1 800 Flowers Com Inc: Form 10-Q for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

This “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” ("MD&A") is intended to provide an understanding of our financial condition, change in financial condition, cash flow, liquidity, and results of operations. The following MD&A discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes to those statements that appear elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended July 2, 2023. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s plans, estimates and beliefs. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those discussed or referred to in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to any differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the caption “Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results,” under Part I, Item 1A, of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended July 2, 2023 under the heading “Risk Factors” and Part II-Other Information, Item 1A in this Form 10-Q.

Business Overview

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) is a leading provider of gifts designed to help inspire customers to give more, connect more, and build more and better relationships. The Company’s e-commerce business platform features an all-star family of brands, including: 1-800-Flowers.com®, 1-800-Baskets.com®, Cheryl’s Cookies®, Harry & David®, PersonalizationMall.com®, Shari’s Berries®, FruitBouquets.com®, Things Remembered®, Moose Munch®, The Popcorn Factory®, Wolferman’s Bakery®, Vital Choice®, and Simply Chocolate®. Through the Celebrations Passport® loyalty program, which provides members with free standard shipping and no service charge across our portfolio of brands, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. strives to deepen relationships with customers. The Company also operates BloomNet®, an international floral and gift industry service provider offering a broad-range of products and services designed to help members grow their businesses profitably; Napco℠, a resource for floral gifts and seasonal décor; DesignPac Gifts, LLC, a manufacturer of gift baskets and towers; and Alice’s Table®, a lifestyle business offering fully digital floral, culinary and other experiences to guests across the country.

For additional information, see Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Overview” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 2, 2023.

Macro-economic Conditions

Overall, broader macro-economic conditions continue to impact our consumers as they continue to moderate their discretionary income. Consumers remain pressured by persistent inflation, higher interest rates, and the resumption of student loan repayments. Throughout the first half of fiscal 2024, we have seen that customer spending on “Everyday” gifting occasions has slowed, whereas spending for the major holidays has held up better. However, customers did remain more conservative regarding their holiday spending than originally anticipated. In line with this, total consolidated revenues decreased 8.4% to $822.1 million and 9.2% to $1.09 billion during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared with the same periods of the prior year. As we look ahead to the second half of fiscal 2024, we continue to expect our sales trends to improve albeit at a slower pace than initially anticipated.

The challenging macro-economic conditions that have affected our customers have also impacted our operating costs. During the second quarter of fiscal 2022, in-bound and out-bound shipping, commodity, labor and fuel costs began to surge, and escalated throughout the balance of the year and into fiscal 2023. During our second quarter and third quarter of fiscal 2023, while certain commodity prices remained near historical highs, we began to see a more stable labor market, and significant year-over-year reductions in ocean freight costs. As a result of these trends, combined with our strategic pricing initiatives, automation efforts, and other internal management initiatives, we started to see year-over-year improvement in gross margin commencing in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. These trends and initiatives continued into fiscal 2024 and we saw a significant improvement in year-over-year gross margin in the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2024. This improvement and a reduction of expenses helped to offset the aforementioned year-over-year decline in sales.

Intangible Impairment

During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, as a result of a decline in the actual and projected revenue for the Company’s PersonalizationMall tradename, as well as a higher discount rate resulting from the higher interest rate environment, the Company determined that an impairment assessment was required for this tradename. This assessment resulted in the Company recording a non-cash impairment charge of $19.8 million to reduce the recorded carrying value of the PersonalizationMall tradename. See Note 5 – Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net for further information.

Acquisition of Things Remembered

On January 10, 2023, the Company completed its acquisition of certain assets of the Things Remembered brand, a provider of personalized gifts, whose operations have been integrated within the PersonalizationMall.com brand, in the Consumer Floral & Gifts segment. The Company used cash on hand to fund the $5.0 million purchase, which included intellectual property, customer list, certain inventory, and equipment - see Note 3 –Acquisitions in Item 1.

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

On June 27, 2023, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement to, among other modifications, (i) increase the amount of the outstanding term loan from approximately $150 million to $200 million, (ii) decrease the amount of the commitments in respect of the revolving credit facility from $250 million to $225 million subject to a seasonal reduction to an aggregate amount of $125 million for the period from January 1 to August 1, (iii) extend the maturity date of the outstanding term loan and the revolving credit facilities by approximately 48 months to June 27, 2028, and (iv) increase the applicable interest rate margins for SOFR and base rate loans by 25 basis points (See Note 7 - Debt, in Item 1, for details).

Company Guidance

The Company is updating its Fiscal 2024 guidance to reduce its revenue outlook for the full year, while maintaining its Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow expectations, as the improvement in gross profit margin and the company’s expense optimization efforts are expected to mitigate the softer than anticipated revenue improvement.

As a result, the Company now expects Fiscal 2024:

• total revenues on a percentage basis to decline in a range of 7% to 9%, as compared with the prior year;
• Adjusted EBITDA to be in a range of $95 million to $100 million; and
• Free Cash Flow to be in a range of $60 million to $65 million.

Refer to "Definitions of non-GAAP Financial Measures" for reconciliation of non-GAAP results to applicable GAAP results.

Definitions of non-GAAP Financial Measures:

We sometimes use financial measures derived from consolidated financial information, but not presented in our financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Certain of these are considered "non-GAAP financial measures" under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. See below for definitions and the reasons why we use these non-GAAP financial measures. Where applicable, see the Segment Information and Results of Operations sections below for reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are referred to as “non-GAAP” or “adjusted” below, as these terms are used interchangeably. Reconciliations for forward-looking figures would require unreasonable efforts at this time because of the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of certain components of various necessary GAAP components, including, for example, those related to compensation, tax items, amortization or others that may arise during the year, and the Company's management believes such reconciliations would be confusing or misleading to investors. For the same reasons, the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. The lack of such reconciling information should be considered when assessing the impact of such disclosures.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for the impact of stock-based compensation, Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (“NQDC Plan”) Investment appreciation/depreciation, and certain items affecting period-to-period comparability. See Segment Information for details on how EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA were calculated for each period presented.

The Company presents EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because it considers such information meaningful supplemental measures of its performance and believes such information is frequently used by the investment community in the evaluation of similarly situated companies. The Company uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as factors to determine the total amount of incentive compensation available to be awarded to executive officers and other employees. The Company's credit agreement uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to determine its interest rate and to measure compliance with certain covenants. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also used by the Company to evaluate and price potential acquisition candidates.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations are: (a) EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, the Company's working capital needs; (b) EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on the Company's debts; and (c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such capital expenditures. EBITDA should only be used on a supplemental basis combined with GAAP results when evaluating the Company's performance.

Segment contribution margin and adjusted segment contribution margin

We define segment contribution margin as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, before the allocation of corporate overhead expenses. Adjusted segment contribution margin is defined as contribution margin adjusted for certain items affecting period-to-period comparability. See Segment Information for details on how segment contribution margin was calculated for each period presented.

When viewed together with our GAAP results, we believe segment contribution margin and adjusted segment contribution margin provide management and users of the financial statements meaningful information about the performance of our business segments.

Segment contribution margin and adjusted segment contribution margin are used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. The material limitation associated with the use of segment contribution margin and adjusted segment contribution margin is that they are an incomplete measure of profitability as they do not include all operating expenses or non-operating income and expenses. Management compensates for this limitation when using this measure by looking at other GAAP measures, such as operating income and net income.

Adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted or comparable net income (loss) per common share

We define adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted or comparable net income (loss) per common share as net income (loss) and net income (loss) per common share adjusted for certain items affecting period-to-period comparability. See Segment Information below for details on how adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted or comparable net income (loss) per common share were calculated for each period presented.

We believe that adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted or comparable net income (loss) per common share are meaningful measures because they increase the comparability of period-to-period results.

Since these are not measures of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP, they should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, GAAP net income (loss) and net income (loss) per common share, as indicators of operating performance and they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other companies.

Free Cash Flow

We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures. The Company considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the purchases of fixed assets, which can then be used to, among other things, invest in the Company’s business, make strategic acquisitions, strengthen the balance sheet, and repurchase stock or retire debt. Free cash flow is a liquidity measure that is frequently used by the investment community in the evaluation of similarly situated companies.

Since free cash flow is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP, it should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of financial performance is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the company's cash balance for the period.

Segment Information

The following table presents the net revenues, gross profit and segment contribution margin from each of the Company’s business segments, as well as consolidated EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA.

22

23

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(a) Segment performance is measured based on segment contribution margin or segment Adjusted EBITDA, reflecting only the direct controllable revenue and operating expenses of the segments, both of which are non-GAAP measurements. As such, management’s measure of profitability for these segments does not include the effect of corporate overhead, described above, depreciation and amortization, other income (net), and other items that we do not consider indicative of our core operating performance.

(b) Corporate expenses consist of the Company’s enterprise shared service cost centers, and include, among other items, Information Technology, Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, Legal, Executive and Customer Service Center functions, as well as Stock-based compensation. In order to leverage the Company’s infrastructure, these functions are operated under a centralized management platform, providing support services throughout the organization. The costs of these functions, other than those of the Customer Service Center, which are allocated directly to the above categories based upon usage, are included within corporate expenses as they are not directly allocable to a specific segment.

Results of Operations

Net revenues

(dollars in thousands)

Net revenues consist primarily of the selling price of the merchandise, service or outbound shipping charges, less discounts, returns and credits.

Net revenues decreased 8.4% and 9.2% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, due to lower order volume across all segments, reflecting a continuation of the trends that the Company had experienced throughout the prior fiscal year, as consumer discretionary income remains pressured and consumers continue to moderate their spending. Contributing to this decline was the prudent use of promotional offerings and advertising campaigns, which balance the long-term goals of the Company with strategies to improve gross margins and tightly control operating expenses during this challenging economic environment.

The Company acquired Things Remembered on January 10, 2023 and launched the brand on its e-commerce platform in April 2023. Things Remembered revenues were not significant during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023.

27

Revenue by sales channel:

E-commerce revenues (combined online and telephonic) decreased 6.6% and 7.9% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, primarily due to the decline in demand across all our segments, as a result of the macro-economic conditions noted above, which have negatively impacted consumer discretionary spending, combined with planned reductions in advertising spend.

During the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, the Company fulfilled approximately 7.9 million and 10.5 million orders through its e-commerce sales channel (online and telephonic sales), a decrease of 9.0% and 10.8%, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year. During the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, average order value increased 2.7% and 3.4%, to $93.14 and $90.06, respectively, as a result of product mix into higher price point items, including bundles, and customer mix with more affluent consumers buying at a higher rate than less affluent.

Other revenues are comprised of the Company’s BloomNet segment, as well as the wholesale and retail channels of its Consumer Floral & Gifts and Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets segments.

Other revenues during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, decreased 22.2% and 17.1%, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, due to lower wholesale volumes within the Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets segment, as well as lower BloomNet revenues due to lower shop-to-shop volumes, as well as wholesale volumes.

Revenue by segment:

Consumer Floral & Gifts – this segment, which includes the operations of the 1-800-Flowers.com, PersonalizationMall, and Alice’s Table brands, and the Things Remembered brand, subsequent to its acquisition on January 10, 2023, derives revenue from the sale of consumer floral products and gifts through its e-commerce sales channels (telephonic and online sales), retail stores, and royalties from its franchise operations.

Net revenues within this segment decreased 8.0% and 9.6% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, due to the continued economic pressure, which was combined with planned reductions in advertising spend, as the brands focused their efforts on improving gross margin and operating spend efficiency, in the face of softening demand.

During the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, Consumer Floral & Gifts orders through its e-commerce sales channel (online and telephonic sales) decreased 10.4% and 12.3%, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, however this was partially offset by an increase in average order value of 2.6% and 3.0%, respectively, as a result of product mix into higher price point items, including bundles, and customer mix with more affluent consumers buying at a higher rate than less affluent.

BloomNet - revenues in this segment are derived from membership fees, as well as product and service offerings.

Net revenues decreased 17.1% and 15.3% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year. The net revenue decline was due to soft wholesale product revenues, as well as lower services revenues, attributable to a decline in order volume processed through the network.

Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets – this segment includes the operations of Harry & David, Wolferman’s, Cheryl’s Cookies, The Popcorn Factory, 1-800-Baskets/DesignPac, Shari’s Berries, and Vital Choice. Revenue is derived from the sale of gourmet fruits, cookies, baked gifts, premium chocolates and confections, gourmet popcorn, gift baskets, dipped berries, prime steaks, chops, and fish, through the Company’s e-commerce sales channels (telephonic and online sales) and company-owned and operated retail stores under the Harry & David and Cheryl’s brand names, as well as wholesale operations.

Net revenues within this segment decreased 8.2% and 8.4% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, as a result of lower e-commerce and wholesale revenues, primarily due to macro-economic weakness, combined with planned reductions in advertising spend, as the brands focused their efforts on improving gross margin and operating spend efficiency in the face of softening demand.

During the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets orders through its e-commerce sales channel (online and telephonic sales) decreased 7.9% and 9.3%, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, however this was partially offset by an increase in average order value of 2.3% and 3.1%, respectively, as a result of product mix into higher price point items, including bundles, and customer mix with more affluent consumers buying at a higher rate than less affluent.

Gross profit

(dollars in thousands)

Gross profit consists of net revenues less cost of revenues, which is comprised primarily of florist fulfillment costs (fees paid directly to florists), the cost of floral and non-floral merchandise sold from inventory or through third parties, and associated costs, including inbound and outbound shipping charges. Additionally, cost of revenues includes labor and facility costs related to direct-to-consumer and wholesale production operations, as well as payments made to sending florists related to order volume referred through the Company’s BloomNet network.

Gross profit decreased 3.3% and 2.5% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, primarily due to lower revenues as noted above, partially offset by a favorable gross profit percentage.

Gross profit percentage increased 230 and 280 basis points during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, driven by lower freight costs, a decline in certain commodity costs, reduced labor costs, and better inventory management.

Gross profit by segment follows:

Consumer Floral & Gifts segment - Gross profit decreased by 2.8% and 5.0% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, due to the impact of the lower revenues noted above, partially offset by favorable gross profit percentage attributable to lower freight costs and reduced labor costs.

BloomNet segment - Gross profit decreased by 6.5% and 3.2% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, due to decrease in revenues noted above, partially offset by improved gross profit percentage. Gross profit percentage increased in comparison to the prior year primarily due to lower freight costs and product mix.

Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets segment – Gross profit decreased by 3.4% and 0.9% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year due to the revenue decrease noted above, partially offset by improved gross profit percentage. The increased gross profit percentage was attributable to lower freight costs, a decline in certain commodity prices, reduced labor costs, and better inventory management.

Marketing and sales expense

(dollars in thousands)

Marketing and sales expense consists primarily of advertising and promotional expenditures, catalog costs, online portal and search costs, retail store and fulfillment operations (other than costs included in cost of revenues) and customer service center expenses, as well as the operating expenses of the Company’s departments engaged in marketing, selling and merchandising activities.

Marketing and sales expense decreased 3.0% and 4.4% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, due to variable components associated with lower revenues, combined with planned reductions in advertising spend focused on driving profitable volume during a period when discretionary purchases are under pressure.

Technology and development expense

(dollars in thousands)

Technology and development expense consists primarily of payroll and operating expenses of the Company’s information technology group, costs associated with its websites, including hosting, design, content development and maintenance and support costs related to the Company’s order entry, customer service, fulfillment, and database systems.

Technology and development expense decreased by 0.9% during the three months ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period of the prior year, primarily due to reduced labor and consulting costs. Technology and development expense increased 1.5% during the six months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period of the prior year, primarily due to higher maintenance and support costs for the Company’s technology platform enhancements, partially offset by reduced labor and consulting costs.

General and administrative expense

(dollars in thousands)

General and administrative expense consists of payroll and other expenses in support of the Company’s executive, finance and accounting, legal, human resources and other administrative functions, as well as professional fees and other general corporate expenses.

General and administrative expenses decreased 6.1% during the three months ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period of the prior year, primarily due to lower labor and insurance costs and bad debt expense, offset in part by changes in the value of the Company’s NQDC plan investments (offset in Other Income below). General and administrative expenses increased 0.9% during the six months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period of the prior year, due to increases in labor costs driven by changes in the value of the Company’s NQDC plan investments (offset in Other Income below), partially offset by favorable bad debt expense and lower insurance and professional fees.

Depreciation and amortization expense

(dollars in thousands)

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased 1.1% during the three months ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period of the prior year, due to the timing of certain assets becoming fully depreciated, offset in part by distribution facility automation projects and IT related ecommerce/platform enhancements. Depreciation and amortization expense increased 1.2% during the six months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period of the prior year, due to distribution facility automation projects and IT related ecommerce/platform enhancements.

Intangible impairment

(dollars in thousands)

During the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $19.8 million related to its PersonalizationMall trademark, due to a decline in the actual and projected revenue, combined with a higher discount rate resulting from the higher interest rate environment. See Note 5 – Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net for further information.

Interest expense, net

(dollars in thousands)

Interest expense, net consists primarily of interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs attributable to the Company’s credit facility (See Note 7 - Debt, in Item 1. for details), net of income earned on the Company’s available cash balances.

Interest expense, net increased 11.3% and 16.2% during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to the same periods of the prior year, primarily due to higher interest rates, partially offset by favorable interest earned on available cash balances.

Other expense (income), net

(dollars in thousands)

Other expense consists primarily of investment losses (gains) on the Company’s NQDC Plan Investments.

Income Taxes

The Company recorded income tax expense of $26.5 million and $16.2 million during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, compared to an income tax expense of $28.3 million and $16.9 million, during the three and six months ended January 1, 2023, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, was 29.6% and 33.8%, respectively, compared to 25.5% and 25.7% in the same periods of the prior year. The Company’s effective tax rate for fiscal 2023 and 2024 differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to state income taxes and non-deductible executive compensation, partially offset by tax credits and other items. Fiscal 2024, was further impacted by the impairment charge, which reduced the amount of income reflected in the Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity and borrowings

The Company's principal sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flows generated from operations, and borrowings available under the Company’s credit agreement (see Note 7 - Debt in Item 1 for details). At December 31, 2023, the Company had working capital of $202.5 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $312.0 million, compared to working capital of $152.9 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $126.8 million, at July 2, 2023.

Due to the seasonal nature of the Company’s business, and its continued expansion into non-floral products, the Thanksgiving through Christmas holiday season, which falls within the Company’s second fiscal quarter, is expected to generate over 40% of the Company’s annual revenues, and all of its earnings. Due to the number of major floral gifting occasions, including Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Administrative Professionals Week, revenues also have historically risen during the Company’s fiscal third and fourth quarters in comparison to its fiscal first quarter.

During the first two quarters of fiscal 2024, the Company borrowed under its revolving credit agreement in order to fund pre-holiday manufacturing and inventory procurement requirements, with borrowings peaking at $82.0 million in November 2023. Cash generated from operations during the Christmas holiday shopping season enabled the Company to repay the borrowings under the Revolver in December 2023. Based on current projected cash flows, the Company believes that available cash balances will be sufficient to provide for the Company’s operating needs through the remainder of fiscal 2024, at which time the Company would again expect to borrow against its Revolver to fund pre-holiday manufacturing and inventory purchases. The Company had no amounts outstanding under its Revolver as of December 31, 2023.

While we believe that our sources of funding will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating cash needs for at least the next twelve months, any projections of future cash needs and cash flows are subject to substantial uncertainty. We continually evaluate, and will, from time to time, consider the acquisition of, or investment in, complementary businesses, products, services, capital infrastructure, and technologies, which might affect our liquidity requirements or cause us to require additional financing.

Cash Flows

Net cash provided by operating activities of $212.8 million, for the six months ended December 31, 2023, was primarily attributable to the Company’s net income during the period, adjusted by non-cash charges related to the intangible impairment, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and changes in deferred income taxes, combined with seasonal changes in net working capital, including increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses and trade receivables and a decrease in inventories.

Net cash used in investing activities of $17.8 million, for the six months ended December 31, 2023, was attributable to capital expenditures primarily related to the Company's technology and automation initiatives.

Net cash used in financing activities of $9.7 million, for the six months ended December 31, 2023, related primarily to net repayment of bank borrowings under the Company’s working capital line of credit and the repurchase of common stock.

Stock Repurchase Program

See Item 2 in Part II below for details.

Contractual Obligations

At December 31, 2023, the Company’s contractual obligations consist of:

• Long-term debt obligations - payments due under the Company's credit agreement (see Note 7 - Debt in Item 1 for details and payments due by period).
• Operating lease obligations – payments due under the Company’s operating leases (see Note 12 - Leases in Item 1 for details and payments due by period for the long-term operating leases).
• Purchase commitments - consisting primarily of inventory and IT related equipment purchase orders and license agreements made in the ordinary course of business – see below for the contractual payments due by period.

(in thousands)

Critical Accounting Estimates

As disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 2, 2023, the discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations are based upon the consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Management bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, and management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The Company’s most critical accounting policies relate to goodwill, other intangible assets and income taxes. There have been no significant changes to the assumptions and estimates related to the Company’s critical accounting policies since July 2, 2023.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 1 - Accounting Policies in Item 1 for details regarding the impact of accounting standards that were recently issued on our consolidated financial statements.

Forward Looking Information and Factors that May Affect Future Results

Our disclosure and analysis in this report contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include words such as “estimate,” “expects,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “forecast,” “likely,” “will,” “goal,” “target” or similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including:

• the Company’s ability:
• to achieve revenue and profitability;
• to leverage its operating platform and reduce operating expenses;
• to manage the seasonality of its business;
• to cost effectively acquire and retain customers;
• to successfully integrate acquired businesses and assets;
• to reduce working capital requirements and capital expenditures;
• to mitigate the impact of supply chain cost and capacity constraints;
• to compete against existing and new competitors;
• to manage expenses associated with sales and marketing and necessary general and administrative and technology investments; and
• to address the effects of changes in accounting policies, practices, or assumptions, including changes that could potentially require future impairment charges;
• the outcome of contingencies, including legal proceedings in the normal course of business; and
• general consumer sentiment and economic conditions that may affect, among other things, the levels of discretionary customer purchases of the Company’s products and the costs of shipping and labor.

We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties, and inaccurate assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated, or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 2, 2023 listed various important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected and historic results. We note these factors for investors as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers can find them in Part I, Item 1A, of that filing under the heading “Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995”. We incorporate that section of that Form 10-K in this filing and investors should refer to it. In addition, please refer to any additional risk factors in Part II, Item 1A in this Form 10-Q.

The Company is exposed to market risk from the effect of interest rate changes.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to the Company’s investment of available cash balances and its long-term debt. The Company generally invests its cash and cash equivalents in investment grade corporate and U.S. government securities. Borrowings under the Company’s credit facility bear interest at a variable rate, plus an applicable margin, and therefore expose the Company to market risk for changes in interest rates. The effect of a 50 basis point increase in current interest rates on the Company’s interest expense would be approximately $0.3 and $0.6 million during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have each concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the Company’s evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, as specified above. Our management recognizes that any control system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain judgments and assumptions and cannot provide absolute assurance that its objectives will be met.

There were no material changes to the Company’s risk factors as discussed in Part 1, Item 1A-Risk Factors in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 2, 2023.