Haverty Furniture Companies Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

Unless otherwise indicated by the context, we use the terms “Havertys,” “we,” “our,” or “us” when referring to the consolidated operations of Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. and subsidiary.

Overview

Havertys is a specialty retailer of residential furniture and accessories. Our founder, J.J. Haverty began the business in 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia with one store and made deliveries using horse-drawn wagons. The Company grew to 18 stores and was incorporated in September 1929. Anticipating further growth, the Company accessed additional capital through its initial public offering in October 1929.

Havertys has grown to over 120 stores in 16 states in the Southern and Midwest regions. All of our retail locations are operated using the Havertys name, and we do not franchise our stores. Our brand recognition is very high in the markets we serve, and consumer surveys indicate Havertys is associated with a high level of quality, fashion, value, and service.

Customers

Havertys customers are typically well-educated women in middle to upper-to-middle income households. They generally own homes in the suburbs, and their diverse personalities are reflected in their unique sense of style. These consumers research and shop online and in-store, often engaging friends or family members in the purchasing process. They are discerning buyers, desiring furnishings that fit their style, but never sacrificing quality. Our marketing, merchandising, stores, online presence, and customer service are targeted to attract and meet the needs of our distinctive customers.

Merchandise and Revenues

We develop our merchandise selection with the diverse taste of our typical “on trend” customer in mind. A wide range of styles from traditional to contemporary are in our core assortment, and virtually all of the furniture merchandise we carry bears the Havertys brand. We also tailor our product offerings to the needs and tastes of the local markets we serve, emphasizing more “coastal,” “western” or “urban” looks as appropriate. Our custom upholstery programs and eclectic looks are an important part of our product mix and allow the on-trend consumer more self-expression.

We have avoided offering lower quality, promotional price-driven merchandise favored by many regional and national chains, which we believe would devalue the Havertys brand with the consumer. We carry nationally well-known mattress product lines such as Tempur-Pedic®, Serta®, Stearns and Foster®, Beautyrest®, and Sealy®.

Our customers use varying methods to purchase or finance their sales. As an added convenience to our customers, we offer financing by third-party finance companies. Sales financed by the third-party providers are not Havertys’ receivables; accordingly, we do not have any credit risk or servicing responsibility for these accounts, and there is no credit or collection recourse to Havertys. Slightly less than one-third of our sales are third-party-financed. The fees we pay to the third parties are included in our selling, general, and expenses (“SG&A”) as a selling expense.

We have a seasoned, commissioned-based sales team serving our customers. Their product knowledge is important in assisting customers in evaluating Havertys' merchandise as compared to our competitors. We also offer a free in-home design service to those customers seeking a more in-depth personalized experience. The average sales ticket for a customer that has a designer visit their home is generally twice that of our average in-store sales ticket. Approximately 28.5% of our sales in 2023 resulted from consultations with our in-home designers.

Stores

As of December 31, 2023, we operated 124 stores serving 86 cities in 16 states with approximately 4.4 million retail square feet. Our stores range in size from 15,000 to 60,000 selling square feet, with the average being approximately 35,000 square feet. We strive to have our stores reflect the distinctive style and comfort consumers expect to find when purchasing their home furnishings. The store’s location and curb appeal are important to the middle to upper-middle income consumer that we target, and attractive facades complement the quality and style of our merchandise. Interior details are also important for a pleasant and inviting shopping experience. We are very intentional in having open shopping spaces and our disciplined merchandise display ensures uniformity of presentations in-store, online and in our advertising.

Our goal, subject to market conditions and identifying suitable sites, is to open five new stores per year and to increase our retail square footage by approximately 2.8% in 2024. We are evaluating various "big box" former retail sites in the 30,000 to 32,000 square feet size range and other new locations for expansion. We currently have no plans to add stores outside our distribution footprint.

Online Presence

We consider our website an extension of our brick-and-mortar locations and not a separate segment of our business. Most customers will use the internet for inspiration and as a start to their shopping process to view products and prices. Our website features a variety of helpful tools including a design center with a 3-D room planner, upholstery customization, and inspired accessories. A large number of product reviews written by our customers are also provided, which some consumers find important in the decision-making process.

The next stop in the purchase journey for most consumers is a visit to a store to touch, sit, and see merchandise in person. Our sales consultants also use online tools to further engage our customers while they are in the store. Customers may make their purchase in the store or opt to return home and finalize their decisions, place their orders online and set delivery. We limit internet sales of our furniture to within our delivery network, and internet sales of a selection of our accessories to within the continental United States. Our total sales completed online for 2023 were approximately 3.3% of our total 2023 business.

We made significant investments in our website during 2022. The site was launched in the fourth quarter featuring a new design and replatformed on a suite of Adobe solutions allowing for better search functionality, navigation, and enriched product pages. At the beginning of 2023, we onboarded a new business partner with deep Adobe experience to further improve the overall customer experience by optimizing site performance and usability. We also added more conversion event, traffic and conversion variables in Adobe Analytics which has allowed more refined and sophisticated A/B testing and improved insight into customer behavior. We continue to fine-tune the content management system as well as find opportunities to add more AI driven automation in an effort to improve the customer experience and increase sales conversion rates through our website and increase traffic to our stores.

We believe offering a direct-to-customer business complements our retail store operations as we serve the customer in the method of their choosing and leverage the power of high-touch service and online capabilities.

Suppliers and Supply Chain

We buy our merchandise from numerous foreign and domestic manufacturers and importers, the largest ten of which accounted for approximately 40.2% of our product purchases during 2023. Most of our wood products, or “case goods,” are imported from Asia. Upholstered items are largely produced domestically, with the exception of our leather products which are primarily imported from Asia or Mexico.

We purchase our furniture merchandise produced in Asia through sourcing companies and also buy direct from manufacturers. We have dedicated quality control specialists on-site during production to ensure the items meet our specifications. Our direct import team works with industry designers and manufacturers in some of the best factories throughout Asia. Approximately 19.4% of our case goods sales and 9.2% of our upholstery sales in 2023 were generated by our direct imports.

The longer lead times required for deliveries from overseas factories and the production of merchandise exclusively for Havertys makes it imperative for us to have both warehousing capabilities and end-to-end supply chain visibility. Our merchandising team provides input to the automated procurement process in an effort to maintain overall inventory levels within an appropriate range and reduce the number of written sales awaiting product delivery. We use real-time information to closely follow our import orders from the manufacturing plant through each stage of transit and using this data can more accurately set customer delivery dates prior to receipt of product.

Distribution

We believe that our distribution and delivery system is one of the best in the retail furniture industry and provides us with a significant competitive advantage. Our distribution system uses a combination of three distribution centers (“DCs”) and four home delivery centers (“HDCs”). The DCs receive both domestic product and containers of imported merchandise. A warehousing management system, using radio frequency scanners, tracks each piece of inventory in real time and allows for random storage in the warehouse and efficient scheduling and changing of the workflow. The DCs are also designed to shuttle prepped merchandise up to 250 miles for next-day home deliveries and serve HDCs within a 500-mile radius. The HDCs provide service to markets within an additional 250 miles. We use third parties to handle over-the-road delivery of product from the DCs to the HDCs and market areas. We use Havertys team members for executing home delivery, and have branded this service “Top Drawer Delivery,” an important function serving as the last contact with our customers in the purchase process. Operating standards in our warehouse and delivery functions provide measurements for determining staffing needs and increasing productivity.

Time between purchase and delivery averages 3 to 5 days for in-stock items and 5 to 7 weeks for special order items.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2023, Havertys’ total workforce was 2,574: 1,561 in our retail store operations, 779 in our warehouse and delivery points, 177 in our corporate operations, and 57 in our customer-service call centers. None of our team members is a party to a union contract.

Health and Safety

We care about our teammates, customers, and the communities we serve. We believe a hazard-free environment is a critical enabler for the success of our business. We have a strong safety program that focuses on implementing policies and training programs to ensure our team members can leave their job and return home safely every day.

Culture and Engagement

Integrity and teamwork are two of our core values. These drive our approach in our everyday operations with our customers, suppliers and teammates and we believe that the best results happen when we work together. At Havertys, we see strength in America’s many faces, cultures, and colors. Each person offers a unique point of view and presents a fresh perspective integral to supporting innovation. We are committed to differing perspectives across all levels of our workforce to improve our business and reflect the vibrant and thriving diversity of the communities in which we live and work.

We periodically conduct an Employee Engagement Survey (the “Survey”) as a means of measuring employee engagement and satisfaction and offering employees the chance to feel heard.

Retention and Development

Our compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, and motivate team members to achieve superior results. Havertys’ total compensation for teammates comprises a variety of components, including competitive pay consistent with positions, skill levels, experience, and knowledge. We also offer competitive benefits, including access to healthcare plans, financial and physical wellness programs, paid time off, parental leave and retirement benefits.

We are committed to supporting our teammates’ continuous development of professional, technical and leadership skills through corporate training programs, access to digital learning resources and through partnerships with local technical learning institutions. In 2023, Havertys team members consumed approximately 93,000 hours of learning. We also offer the opportunity for team members to pursue degree programs, professional certificates, and individual courses in strategic fields of study through our tuition reimbursement program.

Competition

The retail sale of home furnishings is a highly fragmented and competitive business. There has been growth in the e‑commerce channel both from internet only retailers, from start-up furniture retailers and larger more established retailers, and those with a brick-and-mortar presence. The degree and sources of brick-and-mortar retail competition varies by geographic area. We compete with numerous individual retail furniture stores as well as national and regional chains. Retail stores opened or operated by furniture manufacturers in an effort to control and protect the distribution prospects of their branded merchandise compete with us in certain markets. Mass merchants, certain department stores, and some electronics and appliance retailers also have limited furniture product offerings.

We believe Havertys is uniquely positioned in the marketplace, with a targeted mix of merchandise that appeals to customers who are somewhat more affluent than those of promotional price-oriented furniture stores. Our online presence provides most elements of a seamless, omni-channel approach that many of our competitors do not have or cannot replicate. We consider our custom order capabilities, free in-home design service, the tailoring of merchandise on a local market basis, and the ability to make prompt delivery of orders through maintenance of inventory to be significant competitive advantages.

Seasonality

Our business is affected by traditional retail seasonality, advertising and promotion programs, and general economic trends. We historically achieve our smallest quarter by revenues in the second quarter and the largest in the fourth quarter. The “nesting” response generated by COVID-19 created outsized demand beginning in the second quarter of 2020 and, when combined with the strong housing market contributed to the strong sales levels we experienced through 2021. During 2022, our business began reverting to its more historical patterns, with a return to increased shopping on weekends and during traditional extended holiday periods.

Trademarks and Domain Names

We have registered our various logos, trademarks and service marks. We believe that our trademark position is adequately protected in all markets in which we do business. In addition, we have registered and maintain numerous internet domain names including “havertys.com.” Collectively, the logos, trademarks, service marks and domain names that we hold are of material importance to us.

Available Information

Our internet website address is www.havertys.com (http://www.havertys.com). In addition to the information about us contained in this 2023 Form 10-K, information about us can be found on our Investor Relations website at www.ir.havertys.com (http://www.ir.havertys.com). This website contains a significant amount of information about us, including our corporate governance principles and practices and financial and other information. We are not including this or any other information on our website as a part of, nor incorporating it by reference into, this 2023 Form 10-K or any of our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports are available free of charge on our website at www.ir.havertys.com (http://www.ir.havertys.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains our SEC filings at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov).

The following discussion of risk factors contains forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be important to understanding any statement in this annual report on Form 10-K or elsewhere. The following information should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (MD&A), and the consolidated financial statements and related notes in Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this annual report on Form 10-K.

We routinely encounter and address risks, some of which may cause our future results to be different – sometimes materially different – than we presently anticipate. The following factors, as well as others described elsewhere in this report or in our other filings with the SEC, that could materially affect our business, financial condition or operating results should be carefully considered. Below, we describe certain important operational and strategic risks and uncertainties, but they are not the only risks we face. Our reactions to material future developments, as well as our competitors’ reactions to those developments, may also impact our business operations or financial results. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or operating results may be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Business

We face significant competition from national, regional and local retailers of home furnishings.

The retail market for home furnishings is highly fragmented and intensely competitive. We currently compete against a diverse group of retailers, including internet-only retailers, regional or independent specialty stores, dedicated franchises of furniture manufacturers and national department stores. 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. 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, social media campaigns and extension of credit to customers on terms more favorable than we offer. Furthermore, some of our competitors have greater financial resources and larger customer bases than we have, and as a result may have a more advanced multichannel platform, be able to adapt quicker to changes in consumer behavior, have attractive customer loyalty programs, and maintain higher profitability in an aggressive low-pricing environment. Rapidly evolving technologies are altering the manner in which retailers communicate and transact with customers, led by internet-based and multichannel retailers that have made significant investments in recent years, including with pricing technology and shipping capabilities.

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.

If we fail to successfully anticipate or respond to changes in consumer preferences in a timely manner, our sales may decline.

Our products must appeal to our target consumers whose preferences, tastes and trends cannot be predicted with certainty and are subject to change. We continuously monitor changes in home design trends through attendance at international industry events and fashion shows, internal marketing research, and regular communication with our retailers and design professionals who provide valuable input on consumer tendencies. However, as with all retailers, our business is susceptible to changes in consumer tastes and trends. Our success depends upon our ability to anticipate and respond in a timely manner to fashion trends relating to home furnishings. If we fail to successfully identify and respond to these changes, our sales may decline.

Our future success is largely dependent on our ability to successfully implement our growth and other strategies.

Our future success, including our ability to achieve growth and increased profitability, is dependent on the ability of our management team to execute on our long-term business strategy, which includes increasing our retail footprint, expanding our online presence, increasing the efficiency and profitability of our operations, introducing new products in the marketplace and driving increased traffic to our retail stores and e-commerce site through updated marketing efforts. If any of these initiatives are not successful, or require extensive investment, our growth may be limited, and we may be unable to achieve or maintain expected levels of growth and profitability. Furthermore, our ability to expand our retail footprint is dependent on our ability to identify, secure and develop new retail locations, which involves factors outside of our control.

Inability to maintain and enhance our brand may materially adversely impact our business.

Maintaining and enhancing our brand is critical to our ability to retain and expand our base of customers and may require us to make substantial investments. Our advertising campaigns utilize digital, television, and social media to maintain and enhance our existing brand equity. We cannot provide assurance that our marketing, advertising, and other efforts to promote and maintain awareness of our brand will be successful and we may incur substantial costs in such efforts. Furthermore, our brand and reputation could be harmed by negative media, including social media, attention, negative online reviews, cybersecurity incidents, product liability or safety concerns or other matters. If our marketing, advertising, and other efforts are unsuccessful or our brand or reputation is damaged, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

We import a substantial portion of our merchandise from foreign sources. This exposes us to certain risks that include political and economic conditions. Changes in exchange rates or tariffs could impact the price we pay for these goods, resulting in potentially higher retail prices and/or lower gross profit on these goods.

Based on product costs, approximately 61% of our total furniture purchases (which exclude accessories and mattresses) in 2023 were for goods that were not produced domestically. All our purchases are denominated in U.S. dollars. As exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and certain other currencies become unfavorable, the likelihood of price increases from our vendors increases. Some of the products we purchase are also subject to tariffs. If tariffs are imposed on additional products or the tariff rates are increased, our vendors may increase their prices. Such changes, if they occur, could have one or more of the following impacts:

• we could be forced to raise retail prices so high that we are unable to sell the products at current unit volumes;
• if we are unable to raise retail prices commensurately with the cost increases, gross profit as recognized under our LIFO inventory accounting method could be negatively impacted; or
• we may be forced to find alternative sources of comparable product, which may be more expensive than the current product or of lower quality, or the vendor may be unable to meet our requirements for quality, quantities, delivery schedules or other key terms.

We are dependent upon the ability of our third-party producers to meet our requirements; any failures by these producers, or the unavailability of suitable suppliers at reasonable prices or limitations on our ability to source from third-party producers may negatively impact our ability to deliver quality merchandise to our customers on a timely basis or result in higher costs or reduced net sales.

We source substantially all of our products from non-exclusive, third-party producers, many of which are located in foreign countries. Although we have long-term relationships with many of our suppliers, we must compete with other companies for the production capacity of these independent manufacturers. We regularly depend upon the ability of third-party producers to secure a sufficient supply of raw materials, develop a skilled workforce, adequately finance the production of goods ordered and maintain sufficient manufacturing and shipping capacity. Although we monitor production and quality in many third-party manufacturing locations, we cannot be certain that we will not experience operational difficulties with our manufacturers, such as the reduction of availability of production capacity, errors in complying with product specifications, insufficient quality control, failures to meet production deadlines or increases in manufacturing costs. Such difficulties may negatively impact our ability to deliver quality products to our customers on a timely basis, which may, in turn, have a negative impact on our customer relationships and result in lower net sales.

We also require third-party producers to meet certain standards in terms of working conditions, environmental protection and other matters before placing business with them. As a result of costs relating to compliance with these standards, we may pay higher prices than some of our competitors for products. In addition, failure by our independent manufacturers to adhere to ethical labor or other laws or business practices, and the potential litigation, negative publicity and political pressure relating to any of these events, could disrupt our operations or harm our reputation.

Our vendors might fail in meeting our quality control standards or reacting to changes to the legislative or regulatory framework regarding product safety.

All of our vendors must comply with applicable product safety laws and regulations, and we are dependent on them to ensure that the products we buy comply with all safety standards as well applicable quality standards. Any actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns could expose us to government enforcement action or private litigation and could result in recalls and other liabilities. Such exposure could harm our brand’s image and negatively affect our business and operating results. Furthermore, concerns around the quality of the products we sell could damage our reputation and result in loss of future revenues.

Significant fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and components could adversely affect our profits.

The primary materials our vendors use to produce and manufacture our products are various woods and wood products, resin, steel, leather, cotton, and certain oil-based products. On a global and regional basis, the sources and prices of those materials and components are susceptible to significant price fluctuations due to supply/demand trends, transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, changes in currency exchange rates, price controls, the economic and political climate, and other unforeseen circumstances. While the global supply chain challenges experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lessened over the past two years, there can be no assurance that further challenges, including shutdowns and shipping delays, will not occur. Such supply chain disruptions could materially adversely impact the ability of our suppliers to fulfil our orders in a timely manner, if at all, and could lead to increased prices, which we may not be able to pass through to our customers.

Our revenue can be adversely affected by our ability to successfully forecast our supply chain needs and our foreign manufacturers’ ability to comply with international trade rules and regulations.

Optimal product flow is dependent on demand planning and forecasting, supplier production according to such planning, and timely transportation. We often make commitments to purchase products from our vendors in advance of proposed production dates. Significant deviation from the projected demand for products that we sell may have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, either from lost sales or lower margins resulting from inventory-driven price reductions. Disruptions to our supply chain could result in late product arrivals. Increased levels of out-of-stock merchandise and loss of confidence by customers in our ability to deliver goods as promised could negatively affect sales.

In addition, there is a risk that compliance lapses by our foreign manufacturers could occur which could lead to investigations by U.S. government agencies responsible for international trade compliance. Resulting penalties or enforcement actions could delay future imports or otherwise negatively impact our business. There also remains a risk that one or more of our foreign manufacturers will not adhere to applicable legal requirements or our compliance standards such as fair labor standards, the prohibition on child labor and other product safety or manufacturing safety standards. The violation of applicable legal requirements, including labor, manufacturing and safety laws, by any of our manufacturers, the failure of any of our manufacturers to adhere to our global compliance standards or the divergence of the labor practices followed by any of our manufacturers from those generally accepted in the U.S. could disrupt our supply of products from our manufacturers, could result in potential liability to us or could harm our reputation and brand, any of which could negatively affect our business and operating results.

We rely on third party transportation providers for substantially all of our product shipments from our vendors.

We rely on third party service providers for substantially all of our product shipments from our vendors, both domestic and foreign, to our DCs and also to handle over-the-road delivery of product from the DCs to our HDCs and some market areas. Our and our vendors’ utilization of these shipping services is subject to risks that are outside of our control, including increases in fuel prices and labor costs, employee strikes, labor shortages, strikes and union organizing activity, delays in shipping (including congestion at domestic and foreign ports), delays in unloading cargo from ships, availability of adequate trucking or railway providers, adverse weather, natural disasters, possible acts of terrorism and outbreaks of disease. All of these risks may impact our ability to receive products from our vendors to necessary points in our distribution system in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Any increases in these shipping costs may result in higher costs to us, and we may be unsuccessful in passing along these costs to our customers, negatively impacting our margins and profitability. Furthermore, any delays in receiving products may negatively impact our ability to deliver these products to our customers in a timely manner. Failure to make timely customer deliveries or long lead times for products could cause customers to cancel their orders or not place orders, which, could damage our brand and reputation and negatively impact our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Because of our limited number of distribution centers, our operating results could suffer if one is damaged.

We utilize three large distribution centers to flow our merchandise from the vendor to the consumer. This system is very efficient for reducing inventory requirements but makes us operationally vulnerable should one of these facilities become damaged or experience significant business interruption. If such an interruption were to occur, our ability to deliver our products in a timely manner would likely be impacted.

We rely extensively on information technology systems to process transactions, summarize results, and manage our business. Disruptions in our information technology systems could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Our ability to operate our business from day to day, in particular our ability to manage our point-of-sale, distribution system and payment information, largely depends on the efficient operation of our computer hardware and software systems. We use management information systems to communicate customer information, provide real-time inventory information, and to handle all facets of our distribution system from receipt of goods in the DCs to delivery to our customers’ homes. These systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, viruses, phishing attempts, cyber‑attacks, malware and ransomware attacks, security breaches, severe weather, natural disasters, and errors by employees.

The failure of these systems to operate effectively, problems with integrating various data sources, challenges in transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, difficulty in integrating new systems, or a breach in security of these systems could adversely impact the operations of our business. Though losses arising from some of these issues would be covered by insurance, interruptions of our critical business information technology systems or failure of our back-up systems could result in longer production times or negatively impact customers resulting in damage to our reputation and a reduction in sales. If our critical information technology systems or back-up systems were damaged or ceased to function properly, we might have to make a significant investment to repair or replace them.

Successful cyber-attacks and the failure to maintain adequate cyber-security systems and procedures could materially harm our business.

Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and those threats and the means for obtaining access to information in digital and other storage media are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Cyber threats and cyber-attackers, including ransomware attacks, can be sponsored by countries or sophisticated criminal organizations or be the work of single “hackers” or small groups of “hackers.”

We invest in industry standard security technology to protect the Company’s data and business processes against risk of data security breach and cyber-attack. Our data security management program includes identity, trust, vulnerability and threat management business processes as well as adoption of standard data protection policies. We measure our data security effectiveness through industry accepted methods. We are continuously installing new and upgrading existing information technology systems. We use employee awareness training around phishing, malware, and other cyber risks to ensure that the Company is protected, to the greatest extent possible, against cyber risks and security breaches. We are regularly the target of attempted cyber and other security threats and must continuously monitor and develop our information technology networks and infrastructure to prevent, detect, address and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses and other events that could have a security impact. Insider or employee cyber and security threats are increasingly a concern for all companies, including ours. Additionally, we certify our major technology suppliers and any outsourced services through accepted security certification standards.

Nevertheless, as cyber threats evolve, change and become more difficult to detect and successfully defend against, one or more cyber-attacks might defeat our or a third-party service provider’s security measures in the future and could result in the leak of personal information of customers, employees or business partners. Employee error or other irregularities may also result in a failure of our security measures and a breach of information systems. Moreover, hardware, software or applications we use may have inherent defects of design, manufacture or operations or could be inadvertently or intentionally implemented or used in a manner that could compromise information security. A security breach and loss of information may not be discovered for a significant period of time after it occurs. While we have no knowledge of a material security breach to date, any compromise of data security could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws or standards, the loss of valuable business data, or a disruption of our business. In addition, the costs to eliminate or alleviate network security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities could be significant, and our efforts to address these problems may not be successful and could result in potential theft, loss, destruction or corruption of information we store electronically, as well as unexpected interruptions, delays or cessation of service, any of which could cause harm to our business operations.

Moreover, a security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information could give rise to unwanted media attention, materially damage our customer relationships and reputation, and result in litigation or fines, fees, or potential liabilities, which may not be covered by our insurance policies, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may be unable to attract, train, engage and retain key teammates.

Our long-term success and ability to implement our strategic and business planning goals depends on our ability to attract, motivate and retain a sufficient number of store and other employees who understand and appreciate our corporate culture and customers. Turnover in the retail industry is generally high. Excessive employee turnover will result in higher employee costs associated with finding, hiring and training new store employees. Furthermore, labor shortages and competition may make it more difficult for us to adequately staff our retail stores and distribution operations and may result in increased labor expenses to us. If we are unable to hire and retain store and other personnel capable of consistently providing a high level of customer service, our ability to open new stores and service the needs of our customers may be impaired, the performance of our existing and new stores and operations could be materially adversely affected and our brand image may be negatively impacted.

We must also be able to attract, motivate and retain the teammates who staff our distribution centers, customer service centers, and deliver product to our customers, and professionals to implement our technology and other strategic initiatives. Our ability to meet our labor needs while controlling labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including market pressures with respect to prevailing wage rates, equity compensation, unemployment levels, and health and other insurance costs; the impact of legislation or regulations governing labor and employee relations, immigration, federal and state minimum wage requirements, and benefit costs; changing demographics; and our reputation within the labor market. If we are

unable to attract and retain a workforce that meets our needs, our operations, service levels, support functions, and competitiveness could suffer and our results could be adversely affected.

A failure to recruit, develop and retain effective leaders or the loss or shortage of personnel with key capacities and skills could impact our strategic growth plans and jeopardize our ability to meet our business performance expectations and growth targets.

Our ability to continue to grow our business depends substantially on the contributions and abilities of our executive leadership team and other key management personnel. Changes in senior management could expose us to significant changes in strategic direction and initiatives. A failure to maintain appropriate organizational capacity and capability to support our strategic initiatives or to build adequate bench strength with key skillsets required for seamless succession of leadership, could jeopardize our ability to meet our business performance expectations and growth targets. If we are unable to attract, develop, retain and incentivize sufficiently experienced and capable management personnel, our business and financial results may suffer.

General Risks

An overall decline in the health of the economy and consumer spending may affect consumer purchases of discretionary items, which could reduce demand for our products and materially harm our sales, profitability and financial condition.

Our business depends on consumer demand for our products and, consequently, is sensitive to a number of factors that influence general consumer spending on discretionary items in particular. Factors influencing consumer spending include general economic conditions, consumer disposable income, fuel prices, inflation, recession and fears of recession, unemployment, inclement weather, availability of consumer credit, consumer debt levels, conditions in the housing market, interest rates, sales tax rates and rate increases, sustained periods of inflation, civil disturbances and terrorist activities, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, consumer confidence in future economic and political conditions, natural disasters, and consumer perceptions of personal well‑being and security, including health epidemics or pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Prolonged or pervasive economic downturns could slow the pace of new store openings or cause current stores to temporarily or permanently close. Adverse changes in factors affecting discretionary consumer spending have reduced and may continue to further reduce consumer demand for our products, thus reducing our sales and harming our business and operating results.

Historically, because customers consider home furnishings to be postponable purchases, the home furnishings industry has been subject to cyclical variations in the general economy and to uncertainty regarding future economic prospects.

The rise of oil and gasoline prices could affect our profitability.

A significant increase in oil and gasoline prices could adversely affect our profitability. In addition, governmental efforts to combat climate change through reduction of greenhouse gases may result in higher fuel costs through taxation or other means. Our distribution system, which utilizes three DCs and multiple home delivery centers is very transportation dependent and includes the use of third-party providers to reach the 22 states and the District of Columbia that we serve from our stores across 16 Southern and Midwestern states. Merchandise is delivered to customers' homes by Havertys delivery teams. If transportation costs exceed amounts we are able to effectively pass on to the consumer, either by higher prices and/or higher delivery charges, then our profitability will suffer.

ESG risks could adversely affect our reputation and shareholder, employee, customer and third-party relationships and may negatively affect our stock price.

Businesses face increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) activities. We risk damage to our brand and reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as environmental stewardship, including with respect to climate change, human capital management, support for our local communities, corporate governance and transparency, or fail to consider ESG factors in our business operations.

Additionally, investors and shareholder advocates are placing ever increasing emphasis on how corporations address ESG issues in their business strategy when making investment decisions and when developing their investment theses and proxy recommendations. We may incur meaningful costs with respect to our ESG efforts and if such efforts are negatively perceived, our reputation and stock price may suffer.

Pending or unforeseen litigation and the potential for adverse publicity associated with litigation could have a material adverse effect on us.

We are involved from time to time in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business, including commercial, consumer safety, product liability, employment and intellectual property claims. We currently do not expect the outcome of any pending matters to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Litigation, however, is inherently unpredictable, and it is possible that the ultimate outcome of one or more pending claims asserted against us, or claims that may be asserted in the future that we are currently not aware of, or adverse publicity resulting from any such litigation, could adversely impact our business, reputation, sales, profitability, cash flows and financial condition.

Risk management and strategy

We have processes in place to identify, assess and monitor material risks from cybersecurity threats. These processes are part of our overall enterprise risk management process and are part of our operating procedures, internal controls, and information systems. These risks include, among other things, operational risks; fraud; extortion; harm to employees or customers; violation of privacy or security laws and other litigation and legal risk; and reputational risks. We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity framework intended to assess, identify and manage risks from threats to the security of our information, systems, and network using a risk-based approach. The framework is informed in part by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, although this does not imply that we meet all technical standards, specifications or requirements under the NIST.

Our key cybersecurity processes include the following:

• Risk-based controls for information systems and information on our networks: We seek to maintain an information technology infrastructure that implements physical, administrative and technical controls that are calibrated based on risk and designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information systems and information stored on our networks, including customer and employee information.
• Cybersecurity incident response plan and testing: We have a cybersecurity incident response plan and dedicated teams to respond to cybersecurity incidents. When a cybersecurity incident occurs or we identify a vulnerability, we have cross-functional teams that are responsible for leading the initial assessment of priority and severity, and external experts may also be engaged as appropriate. Our cybersecurity teams assist in responding to incidents depending on severity levels and seek to improve our cybersecurity incident management plan through periodic tabletops or simulations.
• Training: We provide security awareness training to help our employees understand their information protection and cybersecurity responsibilities. We also provide additional training to some employees based their roles.
• Supplier risk assessments: Our processes also address cybersecurity threat risks associated with our use of third-party service providers, including those in our supply-chain or who have access to our customer and employee data on our systems. Third-party risks are included within our risk management assessment program, as well as our cybersecurity-specific risk identification program. These considerations affect the selection and access to our systems, data, or facilities. We also seek contractual commitments from key suppliers to appropriately secure and maintain their information technology systems and protect our information that is processed on their systems.
• Third-party assessments: We have third-party cybersecurity companies engaged to periodically assess our cybersecurity posture, to assist in identifying and remediating risks from cybersecurity threats. We have implemented several cybersecurity processes, technologies, and controls to aid in our efforts to assess, identify, and manage such risks.

As part of the above processes, we regularly engage with consultants, auditors, and other third-parties, including reviewing our cybersecurity program to help identify areas for continued focus, improvement and/or compliance.

To date, risks from cybersecurity threats or incidents have not materially affected the Company. However, the sophistication of and risks from cybersecurity threats and incidents continues to increase, and the preventative actions we have taken and continue to take to reduce these risks and protect our systems and information may not successfully protect against all cybersecurity threats and incidents. For more information on how cybersecurity risk could materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, please refer to Item 1A Risk Factors.

Cybersecurity Governance

The board of directors, as a whole, has oversight responsibility for our strategic and operational risks. The audit committee regularly reviews and discusses with management the strategies, processes and controls pertaining to the management of our information technology operations, including cyber risks and cybersecurity. Our Chief Information Officer (CIO) and other internal members of our technology team provide regular reports to the audit committee regarding the evolving cybersecurity landscape, including emerging risk, as well as our processes, program and initiatives for managing these risks. The audit committee, in turn, periodically reports on its review with the board of directors.

Management is responsible for day-to-day assessment and management of cybersecurity risks. Our cybersecurity risk management and strategy processes are led by our CIO, VP Information Technology, and Manager of Security. Such individuals have collectively over 50 years of work experience in various roles managing information security, developing cybersecurity strategy, and implementing effective information and cybersecurity programs.

The CIO also presents at least annually to the Board an overview of our cybersecurity threat risk management and strategy processes covering topics such as data security posture, results of third-party assessments, our incident response plan, and cybersecurity threat risks or incidents and developments, as well as the steps management has taken to respond to such risks.

Stores

Our retail store space at December 31, 2023 totaled approximately 4.4 million square feet for 124 stores. The following table sets forth the number of stores we operated at December 31, 2023 by state:

The 39 retail locations which we owned at December 31, 2023 had a net book value for land and buildings of $65.0 million. The remaining 85 locations are leased by us with various termination dates through 2035 plus renewal options.

Distribution Facilities

All of our distribution facilities at December 31, 2023 were leased except for the Florida and Virginia properties. Our regional distribution facilities are in the following locations:

Corporate Facilities

We lease approximately 48,000 square feet on two floors of a suburban mid-rise office building located at 780 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia.

We believe that our facilities are suitable and adequate for present purposes, and that the productive capacity in such facilities is substantially being utilized. For additional information, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in this report under Item 7 of Part II.

The Company is subject to various claims and legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters, including with respect to product liability and personal injury claims, that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. We currently have no pending claims or legal proceedings that we believe would be reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that either future litigation or an unfavorable outcome in existing claims will not have a material impact on our business, reputation, financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this report. The discussion in this Form 10-K generally focuses on the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. A discussion of our results of operations and changes in financial condition for the 2022 year compared to 2021 has been excluded from this report, but can be found in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Industry

The retail residential furniture industry’s results are influenced by the overall strength of the economy, new and existing housing sales, consumer confidence, spending on large ticket items, interest rates, and availability of credit. These factors remain tempered by impediments to industry growth, such as inflation, higher interest rates, rising consumer debt, home inventory constraints, tight access to home mortgage credit, and continuing economic uncertainty.

Our Business

We sell home furnishings in our retail stores and via our website and record revenue when the products are delivered to our customer. Our products are selected to appeal to a middle to upper-middle income consumer across a variety of styles. Our commissioned sales team members receive a high level of product training and are provided a number of tools with which to serve our customers. We also have over 110 in‑home designers serving most of our stores. These individuals work with our sales team members to provide customers additional confidence and inspiration in their furniture purchase journey. We do not outsource the delivery function, something common in the industry, but instead ensure that the “last contact” is handled by a customer-oriented Havertys delivery team. We are recognized as a provider of high-quality fashionable products and exceptional service in the markets we serve.

Management Objectives

Management is focused on capturing more market share and improving profitability. This growth will be driven by concentrating our efforts on our customers, with improved interactions highlighted by new products, high-touch service and better technology. In addition, our growth strategy includes the expansion of our retail operations to increase our footprint within our distribution network. The Company’s strategies for profitability include gross margin focus, targeted marketing initiatives, productivity and process improvements, and efficiency and cost-saving measures. Our focus is to serve our customers better and distinguish ourselves in the marketplace.

Key Performance Indicators

We evaluate our performance based on several key metrics which include net sales, comparable store sales and written comparable store sales; sales per weighted average square foot; gross profit, selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales; operating income; cash flow; and earnings per share. The goal of utilizing these measurements is to provide tools for economic decision-making, including decisions related to store growth, capital allocation and product pricing.

Net sales is the revenue from merchandise sales and related fees, net of expected returns and sales tax. We record our sales when the merchandise is delivered to the customer.

Comparable-store or “comp-store” sales is a measure which indicates the performance of our existing stores and website by comparing the growth in sales in store and online for a particular month over the corresponding month in the prior year. Stores are considered non-comparable if they were not open during the corresponding month in the prior year or if the selling square footage has been changed by more than 10%. Large clearance sales events from warehouses or temporary locations are also excluded from comparable store sales. The method we use to compute comp-store sales may not be the same method used by other retailers.

We also track written sales and written comp-store sales. Written sales reflect those instances when a customer makes a deposit or pays in full when placing an order. Written sales shows the current pace or trend of customer transactions. The lag time between customers' order placement and delivery grew in 2020 and continued through mid-2022 due to disruptions in supply chain and demand that outpaced merchandise supply but normalized in 2023. As a retailer, comp‑store sales and written comp‑store sales are an indicator of relative customer spending and store performance. Comp-store sales, total written sales and written comp-store sales are intended only as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with US GAAP.

Sales per weighted average (“WAVG”) square foot is calculated by dividing net sales by WAVG square footage. WAVG square footage is a daily WAVG based on the ratio of the days open in a period to the total days in the period.

Results of Operations

The table and discussion below should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this report.

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(1) Stores were closed and delivery operations were paused for approximately six weeks due to COVID-19.

(2) Includes impairment loss of $2.4 million, or $1.8 million after tax, on a retail store in 2019 which impacted diluted earnings per share $0.09.

(3) Includes gain of $31.6 million on a sale-leaseback transaction in 2020 which impacted diluted earnings per share $1.24.

(4) Includes special dividends of $1.00 for Common Stock and $0.95 for Class A Common Stock paid in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 2022, and $2.00 for Common Stock and $1.90 for Class A Common Stock paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 2020.

(5) We adopted ASC 840 effective January 1, 2019. The cumulative effect included a reduction of property and equipment, net of $53,519,000. Amortization of buildings under lease was included in depreciation expense.

(6) We have no funded debt.

(7) Average ticket is calculated by dividing total sales by the number of orders.

Net Sales

The following outlines our sales and comp-store sales increases and decreases for the periods indicated. (Amounts and percentages may not always add to totals due to rounding.)

Dollars in millions

Dollars in millions

Sales in 2023 were below the record levels of the previous two years. The soft housing market has contributed to the slowing pace of sales along with persistent inflationary pressures and shifts in consumer spending. During the first quarter of 2023 we benefited from the delivery of previously written orders. Consumers have returned to their historical shopping patterns of concentrating spending around traditional holiday events and our in-store traffic has declined, particularly outside these peak periods. Our sales associates and design consultants are providing excellent service to each customer, and average ticket value was up 3.4% over last year. Design consultant engagement increased in 2023 and accounted for 28.5% of our 2023 sales, with an average written ticket of $6,486. Merchandise sales for most categories have returned to their historical pre-COVID percentages of total sales, with the exception of mattresses. (See Note 2, "Revenues and Segment Reporting" of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

Gross Profit

Our cost of goods sold consists primarily of the purchase price of the merchandise together with inbound freight, handling within our distribution centers and transportation costs to the local markets we serve. Our gross profit is primarily dependent upon vendor pricing, the mix of products sold and promotional pricing activity. Substantially all of our occupancy and home delivery costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses as is a portion of our warehousing expenses. Accordingly, our gross profit may not be comparable to those entities that include some of these expenses in cost of goods sold.

Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 60.7% in 2023 compared to 57.7% in 2022. The increase of 300 basis points was primarily due to reductions in freight and product costs. The change in the LIFO reserve generated a positive impact on gross profit of $9.4 million for 2023 compared to a negative impact of $10.8 million in 2022.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SG&A expenses are comprised of five categories: selling, occupancy, delivery and certain warehousing costs, advertising, and administrative. Selling expenses are primarily comprised of compensation of sales team members and sales support staff, and fees paid to credit card and third-party finance companies. Occupancy costs include rents, depreciation charges, insurance and property taxes, repairs and maintenance expense and utility costs. Delivery costs include personnel, fuel costs, and depreciation and rental charges for rolling stock.

Warehouse costs include supplies, depreciation, and rental charges for equipment. Advertising expenses are primarily media production and space expenditures, direct mail costs, market research expenses and agency fees. Administrative expenses are comprised of compensation costs for store personnel exclusive of sales team members, information systems, executive, accounting, merchandising, advertising, supply chain, real estate and human resource departments.

We classify our SG&A expenses as either variable or fixed and discretionary. Our variable expenses include the costs in the selling and delivery categories and certain warehouse expenses as these amounts will generally move in tandem with our level of sales. The remaining categories and expenses are classified as fixed and discretionary because these costs do not fluctuate with sales.

The following table outlines our SG&A expenses by classification:

(In thousands)

Our SG&A costs as a percent of sales for 2023 were 52.9% versus 46.4% in 2022. SG&A dollars decreased $30.5 million, or 6.3%, for 2023 compared to 2022. The change is driven by the reduction in sales and lower variable costs and less leveraging of fixed costs. Our selling expenses were $14.1 million lower, inclusive of an $0.8 million increase in third-party credit costs due to rate increases. Warehouse, delivery, and transportation expenses declined $10.2 million from 2022 to 2023 as we adjusted personnel levels, fuel prices fell, and our accessorial charges declined. Advertising expenditures were $7.9 million lower in 2023 compared to 2022 and our occupancy costs were relatively flat. Our total administrative expenses were basically unchanged for 2023 compared to 2022 as lower compensation costs were offset by higher professional service fees.

Interest (Income) Expense, Net

We earned $3.9 million more interest income, net of interest expense, in 2023 than in 2022 due to higher rates paid on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash equivalents.

Provision for Income Taxes

Our effective tax rate was 22.5% in 2023 compared to 25.2% in 2022. The rates vary from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income taxes. See Note 7, “Income Taxes” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about our income taxes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At December 31, 2023, we had $120.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, and $7.1 million in restricted cash equivalents. See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our restricted cash equivalents. We believe that our current cash position, cash flow generated from operations, funds available from our credit agreement, and access to the long-term debt capital markets should be sufficient for our operating requirements and to enable us to fund our capital expenditures, dividend payments, and lease obligations through the next several years.

Our material cash requirements include contractual and other obligations arising in the normal course of business. These obligations primarily include operating lease obligations and purchase obligations. In addition to our cash requirements, we follow a disciplined approach to capital allocation. This approach first prioritizes investing in the business, followed by paying dividends. We may also return excess cash to shareholders in the form of share repurchases or special cash dividends. We expect capital expenditures of approximately $32.0 million in 2024 to support our operations and strategic expansion, however these plans are subject to other potential opportunities, the economic environment, general business conditions and our financial performance.

Long-Term Debt

We currently have a $80.0 million revolving credit facility (the "Credit Agreement") with a bank. As of December 31, 2023, we had no outstanding borrowings and $80.0 million of available borrowings under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement matures October 24, 2027. See Note 5, “Credit Arrangement” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information about our Credit Agreement.

Leases

We use operating leases to fund a portion of our real estate, including our stores, distribution centers, and store support space.

At December 31, 2023, we had aggregate lease obligations of $217.8 million, with $37.4 million payable within 12 months. See Note 8, “Leases” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our operating leases.

Share Repurchases

The board of directors has authorized management, at its discretion, to purchase and retire limited amounts of our Common Stock and Class A Common Stock. We made cash payments of $6.9 million for repurchases of approximately 227,000 shares of our Common Stock through open market purchases during 2023 and there is approximately $13.1 million at December 31, 2023 that may yet be purchased under the existing authorization.

Cash Flows Summary

Operating Activities. Cash flow generated from operations provides us with a significant source of liquidity. Our operating cash flows result primarily from cash received from our customers, offset by cash payments we make for products and services, employee compensation, operations, and occupancy costs.

Cash provided by or used in operating activities is also subject to changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including seasonality, inventory selection, the timing of cash receipts and payments, and vendor payment terms.

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $97.2 million driven primarily by net income of $56.3 million and non-cash adjustments to net income of $26.7 million consisting primarily of depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation expense, and by working capital changes driven primarily by a $24.4 million decrease in inventories partly offset by a $12.1 million reduction in customer deposits.

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 was $51.0 million driven primarily by net income of $89.4 million and non-cash adjustments to net income of $25.8 million consisting primarily of depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation expense, and by working capital changes driven primarily by a $50.9 million reduction in customer deposits.

Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities in 2023 consisted primarily of $53.1 million of capital expenditures.

Cash used in investing activities in 2022 primarily reflected $28.4 million of capital expenditures.

Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities in 2023 consisted primarily of $19.1 million of quarterly cash dividends, $16.1 of special cash dividends, and $6.9 million of share repurchases.

Cash used in financing activities in 2022 primarily reflected $17.9 million of quarterly cash dividends, $16.1 of special cash dividends, and $30.0 million of share repurchases.

Store Expansion and Capital Expenditures

We have entered new markets and made continued improvements and relocations of our store base. The following outlines the change in our selling square footage for each of the three years ended December 31 (square footage in thousands):

The following table summarizes our store activity in 2023 and current plans for 2024.

Assuming the new stores open and existing stores close as planned, the above activity and other changes should increase net selling space in 2024 approximately 2.8% compared to 2023.

Our investing activities in stores and operations in 2023, 2022 and 2021 and planned outlays for 2024 are categorized in the table below. Capital expenditures for stores in the years noted do not necessarily coincide with the years in which the stores open.

(Approximate in thousands)

(1) In 2023 we purchased one distribution facility that was previously leased and in 2021 we purchased one retail location and one distribution facility that were previously leased.

Critical Accounting Estimates and Assumptions

Our discussion and analysis is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, and evaluate our estimates and judgments required by our policies on an ongoing basis and update them as appropriate based on changing conditions.

Accounting estimates are considered critical if both of the following conditions are met: (a) the nature of the estimates or assumptions is material because of the levels of subjectivity and judgment needed to account for matters that are highly uncertain and susceptible to change and (b) the effect of the estimates and assumptions is material to the financial statements.

We have reviewed our accounting estimates, and none were deemed to be considered critical for the accounting periods presented.

Market risk represents the potential loss arising from adverse changes in the value of financial instruments. The risk of loss is assessed based on the likelihood of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows or future earnings.

In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to various market risks, including fluctuations in interest rates. Our exposure to interest rate risk relates to the interest income generated by cash, cash equivalents, and interest expense on the Credit Facility. The primary objective of our investment policy is to preserve principal while maximizing income without significantly increasing risk. We do not believe that an increase or decrease in interest rates of 100 basis points would have a material effect on our operating results or financial condition. During 2023 and 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement (as discussed in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements), which bears interest based on variable rates.

(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Our management has evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective for the purpose of providing reasonable assurance that the information we must disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its CEO and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

(b) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our CEO and CFO, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based upon the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 31, 2023.

Attestation Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K and, as part of their audit, has issued their report, included herein, on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. During the fourth quarter of 2023, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Opinion on internal control over financial reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (a Maryland Corporation) and subsidiary (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, and our report dated March 7, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

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 Annual 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/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

March 7, 2024