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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549



FORM 10-K



 ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017
2020

OR

 TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number: 001-33767



Graphic

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



Delaware

27-1310817

Delaware27-1310817

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

3000 John Deere Road, Toano, Virginia

23168

4901 Bakers Mill Lane,Richmond, Virginia

23230

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(757) 259-4280

(804) 463-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)



Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

New York Stock Exchange

Trading Symbol: LL

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:None



Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.YesoAct. Yes    Nox

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.YesoAct. Yes    Nox

Indicate by check mark whether the registrantregistrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrantregistrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.Yesxdays. Yes    Noo

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).Yesx. Yes    Noo

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “smaller reporting“emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer  

  `Accelerated filer

  Non-accelerated filer

  Smaller reporting company

Large Accelerated FileroAccelerated FilerxNon-accelerated Filero
(do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller Reporting Companyo

  Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-212b-2 of the Act).Yeso. Yes    Nox

As of June 30, 2017,2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recent second quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $688.3$392.4 million based on the closing sale price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock as of February 15, 2018:23, 2021:

Title of Class

Number of Shares

Common Stock, $0.001 par value

28,490,229

28,910,579

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part III incorporates certain information by reference from the registrant’s proxy statement for the 20182021 annual meeting of stockholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after the close of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.2020.


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LUMBER LIQUIDATORS HOLDINGS, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

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Page

Page

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

1

PART I

4

Item 1.

Business

3

Item 1A.

Risk Factors1.

Business

8

4

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

11

Item 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

17

20

Item 2.

Properties

Properties

17

20

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

18

20

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

24

21

PART II

21

Item 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

25

21

Item 6.

Selected Financial Data7.

27

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

29

23

Item 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

43

35

Item 8.

Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

44

36

Item 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

74

73

Item 9A.

Controls and Procedures

74

73

Item 9B.

Other Information

75

74

PART III

74

Item 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

76

74

Item 11.

Executive Compensation

76

74

Item 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

76

74

Item 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

76

74

Item 14.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

76

75

PART IV

75

Item 15.

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

77

75

Item 16.

Form 10-K Summary

77

75

Signatures

Signatures

79

80

i


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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This report includes statements of the Company’s expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which may be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “thinks,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “predicts,” “could,” “projects,” “potential” and other similar terms and phrases, are based on the beliefs of the Company’s management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management as of the date of such statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These risks include, without limitation, the impact on us of any of the following:

government investigations and related legal proceedings;
other current and former legal proceedings;
the Lacey Compliance Plan and other compliance matters;
new laws and regulations;
impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) (the “Tax Act”);
the inability to open new stores;
managing growth;
increased transportation costs;
damage to our assets;
operating stores in Canada and an office in China;
managing third-party installers;
renewing leases;
having sufficient suppliers;
our compliance and our suppliers’ compliance with laws;
product liability claims;
obtaining products from abroad, including effects of antidumping and countervailing duties;
availability of suitable hardwood;
changes in economic conditions;
sufficient insurance coverage;
access to capital;
handling of confidential customer information;
management information systems disruptions;
alternative e-commerce offerings;
our advertising strategy;
anticipating consumer trends;
competition;
internal controls;
stock price volatility; and
anti-takeover provisions.


an overall decline in the health of the economy, the hard-surface flooring industry, the housing market and overall consumer spending, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
expectations related to the closure of Canadian and certain US stores;
impact on sales, ability to obtain and distribute products, and employee safety and retention, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and roll-out of vaccine;
having sufficient inventory for consumer demand;
the outcomes of legal proceedings, and the related impact on liquidity;
reputational harm;
obtaining products from abroad, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and tariffs, as well as the effects of antidumping and countervailing duties;
obligations under various settlement agreements and other compliance matters;
disruptions due to cybersecurity threats, including any impacts from a network security incident;
inability to open new stores, find suitable locations for our new store concept, and fund other capital expenditures;
inability to execute on our key initiatives or such key initiatives do not yield desired results;
managing growth;
transportation availability and costs;
damage to our assets;
disruption in our ability to distribute our products, including due to disruptions from the impacts of severe weather;
operating an office in China;
managing third-party installers and product delivery companies;
renewing store, warehouse, or other corporate leases;
having sufficient suppliers;
our, and our suppliers’, compliance with complex and evolving rules, regulations, and laws at the federal, state, and local level;
product liability claims, marketing substantiation claims, wage and hour claims, and other labor and employment claims;
availability of suitable hardwood, including due to disruptions from the impacts of severe weather;
sufficient insurance coverage, including cybersecurity insurance;
access to and costs of capital;
the handling of confidential customer information, including the impacts from the California Consumer Privacy Act and other applicable data privacy laws and regulations;
management information systems disruptions;
alternative e-commerce offerings;
our advertising and overall marketing strategy, including anticipating consumer trends;
competition;
impact of changes in accounting guidance, including implementation guidelines and interpretations;
internal controls;
stock price volatility; and
anti-takeover provisions.

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The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these statements, which speak only as of the dates on which such statements are made, except as may be required under the federal securities laws. These risks and other factors include those listed in this Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report.

References to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company”, “Lumber Liquidators”, and “Lumber Liquidators”“LL Flooring” generally refers to Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries collectively and, where applicable, individually.


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PART I

Item 1. Business.

Overview

Lumber Liquidators (“LL Flooring” or “Company”) is one of North America’s leading specialty retailers of hard-surface flooring, with 410 stores as of December 31, 2020. We seek to offer the largest specialty retailerbest customer experience online and in stores, with more than 400 varieties of hardwood flooring in North America, offeringhard-surface floors featuring a complete purchasingrange of quality styles and on-trend designs. Our online tools also help empower customers to find the right solution across anfor the space they’ve envisioned. Our extensive assortment of domesticselection includes water-resistant vinyl plank, solid and exotic hardwood species, engineered hardwood, laminate, resilient vinyl, engineered vinyl plank, bamboo, engineered bamboo,porcelain tile, and cork, with a wide range of flooring enhancements and wood-look ceramic tile.accessories to complement. Our stores are staffed with flooring experts who provide advice, pro partnership services and installation options for all of LL Flooring’s products, the majority of which is in stock and ready for delivery. We offer delivery and in-home installation services through third-party independent contractors for customers who purchase our floors. We sell primarily to homeowners or to contractors on behalf of homeowners, as well as to commercial (“Pro”) customers through a network of store locations and online including a new digital platform that has enhanced our customers’ ability to interact with us and our flooring options. We operate as a single business segment, with our callcustomer relationship center, websitedigital platform and customer service network supporting our retail store and online operations.

Our vision is to be the customer’s first choice in hard-surface flooring by providing the best experience, from start to finish. We believe we have achievedoffer a reputation for offering great value, superior service and a broadwide selection of high-quality, hard-surfacestocked products and the accessible flooring products. Withexpertise and service of a balancelocal store, with the scale, omni-channel convenience and value of selection, quality, availability, service and price, we believe our value proposition isa national chain. We plan to leverage this advantage to differentiate ourselves in the most complete within a highly fragmented hard-surface flooring market. The foundation forWe launched our value proposition is strengthened bynew digital platform, LLFlooring.com, in December 2020. This mobile-friendly site features inspirational content, highlights our unique store model,digital tools like Picture It!, and Floor Finder and promotes our services such as installation, free flooring samples and delivery.

We have been revitalizing our brand from Lumber Liquidators to LL Flooring. Customers increasingly begin their flooring journey online. During 2020, we used the industry expertiseLL Flooring brand in conjunction with the Lumber Liquidators brand on our digital platform and on to build awareness. Additionally, we piloted the brand LL Flooring in 20 plus stores during 2020. Based on early feedback, customers who experienced the LL Flooring brand viewed it as more approachable, relevant and of higher quality. We plan to expand the rebranding of our people,stores in 2021 as part of our long-term brand evolution.

In the second quarter of 2020, we experienced, as did many retailers, a significant disruption to our business due to COVID-19. We demonstrated resilience navigating this disruption to grow sales in the second half of 2020 through progress on our transformation plan that positioned us to capitalize on a robust home improvement spending environment. Trend changes related to COVID-19 are expected to affect 2021 as well and our singular focus on hard-surface flooring.could be impacted by the pace of the roll-out and efficacy of vaccines.

Lumber Liquidators is a Delaware corporation with its headquarters in Toano,Richmond, Virginia. We were founded in 1994 and our initial public offering was in November 2007. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LL.” We operate in a holding company structure with Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. serving as our parent company and certain direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Lumber Liquidators, Inc., Lumber

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Liquidators Services, LLC, Lumber Liquidators Production, LLC, and Lumber Liquidators Canada, ULC, conducting our operations.

Our Business

Market

According to the July 20172020 Issue of Floor Covering Weekly U.S., United States installed floor covering product sales in 20162019 were $38.5$43.3 billion, not including labor. Within this market, U.S.United States hardwood, laminate and vinyl flooring sales accounted for 37.7%42% of the total.total, which is an increase of 3.3% over the same metric for 2018. Flooring sales are driven by a number of factors including discretionary income and trends in the housing market. Including installation, the overall flooring industry has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%4.1% from 20112015 through 2016.2019. Over the same period, hardwood, laminate and vinyl flooring sales, including the cost of installation grew at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%7.8%. We believe improvements in the quality and construction of certain products, increasing resiliency and water-tolerance of products, ease of installation, availability in a broad range of retail price points, and movement away from soft surfaces will drive continued hard surfacehard-surface flooring share gain versus soft surface flooring in the future.

Competition

We compete for customers in a highly fragmented marketplace, where we believe no one retailer has captured more than a 16%22% share of the consumer market for hardwood flooring.flooring (including carpet). Although the market includes the national home improvement warehouse chains, national specialty retailers, warehouse clubs and online retailers, we believe the majoritynearly half of the industry consists of local one-store flooring retailers, small chains of stores that may specialize in one or two flooring categories, and a limited number of regional chains.

Customers

We target several distinct customer groups who each have varied needs with respect to their flooring purchases, including do-it-yourself (“DIY”) customers, do-it-for-me (“DIFM”) customers, and commercialPro customers. We believe that each of the customer groups we serve is passionate about their flooring purchase and valuevalues our wide assortment of flooring products, availability, and the quality of those products. While our offering to each of these groups begins with the same broad assortment convenient stores, and knowledgeable store associates, each of these customer groups requirerequires unique service components based on the ability of our associates to share detailed product knowledge and preferred installation methods. We offer DIFM customers installation services, while our DIY and commercialPro customers receive more personal attention when completing their purchase, including dedicated call center resources. All customer groups are offered delivery services.


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Products and Services

Product Selection

We offer an extensive assortment of hard surfacehard-surface flooring under more than 20multiple proprietary brand names, led by our flagship,flagships, Bellawood® and Coreluxe®. We have invested significant resources developing these national brand names, as well as the Lumber Liquidators name.names. Our hard surfacehard-surface flooring products are available in various widthsfeature a range of quality styles and lengthson-trend designs and are generally differentiated in terms of quality and price based on wood versus manufactured materials, the wood species, wood grade, and durability of finish. Prefinished floors are the dominant choice for residential customers over unfinished wood planks that have a finish applied after installation. We also offer an assortment of flooring enhancements, installation services and accessories, including moldings, underlaysunderlayments, adhesives and tools.

Direct Sourcing

We source directly from mills and other vendors, which enables us to offer a broad assortment of high-quality proprietary products to our customers at a consistently lowcompetitive cost. We seek to establish strong, long-term relationships with our vendor partnersvendors around the world. In doing so, we look for vendors that have demonstrated an ability to meet our demanding specifications, our rigorous compliance standards and the capability to provide sustainable and

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growing supplies of high-quality, innovative, trend-right products. We source from both domestic and international vendors, withand in 2020, approximately half53% of our merchandise beingproduct was sourced from overseas.Asia, 6% was sourced from Europe and Australia, and 6% was sourced from South America. As alternatives have become viable, we have been actively moving our products subject to Section 301 tariffs from China into other, mostly Asian, countries.

Supply Chain

Our supply chain is wholly focused on delivering a complete assortment of products to our customers in an efficient manner. InWe own a one million square foot distribution center on approximately 100 acres of land in Henrico County, Virginia, which serves the first quarterstores located in the easternmost two-thirds of 2014, we began operatingthe United States. We operate a 500,000 square foot leased distribution center in Pomona, California as the primary distribution center for our western stores. In 2014, we completed constructionthe stores located in the westernmost one-third of a million square foot distribution center on approximately 100 acres of land we own in Henrico County, Virginia to consolidate the distribution facilities. This facility was fully operational in 2015.United States. A number of our vendors maintain certain inventory levels for shipment directly to our stores or our customers. Our product is generally transported boxed and palletized, and the weight of our product is a key driver of our supply chain costs.

Compliance and Quality Control

Our compliance programs are designed to ensure the products we sell are safe and responsibly sourced, and meet all regulatory and statutory requirements, including, without limitation, requirements associated with the Lacey Act, EPAUnited States Environment Protection Agency ("EPA") and the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”). We utilize a variety of due diligence processes and controls, including supplier audits, periodic on-site visits, and product testing.testing to ensure such compliance. We utilize a risk-based approach to implement and operate the various aspects of our compliance program. Our compliance program considers, among other things, product risk, the level of vertical integration at our suppliers’ mills, legality concerns noted by both private and government parties, and the results of on-site audits performed by us.that we perform. Our evaluation of sourcing risk is a key component in our allocation of resources to ensure we meet our standards for product compliance and safety. Compliance and Quality Control teams located in the United States and in China are supplemented with external resources that provide independent analyses, which are incorporated into our review processes and monitor our sourcing efforts across all areas from which we source product. Compliance programs and functions are continually under review, updated and enhanced as appropriate to stay current with statutory and regulatory requirements. Our complianceCompliance and regulatory affairs committeeRegulatory Affairs Committee of the boardBoard of directorsDirectors provides oversight of our compliance programs.

Additionally, we maintain and operate a 1,500 square foot lab within our East Coast distribution facility.center on the east coast. The lab features two temperature and humidity controlled conditioning rooms and two emission chambers correlated to a CARB-approved Third PartyThird-Party Certifier standard. We believe this equipment mirrors the capabilitiesrequirements of CARB and capabilities of other state-of-the-art emission testing facilities. This lab, along with our third-party providers, supports our process to ensure compliance with CARB and EPA requirements.

Installation

ApproximatelyHistorically one in 10 of our customers opt to utilize thepurchase professional installation services which we make available at virtually all of our storesthrough us to measure and install our flooring at competitive prices. We offer these services at all of our stores. As of


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December 31, 2017,2020, we utilized a network of associates to perform certain customer-facing, consultative services and coordinatedcoordinate the installation of our flooring products by third-party independent contractors in 391 of our stores.contractors. Service revenue for installation transactions we control along with freight is included in net services sales, with the corresponding costs in cost of sales.services sold. We believe our greater interaction with the customer and betterstrong relationships with the third-party independent contractors on services provided will ultimately resultresults in a better customer experience and higher utilization of installation services by the customer.

Store Model

As of December 31, 2017,2020, we operated 393410 retail stores. We opened six new stores with 385 locatedand closed 15 stores in 46 states2020, including all of our stores in the United States and eight in Ontario, Canada. We historically have sought locations with lower rent than retailers requiring high traffic or impulse purchases and are able to adapt a range of existing buildings to our format, from free-standingfreestanding buildings to strip centers to small shopping centers. Generally, ourOur stores are approximatelytypically 6,500 to 7,500 square feet, which includes a showroom format designed to emphasize our products, and a small warehouse.feet. We

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enter into short leases, generally for a base term of five to seven years with renewal options, to maximize our real estate flexibility.

We routinely evaluate our store site selection criteria and are currently targeting retail corridors within a market over the more industrial locations we historically sought. We consistently monitor performance of current stores as well as the market opportunity for new locations, adjusting as needed to optimize the profitability and growth potential of our network.store portfolio.

Sales Approach

We strive to have an integrated multi-channelomni-channel sales model that enables our stores, call center, websitedigital platform, and catalogs to work together in a coordinated manner. We believe that due to the average size of the sale and the general infrequency of a flooring purchase, many of our customers conduct extensive research using multiple channels before making a purchase decision. Though our customers utilize a range of these channels in the decision-making process, the final sale is most often completed in the store, working with our flooring experts. Our DIY and DIFM customers typically plan well in advance for the inconvenience of removing old flooring and installing new flooring. InOur Pros often have larger, more complex projects, and greater lead time and preparation is often required. Our research indicates that the length of a hardwoodhard-surface flooring purchase can vary significantly from initial interest to final sale.

Our objective is to help the customer through the entire purchase cycle from inspiration to installation, whether in our store or in their home. Our goal is to provide our customers with everything needed to complete their flooring project  to remove the existing floor, install the new floor with complementary moldings and accessories, and finally, maintain the floor for its lifetime.floor.

Our sales strategy emphasizes customer service by providing superior, convenient, educational tools for our customers to learn about our products and the installation process. We invest heavily in training our store associatesteam and virtual sales team members on all of our products and install techniques. Flooring samples offor most of the products we offer are available in our stores or can be ordered through our call center and website.digital platform or contact center. Once an order is placed, customers may choose to either have their purchases delivered to their home or job site, or pick them up at a nearby store location.

We are committed to responding to our potential and existing customers in a timely manner. Our callcontact center is staffed by flooring experts cross-trained in sales, customer service and product support. In addition to receiving telephone calls, our callcontact center associates chat online with visitors to our website,digital platform, respond to emails from our customers and engage in telemarketing activities.virtual selling. Customers can contact our call centerCustomer Relationship Center to place an order, to make an inquiry, or to order a catalog.

Knowledgeable Salespeople

We believe a large segment of residential homeowners are in need of a trusted expert, whether as a guide through a range of flooring alternatives and services or as a resource to both DIY and DIFM customers. We are deploying robust training programs to train and position our store management and associates to establish these individual customer relationships, which often last beyondserve our customers at the current purchase to subsequent purchases of additional flooring.

We place an emphasis on identifying, hiring and empowering employees who share a passion for our business philosophy. Many of our store managers have previous experience with the home improvement, retail


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flooring or flooring installation industries. We provide continuoushighest level. This training focusedfocuses on selling techniques and in-depth product knowledge for our store associates, who, we believe, are a key driver in a customer’s purchasing decision.

Digital/

We place an emphasis on identifying, hiring, and empowering employees who share a passion for our business philosophy where possible. Many of our store managers have previous experience with the home improvement, retail flooring or flooring installation industries. We are also adding regional managers and store managers in training to build our future store leadership.

Digital / Omni-Channel

We launched our new digital platform, LLFlooring.com in December 2020. This mobile-friendly site features inspirational content, showcases our flooring in digital room scenes, highlights our digital tools like Picture It!, and Floor

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Finder and promotes our services such as installation, free flooring samples and delivery. Our websitedigital platform contains a broad range of information on our products and services, including a comprehensive knowledge base on all things related to flooring. Customers can also shop from home with a live sales associate in one of tools on wood flooring,our stores through our virtual shopping experience. We also offer extensive product reviews, before and after photos from previous customers, product informationcustomer projects, style and design trends via the LL Style blog and how-to installation videos. A customer also has the ability to chat live with a flooring expert, either online or over the phone, regarding questions about a flooring purchase or installation. We continue to develop several new features and responsive mobile, tablet and website functionality to assist customers, with their flooring choice, and to ensure thesethey have robust tools at their disposal that are effective at helping them make the ideal flooring choice as the customer moves acrossthey move between other channels. We also have an active presence on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter.

Advertising and Financing

Advertising: We utilize a mix of digital and traditional and online media, ecommerce,email and direct mail, social media,to balance product, service and financing offersvalue messaging.   We also utilize advertising to emphasize product credibility, value,build brand awareness, customer educationconsideration and direct selling. We increase brand awareness in a variety of ways, including through sports, celebrity endorsements and product placement opportunities.to educate customers on the flooring category.  Overall, we activelyproactively manage the mix of our media to ensure we efficiently drive sales while effectively building brand awareness of our brand value proposition. We continue to invest in enhanced digital capabilities. We significantly pulled back our advertising spend in the second quarter of 2020 in reaction to COVID-19 and have re-deployed our spend with an increasing emphasis on digital.

We have been revitalizing our brand from Lumber Liquidators to LL Flooring. Customers increasingly begin their flooring journey online. During 2020, we used the LL Flooring brand in conjunction with the Lumber Liquidators brand on our digital platform and on television to build awareness. Additionally, we piloted the brand LL Flooring in 20 plus stores during 2020. Based on early feedback, customers who experienced the LL Flooring brand viewed it as more approachable, relevant and of higher quality. We plan to expand the rebranding of our stores in 2021 as part of our long-term brand evolution.

FinancingFinancing:: We offer our residential customers a financing alternative through a proprietary credit card, the Lumber Liquidators credit card, underwritten by a third-party financial institution, generally with no recourse to us. This program serves the dual function of providing financial flexibility to our customers and offering us promotional opportunities featuring deferred interest, which we often combine with product promotions. Our customers may also use their Lumber Liquidators credit card for installation services. We also offer our commercialPro customers a financing alternative, which is also underwritten by a third-party financial institution, generally atwith no recourse to us. The commercial credit program provides our professionalPro customers a range of additional services that we believe add efficiencyflexibility to their businesses.

Human Capital Management

Our people are the core of our business and we commit to deliver them an inclusive, diverse team and culture that understands and adapts to the varying needs of our customers. We seek to provide an engaging work experience that excites and motivate our team members to deliver their best every day. We also aim to provide opportunities for learning and growth, to ensure our team is always the best in the business.

We made good progress executing our transformation plan during 2020 to leverage our foundation as a high-touch specialty flooring company and deliver shareholder value. Our transformation plan includes the four strategic pillars of people and culture, improving the customer experience, driving traffic and transactions in our stores and online, and improving profitability.

Our first strategic pillar, people and culture, is a critical driving force behind our transformation plan. Our recent efforts have been focused in three areas: our Company’s culture and training, the safety and health of our employees; and driving diversity and inclusion.

Culture and Training

In 2020, we engaged the organization in reviewing the Company’s current mission, vision and values and assessing how well they are serving us today. We formalized our Company’s vision: to be the customer’s first choice in

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hard-surface flooring by providing the best experience, from start to finish. We also identified the following six guiding values as the foundation of our culture:

customer obsessed
embrace diversity
act with integrity
seize opportunities
be resilient
own our outcomes

During 2020 we added more regional and store managers in training to build our bench of future store leadership. Our field leadership has also focused on developing a more robust store and regional manager training program that promotes both diverse and inclusive leadership as well as drive greater internal career advancement.

Safety and Health

Our commitment to the safety of our associates is an essential and ongoing part of our business. We require careful attention to safety with respect to handling product in our warehouses, stores, installation and delivery processes. During COVID-19 we prioritized the safety of our associates and customers and followed rigorous standards for mask wearing, social distance and cleaning protocols. We have implemented remote work for all corporate support associates including senior management. We have significantly reduced travel and contact to help protect not only our associates but also the communities in which we live. We also provided emergency relief pay to our associates affected by COVID-19 exposure or related facility closures.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As part of our multi-year business transformation, we are working on driving diversity, equity and inclusion across our Company. This commitment will be supported by training and awareness programs as well as focused efforts to recruit, retain, develop and promote a diverse workforce. In 2020, we formed a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Taskforce, comprised of a cross-functional team of associates, to begin this important work. This team has been discussing the Company’s culture survey results, sharing ideas on what diversity, equity and inclusion should look like in our Company, formulating goals and establishing priorities for 2021 and beyond. We are also working with external consultants to connect our work with best practices and insights related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017,2020, we had approximately 2,1002,230 employees, 96%95% of whom were full-time and none of whom were represented by a union. Of these employees, 71%72% work in our stores, 18%19% work in corporate store support infrastructure or similar functions (including our call center employees) and 11%9% work either on our finishing line or in one of our distribution centers. We believe that we have good relations with our employees.

Seasonality and Quarterly Results

Our quarterly results of operations can fluctuate depending on the timing of our advertising expenses and the timing of, and income contributed by, our new stores. Our net sales fluctuate slightly as a result of seasonal factors, and we adjust merchandise inventories in anticipation of those factors, causing variations in our build of merchandise inventories. Generally, we experience higher than averagehigher-than-average net sales in the spring and fall, when more home remodeling activities typically are taking place, and lower than averagelower-than-average net sales in the colder winter months and during the hottest summer months. Our 2020 results were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and starting at the of March 2020 the Company closed as many as 56 stores for a period of time while all other stores operated under reduced hours and/or warehouse only conditions, offering curbside pickup and job site delivery for our Pro and DIY customers. The unfavorable impact of COVID-19 on the first half of 2020 was largely offset by favorable sales growth in the second half of 2020.

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Intellectual Property and Trademarks

We have a number of marks registered in the United States, including LLFlooring®, Lumber Liquidators®, Hardwood Floors For Less!®Floor Finder®, Bellawood®, 1-800-HARDWOOD®1-800-HARDWOOD®, Quickclic®, Virginia Mill Works Co. Hand Scraped and Distressed Floors®, Morning Star Bamboo Flooring®, Dream Home Laminate Floors®, Builder’s Pride®, Schön Engineered Floors®, Casa de Colour Collection®, Avella®, Coreluxe®, Tranquility Resilient Flooring®, Lisbon Cork Co. Ltd. ®, Colston Hardwood Flooring ®, Clover Lea Plantation ®, ReNature™, AquaSeal ™ and other product line names. We have also registered certain marks in jurisdictions outside the United States, including the European Union, Canada, China, Australia and Japan. We regard our intellectual property as having significant value and these names are an important factor in the marketing of our brands. Accordingly, we take steps intended to protect our intellectual property including, where necessary, the filing of lawsuits and administrative actions to enforce our rights.


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Government Regulation

We are subject to extensive and varied federal, provincial, state and local government regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate, including laws and regulations relating to our relationships with our employees and customers, independent third-party installers, public health and safety, zoning, accommodations for persons with disabilities, and fire codes. We are also subject to a number of compliance obligations pursuant to various settlement agreements we have entered into over the past few years. We operate each of our stores, offices finishing facility and distribution centers in accordance with standards and procedures designed to comply with all applicable laws, codes, licensing requirements and regulations. Certain of our operations and properties are also subject to federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, treatment, emission, release, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials, substances and wastes and relating to the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties, including off-site disposal locations. We do not currently incur significant costs complying with the laws and regulations related to hazardous materials. However, we could be subject to material costs, liabilities or claims relating to compliance in the future, especially in the event of changes in existing laws and regulations or in their interpretation, as well as the passage of new laws and regulations.

Our suppliers are subject to the laws and regulations of their home countries, as well as those relative to the import of their products into the United States, including, in particular, laws regulating labor, forestry and the environment. Our suppliers are subject to periodic compliance audits, onsite visits and other reviews, as appropriate, in efforts to ensure that they are in compliance with all laws and regulations. We also support social and environmental responsibility among our supplier community and our suppliers agree to comply with our expectations concerning environmental, labor and health and safety matters. Those expectations include representations and warranties that our suppliers comply with the laws, rules and regulations of the countries in which they operate.

Products that we import into the United States and, formerly, Canada are subject to laws and regulations imposed in conjunction with such importation, including those issued and/or enforced by U.S.United States Customs and Border Protection and the Canadian Border Services Agency. In addition, certain of our products are subject to laws and regulations relating to the importation, acquisition or sale of illegally harvested plants and plant products and the emissions of hazardous materials. We work closely with our suppliers to address theunderstand their compliance applicable laws and regulations in these areas.

Available Information

We maintain a website atwww.lumberliquidators.com.LLFlooring.com. The information on or available through our website is not, and should not be considered, a part of this annual report on Form 10-K. You may access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, as well as other reports relating to us that are filed with, or furnished to, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) free of charge on our websitedigital platform www.investors.LLFlooring.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. In addition, you may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet site,www.sec.gov,, which contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information that we file electronically with the SEC.


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Item 1A. Risk Factors.

The risks described below could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. These risks are not the only risks that we face. Our business operations could also be affected by additional factors that apply generally to companies operating in the U.S.United States and globally, as well as other risks that are not presently known to us or that we currently consider to be immaterial.

Risks Related to Our Business Operations

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, and may continue to disrupt, our business, which could adversely affect our financial performance

The effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have included and could continue to include disruptions in our supply chain, disruptions or restrictions on the ability of many of our employees to work effectively, including because of illness, quarantines, government actions, facility closures or other restrictions, as well as temporary closures of certain of our showrooms, or the facilities of our customers or suppliers. The inability of our suppliers to meet our supply needs in a timely manner could cause delays in delivery to our customers, which could result in the cancellation of orders, customers’ refusal to accept deliveries, discounts to selling prices, and termination of customer relationships, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Even if we are able to find alternate sources for our supply needs, they may cost more, which could adversely impact our profitability and financial condition.

In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread health crisis that is adversely affecting the economies and financial markets of many countries. It has disrupted the worldwide transportation network leading to less predictable inventory flow. There remains a great deal of uncertainty related to COVID-19, including risks from renewed shutdowns due to COVID-19, continued transportation disruptions, and consumer spending preferences once, and if, people become more mobile during 2021 as vaccines are distributed and administered. The extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments, including consumer demand for home improvement once the vaccine becomes widely available. The potential impacts to the Company likely will not be fully recoverable.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a highly fluid and rapidly evolving situation, and we cannot anticipate with any certainty the length, scope, or severity of such restrictions in each of the jurisdictions that we operate.

Our growth strategy depends in part on our ability to open new stores and is subject to many unpredictable factors.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 410 stores throughout the United States. Assuming the continued success of our store model and real estate strategy, we plan to continue our selective approach to future openings over the next several years. This growth strategy and the investment associated with the development of each new store may cause our operating results to fluctuate and be unpredictable or decrease our profits. Our future results and ability to implement our growth strategy will depend on various factors, including the following:

as we open more stores, our rate of expansion relative to the size of our store base will decline;
consumers in new markets may be less familiar with our brands, and we may need to increase brand awareness in those markets through additional investments in advertising;
new stores may have higher construction, occupancy or operating costs, inventory requirements, or may have lower average store net sales, than stores opened in the past;
competitive pressures could cause changes to our store model and making necessary changes could prove costly;

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newly opened stores may reach profitability more slowly than we expect in the future, as we enter more mid-sized and smaller markets and add stores to larger markets where we already have a presence; and
newly opened stores may cause sales to decline in our other existing stores within a given market or trade area.

Failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results.

Our plans call for our selective approach in the addition of new stores over the next several years, and increased orders from our digital platform, call center and catalogs. Our existing management information systems, including our store management systems, compliance procedures and financial and reporting controls, may be unable to support our expansion. Managing our growth effectively will require us to continue to enhance these systems, procedures and controls and to hire, train and retain regional and store managers and personnel for our compliance, IT, human resources and financial and reporting departments. We may not respond quickly enough to the changing demands that our expansion will impose on us. Any failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results.

Increased transportation costs could harm our results of operations.

The efficient transportation of our products through our supply chain is a critical component of our operations. If the cost of fuel or other costs, such as duties and international container rates rise it could result in increases in our cost of sales due to additional transportation charges and fees. Additionally, there are a limited number of delivery companies capable of efficiently transporting our products from our suppliers. Consolidation within this industry could result in increased transportation costs. A reduction in the availability of qualified drivers and an increase in driver regulations could continue to increase our costs. Transportation costs, both international and domestic, may increase due to the global supply chain disruptions as a result of strong demand for inventory, which have been and may continue to be impacted by any changes in COVID-19 conditions. We may be unable to increase the price of our products to offset increased transportation charges, which could cause our operating results to deteriorate.

Damage, destruction or disruption of our distribution centers could significantly impact our operations and impede our ability to distribute certain of our products.

We have two distribution centers which house products for the direct shipment of flooring to our stores. If either of our distribution centers or our inventory held in those locations were damaged or destroyed by fire, wood infestation or other causes, our distribution processes would be disrupted, which could cause significant delays in delivery. This could impede our ability to stock our stores and deliver products to our customers, and cause our net sales and operating results to deteriorate.

Our representative office in China may present increased legal and operational risks.

We have a representative office in Shanghai, China to facilitate our product sourcing in Asia. We have limited experience with the legal and regulatory environments and market practices outside of the United States. We may incur increased costs in complying with applicable Chinese laws and regulations as they pertain to our products, operations and related activities. Further, if we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to, among other things, litigation and government and agency investigations.

Failure to effectively manage our third-party installers may present increased legal and operational risks.

We manage third-party installers who provide installation services to some of our customers. In some jurisdictions, we are subject to regulatory requirements and risks applicable to general contractors, which include management of licensing, permitting and quality of our third-party installers. We have established procedures designed to manage these requirements and ensure customer satisfaction with the services provided by our third-party installers. If

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we fail to manage these procedures effectively or provide proper oversight of these services, we may be subject to regulatory enforcement and litigation and our net sales and our profitability and reputation could be harmed.

Our success dependsupon the retention of our personnel.

We believe that our success has depended and continues to depend on the efforts and capabilities of our employees. The loss of the services of employees if we are unable to provide competitive compensation and benefits, an engaging work experience for an inclusive, diverse team and culture or due to any negative market or industry perception, our stock price, and/or litigation may prevent us from achieving operational goals and harm our reputation.

Unfavorable allegations, government investigations and legal actions surrounding our products or us could harm our reputation and impair our ability to grow or sustain our business.

We rely on our reputation for offering great value, superior service and a broad selection of high-quality, safe flooring products. We are currentlyhave been involved in a number of government investigations and legal actions, many of which have resulted from unfavorable allegations regarding our products and us. Negative publicity surrounding these government investigations and legal actions could continue to harm our reputation and the demand for our products. Additional unfavorable allegations, government investigations and legal actions involving our products and us could also affect our perception in the market and our brands and negatively impact our business and financial condition. For instance, unfavorable allegations with certain regulators surrounding the product qualitycompliance of our laminates that had previously been sourced from China has negatively affected and could continue to negatively affect our operations. If this negative impact is significant, our ability to maintain our liquidity and grow or sustain our business could be jeopardized. The cost to defend ourselves and our former employees has been and could continue to be significant.

We are involved in a number of legal proceedings and, while we cannot predict the outcomes of these proceedings and other contingencies with certainty, some of the outcomes of these proceedings could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

We are, or may become, involved in legal proceedings, government and agency investigations, and consumer, employment, tort, and other litigation (see discussion of Legal Proceedings in Item 38. Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements). While we have accrued for material liabilities in connection with certain of this Annual Report). Wethese proceedings, we cannot predict with certainty the outcomes of these legal proceedings.ultimate outcomes. The outcome of some of these legal proceedings could require us to take actions which could be costly to implement or otherwise negatively affect our operations or could require us to pay substantial amounts of money that could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations and could affect our ability to obtain capital or access our revolving line of creditloan and continue as a going concern. Additionally, defending against lawsuits and legal proceedings may involveinvolves significant expense and diversion of management’s attention and resources.

Our overall compliance program, including the Lacey Compliance Plan, is complex and costly to maintain. A failure to manage these programs could adversely affect our ability to conduct business, result in significant fines and other penalties, damage our brand and reputation, and, consequently, negatively impact our financial position and results of operations.

As disclosed onin October 7, 2015, we reached a settlement with the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) regarding our compliance with the Lacey Act. In connection with that settlement, we agreed to implement the Lacey Compliance Plan, and we arewere subject to a probation period of five years. Our implementation of the Lacey Compliance Plan, together with requirements resulting from other settlement agreements we have entered into over the past few years is costly(including the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (the “DPA”) with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “U.S. Attorney”) and if the implementation costs are more than we anticipate, could adversely affect our operating results.DOJ entered into on March 12, 2019), was costly. In the event we fail to fully implementbreach the Lacey Compliance Plan as requiredDPA, there is a risk the U.S. Attorney and in accordance with set deadlines, the government may require us to cease the importation of hardwood flooring from China until the DOJ determines thatwould seek to impose remedies provided for in the Lacey Compliance Plan has been satisfactorily implemented. If we have to cease the importation of hardwood flooring, our ability to operate would be substantially harmed and our business,DPA, including our results of operations, would be adversely affected.criminal prosecution. Further, the failure to properly manage our overall compliance program and fully comply with the obligations imposed upon us by these various settlement agreements or implement any of the compliance requirements arising from these obligations could adversely affect our ability to conduct business, result in significant

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fines and other penalties, damage our brand and reputation and negatively impact our financial position and results of operations.

Our insurance coverage and self-insurance reserves may not cover existing or future claims.

With the large number of recent cases and government investigations, we may be required to defend ourselves and our officers, directors and former employees and we may be subject to financial harm in the event such cases or investigations are adversely determined and insurance coverage will not, or is not sufficient to, cover any related losses. We maintain various insurance policies, including directors and officers insurance, as well as the following:

We are self-insured on certain health insurance plans and workers’ compensation coverage and are responsible for losses up to a certain limit for these respective plans.
We continue to be responsible for losses up to a certain limit for general liability and property damage insurance.
Our professional liability and cyber security insurance policies contain limitations on the amount and scope of coverage.

TABLE OF CONTENTSFor policies under which we are responsible for losses, we record a liability that represents our estimated cost of claims incurred and unpaid as of the balance sheet date. Unanticipated changes may produce materially different amounts of expense than those recorded, which could adversely impact our operating results. Additionally, our experience could limit our ability to obtain satisfactory insurance coverage, subjecting us to further loss, or could require significantly increased premiums.

Federal, provincial, state or local laws and regulations, including tariffs, or our failure to comply with such laws and regulations, and our obligations under certain settlement agreements related to our products could increase our expenses, restrict our ability to conduct our business and expose us to legal risks.

We are subject to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations imposed by federal, provincial, state and local authorities in the countries in which we operate, including those related to tariffs, customs, foreign operations (such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), truth-in-advertising, consumer protection, privacy, zoning and occupancy matters as well as the operation of retail stores and warehouse, production and distribution facilities and provision of installation services. In addition, various federal, provincial and state laws govern our relationship with and other matters pertaining to our employees, including wage and hour-related laws. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we could be subject to legal risk, our operations could be impacted negatively and our reputation could be damaged. Likewise, if such laws and regulations should change, our costs of compliance may increase, thereby impacting our results and hurting our profitability.

Certain portions of our operations are subject to laws and regulations governing hazardous materials and wastes, the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, and the health and safety of employees. If we are unable to comply with, extend or renew a material approval, license or permit required by such laws, or if there is a delay in renewing any material approval, license or permit, our net sales and operating results could deteriorate or otherwise cause harm to our business.

With regard to our products, we spend significant resources in order to comply with applicable advertising, importation, exportation, environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. If we should violate these laws and regulations, we could experience delays in shipments of our goods, be subject to fines, penalties, criminal charges, or other legal risks, be liable for costs and damages, or suffer reputational harm, which could reduce demand for our merchandise and hurt our business and results of operations. Further, if such laws and regulations should change we may experience increased costs in order to adhere to the new standards. We are also subject to a number of settlement agreements that impose certain obligations on us with respect to the operation of our business. If we fail to comply with these obligations, we may experience additional costs and expenses and could be subject to additional legal risks.

The effect

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Table of comprehensive U.S. tax reform legislation on us, whether adverse or favorable, is uncertain.

In December of 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Act. Among a number of significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules, the Tax Act reduces the marginal U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, limits the deduction for net interest expense, shifts the United States toward a more territorial tax system, and imposes new rules to combat erosion of the U.S. federal income tax base. We are still evaluating the effects of the Tax Act on us and there are a number of uncertainties and ambiguities as to the interpretation and application of many of the provisions in the Tax Act. In the absence of guidance on these issues, we will use what we believe are reasonable interpretations and assumptions in interpreting and applying the Tax Act for purposes of determining our cash tax liabilities and results of operations, which may change as we receive additional clarification and implementation guidance and as the interpretation of the Tax Act evolves over time. It is possible that the Internal Revenue Service could issue subsequent guidance or take positions on audit that differ from the interpretations and assumptions that we previously made, which could have an adverse effect on our cash tax liabilities, results of operations and financial condition. As we collect and prepare necessary data, and interpret the Tax Act and any additional guidance issued by the IRS or other standard-setting bodies, we may make adjustments to the provisional amounts that could materially affect our financial position and results of operations as well as our effective tax rate in the period in which the adjustments are made.

Our growth strategy depends in part on our ability to open new stores and is subject to many unpredictable factors.

As of December 31, 2017, we had 393 stores throughout the United States and Canada. Assuming the continued success of our store model and satisfaction of our internal criteria, we plan to continue our selective approach to future openings over the next several years. This growth strategy and the investment associatedContents


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with the development of each new store may cause our operating results to fluctuate and be unpredictable or decrease our profits. Our future results and ability to implement our growth strategy will depend on various factors, including the following:

as we open more stores, our rate of expansion relative to the size of our store base will decline;
consumers in new markets may be less familiar with our brands, and we may need to increase brand awareness in those markets through additional investments in advertising;
new stores may have higher construction, occupancy or operating costs, or may have lower average store net sales, than stores opened in the past;
we may experience difficulties in obtaining approvals necessary to open and operate particular store locations;
newly opened stores may reach profitability more slowly than we expect in the future, as we enter more mid-sized and smaller markets and add stores to larger markets where we already have a presence; and
our Canadian stores may require additional investment in advertising due to our limited penetration in the Canadian market.

Failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results.

Our plans call for our selective approach in the addition of new stores over the next several years, and increased orders from our website, call center and catalogs. Our existing management information systems, including our store management systems, compliance procedures and financial and reporting controls, may be unable to support our expansion. Managing our growth effectively will require us to continue to enhance these systems, procedures and controls and to hire, train and retain regional and store managers and personnel for our compliance and financial and reporting departments. We may not respond quickly enough to the changing demands that our expansion will impose on us. Any failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results.

Increased transportation costs could harm our results of operations.

The efficient transportation of our products through our supply chain is a critical component of our operations. If the cost of fuel or other costs, such as import tariffs, duties and international container rates, rise, it could result in increases in our cost of sales due to additional transportation charges and fees. Additionally, there are a limited number of delivery companies capable of efficiently transporting our products from our suppliers. Consolidation within this industry could result in increased transportation costs. The number of qualified drivers may also be an issue. We may be unable to increase the price of our products to offset increased transportation charges, which could cause our operating results to deteriorate.

Damage, destruction or disruption of our Toano, Virginia facility or distribution centers could significantly impact our operations and impede our ability to finish and distribute certain of our products.

Our Toano, Virginia facility serves as our corporate headquarters and, among other things, houses our primary computer systems, which control our management information and inventory management systems. In addition, in 2017, we finished approximately 85% of all Bellawood products, as well as small quantities of certain other products, there. In 2017, Bellawood flooring accounted for approximately 10% of our net sales. If the Toano, Virginia facility or equipment were damaged or destroyed, it could harm our operations, cause significant lost production and impact our ability to fulfill customer demand.

Further, if either of our distribution centers or our inventory held in those locations were damaged or destroyed by fire, wood infestation or other causes, our distribution processes would be disrupted, which could cause significant delays in delivery. This could impede our ability to stock our stores and deliver products to our customers, and cause our net sales and operating results to deteriorate.


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The operation of stores in Canada and our representative office in China may present increased legal and operational risks.

We currently operate eight store locations in Canada. As a result of our limited penetration in the Canadian market, these stores may continue to be less successful than we expect. Additionally, investments in advertising and promotional activity may be required to continue to build brand awareness in that market.

We also have established a representative office in Shanghai, China to facilitate our product sourcing in Asia. We have limited experience with the legal and regulatory environments and market practices outside of the United States and cannot guarantee that we will be able to operate profitably in these markets or in a manner and with results similar to those in the United States. We may also incur increased costs in complying with applicable Canadian and Chinese laws and regulations as they pertain to both our products and our operations. Further, if we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to, among other things, litigation and government and agency investigations.

Failure to effectively manage our third-party installers may present increased legal and operational risks.

We manage third-party installers who provide installation services to some of our customers. In some of these jurisdictions, we are subject to regulatory requirements and risks applicable to general contractors, which include management of licensing, permitting and quality of our third-party installers. We have established procedures designed to manage these requirements and ensure customer satisfaction with the services provided by our third-party installers. If we fail to manage these procedures effectively or provide proper oversight of these services, we may be subject to regulatory enforcement and litigation and our net sales and our profitability and reputation could be harmed.

Our founder is the lessor on a significant number of our leases and the satisfactory renewal of these as each comes due is a risk to our occupancy costs and store count.

As of December 31, 2017, we lease our Toano facility, which includes a store location, a warehouse and 29 of our other store locations from entities owned, in whole or in part, by Tom Sullivan, our founder. Although our percentage of total stores leased from such entities has decreased, this concentration of leases subjects us to the risk of increased costs or reduction of store count in the event of an adverse action or inaction by Mr. Sullivan or such entities. Mr. Sullivan no longer serves as an employee or as a director of the Company.

Risks Related to Our Suppliers, Products and Product Sourcing

Our ability and cost to obtain cost-effective products, especially from China and other international suppliers, and the operations of many of our international suppliers are subject to risks that may be beyond our control and that could harm our operations and profitability.

We rely on a select group of international suppliers to provide us with imported flooring products that meet our specifications. In 2020, our imported product was sourced from Asia, Europe, Australia and South America. As a result, we are subject to risks associated with obtaining products from abroad, including:

the imposition of duties (including antidumping and countervailing duties), tariffs, taxes and/or other charges on exports or imports;
the impact of a pandemic, including COVID-19;
political unrest, terrorism and economic instability resulting in the disruption of trade from foreign countries where our products originate;
currency exchange fluctuations;
the imposition of new laws and regulations, including those relating to environmental matters and climate change issues, labor conditions, quality and safety standards, trade restrictions, and restrictions on funds transfers;
disruptions or delays in production, shipments, delivery or processing through ports of entry; and
differences in product standards, acceptable business practices and legal environments of the country of origin.

By the end of 2020, approximately 34% of our product was sourced from China down from 46% a year ago. Included in merchandise inventories are tariff related costs, including Section 301 tariffs on certain products imported from China in recent years. A subset of these imports for certain click vinyl and other engineered products (the “Subset Products”) received an exemption that was made retroactive to the initial levying of the Section 301 Tariffs. However, as of August 7, 2020, the exclusions on subset products expired and certain flooring products imported from China are again subject to a 25% Section 301 tariff. Potential costs and any attendant impact on pricing arising from these tariffs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

These and other factors beyond our control could disrupt the ability of our suppliers to ship certain products to us cost-effectively or at all, which could harm our operations. If our product costs and consumer demand are adversely affected by foreign trade issues (including pandemic-related delays, import tariffs and other trade restrictions with China), our sales and profitability may suffer.

Failure to identify and develop relationships with a sufficient number of qualified suppliers could affect our ability to obtain products that meet our high quality standards.

We purchase flooring directly from mills located around the world. We believe that these direct supplier relationships are important to our business. In order to retain the competitive advantage that we believe results from these relationships, we need to continue to identify, develop and maintain relationships with qualified suppliers that can satisfy our high standards for quality and our requirements for the delivery of hardwoodhard-surface materials in a timely and efficient manner. We expect the need to develop new relationships to be particularly important as we seek to expand our operations, enhance our product offerings, and expand our product assortment and geographic source of origin in the future. Any inability to do so could reduce our competitiveness, slow our plans for further expansion and cause our net sales and operating results to deteriorate.

We rely on a concentrated number of suppliers for a significant portion of our supply needs. We generally do not have long-term contracts with our suppliers. In the future, our suppliers may be unable to supply us, or supply us on acceptable terms, due to various factors, which could include political instability in the supplier’s country, insufficient production capacity, product line failures, collusion, a supplier’s financial instability, inability or refusal to comply with applicable laws, trade restrictions, tariffs or our standards, duties, insufficient transport capacity and other factors beyond our control. In these circumstances, we could experience deterioration in our net sales and operating results.


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The failure of our suppliers to comply with applicable laws, use ethical practices, and meet our quality standards could result in our suspending purchasing from them, negatively impacting net sales, and could expose us to reputational and legal risks.

While our suppliers agree to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, we do not control our suppliers. Accordingly, despite our continued investment in compliance and quality control, we cannot guarantee that they comply with such laws and regulations or operate in a legal, ethical and responsible manner. While we monitor our suppliers’ adherence to our compliance and quality standards, there is no guarantee that we will be able to identify non-compliance. Moreover, the failure of our suppliers to adhere to applicable legal requirements and the quality standards that we set for our products could lead to government investigations, litigation, write-offs and recalls, any of which could damage our reputation and our brands, increase our costs, and otherwise hurt our business. Additionally, our ability to travel and monitor suppliers due to the COVID-19 could cause delays in bringing product to market.

Product liability claims could adversely affect our reputation, which could adversely affect our net sales and profitability.

We have faced and continue to face the risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event that the use of our products is alleged to have resulted in economic loss, personal injury, or property damage, or violated environmental or other laws. In the event that any of our products proves to be defective or otherwise in violation of applicable law,laws, we may be required to recall or redesign such products. Further, in such instances, we may be subject to legal action. We maintain insurance against some forms of product liability claims, but such coverage may not be available or adequate for the liabilities actually incurred. A successful claim brought against us in excess of available insurance coverage, or any claim or product recall that results in significant adverse publicity against us, may have a material adverse effect on our net sales and operating results.

Our ability and cost to obtain products from abroad and the operations of many of our international suppliers are subject to risks that are beyond our control and that could harm our operations and profitability.

We rely on a select group of international suppliers to provide us with imported flooring products that meet our specifications. In 2017, our imported product was sourced from Asia, Europe, Australia and South America. As a result, we are subject to risks associated with obtaining products from abroad, including:

the imposition of duties (including antidumping and countervailing duties), tariffs, taxes and/or other charges on exports or imports;
political unrest, terrorism and economic instability resulting in the disruption of trade from foreign countries where our products originate;
currency exchange fluctuations;
the imposition of new laws and regulations, including those relating to environmental matters and climate change issues, labor conditions, quality and safety standards, trade restrictions, and restrictions on funds transfers;
disruptions or delays in production, shipments, delivery or processing through ports of entry; and
differences in product standards, acceptable business practices and legal environments of the country of origin.

These and other factors beyond our control could disrupt the ability of our suppliers to ship certain products to us cost-effectively or at all, which could harm our operations.

Our ability to offer hardwood flooring, particularly products made of more exotic species of hardwood, depends on the continued availability of sufficient suitable hardwood at reasonable cost.

Our business strategy depends on offering a wide assortment of hardwood flooring to our customers. We sell flooring made from species ranging from domestic maple, oak and pine to imported cherry, koa, mahogany and teak. Some of these species are scarce, and we cannot be assured of their continued availability. Our ability to obtain an adequate volume and quality of hard-to-find species depends on our


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suppliers’ ability to furnish those species, which, in turn, could be affected by many things including events such as forest fires, insect infestation, tree diseases, prolonged drought and other adverse weather and climate conditions. Government regulations relating to forest management practices also affect our suppliers’ ability to harvest or export timber, and changes to regulations and forest management policies, or the implementation of new laws or regulations, could impede their ability to do so. If our suppliers cannot deliver sufficient hardwood and we cannot find replacement suppliers, our net sales and operating results may be negatively impacted.

The cost of the various species of hardwood that are used in our products is important to our profitability. Hardwood lumber costs fluctuate as a result of a number of factors including changes in domestic and international supply and demand, labor costs, competition, market speculation, product availability, environmental restrictions, government regulation and trade policies, duties, weather conditions, processing and freight costs, and delivery delays and disruptions. We generally do not have long-term supply contracts or guaranteed purchase amounts. As a result, we may not be able to anticipate or react to changing hardwood costs by adjusting our purchasing practices, and we may not always be able to increase the selling prices of our products in response to increases in supply costs. If we cannot address changing hardwood costs appropriately, it could cause our operating results to deteriorate.

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Risks Relating to Our Competitive Positioning

Ineffectiveness of our advertising strategy or negative perceptions of our brand could result in reduced customer traffic, thereby impacting net sales and profitability.

We believe that our growth thus far was achieved in part through our successful investment in local and national advertising. Historically, we have used extensive advertising to encourage customers to drive to our stores, which were, at times, located some distance from population centers in areas that have lower rents than traditional retail locations. Further, a significant portion of our advertising was directed at the DIY and DIFM customers. As our brand and marketing strategies continue to evolve, we have broadened the content of our advertising to increase the awareness of our great value, superior service and broad selection of high-quality, hard-surface flooring products. If there are negative perceptions about the evolution of our brand strategies, our advertisements fail to draw customers in the future, or if the cost of advertising or other marketing materials increases significantly, we could experience declines in our net sales and operating results.

Competition could cause price declines, decrease demand for our products and decrease our market share.

We operate in the hard-surface flooring industry, which is highly fragmented and competitive. We face significant competition from national and regional home improvement chains, national and regional specialty flooring chains, Internet-based companies and privately owned single-site enterprises. We compete on the basis of price, customer service, store location and the range, quality and availability of the hard-surface flooring that we offer our customers. If our positioning with regard to one or more of these factors should erode, deteriorate, fail to resonate with consumers or misalign with demand or expectations, our business and results may be negatively impacted.

Our competitive position is also influenced by the availability, quality and cost of merchandise, labor costs, distribution and sales efficiencies and our productivity compared to that of our competitors. Further, as we expand into new and unfamiliar markets, we may face different competitive environments than in the past. Likewise, as we continue to enhance and develop our product offerings, we may experience new competitive conditions.

Some of our competitors are larger organizations, have existed longer, are more diversified in the products they offer and have a more established market presence with substantially greater financial, marketing, personnel and other resources than we have. In addition, our competitors may forecast market developments more accurately than we do, develop products that are superior to ours, produce similar products at a lower cost or adapt more quickly to new technologies or evolving customer requirements than we do. Intense competitive pressures from one or more of our competitors could cause price declines, decrease demand for our products and decrease our market share.

Hard-surface flooring may become less popular as compared to other types of floor coverings in the future. For example, our products are made using various hardwood species, including rare exotic hardwood species, and concern over the environmental impact of tree harvesting could shift consumer preferences towards synthetic or inorganic flooring. In addition, hardwood flooring competes against carpet, vinyl sheet, vinyl tile, ceramic tile, natural stone and other types of floor coverings. If consumer preferences shift toward types of floor coverings that we do not sell, we may experience decreased demand for our products.

All of these competitive factors may harm us and reduce our net sales and operating results.

Risks Related to Economic Factors and Our Access to Capital

Cyclicality in the home flooring industry, coupled with our lack of diversity in our lines of business, could cause volatility and risk to our business.

The hardwoodhard-surface flooring industry is highly dependent on the remodeling of existing homes and new home construction. Remodeling and new home construction are cyclical and depend on a number of factors which are beyond

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our control, including interest rates, tax policy, real estate prices, employment levels, consumer confidence, credit availability, real estate prices, demographic trends, weather conditions, natural disasters and general economic conditions. For example, discretionary

We experienced significant revenue growth in the second half of 2020 as a result of consumer demand for home improvement. There remain a significant number of unknowns, including risks from renewed shut downs due to COVID-19 and consumer spending could be limited, spending on remodeling of existing homes could be reducedpreferences once and purchases of new homes could decline if:

if people become more mobile as the national economy or any regional or local economy where we operate weakens;
interest rates rise or credit becomes less available;
tax rates and health care costs increase;
regions where we operate experience unfavorable demographic trends; or
home prices depreciate.
vaccines roll out.

In the event of a decrease in discretionary spending, home remodeling activity or new home construction, demand for our products, including hardwoodhard-surface flooring, could be impacted negatively and our business and operating results could be harmed.

Our insurance coverage and self-insurance reserves may not cover existing or future claims.

We maintain various insurance policies, including directors and officers insurance:

We are self-insured on certain health insurance plans and workers’ compensation coverage and are responsible for losses up to a certain limit for these respective plans.
We continue to be responsible for losses up to a certain limit for general liability and property damage insurance.
Our professional liability and cyber security insurance policies contain limitations on the amount and scope of coverage.

With the large number of pending cases and government investigations, we may be required to defend ourself, our officers, directors and former employees and we may be subject to financial harm in the event such cases or investigations are adversely determined and insurance coverage will not, or is not sufficient to, cover any related losses.


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For policies under which we are responsible for losses, we record a liability that represents our estimated cost of claims incurred and unpaid as of the balance sheet date. Unanticipated changes may produce materially different amounts of expense than those recorded, which could adversely impact our operating results. Additionally, our recent experience could limit our ability to obtain satisfactory insurance coverage, subjecting us to further loss, or could require significantly increased premiums.

The inability to access our credit facilityRevolving Credit Facility or other sources of capital, could cause our financial position, liquidity, and results of operations to suffer.

We have relied on and expect to continue to rely on a bank credit facilityagreement to fund seasonalour needs for working capital. During 2020, we entered into a First Amendment to our Credit Agreement to temporarily increase the maximum amounts available under the Revolving Credit Facility, and we may need to access additional sources of capital to satisfy our liquidity needs. Our access to this facilitythe Revolving Credit Facility depends on our ability to meet the conditions for borrowing, including that all representations are true and correct at the time of the borrowing. Our failure to meet these requirements or obtain additional or alternative sources of capital could impact:

our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures, store expansion and other general corporate purposes;
our ability to meet our liquidity needs, arising from, among other things, legal matters; and
our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate.
our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;
our ability to meet our liquidity needs, arising from, among other things, legal matters; and
our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate.

Risks Related to Our Information Technology

If our management information systems, including our digital platform or our call center, experience disruptions, it could disrupt our business and reduce our net sales.

We depend on our management information systems to integrate the activities of our stores, digital platform and call center, to process orders, to respond to customer inquiries, to manage inventory, to purchase merchandise and to sell and ship goods on a timely basis. We may experience operational problems with our information systems as a result of system failures, viruses, computer “hackers” or other causes. We may incur significant expenses in order to repair any such operational problems. Any significant disruption or slowdown of our systems could cause information, including data related to customer orders, to be lost or delayed, which could result in delays in the delivery of products to our stores and customers or lost sales. For example, as we previously disclosed in August 2019, we experienced a malicious network security incident during that year that prevented access to several of our information technology systems and data within our networks. Based on the nature of the network security incident, the impact on our information technology systems and the results of the forensic IT analysis, we do not believe confidential customer, employee or company data was lost or disclosed. Moreover, our entire corporate network, including our telephone lines, is on an Internet-based network, which is vulnerable to certain risks and uncertainties, including changes in the required technology interfaces, digital platform downtime and other technical failures, security breaches and customer privacy concerns. Accordingly, if our network is disrupted or if we cannot successfully maintain our digital platform and call center in good working order, we may experience delayed communications within our operations and between our customers and ourselves, and may not be able to communicate at all via our network, including via telephones connected to our network.

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We may incur costs and losses resulting from security risks we face in connection with our electronic processing, transmission and storage of confidential customer information.

We accept electronic payment cards for payment in our stores and through our call center. In addition, our online operations depend upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks, including information permitting cashless payments. As a result, we may become subject to claims for purportedly fraudulent transactions arising out of the actual or alleged theft of credit or debit card information, and we may also be subject to lawsuits or other proceedings relating to these types of incidents. Further, a compromise of our security systems that results in our customers’ personal information being obtained by unauthorized persons could adversely affect our reputation with our customers and others, as well as our operations, results of operations and financial condition, and could result in litigation against us or the imposition of penalties. A security breach could also require that we expend significant additional resources related to the security of information systems and could result in a disruption of our operations, particularly our online sales operations.

Additionally, privacy and information security laws and regulations change, and compliance with them may result in cost increases due to necessary systems changes and the development of new administrative processes. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations or experience a data security breach, our reputation could be damaged, possibly resulting in lost future business, and we could be subjected to additional legal risk as a result of non-compliance.

If our management information systems, including our website or our call center, experience disruptions, it could disrupt our business and reduce our net sales.

We depend on our management information systems to integrate the activities of our stores, website and call center, to process orders, to respond to customer inquiries, to manage inventory, to purchase merchandise and to sell and ship goods on a timely basis. We may experience operational problems with our information systems as a result of system failures, viruses, computer “hackers” or other causes. We may incur significant expenses in order to repair any such operational problems. Any significant disruption or slowdown of our systems could cause information, including data related to customer orders, to be lost or delayed, which could result in delays in the delivery of products to our stores and customers or lost sales. Moreover, our entire corporate network, including our telephone lines, is on an Internet-based network, which is vulnerable to certain risks and uncertainties, including changes in required technology interfaces, website downtime and other technical failures, security breaches and customer privacy concerns. Accordingly, if our network is disrupted or if we cannot successfully maintain our website and call center in good working order, we may experience delayed communications within our operations and between our customers and ourselves, and may not be able to communicate at all via our network, including via telephones connected to our network.


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Alternative e-commerce and online shopping offerings may erode our customer base and adversely affect our business.

Our long-term future depends heavily upon the general public’s willingness to use our stores as a means to purchase goods. In recent years, e-commerce has become more widely accepted as a means of purchasing consumer goods and services, which could adversely impact customer traffic in our stores. Additionally, certain of our competitors offer alternative e-commerce and online shopping. If consumers use alternative e-commerce and online shopping offerings to conduct business as opposed to our store locations, it could materially adversely impact our net sales and operating results.

Risks Relating to Our Competitive Positioning

A tarnished brand or ineffectiveness of our advertising strategy could result in reduced customer traffic, thereby impacting net sales and profitability.

We believe that our growth thus far was achieved in part through our successful investment in local and national advertising. Historically, we have used extensive advertising to encourage customers to drive to our stores, which were generally located some distance from population centers in areas that have lower rents than traditional retail locations. Further, a significant portion of our advertising was directed at the DIY and DIFM customers. While our marketing strategy continues to support these strategies, we have broadened the reach and frequency of our advertising to increase the awareness of our value proposition and the number of customers served. If there is are negative perceptions about our brand to our customers, our advertisements fail to draw customers in the future, or if the cost of advertising or other marketing materials increases significantly, we could experience declines in our net sales and operating results.

We may not be able to successfully anticipate consumer trends and our failure to do so may adversely impact our net sales and profitability.

As part of our business proposition, it is important for us to anticipate and respond to changing preferences and consumer demands in a timely manner. If we fail to identify and respond to emerging trends, consumer acceptance of the merchandise in our stores and our image with our customers may be harmed, which could reduce customer traffic in our stores and adversely affect our net sales. Moreover, consumer demand within our mix of products may shift and such change may negatively impact our inventory, net sales and operating results.

Competition could cause price declines, decrease demand for our products and decrease our market share.

We operate in the wood flooring industry, which is highly fragmented and competitive. We face significant competition from national and regional home improvement chains, national and regional specialty flooring chains, Internet-based companies and privately owned single-site enterprises. We compete on the basis of price, customer service, store location and the range, quality and availability of the hardwood flooring that we offer our customers. If our positioning with regard to one or more of these factors should erode, deteriorate, fail to resonate with consumers or misalign with demand or expectations, our business and results may be impacted negatively.

Our competitive position is also influenced by the availability, quality and cost of merchandise, labor costs, finishing, distribution and sales efficiencies and our productivity compared to that of our competitors. Further, as we expand into new and unfamiliar markets, we may face different competitive environments than in the past. Likewise, as we continue to enhance and develop our product offerings, we may experience new competitive conditions.

Some of our competitors are larger organizations, have existed longer, are more diversified in the products they offer and have a more established market presence with substantially greater financial, marketing, personnel and other resources than we have. In addition, our competitors may forecast market developments more accurately than we do, develop products that are superior to ours or produce similar products at a lower cost, or adapt more quickly to new technologies or evolving customer requirements than we do. Intense competitive pressures from one or more of our competitors could cause price declines, decrease demand for our products and decrease our market share.


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Hardwood flooring may become less popular as compared to other types of floor coverings in the future. For example, our products are made using various hardwood species, including rare exotic hardwood species, and concern over the environmental impact of tree harvesting could shift consumer preference towards synthetic or inorganic flooring. In addition, hardwood flooring competes against carpet, vinyl sheet, vinyl tile, ceramic tile, natural stone and other types of floor coverings. If consumer preferences shift toward types of floor coverings that we do not sell, we may experience decreased demand for our products.

All of these competitive factors may harm us and reduce our net sales and operating results.

Risks Related to Internal Controls

Failure to maintain effective systems of internal and disclosure control could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition.

Effective internal and disclosure controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud, and to operate successfully as a public company. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results would be harmed. As part of our ongoing monitoring of internal control, we may discover material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control that require remediation.

We have in the past discovered, and may in the future discover, areas of internal controls that need improvement. Regardless, we continue to work to improve our internal controls. We cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that we implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain effective controls or to timely implement any necessary improvement of our internal and disclosure controls could, among other things, result in losses from fraud or error, harm our reputation, or cause investors to lose confidence in the reported financial information, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

Our common stock price may be volatile and all or part of any investment in our common stock may be lost.

The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly based on various factors, including, but not limited to:

unfavorable market reactions to allegations regarding the safety of our products and the related litigation and/or government investigations resulting therefrom, as well as any payments, judgments or other losses in connection with such lawsuits and/or investigations;
trading activity of our current or future stockholders, including common stock transactions by our directors and executive officers;
industry-related trends and growth prospects; and
unfavorable market reactions to allegations regarding the safety of our products and the related litigation and/or government investigations resulting therefrom, as well as any payments, judgments or other losses in connection with such allegations and any resultant lawsuits and/or investigations;
trading activity of our current or future stockholders, including common stock transactions by our directors and executive officers;
trading activity by retail investors participating in online investing forums or chat rooms;
industry-related trends and growth prospects; and
our concentration in the cyclical home furnishings industry.

In addition, the stock market may experience significant price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations may be unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies but may cause declines in the market price of our

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common stock. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with us or our performance.

Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly and could fall below the expectations of research analysts and investors due to various factors.

Research analysts and investors develop expectations on how we may perform using a variety of metrics, including sales, comparable store sales, gross profit, etc. However, in any given quarter, actual performance may vary from these expectations, causing significant fluctuations in our stock price.

Our anti-takeover defense provisions may cause our common stock to trade at market prices lower than it might absent such provisions.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire control of us without the approval of our board of directors. These


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provisions include a staggered board, the availability of “blank check” preferred stock, provisions restricting stockholders from calling a special meeting of stockholders or from taking action by written consent and provisions that set forth advance notice procedures for stockholders’ nominations of directors and proposals of topics for consideration at meetings of stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which relates to business combinations with interested stockholders, applies to us. These provisions may delay, prevent or deter a merger, or other transaction that might otherwise result in our stockholders receiving a premium over the market price for their common stock. In addition, these provisions may cause our common stock to trade at a market price lower than it might absent such provisions.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties.

As of February 15, 2018,23, 2021, we operated 395410 stores located in 4647 states, with one new store opening and Canada, with two additional openingsone closing since December 31, 2017. In addition to our eight stores in Ontario, Canada, the2020. The table below sets forth the locations (alphabetically by state) of our 387 U.S.410 stores in operation as of February 15, 2018.23, 2021.

State

    

Stores

    

State

    

Stores

    

State

    

Stores

    

State 

    

Stores

Alabama

6

Iowa

3

Nebraska

2

Rhode Island

1

Arizona

6

Kansas

3

Nevada

3

South Carolina

10

Arkansas

3

Kentucky

5

New Hampshire

5

South Dakota

1

California

42

Louisiana

6

New Jersey

14

Tennessee

7

Colorado

10

Maine

3

New Mexico

1

Texas

29

Connecticut

7

Maryland

9

New York

20

Utah

3

Delaware

4

Massachusetts

9

North Carolina

16

Vermont

1

Florida

31

Michigan

12

North Dakota

1

Virginia

16

Georgia

11

Minnesota

7

Ohio

15

Washington

9

Idaho

2

Mississippi

3

Oklahoma

3

West Virginia

4

Illinois

15

Missouri

7

Oregon

9

Wisconsin

6

Indiana

9

Montana

1

Pennsylvania

20

       
State Stores State Stores State Stores State Stores
Alabama 5 Iowa 3 Nevada 3 Rhode Island 1
Arizona 6 Kansas 3 New Hampshire 5 South Carolina 9
Arkansas 2 Kentucky 5 New Jersey 13 South Dakota 1
California 44 Louisiana 5 New Mexico 1 Tennessee 6
Colorado 8 Maine 3 New York 20 Texas 29
Connecticut 8 Maryland 10 North Carolina 13 Utah 3
Delaware 4 Massachusetts 10 North Dakota 1 Vermont 1
Florida 29 Michigan 10 Ohio 13 Virginia 13
Georgia 11 Minnesota 6 Oklahoma 3 Washington 9
Idaho 2 Mississippi 3 Oregon 7 West Virginia 3
Illinois 16 Missouri 5 Pennsylvania 20 Wisconsin 5
Indiana 8 Nebraska 2      

We lease all of our stores andas well as our corporate headquarters, which is located in Toano, Virginia, which includes our call center, corporate offices, and distribution and finishing facility. OurRichmond, Virginia. The corporate headquarters has 307,784location is approximately 53,000 square feet, of which approximately 32,000feet. We currently lease space near the headquarters location as a satellite office for various administrative functions.

In addition, we own a one million square feet are office space, and is locatedfoot distribution center on a 74-acre plot. We own approximately 100 acres of land in Henrico County, Virginia, where we constructed a one million square foot distribution center that became fully operational in January 2015.near Richmond. We lease a 504,016 square foot facility in Pomona, California, which, along with our facility in Virginia, serve as our primary distribution facilities.


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Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Governmental Investigations

In March 2015, the Company received a grand jury subpoena issued in connection with a criminal investigation being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “U.S. Attorney”). In addition, on May 19, 2015, July 13, 2015 and March 11, 2016, the Company received subpoenas from the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with an inquiry by the SEC staff. Based on the subpoenas and the Company’s discussions to date, the Company believes the focus of both investigations primarily relates to compliance with disclosure, financial reporting and trading requirements under the federal securities laws since 2011. The Company is fully cooperating with the investigations and continues to produce documents and other information responsive to the subpoenas and other requests received from the parties. Given that the investigations are still ongoing and that no civil or criminal claims have been brought to date, the Company cannot predict the outcome of the investigations, the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters, or reasonably estimate the possible range of loss, if any, that may result from these matters. Accordingly, no accruals have been madeInformation with respect to these matters. Any action by the U.S. Attorney or the SEC with respect to these matters could include civil or criminal proceedingsthis item may be found in Note 10, “Commitments and could involve fines, damage awards, regulatory consequences or other sanctions which could have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.

Litigation Relating to Chinese Laminates

Formaldehyde-Related Cases

Beginning on or about March 3, 2015, numerous purported class action cases were filed in various U.S. federal district courts and state courts involving claims of excessive formaldehyde emissions from the Company’s flooring products (collectively, the “Products Liability Cases”). The plaintiffs in these various actions sought recovery under a variety of theories, which although not identical are generally similar, including negligence, breach of warranty, state consumer protection act violations, state unfair competition act violations, state deceptive trade practices act violations, false advertising, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, failure to warn, unjust enrichment and similar claims. The purported classes consisted either or both of all U.S. consumers or state consumers that purchased the subject products in certain time periods. The plaintiffs also sought various forms of declaratory and injunctive relief and various damages, including restitution, actual, compensatory, consequential, and, in certain cases, punitive damages, and interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees incurred by the plaintiffs and other purported class members in connection with the alleged claims, and orders certifying the actions as class actions. Plaintiffs did not quantify damages sought from the Company in these class actions.

On June 12, 2015, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (the “MDL Panel”) issued an order transferring and consolidating ten of the related federal class actionsContingencies”, to the United States District Court for the Eastern Districtconsolidated financial statements in Item 8 of Virginia (the “Virginia Court”). In a series of subsequent conditional transfer orders, the MDL Panel has transferred the other cases to the Virginia Court. The Company continues to seek to have any newly filed cases transferred and consolidated in the Virginia Court and, ultimately, it expects all federal class actions involving formaldehyde allegations, including any newly filed cases, to be transferred and consolidated in the Virginia Court. The consolidated case in the Virginia Court is captionedIn re: Lumber Liquidators Chinese-Manufactured Flooring Products Marketing, Sales, Practices and Products Liability Litigation (the “MDL”).

Pursuant to a court order, plaintiffs filed a Representative Class Action Complaint in the Virginia Court on September 11, 2015. The complaint challenged the Company’s labeling of its flooring products and asserted claims under California, New York, Illinois, Florida and Texas law for fraudulent concealment, violation of consumer protection statutes, negligent misrepresentation and declaratory relief, as well as a claim for breach of implied warranty under California law. Thereafter, on September 18, 2015, plaintiffs filed the First Amended Representative Class Action Complaint (“FARC”) in which they added implied warranty claims under New York, Illinois, Florida and Texas law, as well as a federal warranty claim. The Company filed a motion to dismiss and answered the FARC. The Virginia Court granted the motion as to claims for negligent misrepresentation filed on behalf of certain plaintiffs, deferred as to class action allegations, and


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otherwise denied the motion. The Company also filed a motion to strike nationwide class allegations, on which the Virginia Court has not yet ruled. The Company also filed a motion to strike all personal injury claims made in class action complaints. Plaintiffs subsequently agreed and the Virginia Court has ordered that no Chinese formaldehyde class action pending in this lawsuit will seek damages for personal injury on a class-wide basis. The order does not affect any claims for personal injury brought solely on an individual basis. The Company’s motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs’ First Amended Representative Complaint in the MDL was granted in part and denied in part, and its motion to exclude expert reports and testimony by plaintiffs’ experts related to deconstructive testing was denied.

Abrasion-Related Cases

On May 20, 2015, a purported class action titled Abad v. Lumber Liquidators, Inc. was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and two amended complaints were subsequently filed. In the Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), the plaintiffs (collectively, the “Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs”) sought to certify a national class composed of “All Persons in the United States who purchased Defendant’s Dream Home brand laminate flooring products (the “Dream Home Product”) from Defendant for personal use in their homes,” or, in the alternative, 32 statewide classes from California, North Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, Nevada, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana. The products that are the subject of these complaints are part of the same products at issue in the MDL. The SAC alleges violations of each of these states’ consumer protections statutes and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, as well as breach of implied warranty and fraudulent concealment. The Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages in the SAC but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, sought an order certifying the action as a class action, an order adopting the Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs’ class definitions and finding that the Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs are their proper representatives, an order appointing their counsel as class counsel, injunctive relief prohibiting the Company from continuing to advertise and/or sell laminate flooring products with false abrasion class ratings, restitution of all monies it received from the Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs and class members, damages (actual, compensatory, and consequential) and punitive damages.

The Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs filed a Third Amended Complaint and the Company moved to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint. The court decided that it would decide the motion only as to the California plaintiffs (hereinafter referred to as the Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs) and ordered that all the non-California plaintiffs (collectively, the “Non-California Abrasion Plaintiffs”) be dropped from the action with leave to re-file. Many of the Non-California Abrasion Plaintiffs re-filed separate complaints in the Central District of California within the required 60-day period, which were then transferred to the district court located in the place of residence of each Non-California Abrasion Plaintiff. These complaints included similar causes of action and sought similar relief as those of the Abad Abrasion Plaintiffs.

On October 3, 2016, the MDL Panel issued an order transferring and consolidating sixteen of the federal abrasion class actions to the Virginia Court. In subsequent conditional transfer orders, the MDL Panel transferred other cases to the Virginia Court. The Company will seek to have any additional related cases transferred and consolidated in the Virginia Court. The consolidated case in the Virginia Court is captionedIn re: Lumber Liquidators Chinese-Manufactured Laminate Flooring Durability Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation (the “Abrasion MDL”).

The Virginia Court issued an initial pretrial order instructing all parties to undertake certain discovery and planning tasks and scheduled certain preliminary conferences. Pursuant to a court order, on February 27, 2017, the plaintiffs filed a Representative Class Action Complaint in the Virginia Court. The complaint challenged the durability of the Dream Home Product and asserted claims under Alabama, California, Nevada, New York and Virginia law for breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment, violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and violation of consumer protection statutes. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the representative complaint, which the Virginia Court granted in part. The Company also filed a motion to strike irrelevant and prejudicial allegations from the representative complaint,Part II, which is currently pending.incorporated herein by reference.

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Steele Matter

In addition, on or about April 1, 2015, Sarah Steele (“Steele”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the Ontario, Canada Superior Court of Justice against the Company. In the complaint, Steele’s allegations include (i) strict liability, (ii) breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, (iii) breach of implied warranty of merchantability, (iv) fraud by concealment, (v) civil negligence, (vi) negligent misrepresentation, and (vii) breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Steele did not quantify any alleged damages in her complaint but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, Steele seeks (a) compensatory damages, (b) punitive, exemplary and aggravated damages, and (c) statutory remedies related to the Company’s breach of various laws including the Sales of Goods Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.

Estimated Liability Associated with Formaldehyde and Abrasion MDLs and the Steele Matter

In April 2017, the Company initiated settlement discussions to jointly settle the MDL and the Abrasion MDL. In July 2017, the Virginia Court appointed lead settlement counsel for the plaintiffs in each of the MDL and Abrasion MDL, and directed the parties to mediate before another federal judge of the Eastern District of Virginia for purposes of settlement discussions, with such mediation being held in September 2017. Subsequent to the mediation, on October 23, 2017, the Company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the lead plaintiffs in the MDL and the Abrasion MDL. Under the terms of the MOU, the Company will contribute $22 million in cash and provide $14 million in store-credit vouchers for an aggregate settlement of $36 million to settle all claims brought on behalf of purchasers of Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by the Company between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2015. The Company may fund the $22 million through a combination of cash and/or common stock. The MOU is subject to certain contingencies, including the execution of a definitive settlement agreement, board approval of the definitive settlement agreement, and court approvals of the definitive settlement agreement. There can be no assurance that a settlement will be finalized and approved or as to the ultimate outcome of the litigation. If a final, court-approved settlement is not reached, the Company will defend the matter vigorously and believes there are meritorious defenses and legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits. The Company does not believe it has insurance coverage with respect to the MDL, the Abrasion MDL and Steele matters.

In addition to those purchasers who opt out of the above settlement (the “Opt Outs”) and the Steele matter, there are a number of individual claims and lawsuits alleging (i) damages due to excessive formaldehyde emissions, including personal injury claims, and (ii) damages similar to those in the Abrasion MDL (collectively, the “Other Matters”). Certain of these Other Matters are in advanced stages of settlement negotiations, and the Company recognized a further $1 million charge during the fourth quarter of 2017. For the remaining Other Matters, while the Company believes that a further loss associated with the Opt Outs, Other Matters and the Steele matter is reasonably possible, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of possible loss. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

As a result of these developments, the Company has determined that a probable loss has been incurred and has recognized cumulative charges to earnings cumulatively of $37 million within selling general and administrative expense during 2017. If the Company does not execute a definitive settlement agreement consistent with the MOU or incurs losses with the respect to the Opt Outs, Steele and Other Matters, the ultimate resolution of these actions could still have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

Gold Matter

On or about December 8, 2014, Dana Gold (“Gold”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that the Morning Star bamboo flooring that the Company sells is defective. On February 13, 2015, Gold filed an amended complaint that added three additional plaintiffs (collectively with Gold, “Gold Plaintiffs”). The Company moved to dismiss the amended complaint. The court dismissed most of Gold Plaintiffs’ claims but allowed certain omission-based claims to proceed. Gold Plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint on December 16, 2015,


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then a Third Amended Complaint on January 20, 2016, and then a Fourth Amended Complaint on June 26, 2017. In the Fourth Amended Complaint, Gold Plaintiffs limited the complaint to the Company’s Morning Star Strand Bamboo flooring that the Company sells (the “Strand Bamboo Product”) and allege that the Company has engaged in unfair business practices and unfair competition by falsely representing the quality and characteristics of the Strand Bamboo Product and by concealing the Strand Bamboo Product’s defective nature. In the Fourth Amended Complaint, Gold Plaintiffs limited the purported class of individuals to those who are residents of California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, respectively, and purchased the Strand Bamboo Product for personal, family, or household use. On February 2, 2018, Plaintiffs filed their Fifth Amended Complaint substituting a new proposed Illinois class representative for the class representative previously dismissed by the Court. Gold Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages in their complaint but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, Gold Plaintiffs seek (i) a declaration that the Company’s actions violate the law and that it is financially responsible for notifying all purported class members, (ii) injunctive relief requiring the Company to replace and/or repair all of the Strand Bamboo Product installed in structures owned by the purported class members, and (iii) a declaration that the Company must disgorge, for the benefit of the purported classes, all or part of the profits received from the sale of the allegedly defective Strand Bamboo Product and/or to make full restitution to Gold Plaintiffs and the purported class members.

Fact discovery in the matter is now complete. The Gold Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification seeking to certify state-wide classes for purchases of the Strand Bamboo Product in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The Company filed an opposition to class certification and a motion to exclude the opinions of the Gold Plaintiffs’ experts. In November 2017, the court granted Gold Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification with respect to the six states, and granted in part and denied in part the Company’s motion to exclude Gold Plaintiffs’ expert witnesses. The Company has appealed the class certification decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Company’s previously filed motion to dismiss the non-California plaintiffs on jurisdictional grounds was denied.

In addition, there are a number of other claims and lawsuits alleging damages similar to those in the Gold matter. The Company disputes these and the Gold Plaintiffs’ claims and intends to defend such matters vigorously. Given the uncertainty of litigation, the preliminary stage of the case, and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of loss, or range of possible loss, at this time that may result from this action. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

Employment Cases

Mason Lawsuit

On or about August 15, 2017, Ashleigh Mason, Dan Morse, Ryan Carroll and Osagie Ehigie (collectively, the “SM Plaintiffs”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of all current and former store managers, store managers in training and similarly situated current and former employees holding comparable positions but different titles (collectively, the “SM Employees”) alleging that the Company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) by classifying the SM Employees as exempt. The alleged violations include failure to pay for overtime work. The SM Plaintiffs seek certification of the SM Employees for (i) a collective action covering the period beginning three years and 115 days prior to the filing of the complaint through the disposition of this action for the SM Employees nationwide (the “Nationwide Collective Class”) in connection with FLSA and (ii) a class action covering the period beginning six years and 115 days prior to the filing of the complaint through the disposition of this action for members of the SM Employees who currently are or were employed in New York (the “NY SM Class”) in connection with NYLL. The SM Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, the SM Plaintiffs seek class certification, unspecified amount for unpaid wages and overtime wages, liquidated and/or punitive damages, declaratory relief, restitution, statutory penalties, injunctive relief and other damages. The Company disputes the SM Plaintiffs’ claims and intends to defend the matter vigorously. Given the uncertainty of litigation, the preliminary stage of the case and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things,


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class certification and success on the merits, the Company cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, that may result from this action and therefore no accrual has been made related to this.

Kramer Lawsuit

On or about November 17, 2017, Robert J. Kramer, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated (collectively, the “Kramer Plaintiffs”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento on behalf of all current and former store managers, all others with similar job functions and/or titles and all current and former employees classified as non-exempt or incorrectly classified as exempt and who worked for the Company in the State of California (collectively, the “CSM Employees”) alleging violation of the California Labor Code (“CLC”) including, among other items, failure to pay wages and overtime and engaging in unfair business practices. The Kramer Plaintiffs seek certification of the CSM Employees for (i) a class action covering the prior four-year period prior to the filing of the complaint through the disposition of this action for the CSM Employees who currently are or were employed in California (the “California SM Class”) in connection with the CLC. The Kramer Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, the Kramer Plaintiffs seek class certification for the California SM Class, unspecified amount for unpaid wages and overtime wages, liquidated and/or punitive damages, declaratory relief, restitution, statutory penalties, injunctive relief and other damages. The Company disputes the Kramer Plaintiffs’ claims and intends to defend the matter vigorously. Given the uncertainty of litigation, the preliminary stage of the case and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits, the Company cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, that may result from this action and therefore no accrual has been made related to this.

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties Investigation

In October 2010, a conglomeration of domestic manufacturers of multilayered wood flooring filed a petition seeking the imposition of antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duties (“CVD”) with the United States Department of Commerce (“DOC”) and the United States International Trade Commission (“ITC”) against imports of multilayered wood flooring from China. This ruling applies to companies importing multilayered wood flooring from Chinese suppliers subject to the AD and CVD orders. The Company’s multilayered wood flooring imports from China accounted for approximately 8%, 7% and 6% of its flooring purchases in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company’s consistent view through the course of this matter has been, and remains, that its imports are neither dumped nor subsidized.

As part of its processes in these proceedings, following the original investigation, the DOC conducts annual administrative reviews of the CVD and AD rates. In such cases, the DOC will issue preliminary rates that are not binding and are subject to comment by interested parties. After consideration of the comments received, the DOC will issue final rates for the applicable period, which may lag by a year or more. As rates are adjusted through the administrative reviews, the Company adjusts its payments prospectively based on the final rate. The Company will begin to pay the finalized rates on each applicable future purchase when recognized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The DOC made its initial determinations in the original investigation regarding CVD and AD rates on April 6, 2011 and May 26, 2011, respectively. On December 8, 2011, orders were issued setting final AD and CVD rates at a maximum of 3.3% and 1.5%, respectively. These rates became effective in the form of additional duty deposits, which the Company has paid, and applied retroactively to the DOC initial determinations.

Following the issuance of the orders on December 8, 2011, a number of appeals were filed by several parties, including the Company, with the Court of International Trade (“CIT”) challenging, among other things, certain facts and methodologies that may impact the validity of the AD and CVD orders and the applicable rates. The Company participated in appeals of both the AD order and CVD order. The appeal of the CVD order was dismissed in June 2015. On January 23, 2015, the CIT issued a decision rejecting the challenge of the AD rate for all but one Chinese exporter. This decision was finalized on July 6, 2015, and appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) on July 31, 2015. On February 15, 2017, the CAFC vacated the CIT’s prior decision and remanded with instructions to the DOC to recalculate its AD rate. The DOC’s recalculation of rates was submitted to the CIT in July 2017 for a subsequent ruling by the


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court. The CIT is currently evaluating the DOC’s recalculated rates and is expected to issue a decision in early 2018. The Company is unable to determine the impact of the CAFC’s decision to vacate the initial determination of AD rates; however, the DOC’s recalculation could materially impact the Company’s previously recorded expense related to the AD rates in the original investigation and subsequent annual reviews discussed below. Because of the length of time for finalization of rates as well as appeals, any subsequent adjustment of CVD and AD rates typically flows through a period different from those in which the inventory was originally purchased and/or sold.

In the first DOC annual review in this matter, AD rates for the period from May 26, 2011 through November 30, 2012, and CVD rates from April 6, 2011 through December 31, 2011, were modified to a maximum of 5.92% and a maximum of 0.83%, respectively, which resulted in an additional payment obligation for the Company, based on best estimates and shipments during the applicable window, of $833 thousand. The Company recorded this as a long-term liability on its accompanying consolidated balance sheet and in cost of sales in its second quarter 2015 financial statements. These AD rates have been appealed to the CIT by several parties, including the Company. On remand from the CIT, the DOC has reduced the AD rate to 0.73%. A final ruling from the CIT is still pending and is expected in early 2018. If the CIT accepts the reduced final AD rate, while such decision would be subject to appeal, the Company intends to reverse the $833 thousand accrual and record a receivable of approximately $1.3 million.

The second annual review of the AD and CVD rates was initiated in February 2014. Pursuant to the second annual review, in early July 2015, the DOC finalized the AD rate for the period from December 1, 2012 through November 30, 2013 at a maximum of 13.74% and the CVD rate for the period from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 at a maximum of 0.99%. The Company believes the best estimate of the probable additional amounts owed was $4.1 million for shipments during the applicable time periods, which was recorded as a long-term liability on its accompanying consolidated balance sheet and included in cost of sales in its second quarter 2015 financial statements. Beginning in July 2015, the Company began paying these rates on each applicable purchase. The Company and other parties appealed the AD rates relating to this second annual review to the CIT and the court is expected to issue a decision in 2018.

The third annual review of the AD and CVD rates was initiated in February 2015. The third AD review covered shipments from December 1, 2013 through November 30, 2014. The third CVD review covered shipments from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. In May 2016, the DOC issued the final CVD rate in the third review, which was a maximum of 1.38%. On July 13, 2016, the DOC set the final AD rate at a maximum of 17.37%. The Company has appealed the AD rates to the CIT, and the appeal is currently pending with oral arguments held in January 2018. The Company’s best estimate of the probable additional amounts owed associated with AD and CVD is approximately $5.5 million for shipments during the applicable time periods. During the quarter ended June 30, 2016, the Company recorded this amount in other long-term liabilities in its balance sheet and as a charge to earnings in cost of sales on its statement of operations.

In February 2016, the DOC initiated the fourth annual review of AD and CVD rates, which followed a similar schedule as the preceding review. The AD review covered shipments from December 1, 2014 through November 30, 2015. The CVD review covered shipments from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. In May 2017, the DOC issued the final CVD rate in the fourth review, which was a maximum of 1.45%, and, in June 2017, the final AD rate in the fourth review, which was a maximum of 0.00%. In October 2017, petitioners withdrew their CIT appeal of the AD rates. As a result, the CIT dismissed the case and the Company believes these rates are now final. The Company paid AD rates in excess of the final rates during the periods impacted by the fourth annual review in the amount of $2.5 million and recorded a benefit in cost of sales with a corresponding receivable. After collecting part of that receivable, as of December 31, 2017, the Company has a receivable in the amount of $2.1 million in Other Short-Term assets in its balance sheet.

The DOC initiated the fifth annual review of AD and CVD rates in February 2017, which is expected to follow the same schedule as preceding reviews. The AD review covers shipments from December 1, 2015 through November 30, 2016. The CVD review covers shipments from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. In December 2017 and January 2018, the DOC issued non-binding preliminary results in the fifth annual review for CVD rates and AD rates, respectively. The preliminary AD rate was a maximum of 0.00%


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and the preliminary CVD rate was a maximum of 0.89%. The final CVD and AD rates in the fifth annual review are currently expected to be issued in April 2018 and May 2018, respectively.

The first 5-year Sunset Review of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on multilayered wood flooring (the “Sunset Review”) began in November 2016 at the ITC to determine whether to terminate the orders. The Company participated fully in this Sunset Review. In December 2017, the ITC determined that the AD and CVD orders will remain in place. This determination has been appealed by certain importers, and the Company currently anticipates participating in this appeal.

The DOC initiated the sixth annual review of AD and CVD rates in February 2018, which is expected to follow the same schedule as preceding reviews. The AD review covers shipments from December 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017. The CVD review covers shipments from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

Other Matters

The Company is also, from time to time, subject to claims and disputes arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, while the outcome of any such claims and disputes cannot be predicted with certainty, its ultimate liability in connection with these matters is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

None.


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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the trading symbol “LL.” We are authorized to issue up to 35,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001. Total shares of common stock outstanding at February 15, 201823, 2021 were 28,490,229,28,910,579 and we had six stockholders of record.

The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices per share as reported by the NYSE for each quarter during the last two fiscal years.

  
 Price Range
   High Low
2017:
          
Fourth Quarter $39.25  $27.27 
Third Quarter  41.33   24.16 
Second Quarter  30.65   19.46 
First Quarter  21.06   14.99 
2016:
          
Fourth Quarter $20.10  $14.02 
Third Quarter  20.09   14.26 
Second Quarter  16.49   11.07 
First Quarter  17.42   10.01 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table presents our share repurchase activity for the quarter ended December 31, 20172020 (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):

Period

Total Number

Maximum Dollar Value

of Shares
Purchased(1)

Average Price
Paid per
Share(1)

of Shares That May Yet

Purchased as

Be Purchased as

Total Number
of Shares
Purchased as
Part of
Publicly
Announced
Programs(2)

Maximum
Dollar Value of
Shares That
May Yet Be
Purchased as

Average

Part of Publicly
Announced
Programs(2)

Part of Publicly

of Shares

Price Paid

Announced 

Announced

Period

Purchased1

Per Share1

Programs2

Programs2

October 1, 20172020 to October 31, 20172020

November 1, 20172020 to November 30, 20172020

December 1, 20172020 to December 31, 20172020

Total

1      We repurchased 5,653 shares of our common stock, at an average price of $26.50, in connection with the net settlement of shares issued as a result of the vesting of restricted shares during the quarter ended December 31, 2020.

(1)We repurchased 2,928 shares of our common stock, at an average price of $30.57, in connection with the net settlement of shares issued as a result of the vesting of restricted shares during the quarter ended December 31, 2017.
(2)Our initial stock repurchase program, which authorized the repurchase of up to $50 million in common stock, was authorized by our board of directors and publicly announced on February 22, 2012. Our board of directors subsequently authorized two additional stock repurchase programs, each of which authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $50 million in common stock. These programs were publicly announced on November 15, 2012 and February 19, 2014, respectively, and are currently indefinitely suspended until we are better able to evaluate the long-term customer demand and assess our estimates of operations and cash flow. At December 31, 2017, we had approximately $14.7 million remaining under this authorization.

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Dividend Policy

We have never paid any dividends on our common stock. Any future decisionstock and do not expect to pay cash dividends will be atthem in the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent on our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that the board of directors considers relevant.near future.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Underunder Equity Compensation Plans

See Item 12. “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” for information regarding securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans.

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the performance of our common stock during the period beginning December 31, 20122015 through December 31, 2017,2020, to that of the total return index for the NYSE Composite the Dow Jones US Furnishings Index and a Custom Peer Group whose members are listed below assuming an investment of $100 on December 31, 2012.2015. In calculating total annual stockholder return, reinvestment of dividends, if any, is assumed. The indices are included for comparative

21

purpose only. They do not necessarily reflect management’s opinion that such indices are an appropriate measure of the relative performance of our common stock.

Graphic

    

12/31/2015

    

12/31/2016

    

12/31/2017

    

12/31/2018

    

12/31/2019

    

12/31/2020

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

 

100.00

 

90.67

 

180.82

 

54.84

 

56.28

 

177.08

NYSE Composite

 

100.00

 

112.08

 

133.26

 

121.54

 

152.83

 

163.51

Peer Group1

 

100.00

 

101.58

 

143.71

 

135.61

 

181.31

 

233.10

      
 12/31/2012 12/31/2013 12/31/2014 12/31/2015 12/31/2016 12/31/2017
Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. $100.00  $194.76  $125.52  $32.86  $29.79  $59.42 
Dow Jones US Furnishings Index $100.00  $147.42  $168.54  $187.07  $209.06  $241.76 
NYSE Composite $100.00  $126.40  $135.09  $129.70  $145.33  $172.78 
Peer Group(1) $100.00  $135.27  $179.10  $213.45  $217.35  $307.50 

(1)The Peer Group consists of The Home Depot, Inc., Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Floor & Décor Holdings, Inc., Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., The Sherwin-Williams Company, Pier 1 Imports, Inc., Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., Hibbett Sports, Inc., Mattress Firm Holding Corp., and Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. These companies represent industry competitors and other retailers of a similar size to the Company.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

1The selected statementsPeer Group consists of incomeindustry competitors and other retailers of a similar size to the Company. They include: The Home Depot, Inc., Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Floor & Décor Holdings, Inc., Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., The Sherwin-Williams Company, Pier 1 Imports, Inc., Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., Hibbett Sports, Inc. and Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. Pier 1 Imports, Inc. was de-listed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2020, and is therefore only included within the peer group data for the years endedabove through December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and the balance sheet data as2019.

22

Table of December 31, 2017 and 2016 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. “Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. This information should be read in conjunction with those audited financial statements, the notes thereto, and Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this report.Contents

The selected balance sheet data set forth below as of December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, and income data for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements contained in reports previously filed with the SEC, which are not included herein. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our results for any future period.

     
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017(1) 2016(2) 2015(3) 2014 2013
   (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Statement of Income Data
                         
Net Sales $1,028,933  $960,588  $978,776  $1,047,419  $1,000,240 
Comparable Store Net Sales increase (decrease)(4)  5.4%   (4.6)%   (11.1)%   (4.3)%   15.8% 
Cost of Sales  659,872   656,719   699,918   629,252   589,257 
Gross Profit  369,061   303,869   278,858   418,167   410,983 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses  406,027   397,504   362,051   314,094   284,960 
Operating (Loss) Income  (36,966  (93,635  (83,193  104,073   126,023 
Other Expense (Income)  1,591   638   234   490   (442
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes  (38,557  (94,273  (83,427  103,583   126,465 
Income Tax (Benefit) Expense  (734  (25,710  (26,994  40,212   49,070 
Net (Loss) Income $(37,823 $(68,563 $(56,433 $63,371  $77,395 
Net (Loss) Income per Common Share:
                         
Basic $(1.33 $(2.51 $(2.08 $2.32  $2.82 
Diluted $(1.33 $(2.51 $(2.08 $2.31  $2.77 
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:
                         
Basic  28,407   27,284   27,082   27,265   27,485 
Diluted  28,407   27,284   27,082   27,486   27,914 

(1)Results for the year ended December 31, 2017 include; (i) the favorable adjustment of antidumping costs and countervailing duties of $2.8 million associated with applicable shipments of engineered hardwood from China in a prior period, (ii) reduced reserves for estimated costs to be incurred related to our indoor air quality testing program by approximately $1 million, (iii) incremental legal and professional fees and settlement expenses, related to our defense of various legal matters of approximately $48.3 million and (iv) other expenses primarily related to costs to dispose of certain Chinese laminate products whose sales were discontinued in 2015 and an impairment of certain assets related to a vertical integration initiative totaling approximately $3.1 million.
(2)Results for the year ended December 31, 2016 include; (i) the unfavorable adjustment of antidumping costs and countervailing duties of $5.5 million associated with applicable shipments of engineered hardwood from China in a prior period, (ii) pre-tax expenses of $6.2 million related to the purchase of testing kits and professional fees in connection with our indoor air quality testing program, (iii) incremental legal and professional fees and settlement expenses, related to our defense of various

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legal matters of approximately $47.7 million and (iv) other expenses primarily related to employee retention initiatives totaling approximately $2.8 million.
(3)Results for the year ended December 31, 2015 include; (i) the write down of our laminates and associated moldings sourced from China totaling approximately $22.5 million and other inventory adjustments of $6.6 million, (ii) the adjustment of antidumping costs and countervailing duties of $4.9 million associated with applicable shipments of engineered hardwood from China in a prior period, (iii) pre-tax expenses of $9.4 million related to the purchase of testing kits and professional fees in connection with our indoor air quality testing program, (iv) incremental legal and professional fees and settlement expenses, related to our defense of various legal matters of approximately $34.2 million, and (v) other expenses related to the simplification of our business and employee retention totaling approximately $11.1 million.
(4)A store is generally considered comparable on the first day of the thirteenth full calendar month after opening.

     
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
   (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Balance Sheet Data
                         
Cash and Cash Equivalents $19,938  $10,271  $26,703  $20,287  $80,634 
Merchandise Inventories  262,280   301,892   244,402   314,371   252,428 
Total Assets  410,795   482,544   445,564   482,904   420,498 
Customer Deposits and Store Credits  38,546   32,639   33,771   34,943   22,377 
Total Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, including current maturities  15,000   40,351   20,000       
Total Stockholders’ Equity  197,847   230,892   277,568   332,054   309,329 
Working Capital(1)  119,835   173,683   195,044   213,030   245,207 
Other Data
                         
Total Stores in Operation  393   383   374   352   318 
Average Sale(2) $1,700  $1,640  $1,625  $1,675  $1,705 

(1)Working capital is defined as current assets minus current liabilities.
(2)Average sale, calculated on a total company basis, is defined as the average invoiced sale per customer, measured on a monthly basis and excluding transactions of less than $250 (which are generally sample orders, or add-ons or fill-ins to previous orders) and of more than $30,000 (which are usually contractor orders).

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Overview

Lumber Liquidators (“LL Flooring” or “Company”) is one of North America’s leading specialty retailers of hard-surface flooring, with 410 stores as of December 31, 2020. We seek to offer the largest specialty retailerbest customer experience online and in stores, with more than 400 varieties of hardwood flooring in North America, offeringhard-surface floors featuring a complete purchasingrange of quality styles and on-trend designs. Our online tools also help empower customers to find the right solution across anfor the space they’ve envisioned. Our extensive assortment of domesticselection includes water-resistant vinyl plank, solid and exotic hardwood species, engineered hardwood, laminate, vinyl, bamboo, porcelain tile, and cork, with a wide range of flooring enhancements and wood-look ceramic tile. At December 31, 2017, we soldaccessories to complement. Our stores are staffed with flooring experts who provide advice, pro partnership services and installation options for all of LL Flooring’s products, the majority of which is in stock and ready for delivery. We offer delivery and in-home installation services through third-party independent contractors for customers who purchase our products through 393 Lumber Liquidators storesfloors.

Our vision is to be the customer’s first choice in 46 states inhard-surface flooring by providing the United States (“U.S.”) and in Canada,best experience, from start to finish. We offer a call center, websites and catalogs.

We believe we have achieved a reputation for offering great value, superior service and a broadwide selection of high-quality, stocked products and the accessible flooring products. Withexpertise and service of a balancelocal store, with the scale, omni-channel convenience and value of selection, quality, availability, service and price, we believe our value proposition isa national chain. We plan to leverage this advantage to differentiate ourselves in the most complete within a highly fragmented hard-surface flooring market. The foundation forWe launched our value proposition is strengthened bynew digital platform, LLFlooring.com, in December 2020. This mobile-friendly site features inspirational content, highlights our unique store model, the industry expertise ofdigital tools like Picture It! and Floor Finder and promotes our people,services such as installation, free flooring samples and our singular focus on hard-surface flooring.delivery.

To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP),GAAP, we use the following non-GAAP financial measures: (i) Adjusted Gross Profit; (ii) Adjusted SG&A;Gross Margin; (iii) Adjusted Gross Margin as a percentage of sales;SG&A; (iv) Adjusted SG&A as a percentage of sales; and (v) Adjusted Operating Income (Loss).Income; (vi) Adjusted Operating Margin; (vii) Adjusted Earnings and (viii) Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share. The non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. These supplemental measures may vary from, and may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures by other companies.

The non-GAAP financial measures are presented because management usesand analysts use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our operating performance and management, in certain cases, uses them to determine incentive compensation.compensation and/or to address questions it receives. Therefore, we believe that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplementary information to, and facilitates additional analysis by, investors. The presented non-GAAP financial measures exclude items that management does not believe reflect our core operating performance, which include regulatory and legal settlements and associated legal and operating costs, and changes in antidumping and countervailing duties from prior periods, as such items are outside of our control or due to their inherent unusual, non-operating, unpredictable, non-recurring, or non-cash nature.

Executive Summary

We continue

Fiscal 2020 was a dynamic and challenging year due to focusthe uncertainties around the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite COVID-19, we were able to progress on several key initiatives relatedour transformation plan to elevate the experience for all of our core business that we believe will strengthencustomers which positioned us to take advantage of a robust home improvement spending environment in the second half of the year. Our transformation plan includes the four strategic pillars of people and culture, improving the customer experience, driving traffic and transactions in our salesstores and operating marginonline, and provide an improved shopping experience to our customers. The progress that was made on these initiatives during 2017 includes:improving profitability.

Focusing on store performance:  We believe our store model provides a competitive advantage by allowing our associates to assist customers throughout the buying process. We changed our compensation structure for our store personnel, which improved morale and helped us maintain below-industry turnover. We provided structured training periods within our stores to invest in the knowledge of our associates, and we continued to emphasize protocols to ensure our stores are operating at the highest levels.
Strengthening our value proposition:  We offer a broad assortment of high-quality flooring in varying widths, species, and constructions, as well as moldings and accessories, sold by flooring experts that strive to provide the highest level of service in the industry. During the year, we repositioned our assortment and introduced new products to broaden key product categories, such as vinyl and engineered flooring products. We also shortened the delivery time for products not stocked directly in our stores.
Responsible, compliant sourcing activities:  We are committed to ensuring our compliance programs are operationalized and that they continue to enable us to confidently source products on a global basis. During the year, we introduced certain industry certifications on newly sourced products, including our proprietary Bellawood® brand.
Opportunistically expanding our business to better serve our customers:  We serve both DIY customers as well as DIFM customers who prefer to have those products installed for them. We

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continued to increase the number of stores which offer installation services coordinated by our associates and are focused on improving the DIFM customer experience and broadening our target markets. As of December 31, 2017, we performed installation services in virtually our entire store network. Additionally, we continued to focus on infrastructure to support our Pro business. We are also expanding our store network, opening 6 stores in the fourth quarter and adding a net 10 new stores in the full year 2017. We continue to identify opportunities to expand in select markets and expect to roughly double the 2017 pace of openings in each of the next few years.
Returning to profitability:  We continue to pursue pricing, assortment, and sourcing strategies to improve gross margin while diligently optimizing the cost and effectiveness of corporate capabilities to reduce SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales.

Our resultsHighlights for the year ended December 31, 20172020 were as follows:

Net sales increased $5.1 million, or 0.5%, to $1,098 million in 2020 from $1,093 million in 2019, which includes a $10 million increase in non-comparable store net sales partially offset by a decrease of $5.3 million, or 0.5%, in comparable store net sales. Following a 20% decrease in net sales in the second quarter due to the impact of COVID-19, the Company recovered to deliver a strong second-half performance. For the full year, net merchandise sales increased 2% while net services sales (install and freight) decreased 10% over the prior year. The Company closed nine net stores in 2020, and as of December 31, 2020, operated 410 stores.

23

Gross profit of $428 million in 2020 increased $24 million from 2019 and, as a percent of sales, gross margin in 2020 increased to 39.0% from 36.9% in 2019. Both 2020 and 2019 were impacted by the net of anti-dumping and countervailing duty rate changes. Additionally, 2020 included costs related to Canadian and US store closures. When excluding items in the table that follows in Results of Operations, Adjusted Gross Profit (a non-GAAP measure) of $426 million in 2020 increased $22 million versus 2019 and Adjusted Gross Margin (a non-GAAP measure) in 2020 increased to 38.8% from 37.0% in 2019. This 180-basis point improvement in adjusted gross margin was due primarily to merchandising sourcing and cost-out efforts, and selective retail price increases.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses of $371 million in 2020 decreased $16 million from 2019, and as a percentage of net sales, SG&A decreased to 33.8% in 2020, compared to 35.4% in 2019. When excluding items in the table that follows in Results of Operations, Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure) of $363 million in 2020 decreased $17 million from 2019 and, as a percentage of net sales (a non-GAAP measure), was 33.0% in 2020, a decrease of 170 basis points from 34.7% in 2019. The decrease in adjusted SG&A was primarily due to lower advertising expense as the Company reduced its promotional cadence in response to COVID-19 and then optimized its marketing efforts, pivoting towards more efficient digital channels, as well as $2.5 million from the final settlement in 2020 of the business interruption insurance claim related to the August 2019 network security incident and lower travel and entertainment expense. These savings were partially offset by higher bonus and commission reflecting the Company’s strong financial performance, and higher benefits expense.

Operating income was $56 million in 2020, compared to operating income of $17 million in 2019. When excluding items in the table that follows in Results of Operations, Adjusted Operating Income (a non-GAAP measure) was $64 million and Adjusted Operating Margin (a non-GAAP measure) was 5.8% in 2020, compared to $25 million, or 2.3%, in 2019. The primary driver of the increase was the Company’s execution on its profitability initiatives, which increased adjusted gross margin and reduced advertising expense.

The Company had other expense of $2.6 million and $3.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The expense in both years primarily reflected interest on borrowings on our Credit Agreement. The expense in 2020 was partially offset by a favorable adjustment of $1.1 million for the reversal of interest expense associated with anti-dumping and countervailing duty rate changes.

Income tax benefit was $7.8 million in 2020 compared to income tax expense of $3.3 million in 2019. 2020 included the partial release of $20 million of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

Net income was $61 million, or $2.10 per diluted share, in 2020 compared to net income of $9.7 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in 2019.

Earnings per diluted share was $2.10 for 2020 versus $0.34 in 2019. 2020 Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share (a non-GAAP measure) increased $1.74 to $2.28 compared to $0.54 for 2019.

Other Items

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced that infections of COVID-19 had become a pandemic and the U.S. President announced a National Emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting as of the week of March 22, 2020 the Company closed as many as 56 stores for a period of time while all other stores operated under reduced hours and/or warehouse only conditions, offering curbside pickup and job site delivery for our Pro and DIY customers. During the third and fourth quarters of 2020 the Company’s stores remained open except for temporary closures necessitated by the following key items:

local market conditions. Net sales for fiscalthe first half of 2020 were substantially impacted in a negative way by COVID-19 due to the store closures and general uncertainty. The progress on the Company’s

24

transformation plan and a healthy consumer demand for home improvement projects during the second half of 2020 mostly offset the impact of COVID-19 on the first half of 2020.

Section 301 Tariffs

The Company’s financial statements have been impacted by Section 301 tariffs on certain products imported from China in recent years. A subset of these imports for certain click vinyl and other engineered products (the “Subset Products”) received an exemption that was made retroactive to the beginning of the Section 301 Tariffs for a period of time. The Company has deployed strategies to mitigate tariffs and improve gross margin, including alternative country sourcing, partnering with current vendors to lower costs and introduce new products, and adjusting its pricing. The following chart provides a timeline and tariff levels for the key events related to Section 301 Tariffs.

Section 301 tariff

Corresponding approximate

Event

Timing

level on imports

Tariff level on

percentage of Company's

from China

Subset Products

merchandise subject to tariff

Imposition of Tariffs

September 2018

10%

10% then 0%1

48%

Increase in Tariffs

June 2019

25%

25% then 0%1

44%

Retroactive Exemption on Subset Products1

November 2019

25%

0%

10%

Exemption Not Renewed and Tariffs Re-imposed on Subset Products

August 2020

25%

25%

32%

December 31, 2020

25%

25%

34%

1On November 7, 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative granted a retroactive exclusion to September 2018 on Subset Products as defined in the Section 301 Tariffs section above bringing the rate to 0%.

The Company recorded a benefit of approximately $13 million of gross profit and $11 million of operating income in the fourth quarter of 2019 as a result of the retroactive exclusion of these tariffs, which did not repeat in the fourth quarter of 2020.

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the August reinstatement of tariffs began to flow through the income statement as these products were sold. This impact was partially offset by the Company’s mitigation strategies.

The future impact of the reinstatement of tariffs is dependent on several factors including: 1) ongoing Company mitigation efforts for which the outcome is uncertain, 2) inventory turnover rates which were affected by COVID-19 in 2020, and 3) behavior of consumers and competitors as prices for products adjust based on supply/demand and as consumer preferences shift among product categories impacting both product sourcing and inventory turnover. It is still too early to predict the outcome of such measures adopted by the Company.

Canadian and US Store Closure Costs

During the third quarter of 2020, the Company conducted a comprehensive review of its real estate portfolio. Following the conclusion of this review, the Company made the decision to close its Canadian operations, including all eight stores in Canada, and six underperforming US locations by the end of 2020. The Company will continue to monitor store performance on an ongoing basis. The Company incurred expense of $3.8 million to close these stores in the second half of 2020. All 14 stores were closed by year endedend although certain clean-up activities will not be fully completed until early in 2021.

Network Security Incident

In August 2019, the Company experienced a network security incident caused by malware that prevented access to several of the Company’s information technology systems and data. Stores remained open and operating throughout

25

the incident, but the Company utilized manual back-up processes for approximately six days. The Company estimated the disruption caused by the event negatively impacted total revenue for the third quarter of 2019 in the range of approximately $6 million to $8 million with an attendant reduction in gross margin. The Company maintains cybersecurity and other insurance coverage and received an initial recovery from insurance in excess of $2 million in 2019. As of December 31, 2017 increased $682019, the Company recorded approximately $0.8 million as a receivable related to further anticipated insurance recovery. The receivable did not include any potential business interruption recovery or 7.1%, to $1,029 million from $961 millionvoluntary gains. It was recorded in “Other Current Assets” on the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Net sales in comparable stores increased $52 million, or 5.4%, and net sales in non-comparable stores increased $16 million. We opened 11 new stores and closed one during 2017, leaving us at 393 storesConsolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017.

Gross profit increased $65.2 million, or 21.5%, in 2017 to $369.12019 and was collected during 2020. In 2020 the Company recorded $2.5 million from $303.9 million in 2016. Gross margin increased to 35.9% in 2017 from 31.6% in 2016, or 430 basis points. The reversal of expense related to our indoor air quality testing program and the adjustment of antidumping duties from a prior period based on new information in the current period contributed to 160 basis points of this 430 basis point improvement to gross profit in 2017, as discussed in the Results of Operations below. When excluding those unusual items from both years, our Adjusted Gross Margin (a non-GAAP measure) improved 270 basis points, driven by a shift in mix toward vinyl products and lower transportation costs.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased $8.5 million, or 2.1%, in 2017 to $406.0 million from $397.5 million in 2016. SG&A included $51.4 million in 2017 and $50.5 million in 2016 related to legal and regulatory matters as discussed in the Results of Operations below and in Part II, Item 1 (“Legal Proceedings”) of this Form 10-K. Excluding those items, Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure) increased $7.6 million, driven by $7.5 million in higher payroll related costs due to greater store level staffing, commissions, and investments in corporate capabilities and $3.0 million in higher occupancy costs, both of which were offset by $2.9 million in other decreases, primarily lower advertising and promotion costs.

Operating loss at December 31, 2017 was $37 million compared to an operating loss of $93.6 million in 2016. Operating loss as a percent of net sales was (3.6)% and (9.8)% for years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Operating loss was negatively impacted by our reserve for the MOU in connection with the MDL and Abrasion MDL and incremental legal and professional fees in the current year. In the prior year, it was negatively impacted by incremental legal and professional fees and costs related to thefinal settlement of the Securities Class Action. These items, along with other smaller non-recurring items, are describedbusiness interruption insurance claim in a supplemental table inSG&A during the operating loss section below. Excluding the items from both periods, Adjusted Operating Income (a non-GAAP measure) was $10.7 million for the year endedthird quarter of 2020.

Working Capital and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2017 as compared to2020, the Company had liquidity of $214 million, consisting of excess availability under its Credit Agreement of $44 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $170 million. This represents an Adjusted Operating Loss (a non-GAAP measure)increase in liquidity of $31.5$103 million for the year endedfrom December 31, 2016, with the improvement driven by revenue growth, improved gross margin and lower SG&A (as a percentage2019. As of net sales) as discussed above.

We incurred a net loss of $37.8 million, or $(1.33) per diluted share in 2017, compared to a net loss of $68.6 million, or $(2.51) per diluted share in 2016.

Working capital and liquidity

At December 31, 2017, we2019, the Company had $145.9$111 million in liquidity, comprised of $19.9$9 million of cash and $126$102 million in availability under our revolving credit facility.the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Company’s debt balance as of December 31, 2020 was $101 million, unchanged since amending the Credit Agreement on April 17, 2020, and up $19 million from December 31, 2019. The increase in liquidity at December 31, 2020 from the year earlier was driven by improved operating performance along with disciplined working capital management. The working capital benefit included a 15% reduction in inventory due to strong sales and supply chain disruptions, collection of tariff receivables, growth in customer deposits, and higher accounts payable. The accounts payable balance was higher at the end of 2020 due to the increased in-transit inventory and extended payment terms with vendors and other service providers. In 2021, we expect inventory to return to the $270-$290 million range and other working capital accounts like customer deposits to return to more traditional levels. We also had $262.3 million in inventory and $67.7 million in accounts payable, while borrowings against our ABL were $15.0 million. At December 31, 2016,expect to maintain cash balances higher than we had $101.0 million in liquidity, comprisedhave historically carried until the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 eases.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Results of Operations

We believe the selected sales data, the percentage relationship between Net Sales and major categories in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the percentage change in the dollar amounts of each of the items presented below are important in evaluating the performance of our business operations.

% Increase (Decrease)

% of Net Sales

in Dollar Amounts

Year Ended December 31, 

2020

    

2020

    

2019

    

vs. 2019

Net Sales

Net Merchandise Sales

88.8

%  

87.5

%  

2.0

%  

Net Services Sales

11.2

%  

12.5

%  

(10.0)

%  

Total Net Sales

100.0

%  

100.0

%  

0.5

%  

Gross Profit

39.0

%  

36.9

%  

6.0

%  

Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

33.8

%  

35.4

%  

(4.0)

%  

Operating Income

5.1

%  

1.5

%  

236.7

%  

Other Expense

0.2

%  

0.3

%  

(29.8)

%  

Income Before Income Taxes

4.9

%  

1.2

%  

314.1

%  

Income Tax Expense

(0.7)

%  

0.3

%  

NM

Net Income

5.6

%  

0.9

%  

535.7

%  

SELECTED SALES DATA

Average Sale1

$

1,343

$

1,379

(2.6)

%  

Average Retail Price per Unit Sold Increase 2

 

0.3

%  

 

0.2

%  

  

 

Comparable Store Sales Decrease3

 

(0.5)

%  

 

(1.0)

%  

 

Customers Invoiced Increase (Decrease)4

2.1

%  

(2.8)

%  

Number of Stores Open, end of period

 

410

 

419

  

 

Number of Stores Opened (Closed) in Period, net

 

(9)

 

11

  

 

Number of Stores Relocated in Period5

 

1

 

3

  

 

     
 % of Net Sales
 % Increase (Decrease)
in Dollar Amounts
   Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015 2017
vs. 2016
 2016
vs. 2015
Net Sales  100.0  100.0  100.0  7.1  -1.9
Gross Profit  35.9  31.6  28.5  21.5  9.0
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses  39.5  41.4  37.0  2.1  9.8
Operating Loss  (3.6)%   (9.8)%   (8.5)%   -60.5  12.6
Other Expense  (0.1)%   0.0  0.0  149.5  171.9
Loss Before Income Taxes  (3.7)%   (9.8)%   (8.5)%   -59.1  13.1
Income Tax Benefit  (0.1)%   (2.7)%   (2.8)%   -97.1  -4.7
Net Loss  (3.7)%   (7.1)%   (5.8)%   -44.8  21.6
SELECTED SALES DATA
                         
Average Sale(1) $1,700  $1,640  $1,625   3.6  1.1
Average Retail Price per Unit Sold(2)  0.4  (4.0)%   (6.0)%           
Comparable Store Sales Increase (Decrease) (%)  5.4  (4.6)%   (11.1)%           
Number of Stores Open, end of period  393   383   374           
Number of Stores Opened in Period, net  10   9   22           
Number of Stores Relocated in Period(3)     3   11           
Comparable Stores(4) (% change to prior year):
                         
Customers Invoiced(5)  1.8  (5.7)%   (8.0)%           
Net Sales of Stores Operating for 13 to 36 months  14.2  0.4  (6.2)%           
Net Sales of Stores Operating for more than 36 months  5.0  (5.2)%   (11.8)%           
Net Sales in Markets with all Stores Comparable (no cannibalization)  6.1  (2.8)%   (9.5)%           

1Average sale is defined as the average invoiced sales order, measured quarterly, excluding returns as well as transactions under $100 (which are generally sample orders or add-on/accessories to existing orders).

(1)Average sale, calculated on a total company basis, is defined as the average invoiced sale per customer, measured on a monthly basis and excluding transactions of less than $250 (which are generally sample orders, or add-ons or fill-ins to previous orders) and of more than $30,000 (which are usually contractor orders).
(2)Average retail price per unit (square feet for flooring and other units of measures for moldings and accessories) sold is calculated on a total company basis and excludes non-merchandise revenue.
(3)A relocated store remains a comparable store as long as it is relocated within the primary trade area.
(4)

2      Average retail price per unit (square feet for flooring and other units of measures for moldings and accessories) sold is calculated on a total company basis and excludes non-merchandise revenue.

3A store is generally considered comparable on the first day of the thirteenth full calendar month after opening.

(5)Change in number of customers invoiced is calculated by applying the average sale to total net sales at comparable stores.

For an understanding of the significant factors that influenced our performance duringthirteenth full calendar month after opening.

4      Change in number of customers invoiced is calculated by applying the past three fiscal years,average sale to total net sales at comparable stores.

5      A relocated store remains a comparable store as long as it is relocated within the followingprimary trade area.

A detailed discussion of the 2020 year-over-year changes can be found below and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this report. A detailed discussion of the 2019 year-over-year changes can be found in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Form 10-K filed on February 25, 2020.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Net Sales

Net sales for 2017 increased $68$5.1 million, or 7.1%0.5%, to $1,098 million in 2020 from 2016 as$1,093 million in 2019, which includes a $10.4 million increase in non-comparable store net sales partially offset by a decrease of $5.3 million, or 0.5%, in comparable store net sales. Following a 20% decrease in net sales in comparable stores increased $52 million, or 5.4%, and the net sales in non-comparable stores increased $16 million. The growth insecond quarter due to the impact of COVID-19, the Company recovered to deliver a strong second-half performance. For the full year, comparable store

27

sales consistedslightly declined due to a decrease in average ticket of a 3.2% growth in merchandise sales, and 43% growth in installation sales within our comparable stores. During 2017 we continued to expand the installation program and by year end offered this service in 391 of our 393 stores. Installation sales grew 46% from the year ended December 31, 2016 to the year ended December 31, 2017 and accounted for roughly 8% of total sales for 2017 compared to approximately 6% of total sales in 2016.

Comparable store net sales growth reflected a combination of an increase of 1.8% in the number of customers invoiced and an increase of 3.6% in the average sale. The 1.8% increase in the number of customers invoiced was a significant improvement from the 5.7% decline in 2016, and we believe reflects improving customer experience in our stores, our improved assortment, and waning negative impact of unfavorable media and assortment limitations during the first half of 2016. The 3.6% increase in overall average sale was2.6% driven by the increasedlower attachment of installation services, the growthmostly offset by a 2.1% increase in our Pro business that carries higher average ticket size, and improvements in the average selling price of our products. Pro customers accounted for approximately 23% of ourinvoiced. Net merchandise sales increased 2%. By major category, manufactured products grew from 41% of sales in 2017. Within categories, growth2019 to 46% of sales in sales of vinyl products, engineered wood products, wood-look tile, and moldings and accessories more than2020, partially offset declinesby a decline in solid and bamboo flooringengineered hardwood products. The vinyl sub-category within manufactured products continues to drive growth due to its outstanding aesthetics, high resilience, and water-resistant characteristics. Net services sales (install and freight) decreased 10% over the prior year as the second quarter was impacted by customers’ willingness to have contractors enter their home. The Company closed nine net stores in 2020, and as of December 31, 2020, operated 410 stores.

Gross Profit

Gross profit of $428 million in 2020 increased 21.5% to $369$24 million from $304 million2019 and, as a percent of sales, gross margin in 2016. Gross margin2020 increased to 35.9%39.0% from 31.6%36.9% in 2016. This comparison was favorably2019. Both years were impacted by the infrequentnet of anti-dumping and countervailing duty rate changes, with a favorable adjustment of $2.2 million in 2020 and an unfavorable adjustment of $1.1 million in 2019. Additionally, 2020 included costs related to Canadian and US store closures and 2019 included favorable classification adjustments related to Harmonized Tariff Schedule (“HTS”) duty categorization. When excluding those items highlightedin the table that follows, Adjusted Gross Profit (a non-GAAP measure) of $426 million in 2020 increased $22 million versus 2019 and Adjusted Gross Margin (a non-GAAP measure) in 2020 increased to 38.8% from 37.0% in 2019. This 180-basis point improvement in adjusted gross margin was due primarily to merchandising sourcing and cost-out efforts and, to a lesser extent, selective retail price increases. The growth of higher-margin manufactured products as a percent of sales from 2019 to 2020 also favorably impacted adjusted gross margin.

We believe that the following items set forth in the table below can distort the visibility of our ongoing

performance and whenthat the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

Year Ended December 31, 

 

2020

2019

    

% of Sales

    

    

% of Sales

(dollars in thousands) 1

Gross Profit/Margin, as reported (GAAP)

    

$

427,712

    

39.0

%  

$

403,686

    

36.9

%  

Antidumping Adjustments 2

 

(2,208)

 

(0.2)

%  

 

1,143

 

0.1

%  

HTS Classification Adjustments 3

%  

(779)

%  

Store Closure Costs 4

 

822

 

%  

 

 

%  

Sub-Total Items above

 

(1,386)

 

(0.2)

%  

 

364

 

0.1

%  

Adjusted Gross Profit/Margin (non-GAAP measures)

$

426,326

  

38.8

%  

$

404,050

  

37.0

%  

1Amounts may not sum due to rounding.
2Represents countervailing and antidumping expense associated with applicable prior-year shipments of engineered hardwood from China.
3Represents classification adjustments related to the HTS duty categorization in prior periods during the full year ended December 31, 2019.
4Represents the inventory write-offs related to the Canadian and U.S. store closures described more fully in Item 8. Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SG&A expenses of $371 million in 2020 decreased $16 million from 2019, and as a percentage of net sales, SG&A decreased to 33.8% in 2020, compared to 35.4% in 2019. When excluding these items gross margin improved by 270in the table that follows, Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure) of $363 million in 2020 decreased $17 million from 2019 and, as a percentage of net sales (a non-GAAP measure), was 33.0% in 2020, a decrease of 170 basis points. Thispoints from 34.7% in 2019. The decrease in adjusted SG&A was driven by a shiftprimarily due to lower advertising expense of $13 million as the Company reduced its promotional cadence in mixresponse to COVID-19 and then optimized its marketing efforts, pivoting toward vinyl and engineered products with improved margins, lower transportation costs,more efficient digital channels, as well as improved margins within engineered, vinyl, laminate,$2.5 million from the final settlement of the business interruption insurance claim related to the August 2019 network security incident and tile categorieslower travel and entertainment expense. These savings were partially offset by higher bonus and commission reflecting the Company’s strong financial performance, and higher benefits expense.

28

We believe that the following items set forth in the table below can distort the visibility of our ongoing

performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

Year Ended December 31, 

2020

2019

    

  

    

% of Sales

    

    

% of Sales

(dollars in thousands) 5

SG&A, as reported (GAAP)

$

371,430

 

33.8

%  

$

386,970

 

35.4

%

Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements 6

 

1,500

 

0.2

%  

 

3,475

 

0.3

%

Legal and Professional Fees 7

 

4,220

 

0.4

%  

 

4,169

 

0.4

%

Store Closure Costs 8

 

2,962

 

0.3

%  

 

 

%

Sub-Total Items above

 

8,682

 

0.9

%  

 

7,644

 

0.7

%

Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure)

$

362,748

 

33.0

%  

$

379,326

 

34.7

%

5Amounts may not sum due to rounding.
6This amount represents expense of $2 million related to the Gold matter in the third quarter of 2020 partially offset by a $0.5 million insurance recovery in the second quarter of 2020 of legal fees related to certain significant legal action. 2019 reflects a $4.75 million expense for the Kramer employment case and $0.3 million for certain Related Laminate Matters partially offset by a $1.1 million insurance recovery of legal fees related to certain significant legal action. These matters are described more fully in Item 8. Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements.
7Represents charges to earnings related to our defense of certain significant legal actions during the period. This does not include all legal costs incurred by the Company.
8Represents the inventory write-offs related to Canadian and U.S. store closures described more fully in Item 8. Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

Operating Income and Operating Margin

Operating income was $56 million in 2020, compared to sourcingoperating income of $17 million in 2019. When excluding items in the table that follows, Adjusted Operating Income (a non-GAAP measure) was $64 million and pricing initiatives. These advances were slightlyAdjusted Operating Margin (a non-GAAP measure) was 5.8% in 2020, compared to $25 million, or 2.3%, in 2019. The primary driver of the increase was the Company’s execution on its transformation plan, which increased adjusted gross margin and reduced advertising expense.

We believe that the following items set forth in the table below can distort the visibility of our ongoing

performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

2019

    

% of Sales

    

    

% of Sales

(in thousands) 1

Operating Income, as reported (GAAP)

$

56,282

5.1

%

$

16,716

1.5

%

Gross Margin Items:

 

  

 

Antidumping Adjustments 2

 

(2,208)

(0.2)

%

 

1,143

0.1

%

HTS Classification Adjustments 3

%

 

(779)

%

Store Closure Costs 4

 

822

%

 

%

Gross Margin Subtotal

 

(1,386)

(0.2)

%

 

364

0.1

%

SG&A Items:

 

  

 

  

Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements 6

 

1,500

0.2

%  

 

3,475

0.3

%  

Legal and Professional Fees 7

 

4,220

0.4

%  

 

4,169

0.4

%  

Store Closure Costs 8

 

2,962

0.3

%  

 

%  

SG&A Subtotal

 

8,682

0.9

%  

 

7,644

0.7

%  

Adjusted Operating Income/Margin (a non-GAAP measure)

$

63,578

5.8

%  

$

24,724

2.3

%

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8  See the Gross Profit and SG&A sections above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.

29

Other Expense

The Company had other expense of $2.6 million and $3.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The expense in both years primarily reflected interest on borrowings on our Credit Agreement. The expense in 2020 was partially offset by a higher mixfavorable adjustment of installation sales$1.1 million for the reversal of interest expense associated with anti-dumping and countervailing duty rate changes.

Provision for Income Taxes

We record tax expense each period for income taxes incurred for US federal tax, in certain states, and in foreign jurisdictions resulting in an effective tax rate of (14.5)% and 25.4% for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, as 2020 included the partial release of $20 million of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a full valuation allowance of $27 million recorded against its net deferred assets as the Company was in a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position, and the Company was not relying upon projections of future taxable income in assessing their recoverability.  The Company assesses the available evidence on a quarterly basis to determine if, based on the weight of all available evidence, it is more likely than not that carry lower margins,some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.  The Company was no longer in a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position at December 31, 2020.  Based on the Company’s evaluation at a jurisdictional level as of December 31, 2020, the Company released valuation allowances of $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 in jurisdictions where the Company believes sufficient future taxable income, including consideration of future performance, market or economic conditions, will be generated to use existing deferred tax assets.  This release of the valuation allowance resulted in noncash income tax benefit in the fourth quarter of 2020 of $20 million. At December 31, 2020 the Company’s remaining valuation allowance was $5.6 million including the release of the valuation allowance and higher warranty costs.a $1.7 million adjustment to valuation allowances associated with deferred taxes for foreign operations. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could be adjusted in future periods if evidence warrants such a change.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, permits NOL carryovers and carrybacks to offset 100% of taxable income for taxable years beginning before 2021. In addition, the CARES Act allows NOLs incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years to generate a refund of previously paid income taxes. The Company amended its 2018 tax return with respect to CARES Act items and carried the 2018 NOL back to 2013 resulting in a cash tax refund of $5 million, received in the third quarter 2020.

We file income tax returns with the United States federal government and various state and foreign jurisdictions. In the normal course of business, we are subject to examination by taxing authorities. During 2017, the Internal Revenue Service completed audits of our income tax returns through 2016.

Diluted Earnings per Share

Net income was $61 million, or $2.10 per diluted share, in 2020 compared to net income of $9.7 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in 2019. 2020 Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share (a non-GAAP measure) increased $1.74 to $2.28 compared to $0.54 for 2019. Net income in 2020 benefited from the noncash income tax benefit of $20 million from the partial release of the valuation allowance.

We believe that each of thesethe items below can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

30

    
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016
   (dollars in thousands)
Gross Profit/Margin, as reported (GAAP) $369,061   35.9 $303,869   31.6
Antidumping Adjustments(1)  (2,797  -0.3  5,450   0.6
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program(2)  (993  -0.1  6,187   0.6
Sub-Total Items above  (3,790  -0.4  11,637   1.2
Adjusted Gross Profit/Margin (non-GAAP measures) $365,271   35.5 $315,506   32.8

Year Ended December 31,

    

2020

2019

(in thousands)

Net Income, as reported (GAAP)

$

61,427

$

9,663

Net Income per Diluted Share (GAAP)

$

2.10

$

0.34

Gross Margin Items:

 

  

 

  

Antidumping Adjustments 2

 

(1,632)

 

845

HTS Classification Adjustments 3

 

(576)

Store Closure Costs 4

 

607

 

Gross Margin Subtotal

 

(1,025)

 

269

SG&A Items:

 

  

 

  

Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements 5

 

1,109

 

2,568

Legal and Professional Fees 6

 

3,119

 

3,081

Store Closure Costs 7

 

2,189

 

SG&A Subtotal

 

6,417

 

5,649

Adjusted Earnings

$

66,819

$

15,581

Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share (a non-GAAP measure)

$

2.28

$

0.54

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8  See the Gross Profit and SG&A sections above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.

These items have been tax affected at the Company’s federal incremental rate of 26.1%.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Throughout 2020, we have sustained focus on maximizing liquidity as a result of the impacts of COVID-19.

We took the following actions during the year to provide financial flexibility including:

(1)-We recognized adjustmentsNegotiating new terms with merchandise vendors, landlords and other service providers to countervailing and antidumping duties of a favorable $2.8 million and an unfavorable $5.5 million associated with applicable shipments of engineered hardwood from China relatedallow for longer

payment terms and/or reductions in fees

-Renegotiating our Credit Agreement (See Item 8. Note 4 to prior periods for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.consolidated financial statements)
(2)-Prior to June 30, 2016, $3.1 million of costs related toReplacing our indoor air quality testing program agreed tolargest annual sale event with the CPSC were expensed as incurred. During the second quarter of 2016, we recorded an accrual of $3 million, which represented our best estimate of costs to be incurred in the future periods related to this program and is included in the total for 2016. In the second quarter 2017, we reduced the reserve for estimated costs to be incurred related to the testing program by approximately $1 million. This reserve is recorded in other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SG&A expenses increased 2.1% to $406 million from $398 million in 2016. Excluding the items shown in the table below, SG&A increased $7.6 million, driven by $7.5 million in higher payroll-related costs due to greater store level staffing, commissions, and investments in corporate capabilities and $3.0 million in higher occupancy costs, both of which were offset by $2.9 million in other decreases, primarily lower advertising and promotion costs. Excluding retention-related costs, payroll related costs as a percentage of sales were 14.5% in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

We believe that each of these items can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

    
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016
   $ % of Sales $ % of Sales
   (dollars in thousands)
SG&A, as reported (GAAP) $406,027   39.5 $397,504   41.4
Accrual for MDL and Other Matters(1)  36,960   3.6      
Legal and Professional Fees(2)  11,314   1.1  28,414   3.0
Securities Class Action(3)        19,260   2.0
All Other(4)  3,146   0.3  2,800   0.3
Sub-Total Items above  51,420   5.0  50,474   5.3
Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure) $354,607   34.5 $347,030   36.1

(1)This amount represents the charge to earnings related to the MOU in connection with the MDL and Related Other Matters, which is described more fully in the Legal Proceedings section in Part I, Item 3 of this Annual Report.alternative promotions
(2)-Represents charges to earnings related to our defenseEliminating spending on certain capital and operating activities including the opening of certain significant legal actions during the period. This does not include all legal costs incurred by the Company.new stores
(3)-This amount representsTaking advantage of opportunities in Federal, State, and Local regulatory changes (e.g., the net charge to earnings related to the stock-based element of our settlement in the securities class action lawsuit in addition to $2.5 million related to our derivatives class action lawsuit.CARES Act)
(4)All Other in 2017 represents costs to dispose of certain Chinese laminate products whose sales were discontinued in 2015, and an impairment of certain assets related to a vertical integration initiative we have discontinued. All Other in 2016 relates primarily to a retention initiative and the net impact of the CARB and Prop 65 settlements.

Operating Loss

Our focus on liquidity remains. COVID-19 continues to create a great deal of uncertainty and Operating Margin

Operating loss for 2017 was $37there are related risks from renewed shut downs and consumer spending preferences once, and if, people become more mobile during 2021 as vaccines are distributed and administered. Throughout 2020 we continued to manage the uncertainty by retaining cash we have generated through ongoing operations. We have chosen to maintain a high cash balance, with cash and cash equivalents of $170 million compared to an operating loss of $94 million in 2016. Operating loss for both periods was impacted by the unusual items in both gross profit and SG&A discussed above and summarized below. These items either relate to revised estimates of legacy issues, or are significant and infrequent in nature. We believe evaluating our operating profit in both periods excluding these items gives a better understanding of current period performance. As shown in the table below, excluding these items, 2017 reflects an Adjusted Operating Income (a non-GAAP measure) of $10.7 million, compared to an Adjusted Operating Loss (a non-GAAP measure) in 2016 of $31.5 million. The improvement primarily reflects the growth in sales and higher gross margin.


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We believe that each of these items can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

  
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016
   (in thousands)
Operating Loss, as reported (GAAP) $(36,966 $(93,635
Gross Margin Items:
          
Antidumping Adjustments(1)  (2,797  5,450 
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program (Income) Charges(2)  (993  6,187 
Gross Margin Subtotal  (3,790  11,637 
SG&A Items:
          
Multidistrict Litigation(3)  36,960    
Legal and Professional Fees(4)  11,314   28,414 
Securities Class Action(5)     19,260 
All Other(6)  3,146   2,800 
SG&A Subtotal  51,420   50,474 
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) (a non-GAAP measure) $10,664  $(31,524

(1)(2)See the Gross Margin section above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.
(3)(4)(5)(6)See the SG&A section above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017 was 1.9% compared to 27.3% for the year ended December 31, 2016. Asas of December 31, 2017, we recorded a valuation allowance against substantially all of our net deferred tax assets because there is insufficient support to assure the realization of our deferred tax assets, and as a result we are not able to tax benefit our losses. During the year we completed IRS audits for the years 2013 – 2016, resulting in an expense of $1.2 million that is included in the provision for income taxes. This was more than offset by the net benefit from the Tax Act that eliminated the expiration of loss carryforwards, allowing the Company to benefit more of its indefinite-lived assets.

The Tax Act was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and eliminated the 20-year limit on the carryforward of losses, and resulted in the Company remeasuring its existing deferred tax balances. In addition, generally beginning in 2018, the Tax Act alters the deductibility of certain items (e.g., certain compensation, interest, entertainment expenses), and allows qualifying capital expenditures to be deducted fully in the year of purchase. As of December 31, 2017, we have not fully completed our analysis of the tax effects of the Tax Act; however, we have made a reasonable estimate of the effects on our deferred tax balances. We remeasured deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21%. Our valuation allowance was remeasured based on the new provisions in the Tax Act including the elimination of the 20-year net operating loss carryforward, the 80% limitation on the usage of certain net operating losses going forward2020 and the impactsame $101 million of these provisions on our indefinite-lived deferred tax assets and liabilities. We will continue to analyze certain aspects of the Tax Act and refine the calculations, which could potentially affect the measurement of these balances or potentially give rise to new deferred tax amounts. The provisional amount recorded related to the remeasurement of the deferred tax balance and valuation allowance was $8.1 million. The net effect of the Tax Act was a $3.1 million tax benefit.

We intend to maintain a valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances. A reduction in the valuation allowance could result in a significant decrease in income tax expense in the periodborrowings that the release is recorded. However, the exact timing and amount of the reduction in our valuation allowance are unknown at this time and will be subject to the earnings level we achieve in future periods. Within the provision for income taxes


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for the year ended December 31, 2016, the expense related to the valuation allowance discussed above was partially offset by a benefit from foreign operations.

At December 31, 2017, we had refundable income taxes of $1.3 million and a deferred tax liability of $0.6 million. At December 31, 2016, refundable income taxes andon April 17, 2020, as we entered into the deferred tax liability were $31.4 million and $3.8 million, respectively. In July 2017 and 2016, we received federal refunds of $29.2 million and $22.1 million, respectively, from the IRS related to the carry back of net operating losses to prior periods where we generated taxable income.

We file income tax returns with the U.S. federal government and various state and foreign jurisdictions. In the normal course of business, we are subject to examination by taxing authorities. As discussed above, during 2017 the Internal Revenue Service completed audits of our income tax returns for the years 2013 through 2016.

Diluted Earnings per Share

Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $38 million, resulting in a loss of $1.33 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $69 million, or $2.51 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Fiscal 2016 Compared to Fiscal 2015

Net Sales

Net sales for 2016 decreased $18 million, or 1.9%, from 2015 as net sales in comparable stores decreased $45 million, or 4.6%, and the net sales in non-comparable stores increased $27 million. Comparable store net sales were impacted by a decrease of 5.7% attributable to the number of customers invoiced and an increase of 1.1% in the average sale.

The number of customers invoiced decreased 5.7%, which we believe reflects the negative impact of unfavorable media and assortment limitations during the first half of 2016 as evidenced by an 11% decline in the number of customers invoiced during this same time period. The number of customers invoiced began to recover during the second half of 2016, improving sales performance compared to the first half of the year. We believe these second-half improvements are a result of our updated assortment, a better in-store inventory position and our focus on execution in the stores, which drives increased conversion. The increased attachment of installation services and improvements in the average selling price of our products drove a higher average sale. Sales growth in vinyl products more than offset sales reductions in solid flooring products. Ourtemporary expansion of our installation program further supported comparable store net sales with annual revenues of $54 million, a 79.1% increase from fiscal 2015. Excluding installation sales, comparable store net sales decreased 7.3% from 2015.

Gross Profit

Gross profit increased 9.0% to $304 million from $279 million in 2015. Gross margin increased to 31.6% from 28.5% in 2015. This comparison was favorably impacted by the items highlighted in the table below as well as changes in the mix and level of net sales generated during the periods. Our mix of net sales was more heavily weighted to products such as vinyl and certain engineered constructions, which had a positive impact on gross margins.


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We believe that each of these items can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

    
 Year Ended December 31,
   2016 2015
   (dollars in thousands)
Gross Profit/Margin, as reported (GAAP) $303,869   31.6 $278,858   28.5
Inventory Impairments(1)        29,051   3.0
Antidumping Adjustments(2)  5,450   0.6  4,921   0.4
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program(3)  6,187   0.6  9,445   1.0
Sub-Total Items above  11,637   1.2  43,417   4.4
Adjusted Gross Profit/Margin (non-GAAP measures) $315,506   32.8 $322,275   32.9

(1)In 2015, we recorded a write-off related to our suspension of the sale of Chinese laminate products totaling $22.5 million and incurred costs of $6.6 million related to the simplification of our business.
(2)We incurred adjustments to antidumping costs and countervailing duties of $5.5 million and $4.9 million associated with applicable shipments of engineered hardwood from China related to prior periods for the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. See Part II, Item 1 onLegal Proceedings for a complete discussion of these matters.
(3)During the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, we incurred costs related to our indoor air quality testing program of $6.2 and $9.4 million, respectively. Prior to June 30, 2016, costs related to our indoor air quality testing program were expensed as incurred. During the second quarter of 2016, we recorded an accrual of $3 million, which represented our best estimate of costs to be incurred in the future periods related to this program and is included in the total for 2016.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

SG&A expenses increased 9.8% to $398 million from $362 million in 2015. The change in SG&A was primarily attributable to an approximate $12 million increase in personnel costs in our store staffing, professional and installation sales teams, and corporate capabilities, approximately $5.7 million in increases related to professional services, an approximate $5.2 million increase in settlement and legal/regulatory activity highlighted in the table below, an increase of $2.6 million in advertising costs and an increase of approximately $9.7 million in other costs. Excluding retention-related costs, payroll related costs as a percentage of sales were 14.5% and 13.0% in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

We believe that each of these items can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

    
 Year Ended December 31,
   2016 2015
   $ % of Sales $ % of Sales
   (dollars in thousands)
SG&A, as reported (GAAP) $397,504   41.4 $362,051   37.0
Securities and Derivatives Class Action(1)  19,260   2.0      
Legal and Professional Fees  28,414   3.0  21,059   2.2
Lacey/DOJ Settlement        13,155   1.3
All Other(4)  2,800   0.3  11,089   1.1
Sub-Total Items above  50,474   5.3  45,303   4.6
Adjusted SG&A (a non-GAAP measure) $347,030   36.1 $316,748   32.4

(1)For the year ended December 31, 2016, this amount represents the net charge to earnings related to the stock-based element of our settlement in the securities class action lawsuit in addition to $2.5 million related to our derivatives class action lawsuit. See Part I, Item 3 on Legal Proceedings for a complete discussion of these matters.

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(2)Represents charges to earnings related to our defense of various significant legal actions during the period. This does not include all legal costs incurred by the Company.
(3)Represents to settlement accruals related to the completed DOJ-Lacey Act investigation in 2015.
(4)All Other in 2016 relates primarily to a retention initiative and the net impact of the CARB and Prop 65 settlements. All Other in 2015 primarily relates to various payroll factors, including our retention initiatives, impairment charges related to our decision to simplify our business and the impact of the CARB and Prop 65 accruals.

Operating Loss and Operating Margin

Operating loss for 2016 was $94 million compared to an operating loss of $83 million in 2015. Operating loss as a percent of net sales was (9.8)% for fiscal 2016 compared to (8.5)% in 2015. Operating loss for both periods was impacted by the unusual items in both gross profit and SG&A discussed above and summarized below. These items either relate to revised estimates of legacy reserves, or are significant and infrequent in nature. We believe evaluating our operating profit in both periods excluding these items gives a better understanding of current period performance. As shown in the table below, excluding these items, 2016 reflects an Adjusted Operating Loss (a non-GAAP measure) of $31.5 million, compared to an Adjusted Operating Income (a non-GAAP measure) in 2015 of $5.5 million. The decline reflects a reduction in sales and higher SG&A costs.

We believe that each of these items can distort the visibility of our ongoing performance and that the evaluation of our financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of our results that exclude the impact of these items.

  
 Year Ended December 31,
   2016 2015
   (in thousands)
Operating Loss, as reported (GAAP) $(93,635 $(83,193
Gross Margin Items:
          
Inventory Impairments(1)     29,051 
Antidumping Adjustments(2)  5,450   4,921 
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program (Income) Charges(3)  6,187   9,445 
Gross Margin Subtotal  11,637   43,417 
SG&A Items:
          
Securities and Derivatives Class Action(4)  19,260    
Legal and Professional Fees(5)  28,414   21,059 
Lacey/DOJ Settlement(6)     13,155 
All Other(7)  2,800   11,089 
SG&A Subtotal  50,474   45,303 
Adjusted Operating (Loss) Income (a non-GAAP measure) $(31,524 $5,527 

(1)(2)(3)See the Gross Margin section above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.
(4)(5)(6)(7)See the SG&A section above for more detailed explanations of these individual items.

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2016 was 27.3% compared to 32.4% for the year ended December 31, 2015. As of December 31, 2016, we recorded a valuation allowance against substantially all of our net deferred tax assets because there is insufficient support to assure the realization of our deferred tax assets. Within the provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2016, the expense related to the valuation allowance discussed above was partially offset by a benefit from foreign operations. The provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2015, was negatively impacted by certain non-deductible penalties impacting 2015 earnings.


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At December 31, 2016, refundable income taxes and the deferred tax liability were $31.4 million and $3.8 million, respectively. At December 31, 2015, refundable income taxes and the deferred tax asset were $20 million and $21 million, respectively. These amounts are reflected within current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. In July 2016, we received a refund of $22 million from the IRS related to the carry back of our 2015 net operating losses to prior periods where we generated taxable income.

We file income tax returns with the U.S. federal government and various state and foreign jurisdictions. In the normal course of business, we are subject to examination by taxing authorities. The Internal Revenue Service has completed audits of our income tax returns for the years 2013 through 2016 and the results of which are included in tax expense in the consolidated income statement.

Diluted Earnings per Share

Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $69 million, resulting in a loss of $2.51 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $56 million, or $2.08 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal liquidity and capital requirements are for working capital (primarily inventory and accounts payable seasonal needs), capital expenditures to maintain and grow our business, and general corporate purposes. Our principal sources of liquidity at December 31, 20172020 were $20cash from our ongoing operations, $170 million of cash and cash equivalents on our balance sheet and $126$44 million of availability under our revolving credit facility. TheRevolving Loan. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance of the revolving credit facilityloan was $15$76 million, atand it carried an average interest rate of 3.75%. As of December 31, 2017.2020, the outstanding balance of the first-in-last-out term loan was $25 million and it carried an interest rate of 5.125%.

During 2020, we received $23 million in cash payments from United States Customs relating to the November 2019 tariff exclusion. The remaining receivable of $4.1 million is expected to be received during 2021. Similar to 2019, 2020 was impacted by cash payments related to legal settlements. During the fourth quarter of 2020 we funded the

31

remaining $13 million of the cash portion of the settlement of the Gold Litigation as discussed in Item 8. Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements. Additionally, $4.75 million was paid in April 2020 for the Kramer settlement.

The DOJ and SEC settlements, discussed in Item 8. Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, totaled $33 million and were paid in the second quarter of 2019 along with other, smaller settlements. Additionally, we funded $1 million of the cash portion of the settlement of the Gold Litigation in the fourth quarter of 2019.

We plan to increase our inventories to between $270 and $290 million and we expect inventory to build slightly through the first quarter of 2018 in advance of Chinese New Year butour customer deposits to return to more recent historic levels bytraditional levels.  We also plan to increase our capital expenditure investments to support our growth initiatives as well as the third quarteropening of 2018. Additionally, as part of the anticipated MDL settlement, we expect12 to make a $22 million payment to the settlement fund15 new stores in mid-2018 (though we have preserved the option to use stock for a portion of this). There are significant uncertainties associated with unresolved government investigations and legal matters that could represent potential liquidity requirements in 2018.2021.  We currently expect capital expenditures for 2018expenditure investments of up to total between $15$24 million to $28 million, if our business results support the broad scale rebranding of our store fleet, the opening of 12 to 15 new stores and $20 million, but we will continueinvestments in digital.

Our focus and discipline over the past year has allowed us to assessbuild a strong liquidity position to navigate the COVID-19 environment, and adjust our level of capital expenditures based on changing circumstances. Included in our capital requirement,business is the funding to open 20 to 25 stores in 2018 and to remodel and/or relocate some existing stores.

While there remains significant uncertainty associated with legal and regulatory matters previously discussed, wegenerating solid cash flow. We believe that cash flowand cash equivalents balance and cash flows from operations, together with existingthe liquidity sources,under our Credit Agreement will be sufficient to meet our obligations, fund our settlements, operations, and anticipated capital expenditures for the next 12 months. We haveprepare our forecasted cash flow and liquidity estimates based our estimates on assumptions that may prove wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. For example, if the outcome of legal matters is unfavorable, we may needbelieve to seek additional sources of liquidity.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

In 2017,be reasonable but are also inherently uncertain. Actual future cash and cash equivalents increased $10 million to $20 million. The increase of cash and cash equivalents was primarily due to $39 million of net cash provided by operating activities, mainly through working capital reductions and a tax refundflows could differ from the 2016 return partially offset by $25 million of net payments on the revolving credit facility and $7 million of net capital expenditures.these estimates.

In 2016, cash and cash equivalents decreased $16 million to $10 million. The decrease of cash and cash equivalents was primarily due to $28 million of net cash used in operating activities and $8 million of net capital expenditures, which were partially offset by $20 million borrowed under the revolving credit facility.

In 2015, cash and cash equivalents increased $6 million to $27 million. The increase of cash and cash equivalents was primarily due to $9.2 million of net cash provided by operating activities and $20 million borrowed under the revolving credit facility, which were partially offset by $22.5 million for capital expenditures.


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Merchandise Inventories

Merchandise inventory is our most significant asset and is considered either “available for sale” or “inbound in-transit,” based on whether we have physically received and inspected the products at an individual store location, in our distribution centers or in another facility where we control and monitor inspection.

Merchandise inventories and available inventory per store in operation on December 31 were as follows:

    

As of

As of

December 31, 2020

    

December 31, 2019

(in thousands)

Inventory – Available for Sale

$

205,664

$

254,812

Inventory – Inbound In-Transit

 

38,745

 

31,557

Total Merchandise Inventories

$

244,409

$

286,369

Available Inventory Per Store

$

502

$

608

   
 2017 2016 2015
   (in thousands)
Inventory – Available for Sale $226,750  $257,537  $215,903 
Inventory – Inbound In-Transit  35,530   44,355   28,499 
Total Merchandise Inventories $262,280  $301,892  $244,402 
Available Inventory Per Store $577  $672  $577 

Available inventory per store at December 31, 20172020 was lower than available inventory per store at December 31, 2016,2019. The 15% reduction in total inventory from last year was primarily driven by managing our inventory purchases as a direct result of COVID-19, followed by supply chain disruptions on replenishment and strong second half sales that kept inventory below our targeted level for year end. Our teams are working diligently to receive new inventory in line with December 31, 2015 levels. The elevated level at December 31, 2016 reflectedthe face of supply chain disruption and we are working toward rebuilding inventory to a higher levelmore normal range of inventory build related$270 to new product expansion than$290 million in other years.2021.

Inbound in-transit inventory generally varies due to the timing32

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flow activities for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015:2018:

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Net Cash provided by (used in):

 

  

 

  

 

  

Operating Activities

$

157,046

$

329

$

(42,986)

Investing Activities

 

(14,862)

 

(19,484)

 

(13,461)

Financing Activities

 

18,778

 

15,881

 

49,205

Effect of Exchange Rates

 

(14)

 

702

 

(1,131)

Total

$

160,948

$

(2,572)

$

(8,373)

   
 Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands) 2017 2016 2015
Net Cash provided by (used in):
               
Operating Activities  39,392   (27,547  9,204 
Investing Activities  (4,338  (8,333  (22,478
Financing Activities  (26,193  18,704   19,705 
Effect of Exchange Rates  806   744   (15
Total  9,667   (16,432)   6,416 

Operating Activities.  The overall improvement in operating cash flows for 2017 was due to higher sales, improved gross margin and lower SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales. Cash for certain working capital items also affected operating cash flows. During 2017, operating cash flows benefited by a $29.2 million tax refund related to our 2016 carry-back, and a $32.5 million reduction in merchandise inventories, offset by a $52.5 million reduction in accounts payable.

During 2016, net cash used in operating activities was $28 million and included a net loss of $69 million, which included non-cash amounts for depreciation and amortization of $17.5 million, changes in deferred taxes of $14.2 million, stock-based compensation of $5.6 million, a charge related to the settlement of the Securities Class Action of $16.8 million and lower of cost or market inventory adjustments of $3.7 million. After these adjustments, the cash flow from earnings was a use of cash of $10.8 million. Inclusive in this, is a cash refund of $22.1 million in taxes received in the third quarter related to our carryback of 2015 net operating losses, and a noncash tax benefit recorded that reflects a similar carryback of the 2016 net losses. This use of cash was negatively impacted by the elevated legal and professional fees discussed in the SG&A section above. In 2016, we also generated cash of $2.0 million through increased trade payables, net of increases in inventory, by extending terms with vendors, used cash of $6.2 million related to the settlement of the Lacey Act investigation that was finalized in October 2015 and used $2.5 million in cash related to the settlement of the Derivatives Class Action.


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Net cash provided by operating activities was $9.2$157 million for 2015in 2020 and includedwas primarily due to a an increase of $52 million in net loss of $56 million. After certain adjustments, the cash flow wasincome, a use of cash of $15.2 million. This use of cash was negatively impacted by elevated legal and professional fees previously disclosed. In 2015, we generated cash through a reduction$39 million decrease in inventory, (netcash received from United States Customs for tariff receivables of the reduction$23 million, growth in customer deposits of $20 million and an increase in accounts payable)payable of $21 million, used cash$9.9 million. These were somewhat offset by payments for legal matters and settlements of $3.2 million related to the settlement of the Lacey Act specifically as it related to engineered hardwood, and$18 million.

In 2019 net cash provided by changesoperating activities was $0.3 million and was primarily due to a $15 million decrease in assetsinventory, net of payables. Net income in 2019 of $9.7 million was also a factor for the net cash provided by operating activities. These were mostly offset by payments for legal matters and liabilitiessettlements of $6.2$35 million.

In 2018, we will not benefit from a significant income tax refund carryback as we did in 2017 and 2016.

Investing Activities.Activities. Net cash used in investing activities was $4.4$15 million for 2017, $8.3in 2020 and $19 million for 2016in 2019. 2020 included investments in our new digital platform, LLFlooring.com, six new stores, and $22.5 million for 2015. Net cash usedmaintenance to our existing stores. Investments in investing activities in each year2019 included capital purchases forour corporate headquarters move to Richmond, Virginia, and 11 new store base expansion and our integrated information technology initiatives. Capital spend in 2015 was elevated as it included the completion of our East Coast distribution facility and higher levels of store related capital expenditures.openings.

Financing Activities.  Net cash used in financing activities was $26 million in 2017. Net cash provided by financing activities was $19 million and $20 million in 20162020 and 2015, respectively. Net cash used in financing activities in 2017 was primarily due to $25 million in net payments on the revolving credit facility and net cash used in financing activities in 2016 and 2015 was primarily attributable to borrowings of $20$19 million in each yearnet borrowings on the revolving credit facility.

Revolving Credit Agreement

On August 17, 2016, we entered into a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A. (the “Bank”) and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo” and, collectively with the Bank, the “Lenders”) with the Bank as administrative agent and collateral agent and Wells Fargo as syndication agent. Under the Credit Agreement, which matures on August 17, 2021, the Lenders agreed to provide us with an asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) under which we may obtain loans and letters of credit from the Bank up to a maximum aggregate outstanding principal amount of the lesser of $150 million or a calculated borrowing base. We have the option to increase the Revolving Credit Facility up to a maximum of $200 million subject to the satisfaction of the conditions to such increase specified in the Credit Agreement. We expect to continue to use the Revolving Credit Facility to fund our operations and anticipated capital expenditures.

The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants, including a financial covenant to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.0 to 1.0, calculated quarterly on a trailing four quarters basis that becomes effective only when specified availability under the Revolving Credit Facility falls below the greater of $15 million or 10% of the maximum revolver amount. At December 31, 2017, we had $126 million available to borrow under this facility, whichNet cash provided by financing activities was net of $3.7$16 million in outstanding letters of credit, $152019 and was primarily attributable to $17 million in outstandingnet borrowings and certain limitations based on the borrowing based andCredit Agreement.

Credit Agreement

Information with respect to this item may be found in Note 4, “Credit Agreement”, to the fixed charge coverage ratio covenant.

Contractual Commitments and Contingencies

Our significant contractual obligations and commitments asconsolidated financial statements in Item 8 of December 31, 2017 are summarized in the following table:Part II, which is incorporated herein by reference.

     
 Payments Due by Period
   Total Less Than
1 Year
 1 to 3 Years 3 to 5 Years 5+ Years
   (in thousands)
Contractual Obligations
                         
Operating Lease Obligations(1) $125,353  $32,930  $51,309  $28,117  $12,997 
Purchase Obligations(2)  182   182          
Total Debt Obligations, including current maturities  15,000         15,000    
Total Contractual Obligations $140,535  $33,112  $51,309  $43,117  $12,997 

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(1)Included in this table is the base period or current renewal period for our operating leases. The operating leases generally contain varying renewal provisions.
(2)Purchase obligations represent capital expenditure commitments.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements or other financing activities with special-purpose entities.

New Accounting Pronouncements

See Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Note 1 that is included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further information about new accounting pronouncements adopted during 2017 and accounting pronouncements issued but not yet effective.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Critical accounting policies are those that we believe are both significant and that require us to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often because we need to estimate the effect of inherently uncertain matters. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experiences and various other factors that we believe to be appropriate under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates, and we might obtain different estimates if we used different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements:statements.

Loss Contingencies

We are involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations, and proceedings. Certain of these matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We record a liability when we believe that it is

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both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and a loss or range of the loss can be estimated, we disclose such amounts. Significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount of any loss or range of loss. We assess each legal matter and any related provisions at least quarterly and adjust them accordingly to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and updated information.

Until a final resolution related to loss contingencies for legal and other contingencies is reached, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of the amount we have recorded, and such amounts could be material, either individually or in the aggregate, to our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Therefore, if one or more of these matters were resolved against us for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, our results of operations and financial condition, including in a particular reporting period, could be materially adversely affected.

Valuation of Deferred Tax Assets

We account for income taxes and the related accounts in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740,Income Taxes.”Taxes (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted rates expected to be in effect during the year in which the differences reverse. We periodically assess the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets and reflect any changes in estimates in the valuation allowance. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The current year analysis was impacted by the new tax law in December. AtAs of December 31, 2017, we2019, the Company had a full valuation allowance of $22$27 million primarily attributablerecorded against its net deferred assets as the Company was in a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position, and the Company was not relying upon projections of future taxable income in assessing their recoverability.  The Company assesses the available evidence on a quarterly basis to determine if, based on the uncertainty related to the realizabilityweight of our deferred tax assets. We considered all available evidence, both positive and negative, in determining the need for a valuation allowance. Based upon this analysis, including a consideration of our cumulative loss history in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, we determined that it is not more likely than not that oursome portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.  The Company was no longer in a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position at December 31, 2020.  Based on the Company’s evaluation at a jurisdictional level as of December 31, 2020, the Company released valuation allowances of $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 in jurisdictions where the Company believes sufficient future taxable income, including consideration of future performance, market or economic conditions, will be generated to use existing deferred tax assets.  This release of the valuation allowance resulted in noncash income tax benefit of $20 million. The Company continues to maintain valuation allowances of approximately $5.6 million based on expected future taxable income supporting the realizability of a portion, but not all, of the deferred tax assets. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could be adjusted in future periods if evidence warrants such a change.

Significant management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and the valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets, if any.


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Management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income in assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets. Our actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although management believes current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Stock-Based Compensation

We currently utilize a single equity incentive plan under which we may grant non-qualified stock options, restricted shares, stock appreciation rights and other equity awards to employees, non-employee directors and other service providers. We recognize expense for our stock-based compensation based on the fair value of the awards that are granted. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated at the date of grant based on our historical experience and future expectations. Measured compensation cost is recognized ratably over the service period of the entire related stock-based compensation award.

The fair value of stock options was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. In order to determine the related stock-based compensation expense, we used the following assumptions for stock options granted during 2017:

Expected life of 5.5 years;
Expected stock price volatility of 55%;
Risk-free interest rate of 1.7%; and
Dividends are not expected to be paid in any year.

The expected stock price volatility is based on the historical volatility of our stock price. The volatility is estimated for a period of time equal to the expected term of the related option. The risk-free interest rate is based on the implied yield of U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with an equivalent remaining term. The expected term of the options represents the estimated period of time until exercise and is determined by considering the contractual terms, vesting schedule and expectations of future employee behavior. We have never paid a dividend. Had we arrived at different assumptions of stock price volatility or expected terms of our options, our stock-based compensation expense and results of operations could have been different.

Recognition of Net Sales

We recognize net sales for products purchased at the time the customer takes possession of the merchandise. We recognize service revenue, which consists primarily of installation revenue and freight charges for in-home delivery, when the service has been rendered. We report sales exclusive of sales taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental taxing authorities. Net sales are reduced by an allowance for anticipated sales returns that we estimate based on historical and current sales trends and experience. We believe that our estimate for sales returns is an accurate reflection of future returns. Any reasonably likely changes that may occur in the assumptions underlying our allowance estimates would not be expected to have a material impact on our financial condition or operating performance. Actual sales returns did not vary materially from estimated amounts for 2017, 20162020, 2019 or 2015.2018.

In addition, customers who do not take immediate delivery of their purchases are generally required to pay a deposit, equal to approximately half of the retail sales value, with the balance payable when the customer takes

34

possession of the merchandise. These customer deposits benefit our cash flow and return on investment capital, because we receive partial payment for our customers’ purchases immediately. We record these deposits as a liability on our balance sheet in Customer Deposits and Store Credits until the customer takes possession of the merchandise.

Merchandise Inventories

We value our merchandise inventories atVouchers for Legal Settlements

As discussed in Item 8. Note 10 to the lower of merchandise cost or net realizable value. We determine merchandise cost usingconsolidated financial statements, the average cost method. Alladministrator of the hardwood flooring we purchase from suppliersMDL settlement issued $14 million in store-credit vouchers on December 30, 2020 under the March 2018 MDL settlement agreement. In addition, based on the current court order, the administrator of the Gold Settlement is either prefinished or unfinished, and in immediate saleable form. To the extent that we finish and


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box unfinished products, we includeexpected to issue those costsvouchers late in the average unitsecond quarter of 2021.  As vouchers are redeemed, the transaction will not be a sale.  Rather the Company will relieve the liability for the full amount, relieve inventory at its cost, and the remaining amount -- the gross margin for the items sold -- will be recorded as a reduction in SGA expense. Most of related merchandise inventory. In determining market value, we make judgments and estimatesthe vouchers expire 3 years from date of issuance although vouchers issued to recipients in certain states have longer expiration including 7 states with no expiration date as to the market value of our products, based on factors such as historical results and current sales trends. Any reasonably likely changes that may occur in those assumptionsstipulated in the future may require uslegal settlement. The Company recorded no forfeiture estimate as of December 31, 2020 as there is not yet a history of voucher redemption upon which to record chargesa forfeiture estimate.  The Company will monitor and evaluate the redemption of vouchers on a quarterly basis.  In order to reach an estimate, the Company will consider redemption velocity and patterns, remaining value – both on individual vouchers as well as collectively – of vouchers, and the passage of time. The Company will also consider consumer behaviors across both the MDL and Gold Settlements. The Company’s current expectation is that recipients bargained for losses or obsolescence against these assets, but would not be expected to have a material impact on our financial condition or operating performance. Actual lossesthis compensation as part of the settlement and obsolescence charges did not vary materially from estimated amountstherefore will redeem their voucher for 2017, 2016 or 2015.product as intended.   

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures Aboutabout Market Risk.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk through the investment of our cash and cash equivalents.equivalents and our Credit Agreement. We may invest our cash in short-term investments with maturities of three months or less. Changes in interest rates affect the interest income we earn, and therefore impact our cash flows and results of operations. In addition, borrowingsBorrowings under our Revolving Credit FacilityAgreement are exposed to interest rate risk due to the variable rate of the facility.borrowings. As of December 31, 2017,2020, we had $15$101 million outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility.Agreement. If the interest rate on December 31, 2017 had varied by 1% in either direction throughout 2020, interest expense would have fluctuated by $150,000.$1 million.

We currently do not engage in any interest rate hedging activity and have no current intention to do so in the foreseeable future.so. However, in the future, in an effort to mitigate losses associated with these risks, we may at times enter into derivative financial instruments, although we have not historically done so. We do not, and do not intend to, engage in the practice of trading derivative securities for profit.

Exchange Rate Risk

Less than two percent of our revenue, expense and capital purchasing activities are transacted in currencies other than the U.S.United States dollar, including the Euro, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan and Brazilian real.

We currently do not engage in any exchange rate hedging activity as the vast majority of our foreign purchases are denominated in U.S.United States dollars. However, in the future, in an effort to mitigate losses associated with these risks, we may at times engage in transactions involving various derivative instruments to hedge revenues, inventory purchases, assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. If the exchange rate on December 31, 20172020 had varied by 10% in either direction, net income from Canadian operations would have fluctuated by $10,000.nominally. As discussed in Item 8. Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements, we closed all our stores in Canada in December 2020.

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Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.


36

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the StockholdersShareholders and the Board of Directors of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss,income (loss), stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2020, and the related notes and Financial Statement Schedule II — Analysis of Valuation and Qualifying Accountslisted in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2020, in conformity with the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’sCompany's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 26, 2018March 1, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’sCompany's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. 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 audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

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Loss Contingencies

Description of the Matter

As discussed in Note 10 of the consolidated financial statements, the Company is involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations, and proceedings for which it has not yet reached a settlement agreement or other resolution. The Company recognizes a liability when it is both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the Company determines that a loss is reasonably possible and a loss or range of the loss can be estimated, they disclose such amounts. For certain matters, particularly where a settlement agreement has not yet been reached, judgment is required to determine the probability and estimate the loss or range of loss. The Company assesses each legal matter and any related provisions to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, and the advice of legal counsel.

Auditing management's evaluation of whether a loss for contingencies is probable, reasonably possible or remote, the measurement of the amount or range of possible loss, and the related disclosures, was subjective and required more complex auditor judgment. For instance, auditing management's judgments related to claims where the matter has not yet been tried in court or where the Company has not otherwise agreed to a settlement with plaintiffs was more complex due to the judgment applied in evaluating the likelihood of the outcomes related to the matters.

How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit

We tested the Company's internal controls that address the risks of material misstatement related to the recognition, measurement and disclosure of loss contingencies for which a settlement agreement has not yet been reached. For example, we tested controls over management’s review of the evaluation of loss contingencies for which a settlement agreement has not yet been reached.

To test the Company's accounting for and disclosure of loss contingencies for which a settlement agreement has not yet been reached, our substantive audit procedures included, among others, testing the Company's evaluation of the probability of outcome and range of loss, if estimable, through inspection of responses to inquiry letters sent to both internal and external legal counsel, discussions with internal and external legal counsel to confirm our understanding of the allegations and related merits, and by obtaining written representations from executives of the Company. When applicable, we also compared the Company's evaluation of these matters with its relevant history, or those of other entities, for similar loss contingencies that have been settled or otherwise resolved. In addition, we evaluated the adequacy of the Company’s financial statement disclosures.

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Tax Valuation Allowance

Description of the Matter

As discussed in Note 8 of the consolidated financial statements, at December 31, 2020, the Company had gross deferred tax assets related to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards of $60.3 million. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of all available evidence, in management’s judgment it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. At December 31, 2020, the Company has a valuation allowance of $5.6 million for the portion of its deferred tax assets that management determined was not more likely than not to be realized.

Auditing management’s assessment of the realizability of its deferred tax assets involved more complex auditor judgment because management’s estimate of future taxable income is judgmental as it requires the evaluation of positive and negative evidence of realization, including the consideration of historical operating losses, and is based on assumptions that may be affected by future performance, market or economic conditions.

How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit

We tested the Company’s internal controls that address the risks of material misstatement related to the realizability of deferred tax assets. This included controls over management’s scheduling of the future reversal of existing taxable temporary differences and projections of future taxable income.

To test the Company’s assessment of the realizability of its deferred tax assets, our substantive audit procedures included, among others, testing the Company’s scheduling of the reversal of existing temporary taxable differences. We evaluated the assumptions used by the Company to develop tax planning strategies, if any, and projections of future taxable income by jurisdiction and tested the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in its projections. For example, we compared the projections of future taxable income with the actual results of prior periods, as well as management’s consideration of current industry and economic trends. We also assessed the historical accuracy of management’s projections and compared the projections of future taxable income with other forecasted financial information prepared by the Company and performed sensitivity analysis of the significant assumptions to evaluate whether changes in realizability of deferred tax assets would result from variability of the assumptions. In addition, we evaluated the adequacy of the Company’s financial statement disclosures.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2003.

Richmond, Virginia
February 26, 2018
March 1, 2021


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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the StockholdersShareholders and the Board of Directors of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control overOver Financial Reporting

We have audited Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2020, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the 20172020 consolidated financial statements of the Companyand our report dated February 26, 2018March 1, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

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

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

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

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

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

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

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Richmond, Virginia
February 26, 2018
March 1, 2021

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Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

December 31, 

December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

Assets

Current Assets:

Cash and Cash Equivalents

$

169,941

$

8,993

Merchandise Inventories

244,409

286,369

Prepaid Expenses

9,370

8,288

Deposit for Legal Settlement

21,500

Tariff Recovery Receivable

4,078

27,025

Other Current Assets

10,354

6,938

Total Current Assets

438,152

359,113

Property and Equipment, net

97,557

98,733

Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets

109,475

121,796

Goodwill

9,693

9,693

Deferred Tax Asset

11,611

Other Assets

7,860

6,674

Total Assets

$

674,348

$

596,009

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current Liabilities:

Accounts Payable

$

70,543

$

59,827

Customer Deposits and Store Credits

61,389

41,571

Accrued Compensation

15,347

11,742

Sales and Income Tax Liabilities

5,793

7,225

Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements - Current

30,398

67,471

Operating Lease Liabilities - Current

33,024

31,333

Other Current Liabilities

25,761

18,937

Total Current Liabilities

242,255

238,106

Other Long-Term Liabilities

13,293

13,757

Operating Lease Liabilities - Long-Term

90,194

100,470

Deferred Tax Liability

426

Credit Agreement

101,000

82,000

Total Liabilities

446,742

434,759

Stockholders’ Equity:

Common Stock ($0.001 par value; 35,000 shares authorized; 30,229 and 29,959 shares issued and 28,911 and 28,714 shares outstanding at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively

30

30

Treasury Stock, at cost (1,318 and 1,245 shares, respectively)

(142,977)

(142,314)

Additional Capital

222,628

218,616

Retained Earnings

147,925

86,498

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

(1,580)

Total Stockholders’ Equity

227,606

161,250

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$

674,348

$

596,009

  
 December 31,
2017
 December 31,
2016
Assets
          
Current Assets:
          
Cash and Cash Equivalents $19,938  $10,271 
Merchandise Inventories  262,280   301,892 
Prepaid Expenses  9,108   5,367 
Refundable Income Taxes  1,298   31,429 
Other Current Assets  5,372   5,346 
Total Current Assets  297,996   354,305 
Property and Equipment, net  100,491   115,004 
Goodwill  9,693   9,693 
Other Assets  2,615   3,542 
Total Assets $410,795  $482,544 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
          
Current Liabilities:
          
Accounts Payable $67,676  $120,647 
Customer Deposits and Store Credits  38,546   32,639 
Accrued Compensation  12,101   9,193 
Sales and Income Tax Liabilities  4,273   4,249 
Accrual for MDL and Related Other Matters  36,960    
Other Current Liabilities  18,605   19,984 
Total Current Liabilities  178,161   186,712 
Other Long-Term Liabilities  19,235   21,142 
Deferred Tax Liability  552   3,798 
Revolving Credit Facility  15,000   40,000 
Total Liabilities  212,948   251,652 
Stockholders’ Equity:
          
Common Stock ($0.001 par value; 35,000 shares authorized; 31,397 and 31,102 shares issued and 28,490 and 28,249 shares outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)  31   31 
Treasury Stock, at cost (2,907 and 2,853 shares, respectively)  (140,875  (139,420
Additional Capital  208,629   202,700 
Retained Earnings  131,214   169,037 
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss  (1,152  (1,456
Total Stockholders’ Equity  197,847   230,892 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $410,795  $482,544 



See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statementsstatements.

42


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands except per share amounts)

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Net Sales

Net Merchandise Sales

$

974,829

$

956,041

$

955,949

Net Services Sales

122,873

136,561

128,687

Total Net Sales

1,097,702

1,092,602

1,084,636

Cost of Sales

Cost of Merchandise Sold

574,944

586,918

596,411

Cost of Services Sold

95,046

101,998

95,285

Total Cost of Sales

 

669,990

 

688,916

 

691,696

Gross Profit

 

427,712

 

403,686

 

392,940

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

371,430

 

386,970

 

443,513

Operating Income (Loss)

 

56,282

 

16,716

 

(50,573)

Other Expense

 

2,642

 

3,764

 

2,827

Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes

 

53,640

 

12,952

 

(53,400)

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

 

(7,787)

 

3,289

 

979

Net Income (Loss)

$

61,427

$

9,663

$

(54,379)

Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Basic

$

2.13

$

0.34

$

(1.90)

Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Diluted

$

2.10

$

0.34

$

(1.90)

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Basic

 

28,830

 

28,689

 

28,571

Diluted

 

29,247

 

28,793

 

28,571

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Net Sales $1,028,933  $960,588  $978,776 
Cost of Sales  659,872   656,719   699,918 
Gross Profit  369,061   303,869   278,858 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses  406,027   397,504   362,051 
Operating Loss  (36,966  (93,635  (83,193
Other Expense  1,591   638   234 
Loss Before Income Taxes  (38,557  (94,273  (83,427
Income Tax Benefit  (734  (25,710  (26,994
Net Loss $(37,823)  $(68,563)  $(56,433) 
Net Loss per Common Share – Basic $(1.33)  $(2.51)  $(2.08) 
Net Loss per Common Share – Diluted $(1.33)  $(2.51)  $(2.08) 
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:
               
Basic  28,407   27,284   27,082 
Diluted  28,407   27,284   27,082 



See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statementsstatements.

43


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
Income (Loss
)

(in thousands)

Year Ended December 31, 

 

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Net Income (Loss)

$

61,427

$

9,663

$

(54,379)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):

 

  

 

  

 

  

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments

 

823

 

(195)

 

(233)

Reclassification of Foreign Currency Translation to Earnings

757

Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

1,580

 

(195)

 

(233)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

$

63,007

$

9,468

$

(54,612)

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Net Loss $(37,823)  $(68,563)  $(56,433) 
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):
               
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments  304   209   (869
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)  304   209   (869
Comprehensive Loss $(37,519)  $(68,354)  $(57,302) 



See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statementsstatements.

44


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(in thousands)

Accumulated

Other

Total

    

Common Stock

    

Treasury Stock

    

Additional

    

Retained

    

Comprehensive

    

Stockholders’

Shares

    

Par Value

Shares

    

Value

Capital

Earnings

 

Income (Loss)

Equity

December 31, 2017

 

28,490

$

31

 

2,907

$

(140,875)

$

208,629

$

131,214

$

(1,152)

$

197,847

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

 

 

 

 

4,346

 

 

 

4,346

Exercise of Stock Options

 

44

 

 

 

 

770

 

 

 

770

Release of Restricted Shares

 

93

 

1

 

 

 

(1)

 

 

 

Common Stock Repurchased

 

 

 

44

 

(953)

 

 

 

 

(953)

Translation Adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(233)

 

(233)

Net Loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

(54,379)

 

 

(54,379)

December 31, 2018

 

28,627

$

32

 

2,951

$

(141,828)

$

213,744

$

76,835

$

(1,385)

$

147,398

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

4,872

 

4,872

Release of Restricted Shares

 

87

 

Common Stock Repurchased

 

(2)

(1,706)

(486)

 

(488)

Translation Adjustment

 

(195)

 

(195)

Net Income

 

9,663

 

9,663

December 31, 2019

 

28,714

$

30

 

1,245

$

(142,314)

$

218,616

$

86,498

$

(1,580)

$

161,250

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

3,333

 

3,333

Exercise of Stock Options

 

40

679

 

679

Release of Restricted Shares

 

157

 

Common Stock Repurchased

 

73

(663)

 

(663)

Translation Adjustment

 

823

 

823

Reclassification of Foreign Currency Translation to Earnings

757

757

Net Income

 

61,427

 

61,427

December 31, 2020

 

28,911

$

30

 

1,318

$

(142,977)

$

222,628

$

147,925

$

$

227,606

        
 Common Stock Treasury Stock Additional
Capital
 Retained
Earnings
 Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
 Total
Stockholders’
Equity
   Shares Par
Value
 Shares Value
December 31, 2014  27,069  $30   2,817  $(138,692)  $177,479  $294,033  $(796)  $332,054 
Stock-Based Compensation Expense              4,080         4,080 
Exercise of Stock Options                        
Excess Tax Benefits on Stock Option Exercises              (969        (969
Release of Restricted Shares  19                      
Common Stock Repurchased        8   (295           (295
Translation Adjustment                    (869  (869
Net Income                 (56,433     (56,433
December 31, 2015  27,088  $30   2,825  $(138,987)  $180,590  $237,600  $(1,665)  $277,568 
Stock-Based Compensation Expense              5,487         5,487 
Exercise of Stock Options  59            539         539 
Tax Effect of Stock-Based Compensation              (675        (675
Stock Issued upon Legal Settlement  1,000   1             16,759             16,760 
Release of Restricted Shares  101                      
Common Stock Repurchased        29   (433           (433
Translation Adjustment                    209   209 
Net Loss                 (68,563     (68,563
December 31, 2016  28,248  $31   2,854  $(139,420)  $202,700  $169,037  $(1,456)  $230,892 
Stock-Based Compensation Expense              4,582         4,582 
Exercise of Stock Options  88            1,347         1,347 
Release of Restricted Shares  154                      
Common Stock Repurchased        53   (1,455             (1,455
Translation Adjustment                    304   304 
Net Loss                 (37,823     (37,823
December 31, 2017  28,490  $31   2,907  $(140,875)  $208,629  $131,214  $(1,152)  $197,847 



See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statementsstatements.

45


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

    

2020

    

2019

 

2018

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net Income (Loss)

$

61,427

$

9,663

$

(54,379)

Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income (Loss):

 

  

 

  

 

  

Depreciation and Amortization

 

17,645

 

17,465

 

18,425

Deferred Income Taxes (Benefit) Provision

 

(12,037)

 

(366)

 

240

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

3,333

 

4,848

 

4,091

Provision for Inventory Obsolescence Reserves

 

3,036

 

1,888

 

3,108

Impairment of Operating Lease Right-Of-Use

935

Reclassification of Foreign Currency Translation to Earnings

 

757

 

 

(Gain) Loss on Disposal of Fixed Assets

 

(211)

 

(221)

 

1,818

Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities:

 

 

 

  

Merchandise Inventories

 

38,617

 

28,941

 

(59,179)

Accounts Payable

 

9,910

 

(13,640)

 

4,852

Customer Deposits and Store Credits

 

19,818

 

1,353

 

1,685

Tariff Recovery Receivable

22,947

(27,025)

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

 

(4,094)

 

(88)

 

2,902

Deposit for Legal Settlement

(21,500)

Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements

 

2,507

 

4,575

 

63,951

Payments for Legal Matters and Settlements

(18,080)

(34,729)

(2,904)

Deferred Payroll Taxes

5,131

Other Assets and Liabilities

 

5,405

 

7,665

 

(6,096)

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities

 

157,046

 

329

 

(42,986)

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Purchases of Property and Equipment

 

(15,828)

 

(19,906)

 

(14,332)

Other Investing Activities

 

966

 

422

 

871

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

 

(14,862)

 

(19,484)

 

(13,461)

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:

 

 

  

 

  

Borrowings on Credit Agreement

 

45,000

 

104,500

 

74,000

Payments on Credit Agreement

 

(26,000)

 

(87,500)

 

(24,000)

Proceeds from the Exercise of Stock Options

 

679

 

 

770

Payments on Financed Insurance Obligations

 

 

 

(612)

Other Financing Activities

 

(901)

 

(1,119)

 

(953)

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

 

18,778

 

15,881

 

49,205

Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

(14)

 

702

 

(1,131)

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

160,948

 

(2,572)

 

(8,373)

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year

 

8,993

 

11,565

 

19,938

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year

$

169,941

$

8,993

$

11,565

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash operating and financing activities:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Release of Deposit for Legal Settlement and Liability

$

21,500

$

$

Tenant Improvement Allowance for Leases

(726)

(2,962)

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
               
Net Loss $(37,823 $(68,563 $(56,433
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Loss to Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities:
               
Depreciation and Amortization  17,739   17,505   17,392 
Deferred Income Taxes (Benefit) Provision  (3,246  14,205   (12,064
Stock-Based Compensation Expense  4,735   5,568   3,941 
Provision for Inventory Obsolescence Reserves  6,349   3,723   26,162 
Impairment and Loss on Disposal of Fixed Assets  1,498      4,392 
Stock-Based Portion of Provision for Securities Class Action     16,760    
Deconsolidation of Variable Interest Entity        1,457 
Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities:
               
Merchandise Inventories  32,614   (62,054  42,773 
Accounts Payable  (52,475  64,025   (21,450
Customer Deposits and Store Credits  6,001   (988  (1,075
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets  28,962   (11,411  (18,385
Accrual for MDL and Related Other Matters  36,960       
Other Assets and Liabilities  (1,922  (6,317  22,494 
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities  39,392   (27,547)   9,204 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
               
Purchases of Property and Equipment  (7,411  (8,908  (22,478
Proceeds from Disposal of Fixed Assets  2,273       
Other Investing Activities  800   575    
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities  (4,338)   (8,333)   (22,478) 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
               
Payments on Revolving Credit Facility  (65,000  (17,000  (19,000
Borrowings on Revolving Credit Facility  40,000   37,000   39,000 
Proceeds from the Exercise of Stock Options  1,347   539    
Payments for Stock Repurchases  (1,455  (433  (295
Payments on Financed Insurance Obligations  (734      
Payments on Capital Lease Obligations  (351  (469   
Payments for Debt Issuance Costs     (933   
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities  (26,193)   18,704   19,705 
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents  806   744   (15) 
Net Increase (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents  9,667   (16,432)   6,416 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year  10,271   26,703   20,287 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year $19,938  $10,271  $26,703 
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash operating and financing activities:
               
Financed Insurance Premiums $1,346  $    
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
               
Borrowing on Capital Lease Obligation to Acquire Equipment $  $351  $ 



See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statementsstatements.

46


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1.         Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively and, where applicable, individually, the “Company”) engage in business as a multi-channel specialty retailer of hardwoodhard-surface flooring, and hardwoodhard-surface flooring enhancements and accessories, operating as a single operating segment. The Company offers an extensive assortment of exotic and domestic hardwood species, engineered hardwood, laminate, resilient vinyl, water-resistant vinyl plank and wood-look ceramicporcelain tile flooring direct to the consumer. The Company also features the renewable flooring products, bamboo and cork, and provides a wide selection of flooring enhancements and accessories, including moldings, noise-reducing underlay,underlayment, adhesives and flooring tools. The Company also provides in-home delivery and installation services to certain of its customers. The Company primarily sells primarily to homeowners or to contractors on behalf of homeowners through a network of 393 store locations in primary or secondary metropolitan areas. The Company’s stores spanned 4647 states in the United States (“U.S.”) and included eight stores in Canada at December 31, 2017.2020. In addition to the store locations, the Company’s products may be ordered, and customer questions/concerns addressed, through both its callcustomer relationship center in Toano,Richmond, Virginia, and its website,digital platform, www.lumberliquidators.comLLFlooring.com. The Company finishes the majority of the Bellawood products on its finishing lines in Toano, Virginia, which along with the call center, corporate offices, and a distribution center, represent the “Corporate Headquarters.”

Organization and Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

The consolidated financial statements of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, include the accounts of its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

In 2014, the Company entered into an arrangement to begin to vertically integrate its domestic hardwood supply to feed its finishing lines. During 2015, the Company decided to discontinue certain of these vertical integration initiatives, which were previously consolidated as a variable interest entity, and terminated its prior arrangement. As a result, the Company recorded a charge of $1,457 in cost of sales in its consolidated statements of operations upon deconsolidation of the variable interest entity. The charge was measured as the difference between the fair value of the assets received upon termination and the carrying value of the related net assets.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. During 2018, the Company recognized significant liabilities related to various legal and regulatory matters. While the payment of these liabilities in 2020, 2019, and 2018 has had, and is expected to have, a material adverse impact on the Company’s liquidity and cash flow from operations, the Company estimates that it has sufficient liquidity through amounts available under its Revolving Credit Facility and forecasted cash flows from operations to fund its working capital, including these legal and regulatory liabilities. The Company prepares its forecasted cash flow and liquidity estimates based on assumptions that it believes to be reasonable but are also inherently uncertain. Actual resultsfuture cash flows could differ from thosethese estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company had cash and cash equivalents of $19,938$170 million and $10,271$9 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively. The Company maintained a high balance at the end of 2020 to provide financial flexibility during the COVID-19 uncertainty. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity date of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents, of which there was zerowere 0 at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively. The Company accepts a range of debit and credit cards, and these transactions are generally transmitted to a bank for reimbursement within 24 hours. The payments due from the banks for these debit and credit card transactions are generally received, or settled, within 24 to 48 hours of the transmission date. The Company considers all debit and credit card transactions that settle in less than seven days to be cash and cash equivalents. Amounts due from the banks for these transactions classified as cash equivalents totaled $13,332 $7.9 millionand $9,609$6.5 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively.

47

Credit Programs

Credit is offered to the Company’s customers through a proprietary credit card, underwritten by a third-party financial institution and generally at no recourse to the Company. A credit line is offered to the


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

Company’s professional customers through the Lumber Liquidators Commercial Credit Program. This commercial credit program is underwritten by a third-party financial institution, generally with no recourse to the Company.

As part of the credit program, the Company’s customers may tender their Lumber Liquidators credit card to receive installation services. As of December 31, 2017, we2020, the Company utilized a network of associates to perform certain customer-facing, consultative services and coordinate the installation of ourits flooring products by third-party independent contractors in 391all of ourits stores. In our remaining stores, installation services are provided through a national arrangement with a third-party.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of financial instruments such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and other liabilities approximates fair value because of the short-term nature of these items. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt was approximately $106 million at December 31, 2020 assuming the current debt levels remain outstanding until maturity. The Company estimates the fair value of its long-term debt using Level 3 inputs which are based upon the current interest rates available to the Company for debt of similar terms and maturities. The carrying amount of obligations under our revolving credit facilityits Credit Agreement approximates fair value due to the variable rate of interest. The fair value of the revolving credit facility is classified as Level 1 as defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”) fair value hierarchy.interest at December 31, 2019.

During 2017, certain non-financial assets, including property and equipment, have been written down and measured in the consolidated financial statements at fair value. Fair value was based on expected future cash flows using Level 2 inputs under the fair value hierarchy. During 2015, certain non-financial assets, including property and equipment, were written down and measured in the consolidated financial statements at fair value. Fair value was based on expected future cash flows using Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy.

Merchandise Inventories

The Company values merchandise inventories at the lower of cost andor net realizable value. The method by which amounts are removed from inventory is weighted average cost. All of the hardwood flooring purchased from vendors is either prefinished or unfinished, and in immediate saleable form. The Company addsrelies on a select group of international suppliers to provide imported flooring products that meet the Company’s specifications. The Company is subject to risks associated with obtaining products from abroad, including disruptions or delays in production, shipments, delivery or processing, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Company continues to be uncertain as to the full impact of COVID-19 to the supply chain, the Company is executing contingency plans to minimize anticipated and potential disruptions to supply chain, domestic distribution centers and store operations. The reduction in inventory as of December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019 was primarily driven by managing our inventory purchases as a direct result of COVID-19, followed by supply chain disruption on replenishment and strong second half sales that kept inventory below our targeted level for year end.

Inventory cost includes the costs of bringing an article to its existing condition and location such as shipping and handling and import tariffs. Prior to the sale of the finishing line equipment in 2018, the Company would add the finish to, and boxes,box, various species of unfinished product, to produce certain proprietary products, primarily Bellawood, at its finishing facility. TheseBellawood. Any finishing and boxing costs arewere included in the average unit cost of related merchandise inventory. TheIn addition, the Company maintains an inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence based on historical results and current sales trends. This reserve was $5.6$6.7 million and $7.1$6.9 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded inventory impairment charges

Included in merchandise inventories are tariff related to its laminate flooring sourcedcosts, including Section 301 tariffs on certain products imported from China in connectionrecent years. A subset of these imports for certain click vinyl and other engineered products (the “Subset Products”) received an exemption that was made retroactive to the beginning of the Section 301 Tariffs for a period of time. The Company has deployed strategies to mitigate tariffs and improve gross margin, including alternative country sourcing, partnering with changescurrent vendors to lower costs and introduce new products, and adjusting its pricing. The following chart provides a timeline and tariff levels for the key events related to Section 301 Tariffs.

48

Section 301 tariff

Corresponding approximate

Event

Timing

level on imports

Tariff level on

percentage of Company's

from China

Subset Products

merchandise subject to tariff

Imposition of Tariffs

September 2018

10%

10% then 0%1

48%

Increase in Tariffs

June 2019

25%

25% then 0%1

44%

Retroactive Exemption on Subset Products1

November 2019

25%

0%

10%

Exemption Not Renewed and Tariffs Re-imposed on Subset Products

August 2020

25%

25%

32%

December 31, 2020

25%

25%

34%

1 On November 7, 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative granted a retroactive exclusion to September 2018 on Subset Products as defined in the executive management teamSection 301 Tariffs section above bringing the rate to 0%.

The Company continues to monitor market pricing and basedpromotional strategies to inform and guide its decisions. The Company has recorded a $4.1 million and $27 million receivable as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to the retroactive exclusion tariffs in the caption “Tariff Recovery Receivable” on the evaluation of the alternatives for disposal, and it was determined that it would not sell the inventory of laminate flooring sourced from China in its stores. As a result of that decision, theconsolidated balance sheets. The Company recorded a chargeexpects to reducereceive the remaining carrying value of this laminate flooring and related moldings to its net realizable value of zero. The Company recorded total charges related to laminate flooring sourced from China of $22.5 million in cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2015 in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The Company disposed of most of this flooring in the fourth quarter of 2017 at a cost of $1.7 million.payments during 2021.

During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company determined that it would refocus on its core business and it would not pursue an expansion into the tile flooring business in the near term. As a result, the Company recorded a lower of cost or market adjustment of $3.7 million for certain tile flooring and related accessories, which is recorded in cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2015 in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates potential impairment losses on long-lived assets and right-of-use assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the assets may be impaired, and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amounts of those assets. If impairment exists and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets, an impairment loss is recorded based on the difference between the carrying value and fair value of the assets. The Company recorded a $0.9 million impairment on operating lease right-of-use assets in 2020 in conjunction with the store closures described in Note 11.

In the third quarter of 2017,During 2018, the Company determined thatdecided to exit the carrying valuefinishing business and entered into an agreement to sell this equipment to a third party, which altered the Company’s expectations of future cash flows from these long-lived assets. As a result, the Company tested certain long-lived assets that had once been part of a discontinued vertical integration strategy was above their fair value,for impairment and recorded ana $1.8 million impairment charge of $1.5 million in within selling, general and administrative (“SG&A&A”) expenses in theits accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The charge was measured as the difference between the fair value (Level 2 inputs under the fair value hierarchy)ASC 820) of the assets and the carrying value of the related net assets based on athe contract to sell to a third party.

No impairment charges were recognized in 2016.

In the third quarter of 2015, During 2019, the Company finalizedreceived $0.9 million in connection with this transaction and had $0.1 million in assets held-for-sale included in Other Current Assets on the terminationConsolidated Balance Sheet as of its agreement relating to certain vertical integration initiatives which changed the Company’s expectations of future cash flows from related long-lived assets. As a result,December 31, 2019. During 2020, the Company tested certain long-lived assets for impairment. The Company recorded a $3received $0.1 million impairment charge within selling, generalin connection with this transaction and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses. The impairment charge was measured under an income approach utilizing forecasted discounted cash flows. Fair value was based on expected future cash flows using Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy. The most significant unobservable input used in the fair value analysis relates to the estimated sales price of the long-lived assets.

In the second quarter of 2015, the Company concluded that its decision not to pursue an expansion into the tile flooring business in the near term was a triggering event requiring assessment of recoverability for certain of its long-lived assets. As a result, the Company tested the long-lived assets for impairmenthad 0 balance remaining related to its store locations selling a significant assortmentit on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of tile flooring. The Company recorded a $1.4 million impairment charge, which is recorded within SG&A expenses for the year ended December 31, 3015 in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The impairment charge was measured under an income approach utilizing forecasted discounted cash flows. Fair value was based on expected future cash flows using Level 3 inputs under fair value hierarchy. The most significant unobservable input used in the fair value analysis relates to the estimated sales price of the long-lived assets.2020.

Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangibles

Goodwill represents the costs in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired associated with acquisitions by the Company. Other assets include $0.8 million for an indefinite-lived intangible asset for the phone number 1-800-HARDWOOD and related internet domain names. The Company evaluates these assetsgoodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the asset carrying value exceeds its fair value. Based on the analysis performed, the Company has concluded that no0 impairment in the value of these assetsgoodwill has occurred.

Self-Insurance

The Company is self-insured for certain employee health benefit claims and for certain workers’ compensation claims. The Company estimates a liability for aggregate losses below stop-loss coverage limits based on estimates of the ultimate costs to be incurred to settle known claims and claims incurred but not reported as of the balance sheet date. The estimated liability is not discounted and is based on a number of assumptions and factors including historical and

49

industry trends and economic conditions. This liability could


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

be affected if future occurrences and claims differ from these assumptions and historical trends. As of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the Company had accruals of $2.1$2.9 million and $2.5 million, respectively, related to estimated claims was included in other current liabilities.

Recognition of Net Sales

The Company recognizes net salesgenerates revenues primarily by retailing merchandise in the form of hard-surface and porcelain flooring and accessories. Additionally, the Company expands its revenues by offering services to deliver and/or install this merchandise for products purchased atits customers; it considers these services to be separate performance obligations. The separate performance obligations are detailed on the timecustomer’s invoice(s) and the customer takes possessionoften purchases flooring merchandise without purchasing installation or delivery services. Sales occur through a network of 410 stores, which spanned 47 states at December 31, 2020. In addition, both the merchandise. Servicemerchandise and services can be ordered through a call center and from the Company’s digital platform, LLFlooring.com. The Company’s agreements with its customers are of short duration (less than a year), and as such the Company has elected not to disclose revenue primarily installation revenue and freight charges for in-home delivery, is includedpartially satisfied contracts that will be completed in net sales and recognized when the service has been rendered.days following the end of a period as permitted by GAAP. The Company reports salesits revenues exclusive of sales taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental taxing authorities, and net of an allowance for anticipated sales returnsconsistent with past practice.

Revenue is based on historicalconsideration specified in a contract with a customer and currentexcludes any sales trendsincentives from vendors and experience.amounts collected on behalf of third parties. The sales returns allowanceCompany recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product to a customer or performing service for a customer. Revenues from installation and related changes were not significant for 2017, 2016freight services are recognized when the delivery is made or 2015.

In total, we offer more than 400 different flooring product stock-keeping units; however, no single flooring product represented more than 2%the installation is complete, which approximates the recognition of our sales mix. By major product category, our sales mix was as follows:

      
 2017 2016 2015
Solid and Engineered Hardwood $358,379   35 $318,397   33 $378,501   38
Bamboo and Cork  138,827   13  137,801   14  153,512   16
Vinyl Plank  94,838   9  85,614   9  48,506   5
Laminate  132,654   13  149,745   16  153,722   16
Moldings and Accessories and Other  213,311   21  204,173   21  203,902   21
Installation and Delivery Services  90,924   9  64,858   7  40,633   4
Total $1,028,933   100 $960,588   100 $978,776   100

revenue over time due to the short duration of service provided. The price of the Company’s merchandise and services is specified in the respective contract and detailed on the invoice agreed to with the customer including any discounts. The Company generally requires customers to pay a deposit, equal to approximately half of the retail sales value, when purchasingordering merchandise inventories not regularly carried in a given store location or not currently in stock. These deposits are includedIn addition, the Company generally does not extend credit to its customers with payment due in customer deposits and store credits untilfull at the time the customer takes possession of merchandise or when the merchandise. Installationservice is provided. Customer payments and freightdeposits received in advance of the customer taking possession of the merchandise or receiving the services are requiredrecorded as deferred revenues in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet caption “Customer Deposits and Store Credits”.

The following table shows the activity in this account for the periods noted:

Year Ended December 31, 

2020

2019

2018

Customer Deposits and Store Credits, Beginning Balance

$

(41,571)

$

(40,332)

$

(38,546)

New Deposits

(1,191,673)

(1,163,691)

(1,155,019)

Recognition of Revenue

1,097,702

1,092,602

1,084,636

Sales Tax included in Customer Deposits

68,681

67,029

67,125

Other

5,472

2,821

1,472

Customer Deposits and Store Credits, Ending Balance

$

(61,389)

$

(41,571)

$

(40,332)

Subject to be paidthe Company’s policy, return of unopened merchandise is generally accepted for 90 days, subject to the discretion of the store manager. The amount of revenue recognized for flooring merchandise is adjusted for expected returns, which are estimated based on the Company’s historical data, current sales levels and forecasted economic trends. The Company uses the expected value method to estimate returns because it has a large number of contracts with similar characteristics. The Company reduces revenue by the amount of expected returns and records it within “Other Current Liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheet. The Company continues to estimate the amount of returns based on the historical data. In addition, the Company recognizes a related asset for the right to recover returned merchandise and records it in advance (unless prohibited by law).the “Other Current Assets” caption of the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. This amount was $1.3 million and $1.2 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company recognizes sales commissions as incurred since the amortization period is less than one year.

50

In total, the Company offers hundreds of different flooring products; however, no single flooring product represented a significant portion of its sales mix. By major product category, the Company’s sales mix was as follows:

    

Year Ended December 31,

 

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Manufactured Products 1

$

505,333

46

%  

$

452,914

41

%  

$

392,512

36

%

Solid and Engineered Hardwood

299,012

    

27

%  

319,582

    

29

%  

367,026

    

34

%

Moldings and Accessories and Other

 

170,484

 

16

%  

 

183,545

 

17

%  

 

196,411

 

18

%

Installation and Delivery Services

 

122,873

 

11

%  

 

136,561

 

13

%  

 

128,687

 

12

%

Total

$

1,097,702

 

100

%  

$

1,092,602

 

100

%  

$

1,084,636

 

100

%

1

Includes laminate, vinyl, engineered vinyl plank and porcelain tile.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes the cost of products sold, including tariffs, the product sold, cost of installation services, and transportation costs from vendorvendors to the Company’s distribution centers or store locations,locations. It also includes any applicable finishing costs related to production of the Company’s proprietary brands, transportation costs from distribution centers to store locations, transportation costs for the delivery of products from store locations to customers, certain costs of quality control procedures, warranty and customer satisfaction costs, inventory adjustments including obsolescence and shrinkage, and costs to produce samples, reduced bywhich are net of vendor allowances.

The Company offers a range of limited warranties for the durability of the finish on its prefinished products to its services provided. These limited warranties range from one to 100 years, with lifetime warranties for certain of the Company’s products. Warranty reserves are based primarily on claims experience, sales history and other considerations, including payments made to satisfy customers for claims not directly related to the warranty on the Company’s products. Warranty costs are recorded in cost of sales. This reserve was $1.6$1.1 million and $1.8$0.9 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively. The Company is able to seekseeks recovery from its vendors and third-party independent contractors of installation services for certain amounts paid.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

Vendor allowances primarily consist of volume rebates that are earned as a result of attaining certain purchase levels and reimbursement for the cost of producing samples. Vendor allowances are accrued as earned, with those allowances received as a result of attaining certain purchase levels accrued over the incentive period based on estimates of purchases. Volume rebates earned are initially recorded as a reduction in merchandise inventories and a subsequent reduction in cost of sales when the related product is sold. Reimbursement received for the cost of producing samples is recorded as an offset against cost of sales.

Accrual for Air Quality Emissions Screening Test Costs

The Company offers a free indoor air quality testing program for customers who purchased laminate flooring sourced from China during the period from February 22, 2012 to February 27, 2015. The Company established a reserve to provide for the estimated future expenses required to support the program. Reserve estimates are based on management’s judgment, considering such factors as cost per air quality testing request, recent historical experience, and the anticipated number of future requests for the duration of the program. Management reviews and adjusts these estimates, if necessary, on a quarterly basis based on any differences in actual and expected program cost experience.

During the second quarter of 2017, the Company reduced its estimate of the number of test kit requests based on its experience, and reduced its estimate of the administrative costs of the Air Quality Testing Program. The revised estimates were in part prompted by the CPSC’s July 2017 decision to close this case with the Company and terminate its monitoring activity of the Air Quality Testing Program. The Company will continue to offer tests kits to qualifying customers, but the lower total estimated future costs of the Air Quality Testing Program resulted in a reduction in the reserve and the corresponding offset to cost of sales of $1 million. At December 31, 2017, the Company’s estimate of its future costs for the Air Quality Testing Program through June 30, 2018 is approximately $0.1 million. Beyond that time the Company expects the costs of the Air Quality Testing Program, if any, to be negligible.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs charged to selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses, net of vendor allowances, were $76,586, $80,079$62 million, $75 million and $77,455$74 million in 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015,2018, respectively. The Company uses various types of media to brand its name and advertise its products. Media production costs are generally expensed as incurred, except for direct mail, which is expensed when the finished piece enters the postal system. Media placement costs are generally expensed in the month the advertising occurs, except for contracted endorsements and sports agreements, which are generally expensed ratably over the contract period. Amounts paid in advance are included in prepaid expenses and totaled $1,077 and $747$0.4 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016, respectively.2019.

Store Opening Costs

Costs to open new store locations are charged to SG&A expenses as incurred, net of any vendor support.

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Other Vendor Consideration

Consideration from non-merchandise vendors, including royalties and rebates, are generally recorded as an offset to SG&A expenses when earned.

Depreciation and Amortization

Property and equipment is carried at cost and depreciated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives. The estimated useful lives for leasehold improvements are the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the remainder of the lease terms. For leases with optional renewal periods for which renewal is not reasonably assured,certain, the Company uses the original lease term, excluding optional renewal periods, to


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

determine the appropriate estimated useful lives. Capitalized software costs are capitalized from the time that technological feasibility is established until the software is ready for use. The estimated useful lives are generally as follows:

Years

Buildings and Building Improvements

7 to 40

Property and Equipment

3 to 15

10

Computer Software and Hardware

3 to 10

Leasehold Improvements

1 to 15

10

Operating

Leases

The Company hasdetermines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized as the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of the leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company used its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU asset also is adjusted for its stores, Corporate Headquarters,any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease at certain dates, typically at the Company’s own discretion. The Company regularly evaluates the renewal options and when they are reasonably certain of its distribution facilities, supplemental office facilities and certain equipment. The lease agreements for certain stores and distribution facilities contain rent escalation clauses, rent holidays and tenant improvement allowances. For scheduled rent escalation clauses during the lease terms or for rental payments commencing at a date other than the date of initial occupancy,exercise, the Company recordsincludes the renewal period in its lease term. Many of the Company’s leases include both lease (e.g., payments including rent, taxes, and insurance costs) and non-lease components (e.g., common-area or other maintenance costs) which are accounted for as a single lease component as the Company has elected the practical expedient to group lease and non-lease components for all leases. Lease expense for minimum rental expenses in SG&A expenseslease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the termsterm of the leases. agreement.

The difference between the rental expense and rent paid is recorded as deferred rentCompany made an accounting policy election that payments under agreements with an initial term of 12 months or less will not be included on the consolidated balance sheets. For tenant improvement allowances,sheet but will be recognized in the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement.

In April 2020, the FASB staff issued a question and answer document (the “Lease Modification Q&A”) focused on the application of lease accounting guidance to lease concessions obtained as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under existing lease guidance, the Company records deferred rentwould have to determine, on a lease-by-lease basis, if a lease concession obtained was a result of a new arrangement reached with the lessor (treated within the lease modification accounting framework) or if a lease concession obtained was under the enforceable rights and obligations within the existing lease agreement (precluded from applying the lease modification accounting framework). The Lease Modification Q&A allows lessees, if certain criteria have been met, to bypass the lease-by-lease analysis, and instead elect to either apply the lease modification accounting framework or not, with such election applied consistently to leases with similar characteristics and similar circumstances. The Company has elected to apply this practical expedient for the period beginning as of April 1, 2020 for those agreements where total payments under the modified lease are substantially the same or less than the original agreement. Included in “Operating Lease Liabilities - Current” on the consolidated balance sheets and amortizessheet is the remaining $2.9 million liability as of December 31, 2020 related to deferred payments (net of repayments) as a result of COVID-19 rent overconcessions, as well as an additional remaining $0.1 million included in

52

“Operating Lease Liabilities - Long-Term.” The deferred payments will be made in accordance with each concession agreement for periods up the termsremainder of the leases as reductions to rental expense.lease term.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records compensation expense associated with stock options and other forms of equity compensation in accordance with FASB ASC 718. The Company may issue incentive awards, including performance-based awards, in the form of stock options, restricted shares and other equity awards to employees, non-employee directors and other service providers. The Company recognizes expense for the majority of its stock-based compensation based on the fair value of the awards that are granted. For awards granted to non-employee directors, expense is recognized based on the fair value of the award at the end of a reporting period. For performance-based awards granted to certain members of senior management, the Company recognizes expense after assessing the probability of the achievement of certain financial metrics on a periodic basis. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to vest, with forfeitures estimated at the date of grant based on historical experience and future expectations. Measured compensation cost is recognized ratably over the requisite service period of the entire related stock-based compensation award.

Business Interruption Insurance Proceeds

In August 2019, the Company experienced a network security incident caused by malware that prevented access to several of the Company’s information technology systems and data. In 2020 the company recorded $2.5 million from the final settlement of the business interruption insurance claim in SG&A during the third quarter of 2020.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company’s former Canadian operations useused the Canadian dollar as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities arewere translated at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses arewere translated at the average monthly exchange rates during the year. Resulting translation adjustments arehave been recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income on the consolidated balance sheets. As discussed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements, we closed all our stores in Canada in December 2020. The Company realized expense of $0.8 million for the year ending December 31, 2020 for the reclassification of the remaining cumulative translation adjustments to earnings that were previously included in Other Comprehensive Loss on its consolidated balance sheet.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with FASB ASC 740 (“ASC 740”). Income taxes are provided for under the asset and liability method and consider differences between the tax and financial accounting bases. The tax effects of these differences are reflected on the consolidated balance sheets as deferred income taxes and measured using the effective tax rate expected to be in effect when the differences reverse. ASC 740 also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In evaluating the need for a valuation allowance, the Company takes into account various factors, including the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, expected level of future taxable income, the duration of statutory carryforward periods and tax planning alternatives. In future periods, any valuation allowance will be re-evaluated in accordance with ASC 740, and a change, if required, will be recorded through income tax expense in the period such determination is made.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the relevant taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of its position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company classifies interest and penalties related to income tax matters as a component of income tax expense.

53

Net Income per Common Share

Basic net income per common share is determined by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted net income per common share is determined by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year, plus the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, including stock options and restricted shares. Common stock and common stock equivalents included in the computation represent shares issuable upon assumed exercise of outstanding stock options and release of restricted shares, except when the effect of their inclusion would be antidilutive.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, which amends ASC Topic 740, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. In summary, the core principle of Topic 740 is that an entity classifies both current and noncurrent deferred income tax assets and liabilities in the noncurrent section of the statement of financial position. The amendments in ASU 2015-17 became effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this new guidance during the first quarter of 2017 on a retrospective basis, and accordingly reclassified approximately $6,090 of current deferred tax assets to long-term deferred tax liabilities, such that the December 31, 2016 balance sheet reflects a noncurrent deferred tax liability of $3,798 and a current deferred tax asset of zero. The adoption of this guidance had no impact on the Company’s results of operations or cash flows.

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, which amends ASC Topic 718,Compensation — Stock Compensation, which simplifies the accounting for employee share-based payments. The new standard requires the immediate recognition of all excess tax benefits and deficiencies in the income statement (rather than equity), and was adopted in the first quarter of 2017 on a prospective basis. The standard also requires classification of excess tax benefits as an operating activity as opposed to a financing activity in the statements of cash flows. The Company applied this amendment of the standard on a retrospective basis starting in the first quarter of 2017. At December 31, 2016, the Company presented cash flows from excess tax benefits of approximately $54 within financing activities. The standard also clarifies that all cash payments made to taxing authorities on the employees’ behalf for shares withheld should be presented as financing activities on the statements of cash flows, which was consistent with the Company’s existing practice. Finally, the standard provides for a policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures as they occur. The Company continues to include the impact of estimated forfeitures when determining share-based compensation expense.

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), which creates ASC Topic 606,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605,Revenue Recognition, including most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. In addition, ASU 2014-09 supersedes the cost guidance in Subtopic 605-35,Revenue Recognition — Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts, and creates new Subtopic 340-40,Other Assets and Deferred Costs — Contracts with Customers. The core principle of Topic 606 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-14,Revenue from Contracts with


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  – (continued)

Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this ASU on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. There was no need to adjust Retained Earnings. The Company established a cross-functional team in 2016 to review its current accounting policies and practices, assess the effect of the standard on its revenue contracts and identify potential differences. In addition, the Company has refined its business processes and controls to support recognition and disclosure under the new standard. The Company has concluded that (i) its merchandise and installation sales order arrangements each independently meet the definition of a contract when each arrangement is delivered to its customers; (ii) the transaction price as impacted by sales returns and promotional activities will be similar to what it has recognized in the past, including financing arrangements it offers to its customers; (iii) sales commission costs it pays to its employees will be recognized in a fashion similar to its current practice; and (iv) installation sales will continue to be recognized on a gross basis.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02 (“ASU 2016-02”), which creates ASC Topic 842,Leases, and supersedes the lease accounting requirements in Topic 840,Leases. In summary, Topic 842 requires organizations that lease assets — referred to as “lessees” — to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The amendments in ASU 2016-02 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Therefore, the amendments in ASU 2016-02 will become effective for the Company at the beginning of its 2019 fiscal year. The Company is currently assessing the impact of implementing the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements including educating employees of the breadth of the new standard, and having providers provide demonstrations of software capabilities and requirements, and evaluation contracts in light of the new standard. When implemented, the standard is expected to have a material impact as operating leases discussed in Note 5 will be recognized on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

Note 2.         Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consisted of:

December 31,

    

2020

    

2019

Land

$

4,937

$

4,937

Building

 

44,527

 

44,395

Property and Equipment

 

58,371

 

57,047

Computer Software and Hardware

 

61,581

 

51,437

Leasehold Improvement

 

55,311

 

54,139

Assets under Construction

 

1,508

 

1,549

 

226,235

 

213,504

Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization

 

128,678

 

114,771

Property and Equipment, net

$

97,557

$

98,733

  
 December 31,
   2017 2016
Land $4,937  $5,951 
Building  44,299   44,283 
Property and Equipment  60,337   61,358 
Computer Software and Hardware  50,415   47,637 
Leasehold Improvement  40,277   38,361 
Assets under Construction  596   1,102 
    200,861   198,692 
Less: Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization  100,370   83,688 
Property and Equipment, net $100,491  $115,004 

As of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the Company had cumulatively capitalized $37,905 $48 millionand $35,650$42 million of computer software costs, respectively. Amortization expense related to these assets was $3,875, $3,604$4.4 million, $4.6 million and $3,501$4.3 million for 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015,2018, respectively.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 3.         Other Liabilities

Other long-term liabilities consisted of:

December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties Accrual, Including Accrued Interest

$

10,136

$

12,795

Deferred Payroll Taxes

2,566

Other

 

591

 

962

Other Long Term Liabilities

$

13,293

$

13,757

  
 December 31,
   2017 2016
Antidumping and Countervailing Accrual $10,372  $10,372 
Deferred Rent  5,150   5,858 
Lease Incentive Obligation  2,872   3,038 
Other  841   1,874 
Other Long Term Liabilities $19,235  $21,142 

As a result of the CARES Act, the Company has Deferred Payroll Taxes of approximately $2.6 million that are to be paid by the end of 2021, with the remaining approximately $2.6 million to be paid by the end of 2022.

Note 4.         Revolving Credit Agreement

On August 17, 2016, theThe Company Lumber Liquidators, Inc. (“LLI”) and Lumber Liquidators Services, LLC (“LL Services” and collectively with LLI, the “Borrowers”), entered intohas a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreementcredit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A. (the “Bank”) and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo” and, collectively withNational Association (the “Lenders”). On April 17, 2020, the Bank,Company entered into a First Amendment to the “Lenders”Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”) with the Bank as administrative agent and collateral agent (in this capacity,Lenders. The execution of the “Agent”) and Wells Fargo as syndication agent. TheAmendment, among other things, temporarily increased the maximum amount of borrowings under the revolving credit agreementRevolving Credit Facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) is $150from $175 million (butto $212.5 million until August 30, 2020, subject to the borrowing base asbases described inbelow.

54

The total size of the Credit Agreement). The Borrowers also haveAgreement temporarily increased to $237.5 million, inclusive of the option to increase thefirst in-last out $25 million term loan (the “FILO Term Loan”).

The Revolving Credit Facility up to a maximum total amount of $200 million subject to the satisfaction of the conditions to such increase specified in the Credit Agreement.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had $126 million available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility, which was net of $3.7 million in outstanding letters of credit, $15 million in outstanding borrowings and certain limitations based on the borrowing base and the fixed charge coverage ratio covenant.

The Credit Agreement maturesFILO Term Loan mature on August 17, 2021, is guaranteed by the CompanyMarch 29, 2024 and its other domestic subsidiaries other than LLI and LL Services andare secured by security interests in the Collateral (as defined in the Credit Agreement), which includes substantially all assets of the Company including, among other things, the Company’s inventory and accountscredit card receivables, and the Company’s East Coast distribution center located in Sandston, Virginia. Under the terms of the Credit Agreement, the Company has the ability to release the East Coast distribution center from the Collateral under certain conditions.

The Revolving Credit Facility has no mandated payment provisions and a fee of 0.25% per annum onAmendment permanently increased the average daily unused portion, paid quarterly in arrears. Loans outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility can bear interest based on the Base Rate or themargin for LIBOR Rate each asLoans (as defined in the Credit Agreement. Interest on BaseAmendment) to (i) 2.50% to 3.00% over the applicable LIBOR Rate loans is charged at varying per annum rates computed(as defined in the Amendment) with respect to Revolving Loans (as defined in the Amendment) and (ii) 3.75% to 4.50% over the applicable LIBOR Rate with respect to FILO Term Loans (as defined in the Amendment), in each case (for one, two, three or six month interest periods as selected by applying a margin ranging from 0.50% to 0.75% (dependentthe Company) depending on the Company’s average daily excess borrowing availability under the Revolving Credit Facility during the most recently completed fiscal quarter) overquarter. The Amendment also permanently increased the unused commitment fee of 0.25% per annum to 0.50% per annum on the average daily unused amount of the Revolving Credit Facility during the most recently completed calendar quarter. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility carried an average interest rate of 3.75% and the FILO Term Loan carried an interest rate of 5.125%.

Prior to the Amendment, loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement bore interest based on the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) or the Base Rate.Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Interest on LIBORBase Rate loans and fees for standby letters of credit arewas charged at varying per annum rates computed by applying a margin ranging from 1.50%(i) 0.25% to 1.75% (dependent0.75% over the Base Rate with respect to revolving loans and (ii) 1.25% to 2.00% over the Base Rate with respect to the FILO Term Loan, in each case depending on the Company’s average daily excess borrowing availability under the Revolving Credit Facility during the most recently completed fiscal quarter)quarter. Interest on LIBOR Rate loans and fees for standby letters of credit were charged at varying per annum rates computed by applying a margin ranging from (i) 1.25% to 1.75% over the applicable LIBOR rate for one, two, threeRate with respect to revolving loans and (ii) 2.25% to 3.00% over the applicable LIBOR Rate with respect to the FILO Term Loan, in each case depending on the Company’s’ average daily excess borrowing availability under the Revolving Credit Facility during the most recently completed fiscal quarter.

As of December 31, 2020, a total of $76 million was outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility and $25 million was outstanding under the FILO Term Loan. The Company also had $4 million in letters of credit which factor into its remaining availability. As of December 31, 2020, there was $44 million of availability under the Revolving Credit Facility and $170 million of cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheet.

The Revolving Credit Facility is available to the Company up to the lesser of (1) $175 million (had been temporarily increased to $212.5 million until August 30, 2020 under the Amendment) or six month interest periods as selected(2) a revolving borrowing base equal to the sum of specified percentages of the Company’s eligible inventory (including eligible in-transit inventory), eligible credit card receivables, and eligible owned real estate, less certain reserves, all of which are defined by the Company.terms of the Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Borrowing Base”). If the outstanding FILO Term Loan exceeds the FILO Borrowing Base (as defined in the Credit Agreement), the amount of such excess reduces availability under the Revolving Borrowing Base. The Company retained an option to increase the Revolving Credit Facility to a maximum total amount of $225 million, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions to such increase as specified in the Credit Agreement.

The Credit Agreement contains a fixed charge coverage ratio covenant that becomes effective in the event that the Company’s excess borrowingonly when specified availability under the Revolving Credit Facility falls below the greater of $15$17.5 million or 10% of the maximum revolver amount. This covenant was met at December 31, 2017. It was not met at December 31, 2016.Combined Loan Cap (as defined in the Credit Agreement).


55

TABLE OF CONTENTSTable of Contents

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 5.         Leases

The Company has operating leases for its stores, Corporate Headquarters and West Coastcorporate headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, its distribution center on the west coast, supplemental office facilities and certain equipment. The store location leases are operating leases and generally have five-year base periods with one1 or more five-year renewal periods. The Corporate Headquarters and thecorporate headquarters in Richmond, Virginia has base terms running through December 31, 2029. The supplemental office facility in Richmond, Virginia have operating leases withhas base terms running through December 31, 2019.2023. The West Coast distribution center on the west coast has an operating lease with a base termterms running through October 31, 2024.

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company leased the Corporate Headquarters, which includes a store location and 29 and 30 of its locations, representing 7.8% and 8.3% of the total number of store leases in operation, respectively, from the Company’s founder. During 2016 and 2015, the Company also leased a warehouse from its founder, which was subsequently vacated in December 2017. Effective December 31, 2016, upon the departure of the Company’s founder from the board of directors, these entities no longer meet the criteria of a related party. Rent expense to this related party was $3.4 million and $3.1 million in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Total rent expense was $32.5$37 million, $30.3$37 million and $28.8$34 million in 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015,2018, respectively.

The cost components of the Company’s operating leases recorded in SG&A on the consolidated statement of operations were as follows for the periods shown:

Year Ended December 31, 2020

Year Ended December 31, 2019

Store Leases

    

Other Leases

    

Total

        

Store Leases

    

Other Leases

    

Total

Operating lease costs

$

33,652

$

3,905

$

37,557

$

32,759

$

4,078

$

36,837

Variable lease costs

8,604

771

9,375

8,381

1,007

9,388

Total

$

42,256

$

4,676

$

46,932

$

41,140

$

5,085

$

46,225

Variable lease costs consist primarily of taxes, insurance, and common area or other maintenance costs for our leased facilities, which are paid as incurred.

Other information related to leases were as follows:

��

Year Ended December 31, 2020

Year Ended December 31, 2019

Store Leases

    

Other Leases

    

Total

Store Leases

    

Other Leases

    

Total

Supplemental Cash Flows Information

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

Operating cash flows from operating leases

$

31,284

$

4,199

$

35,483

$

33,590

$

4,252

$

37,842

Right-of-use assets obtained or modified in exchange for operating lease obligations

$

16,363

$

1,124

$

17,487

$

25,745

$

9,828

$

35,573

Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term (years)

4.66

6.63

4.99

4.81

7.60

5.28

Weighted Average Discount Rate

5.7

%

5.3

%

5.6

%

5.8

%

5.5

%

5.7

%

56

At December 31, 2017,2020, the future minimum rental payments under non-cancellable operating leases were as follows:

Operating Leases

    

    

    

Total

Other

Operating

Store Leases

Leases

Leases

2021

$

34,579

4,221

$

38,800

2022

 

26,055

4,104

 

30,159

2023

 

20,468

4,104

 

24,572

2024

 

13,861

3,593

 

17,454

2025

 

8,691

1,560

 

10,251

Thereafter

 

12,868

6,680

 

19,548

Total minimum lease payments

116,522

24,262

140,784

Less imputed interest

(13,771)

(3,795)

(17,566)

Total

$

102,751

$

20,467

$

123,218

    
 Operating Leases
   Headquarters
Lease
 Store Leases Distribution
Centers & Other
Leases
 Total
Operating
Leases
2018 $1,348  $28,762  $2,820  $32,930 
2019  1,389   24,377   2,418   28,184 
2020     20,742   2,383   23,125 
2021     14,928   2,097   17,025 
2022     8,959   2,133   11,092 
Thereafter     8,758   4,239   12,997 
Total minimum lease payments $2,737  $106,526  $16,090  $125,353 

Note 6.         Stockholders’ Equity

Net Income per Common Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per common share:

Year Ended December 31, 

 

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Net Income (Loss)

$

61,427

    

$

9,663

    

$

(54,379)

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding—Basic

 

28,830

 

28,689

 

28,571

Effect of Dilutive Securities:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Common Stock Equivalents

 

417

 

104

 

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding—Diluted

 

29,247

 

28,793

 

28,571

Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Basic

$

2.13

$

0.34

$

(1.90)

Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Diluted

$

2.10

$

0.34

$

(1.90)

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Net Loss $(37,823 $(68,563 $(56,433
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic  28,407   27,284   27,082 
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
               
Common Stock Equivalents         
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted  28,407   27,284   27,082 
Net Loss per Common Share – Basic $(1.33 $(2.51 $(2.08
Net Loss per Common Share – Diluted $(1.33 $(2.51 $(2.08

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 6. Stockholders’ Equity  – (continued)

The following have been excluded from the computation of Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding — Outstanding—Diluted because the effect would be antidilutive:

As of December 31, 

 

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Stock Options

 

209

    

604

    

643

Restricted Shares

118

187

407

   
 As of December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Stock Options  653,019   666,538   650,759 
Restricted Shares  432,777   516,072   225,027 

Stock Issuance

On November 17, 2016, the Company issued 1 million shares of its common stock to a court approved settlement fund in connection with a final court approval of a definitive settlement agreement as discussed in Note 10. These shares were valued at $16.8 million based on the closing price of the Company shares of $16.76 on the settlement date. These shares have been included in the Company’s calculation of weighted average common shares outstanding from the date of issuance.

Stock Repurchase Program

In 2012, theThe Company’s Boardboard of Directors (“Board”)directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $100$150 million of the Company’s common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. In January 2014, the Company’s Board authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $50 million of the Company’s common stock, bringing the total authorization to $150 million and atstock. At December 31, 2015,2020, the Company had $14.7approximately $14.7 million remaining under this authorization. The Company did not0t purchase any shares under this program during the yearsthree-years ended December 31, 2017, December 31, 2016 or December 31, 2015.2020.

57

Note 7.         Stock-Based Compensation

Overview

The Company has an equity incentive plan (the “Plan”) for employees, non-employee directors and other service providers from which the Company may grant stock options, restricted shares, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) and other equity awards. The total number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Plan is 6.17.8 million. As of December 31, 2017, 1.12020, 2.5 million shares of common stock were available for future grants. Stock options granted under the Plan expire no later than ten years from the date of grant and the exercise price shall not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. Vesting periods are assigned to stock options and restricted shares on a grant by grantgrant-by-grant basis at the discretion of the Board. The Company issues new shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted shares.

The Company also maintains the Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. Outside Directors Deferral Plan under which each of the Company’s non-employee directors has the opportunity to elect annually to defer certain fees until departure from the Board. A non-employee director may elect to defer up to 100% of his or her fees and have such fees invested in deferred stock units. Deferred stock units must be settled in common stock upon the director’s departure from the Board. There were 122,007183,851 and 131,506158,283 deferred stock units outstanding at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 7. Stock-Based Compensation  – (continued)

Stock Options

The following table summarizes activity related to stock options:

    
 Shares Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 Remaining
Average
Contractual
Term (Years)
 Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balance, December 31, 2014  652,808  $42.81   6.9  $18,113 

    

    

    

Remaining

    

Weighted 

 Average 

Aggregate  

Average 

Contractual 

Intrinsic

Shares

Exercise Price

Term (Years)

Value

Balance, December 31, 2017

689,668

$

25.31

7.7

$

8,530

Granted  410,164   25.34           

215,297

20.54

  

  

Exercised     0.00           

(43,510)

17.70

  

  

Forfeited  (370,196  44.71       

 

(128,870)

 

33.25

 

  

 

  

Balance, December 31, 2015  692,776  $31.45   7.7  $1,283 

Balance, December 31, 2018

 

732,585

$

22.97

 

7.3

$

Granted

 

110,535

 

8.47

 

  

 

  

Forfeited

 

(149,657)

 

25.16

 

  

 

  

Balance, December 31, 2019

 

693,463

$

20.18

 

7.1

$

144

Granted  443,147   13.51           

 

236,307

 

12.00

 

  

 

  

Exercised  (60,781  9.37           

 

(39,824)

 

17.04

 

  

 

  

Forfeited  (239,528  27.16       

 

(335,990)

 

18.27

 

  

 

  

Balance, December 31, 2016  835,614  $24.86   7.5  $1,167 
Granted  127,984   22.09           
Exercised  (87,955  15.31           
Forfeited  (185,975  25.62       
Balance, December 31, 2017  689,668  $25.31   7.7  $8,530 
Exercisable at December 31, 2017  264,916  $33.70       $2,575 
Vested and expected to vest December 31, 2017  689,668  $25.31       $8,530 

Balance, December 31, 2020

 

553,956

$

18.08

 

7.8

$

8,508

Exercisable at December 31, 2020

 

217,780

$

26.31

 

  

$

2,450

Vested and expected to vest December 31, 2020

 

553,956

$

18.08

 

  

$

8,508

The aggregate intrinsic value is the difference between the exercise price and the closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31. The intrinsic value of the stock options exercised during 2017, 20162020 and 20152018 was $828, $343$0.5 million and zero,$0.3 million, respectively. There were 0 stock options exercised during 2019.

As of December 31, 2017,2020, total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options was approximately $2,729,$1.3 million, net of estimated forfeitures, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.52.8 years.

58

The fair value of each stock option award is estimated by management on the date of the grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The weighted average fair value of options granted during 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 20152018 was $11.20, $6.75$6.20, $4.32 and $11.87,$10.69, respectively.

The following are the ranges ofaverage assumptions for the periods noted:

   
 Year Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015

Year Ended December 31, 

 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

 

Expected dividend rate  0%   0%   0% 

    

0

%  

0

%  

0

%

Expected stock price volatility  55%   55%   50% 

57

%  

55

%  

55

%

Risk-free interest rate  1.7%   1.3%   1.7% 

1.1

%  

2.1

%  

2.8

%

Expected term of options  5.5 years   5.5 years   5.5 years 

5.5

 years  

5.5

 years  

5.5

years  

The expected stock price volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price. The volatilities are estimated for a period of time equal to the expected term of the related option. The risk-free interest rate is based on the implied yield of U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with an equivalent remaining term. The expected term of the options represents the estimated period of time until exercise and is determined by considering the contractual terms, vesting schedule and expectations of future employee behavior.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 7. Stock-Based Compensation  – (continued)

Restricted Shares

The following table summarizes activity related to restricted shares:

  
 Shares Weighted
Average Grant
Date Fair
Value
Nonvested, December 31, 2014  157,089  $49.98 

    

    

Weighted Average 

Grant Date Fair 

Shares

Value

Nonvested, December 31, 2017

 

479,746

$

18.71

Granted  386,517   18.30 

 

224,835

 

22.39

Released  (27,187  55.59 

 

(137,064)

 

18.67

Forfeited  (54,748  45.93 

 

(80,305)

 

17.98

Nonvested, December 31, 2015  461,671  $23.61 

Nonvested, December 31, 2018

 

487,212

$

20.54

Granted  343,517   12.41 

 

661,784

 

10.35

Released  (130,523  24.23 

 

(130,721)

 

11.09

Forfeited  (88,478  18.29 

 

(107,309)

 

14.71

Nonvested, December 31, 2016  586,187  $17.71 

Nonvested, December 31, 2019

 

910,966

$

15.18

Granted  207,196   19.56 

 

474,877

 

10.53

Released  (205,349  18.31 

 

(230,696)

 

12.85

Forfeited  (108,288  15.68 

 

(283,121)

 

13.70

Nonvested, December 31, 2017  479,746  $18.71 

Nonvested, December 31, 2020

 

872,026

$

13.75

The fair value of restricted shares released during 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 20152018 was $5,151, $1,617$2.0 million, $1.5 million and $941,$2.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017,2020, total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted shares was approximately $3,947,$4.7 million, net of estimated forfeitures, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.22.3 years.

The Company granted a target of 94,591 performance-based awards with a grant date fair value of $0.9 million during 2020 and a target of 100,281 performance-based awards with a grant date fair value of $1.1 million during 2019. The 2020 performance-based awards were granted to certain members of senior management in connection with the achievement of specific key financial metrics and a relative total shareholder return multiple measured over a three-year period and also vest over a three-year period. The number of 2020 performance-based awards that will ultimately vest is contingent upon the achievement of these key financial metrics and the results of the relative total shareholder return multiple by the end of year three. The Company assesses the probability of achieving these metrics on a quarterly basis. The 2019 performance-based awards were granted to certain members of senior management in connection with the

59

achievement of specific key financial metrics measured over a two-year period and vest over a three-year period. As of December 31, 2020 the number of performance-based awards that will ultimately vest, assuming the service period is reached, was finalized based on the achievement of specific key financial metrics. For these performance-based awards, the Company recognizes the fair value expense ratably over the performance and vesting period. There were 105,165 and 4,000 and performance-based shares forfeited during 2020 and 2019, respectively. Performance-based awards grants and forfeitures are included above in the Restricted Shares table.

Stock Appreciation Rights

The following table summarizes activity related to SARs:

    
 Shares Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 Remaining
Average
Contractual
Term (Years)
 Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balance, December 31, 2014  16,227  $42.81   6.9  $389 
Granted     0.00           
Forfeited  (170  93.68       
Balance, December 31, 2015  16,057  $47.58   6.8  $ 
Granted  13,071   15.31           
Forfeited  (460  62.87       
Balance, December 31, 2016  28,668  $32.63   7.5  $6 

    

    

    

Remaining 

    

Weighted 

Average 

Aggregate 

Average 

Contractual 

Intrinsic 

Shares

Exercise Price

Term (Years)

Value

Balance, December 31, 2017

 

16,550

$

18.10

 

8.6

$

251

Granted  2,899   17.39           

 

1,738

 

23.31

 

  

 

  

Exercised  (165  24.35           

Forfeited  (14,852  45.93       

 

(335)

 

86.16

 

  

 

  

Balance, December 31, 2017  16,550  $18.10   8.6  $251 
Exercisable at December 31, 2017  3,847  $25.73   8.1  $53 

Balance, December 31, 2018

 

17,953

$

17.33

 

7.8

$

Granted

 

 

 

  

 

  

Exercised

 

 

 

  

 

  

Forfeited

 

(17,708)

 

16.44

Balance, December 31, 2019

 

245

$

82.08

 

3.4

$

Granted

 

 

 

  

 

  

Exercised

 

 

 

  

 

  

Forfeited

 

 

 

  

 

  

Balance, December 31, 2020

 

245

$

82.08

 

2.4

$

0

Exercisable at December 31, 2020

 

245

$

82.08

 

2.4

$

The fair value method, estimated by management using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model, is used to recognize compensation cost associated with SARs.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 8.         Income Taxes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and eliminated the 20-year limit on the carryforward of losses, and resulted in the Company remeasuring its existing deferred tax balances. In addition, generally beginning in 2018, the Tax Act alters the deductibility of certain items (e.g., certain compensation, interest, entertainment expenses), and allows qualifying capital expenditures to be deducted fully in the year of purchase. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has not fully completed its analysis of the tax effects of the Tax Act; however, it has made a reasonable estimate of the effects on its deferred tax balances. The Company remeasured deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21%. The Company’s valuation allowance was remeasured based on the new provisions in the Tax Act including the elimination of the 20-year net operating loss carryforward, the 80% limitation on the usage of certain net operating losses going forward and the impact of these provisions on the Company’s indefinite-lived deferred tax assets and liabilities. The Company will continue to analyze certain aspects of the Tax Act and refine the calculations, which could potentially affect the measurement of these balances or potentially give rise to new deferred tax amounts. The provisional amount recorded related to the remeasurement of the deferred tax balance and valuation allowance was $8.1 million. The net effect of the Tax Act was a $3.1 million tax benefit.

The components of Lossincome (loss) before income taxes were as follows:

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

United States

$

55,874

    

$

13,830

    

$

(52,473)

Foreign

 

(2,234)

 

(878)

 

(927)

Total Income (Loss) before Income Taxes

$

53,640

$

12,952

$

(53,400)

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
United States $(38,258 $(92,874 $(80,136
Foreign  (299  (1,399  (3,291
Total Loss before Income Taxes $(38,557 $(94,273 $(83,427

60

The benefit(benefit) expense for income taxes consisted of the following:

   
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Current
               
Federal $2,254  $(36,801 $(14,088
State  146   (3,269  (975
Foreign  112   155   133 
Total Current  2,512   (39,915  (14,930
Deferred
               
Federal  (2,087  11,184   (9,276
State  (1,159  3,021   (2,788
Total Deferred  (3,246  14,205   (12,064
Income Tax Benefit $(734 $(25,710 $(26,994

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

Current

    

  

    

  

    

  

Federal

$

1,868

$

2,550

$

State

 

2,315

 

1,015

 

607

Foreign

 

67

 

90

 

132

Total Current

 

4,250

 

3,655

 

739

Deferred

 

  

 

  

 

  

Federal

 

(9,671)

 

(203)

 

140

State

 

(2,366)

 

(163)

 

100

Total Deferred

 

(12,037)

 

(366)

 

240

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

$

(7,787)

$

3,289

$

979

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 8. Income Taxes  – (continued)

Excess tax benefitsTax expense in the amount of $146 were$0.8 million and $0.5 million was recognized as a component of income tax expense during 20172020 and 2019, respectively, resulting from the exercise of stock options and the release of restricted shares. Prior to the adoption

Year Ended December 31, 

 

2020

    

2019

    

2018

 

Income Tax Expense (Benefit) at Federal Statutory Rate

$

11,264

21.0

%  

$

2,720

    

21.0

%  

$

(11,214)

    

21.0

%

Increases (Decreases):

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

State Income Taxes, Net of Federal Income Tax Benefit

 

1,949

3.6

%  

 

425

 

3.3

%  

 

723

 

(1.3)

%

Valuation Allowance

 

(21,363)

(39.8)

%  

 

668

 

5.2

%  

 

3,897

 

(7.3)

%

Foreign Operations

 

2,431

4.5

%  

 

90

 

0.7

%  

 

132

 

(0.3)

%

Uncertain Tax Positions

%  

174

1.3

%  

2,919

 

(5.5)

%  

Non-Deductible Fines and Penalties

 

2

%  

 

6

 

%  

 

4,011

 

(7.5)

%

CARES Act Rate Differential

(1,751)

(3.3)

%  

%  

%

Other

 

(319)

(0.5)

%  

 

(794)

 

(6.1)

%  

 

511

 

(0.9)

%

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

$

(7,787)

 

(14.5)

%  

$

3,289

 

25.4

%  

$

979

 

(1.8)

%

61

      
 Year Ended December 31,
   2017 2016 2015
Income Tax Benefit at Federal Statutory Rate $(13,495  35.0 $(32,995  35.0 $(29,200  35.0
(Decreases) Increases:
                              
State Income Taxes, Net of Federal Income Tax Benefit  (740  1.9  (2,275  2.4  (2,401  2.9
Valuation Allowance  3,826   (10.0)%   15,207   (16.1)%   210   (0.2)% 
Foreign Operations  221   (0.5)%   (2,465  2.6  1,075   (1.3)% 
Non-Deductible Penalty  1,156   (3.0)%   875   (0.9)%   3,887   (4.7)% 
Federal Rate Change  8,088   (21.0)%           
Capital Loss       (4,020  4.3     
Other  210   (0.5)%   (37    (565  0.7
Income Tax Benefit $(734  1.9 $(25,710  27.3 $(26,994  32.4

The tax effects of temporary differences that result in significant portions of the deferred tax accounts based on a 21% and 35% federal rate in 2017both 2020 and 2016, respectively,2019, are as follows:

  
 December 31,
 2017 2016

December 31, 

    

2020

2019

Deferred Tax Liabilities:
          

 

  

    

  

Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets

$

(28,579)

$

(31,804)

Depreciation and Amortization and Other $(11,664 $(19,157

(14,532)

(9,676)

Total Gross Deferred Tax Liabilities  (11,664  (19,157

 

(43,111)

 

(41,480)

Deferred Tax Assets:
          

 

  

 

  

Operating Lease Liabilities

31,365

34,419

Stock-Based Compensation Expense  2,375   3,941 

 

2,155

 

2,611

Reserves and Accruals  14,718   10,241 

Legal Settlement Reserves

7,998

11,774

Other Accruals and Reserves

 

4,718

 

5,054

Employee Benefits  1,745   1,144 

 

3,616

 

1,169

Inventory Reserves  1,708   3,336 

 

1,241

 

1,311

Inventory Capitalization  2,647   5,218 

 

2,790

 

3,194

Foreign Net Operating Losses  2,891   2,781 
Loss Carryforwards and Other  6,604   6,338 

Foreign Net Operating Loss Carryforwards

 

2,674

 

3,341

Net Operating Loss Carryforwards

250

2,444

Capital Loss Carryforwards and Other

 

3,538

 

2,723

Total Gross Deferred Tax Assets  32,688   32,999 

 

60,345

 

68,040

Less Valuation Allowance  (21,576  (17,640
Total Net Deferred Tax Assets  11,112   15,359 
Net Deferred Tax Liability $(552 $(3,798

Less: Valuation Allowance

 

(5,623)

 

(26,986)

Total Deferred Tax Assets

 

54,722

 

41,054

Net Deferred Tax Asset (Liability)

$

11,611

$

(426)

For 2017

The Company continues to monitor developments by federal and 2016,state rulemaking authorities regarding tax law changes and recognizes the Company’s U.S. operations wereimpact of these law changes in a cumulative loss position. the period in which they are enacted.

As such,of December 31, 2019, the Company has recordedhad a full valuation allowance onof $27 million recorded against its net deferred tax assets.assets as the Company was in a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position, and the Company was not relying upon projections of future taxable income in assessing their recoverability.  The valuation allowance increased by $3,826 and $14,859 forCompany assesses the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In future periods,available evidence on a quarterly basis to assess if, based on the allowance could be reduced if sufficientweight of all available evidence, exists indicating that it is more likely than not that asome portion, or all, of thesethe deferred tax assets will not be realized.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts  The Company was no longer in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 8. Income Taxes  – (continued)

In both 2017 and 2016,a consolidated cumulative three-year loss position at December 31, 2020.  Based on the Company’s Canadian operations were inevaluation at a cumulative loss position. As such,jurisdictional level as of December 31, 2020, the Company has recorded a fullreleased valuation allowances of $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 in jurisdictions where the Company believes sufficient future taxable income, including consideration of future performance, market or economic conditions, will be generated to use existing deferred tax assets.  This release of the valuation allowance onresulted in noncash income tax benefit in the netfourth quarter of 2020 of $20 million. At December 31, 2020 the Company’s remaining valuation allowance was $5.6 million including the release of the valuation allowance and a $1.7 million adjustment to valuation allowances associated with deferred taxes for foreign operations. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could be adjusted in Canada. The valuation allowance increased by $110 and $348 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In future periods the allowance could be reduced if sufficient evidence exists indicating that it is more likely than not thatwarrants such a portion or all of these deferred tax assets will be realized.change.

As of December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, the Company had 0 remaining U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of $5,351 and zero, respectively, which begin to expire in 2037.carryforward. As of December 31, 2017,2020 and 2019, respectively, the Company had state net loss carryforwards of $48,091$4 million and $44,666,$39 million, which begin to expire in 2022.2025. The Company had foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $13,068$14 million and 12,912$12 million at December 31, 20172020 and 2016,2019, respectively, which begin to expire in 2030.

The Company received income tax refunds of $29,467 and $27,422 in 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company paid income taxes (net of $7,855refunds) of $10 million and $0.2 million in 2015.2020 and 2019, respectively.

62

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, permits NOL carryovers and carrybacks to offset 100% of taxable income for taxable years beginning before 2021. In addition, the CARES Act allows NOLs incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years to generate a refund of previously paid income taxes. The Company amended its 2018 tax return with respect to CARES Act items and carried the 2018 NOL back to 2013 resulting in a cash tax refund of $5 million, received in the third quarter 2020. 

As of December 31, 2017,2020 and 2019, the Company had $27$0.2 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits $21related to Uncertain Tax Positions ($0.2 million net of which, if recognized, would affect the effectivefederal tax rate.benefit). It is reasonably possible that the amount of the unrecognized tax benefit with respect to certain of the uncertain tax positions will increase or decrease during the next 12 months; however, the Company does not expect the change in uncertain tax positions to have a significant effect on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. As

A reconciliation of December 31, 2016, the Company had $208beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits, $135 of which, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate.excluding interest and penalties, is as follows:

Year Ended December 31, 

2020

2019

Balance at beginning of year

$

225

 

$

3,610

 

Increase for tax positions related to current year

 

 

 

174

 

Decrease for tax positions related to prior years

 

 

 

(3,443)

 

Settlements

 

 

 

(116)

 

Balance at end of year

$

225

 

$

225

 

The Company files income tax returns with the U.S. federal government and various state and foreign jurisdictions. TheIn the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by taxing authorities.   As of December 31, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service has completed audits of the Company’s income tax returns for the years 2013 through 2016 and the results of which are included in tax expense in the consolidated income statement.2016.

Note 9.         401(k) Plan

The Company maintains a plan, qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, for all eligible employees. Employees are eligible to participate following the completion of three months of service and attainment of age 21. The plan is a safe harbor plan, with company matching contributions of 100% of the first 3% of employee contributions and 50% of the next 2% of employee contributions. Both deferrals and Roth contributions are allowed up to 50% of an employee’s eligible compensation, subject to annual IRS limits. Additionally, employees are immediately 100% vested in the Company’s matching contributions. The Company’s matching contributions, included in SG&A expenses, totaled $2,284, $2,286$3.8 million, $2.8 million and $2,019$2.6 million in 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015,2018, respectively.

63

Note 10.       Commitments and Contingencies

The Company has been actively resolving various legalfollowing chart shows the activity related to the Balance Sheet “Accrual for Legal Matters and otherSettlements-Current”. The matters themselves are described in greater detail in the paragraphs that have arisen in recent years. Certain other matters remain outstanding. More detailed discussion of many offollow the matters noted below are included in this Form 10-K under the caption “Item 3 Legal Proceedings.”chart.

2017 and 2016 Settlements and Resolutions

During 2017 and 2016, the Company settled (or agreed to settle) or resolved several outstanding legal matters. These include:

January 1, 2019

December 31, 2019

Litigation Matter

Accrual for Legal Matters

Accrual for Legal Matters

Description

and Settlements - Current

Accruals

Settlement Payments

Vouchers Redeemed

and Settlements - Current

MDL

$

35,500

$

$

$

$

35,500

SEC/DOJ

33,000

(33,000)

Gold

28,000

(1,000)

27,000

Kramer

4,750

4,750

Other Matters

1,125

350

(1,254)

221

$

97,625

$

5,100

$

(35,254)

$

$

67,471

January 1, 2020

December 31, 2020

Litigation Matter

Accrual for Legal Matters

Accrual for Legal Matters

Description

and Settlements - Current

Accruals

Settlement Payments

Vouchers Redeemed

and Settlements - Current

MDL

$

35,500

$

$

(21,500)

1

$

$

14,000

2

SEC/DOJ

Gold

27,000

2,000

(13,000)

16,000

2

Kramer

4,750

(4,750)

Other Matters

221

507

(330)

398

$

67,471

$

2,507

$

(39,580)

$

$

30,398

1$21.5 million was paid into an escrow account for MDL Class Actions Matters — On October 23, 2017,in 2019 and recorded as “Deposit Legal Settlement” on the Company entered into a Memorandumconsolidated balance sheet. In the fourth quarter of Understanding (“MOU”) to settle formaldehyde2020, the liability and abrasion class-action claims brought on behalf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies  – (continued)

of purchasers of Chinese-made laminate flooring sold bydeposit were relieved as the Company between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2015. Under the MOU, the Company will contribute $22 million in cash (currently expected to be funded in mid-2018) and provide $14 million in store-credit vouchers over a three-year period.funds were distributed.
2Lacey Act Related Matters — On October 7, 2015, the Company reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) with respect to its allegations of violations of the Lacey Act in its importation of certain wood flooring products and the court entered final judgment on February 3, 2016. In connection with this settlement the Company agreed to pay a total of $10 million in fines, community service payments and forfeited proceeds and is subject to a five-year probation period and implemented the Lacey Compliance Plan. The Company has paid the settlement amount including the remaining $1.8 million in the first quarter of 2018. In addition, the Company also reached a settlement with the DOJ and paid $3.2 million with respect to certain engineered hardwood flooring determined by the Company to have Lacey Act compliance concerns.
California Air Resources Board — In March 2016, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”), which did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by the Company and provided that CARB release the Company from any and all claims that CARB may have had related to certain of its laminate products imported from China. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Company paid a total of $2.5 million. Additionally, the Company agreed to implement certain voluntary measures, including a risk-based supplier audit program and testing research program.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Matter — On June 15, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with the Office of Compliance and Field Operations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) with respect to its laminate products sourced from China. The agreement marked the completion of the CPSC’s evaluation of the safety of those products and did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by the Company. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company has continued to offer an indoor air quality testing program to its customers at no cost. The CPSC ceased its monitoring of the Company’s program in July of 2017.
Securities Class Action — On November 17, 2016, the Company received final court approval of the Securities Class Action Stipulation. As a result of the Securities Class Action Stipulation, the Company, through its insurers and in conjunction with the settlement of the Derivative Class Action Settlement described below, contributed $26 million to a settlement fund thataccrual will be used to compensate individuals who purchased the Company’s shares of common stock between February 22, 2012 and February 27, 2015. Additionally, the Company issued 1 million shares of its common stock to the settlement fund on November 17, 2016, valued at $16.8 million in the aggregate based on the closing price of the shares at that date.fulfilled by redeeming vouchers as discussed below.
Derivative Litigation Matters — On November 17, 2016, the Company received final court approval the Consolidated Derivative Stipulation. As a result of the Consolidated Derivative Stipulation, the Company implemented certain corporate governance changes, received a $26 million insurance payment (which the Company used to fully fund the securities class action settlement summarized above), and paid additional net expenses of $2.5 million related to the derivative class action settlement.

Governmental Investigations

Employment Cases

Mason Lawsuit

In 2015August 2017, Ashleigh Mason, Dan Morse, Ryan Carroll and early 2016,Osagie Ehigie filed a purported class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of all current and former store managers, store managers in training, installation sales managers and similarly situated current and former employees (collectively, the “Mason Putative Class Employees”) alleging that the Company received subpoenas issuedviolated the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) by classifying the Mason Putative Class Employees as exempt. The alleged violations include failure to pay for overtime work. The plaintiffs sought certification of the Mason Putative Class Employees for (i) a collective action covering the period beginning three years prior to the filing of the complaint (plus a tolling period) through the disposition of this action for the Mason Putative Class Employees nationwide in connection with FLSA and (ii) a criminal investigation being conductedclass action covering the period beginning six years prior to the filing of the complaint (plus a tolling period) through the disposition of this action for members of the Mason Putative Class Employees who currently are or were employed in New York in connection with NYLL. The plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, the plaintiffs seek class certification, unspecified amounts for unpaid wages and overtime wages, liquidated and/or punitive damages, declaratory relief, restitution, statutory penalties, injunctive relief and other damages.

64

In November 2018, the plaintiffs filed a motion requesting conditional certification for all store managers and store managers in training who worked within the federal statute of limitations period. In May 2019, the magistrate judge granted plaintiffs’ motion for conditional certification. The litigation is in the discovery stage, which was extended by the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”)Court from May 2020 to December 18, 2020, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Baseddeadline has again been extended to May 30, 2021. On January 6, 2021, the magistrate judge ruled in favor of a motion by the Company to exclude from the Mason Putative Class the claims of 55 opt-in plaintiffs who participated in a prior California state class-action settlement that released all claims arising from the same facts on which the subpoenas and the Company’s discussions to date, theMason matter is based.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies  – (continued)

Company believes the focus of both investigations primarily relates to compliance with disclosure, financial reporting and trading requirements under the federal securities laws since 2011. The Company is fully cooperating withdisputes the investigationsMason Putative Class Employees’ claims and continues to produce documentsdefend the matter vigorously. The Company has agreed to participate in a mediation early in the second quarter of 2021. Given the uncertainty of litigation, and other information responsivethe fact that a significant amount of discovery has yet to the subpoenas and other requests received from the parties. Given that the investigations are still ongoing and that no civil or criminal claims have been brought to date,be completed, the Company cannot predict the outcome of the investigations, the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters, or reasonably estimate the possible loss or range of loss, if any, that may result from these matters. Accordingly,this action and therefore no accruals haveaccrual has been made with respectrelated to these matters. Any action by the DOJ or SEC with respect to these matters could include civil or criminal proceedings and could involve fines, damage awards, regulatory consequences or other sanctions which could have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.

Litigation Relating to Chinese Laminates

As noted above, the Company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to settle formaldehyde and abrasion class-action claims brought on behalf of purchasers of Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by the Company between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2015. Under the terms, the Company has agreed to contribute $22 million in cash and provide $14 million in store-credit vouchers for an aggregate settlement of $36 million to settle all claims brought on behalf of purchasers of Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by the Company between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2015. The Company may fund the $22 million through a combination of cash and/or common stock. There can be no assurance that a settlement will be finalized and approved by the courts or as to the ultimate outcome of the litigation. If a final, court-approved settlement is not reached, the Company will defend the matter vigorously and believes there are meritorious defenses and legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits. The Company does not believe it has insurance coverage with respect to these matters.

In addition to those purchasers who opt out of the above settlement (“the Opt Outs”), the Company remains subject to a class action lawsuit in Canada (the “Steele” matter), and there are a number of individual claims and lawsuits alleging (i) damages due to excessive formaldehyde emissions, including personal injury claims, and (ii) damages due to durability claims (collectively, the “Other Matters”). Certain of these Other Matters are in advanced stages of settlement negotiations and the Company recognized a further $1 million charge during the fourth quarter of 2017. For the remaining Other Matters, while the Company believes that a loss associated with the Opt Outs, the Steele matter, or Other Matters is reasonably possible, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of possible loss.this matter. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

The Company has determined that a probable loss has been incurred and has recognized $37 million in charges within selling general and administrative expense in 2017Savidis Lawsuit

On April 9, 2020, Lumber Liquidators was served with a corresponding liabilitylawsuit filed by Tanya Savidis, on its balance sheet related tobehalf of herself and all others similarly situated (collectively, the potential settlement covered by the MOU and Other Matters as of December 31, 2017. If the court does not approve a final settlement agreement or incurs losses with the respect to the Opt Outs, the Steele matter, or Other Matters, the ultimate resolution of these actions could still have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

Gold Matter

Beginning in 2014 and subsequently amended, Dana Gold (“Gold”“Savidis Plaintiffs”). Ms. Savidis filed a purported class action lawsuit alleging that certain bamboo flooring that the Company sells is defective. On February 13, 2015, Gold filed an amended complaint that added three additional plaintiffs (collectively with Gold, “Gold Plaintiffs”). Gold Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages in their complaint but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, Gold Plaintiffs seek (i) a declaration that the Company’s actions violate the law and that it is financially responsible for notifying all purported class members, (ii) injunctive relief requiring the Company to replace


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies  – (continued)

and/or repair all of the Bamboo Product installed in structures owned by the purported class members, and (iii) a declaration that the Company must disgorge, for the benefit of the purported classes, all or part of the profits received from the sale of the allegedly defective Bamboo Product and/or to make full restitution to Gold Plaintiffs and the purported class members. The Company has participated in arbitration discussions on the matter that did not result in a settlement agreement.

In addition, there are a number of other claims and lawsuits alleging damages similar to those in the Gold matter. The Company disputes these and the Gold Plaintiffs’ claims and intends to defend such matters vigorously. Given the uncertaintySuperior Court of litigation, the preliminary stageCalifornia, County of the case, and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and successAlameda on the merits, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of loss, or range of possible loss, at this time that may result from this action. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.

Employee Classification Matter

In the second half of 2017, certain former and current store managers, store managers in training, and similarly situated current and former employees holding comparable positions but different titles (collectively, the “SM Plaintiffs”) filed purported class action lawsuits in New York and CaliforniaMarch 6, 2020, on behalf of all current and former store managers, store managersLumber Liquidators employees employed as non-exempt employees. The complaint alleges violation of the California Labor Code including, among other items, failure to pay minimum wages and overtime wages, failure to provide meal periods, failure to permit rest breaks, failure to reimburse business expenses, failure to provide accurate wage statements, failure to pay all wages due upon separation within the required time, and engaging in training and similarly situated current and former employees holding comparable positions but different titles (collectively,unfair business practices (the “Savidis matter”). On or about May 22, 2020, the “SM Employees”) alleging thatSavidis Plaintiffs provided notice to the Company violatedCalifornia Department of Industrial Relations requesting they be permitted to seek penalties under the Fair Labor StandardsCalifornia Private Attorney General Act and certain state laws by classifyingfor the SM Employeessame substantive alleged violations asserted in the Complaint. The Savidis Plaintiffs seek certification of a class action covering the prior four-year period prior to the filing of the complaint to the date of class certification (the “California Employee Class”), as exempt.well as a subclass of class members who separated their employment within three years of the filing of the suit to the date of class certification (the “Waiting Time Subclass”). The SMSavidis Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, the SM Plaintiffs seek class certification,statutory penalties, unspecified amountamounts for unpaid wages, benefits, and overtime wages, liquidated and/or punitive damages, declaratory relief, restitution, statutory penalties, injunctive reliefinterest, and other damages. damages.

The Company disputes the SM Plaintiffs’Savidis Putative Class Employees’ claims and intends to defend the matter vigorously. Given the uncertainty of litigation, the preliminary stage of the case and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits, the Company is unable tocannot estimate the amount ofreasonably possible loss or range of possible loss, at this timeif any, that may result from this action and therefore no accrual has been made related to this. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Visnack Lawsuit

On June 29, 2020, Michael Visnack, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated (collectively, the “Visnack Plaintiffs”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, on behalf of all current and former store managers, and others similarly situated. The Complaint alleges violation of the California Labor Code including, among other items, failure to pay wages and overtime, wage statement violations, meal and rest break violations, unpaid reimbursements and waiting time, and engaging in unfair business practices (the “Visnack matter”). The Visnack Plaintiffs seek certification of a class period beginning September 20, 2019, through the date of Notice of Class Certification, if granted. The Visnack Plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, they seek unspecified amounts for each of the causes of action such as unpaid wages and overtime wages, failure to provide meal periods and rest breaks, payroll record and wage statement violations, failure to reimburse expenses and waiting time, liquidated and/or punitive damages, declaratory relief, restitution, statutory penalties, injunctive relief and other damages.

65

On December 14, 2020, the court ruled in favor of a motion by the Company to compel arbitration for Michael Visnack under the existing agreement between the Company and Mr. Visnack. The court declined to outright dismiss the putative class claims but stayed the putative class claims and Private Attorneys General Act claims pending arbitration. The court denied plaintiff’s request to conduct discovery.

The Company is evaluating the Visnack Putative Class Employees' claims and intends to defend itself vigorously in this matter. Given the uncertainty of litigation, the preliminary stage of the case and the legal standards that must be met for, among other things, class certification and success on the merits, the Company cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, that may result from this action and therefore no accrual has been made related to this. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

In December 2020, the Company began contacting individuals who constitute the purported classes under both the Savidis and Visnack Lawsuits and has offered individual settlements in satisfaction of their claims. To the extent individuals accept these settlement offers, they will release the Company from the claims and be removed from the purported class. As of February 15, 2021, the Company had reached agreement with a portion of the purported classes incurring approximately $200 thousand in fees, taxes, and other costs. The Company included those amounts in “Other Matters” in the chart above.

Kramer lawsuit

In November 2017, Robert J. Kramer, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated (collectively, the “Kramer Plaintiffs”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento on behalf of all current and former store managers, all others with similar job functions and/or titles and all current and former employees classified as non-exempt or incorrectly classified as exempt and who worked for the Company in the State of California alleging violation of the California Labor Code including, among other items, failure to pay wages and overtime and engaging in unfair business practices (the “Kramer matter”). The Company reached settlement for this matter for $4.75 million in the third quarter of 2019 and paid that amount to the settlement administrator in the second quarter of 2020 for distribution to class members.

66

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties Investigation

In October 2010, a conglomeration of domestic manufacturers of multilayered wood flooring (“Petitioners”) filed a petition seeking the imposition of antidumping (“AD”)and countervailing duties (“CVD”) with the United States Department of Commerce (“DOC”) and the United States International Trade Commission (“ITC”) against imports of multilayered wood flooring from China. This ruling applies to companies importing multilayered wood flooring from Chinese suppliers subject to the AD and CVD orders. The Company’s multilayered wood flooring imports from China accounted for approximately 8%, 7%4% and 6% of its flooring purchases in 2017, 20162020 and 2015,2019, respectively. The Company’s consistent view through the course of this matter has been, and remains, that its imports are neither dumped nor subsidized. As such, it has appealed the original imposition of AD and CVD fees.

As part of its processes in these proceedings, the DOC conducts annual reviews of the CVDAD and ADCVD rates. In such cases, the DOC will issue preliminary rates that are not binding and are subject to comment by interested parties. After consideration of the comments received, the DOC will issue final rates for the applicable period, which may lag by a year or more. At the time of import, the Company makes deposits at the then prevailing rate, even while the annual review is in process. When rates are declared final by the DOC, the Company accrues a receivable or payable depending on where that final rate compares to the deposits it has made. The Company and and/or the domestic manufacturers can appeal the final rate for any period and can place a hold on final settlement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection while the appeals are pending.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies  – (continued)

In addition to its overall appeal of the imposition of AD and CVD, which is still pending, the Company as well as other involved parties have appealed many of the final rate determinations. ThoseCertain of those appeals are pending and, at times, have resulted in delays in settling the shortfalls and refunds shown in the table that follows.below. Because of the length of time for finalization of rates as well as appeals, any subsequent adjustment of CVDAD and ADCVD rates typically flows through a period different from those in which the inventory was originally purchased and/or sold.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the 5-year Sunset Review of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on multilayered wood flooring (the “Sunset Review”) by the ITC resulted in the AD and CVD orders remaining in place. The Company as well as others have appealed this determination.

Results by period for the Company are shown below. The column labeled “December‘December 31, 2017”2020 Receivable/Liability Balance’ represents the amount the Company would receive or pay (net of any collections or payments) as the result of subsequent adjustment to rates whether due to finalization by the DOC or because of action of a court based on appeals by various parties. It does not include any initial amounts paid for AD or CVD in the current period at the in-effect rate at that time.

The Company recorded net interest income related to antidumping and countervailing duties of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to net interest expense of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The amounts for both years are included in other expense on the Statements of Operations. The estimated associated interest payable and receivable for each period is not included in the table below and is included in the same financial statement line item on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as the associated liability and receivable balance for each period.

    
    
Review Period Period Covered Rates at which
Company Deposited
 Final Rate December 31, 2017
Receivable/Liability
Balance
Antidumping
 
1  May 2011 through November 2012   6.78% and 3.3%   5.92%  $0.8 million liability(1) 
2  December 2012 through November 2013   3.30%   13.74%  $4.1 million liability 
3  December 2013 through November 2014   3.3% and 5.92%
   17.37%  $5.5 million liability 
4  December 2014 through November 2015   5.92% and 13.74%
   0.0%  $2.1 million receivable 
5  December 2015 through November 2016   5.92%, 13.74%, and 17.37%   Pending but preliminary
determination was 0.0%
   NA 
6  December 2016 through November 2017   17.37% and 0.0%
   Pending   NA 
Countervailing
 
12>April 2011 through December 2012
  1.50%   0.83%/0.99%
  $0.2 million receivable
 
3  January 2013 through December 2013   1.50%   1.38%  $.05 million receivable 
4  January 2014 through December 2014   1.50% and 0.83%   1.06%  $.02 million receivable 
5  January 2015 through December 2015   0.83% and 0.99%
   Pending but preliminary
determination was 0.89%
   NA 
6  January 2016 through December 2016   0.99% and 1.38%
   Pending   NA 
7  January 2017 through December 2017   1.38% and 1.06%   Pending   NA 

67

Review

    

Rates at which

    

December 31, 2020

Period

Period Covered

Company

Final Rate

Receivable/Liability

Deposited

Balance

Antidumping

1

May 2011 through

6.78% and 3.3%

0.73%1

$1.3 million

November 2012

receivable1

2

December 2012 through

3.30%

3.92% 2

$0.2 million

November 2013

liability2

3

December 2013 through

3.3% and 5.92%

0.0%3

$4.7 million

November 2014

liability3

4

December 2014 through

5.92% and 13.74%

0.00%

Settled

November 2015

5

December 2015 through

5.92%. 13.74%. and 17.37%

0.00%

Settled

November 2016

6

December 2016 through

17.37% and 0.00%

42.57% and 0.0%4

$0.5 million receivable

November 2017

$1.5 million liability4

7

December 2017 through

0.00%

Pending5

NA

November 2018

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Current Assets

$0.5 million

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Assets

$1.3 million

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Long-Term Liabilities

$6.4 million

Countervailing

1&2

April 2011 through

1.50%

0.83% / 0.99%

$0.2 million

December 2012

receivable

3

January 2013 through
December 2013

1.50%

1.38%

$0.05 million
receivable

4

January 2014 through
December 2014

1.50% and 0.83%

1.06%

$0.02 million
receivable

5

January 2015 through
December 2015

0.83% and 0.99%

Final at 0.11% and 0.85%6

$0.07 million
receivable 6

6

January 2016 through
December 2016

0.99% and 1.38%

Final at 3.10% and 2.96%

$0.04 million
liability 7

7

January 2017 through
December 2017

1.38% and 1.06%

20.75%8

$1.7 million
liability 8

8

January 2018 through
December 2018

1.06%

Pending

NA

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Current Assets

$0.07 million

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Assets

$0.3 million

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Current Liabilities

$0.04 million

Included on the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Other Long-Term Liabilities

$1.7 million

(1)1DOC has recommended reducingIn the second quarter of 2018, the Court of International Trade sustained the DOC’s recommendation to reduce the rate for the first annual review period to 0.73% (from 5.92%) through remand. The court had not yet accepted this recommendation as of year-end. Should this rate hold through. As a result, the appeal process, Lumber Liquidators would reverse the $0.8Company reversed its $0.8 million liability and recordrecorded a receivable.$1.3 million receivable with a corresponding reduction of cost of sales during the year ended December 31, 2018.

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2In the second quarter of 2020, the CIT received a recommendation from the DOC to reduce the rate for the second annual review period to 3.92% (from 13.74%). The recommendation was accepted by the CIT in the fourth quarter of 2020, and the Company reversed $3.9 million of its $4.1 million liability, with a corresponding reduction to cost of sales.

3In the third quarter of 2020, the CIT received a recommendation from the DOC to reduce the rate for the third annual review period to 0.0% from 17.37%. If accepted by the CIT, the Company will reverse the entire $4.7 million liability currently recorded, with a corresponding reduction of cost of sales, as well as an additional $2.1 million receivable and favorable adjustment to cost of sales for deposits made at previous preliminary rates during the quarter when it is accepted.

4In the third quarter of 2019, the DOC issued the final rates for the sixth annual review period at 42.57% and 0% depending on the vendor. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $0.8 million with a corresponding reduction of cost of sales during the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company received payments during 2019 for its vendor with a final rate of 0% and the remaining balance of $0.5 million as of December 31, 2020 was included in other current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The vendors with a final rate of 42.57% are under appeal and the balance of $1.5 million as of December 31, 2020 was included in other long-term liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

5In the first quarter of 2020, the DOC issued a preliminary rate of 0.0% for the seventh annual review period.

6In the second quarter of 2018, the DOC issued the final rates for the fifth annual review period at 0.11% and 0.85% depending on the vendor.  As a result, in the second quarter of 2018, the Company recorded a receivable of $0.07 million for deposits made at previous preliminary rates, with a corresponding reduction of cost of sales.

7In the third quarter of 2019, the DOC issued the final rates for the sixth annual review period at 3.1% and 2.96% depending on the vendor. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $0.4 million with a corresponding increase to cost of sales during the year ended December 31, 2019. The remaining balance, after payments, was approximately $40 thousand as of December 31, 2020.

8In the fourth quarter of 2020, the DOC issued the final rate 20.75% for the seventh annual review period. As a result, the Company recorded a liability of $1.7 million with a corresponding increase to cost of sales during the year ended December 31, 2020.

Governmental Investigations: DOJ Deferred Prosecution Agreement and SEC Resolution

Beginning in 2015, the Company received subpoenas in connection with a criminal investigation conducted by the DOJ and the SEC. The focus of the investigations related to compliance with disclosure and financial reporting and requirements under the federal securities laws. The Company cooperated with the investigations and produced documents and other information responsive to subpoenas and other requests. The Company reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney, the DOJ and SEC regarding the investigation (the “Settlement Agreements”). In March of 2019, the Company entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (“DPA”) with the U.S. Attorney and the DOJ and a Cease-and-Desist Order (the “Order”) with the SEC, under which, among other things, the Company (1) paid a fine in the amount of $19.1 million to the United States Treasury, (2) forfeited to the U.S. Attorney and the DOJ the sum of $13.9 million, of which up to $6.1 million was submitted by the Company to the SEC in disgorgement and prejudgment interest under the Order and (3) is required to adopt a new compliance program, or modify its existing one, including internal controls, compliance policies, and procedures in order to ensure that the Company maintains an effective system of internal account controls designed to ensure the making and keeping of fair and accurate books, records and accounts, as well as a compliance program designed to prevent and detect violations of certain federal securities laws throughout its operations. The DPA is effective for a period of three years, during which the Company submits annual reports to the DOJ concerning the compliance program.

The Settlement Agreements also provide that the Company will continue to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney, the DOJ and the SEC in all matters relating to the conduct described in the Settlement Agreements and, at the request of the U.S. Attorney, the DOJ or the SEC, the Company will cooperate fully with other domestic or foreign law enforcement authorities and agencies in any investigation of the Company in any and all matters relating to the Settlement Agreements. In the event the Company breaches the DPA, there is a risk the government would seek to impose remedies provided for in the DPA, including instituting criminal prosecution against the Company.

The Company accrued a charge of $33 million within selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses in its December 31, 2018 financial statements, reflecting the amounts owed under the Settlement Agreements. During the second quarter of 2019, the Company remitted $33 million due to the applicable governmental parties and relieved the applicable portion of the liability in the caption “Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements Current” on its balance sheet.

69

LitigationRelatingtoBamboo Flooring

Dana Gold filed a purported class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that the Morning Star bamboo flooring that the Company sells was defective (the “Gold Litigation”). In the third quarter of 2019, the parties finalized a settlement agreement that is consistent with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding previously disclosed by the Company, to resolve the Gold Litigation on a nationwide basis. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Company contributed $14 million in cash (the “Gold Cash Payment”) and provided $16 million in store-credit vouchers, for an aggregate settlement of up to $30 million. The settlement agreement made clear that the settlement does not constitute or include an admission by the Company of any fault or liability and the Company does not admit any fault, wrongdoing or liability. Following the preliminary approval, and pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, in December 2019, the Company paid $1 million for settlement administrative costs, which is part of the Gold Cash Payment, to the plaintiff’s settlement escrow account.Notice has been disseminated to class members by the settlement administrator, and final approval was granted by the court on October 22, 2020. The Company has notified its insurance carriers and continues to pursue coverage, but the insurers to date have denied coverage. As the insurance claim is still pending, the Company has not recognized any insurance recovery related to the Gold Litigation.

The Company recognized a charge to earnings of $28 million within selling, general and administrative expense during the fourth quarter of 2018 as its loss became probable and estimable. During the third quarter of 2020, the Company recognized an additional charge to earnings for in-store vouchers of $2 million within selling, general and administrative expense as the Company became aware that a threshold in the settlement agreement was met. The Company paid the remaining $13 million of the Gold Cash Payment in the fourth quarter of 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the remaining accrual related to these matters was $16 million for vouchers, which has been included in the caption “Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements Current” on its consolidated balance sheet. Based on a current court order, the vouchers are expected to be issued late in the second quarter of 2021.

In addition, there are a number of individual claims and lawsuits alleging damages involving Strand Bamboo Product (the “Bamboo Flooring Litigation”). While the Company believes that a loss associated with the Bamboo Flooring Litigation is reasonably possible, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of possible loss. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. The Company disputes the claims in the Bamboo Flooring Litigation and intends to defend such matters vigorously.

Litigation Related to Formaldehyde-Abrasion MDLs

Beginning in 2015, numerous purported class action cases were filed in various United States federal district courts and state courts involving claims of excessive formaldehyde emissions and product claims about durability and abrasion from the Company’s Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring products. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred and consolidated the federal cases to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “Virginia Court”) as two cases: Lumber Liquidators Chinese-Manufactured Flooring Products Marketing, Sales, Practices and Products Liability Litigation (the “Formaldehyde MDL”) and Lumber Liquidators Chinese-Manufactured Laminate Flooring Durability Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation (the “Abrasion MDL”).

In 2018, the Company entered into a settlement agreement to jointly settle the Formaldehyde MDL and the Abrasion MDL. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Company agreed to fund $22 million (the “MDL Cash Payment”) and provide $14 million in store-credit vouchers for an aggregate settlement amount of $36 million to settle claims brought on behalf of purchasers of Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring sold by the Company between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2015. The Court approved the settlement in the fourth quarter of, 2018 and the Company paid $21.5 million in cash into the plaintiffs’ settlement escrow account.

Cash and vouchers, which generally have a three-year life, were distributed by the administrator in the fourth quarter of 2020 upon order of the Virginia Court.The Company will monitor and evaluate the redemption of vouchers on a quarterly basis.  In order to reach an estimate, the Company will consider redemption velocity and patterns, remaining value – both on individual vouchers as well as collectively – of vouchers, and the passage of time. The Company will also consider consumer behaviors across both the MDL and Gold Settlements. The Company’s current

70

expectation is that recipients bargained for this compensation as part of the settlement and therefore will redeem their voucher for product as intended.

The $36 million aggregate settlement amount was accrued in 2017. The Company had held $21.5 million of the Settlement as a deposit pending the appeals and the distribution of cash by the administrator, which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the remaining accrual related to these matters was $14 million for vouchers, which has been included in the caption “Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements – Current” on its consolidated balance sheet.

In addition to those purchasers who elected to opt out of the above settlement (the “Opt Outs”), there are a number of individual claims and lawsuits alleging personal injuries, breach of warranty claims or violation of state consumer protection statutes that remain pending (collectively, the “Related Laminate Matters”). Certain of these Related Laminate Matters were settled in 2019. The Company did 0t have any expense for these matters for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the remaining accrual related to these matters was $0.1 million, which has been included in the caption “Accrual for Legal Matters and Settlements Current” on the consolidated balance sheet. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recognized charges to earnings of $0.4 million within SG&A expenses for these Remaining Laminate Matters. While the Company believes that a further loss associated with the Opt Outs and Related Laminate Matters is possible, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of possible loss beyond what has been provided. Any such losses could, potentially, have a material adverse effect, individually or collectively, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Canadian Litigation

On or about April 1, 2015, Sarah Steele (“Steele”) filed a purported class action lawsuit in the Ontario, Canada Superior Court of Justice against the Company. In the complaint, Steele’s allegations include strict liability, breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, fraud by concealment, civil negligence, negligent misrepresentation and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing relating to the Company’s Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring products. Steele did not quantify any alleged damages in her complaint, but seeks compensatory damages, punitive, exemplary and aggravated damages, statutory remedies, attorneys’ fees and costs. While the Company believes that a further loss associated with the Steele litigation is reasonably possible, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of possible loss.

Section 301 Tariffs

Since September 2018, pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) has imposed tariffs on certain goods imported from China over four tranches or Lists. Products imported by the Company fall within Lists 3 and 4 for which tariffs range from 10% to 25%. On September 10, 2020 several importers of vinyl flooring filed a lawsuit with the CIT challenging the Section 301 tariffs under Lists 3 and 4. The Company has also filed a companion case at the CIT challenging Section 301 tariffs it has paid. The action is in its early stages and the Company is unable to predict the timing or outcome of the ruling by the CIT. If these appeals are successful, the Company should qualify for refunds on these Section 301 tariffs.

Other Matters

The Company is also, from time to time, subject to claims and disputes arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, while the outcome of any such claims and disputes cannot be predicted with certainty, its ultimate liability in connection with these matters is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.


71

TABLE OF CONTENTSTable of Contents

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 11. Selected Quarterly Financial Information (unaudited)Canadian and U.S. Store Closure Costs

During the third quarter of 2020, the Company completed a review of its store footprint and performance. As a result of that review, the Company made the decision to close its 8 Canadian stores as well as 6 stores in the United States. The following tables presentclosure of the Canadian stores reflected the fact that the Company’s unaudited quarterly resultsperformance in these stores has been challenging for 2017a number of years and 2016.

    
 Quarter Ended
   March 31,
2017
 June 30,
2017
 September 30,
2017
 December 31,
2017
Net Sales $248,389  $263,500  $257,185  $259,859 
Gross Profit $86,799  $97,455  $92,687  $92,120 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses $112,215  $92,335  $109,962  $91,515 
Operating (Loss) Income $(25,416 $5,120  $(17,275 $605 
Net (Loss) Income $(26,372 $4,475  $(18,915 $2,989 
Net (Loss) Income per Common Share – Basic $(0.93 $0.16  $(0.66 $0.10 
Net (Loss) Income per Common Share – Diluted $(0.93 $0.16  $(0.66 $0.10 
Number of Stores Opened in Quarter, net  2   0   2   6 
Comparable Store Net Sales Increase  4.7  8.8  3.8  4.5

    
 Quarter Ended
   March 31,
2016
 June 30,
2016
 September 30,
2016
 December 31,
2016
Net Sales $233,513  $238,092  $244,082  $244,901 
Gross Profit $76,109  $70,584  $76,689  $80,487 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses $117,236  $89,900  $100,661  $89,707 
Operating Loss $(41,127 $(19,316 $(23,972 $(9,220
Net Loss $(32,402 $(12,230 $(18,438 $(5,493
Net Loss per Common Share – Basic $(1.20 $(0.45 $(0.68 $(0.20
Net Loss per Common Share – Diluted $(1.20 $(0.45 $(0.68 $(0.20
Number of Stores Opened in Quarter  1   4   1   3 
Comparable Store Net Sales (Decrease) Increase  (13.9)%   (7.2)%   1.0  2.8

that all but one of the stores’ leases are expiring in early 2021. The following tables present certain items impacting gross profit and SG&ACompany believed investing in the Company’s unaudited quarterly resultsother stores would provide stronger returns. The 6 U.S. stores were underperforming and their prospects for 2017 and 2016. Operating loss for eachimprovement were uncertain due to local market conditions, demographics, and/or the competitive landscape. The stores collectively represented approximately 1.5% of the quarterly periods was impacted byCompany’s annualized revenue and their absence is not expected to have a meaningful impact on cash flow. The Company incurred expense of $3.8 million to close these stores in the unusual itemssecond half of 2020, including an approximately $0.8 million reclassification of cumulative translation adjustments to earnings that were previously included in both gross profitOther Comprehensive Loss on its consolidated balance sheet. Approximately $2.6 million of this expense related to lease and SG&A discussed aboveinventory write-downs, employee termination benefits and summarized below. These items either relate to revised estimatesfixed asset write-offs. All 14 stores were closed as of legacy reserves, orDecember 31, 2020, although certain clean-up activities will not be fully completed until early in 2021.

A summary of the store closure costs incurred during 2020 is as follows:

Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

Cost of Merchandise Sold:

Inventory write-down and other inventory adjustments

$

822

Cost of Merchandise Sold Subtotal

822

Selling, General, & Administrative Expenses:

Employee termination benefits

411

Write-downs of lease and fixed assets

1,362

Reclassification of Foreign Currency Translation to Earnings

757

Other SG&A store closure costs

432

Selling, General, & Administrative Expenses Subtotal

2,962

Total Store Closure Costs

$

3,784

A reconciliation of the Company’s liability for employee termination benefits and other store closure costs for the 2020 annual period are significant and infrequent in nature.as follows:

Employee

   

Termination Benefits

   

Other Costs

   

Total

Balance as of January 1, 2020

$

-

$

-

$

-

Accrued costs charged to expense

411

385

796

Payments

(60)

-

(60)

Balance as of December 31, 2020

$

351

$

385

$

736

.

    
 Quarter Ended
   March 31,
2017
 June 30,
2017
 September 30,
2017
 December 31,
2017
Gross Margin Items:
                    
Antidumping Adjustments $  $(2,797 $  $ 
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program Income     (993      
Sub-Total Items above $  $(3,790 $  $ 
SG&A Items:
                    
Accrual for MDL and Other Matters $18,000  $  $18,000  $960 
Legal and Professional Fees(1)  2,408   3,526   2,940   2,440 
All Other(2)        1,459   1,687 
Sub-Total Items above $20,408  $3,526  $22,399  $5,087 

72


TABLE OF CONTENTSTable of Contents

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 11. Selected Quarterly Financial Information (unaudited)  – (continued)

    
 Quarter Ended
   March 31,
2016
 June 30,
2016
 September 30,
2016
 December 31,
2016
Gross Margin Items:
                    
Antidumping Adjustments $  $5,450  $  $ 
Indoor Air Quality Testing Program  2,895   3,292       
Sub-Total Items above $2,895  $8,742  $  $ 
SG&A Items:
                    
Securities and Derivatives Class Action $18,520  $(600 $4,250  $(2,910
Legal and Professional Fees(1)  10,414   8,294   6,321   3,385 
All Other(2)  1,275   945   580    
Sub-Total Items above $30,209  $8,639  $11,151  $475 

(1)Represents charges to earnings related to our defense of various significant legal actions during the period. This does not include all legal costs incurred by the Company.
(2)All other primarily relates to various payroll factors, including our retention initiatives, and impairment charges related to discontinuing non-core investments.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are intendeddesigned to ensure that information that would be required to be disclosed in Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the ChiefPrincipal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision, and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2017.2020. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2017,2020, and designed to ensureprovide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our ChiefPrincipal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control Overover Financial Reporting

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process, designed by, or under the supervision of the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officer and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Internal control over financial reporting includes maintaining records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and disposition of assets; providing reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary for preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; providing reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with management and Board authorizations; and providing reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that a misstatement of our financial statements would be prevented or detected. 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 policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management under the supervision of, and with the participation of the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 20172020 based on the framework and criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. This evaluation included review of the documentation of controls, evaluation of the design effectiveness of controls, testing of the operating effectiveness of controls and a conclusion on this evaluation. Based on the foregoing, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 20172020 based on the specified criteria.

73

Our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 20172020 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, as shown in Item 8. “Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”


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(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2017,2020 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.


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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 20182021 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2017.2020.

Code of Ethics

We have a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all employees, officers and directors of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics meets the requirements of a “code of ethics” as defined by Item 406 of Regulation S-K, and applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer (who is our principal financial officer), as well as all other employees. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics also meets the requirements of a code of conduct under Rule 303A.10 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on our website atwww.lumberliquidators.comwww.LLFlooring.com in the “Corporate Governance” section of our Investor Relations home page.

We intend to provide any required disclosure of an amendment to or waiver from our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on our website atwww.lumberliquidators.comwww.LLFlooring.com in the “Corporate Governance” section of our Investor Relations home page promptly following the amendment or waiver. We may elect to disclose any such amendment or waiver in a report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC either in addition to or in lieu of the website disclosure. The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference in this report and should not be considered part of this or any other report that we file with or furnish to the SEC.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 20182021 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2017.2020.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 20182021 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2017.2020.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 20182021 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2017.2020.

74

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 20182021 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2017.2020.


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PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this annual report:

Consolidated Financial Statements

Refer to the financial statements filed as part of this annual report in Part II, Item 8.

1.

           Financial Statement Schedules.

The following financial statement schedule is filed as part of this annual report under Schedule II  Analysis of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015.2018. All other financial statement schedules have been omitted because the required information is either included in the financial statements or the notes thereto or is not applicable.

2.

           Exhibits

The exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this report.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

None.


75

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

Schedule II  Analysis of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

For the Years Ended December 31, 2017, 20162020, 2019 and 2015
2018

(in thousands)

Additions 

Balance 

Charged to 

Beginning 

Cost and 

Balance End 

    

of Year

    

Expenses

    

Deductions (1)

    

Other

    

of Year

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018

 

  

  

  

  

Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies

 

  

  

  

  

Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence

 

$

5,631

  

$

3,108

  

$

(1,932)

  

$

  

$

6,807

Income tax valuation allowance

 

$

21,576

  

$

4,742

$

  

$

  

$

26,318

For the Year Ended December 31, 2019

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence

 

$

6,807

  

$

1,888

  

$

(1,795)

  

$

  

$

6,900

Income tax valuation allowance

 

$

26,318

  

$

668

$

  

$

  

$

26,986

For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence

 

$

6,900

  

$

3,036

  

$

(3,199)

  

$

  

$

6,737

Income tax valuation allowance

 

$

26,986

  

$

$

(21,363)

  

$

  

$

5,623

     
 Balance
Beginning
of Year
 Additions
Charged to
Cost and
Expenses
 Deductions(1) Other Balance End
of Year
For the Year Ended December 31, 2015
                         
Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies
                         
Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence $3,242  $28,897(2)  $(5,257 $  $26,882 
Income tax valuation allowance $2,223  $210  $  $  $2,433 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
                         
Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies
                         
Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence $26,882  $3,723  $(23,535 $  $7,070 
Income tax valuation allowance $2,433  $15,207  $  $  $17,640 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
                         
Reserve deducted from assets to which it applies
                         
Inventory reserve for loss or obsolescence $7,070  $6,349  $(7,788 $  $5,631 
Income tax valuation allowance $17,640  $3,936(3)  $  $  $21,576 

1(1)Deductions for the inventory reserve are for the purposes for which the reserve was created. The deductions for the income tax valuation allowance is described in Note 8.
(2)Includes $22,499 for laminate flooring sourced from China and $3,663 related to the tile exit.
(3)Includes the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017.

76

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on February 26, 2018.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS HOLDINGS, INC.
(Registrant)EXHIBIT INDEX

3.01

By:

/s/ Dennis R. Knowles

Dennis R. Knowles
Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on February 26, 2018.

SignatureTitle
/s/ Dennis R. Knowles

Dennis R. Knowles
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Martin D. Agard

Martin D. Agard
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Timothy J. Mulvaney

Timothy J. Mulvaney
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Nancy M. Taylor

Nancy M. Taylor
Chairperson of the Board
/s/ W. Stephen Cannon

W. Stephen Cannon
Director
/s/ David A. Levin

David A. Levin
Director
/s/ Douglas T. Moore

Douglas T. Moore
Director
/s/ Famous P. Rhodes

Famous P. Rhodes
Director
/s/ Martin F. Roper

Martin F. Roper
Director
/s/ Jimmie L. Wade

Jimmie L. Wade
Director

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description
  3.01Certificate of Incorporation of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on January 4, 2010 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

3.02

By-Laws of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (as revised effective December 1, 2016)February 5, 2020) (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on DecemberFebruary 6, 20162020 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

4.01

Form of Certificate of Common Stock of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on January 4, 2010 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.1*

4.02

Description of Capital Stock (filed as Exhibit 4.02 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 25, 2020 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.1*

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Equity Compensation Plan (filed as Form 8-K, filed May 23, 2019 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.2*

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Equity Compensation Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed May 25, 2016 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.2*

10.3*

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. 2011 Equity Compensation Plan (filed as Exhibit A to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement, filed April 6, 2011 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.3*Lumber Liquidators 2007 Equity Compensation Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Post-effectivePost –effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed January 4, 2010 (File No. 333-147247), and incorporated by reference)

10.4*

Offer Letter Agreement with Marco Pescara (filed as Exhibit 10.06 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed April 23, 2007 (File No. 333-142309), and incorporated by reference)

10.5Lease by and between ANO LLC and Lumber Liquidators (relating to Toano facility) (filed as Exhibit 10.08 to the Company’s Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed May 30, 2007 (File No. 333-142309), and incorporated by reference)
10.6*Form of Option Award Agreement, effective November 16, 2007 (filed as Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on March 12, 2008 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)
10.7*Form of Option Award Agreement, effective December 31, 2010 (filed as Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 23, 2011 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.8*

10.5*

Form of Option Award Agreement, effective May 6, 2011 (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed May 6, 2011 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.9  

10.6

ThirdFourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of August 17, 2016,March 29, 2019, among Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries, including Lumber Liquidators, Inc. and Lumber Liquidators Services, LLC (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent and collateral agent, and Bank of America, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as lenders (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed August 19, 2016March 29, 2019 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

 10.10*

10.7

First Amendment to Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of April 17, 2020, among Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries, including Lumber Liquidators, Inc. and Lumber Liquidators Services, LLC (collectively, the “Borrowers”), Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent and collateral agent, and Bank of America, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Lenders (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on April 20, 2020 (File No. 001- 33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.8*

Amended and Restated Annual Bonus Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.17 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 20, 2013 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

 10.11*

10.9*

Form of Option Award Agreement, effective January 24, 2013 (filed as Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 20, 2013 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)


77

10.17*

10.13*

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (Employee), effective August 1, 2016 (filed as Exhibit 10.26 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 21, 2017 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.18*Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (Director), effective May 24, 2017 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on August 1, 2017 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.19*

10.14*

Offer LetterForm of Restricted Award Agreement with Gregory A. Whirley, Jr.(Director), dated April 24, 2015effective February 7, 2018 (filed as Exhibit 10.310.2 to the Company’s currentquarterly report on Form 8-K,10-Q, filed on April 29, 2015May 1, 2018 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.20*

10.15*

Separation and ReleaseForm of Restricted Award Agreement between Lumber Liquidators, Inc. and its affiliated entities and Gregory Whirley, dated June 29, 2017(Director), effective May 22, 2019 (filed as Exhibit 10.110.2 to the Company’s currentquarterly report on Form 8-K,10-Q, filed on June 30, 2017August 7, 2019, 2018 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.21*

10.16

Form of Severance Benefit Agreement (filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed August 5, 2015 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.22*Form of Retention Agreement (filed as Exhibit 99.3 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed August 1, 2015 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)
10.23 Plea Agreement between Lumber Liquidators, Inc. and the Department of Justice (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed October 7, 2015 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.24 

10.17

Stipulation for Settlement and Joint Motion for Entry of Consent Order of Forfeiture between Lumber Liquidators, Inc. and the Department of Justice (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed October 7, 2015 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.25 

10.18

Class Action Settlement Agreement in Formaldehyde MDL and ReleaseDurability MDL dated March 15, 2018 by and between Plaintiffs in the Formaldehyde MDL and the Durability MDL and Lumber Liquidators, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on May 1, 2018 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)

10.19

Deferred Prosecution Agreement, dated March 12, 2019, by and between Lumber Liquidators Services, LLCHoldings, Inc., the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the StateUnited States Department of California Air Resources BoardJustice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed March 22, 201612, 2019 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.26 

10.20

Corrective Action PlanOrder Instituting Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Section 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings, and Imposing a Cease-and-Desist Order, dated March 12, 2019, between the Office of ComplianceUnited States Securities and Field Operations of the Consumer Product SafetyExchange Commission and Lumber Liquidators, Holdings, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed June 17, 2016 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)


Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description
10.27 Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated June 15, 2016 by and between Gregg Kiken, Keith Foster, David Lorenzo and Charles Hickman (collectively “Lead Plaintiffs”), on behalf of themselves and the Settlement Class and Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and defendants Thomas D. Sullivan, Robert M. Lynch, Daniel E. Terrell and William K. Schlegel (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed July 12, 2016 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)
10.28 Stipulation of Settlement dated July 18, 2016, by and between Lead Plaintiff Amalgamated Bank, as Trustee for the Longview 600 Small Cap Index Fund, plaintiff R. Andre Klein, plaintiff Phuc Doan, on behalf of themselves and derivatively on behalf of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc., and defendants Thomas D. Sullivan, Douglas T. Moore, John M. Presley, Macon F. Brock, Jr., Peter B. Robinson, Martin F. Roper, Jimmie L. Wade, Nancy M. Taylor, Daniel E. Terrell, Carl R. Daniels, Robert M. Lynch, Jeffrey W. Griffiths, and William K. Schlegel, and nominal defendant Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.(filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed July 22, 2016 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)
10.29*Option Award Agreement with John M. Presley, dated November 9, 2015 (filed as Exhibit 10.37 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 29, 2016 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)
10.30*Offer Letter Agreement with Carl R. Daniels, dated September 7, 2011 (filed as Exhibit 10.38 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 29, 2016 (File No. 001-33767), and incorporated by reference)
10.31*Executive Employment Agreement with John M. Presley (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed February 29, 2016 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)
10.32*Offer Letter Agreement with Dennis R. Knowles, dated February 23, 2016 (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed February 29, 2016March 12, 2019 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.33*

10.21

Amendment,Class Action Settlement in the Kramer Litigation dated November 7, 2016, to Offer Letter, dated as of February 23, 2016,September 9, 2019 by and between the Plaintiffs in the Kramer Litigation and Lumber Liquidators, Holdings, Inc. and Dennis R. Knowles (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s currentquarterly report on Form 8-K,10-Q, filed November 7, 20166, 2019 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.34*

10.22

Offer Letter Agreement with Martin D. Agard,of Compromise and Settlement in the Gold Litigation dated August 31, 2016September 30, 2019 by and between the Plaintiffs in the Gold Litigation and Lumber Liquidators, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.110.2 to the Company’s currentquarterly report on Form 8-K,10-Q, filed September 9, 2016November 6, 2019 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.35*

10.23*

Offer Letter Agreement with Timothy J. Mulvaney, dated March 22, 2017 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed May 26, 2017 (File No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.36*

10.24

Office Deed of Lease Agreement dated October 19, 2018, by and between LM Retail, LLC and Lumber Liquidators Services, LLC (filed as Exhibit 10.35 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on March 18, 2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.25*

Offer Letter Agreement with Michael L. Reeves,Jennifer Bohaty, dated June 16, 2017March 30, 2018 (filed as Exhibit 10.36 to Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on March 18, 2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

21.1   

10.26*

Offer Letter Agreement with Charles E. Tyson, dated May 17, 2018 (filed as Exhibit 10.37 to Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed on March 18, 2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.27*

Severance Agreement, dated as of July 26, 2018, between Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and Jennifer Bohaty (filed herewith)

10.28*

Severance Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2019, between the Company and Timothy J. Mulvaney (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on March 18,2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.29*

Offer Letter Agreement with Nancy A. Walsh, dated August 9, 2019 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on August 19, 2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

78

10.30*

Severance Agreement, effective as of September 9, 2019 between the Company and Nancy A. Walsh, dated August 9, 2019 (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on August 19, 2019 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.31*

Offer Letter Agreement with Christopher Thomsen, dated August 8, 2016 (filed as Exhibit 10.45 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, filed February 25, 2020 (file No. 001-337-67) and incorporated by reference)

10.32*

Severance Agreement, effective as of July 26, 2018 between the Company and Christopher Thomsen (filed herewith)

10.33*

Waiver and Release Agreement for Dennis R. Knowles, dated as of February 5, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on February 6, 2020 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.34*

Amendment to Severance Agreement for Nancy A. Walsh, dated as of February 5, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on February 6, 2020 (file No. 001-33767) and incorporated by reference)

10.35*

Severance Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2020, by and between Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and Charles E. Tyson (filed herewith)

10.36*

Offer Letter Agreement with Matthew Argano, dated March 28, 2020 (filed herewith)

10.37*

Severance Agreement, dated as of April 20, 2020, by and between Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. and Matthew Argano (filed herewith)

21.1

Subsidiaries of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

23.1

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

31.1

Certification of Principal Executive Officer of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

31.2

Certification of Principal Financial Officer of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

32.1

Certification of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002


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Exhibit
Number

101

Exhibit Description
101

The following financial statements from the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017,2020, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss),Loss, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

104

*

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

*

Indicates a management contract or compensation plan, contract or agreement.

8379


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on March 1, 2021.

 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS HOLDINGS, INC.

(Registrant)

By:

/s/ Charles E. Tyson

Charles E. Tyson

Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on March 1, 2021.

Signature

Title

/s/ Charles E. Tyson

Chief Executive Officer

Charles E. Tyson

(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Nancy A. Walsh

Chief Financial Officer

Nancy A. Walsh

(Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ Timothy J. Mulvaney

Chief Accounting Officer

Timothy J. Mulvaney

(Principal Accounting Officer)

/s/ Nancy M. Taylor

Chairperson of the Board

Nancy M. Taylor

/s/ Terri F. Graham

Director

Terri F. Graham

/s/ David A. Levin

Director

David A. Levin

/s/ Douglas T. Moore

Director

Douglas T. Moore

/s/ Joseph M. Nowicki, Jr.

Director

Joseph M. Nowicki, Jr.

/s/ Famous P. Rhodes

Director

Famous P. Rhodes

/s/ Martin F. Roper

Director

Martin F. Roper

/s/ Jimmie L. Wade

Director

Jimmie L. Wade

80