electronic Data Processing and Digital Information

We rely extensively on computer systems to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business. Disruptions in both our primary and back-up systems could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Our primary and back-up computer systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches, natural disasters and errors by employees. Though losses arising from some of these issues would be covered by insurance, interruptions of our critical business computer systems or failure of our back-up systems could reduce our sales or result in longer production times. If our critical business computer systems or back-up systems are damaged or cease to function properly, we may have to make a significant investment to repair or replace them.

We have previously and may continue in the future to incur costs resulting from security risks we face in connection with our electronic processing, storage and transmission of confidential information whether on computer systems maintained on our internal network or by third parties that may host certain of our systems. We may also incur reputational harm resulting from these security risks.

We accept electronic payment cards in our stores and also gather certain personal identifiable information in the processing of our retail sales transactions. Certain of these transactions were processed through our e-commerce site that was hosted and maintained by a third party that was subject to at least one data breach. We have subsequently moved our e-commerce site to another provider that we believe provides greater overall security. We also store and process confidential information pertaining to our employees and other third parties on our networks. We have and may in the future become subject to claims for purportedly fraudulent transactions arising out of the actual or alleged theft of credit or debit card information. In addition, if there were a disclosure of confidential information provided by, or concerning, our employees, customers or other third parties, including through inadvertent disclosure, unapproved dissemination, or unauthorized access, our reputation could be harmed, and we could be subject to civil or criminal liability and regulatory actions. Proceedings related to theft of credit or debit card information may be brought by payment card providers, banks and credit unions that issue cards, cardholders (either individually or as part of a class action lawsuit) and federal and state regulators. Any such proceedings could distract our management from running our business and cause us to incur significant unplanned losses and expenses. Consumer perception of our brand could also be negatively affected by these events, which could further adversely affect our results and prospects.

We own the following facilities, by segment:

Wholesale Segment:

9

In general, these facilities are suitable and are considered to be adequate for the continuing operations involved. All facilities are in regular use and provide adequate capacity for our manufacturing and warehousing needs. In addition to the owned properties shown above, we lease facilities in Newton, North Carolina for the manufacturing of upholstered furniture and the manufacturing and warehousing operations of Lane Venture and Bassett Outdoor.

Retail Segment:

Real estate associated with our retail segment consists of eight owned locations with an aggregate square footage of 203,465 and a net book value of $24,279. These stores are located as follows:

Of these locations, two are subject to land leases. Our remaining 49 store locations are leased from third parties. In addition to retail stores, we also lease thirteen locations for use as regional warehouses and home delivery distribution centers.

Corporate and Other Segment:

We own our corporate office building, which includes an annex, located in Bassett, Va. Noa Home does not own any property or buildings and is not party to any real estate leases.

See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included under Item 8 of this Annual Report for more information with respect to our operating lease obligations.

(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data)

Overview

Bassett is a leading retailer, manufacturer and marketer of branded home furnishings. Our products are sold primarily through a network of Company-owned and licensee-owned branded stores under the Bassett Home Furnishings (“BHF”) name, with additional distribution through other wholesale channels including multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature Bassett galleries or design centers. We also sell our products through our newly redesigned website at www.bassettfurniture.com (http://www.bassettfurniture.com). We were founded in 1902 and incorporated under the laws of Virginia in 1930. Our rich 121-year history has instilled the principles of quality, value, and integrity in everything we do, while simultaneously providing us with the expertise to respond to ever-changing consumer tastes and meet the demands of a global economy.

With 87 BHF stores at November 25, 2023, we have leveraged our strong brand name in furniture into a network of Company-owned and licensed stores that focus on providing consumers with a friendly and casual environment for buying furniture and accessories. Our store program is designed to provide a single source home furnishings retail store that provides a unique combination of stylish, quality furniture and accessories with a high level of customer service. In order for the Bassett brand to reach markets that cannot be effectively served by our retail store network, we also distribute our products through other wholesale channels including multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature Bassett galleries or design centers. We use a network of over 30 independent sales representatives who have stated geographical territories. These sales representatives are compensated based on a standard commission rate. We believe this blended strategy provides us the greatest ability to effectively distribute our products throughout the United States and ultimately gain market share.

The BHF stores feature custom order furniture, free in-home or virtual design visits (“home makeovers”) and coordinated decorating accessories. Our philosophy is based on building strong long-term relationships with each customer. Salespeople are referred to as “Design Consultants” and are trained to evaluate customer needs and provide comprehensive solutions for their home decor. Until a rigorous training and design certification program is completed, Design Consultants are not authorized to perform in-home or virtual design services for our customers.

We consider our website to be the front door to our brand experience where customers can research our furniture and accessory offerings and subsequently buy online or engage with an in-store design consultant. Digital outreach strategies have become the primary vehicle for brand advertising and customer acquisition. As a result, we have been engaged in a multi-year cross-functional digital transformation initiative with the first phase consisting of the examination and improvement of our underlying data management processes. During fiscal 2022, we implemented a comprehensive Product Information Management system which allows us to enhance and standardize our product development and data management and governance processes. This results in more consistent data that our merchandizing and sales teams can use in analyzing various product and sales trends in order to make better informed decisions. We also introduced a new web platform in August of 2023 that leverages world class features including enhanced customer research capabilities and streamlined navigation. Since the debut of the new site, we have seen increased engagement with the brand through a greater number of page views per customer along with more time spent on the site. We have also seen an increase in average order value that has resulted in increased e-commerce revenue. We plan to implement several enhancements to the site in 2024 that will improve the overall customer experience and brand presentation. While we have made it easier to purchase on-line, we will not compromise our in-store experience or the quality of our in-home makeover capabilities. We spent over $4 million on developing and implementing the new website in 2023.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 we acquired Noa Home for $5,878 cash plus contingent consideration of $1,375 (see Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the acquisition). A mid-priced e-commerce furniture retailer headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Noa Home has operations in Canada, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. With a lean staffing model, the Noa Home team has built an operational blueprint that has the potential for significant growth. We believe the acquisition will provide Bassett with a greater online presence and will allow us to attract more digitally native consumers. We are currently in the process of expanding Noa Home’s product assortment and categories offered on the Canadian website. In August of 2023, we introduced the Noa Home brand in the United States.

In 2018, we added outdoor furniture to our offerings with the acquisition of the Lane Venture brand. Our strategy is to distribute these products outside of our BHF store network through independent sales representatives each of which have a stated geographic territory. Using Lane Venture as a platform, we developed the Bassett Outdoor brand that is only marketed through the BHF store network. This allows Bassett branded products to move from inside the home to outside the home to capitalize on the growing trend of outdoor living. In the second quarter of 2023, we debuted the Bassett Outdoor contract line at the HD Expo Show in Las Vegas targeting the hospitality segment.

We have factories in Newton, North Carolina that manufacture both stationary and motion upholstered furniture for inside the home along with our outdoor furniture offerings. We also have factories in Martinsville and Bassett, Virginia that assemble and finish our custom bedroom and dining offerings. In 2022, we purchased a facility which we had formerly leased in Haleyville, Alabama where we manufacture aluminum frames for our outdoor furniture.

In addition to the furniture that we manufacture domestically, we source most of our formal bedroom and dining room furniture (casegoods) and certain leather upholstery offerings from several foreign plants, primarily in Vietnam and China. Over 75% of our wholesale revenues are derived from products that are manufactured in the United States using a mix of domestic and globally sourced components and raw materials.

Sale of the Assets of Zenith Freight Lines, LLC

During the first quarter of 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Zenith, to J.B. Hunt for $86,939 in cash. On February 28, 2022 the transaction was completed with us receiving $85,521 after the payment of $418 in certain transaction costs and the funding of $1,000 held in escrow, which was released to us on the first anniversary of the sale. The final purchase price was subject to a customary post-closing working capital adjustment, which was settled in the amount of $987 resulting in a pre-tax gain of $52,534 on this transaction. As a result of the sale, the operations of our former logistical services segment, which consisted entirely of the operations of Zenith, are presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income and in the following discussion as discontinued operations.

Analysis of Continuing Operations

The following discussion provides an analysis of our results of operations and reasons for material changes therein for fiscal year 2023 as compared to fiscal year 2022. It also compares fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2021 for the wholesale segment and the corporate and other segment due to changes in those segments as of the beginning of fiscal 2023. For additional analysis of the fiscal year 2022 results as compared to fiscal year 2021, see “Analysis of Operations” in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on January 24, 2023.

Net sales revenue, cost of furniture and accessories sold, selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense, other charges, and income from operations were as follows for the years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021:

13

Our consolidated net sales by segment were as follows:

Total sales revenue for the year ended November 25, 2023, decreased $95,465 or approximately 20% from the prior year period primarily due to decreases in wholesale shipments to both the open market and the BHF store network and decreases in retail delivered sales, partially offset by increased revenue in our Corporate and Other segment from Noa Home.

Gross margins for the year ended November 25, 2023, increased 180 basis points from 2022 primarily due to higher-margin retail sales constituting a larger share of total sales in 2023 as compared to the prior year period coupled with margin improvement in the wholesale segment.

SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales for the year ended November 25, 2023 increased 770 basis points from 2022 primarily due to the deleverage of fixed costs caused by lower sales volumes.

During the year ended November 25, 2023, we recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $5,409 and a gain of $1,013 resulting from the write-down of our contingent consideration obligation both of which are associated with the acquisition of Noa Home. See Note 3 to the condensed consolidated financial statements. During the year ended November 26, 2022, we recognized a gain of $4,595 from the sale of the real estate at a former retail location in Houston, Texas.

Certain other items affecting comparability between fiscal 2023 and 2022 are discussed below in “Other Items Affecting Net Income”.

Segment Information

Beginning in fiscal 2023, we strategically aligned our business into three reportable segments as defined in ASC 280, Segment Reporting, and as described below:

• Wholesale. The wholesale home furnishings segment is involved principally in the design, manufacture, sourcing, sale and distribution of furniture products to a network of Bassett stores (Company-owned and licensee-owned retail stores) and independent furniture retailers. Our wholesale segment includes our wood and upholstery operations, which includes Lane Venture.
• Retail – Company-owned stores. Our retail segment consists of Company-owned stores and includes the revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities and capital expenditures directly related to these stores and the Company-owned distribution network utilized to deliver products to our retail customers.
• Corporate and other – Corporate and other includes the shared costs of corporate functions such as treasury and finance, information technology, accounting, human resources, legal and others, including certain product development and marketing functions benefitting both wholesale and retail operations. We consider our corporate functions to be other business activities and have aggregated them with our other insignificant operating segment, the recently acquired Noa Home.

Inter-company net sales elimination represents the elimination of wholesale sales to our Company-owned stores. Inter-company income elimination includes the embedded wholesale profit in the Company-owned store inventory that has not been realized. These profits will be recorded when merchandise is delivered to the retail consumer. The inter-company income elimination also includes rent paid by our retail stores occupying Company-owned real estate.

Prior to the beginning of fiscal 2023, the functions included in Corporate and other were included in our wholesale reportable segment, and Noa Home was included in our retail reportable segment for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 following its acquisition on September 2, 2022. We believe that the new alignment of our reporting segments provides our chief operating decision maker with clearer information with which to assess the operating results of our wholesale segment. Noa Home does not meet the requirements to be a separate reportable segment. The segment information presented below has been restated to reflect the new alignment of our reportable segments.

Our former logistical services segment which represented the operations of Zenith is now presented as a discontinued operation.

Reconciliation of Segment Results to Consolidated Results of Operations

To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, we present gross profit by segment inclusive of the effects of intercompany sales by our wholesale segment to our retail segment. Because these intercompany transactions are not eliminated from our segment presentations and because we do not present gross profit as a measure of segment profitability in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, the presentation of gross profit by segment is considered to be a non-GAAP financial measure. In addition, certain special gains or charges that are included in consolidated income from operations are not included in the measures of segment profitability. The reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP is presented below along with the effects of various other intercompany eliminations on our consolidated results of operations.

Notes to Segment Consolidation Table:

(1) Represents the elimination of sales from our wholesale segment to our Company-owned BHF stores.

(2) Represents the elimination of purchases by our Company-owned BHF stores from our wholesale segment.

(3) Represents the change in the elimination of intercompany profit in inventory.

(4) Represents the elimination of rent paid by our retail stores occupying Company-owned real estate.

(5) Represents a non-cash charge for the impairment of goodwill associated with our Noa Home reporting unit.

(6) Represents the gain resulting from the write-down of the contingent consideration payable on the acquisition of Noa Home.

(7) Represents the gain on the sale of the real estate at a former retail location.

Wholesale Segment

Net sales, gross profit, SG&A expense and operating income for our Wholesale Segment were as follows for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021:

(1) Gross profit at the segment level is considered a Non-GAAP financial measure due to the included effects of intercompany transactions. Refer to the reconciliation of segment results to consolidated results of operations presented above.

Wholesale shipments by category for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021 are summarized below:

Fiscal 2023 as Compared to Fiscal 2022

Net sales for the year ended November 25, 2023 decreased $75,658 or 23% from the prior year period due to a 17% decrease in shipments to the BHF store network, a 26% decrease in shipments to the open market and 30% decrease in shipments of Lane Venture product. These decreases were the result of reduced demand for home furnishings following the significant increase during the COVID period. Gross margins for the year ended November 25, 2023 increased 50 basis points compared to the prior year period primarily due to increased margins in our Custom Upholstery business as we were able to recognize a greater portion of previously implemented price increases in current period sales coupled with improved overall product warranty and returns experience and overall lower unit costs as measured on a last-in, first-out (LIFO) basis. These margin improvements were partially offset by lower margins in the Bassett Leather business due to increased product discounting and excess and obsolete reserve charges. As the Bassett Leather product line is internationally sourced with extended lead times, we received significant amounts of inventory during the second and third quarters of 2022 just as product demand was weakening due to the market downturn in home furnishings. Also, the ocean freight costs associated with the majority of the product received was at significantly higher costs than are currently being realized on current product receipts. We expect margins for the Bassett Leather product to moderate during the first half of 2024 with a return to normal margins in the third quarter of 2024. Margins in the Bassett Casegoods business were lower due primarily to realizing the high freight costs incurred during mid-2022 in the results of operations for the current period. Margins improved over the back half of 2023 with margins for the fourth quarter of 2023 comparable to the fourth quarter of 2022. Lastly, margins for Bassett Custom Wood products were lower in 2023 from the prior year due to lower sales volume. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales increased 110 basis points primarily due to reduced leverage of fixed costs from decreased sales, partially offset by lower fixed overhead spending.

Fiscal 2022 as Compared to Fiscal 2021

Net sales for the year ended November 26, 2022 increased $29,240 or 9.9% from the prior year period due to a 13% increase in shipments to both the BHF store network, a 32% increase in shipments of Lane Venture product and a 3.8% increase in shipments to the open market. Gross margins for the year ended November 26, 2022 declined 90 basis points compared to the prior year period as we experienced significant increases in material and other production costs. In addition, we experienced reduced margins in our Bassett Leather product line due to price discounting during the last half of the year. As this product line is internationally sourced with extended lead times, we received significant amounts of inventory during the second and third quarters of 2022 just as product demand was weakening due to the market downturn in home furnishings. Also, the ocean freight costs associated with the majority of the product received was at significantly higher costs than are currently being realized on current product receipts. All of these cost increases were partially offset by greater leverage of fixed costs due to higher sales volumes. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales increased 110 basis points primarily due to increased logistics and warehouse costs and higher bad debt expenses, partially offset by greater leverage of fixed costs from increased sales volumes.

The dollar value of our wholesale backlog, representing orders received but not yet shipped to the BHF store network or independent dealers, was $18,478 at November 25, 2023 and $35,336 at November 26, 2022.

Retail Segment – Company Owned Stores

Net sales, gross profit, SG&A expense, and operating income (loss) for our retail segment were as follows for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021:

(1) Gross profit at the segment level is considered a Non-GAAP financial measure due to the included effects of intercompany transactions. Refer to the reconciliation of segment results to consolidated results of operations presented above.

Retail sales by major product category for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021were as follows:

(1) Includes the sale of goods other than Bassett-branded products, such as accessories and bedding, and also includes the sale of furniture protection plans.

Fiscal 2023 as Compared to Fiscal 2022

Net sales for the year ended November 25, 2023 decreased $49,179 or approximately 17% from the prior year. Written sales (the value of sales orders taken but not delivered) declined 16% from fiscal 2022. Gross margins for the year ended November 25, 2023 increased by 20 basis points as compared to the prior year period as lower margins from store closure sales in the current year were offset by improved margins on in-line goods and lower unit costs as measured on a LIFO basis. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales for the year ended November 25, 2023 increased 730 basis points primarily due to decreased leverage of fixed costs from lower sales volumes.

Retail backlog at November 25, 2023 was $30,902 compared to $51,041 at November 26, 2022.

Corporate and Other

Revenues, costs and expenses of corporate and other for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021 are as follows:

Fiscal 2023 as Compared to Fiscal 2022

The increases in sales and gross profit over the prior year period were due to the acquisition of Noa Home on September 2, 2022. The $2,901 increase in SG&A expenses was primarily due to the addition of Noa Home, partially offset by lower corporate incentive compensation and other corporate overhead expenses.

Fiscal 2022 as Compared to Fiscal 2021

The increases in sales and gross profit over the prior year period were due to the acquisition of Noa Home on September 2, 2022. The $6,998 decrease in SG&A expenses was primarily due to higher corporate overhead spending in 2022 including increased employee compensation costs and sales and marketing expenses, along with the fact that there was no SG&A expense associated with Noa Home in 2021.

Discontinued Operations - Logistical Services

Revenues, operating expenses and income from operations for our logistical services segment were as follows for the fiscal years ended November 25, 2023, November 26, 2022 and November 27, 2021:

Analysis of Discontinued Operations – Logistical Services

The amounts shown above represent the results of Zenith’s business transactions with third parties.

Zenith charged Bassett $9,121 for logistical services provided to our wholesale segment during the year ended November 26, 2022, and $31,329 and $26,967 for fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively. These shipping and handling costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. We entered into a service agreement with J.B. Hunt for the continuation of these services for a period of seven years following the sale of Zenith. Subsequent to the sale, we have incurred $26,125 and $27,604 of expense for the years ended November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively, for the performance of logistical services by J.B. Hunt.

Other Items Affecting Net Income (Loss)

Other items affecting net income (loss) for fiscal 2023 and 2022 are as follows:

(1) Consists of interest income arising from our short-term investments and interest-bearing cash equivalents. The increase in interest income for fiscal 2023 as compared with fiscal 2022 was due primarily to higher interest rates paid on certificates of deposit. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our investments in certificates of deposit.

(2) The interest expense in fiscal 2023 and 2022 is attributable to finance leases for computer and office equipment. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our leases.

(3) Represents the portion of net periodic pension costs not included in income from operations. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to our defined benefit pension plans.

(4) Includes a gain arising from death benefits from Company-owned life insurance of $1,441 in fiscal 2022.

Provision for Income taxes

We recorded an income tax provision on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $683, $8,702, and $5,836 in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Our effective tax rate of (27.5%) for 2023 differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% due to the non-taxable goodwill impairment and non-taxable gain on revaluation of contingent consideration both of which are associated with the acquisition of Noa Home, increases in the valuation allowance placed on deferred tax assets resulting from pre-tax losses in foreign tax jurisdictions associated with Noa Home and the effects of state income taxes and various permanent differences. Our effective tax rate of 25.5% for 2022 differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% due to the effects of state income taxes and various permanent differences.

We have net deferred tax assets of $4,645 as of November 25, 2023, which, upon utilization, are expected to reduce our cash outlays for income taxes in future years. It will require approximately $18,000 of future taxable income to utilize our net deferred tax assets.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We are committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet in order to weather difficult industry conditions, to allow us to take advantage of opportunities as market conditions improve, and to execute our long-term retail strategies.

Cash Flows

Cash provided by operations for the year ended November 25, 2023 was $18,724 compared to cash used in operations of $2,970 for the year ended November 26, 2022, representing an increase of $21,694 in cash flows from operations. Cash provided by the operating activities of our discontinued operations was $1,681 in fiscal 2022. Excluding the decline in operating cash flow from discontinued operations, cash flows from continuing operations increased $23,375 as compared to the prior year period. This increase was primarily the result of reductions in our inventory on hand partially offset by lower income from continuing operations and other changes in working capital.

During the year ended November 25, 2023, we spent $17,489 on purchases of property and equipment primarily consisting of expenditures related to our digital transformation project, upfit of the new Tampa, Florida store that opened January 12, 2024, the opening of the Inwood Village store in Dallas, Texas, the remodel of the Austin, Texas store and the remodeling of two other stores in the Dallas, Texas market. We also paid $5,982 in dividends during the year, a $14,180 decrease from 2022 as the prior year included a $1.50 per share special dividend. Finally, we repurchased 252,054 shares spending $4,176 during the current year, a $10,946 decrease compared to the prior period. As of November 25, 2023, $21,823 remains available for future purchases under our stock repurchase plan. With cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments totaling $70,182 on hand at November 25, 2023, expected future operating cash flows and the availability under our credit line noted below, we believe we have sufficient liquidity to fund operations for the foreseeable future.

Debt and Other Obligations

Bank Credit Facility

Our bank credit facility provides for a line of credit of up to $25,000. At November 25, 2023, we had $3,731 outstanding under standby letters of credit against our line, leaving availability under our credit line of $21,269. The line bears interest at the One-Month Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“One-Month Term SOFR”) plus 1.5% and is unsecured. Our bank charges a fee of 0.25% on the daily unused balance of the line, payable quarterly. Under the terms of the facility, we must maintain the following financial covenants, measured quarterly on a rolling twelve-month basis:

• Consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.4 times,
• Consolidated lease-adjusted leverage ratio not to exceed 3.0 times, and
• Minimum tangible net worth of $140,000.

Due to our results of operations in 2023, we were not in compliance with certain of these covenants at the end of the year. Consequently, our bank agreed to reduce the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio to 1.0 times and increase the consolidated lease-adjusted leverage ratio to 3.75 times, as defined, for the year ended November 25, 2023 and the quarter ended March 2, 2024. We were in compliance with the amended covenants at November 25, 2023 and expect to be in compliance at March 2, 2024. The respective ratios revert back to the previous values for the quarter ended June 1, 2024. We are in negotiations with our bank and plan to have an amended, restated or new agreement with a similar line of credit in place by the end of the second quarter of 2024.

We lease land and buildings that are used in the operation of our Company-owned retail stores as well as in the operation of certain of our licensee-owned stores, and we lease land and buildings at various locations throughout the continental United States for warehouse space used in our retail segment. We also lease local delivery trucks used in our retail segment. The total future minimum lease payments for leases with terms in excess of one year at November 25, 2023 is $140,405 the present value of which is $116,529 and is included in our accompanying consolidated balance sheet at November 25, 2023. We were contingently liable under licensee lease obligation guarantees in the amount of $1,845 at November 25, 2023. The remaining terms under these lease guarantees range from approximately one to five years. See Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements for a schedule of future cash payments on our lease obligations and additional details regarding our leases and lease guarantees.

We provide post-employment benefits to certain current and former executives and management level employees of the Company. Included among these benefits are two defined-benefit plans with a combined projected benefit obligation of $6,979 at November 25, 2023. See Note 10 to our consolidated financial statements for a projection of future benefit payments under these plans from 2024 through 2033. We also have deferred compensation plans with a total liability of $4,316 at November 25, 2023, the current portion of which is $329. See Note 10 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding these plans.

Dividends and Share Repurchases

During fiscal 2023, we declared and paid four quarterly dividends totaling $5,982, or $0.68 per share. During fiscal 2023, we repurchased 252,054 shares of our stock for $4,176 under our share repurchase program. The weighted-average effect of these share repurchases on basic earnings per share from continuing operations was approximately $0.01 per share. On March 9, 2022, our Board of Directors increased the remaining limit of the repurchase plan to $40,000. The approximate dollar value that may yet be purchased pursuant to our stock repurchase program as of November 25, 2023 was $21,283.

Capital Expenditures

We currently anticipate that total capital expenditures for fiscal 2024 will be between $12 million and $14 million, which will be used for the for remodeling various retail stores and additional investments in information technology, including enhancements to our new website. Our capital expenditure and working capital requirements in the foreseeable future may change depending on many factors, including but not limited to the overall performance of the store program, our rate of growth, our operating results and any adjustments in our operating plan needed in response to industry conditions, competition or unexpected events. We believe that our existing cash, together with cash from operations, will be sufficient to meet our capital expenditure and working capital requirements for the foreseeable future.

Fair Value Measurements

We account for items measured at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. ASC 820’s valuation techniques are based on observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect readily obtainable data from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market assumptions. ASC 820 classifies these inputs into the following hierarchy:

Level 1 Inputs– Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 Inputs– Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.

Level 3 Inputs– Instruments with primarily unobservable value drivers.

We believe that the carrying amounts of our current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these items. Our primary non-recurring fair value estimates, typically involving the valuation of business acquisitions (see Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements), goodwill impairments (see Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) and asset impairments (see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) have utilized Level 3 inputs.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We utilize stand-by letters of credit in the procurement of certain goods in the normal course of business. We lease land and buildings that are primarily used in the operation of our retail BHF stores and distribution facilities as well as certain manufacturing facilities in our upholstery operations. We have guaranteed certain lease obligations of licensee operators as part of our retail strategy. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for further discussion of lease guarantees, including descriptions of the terms of such commitments and methods used to mitigate risks associated with these arrangements.

Contingencies

We are involved in various claims and litigation as well as environmental matters, which arise in the normal course of business. Although the final outcome of these legal and environmental matters cannot be determined, based on the facts presently known, it is our opinion that the final resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or future results of operations.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) which requires that certain estimates and assumptions be made that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in those financial statements and the related accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates and assumptions. We use our best judgment in valuing these estimates and may, as warranted, solicit external advice. Estimates are based on current facts and circumstances, prior experience and other assumptions believed to be reasonable. The following critical accounting policies, some of which are impacted significantly by judgments, assumptions and estimates, affect our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition - We recognize revenue when we transfer promised goods to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive in exchange for those goods. For our wholesale and retail segments, revenue is recognized when the risks and rewards of ownership and title to the product have transferred to the buyer.

At wholesale, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon the shipment of goods to independent dealers and licensee-owned BHF stores. We offer payment terms varying from 30 to 60 days for wholesale customers. Estimates for returns and allowances have been recorded as a reduction of revenue based on our historical return patterns. The contracts with our licensee store owners do not provide for any royalty or license fee to be paid to us.

At retail, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon delivery of goods to the customer. We typically collect a significant portion of the purchase price as a customer deposit upon order, with the balance typically collected upon delivery. These deposits are carried on our balance sheet as a current liability until delivery is fulfilled and amounted to $22,788 and $35,963 as of November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively. Substantially all of the customer deposits held at November 26, 2022 related to performance obligations satisfied during fiscal 2023 and have therefore been recognized in revenue for the year ended November 25, 2023. Estimates for returns and allowances have been recorded as a reduction of revenue based on our historical return patterns. We also sell furniture protection plans to our retail customers on behalf of a third party which is responsible for the performance obligations under the plans. Revenue from the sale of these plans is recognized upon delivery of the goods net of amounts payable to the third-party service provider.

Allowance for credit losses - We maintain an allowance for credit losses for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. Our accounts receivable reserves were $535 and $1,261 at November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively, representing 3.7% and 6.6% of our gross accounts receivable balances at those dates, respectively. The allowance for credit losses is based on a review of specifically identified customer accounts in addition to an overall aging analysis which is applied to accounts pooled on the basis of similar risk characteristics. Judgments are made with respect to the collectibility of accounts receivable within each pool based on historical experience, current payment practices and current economic trends based on our expectations over the expected life of the receivables, which is generally ninety days or less. Although actual losses have not differed materially from our previous estimates, future losses could differ from our current estimates. Unforeseen events such as a licensee or customer bankruptcy filing could have a material impact on our results of operations.

Inventories - Inventories accounted for under the first-in, first out (“FIFO”) method are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, and inventory accounted for under the last-in, first out method (“LIFO”) is stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined for domestic furniture inventories, excluding outdoor furniture products, using the LIFO method. The cost of imported inventories, domestic outdoor furniture products and Noa Home product inventories is determined on a FIFO basis. We estimate an inventory reserve for excess quantities and obsolete items based on specific identification and historical write-offs, taking into account future demand and market conditions. Our reserves for excess and obsolete inventory were $5,183 and $5,167 at November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively, representing 7.6% and 5.8%, respectively, of our inventories on a LIFO basis. If actual demand or market conditions in the future are less favorable than those estimated, additional inventory write-downs may be required.

Goodwill – Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of consideration given over the fair value of the tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. The acquisition of assets and liabilities and the resulting goodwill is allocated to the respective reporting unit: Wood, Upholstery, Retail – Company-Owned Stores, and Noa Home. We review goodwill at the reporting unit level annually for impairment or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that assets might be impaired.

In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles – Goodwill & Other, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test described in ASC Topic 350 (as amended by Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment). The more likely than not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the quantitative impairment test is unnecessary and our goodwill is considered to be unimpaired. However, if based on our qualitative assessment we conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, we will proceed with performing the quantitative evaluation process. For the annual test of goodwill performed as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, we performed the qualitative assessment as described above with respect to our upholstery reporting unit and concluded that there was no impairment of the goodwill allocated to that reporting unit as of November 25, 2023. For the annual test of the goodwill performed as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 with respect to our Noa Home reporting unit, we proceeded to the quantitative test and concluded that the goodwill allocated to that reporting unit as of November 25, 2023 was fully impaired as the difficult environment for companies selling furniture on the web resulted in Noa Home performing well below initial projections and expectations. For the annual test of goodwill performed as of the beginning of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022, we performed the qualitative assessment as described above and concluded that there was no impairment of our goodwill as of November 26, 2022.

The quantitative evaluation compares the carrying value of each reporting unit that has goodwill with the estimated fair value of the respective reporting unit. Should the carrying value of a reporting unit be in excess of the estimated fair value of that reporting unit, a goodwill impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, but not to exceed the total goodwill assigned to the reporting unit. The determination of the fair value of our reporting units is based on a combination of a market approach, that considers benchmark company market multiples, an income approach, that utilizes discounted cash flows for each reporting unit and other Level 3 inputs as specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure, and, in the case of our retail reporting unit, a cost approach that utilizes estimates of net asset value. The cash flows used to determine fair value are dependent on a number of significant management assumptions such as our expectations of future performance and the expected future economic environment, which are partly based upon our historical experience. Our estimates are subject to change given the inherent uncertainty in predicting future results. Additionally, the discount rate and the terminal growth rate are based on our judgment of the rates that would be utilized by a hypothetical market participant. As part of the goodwill impairment testing, we also consider our market capitalization in assessing the reasonableness of the combined fair values estimated for our reporting units. While we believe such assumptions and estimates are reasonable, the actual results may differ materially from the projected amounts.

Other Intangible Assets – Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually or between annual tests when an impairment indicator exists. The recoverability of indefinite-lived intangible assets is assessed by comparison of the carrying value of the asset to its estimated fair value. If we determine that the carrying value of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss equal to the excess would be recorded. At November 25, 2023, our indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill consist of trade names acquired in the acquisitions of Lane Venture and Noa Home and have a carrying value of $8,675.

Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. We estimate the useful lives of our intangible assets and ratably amortize the value over the estimated useful lives of those assets. If the estimates of the useful lives should change, we will amortize the remaining book value over the remaining useful lives or, if an asset is deemed to be impaired, a write-down of the value of the asset may be required at such time. At November 25, 2023 our definite-lived intangible assets consist of customer relationships acquired in the acquisition of Lane Venture with a carrying value of $175.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - We periodically evaluate whether events or circumstances have occurred that indicate long-lived assets may not be recoverable or that the remaining useful life may warrant revision. When such events or circumstances are present, we assess the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value will be recovered through the expected undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset. In the event the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset, an impairment loss equal to the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value is recorded. When analyzing our real estate properties for potential impairment, we consider such qualitative factors as our experience in leasing and selling real estate properties as well as specific site and local market characteristics. Upon the closure of a Bassett Home Furnishings store, we generally write off all tenant improvements which are only suitable for use in such a store. Right of use assets under operating leases are written down to their estimated fair value. Our estimates of the fair value of the impaired right of use assets include estimates of discounted cash flows based upon current market rents and other inputs which we consider to be Level 3 inputs as specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements regarding the impact or potential impact of recent accounting pronouncements upon our financial position and results of operations.

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the value of foreign currencies. Substantially all of our purchases outside of North America are denominated in U.S. dollars. Therefore, we believe that gains or losses resulting from changes in the value of foreign currencies relating to foreign purchases not denominated in U.S. dollars would not be material to our results from operations in fiscal 2023. We are also exposed to foreign currency market risk through our investment in Noa Home. Our investment in Noa Home is subject to changes in the value of the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar. Additionally, Noa Home is exposed to other local currency fluctuation risk through its operations in Australia, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom. The impact of currency fluctuations on our financial position and results of operations since the acquisition of Noa Home on September 2, 2022 has not been significant.

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the cost of raw materials used in our manufacturing processes, principally wood, woven fabric, and foam products. The cost of foam products, which are petroleum-based, is sensitive to changes in the price of oil.

We are also exposed to commodity price risk related to diesel fuel prices for fuel used in our retail segment for home delivery as well as through amounts we are charged for logistical services by our service providers. We manage our exposure to that risk primarily through the application of fuel surcharges to our customers.

We have potential exposure to market risk related to conditions in the commercial real estate market. Our retail real estate holdings of $24,279 and $21,164 at November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively, for Company-owned stores, consisting of eight locations with a total of 203,465 square feet of space, could suffer significant impairment in value if we are forced to close additional stores and sell or lease the related properties during periods of weakness in certain markets. Additionally, if we are required to assume responsibility for payment under the lease obligations of $1,845 and $1,880 which we have guaranteed on behalf of licensees as of November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, respectively, we may not be able to secure sufficient sub-lease income in the current market to offset the payments required under the guarantees. We are also exposed to risk related to conditions in the commercial real estate rental market with respect to the right-of-use assets we carry on our balance sheet for leased retail store locations and warehouse facilities. At November 25, 2023, the unamortized balance of such right-of-use assets totaled $100,565. Should we have to close or otherwise abandon one of these leased locations, we could incur additional impairment charges if rental market conditions do not support a fair value for the right of use asset in excess of its carrying value.

As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures” (“Disclosure Controls”). Disclosure Controls, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act, such as this Annual Report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure Controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the CEO and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management, including the CEO and CFO, does not expect that our Disclosure Controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. The design of any system of controls also 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.

Based upon their controls evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that our Disclosure Controls are effective at a reasonable assurance level.

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Exchange Act Rule 13a-15. With the participation of our CEO and CFO, our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of November 25, 2023 based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of November 25, 2023, based on those criteria. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected.

Ernst & Young LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Changes in internal control over financial reporting.

There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during our fourth fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of November 25, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of November 25, 2023, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of November 25, 2023 and November 26, 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended November 25, 2023, and the related notes and schedule and our report dated January 25, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed 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. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Richmond, Virginia

January 25, 2024