UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended April 30,October 29, 2023

 

Commission file number 000-25349

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Virginia

54-0251350

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(IRS employer identification no.)

 

440 East Commonwealth Boulevard, Martinsville, VA 24112

(Address of principal executive offices, zip code)

 

(276) 632-2133

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (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 registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

 

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

 

Large accelerated Filer ☐

Accelerated filer ☒

Non-accelerated Filer ☐ 

Smaller reporting company ☐

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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

 

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

 

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, no par value 

HOFT

NASDAQ Global Select Market

 

As of June 2,December 1, 2023, there were 10,916,36910,671,812 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 


 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.

Financial Statements

3

Item 2.

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

1718

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

2830

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

2831

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

2932

Item 5.

Other Information

32

Item 6.

Exhibits

2933

Signature

3034

 

 

 

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 

As of

 

April 30,

  

January 29,

  

October 29,

  

January 29,

 
 

2023

  

2023

  

2023

  

2023

 
 

(unaudited)

      

(unaudited)

     

Assets

                

Current assets

                

Cash and cash equivalents

 $30,976  $19,002  $39,795  $19,002 

Trade accounts receivable, net

  54,528   62,129   59,065   62,129 

Inventories

  73,188   96,675   65,156   96,675 

Income tax recoverable

  2,985   3,079   3,073   3,079 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

  7,551   6,418   5,934   6,418 

Total current assets

  169,228   187,303   173,023   187,303 

Property, plant and equipment, net

  29,070   27,010   29,079   27,010 

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies

  27,899   27,576   28,264   27,576 

Deferred taxes

  14,208   14,484   11,959   14,484 

Operating leases right-of-use assets

  66,806   68,949   54,202   68,949 

Intangible assets, net

  30,895   31,779   29,547   31,779 

Goodwill

  14,952   14,952   15,036   14,952 

Other assets

  11,010   9,663   13,388   9,663 

Total non-current assets

  194,840   194,413   181,475   194,413 

Total assets

 $364,068  $381,716  $354,498  $381,716 
                

Liabilities and Shareholders Equity

                

Current liabilities

                

Current portion of long-term debt

 $1,393  $1,393  $1,393  $1,393 

Trade accounts payable

  15,991   16,090   23,294   16,090 

Accrued salaries, wages and benefits

  5,743   9,290   6,716   9,290 

Customer deposits

  6,582   8,511   5,033   8,511 

Current portion of lease liabilities

  7,363   7,316 

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

  7,045   7,316 

Other accrued expenses

  2,685   7,438   3,135   7,438 

Total current liabilities

  39,757   50,038   46,616   50,038 

Long term debt

  22,526   22,874   21,829   22,874 

Deferred compensation

  8,022   8,178   7,737   8,178 

Operating lease liabilities

  61,877   63,762   49,651   63,762 

Other long-term liabilities

  855   843   877   843 

Total long-term liabilities

  93,280   95,657   80,094   95,657 

Total liabilities

  133,037   145,695   126,710   145,695 
                

Shareholders’ equity

                

Common stock, no par value, 20,000 shares authorized,

11,029 and 11,197 shares issued and outstanding on each date

  50,067   50,770 

Common stock, no par value, 20,000 shares authorized,

10,672 and 11,197 shares issued and outstanding on each date

  49,503   50,770 

Retained earnings

  180,152   184,386   177,579   184,386 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

  812   865   706   865 

Total shareholders’ equity

  231,031   236,021   227,788   236,021 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 $364,068  $381,716  $354,498  $381,716 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

3

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

 

For the

  

For the

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

  

May 1,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
 

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 
                        

Net sales

 $121,815  $147,314  $116,831  $151,580  $336,452  $451,803 
                        

Cost of sales

  93,909   117,855   83,121   119,572   251,495   359,281 
                        

Gross profit

  27,906   29,459   33,710   32,008   84,957   92,522 
                        

Selling and administrative expenses

  25,048   24,658   24,016   24,712   70,207   72,255 

Intangible asset amortization

  883   878   924   878   2,732   2,634 
                        

Operating income

  1,975   3,923   8,770   6,418   12,018   17,633 
                        

Other income, net

  56   278   659   191   1,071   425 

Interest expense, net

  179   28   364   434   1,197   546 
                        

Income before income taxes

  1,852   4,173   9,065   6,175   11,892   17,512 
                        

Income tax expense

  402   991   2,027   1,334   2,620   3,946 
                        

Net income

 $1,450  $3,182  $7,038  $4,841  $9,272  $13,566 
                        

Earnings per share

                        

Basic

 $0.13  $0.27  $0.66  $0.42  $0.85  $1.16 

Diluted

 $0.13  $0.26  $0.65  $0.42  $0.85  $1.14 
                        

Weighted average shares outstanding:

                        

Basic

  10,976   11,866   10,536   11,465   10,748   11,736 

Diluted

  11,077   11,949   10,676   11,525   10,878   11,838 
                        

Cash dividends declared per share

 $0.22  $0.20  $0.22  $0.20  $0.66  $0.60 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

4

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

For the

  

For the

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

  

May 1,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
 

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 
                        

Net income

 $1,450  $3,182  $7,038  $4,841  $9,272  $13,566 

Other comprehensive income:

                        

Amortization of actuarial (loss) / gain

  (70)  (18)

Amortization of actuarial (gain)/loss

  (70)  21   (209)  62 

Income tax effect on amortization

  17   4   17   (5)  50   (15)

Adjustments to net periodic benefit cost

  (53)  (14)  (53)  16   (159)  47 
                        

Total comprehensive income

 $1,397  $3,168  $6,985  $4,857  $9,113  $13,613 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

5

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

For the

  

For the

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

  

May 1,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
 

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 

Operating Activities:

                

Net income

 $1,450  $3,182  $9,272  $13,566 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities:

                

Depreciation and amortization

  2,147   2,287   6,626   6,578 

Deferred income tax expense

  293   1,838   2,575   1,650 

Noncash restricted stock and performance awards

  371   354   1,685   1,323 

Provision for doubtful accounts and sales allowances

  37   (349)  (270)  (3,831)

Gain on life insurance policies

  (634)  (568)  (784)  (744)

Loss/(Gain) on disposal of assets

  29   - 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

                

Trade accounts receivable

  7,564   (7,386)  3,334   3,069 

Inventories

  23,487   (30,082)  33,264   (56,343)

Income tax recoverable

  93   (762)  5   2,357 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

  (2,080)  (4,145)  (3,400)  (5,863)

Trade accounts payable

  (240)  10,493   7,169   (1,522)

Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits

  (3,547)  (1,827)  (2,574)  936 

Customer deposits

  (1,928)  (906)  (3,477)  (1,277)

Operating lease assets and liabilities

  305   (168)  366   (238)

Other accrued expenses

  (4,743)  (1,830)  (4,400)  (391)

Deferred compensation

  (225)  (149)  (650)  (419)

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities

 $22,350  $(30,018) $48,770  $(41,149)
                

Investing Activities:

                

Acquisitions

  -   (25,912)  (2,373)  (25,912)

Purchases of property and equipment

  (3,158)  (830)  (5,718)  (3,469)

Premiums paid on life insurance policies

  (107)  (118)  (378)  (464)

Proceeds received on life insurance policies

  444   - 

Net cash used in investing activities

  (3,265)  (26,860)  (8,025)  (29,845)
                

Financing Activities:

                

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (4,317)  -   (11,674)  (9,359)

Cash dividends paid

  (7,228)  (7,117)

Payments for long-term loans

  (350)  -   (1,050)  (350)

Cash dividends paid

  (2,444)  (2,388)

Cash used in financing activities

  (7,111)  (2,388)

Proceeds from long-term loans

  -   25,000 

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

  -   36,190 

Payments for revolving credit facility

  -   (36,190)

Debt issuance cost

  -   (38)

Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities

  (19,952)  8,136 
                

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  11,974   (59,266)  20,793   (62,858)

Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year

  19,002   69,366   19,002   69,366 

Cash and cash equivalents - end of quarter

 $30,976  $10,100  $39,795  $6,508 
                

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

                

Cash paid/(refund) for income taxes

 $16  $(85) $74  $(1)

Cash paid for interest, net

  202   -   1,375   293 
                

Non-cash transactions:

                

Increase in lease liabilities arising from changes in right-of-use assets

 $-  $3,689 

(Decrease)/Increase in lease liabilities arising from changes in right-of-use assets

 $(8,987) $7,402 

Increase in property and equipment through accrued purchases

  145   47   35   112 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

6

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(In thousands, except per share data)

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

              

Accumulated

     
              

Other

  

Total

 
  

Common Stock

  

Retained

  

Comprehensive

  

Shareholders'

 
  

Shares

  

Amount

  

Earnings

  

Income (loss)

  

Equity

 

      Balance at January 30, 2022

  11,922  $53,295  $207,884  $(51) $261,128 

Net income

          3,182       3,182 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $4

              (14)  (14)

Cash dividends paid and accrued ($0.20 per share)

          (2,388)      (2,388)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

  80   (96)          (96)

Restricted stock compensation cost

      296           296 

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

      154           154 

      Balance at May 1, 2022

  12,002  $53,649  $208,678  $(65) $262,262 
                     
                     
                     

      Balance at January 29, 2023

  11,197  $50,770  $184,386  $865  $236,021 

Net income

          1,450       1,450 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $17

              (53)  (53)

Cash dividends paid and accrued ($0.22 per share)

          (2,444)      (2,444)

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (227) $(1,081)  (3,240)      (4,321)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

  59   (150)          (150)

Restricted stock compensation cost

      335           335 

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

      193           193 

      Balance at April 30, 2023

  11,029  $50,067  $180,152  $812  $231,031 
              

Accumulated

     
              

Other

  

Total

 
  

Common Stock

      

Retained

  

Comprehensive

  

Shareholders'

 
  

Shares

  

Amount

  

Earnings

  

Income (loss)

  

Equity

 

Balance at July 31, 2022

  11,959  $53,853  $210,994  $(19) $264,828 

Net income for the 13 weeks ended October 30, 2022

          4,841       4,841 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $5

              15   15 

Cash dividends paid ($0.20 per share)

          (2,323)      (2,323)

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (530) $(2,436)  (5,787)      (8,223)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

  (8)  -           - 

Restricted stock compensation cost

      297           297 

Performance-based restricted stock units cost

      154           154 

Balance at October 30, 2022

  11,421  $51,868  $207,725  $(4) $259,589 
                     
                     
                     
                     

Balance at July 30, 2023

  10,819  $49,561  $175,348  $759  $225,668 

Net income for the 13 weeks ended October 29, 2023

          7,038       7,038 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $17

              (53)  (53)

Cash dividends paid ($0.22 per share)

          (2,373)      (2,373)

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (147) $(700)  (2,434)      (3,134)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

                  - 

Restricted stock compensation cost

      449           449 

Performance-based restricted stock units cost

      193           193 

Balance at October 29, 2023

  10,672  $49,503  $177,579  $706  $227,788 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (CONT.)

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

              

Accumulated

     
              

Other

  

Total

 
  

Common Stock

      

Retained

  

Comprehensive

  

Shareholders'

 
  

Shares

  

Amount

  

Earnings

  

Income (loss)

  

Equity

 

Balance at January 30, 2022

  11,922  $53,295  $207,884  $(51) $261,128 

Net income for the 39 weeks ended October 30, 2022

          13,566       13,566 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $15

              47   47 

Cash dividends paid ($0.60 per share)

          (7,117)      (7,117)

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (598)  (2,751)  (6,608)      (9,359)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

  97   (102)          (102)

Restricted stock compensation cost

      963           963 

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

      463           463 

Balance at October 30, 2022

  11,421  $51,868  $207,725  $(4) $259,589 
                     
                     
                     
                     

Balance at January 29, 2023

  11,197  $50,770  $184,386  $865  $236,021 

Net income for the 39 weeks ended October 29, 2023

          9,272       9,272 

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $50

              (159)  (159)

Cash dividends paid ($0.66 per share)

          (7,228)      (7,228)

Purchase and retirement of common stock

  (620)  (2,952)  (8,851)      (11,803)

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

  95   (150)          (150)

Restricted stock compensation cost

      1,255           1,255 

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

      580           580 

Balance at October 29, 2023

  10,672  $49,503  $177,579  $706  $227,788 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollar and share amounts in tables, except per share amounts, in thousands unless otherwise indicated)

(Unaudited)

For the ThirteenThirty-Nine Weeks Ended April 30,October 29, 2023

 

1.         Preparation of Interim Financial Statements

 

The condensed consolidated financial statements of Hooker Furnishings Corporation and subsidiaries (referred to as “we,” “us,” “our,” “Hooker” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of all interim periods reported herein. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) are condensed or omitted pursuant to SEC rules and regulations. However, we believe that the disclosures made are adequate for a fair presentation of our results of operations and financial position. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2023 (“2023 Annual Report”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect both the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from our estimates. Operating results for the interim periods reported herein may not be indicative of the results expected for the fiscal year.

 

The financial statements contained herein are being filed as part of a quarterly report on Form 10-Q covering the 2024 fiscal year thirteen-week period (also referred to as “three months,” “three-month period,” “quarter,” “first“third quarter” or “quarterly period”) that began July 31, 2023, and the thirty-nine week period (also referred to as “nine months”, “nine-month period” or “year-to-date period”) that began January 30, 2023, andwhich both ended April 30,October 29, 2023. This report discusses our results of operations for this periodthese periods compared to the 2023 fiscal year thirteen-week period that began August 1, 2022, and the thirty-nine-week period that began January 31, 2022, andwhich both ended May 1,October 30, 2022; and our financial condition as of April 30,October 29, 2023 compared to January 29, 2023.

 

References in these notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company to:

 

 

the 2024 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fifty-two-week fiscal year that began January 30, 2023 and will end January 28, 2024; and

 

 

the 2023 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fifty-two-week fiscal year that began January 31, 2022 and ended January 29, 2023.

 

2.         Recently Adopted Accounting Policies

 

No new accounting pronouncements have been adopted in the 2024 fiscal year. We reviewed newly issued accounting pronouncements and concluded they are either not applicable to our business or are not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements as a result of future adoption.

 

3.         Accounts Receivable

 

 

April 30,

  

January 29,

  

October 29,

  

January 29,

 
 

2023

  

2023

  

2023

  

2023

 
                

Gross accounts receivable

 $59,941  $67,600  $62,770  $67,600 

Customer allowances

  (3,461)  (3,702)  (1,853)  (3,702)

Allowance for doubtful accounts

  (1,952)  (1,769)  (1,852)  (1,769)

Trade accounts receivable

 $54,528  $62,129  $59,065  $62,129 

 

 

4.         Inventories

 

 

April 30,

  

January 29,

  

October 29,

  

January 29,

 
 

2023

  

2023

  

2023

  

2023

 

Finished furniture

 $89,658  $115,015  $78,037  $115,015 

Furniture in process

  1,766   1,943   1,561   1,943 

Materials and supplies

  13,391   13,509   12,737   13,509 

Inventories at FIFO

  104,815   130,467   92,335   130,467 

Reduction to LIFO basis

  (31,627)  (33,792)  (27,179)  (33,792)

Inventories

 $73,188  $96,675  $65,156  $96,675 

 

5.         Property, Plant and Equipment

 

 

Depreciable Lives

  

April 30,

  

January 29,

  

Depreciable Lives

  

October 29,

  

January 29,

 
 

(In years)

  

2023

  

2023

  

(In years)

  

2023

  

2023

 
                      

Buildings and land improvements

 15 - 30  $32,783  $32,723  15 - 30  $33,671  $32,723 

Computer software and hardware

 3 - 10   16,000   15,887  3 - 10   8,907   15,887 

Machinery and equipment

 10   11,335   11,013  10   11,651   11,013 

Leasehold improvements

 

Term of lease

   15,064   11,894  

Term of lease

   12,445   11,894 

Furniture and fixtures

 3 - 10   6,313   5,991  3 - 10   6,377   5,991 

Other

 5   695   694  5   697   694 

Total depreciable property at cost

     82,190   78,202      73,748   78,202 

Less accumulated depreciation

     (54,663)  (53,427)     (46,590)  (53,427)

Total depreciable property, net

     27,527   24,775      27,158   24,775 

Land

     1,077   1,077      1,077   1,077 

Construction-in-progress

     466   1,158      844   1,158 

Property, plant and equipment, net

    $29,070  $27,010     $29,079  $27,010 

 

6.         Cloud Computing Hosting Arrangement

 

We are in the process of implementing a common Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) across all divisions. The ERP system went live at Sunset West in December 2022 and is expected to go-live in otherthe legacy Hooker divisions during fiscal 2024, within early September 2023. We expect the new ERP system to go live in the Home Meridian segment following afterwards.during fiscal 2025.

 

Based on the provisions of ASU 2018-15, Intangibles Goodwill and Other Internal-Use Software, we capitalize implementation costs associated with hosting arrangements that are service contracts. In addition, based on the provisions of ASC 835 Interest, we capitalize interest associated with this ERP project by applying the interest rate on our unsecured term loan to the amount of the accumulated expenditures for the ERP asset. Both these costs are recorded on the “Other noncurrent assets” line of our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amortization expense commenced when the ERP system went live at Sunset West in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Capitalized implementation costs and interest are amortized over ten years on a straight-line basis. The capitalized implementation costs and interest expenses at April 30,October 29, 2023 and January 29, 2023 were as follows:

 

 

Capitalized Implementation Costs

  

Capitalized interest expenses

  

Capitalized

Implementation Costs

  

Capitalized

interest expenses

 
                

Balance at January 29, 2023

 $8,598  $84  $8,598  $84 

Costs capitalized during the period

  1,298   66   3,818   225 

Accumulated amortization

  (19)  (1)

Balance at April 30, 2023

 $9,877  $149 

Accumulated amortization during the period

  (187)  (4)

Balance at October 29, 2023

 $12,229  $305 

 

 

7.         Fair Value Measurements

 

Fair value is the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid upon the transfer of a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants on the applicable measurement date. We use a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers include:

 

 

Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities;

 

 

Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and

 

 

Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs for which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

 

As of April 30,October 29, 2023 and January 29, 2023, Company-owned life insurance was measured at fair value on a recurring basis based on Level 2 inputs. The fair value of the Company-owned life insurance is determined by inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. Additionally, the fair value of the Company-owned life insurance is marked to market each reporting period and any change in fair value is reflected in income for that period.

 

Our assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at April 30,October 29, 2023 and January 29, 2023, were as follows:

 

 

Fair value at April 30, 2023

  

Fair value at January 29, 2023

  

Fair value at October 29, 2023

  

Fair value at January 29, 2023

 

Description

 

Level 1

  

Level 2

  

Level 3

  

Total

  

Level 1

  

Level 2

  

Level 3

  

Total

  

Level 1

  

Level 2

  

Level 3

  

Total

  

Level 1

  

Level 2

  

Level 3

  

Total

 
 

(In thousands)

  

(In thousands)

 

Assets measured at fair value

                                                                

Company-owned life insurance

 $-  $27,899  $-  $27,899  $-  $27,576  $-  $27,576  $-  $28,264  $-  $28,264  $-  $27,576  $-  $27,576 

 

8.         Intangible Assets

 

Our intangible assets with indefinite lives consist ofof: goodwill related to the Shenandoah, and Sunset West acquisitionsand BOBO Intriguing Objects acquisitions; and trademarks and tradenames related to the acquisitions of Bradington-Young, Sam MooreHome Meridian and Home Meridian. BOBO Intriguing Objects. During the fiscal 2024 second quarter, we recorded the preliminary estimates of $500,000 trademarks with indefinite lives and $124,000 goodwill as a result of the BOBO acquisition. The preliminary estimates of fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed are subject to revision, which may result in adjustments to the preliminary values presented below, when management’s appraisals and estimates are finalized. In the third quarter of fiscal 2024, we recorded additional fixed assets and revised goodwill to $84,000.

During the fiscal 2024 first quarter, we announced the rebranding of the Sam Moore product line to “HF Custom”.Custom.” As a result, we reassessed the characteristics of the Sam Moore trade name and the roll-out process, and determined it qualified for amortization. We will amortizeamortization; consequently, we began amortizing the value of Sam Moore trade name over a 24-month period using the straight-line method starting from mid-April.beginning mid-April 2023. Our intangible assets with definite lives are recorded in our Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery segments. Details of our intangible assets are as follows:

 

 April 30, 2023  January 29, 2023 
                 

October 29, 2023

  

January 29, 2023

 
 

Gross carrying amount

  

Accumulated Amortization

  

Gross carrying amount

  

Accumulated Amortization

  

Gross

carrying

amount

  

Accumulated

Amortization

  

Gross

carrying

amount

  

Accumulated

Amortization

 

Intangible assets with indefinite lives:

                                

Goodwill

                                

Domestic Upholstery - Shenandoah *

  490   -   490   -   490   -   490   - 

Domestic Upholstery - Sunset West

  14,462   -   14,462   -   14,462   -   14,462   - 

All Other - BOBO Intriguing Objects

  84   -   -   - 
Goodwill 14,952  -  14,952  -   15,036   -   14,952   - 
                            

Trademarks and Trade names *

  7,511   -   7,907   -   8,011   -   7,907   - 
                

Intangible assets with definite lives:

                                

Customer Relations

  38,001   (16,460)  38,001   (15,618)  38,001   (18,141)  38,001   (15,618)

Trademarks and Trade names

  2,334   (491)  1,938   (449)  2,334   (658)  1,938   (449)
                                

Intangible assets, net

  47,846   (16,951)  47,846   (16,067)  48,346   (18,799)  47,846   (16,067)

 

*: The amounts are net of impairment charges of $16.4 million related to Shenandoah goodwill and $4.8 million related to certain Home Meridian segment trade names, which were recorded in fiscal 2021.

 

 

Amortization expenses for intangible assets with definite lives were $883,000$924,000 and $878,000$2.7 million for the first quartersthird quarter and nine-month period of fiscal 2024, respectively. Amortization expenses for intangible assets with definite lives were $878,000 and $2.6 million for the fiscal 2023 third quarter and nine-month period, respectively. For the remainder of fiscal 2024, amortization expense is expected to be approximately $2.8 million.$924,000.

 

9.         Leases

 

We have operating leases for warehouses, showrooms, manufacturing facilities, offices and equipment. We recognized subleasesub-lease income of $29,000$27,000 and $348,000 in$101,000 for the first quartersthird quarter and nine-month period of fiscal 2024, respectively. We recognized sub-lease income of $34,000 and $415,000 for the third quarter and nine-month period of fiscal 2023, respectively.

 

The components of lease cost and supplemental cash flow information for leases infor the first quarters of fiscal 2024three-months and nine-months ended October 29, 2023 and October 30, 2022 were:

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30, 2023

  

May 1, 2022

  

October 29, 2023

  

October 30, 2022

  

October 29, 2023

  

October 30, 2022

 

Operating lease cost

 $2,838  $2,527  $2,715  $2,291  $8,414  $7,089 

Variable lease cost

  82   55   50   62   202   172 

Short-term lease cost

  79   80   119   79   282   246 

Total operating lease cost

 $2,999  $2,662  $2,884  $2,432  $8,898  $7,507 
                        
                        

Operating cash outflows

 $2,694  $2,829  $2,668  $2,518  $8,033  $7,745 

 

During fiscal 2024 second quarter, we reduced our footprint by 200,000 square feet in the Georgia warehouse. During the third quarter, we entered into an agreement to further reduce our footprint by 200,000 square feet by early calendar 2024. These modifications resulted in an approximate $13 million decrease in the lease right-of-use assets and liabilities. The right-of-use assets and lease liabilities recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as of April 30,October 29, 2023 and January 29, 2023 were as follows:

 

 

April 30, 2023

  

January 29, 2023

  

October 29, 2023

  

January 29, 2023

 

Real estate

 $66,173  $68,212  $53,374  $68,212 

Property and equipment

  633   737   828   737 

Total operating leases right-of-use assets

 $66,806  $68,949  $54,202  $68,949 
                
                

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

 $7,363  $7,316  $7,045  $7,316 

Long term operating lease liabilities

  61,877   63,762   49,651   63,762 

Total operating lease liabilities

 $69,240  $71,078  $56,696  $71,078 

 

For leases that commenced before July 2022, we used our incremental borrowing rate which was LIBOR plus 1.5%. When we entered into the new loan agreement (described in Note 10 below), our incremental borrowing rate for unsecured term loan became the current BSBY rate plus 1.40%. We use this rate as the discount rate for leases commenced in July 2022 and thereafter. The weighted-average discount rate is 4.01%5.05%. The weighted-average remaining lease term is 7.87 years.

 

The following table reconciles the undiscounted future lease payments for operating leases to the operating lease liabilities recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets on April 30,October 29, 2023:

 

  

Undiscounted Future Operating Lease Payments

 

Remainder of fiscal 2024

 $7,463 

2025

  10,102 

2026

  10,182 

2027

  10,267 

2028

  8,931 

2029 and thereafter

  35,130 

Total lease payments

 $82,075 

Less: impact of discounting

  (12,835)

Present value of lease payments

 $69,240 

As of April 30, 2023, the Company had an additional lease for a showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. This lease commenced in May of calendar 2023 with an initial lease term of 3 years and estimated future minimum rental commitments of approximately $1.0 million. Since the lease had not yet commenced at quarter end, the undiscounted amounts are not included in the table above. Subsequent to the fiscal 2024 first quarter, we entered into an agreement to reduce our footprint in the Georgia warehouse. This amendment results in an approximate $6 million decrease in rental payments over the remaining lease term. Since the agreement had not yet commenced, the modification is not reflected in the table above.

  

Undiscounted Future

Operating Lease

Payments

 

Remainder of fiscal 2024

 $2,424 

2025

  9,732 

2026

  9,797 

2027

  9,635 

2028

  8,010 

2029 and thereafter

  29,166 

Total lease payments

 $68,764 

Less: impact of discounting

  (12,068)

Present value of lease payments

 $56,696 

 

10.         Long-Term Debt

 

On July 26, 2022, we entered into the Fourth Amendment (the “amendment”) to the Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement with Bank of America, N.A. (“BofA”) to replenish cash used to make the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Sunset West (which closed at the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2023) (the “Sunset Acquisition”). The Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017, had previously been amended by a First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 31, 2019, a Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of November 4, 2020, and a Third Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 27, 2021 (as so amended, the “Existing Loan Agreement”). Details of the individual credit facilities provided for in the Amendment are as follows:

 

 

Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. Under the Amendment, the expiration date of the existing $35 million Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (the “Existing Revolver”) was extended to July 26, 2027. Any amounts outstanding will bear interest at a rate per annum, equal to the then current Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”) (adjusted periodically) plus 1.00%. The interest rate will be adjusted on a monthly basis. The actual daily amount of undrawn letters of credit is subject to a quarterly fee equal to a per annum rate of 1%. We must also pay a quarterly unused commitment fee that is based on the average daily amount of the facility utilized during the applicable quarter;

 

 

2022 Secured Term Loan. The Amendment provided us with aan $18 million term loanSecured Term Loan (the “Secured Term Loan”), which was disbursed to us on July 26, 2022. We are required to pay monthly interest only payments at a rate per annum equal to the then current BSBY rate (adjusted periodically) plus 0.90% on the outstanding balance until the principal is paid in full. The interest rate will be adjusted on a monthly basis. On July 26, 2027, the entire outstanding indebtedness is due in full, including all principal and interest. The Secured Term Loan is secured by certain company-owned life insurance policies under a Security Agreement (Assignment of Life Insurance Policy as Collateral) dated July 26, 2022, by and between the Company and BofA; and

 

 

2022 Unsecured Term Loan. The Amendment provided us with a $7 million unsecured term loanUnsecured Term Loan (the “Unsecured Term Loan”), which was disbursed to us on July 26, 2022. We are required to pay monthly principal payments of $116,667 and monthly interest payments at a rate per annum equal to the then current BSBY (adjusted periodically) plus 1.40% on the outstanding balance until paid in full. The interest rate will be adjusted monthly. On July 26, 2027, the entire outstanding indebtedness is due in full, including all principal and interest.

 

We may prepay any outstanding principal amounts borrowed under either the Secured Term Loan or the Unsecured Term Loan at any time, without penalty provided that any payment is accompanied by all accrued interest owed. As of April 30,October 29, 2023, $5.9$5.2 million was outstanding under the Unsecured Term Loan, and $18 million was outstanding under the Secured Term Loan.

 

We incurred $37,500 in debt issuance costs in connection with our term loans. As of April 30,October 29, 2023, unamortized loan costs of $31,875$28,125 were netted against the carrying value of our term loans on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

The Amendment also included customary representations and warranties and requires us to comply with customary covenants, including, among other things, the following financial covenants:

 

 

Maintain a ratio of funded debt to EBITDA not exceeding:

o

2.50:1.0 through July 30, 2023;

 

 

o

2.25:1.0 through July 30, 2024; and

 

 

o

2.00:1.00 thereafter.

 

 

A basic fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.25:1.00; and

 

 

Limit capital expenditures to no more than $15.0 million during any fiscal year.

 

The Existing Loan Agreement also limits our right to incur other indebtedness, make certain investments and create liens upon our assets, subject to certain exceptions, among other restrictions. The Existing Loan Agreement does not restrict our ability to pay cash dividends on, or repurchase, shares of our common stock, subject to our compliance with the financial covenants discussed above if we are not otherwise in default under the Existing Loan Agreement.

 

We were in compliance with each of these financial covenants at April 30,October 29, 2023 and expect to remain in compliance with existing covenants for the foreseeable future.

 

As of April 30,October 29, 2023, we had $27.2 million available under our $35 million Existing Revolver to fund working capital needs. Standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $7.8 million, used to collateralize certain insurance arrangements and for imported product purchases, were outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of April 30,October 29, 2023. There were no additional borrowings outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of April 30,October 29, 2023.

 

11.         Earnings Per Share

 

We refer you to the discussion of Earnings Per Share in Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the financial statements included in our 2023 Annual Report, for additional information concerning the calculation of earnings per share (EPS).

 

All stock awards are designed to encourage retention and to provide an incentive for increasing shareholder value. We have issued restricted stock awards to non-employee members of the board of directors since 2006 and to certain non-executive employees since 2014. We have issued restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to certain senior executives since fiscal 2012 under the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan. Each RSU entitles an executive to receive one share of the Company’s common stock if the executive remains continuously employed with the Company through the end of a three-year service period. The RSUs may be paid in shares of our common stock, cash or both at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of our board of directors. We have issued Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (“PSUs”) to certain senior executives since fiscal 2019 under the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan. Each PSU entitles the executive officer to receive one share of our common stock based on the achievement of two specified performance conditions if the executive officer remains continuously employed through the end of the three-year performance period. One target is based on our annual average growth in our EPS over the performance period and the other target is based on EPS growth over the performance period compared to our peers. The payout or settlement of the PSUs will be made in shares of our common stock.

 

We expect to continue to grant these types of awards annually in the future. The following table sets forth the number of outstanding restricted stock awards and RSUs and PSUs, net of forfeitures and vested shares, as of the fiscal period-end dates indicated:

 

 

April 30,

  

January 29,

  

October 29,

  

January 29,

 
 

2023

  

2023

  

2023

  

2023

 
                

Restricted shares

  175   132   182   132 

RSUs and PSUs

  156   101   156   101 
  331   233   338   233 

 

All restricted shares, RSUs and PSUs awarded that have not yet vested are considered when computing diluted earnings per share.

During the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, we purchased and retired 620,634 shares of our common stock (at an average price of $18.79 per share) under the $20 million share repurchase authorization approved by our board of directors in fiscal 2023 and the additional $5 million share repurchase authorization approved by our board of directors in the second quarter of this year. These repurchases reduced our total outstanding shares and, consequently, reduced the weighted outstanding shares used in our calculation of earnings per share for the fiscal 2024 third quarter and nine-month period shown below. The share repurchase program was completed during the fiscal 2024 third quarter.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

  

May 1,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
 

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 
                        

Net income

 $1,450  $3,182  $7,038  $4,841  $9,272  $13,566 

Less: Unvested participating restricted stock dividends

  30   19   40   28   111   74 

Net earnings allocated to unvested participating restricted stock

  18   25   120   58   143   141 

Earnings available for common shareholders

  1,402   3,138   6,878   4,755   9,018   13,351 
                        

Weighted average shares outstanding for basic earnings per share

  10,976   11,866   10,536   11,465   10,748   11,736 

Dilutive effect of unvested restricted stock, RSU and PSU awards

  101   83   140   60   130   102 

Weighted average shares outstanding for diluted earnings per share

  11,077   11,949   10,676   11,525   10,878   11,838 
                        

Basic earnings per share

 $0.13  $0.27  $0.66  $0.42  $0.85  $1.16 
                        

Diluted earnings per share

 $0.13  $0.26  $0.65  $0.42  $0.85  $1.14 

 

12.Income Taxes

 

We recorded income tax expensesexpense of $402,000 and $991,000$2.0 million for the fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 first quarters, respectively.third quarter compared to $1.3 million for the comparable prior year quarter. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2024 and 2023 firstthird quarters were 21.7%22.4% and 23.7%21.6%, respectively. For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, we recorded income tax expense of $2.6 million, compared to $3.9 million for the comparable prior year period. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2024 and 2023 nine-month periods were 22.0% and 22.5%, respectively.

 

No material and non-routine positions have been identified that are uncertain tax positions.

 

Tax years ending February 2, 2020 through January 29, 2023 remain subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities.

 

13.         Segment Information

 

As a public entity, we are required to present disaggregated information by segment using the management approach. The objective of this approach is to allow users of our financial statements to see our business through the eyes of management based upon the way management reviews performance and makes decisions. The management approach requires segment information to be reported based on how management internally evaluates the operating performance of the company’s business units or segments. The objective of this approach is to meet the basic principles of segment reporting as outlined in ASC 280 Segments (“ASC 280”), which are to allow the users of our financial statements to:

 

 

better understand our performance;

 

better assess our prospects for future net cash flows; and

 

make more informed judgments about us as a whole.

 

We define our segments as those operations our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) regularly reviews to analyze performance and allocate resources. We measure the results of our segments using, among other measures, each segment’s net sales, gross profit and operating income, as determined by the information regularly reviewed by the CODM.

 

For financial reporting purposes, we are organized into three reportable segments and “All Other”, which includes the remainder of our businesses:

 

 

Hooker Branded, consisting of the operations of our imported Hooker Casegoods and Hooker Upholstery businesses;

 

Home Meridian, a business acquired at the beginning of fiscal 2017, is a stand-alone, mostly autonomous business that serves a different type or class of customer than do our other operating segments and at much lower margins;

 

Domestic Upholstery, which includes the domestic upholstery manufacturing operations of Bradington-Young, HF Custom (formerly Sam Moore Furniture)Moore), Shenandoah Furniture and Sunset West, a business acquired at the beginning of fiscal 2023; and

 

All Other, consisting of H Contract, Lifestyle Brands and Lifestyle Brands. NeitherBOBO Intriguing Objects. None of these operating segments were individually reportable; therefore, we combined them in “All Other” in accordance with ASC 280.

 

fiscal 2024, we acquired substantially all the assets of BOBO Intriguing Objects. Based on the requirements of ASC 280: Segment Reporting, BOBO’s results are included in All Other on a prospective basis.

 

We regularly monitor our reportable segments for changes in facts and circumstances to determine whether changes in the identification or aggregation of operating segments are necessary. Before the fiscal 2024 third quarter, H Contract’s results included sales of products sourced from the Hooker Branded segment and Sunset West. Due to a change in the way management internally evaluates operating performance, beginning with fiscal 2024 third quarter, Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments’ results now include sales of products formerly included in H Contract’s results. Fiscal 2024 year-to-date period and fiscal 2023 results discussed below have been recast to reflect this change. The Home Meridian segment is unchanged.

The following table presents segment information for the periods, and as of the dates, indicated.

 

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

      

May 1,

     
  

2023

      

2022

     
      

% Net

      

% Net

 

Net Sales

     

Sales

      

Sales

 

   Hooker Branded

 $41,891   34.4% $42,230   28.7%

   Home Meridian

  41,921   34.4%  62,085   42.1%

   Domestic Upholstery

  35,104   28.8%  41,220   28.0%

   All Other

  2,899   2.4%  1,779   1.2%

Consolidated

 $121,815   100% $147,314   100.0%
                 

Gross Profit

                

   Hooker Branded

 $13,091   31.3% $13,240   31.4%

   Home Meridian

  6,713   16.0%  6,305   10.2%

   Domestic Upholstery

  7,023   20.0%  9,354   22.7%

   All Other

  1,079   37.2%  560   31.5%

Consolidated

 $27,906   22.9% $29,459   20.0%
                 

Operating Income/(Loss)

                

   Hooker Branded

 $2,300   5.5% $4,142   9.8%

   Home Meridian

  (2,119)  -5.1%  (3,095)  -5.0%

   Domestic Upholstery

  1,328   3.8%  2,752   6.7%

   All Other

  466   16.1%  124   7.0%

Consolidated

 $1,975   1.6% $3,923   2.7%
                 

Capital Expenditures

                

   Hooker Branded

 $2,787      $468     

   Home Meridian

  227       40     

   Domestic Upholstery

  116       322     

   All Other

  28       -     

Consolidated

 $3,158      $830     
                 

Depreciation & Amortization

                

   Hooker Branded

 $491      $684     

   Home Meridian

  687       662     

   Domestic Upholstery

  947       938     

   All Other

  22       3     

Consolidated

 $2,147      $2,287     

 

As of April 30,

      

As of

January 29,

      

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

2023

  

%Total

  

2023

  

%Total

  

October 29,

      

October 30,

      

October 29,

      

October 30,

     

Identifiable Assets

     

Assets

      

Assets

 
 

2023

      

2022

      

2023

      

2022

     
     

% Net

      

% Net

      

% Net

      

% Net

 

Net Sales

     

Sales

      

Sales

      

Sales

      

Sales

 

Hooker Branded

 $172,499   54.2% $174,523   52.1% $39,122   33.5% $56,632   37.4% $118,936   35.4% $154,133   34.1%

Home Meridian

  80,709   25.4%  92,469   27.6%  43,692   37.4%  50,588   33.4%  114,524   34.0%  171,721   38.0%

Domestic Upholstery

  63,307   19.9%  66,435   19.8%  32,559   27.9%  43,436   28.7%  98,555   29.3%  122,982   27.2%

All Other

  1,706   0.5%  1,558   0.5%  1,458   1.2%  924   0.5%  4,437   1.3%  2,967   0.7%

Consolidated

 $318,221   100% $334,985   100% $116,831   100% $151,580   100% $336,452   100% $451,803   100%

Consolidated Goodwill and Intangibles

  45,847       46,731     

Total Consolidated Assets

 $364,068      $381,716     
                                

Gross Profit

                                

Hooker Branded

 $17,823   45.6% $16,156   28.5% $43,840   36.9% $45,357   29.4%

Home Meridian

  8,803   20.1%  5,431   10.7%  18,726   16.4%  19,057   11.1%

Domestic Upholstery

  6,485   19.9%  9,918   22.8%  19,872   20.2%  26,400   21.5%

All Other

  599   41.1%  503   54.4%  2,519   56.8%  1,708   57.6%

Consolidated

 $33,710   28.9% $32,008   21.1% $84,957   25.3% $92,522   20.5%
                                

Operating Income/(Loss)

                                

Hooker Branded

 $7,287   18.6% $5,860   10.3% $13,298   11.2% $16,423   10.7%

Home Meridian

  923   2.1%  (3,205)  -6.3%  (4,532)  -4.0%  (7,290)  -4.2%

Domestic Upholstery

  688   2.1%  3,823   8.8%  2,739   2.8%  8,288   6.7%

All Other

  (128)  -8.8%  (60)  -6.5%  513   11.6%  212   7.1%

Consolidated

 $8,770   7.5% $6,418   4.2% $12,018   3.6% $17,633   3.9%
                                

Capital Expenditures (net of disposals)

                                

Hooker Branded

 $747      $589      $4,156      $1,295     

Home Meridian

  827       589       1,065       1,221     

Domestic Upholstery

  179       344       436       953     

All Other

  -       -       61       -     

Consolidated

 $1,753      $1,522      $5,718      $3,469     
                                

Depreciation

& Amortization

                                

Hooker Branded

 $467      $479      $1,461      $1,600     

Home Meridian

  670       724       2,047       2,110     

Domestic Upholstery

  1,100       963       3,092       2,860     

All Other

  17       3       26       8     

Consolidated

 $2,254      $2,169      $6,626      $6,578     

 

 

  

As of October 29,

      

As of January 29,

                     
  

2023

  

%Total

  

2023

  

%Total

                 

Identifiable Assets

     

Assets

      

Assets

                 

Hooker Branded

 $178,435   57.6% $174,523   52.1%                

Home Meridian

  63,310   20.4%  92,469   27.6%                

Domestic Upholstery

  63,179   20.4%  66,435   19.8% 

All Other

  4,991   1.6%  1,558   0.5%                

Consolidated

 $309,915   100% $334,985   100% 

Consolidated Goodwill and Intangibles

  44,583       46,731                     

Total Consolidated Assets

 $354,498      $381,716      

Sales by product type are as follows:

 

 

Net Sales (in thousands)

  

Net Sales (in thousands)

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30, 2023

  

 %Total

  

May 1, 2022

  

%Total

  

October 29, 2023

  

%Total

  

October 30, 2022

  

%Total

  

October 29, 2023

  

%Total

  

October 30, 2022

  

%Total

 

Casegoods

 $67,975   56% $74,192   50% $71,787   61% $86,717   57% $191,825   57% $253,748   56%

Upholstery

  53,840   44%  73,122   50%  45,044   39%  64,863   43%  144,627   43%  198,055   44%
 $121,815   100% $147,314   100% $116,831   100% $151,580   100% $336,452   100% $451,803   100%

 

14. Subsequent Events

 

Dividends

 

On JuneDecember 5, 2023, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22$0.23 per share which will be paid on June 30,December 29, 2023 to shareholders of record at June 16,December 15, 2023.

Additional Share Repurchase Authorization

On June 5, 2023 our Board of Directors approved an additional $5 million for This represents a $0.01 per share or 4.5% increase over the repurchase of our common shares, adding toprevious quarterly dividend and the $20 million authorization it approved in June 2022. As of the filing date of this report, approximately $5.5 million remains available for the repurchase of our shares under these authorizations.eighth consecutive annual dividend increase.

 

 

Item 2.         Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

All references to the Company, we, us and our in this document refer to Hooker Furnishings Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless specifically referring to segment information. All references to the Hooker, Hooker Division(s), Hooker Legacy Brands or traditional Hooker divisions or companies refer to all current business units and brands except for those in the Home Meridian segment. The Hooker Branded segment includes Hooker Casegoods and Hooker Upholstery. The Domestic Upholstery segment includes Bradington-Young, HF Custom (formerly Sam Moore), Shenandoah Furniture and Sunset West. All Other includes H Contract, Lifestyle Brands, and Lifestyle Brands.BOBO Intriguing Objects.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements made in this report, including statements under Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this report, are not based on historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our reasonable judgment with respect to future events and typically can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could” or “anticipates,” or the negatives thereof, or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to:

 

 

general economic or business conditions, both domestically and internationally, including the current macro-economic uncertainties and challenges to the retail environment for home furnishings along with instability in the financial and credit markets, in part due to inflation and rising interest rates, including their potential impact on (i) our sales and operating costs and access to financing, (ii) customers, and (iii) suppliers and their ability to obtain financing or generate the cash necessary to conduct their respective businesses;

 

 

the direct and indirect costs and time spent by our associates associated with the implementation of our Enterprise Resource Planning system (“ERP”), including costs resulting from unanticipated disruptions to our business;

the cyclical nature of the furnishings industry, which is particularly sensitive to changes in consumer confidence, the amount of consumers’ income available for discretionary purchases, and the availability and terms of consumer credit;

changes in consumer preferences, including increased demand for lower-priced furniture;

difficulties in forecasting demand for our imported products and raw materials used in our domestic operations;

 

 

risks associated with our reliance on offshore sourcing and the cost of imported goods, including fluctuation in the prices of purchased finished goods, customs issues, freight costs, including the price and availability of shipping containers, ocean vessels, ocean and domestic trucking, and warehousing costs and the risk that a disruption in our offshore suppliers or the transportation and handling industries, including labor stoppages, strikes, or slowdowns, could adversely affect our ability to timely fill customer orders;

 

 

risks associated with HMIHome Meridian segment restructuring and cost-savings efforts, including our ability to timely dispose of excess inventories, reduce expenses and return the segment to profitability;

 

 

the impairment of our long-lived assets including goodwill, which can result in reduced earnings and net worth;

 

 

adverse political acts or developments in, or affecting, the international markets from which we import products, including duties or tariffs imposed on those products by foreign governments or the U.S. government and possible future U.S. conflict with China;

 

 

the direct and indirect costs and time spent by our associates associated with the implementation of our Enterprise Resource Planning system (“ERP”), including costs resulting from unanticipated disruptions to our business;

the interruption, inadequacy, security breaches or integration failure of our information systems or information technology infrastructure, related service providers or the internet or other related issues including unauthorized disclosures of confidential information, hacking or other cyber-security threats or inadequate levels of cyber-insurance or risks not covered by cyber- insurance;cyber-insurance;

 

 

risks associated with our Georgia warehouse including the inability to realize anticipated cost savings and subleasing excess space on favorable terms;

 

 

risks associated with domestic manufacturing operations, including fluctuations in capacity utilization and the prices and availability of key raw materials, as well as changes in transportation, warehousing and domestic labor costs, availability of skilled labor, and environmental compliance and remediation costs;

 

 

the risks related to the Sunset Acquisition including integration costs, maintaining Sunset West’s existing customer relationships, debt service costs, interest rate volatility, the use of operating cash flows to service debt to the detriment of other corporate initiatives or strategic opportunities, the loss of key employees from Sunset West, the disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies across the business which could adversely affect our internal control or information systems and the costs of bringing them into compliance and failure to realize benefits anticipated from the Sunset Acquisition;

the risks related to the BOBO Intriguing Objects acquisition, including the loss of a key BOBO employee, inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies across the business which could adversely affect our internal control or information systems and failure to realize benefits anticipated from the BOBO acquisition;

 

 

changes in U.S. and foreign government regulations and in the political, social and economic climates of the countries from which we source our products;

 

 

risks associated with product defects, including higher than expected costs associated with product quality and safety, regulatory compliance costs (such as the costs associated with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s new mandatory furniture tip-over standard, STURDY) related to the sale of consumer products and costs related to defective or non-compliant products, product liability claims and costs to recall defective products and the adverse effects of negative media coverage;

 

 

disruptions and damage (including those due to weather) affecting our Virginia or Georgia warehouses, our Virginia, North Carolina or California administrative facilities, our High Point, Las Vegas, and Atlanta showrooms or our representative offices or warehouses in Vietnam and China;

 

 

the risks specifically related to the concentrations of a material part of our sales and accounts receivable in only a few customers, including the loss of several large customers through business consolidations, failures or other reasons, or the loss of significant sales programs with major customers;

 

 

our inability to collect amounts owed to us or significant delays in collecting such amounts;

 

 

achieving and managing growth and change, and the risks associated with new business lines, acquisitions, including the selection of suitable acquisition targets, restructurings, strategic alliances and international operations;

 

 

capital requirements and costs;

 

 

risks associated with distribution through third-party retailers, such as non-binding dealership arrangements;

 

 

the cost and difficulty of marketing and selling our products in foreign markets;

 

 

changes in domestic and international monetary policies and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates affecting the price of our imported products and raw materials;

the cyclical nature of the furniture industry, which is particularly sensitive to changes in consumer confidence, the amount of consumers’ income available for discretionary purchases, and the availability and terms of consumer credit;

 

 

price competition in the furniture industry;

competition from non-traditional outlets, such as internet and catalog retailers; and

changes in consumer preferences, including increased demand for lower-priced furniture.furnishings industry.

 

Our forward-looking statements could be wrong considering these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The future events, developments or results described in this report could turn out to be materially different. Any forward-looking statement we make speaks only as of the date of that statement, and we undertake no obligation, except as required by law, to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise and you should not expect us to do so.

 

Also, our business is subject to significant risks and uncertainties any of which can adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or future prospects. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that we face, see the Forward-Looking Statements detailed above and Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2023 Annual Report.

 

Investors should also be aware that while we occasionally communicate with securities analysts and others, it is against our policy to selectively disclose to them any material nonpublic information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, investors should not assume that we agree with any projection, forecast or report issued by any analyst regardless of the content of the statement or report, as we have a policy against confirming information issued by others.

 

Quarterly Reporting

 

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q includes our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the 2024 fiscal year thirteen-week period (also referred to as “three months,” “three-month period,” “quarter,” “first“third quarter” or “quarterly period”) that began July 31, 2023, and the thirty-nine week period (also referred to as “nine months”, “nine-month period” or “year-to-date period”) that began January 30, 2023, andwhich both ended April 30,October 29, 2023. This report discusses our results of operations for this periodthese periods compared to the 2023 fiscal year thirteen-week period that began August 1, 2022, and the thirty-nine-week period that began January 31, 2022, andwhich both ended May 1,October 30, 2022; and our financial condition as of April 30,October 29, 2023 compared to January 29, 2023.

 

References in this report to:

 

 

the 2024 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fiscal year that began January 30, 2023 and will end January 28, 2024; and

 

 

the 2023 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fiscal year that began January 31, 2022 and ended January 29, 2023.

 

Dollar amounts presented in the tables below are in thousands except for per share data.

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, contained elsewhere in this quarterly report. We also encourage users of this report to familiarize themselves with all of our recent public filings made with the SEC, especially our 2023 Annual Report. Our 2023 Annual Report contains critical information regarding known risks and uncertainties that we face, critical accounting policies and information on commitments and contractual obligations that are not reflected in our condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as a more thorough and detailed discussion of our corporate strategy and new business initiatives.

 

Our 2023 Annual Report and other public filings made with the SEC are available, without charge, at www.sec.gov and at http://investors.hookerfurnishings.com.

 

Overview

 

Hooker Furnishings Corporation, incorporated in Virginia in 1924, is a designer, marketer, and importer of casegoods (wooden and metal furniture), leather furniture, and fabric-upholstered furniture, lighting, accessories, and home décor for the residential, hospitality and contract markets. We also domestically manufacture premium residential custom leather, custom fabric-upholstered furniture and outdoor furniture.

Changes to segment reporting for fiscal 2024

During the second quarter of fiscal 2024, we acquired substantially all the assets of BOBO Intriguing Objects. Based on the requirements of ASC 280: Segment Reporting, BOBO’s results are included in All Other on a prospective basis.

We regularly monitor our reportable segments for changes in facts and circumstances to determine whether changes in the identification or aggregation of operating segments are necessary. Before the fiscal 2024 third quarter, H Contract’s results included sales of certain products sourced from the Hooker Branded segment and Sunset West division of the Domestic Upholstery segment. Due to a change in the way management internally evaluates operating performance, beginning with the fiscal 2024 third quarter, Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments’ results now include sales of products formerly included in H Contract’s results. Fiscal 2024 year-to-date period and fiscal 2023 results discussed below have been recast to reflect this change. The Home Meridian segment is unchanged.

 

Orders and Backlog

 

In the discussion below and herein, we reference changes in sales orders or “orders” and sales order backlog (unshipped orders at a point in time) or “backlog” over and compared to certain periods of time and changes discussed are in sales dollars and not units of inventory, unless stated otherwise. We believe orders are generally good current indicators of sales momentum and business conditions. If the items ordered are in stock and the customer has requested immediate delivery, we generally ship products in about seven days or less from receipt of order; however, orders may be shipped later if they are out of stock or there are production or shipping delays or the customer has requested the order to be shipped at a later date. It is our policy and industry practice to allow order cancellation for casegoods up to the time of shipment or, in the case of container direct orders, up until the time the container is booked with the ocean freight carrier; therefore, customer orders for casegoods are not firm. However, domestically produced upholstered products are predominantly custom-built and consequently, cannot be cancelled once the leather or fabric has been cut. Our hospitality products are highly customized and are generally not cancellable. For our outdoor furnishings, most orders require a deposit upon order and the balance before production is started, and hence are generally non-cancellable.

 

For the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments and All Other, we generally consider backlogs to be one helpful indicator of sales for the upcoming 30-day period, but because of our relatively quick delivery and our cancellation policies, we do not consider order backlogs to be a reliable indicator of expected long-term sales. At times, the ratio of new products to currently available inventory items can affect the amount of the backlog that can be converted to shipments in the short-term. We generally consider the Home Meridian segment’s backlog to be one helpful indicator of that segment’s sales for the upcoming 90-day period. Due to (i) the average sales order sizes of its mass and mega account channels of distribution, (ii) the proprietary nature of many of its products and (iii) the project nature of its hospitality business, for which average order sizes tend to be larger and consequently, the Home Meridian segment’s order backlog tends to be larger.

 

There have been exceptions to the general predictive nature of our orders and backlogs noted in thisthe above paragraph, such as during times of extremely high demand and supply chain challenges as experienced during the immediate aftermath of the initial COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery. Orders were not being converted to shipments as quickly as would be expected compared to the pre-pandemic environment due to the lack and cost of shipping containers and vessel space as well as limited overseas vendor capacity and our domestic production capacity. As a result, backlogs were significantly elevated and reached historical levels in the prior two years.

 

At April 30,October 29, 2023, our backlog of unshipped orders was as follows:

 

 

Order Backlog

  

Order Backlog

 
 

(Dollars in 000s)

  

(Dollars in 000s)

 
                        

Reporting Segment

 

April 30, 2023

  

January 29, 2023

  

May 1, 2022

  

October 29, 2023

  

January 29, 2023

  

October 30, 2022

 
                        

Hooker Branded

 $17,357  $19,276  $76,562  $18,646  $20,568  $36,747 

Home Meridian

  40,413   43,052   120,844   27,611   43,052   56,761 

Domestic Upholstery

  24,402   28,404   79,018   21,418   29,696   41,844 

All Other

  5,188   4,654   6,153   1,760   2,070   1,983 
                        

Consolidated

 $87,360  $95,386  $282,577  $69,435  $95,386  $137,335 

 

At the end of fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter, order backlog decreased as compared to the fiscal 2023 year-end and the prior year firstthird quarter end. The decrease was attributable to more normalized levelssoft demand and the absence of shippingACH orders and lowerbacklog in the Home Meridian segment. See Review below for additional information on our incoming orders driven by a decrease in overall demand.and backlog.

 

Executive Summary-Results of Operations

 

Consolidated net sales for the fiscal 2024 third quarter decreased by $34.7 million, or 22.9%, compared to the prior year quarter due to sales decreases across all three reporting segments driven by continued soft demand for home furnishings, as well as our exit from the Accentrics Home product line. Despite the sales decline, consolidated gross profit and margin both increased for the quarter due to decreased product costs in the Hooker Branded segment driven by lower ocean freight costs and improved margin at Home Meridian segment due to our exit from the unprofitable categories, partially offset by decreased gross profit and margin in the Domestic Upholstery segment due to under-absorbed indirect costs, primarily indirect labor costs. Consolidated operating income and margin were $8.8 million and 7.5% as compared to $6.4 million and 4.2% in the prior year third quarter, due to improved profitability in the Hooker Branded and Home Meridian segments. Consolidated net income was $7.0 million or $0.65 per diluted share, compared to $4.8 million or $0.42 per diluted share in the prior year quarter.

Consolidated net sales for the fiscal 2024 first quarter decreased by $25.5 million, or 17.3% compared to the prior year quarter, driven by a 32.5% sales decrease in the Home Meridian segment and to a lesser extent, a 14.8% decrease in the Domestic Upholstery segment. Despite being a smaller part of overall results, All Other contributed a $1.1 million sales increase. Net sales in the Hooker Branded segment remained relatively unchanged. Consolidated gross profit decreased mainly due to lower sales volume, while gross margin increased. Consolidated operating income was $2.0 million or 1.6% of net sales, compared to $3.9 million or 2.7% in the prior year period. Consolidated net income was $1.5 million or $0.13 per diluted share for the quarter, compared to a $3.2 million or $0.26

For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, consolidated net sales decreased by $115.4 million, or 25.5%, as compared to the same period last year due to decreased net sales in all three segments also attributable to industry-wide soft demand, as well as our exit from the Accentrics Home product line in the Home Meridian segment. Consolidated gross profit decreased due to the sales decline, while gross margin increased due to increased margin in the Hooker Branded and Home Meridian segments, partially offset by decreased gross profit and margin in the Domestic Upholstery segment. Consolidated operating income and margin were $12.0 million or 3.6% as compared to $17.6 million and 3.9% in the prior year period. Consolidated net income was $9.3 million or $0.85 per diluted share, as compared to $13.6 million or $1.14 per diluted share in the prior year period.

 

Our fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter and nine months performance isare discussed in greater detail below under “Review” and “Results of Operations.”

 

Review

 

TheDespite a challenging macroeconomic environment for the home furnishings industry, continues to experience decreased demandincluding a slowdown in the housing market, high interest rates, and a sluggish retail environment, as well as other economic uncertaintiesshift in consumer discretionary spending away from home furnishings, we are pleased to report an increase in net income for the fiscal 2024 third quarter. Despite these challenges, we are encouraged by positive indicators such as the normalization of ocean freight costs, eased supply chain constraints, more stable raw material costs, and increased inflation and rising interest rates. We remain cautious yetlabor availability. Additionally, our strategy to reposition the Home Meridian segment from a volatile, high risk model with unpredictable profitability to a lower risk, sustainable profit model have begun to yield positive results, with the segment reporting a quarterly operating income for fiscal 2024 as during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 we managedtime since calendar year 2021. All these factors have contributed to strengthen our financial position by building up cash by $12 million from the 2023 fiscal year ended in January, reducing inventory levels by $23 million, and maintainingimproved profitability in the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments. The Home Meridian segment’s operating loss was lower than prior year quarter’s result and better than management expected for the current year considering the current retail environment and the significant amount of closeout sales recorded in the first quarter.

 

The Hooker Branded segments experienced a net sales were essentially flat, decreasing slightlydecrease of $17.5 million, or 30.9%, in the fiscal 2024 third quarter, due primarily to reduced volume driven by 0.8% or $339,000current lower demand for home furnishings. Short-term delays related to the implementation of a new ERP system over the Labor Day weekend had an impact of approximately $3 million, which would have positioned the sales in this segment down 26% for the quarter. Compounding this, the unusually high net sales in the previous year's third quarter created a challenging basis for comparison in the current year. Despite the sales decline, this segment reported an increased gross margin of 45.6% for the quarter, due mostly to lower ocean freight costs. We implemented price decreases and promotions on new orders in August to align with decreased ocean freight costs and the discounting levels in the home furnishings market. However, the majority of shipments still carried price increases we implemented in the prior year, which combined with lower freight costs, led to unusually high gross margins for the quarter. We anticipate a subsequent decrease in gross margin as more orders are shipped under our revised pricing. Additionally, decreased warehousing costs also contributed to the increased gross margin, as demurrage and drayage expenses decreased significantly compared to the prior year period. Discounting increased by 230 bps from abnormally low levels in the prior year due to softened demand in the quarter. In addition, returns and allowances increased by 140 bps compared to the prior year period. At the end of the first quarter, inventory levels decreased by $14 million as compared to fiscal 2023 year-end but were still elevated and much higher than pre-pandemic levels in fiscal 2020. We are actively working to reduce inventory levels to align with current demand. ThisThe segment reported ana solid operating income of $2.3$7.3 million and an operating margin of 5.5%18.6%, compared to $4.1$5.9 million and 9.8%, respectively,10.3% in the prior year period. The decrease was dueIncoming orders increased by 7% compared to higher professional services feesboth the prior year’s third quarter and increased marketing and advertising expenses to support the growth and expansion strategies. Additionally, compensation expenses also increased due to wage inflation and higher benefits expenses. Quarter-endthis year’s second quarter. Although quarter-end order backlog was much lower than the prior year first quarter end butquarter-end, it increased from this year’s second quarter-end and remained 50%nearly 70% higher than pre-pandemic levels at the end of fiscal 2020 first quarter end. Incoming orders decreased by 16.6% as compared to the prior year quarter and approached levels similar to fiscal 2020 first quarter, reflecting more normalized demand after the pandemic.third quarter.

 

 

The Home Meridian segments net sales decreased by $20.2$6.9 million, or 32.5%13.6%, compared to the prior year third quarter, but increased compared to the first and second quarters of fiscal 2024. The sales decrease in the fiscal 2024 firste-commerce channel accounted for over 40% of the overall decrease in the segment, due to our exit from the Accentrics Home (ACH) product line. The remaining decreases in the segment were attributable to sales decreases at Samuel Lawrence Furniture (SLF), Prime Resources International (PRI) and Pulaski Furniture (PFC), the divisions that serve independent furniture stores and major furniture chains. The decreases were partially offset by strong sales at Samuel Lawrence Hospitality (SLH), which reported sales increases of 152% and 46% for the third quarter and nine-month period, respectively, versus the prior year first quarter. In addition, this segment recorded an operating loss of $2.1 million resulting from sales volume losses. Salesperiods. Liquidations of inventory that waswere written down in the fiscal 2023prior year fourth quarter totaled $12.2 million inwere substantially completed during the fiscal 2024 first quarter. Sales of previously written-down or written-off inventoryquarter and had an immaterial impact on gross profit. Despite the net sales decrease, HMI gross profit and margin increased by $3.4 million and 940 bps compared to the prior year third quarter, due to the absence of sales in unprofitable sales channels and product lines, as well as strong performance at SLH. The segment recorded a quarterly operating income of $0.9 million compared to a $3.2 million operating loss in the prior year third quarter. While the results were disappointing, the operating loss improvedInventory levels decreased by $1$15 million as compared to year-end and $46 million as compared to prior year first quarter. The sales declines were attributed to decreases with major furniture chains and mass merchants,third quarter end due to a slower retail environment for home furnishings and slower order rates and delayed orders from our retail customers as they continue to reduce their inventory levels. Prime Resources International and Samuel Lawrence Furniture accounted for nearly all the net sales decreases and about 70% of the operating loss, while Pulaski Furniture’s net sales decreased by $1.2 million. Meanwhile, at the Accentrics Home business unit (ACH), which focused on e-commerce customers, net sales remained flat as compared to the prior year quarter, and accounted for 30% of the operating loss in this segment due to the liquidation of the ACH business. On a more positive note, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality’s net sales more than doubled compared to the prior year quarter indicating a strong recovery in the hospitality industry after the COVID pandemic. Additionally, freight costs improved by approximately 300 bps versus the prior year first quarter due to the stabilization of ocean freight rates. Incoming orders and quarter-end backlog were lower than the prior year quarter and fiscal 2020 first quarter, dueprimarily to the absence of orders from Clubs channel and the ACH business,Accentrics Home inventory, as well as the realignment of inventory mix to reflect our current business plan. We reduced our footprint in the Georgia warehouse by 200,000 square feet in the second quarter and entered into an agreement in the third quarter to reduce another 200,000 square feet by early next year. Consequently, costs at the Georgia warehouse decreased incomingby 100 bps during the third quarter. Incoming orders fromwere 19% higher than prior year third quarter, but lower than the first and second quarters’ orders as our retail customers.customers are matching inventories to current soft demand for home furnishings. Quarter-end backlog was lower than the same period last year.

 

The Domestic Upholstery segments net sales decreased by $6.1$10.9 million, or 14.8%25%, compared to the prior year third quarter due to sales declines in the fiscal 2024 first quarter, following a streak of sales growth for the past two years.all four divisions. We reduced production at Bradington Young and HF Custom Sunset West and Shenandoah experienced sales decreases. These decreases were partially offset by increased net sales at Bradington-Young. The sales decline at HF Custom resulted from decreased incoming orders. Sales decreases at Sunset West were attributedin August to slowed shipping in February and March caused by the December 2022 conversion to our new ERP system. Additionally, during the expansion of our outdoor furniture businessconform to the east coast, we experienced transition issuesprevailing backlog levels. Gross profit and start-up delays inmargin decreased by $3.4 million and 290 bps, primarily due to the Georgia warehouse, which affected shipping activities at Sunset West. These issuessales decline. On a positive note, direct material costs were mostly resolved220 bps lower than prior year quarter due to more stable material costs; however, this favorable variance was more than offset by the end of the first quarter. Profitability in the segment was negatively impacted by higher medical claims across all divisions and under-absorbed indirect costs, atwhich increased by 440 bps from the prior year third quarter attributable to lower net sales. Direct labor and warehousing expenses decreased as a result of decreased production levels and demurrage costs but increased as a percent of sales due to lower net sales. Shenandoah and Sunset West recorded operating income despite sales decreases. Bradington Young achieved breakeven for the quarter, while HF Custom recorded an operating loss due to sales volume loss and reduced working hours. Gross margin benefited from the price increases we implemented last year to help mitigate materials cost inflation. Despite theits sales decline and disruptions, this segment reported anunder-absorbed costs and operating incomeexpenses. Incoming orders increased by 39% in comparison to the third quarter of $1.3 millionthe previous year, as Bradington Young, HF Custom and an operating margin of 3.8%.Shenandoah all recorded increased orders. Sunset West orders remained unchanged as compared to the prior year third quarter. Quarter-end backlog for the segment slightly decreased from second quarter end. Bradington-Young remained over threebacklog was 2.5 times that of the pre-pandemic levels at fiscal 2020 firstthird quarter end, while the backlogs for HF Custom and Shenandoah decreased to levels similarcomparable to fiscal 2020. Incoming orders at Bradington-Young and Shenandoah were at similar levels in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, while HF Custom experienced lower orders compared to this period.

 

Cash and cash equivalents stood at $31$39.8 million at fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter-end, an increase of $12$20.8 million from the prior year-end. During the first quarter,nine-month period, we used a portion of the $22.4$48.8 million cash generated from operating activities to fund $4.3$11.7 million share repurchases, $3.2$7.2 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, $5.7 million capital expenditures including investments in our new showroom, $2.4High Point and Atlanta showrooms, $3.8 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, and $1.3 million for further development of our cloud-based ERP system.system, and $2.4 million on BOBO acquisition. Our $25 million share repurchase program was completed during the fiscal 2024 third quarter. We purchased and retired approximately 1.4 million shares of our common stock since our share repurchase program began in the second quarter of last year. In addition to our cash balance, we had an aggregate of $27.2 million available under our existing revolver at quarter-end to fund working capital needs. We believe that our liquidity and capital requirements will be further improved through the liquidation sales of excess inventories at Home Meridian, as discussed above. With strategic inventory management, reasonable capital expenditures, and prudent expense management, we believe we have sufficient financial resources to support our business operations for the foreseeable future.

 

Results of Operations

 

The following table sets forth the percentage relationship to net sales of certain items included in the condensed consolidated statements of operationsincome included in this report.

 

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

  

May 1,

 
  

2023

  

2022

 

Net sales

  100%  100%

Cost of sales

  77.1   80.0 

Gross profit

  22.9   20.0 

Selling and administrative expenses

 

 

20.6   16.7 

Intangible asset amortization

  0.7   0.6 

Operating income

  1.6   2.7 

Other income, net

  0.1   0.2 

Interest expense

  0.1   - 

Income before income taxes

  1.5   2.9 

Income tax expense

  0.3   0.7 

Net income

  1.2   2.2 

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
  

October 29,

  

October 30,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
  

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 

Net sales

  100%  100%  100%  100%

Cost of sales

  71.1   78.9   74.7   79.5 

Gross profit

  28.9   21.1   25.3   20.5 

Selling and administrative expenses

 20.6   16.3   20.9   16.0 

Intangible asset amortization

  0.8   0.6   0.8   0.6 

Operating income

  7.5   4.2   3.6   3.9 

Other income, net

  0.6   0.1   0.3   0.1 

Interest expense

  0.3   0.3   0.4   0.1 

Income before income taxes

  7.8   4.1   3.5   3.9 

Income tax expense

  1.7   0.9   0.8   0.9 

Net income

  6.0   3.2   2.8   3.0 

 

Fiscal 2024 FirstThird Quarter and Nine Months Compared to Fiscal 2023 FirstThird Quarter and Nine Months

 

 

Net Sales

  

Net Sales

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

      

May 1,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
 

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
     

% Net Sales

      

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $41,891   34.4% $42,230   28.7% $(339)  -0.8% $39,122   33.5% $56,632   37.4% $(17,510)  -30.9% $118,936   35.4% $154,133   34.1% $(35,197)  -22.8%

Home Meridian

  41,921   34.4%  62,085   42.1%  (20,164)  -32.5%  43,692   37.4%  50,588   33.4%  (6,896)  -13.6%  114,524   34.0%  171,721   38.0%  (57,197)  -33.3%

Domestic Upholstery

  35,104   28.8%  41,220   28.0%  (6,116)  -14.8%  32,559   27.9%  43,436   28.7%  (10,877)  -25.0%  98,555   29.3%  122,982   27.2%  (24,427)  -19.9%

All Other

  2,899   2.4%  1,779   1.2%  1,120   63.0%  1,458   1.2%  924   0.5%  534   57.8%  4,437   1.3%  2,967   0.7%  1,470   49.5%

Consolidated

 $121,815   100% $147,314   100% $(25,499)  -17.3% $116,831   100% $151,580   100% $(34,749)  -22.9% $336,452   100% $451,803   100% $(115,351)  -25.5%

 

Unit Volume

 

FY24 Q1 % Increase vs. FY23 Q1

  

Average Selling Price (“ASP”)

 

FY24 Q1 % Increase vs. FY23 Q1

  

FY24 Q3 %

Increase

vs. FY23 Q3

  

FY24 YTD %

Increase

vs. FY23 YTD

  

Average Selling Price (“ASP”)

 

FY24 Q3 %

Increase

vs. FY23 Q3

  

FY24 YTD %

Increase

vs. FY23 YTD

 
                            

Hooker Branded

  -6.3% 

Hooker Branded

  8.2%  -23.7%  -23.3% 

Hooker Branded

  -6.3%  2.3%

Home Meridian

  -10.5% 

Home Meridian

  -24.4%  -18.0%  -19.2% 

Home Meridian

  4.8%  -16.6%

Domestic Upholstery

  -25.0% 

Domestic Upholstery

  13.2%  -37.0%  -30.2% 

Domestic Upholstery

  4.2%  10.1%

All Other

  55.1% 

All Other

  4.7%  -4.9%  13.9% 

All Other

  -15.9%  -1.5%

Consolidated

  -11.1% 

Consolidated

  -6.1%  -21.5%  -20.9% 

Consolidated

  -4.8%  -5.9%

 

Consolidated net sales decreased in the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter dueand nine-month period compared to sales declines in the Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery segments, while net sales at All Other were up $1.1 million and Hooker Branded net sales decreased slightly.prior year periods:

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s net sales decreased by 0.8%$17.5 million, or 30.9%, in the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter comparedprimarily due to decreased unit volume driven by current soft demand for home furnishings, and to a lesser extent, decreased average selling prices and short-term delays related to the prior year quarter. Althoughimplementation of the new ERP system in early September. In response to normalized ocean freight costs and to align with current demand, we implemented price decreases and promotions on new orders effective in August, leading to the first quarterly decrease in ASP since calendar 2020. For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, net sales decreased by $35.2 million, or 22.8%, due to decreased unit volume, which was driven by lower demand. ASP increased due toduring the nine-month period as the majority of inventories sold still carried price increases we implemented last year in response to higher freight costs and product cost inflation, the favorable effect was offset by higher discounting and returns and allowances, which were 370 bps higher than prior year period, as well as decreased unit volume.inflation.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s net sales decreased by 32.5%$6.9 million, or 13.6%, in the fiscal 2024 first quarterthird quarter. This decrease was attributed to decreased unit volume due to the absence of ACH sales and lower sales with independent furniture stores and major furniture chains. The decreases were largely mitigated by strong sales at SLH, driven by the continued rebound in the hospitality business. ASP increased during the third quarter as the liquidation sales of furniture previously written down were substantially completed, having a minimal impact on revenue for this period. Additionally, ASP benefitted from increased SLH sales, which tend to be higher priced items. For the nine-month period, net sales decreased by $57.2 million, or 33.3%, due to sales declines across the major furniture chains, the e-commerce channel, independent furniture stores, and mass merchant channels due to a slow retail environment.categories. These decreases were also partially offset by strong sales in the hospitality business, which more than doubled as compared to the prior year period.increases at SLH. ASP decreased significantlyduring the nine-month period primarily due to the increased volume of liquidation sales which accounted for over 50% of heavily discounted ACH inventories and the total units sold but less than 30%sales of total sales dollars.obsolete inventories at PRI and SLF during the first and second quarters.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s net sales decreased by 14.8%$10.9 million, or 25%, in the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter compared to the prior year period. This decrease was driven by sales declines at HF Custom and Sunset West, anddue to a lesser extent, asignificant decrease in unit volume. All four divisions reported sales decrease at Shenandoah. Bradington-Young reported adecreases for both the quarter and the nine-month period. The Domestic Upholstery segment experienced sales increase.growth for the past two years. However, as incoming orders and backlog normalized, we reduced production to align with current demand. ASP increased across all divisions during the fiscal 2024 third quarter and nine-month period due to the price increases we implemented last year in response to the inflation of raw material costs. However, itthe increase in ASP was not sufficient to offset the decrease in unit volume.volume loss.

 

All Other’s net sales increased significantly in the fiscal 2024 first quarter driven by increased unit volume and ASP at H Contract due to continued recovery of the senior living industry after the COVID pandemic.

  

Gross Profit and Margin

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

      

May 1,

             
  

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net Sales

      

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $13,091   31.3% $13,240   31.4% $(149)  -1.1%

Home Meridian

  6,713   16.0%  6,305   10.2%  408   6.5%

Domestic Upholstery

  7,023   20.0%  9,354   22.7%  (2,331)  -24.9%

All Other

  1,079   37.2%  560   31.5%  519   92.7%

  Consolidated

 $27,906   22.9% $29,459   20.0% $(1,553)  -5.3%

  

Gross Profit and Margin

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
  

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

           
  

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $17,823   45.6% $16,156   28.5% $1,667   10.3% $43,840   36.9% $45,357   29.4% $(1,517)  -3.3%

Home Meridian

  8,803   20.1%  5,431   10.7%  3,372   62.1%  18,726   16.4%  19,057   11.1%  (331)  -1.7%

Domestic Upholstery

  6,485   19.9%  9,918   22.8%  (3,433)  -34.6%  19,872   20.2%  26,400   21.5%  (6,528)  -24.7%

All Other

  599   41.1%  503   54.4%  96   19.1%  2,519   56.8%  1,708   57.6%  811   47.5%

Consolidated

 $33,710   28.9% $32,008   21.1% $1,702   5.3% $84,957   25.3% $92,522   20.5% $(7,565)  -8.2%

 

In the fiscal 2024 third quarter, consolidated gross profit and margin increased due to significantly improved profitability at Hooker Branded and Home Meridian segments. Consolidated gross profit decreased in the nine-month period of fiscal 2024, first quarter due toprimarily as a decrease in the Domestic Upholstery segment, partially offset by increases in gross profit at Home Meridian and All Other. Consolidatedresult of lower net sales. However, consolidated gross margin increased dueduring the period, also attributable to lower net salesimproved profitability at Hooker Branded and improved gross margin in the traditionally lower margin Home Meridian segment.segments.

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s gross profit and gross margin both remained flat. Warehousingincreased in the fiscal 2024 third quarter despite a decline in net sales. This favorable outcome was attributed to significantly decreased product costs increased primarily due to higher demurrage and drayage expenses. Although these expenses have shown a downward trend in recent quarters, they were higher thandriven by lower ocean freight. Inventories sold carrying the priorprice increases we implemented last year, first quarter. Additionally, operating and shipping supplies expenses, alongcombined with benefits expenses, alsolower freight costs, contributed to the increase in gross profit and margin. Furthermore, inventory turns have increased steadily since August, resulting in a higher proportion of inventories sold at lower costs. However, price decreases and promotions implemented on new orders starting in August are expected to gradually erode margins as more orders sold at lower prices are shipped. In addition, warehousing costs. These increases were partially offset bycosts decreased due to lower warehouse costs resulting from the exit of a leased warehouse in Asiademurrage and drayage expenses, as well as lower labor and compensation expenses due to reduced shipping activities. For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, gross profit decreased due to sales decline, while gross margin increased due to the factors discussed previously.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s gross profit and margin both increased by $3.4 million and 940 bps, respectively, in the fiscal 2024 first quarter despite a netthird quarter. This increase was primarily attributable to improved margin due to previous exits of unprofitable sales decline. Grosschannels and product lines, decreased product costs, and increased profitability at SLH. Furthermore, decreased costs in the Georgia warehouse, and decreased wage expenses due to organizational and personnel changes all contributed to increased gross profit and margin. For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, gross profit slightly decreased driven by the sales decrease, while gross margin increased by 530 bps due to lower ocean freight costs,the previously mentioned factors, as well as the absence of warehouse transition and start-up costs incurred in the prior year period, and lower wage expenses due to organizational and personnel changes.first quarter. Sales of previously written-down or written-off inventory had an immaterial impact on gross profit in the quarter.fiscal 2024 third quarter and nine-month period.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s gross profit and margin both decreased in the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter and nine-month period driven by net sales decreases. Direct material costs were 220 bps and 310 bps below prior year periods due to more stable raw material costs. However, these decreases were more than offset by under-absorbed indirect costs, which were 440 bps and 370 bps higher as compared to the prior year third quarter and nine-month period, respectively. Direct labor costs decreased in absolute terms due to reduced production at Bradington Young, HF Custom, and Shenandoah. Warehousing and distribution expenses also decreased in absolute amount, due to lower demurrage expense and freight-out expense, which was also impacted by lower sales. Direct labor costs and warehousing costs both increased as a percentage of net sales during these periods due to sales decline and increased benefits expense driven by higher medical claims, which were 310 bps higher than the prior year period.decreases.

 

All Other’s gross profit and margin both increased in the fiscal 2024 first quarter due to increased net sales.

 

Selling and Administrative Expenses (S&A)

  

Selling and Administrative Expenses (S&A)

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

      

May 1,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
 

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
     

% Net Sales

      

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $10,791   25.8% $9,098   21.5% $1,693   18.6% $10,535   26.9% $10,296   18.2% $240   2.3% $30,542   25.7% $28,935   18.8% $1,608   5.6%

Home Meridian

  8,502   20.3%  9,066   14.6%  (564)  -6.2%  7,550   17.3%  8,302   16.4%  (752)  -9.1%  22,267   19.4%  25,346   14.8%  (3,079)  -12.1%

Domestic Upholstery

  5,142   14.6%  6,058   14.7%  (916)  -15.1%  5,203   16.0%  5,550   12.8%  (348)  -6.3%  15,392   15.6%  16,479   13.4%  (1,088)  -6.6%

All Other

  613   21.1%  436   24.5%  177   40.6%  728   49.9%  564   61.0%  164   29.1%  2,006   45.2%  1,495   50.4%  511   34.2%

Consolidated

 $25,048   20.6% $24,658   16.7% $390   1.6% $24,016   20.6% $24,712   16.3% $(696)  -2.8% $70,207   20.9% $72,255   16.0% $(2,048)  -2.8%

 

Consolidated selling and administrative (“S&A”) expenses increased slightlydecreased in absolute terms due to the increase in the Hooker Branded segment, which was offset by decreases in the Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery segments. Consolidated S&A expensesbut increased significantly as a percentage of net sales due to overall decreased net sales.in the fiscal 2024 third quarter and nine-month period.

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s S&A expenses increased both in absolute terms during the fiscal 2024 third quarter and nine-month period. This increase was primarily attributed to higher selling expenses, including those associated with larger showroom footprints, higher professional services expenses and higher international travel expenses. These increases were partially offset by lower commissions due to decreased net sales. S&A expenses as a percentage of net sales inincreased for both the fiscal 2024 first quarter. This increase was attributed to various factors, including higher compensationthird quarter and benefits expense from salary inflation and higher medical claims, higher marketing costs and higher professional services fees. The increases were partially offset by a decrease in bad debt expensenine-month period also due to decreased AR balance.lower net sales.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s S&A expenses decreased in absolute terms infor the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter and nine-month period due primarily to decreased salary expenses as the result of personnel changes, and to a lesser extent, lower selling costs and product development cost. These decreases were partially offset by higher bad debt expensedecreased insurance costs due to an increase in uninsured AR balance, return to more normalized travel expenses and higher compliance costs.significantly reduced inventory levels. S&A expenses increased as a percentage of net sales for these periods due to lower net sales.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s S&A expenses decreased in absolute terms and remained flat as a percentage of net sales in the fiscal 2024 first quarter. The decrease was primarilythird quarter and nine-month period due to lower selling costs, resulting from decreased net sales, the absence of accelerated ERP depreciation expense on its ERP system inexpenses, and lower bonus accrual due to current low profitability. These decreases were partially offset by higher advertising supplies and sample expenses for the prior year period,new M Brand, as well as decreased wage expenses. The decrease was partially offset by increased benefits expense driven by higher medical claims, higher professional service fees, and other general spending.services expenses.

 

All Other S&A expenses increased in the fiscal 2024 first quarter due to increased selling costs on over 60% net sales increase.

  

Intangible Asset Amortization

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

      

May 1,

             
  

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net Sales

      

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Intangible asset amortization

 $883   0.7% $878   0.6% $5   0.6%
  

Intangible Asset Amortization

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
  

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
  

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Intangible asset amortization

 $924   0.8% $878   0.6% $46   5.2% $2,732   0.8% $2,634   0.6% $98   3.7%

 

Intangible asset amortization expense increased slightly in fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter and nine-month period due to the reassessment and amortization of Sam Moore trade name. See Note 8 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

 

  

Operating Profit/(Loss) and Margin

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

      

May 1,

             
  

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net Sales

    

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $2,300   5.5% $4,142   9.8% $(1,842)  -44.5%

Home Meridian

  (2,119)  -5.1%  (3,095)  -5.0%  976   31.5%

Domestic Upholstery

  1,328   3.8%  2,752   6.7%  (1,424)  -51.7%

All Other

  466   16.1%  124   7.0%  342   275.8%

  Consolidated

 $1,975   1.6% $3,923   2.7% $(1,948)  -49.7%

  

Operating Profit/(Loss) and Margin

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
  

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
  

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

 $7,287   18.6% $5,860   10.3% $1,427   24.4% $13,298   11.2% $16,423   10.7% $(3,125)  -19.0%

Home Meridian

  923   2.1%  (3,205)  -6.3%  4,128   128.8%  (4,532)  -4.0%  (7,290)  -4.2%  2,758   37.8%

Domestic Upholstery

  688   2.1%  3,823   8.8%  (3,135)  -82.0%  2,739   2.8%  8,288   6.7%  (5,549)  -67.0%

All Other

  (128)  -8.8%  (60)  -6.5%  (68)  -113.3%  513   11.6%  212   7.2%  301   142.0%

Consolidated

 $8,770   7.5% $6,418   4.2% $2,352   36.6% $12,018   3.6% $17,633   3.9% $(5,615)  -31.8%

 

Operating profit and margin increased as compared to the third quarter of the previous year but decreased as compared to the nine-month period of the prior year, quarter due to the factors discussed above.

 

  

Interest Expense, net

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

 
  

April 30,

      

May 1,

             
  

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net Sales

    

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Consolidated interest expense, net

 $179   0.1% $28   0.0% $151   539.3%
  

Interest Expense, net

 
  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
  

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
  

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Consolidated interest expense, net

 $364   0.3% $434   0.3% $(70)  -16.1% $1,197   0.4% $546   0.1% $651   119.2%

 

Consolidated interest expense was higherlower in fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter due to the absence of interest expense on the Existing Revolver we drew upon in the third quarter of prior year. Interest expense increased in the fiscal 2024 nine-month period due to interest on the term loans, which we entered into in July 2022.2022, as well as increased interest rates.

 

 

Income taxes

  

Income taxes

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

      

May 1,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
 

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
     

% Net Sales

    

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Consolidated income tax expense

 $402   0.3% $991   0.7% $(589)  -59.4% $2,027   1.7% $1,334   0.9% $693   51.9% $2,620   0.8% $3,946   0.9% $(1,326)  -33.6%
                                                                        

Effective Tax Rate

  21.7%      23.7%              22.4%      21.6%              22.0%      22.5%            

 

We recorded income tax expensesexpense of $402,000 and $991,000$2.0 million for the fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 first quarters, respectively.third quarter compared to $1.3 million for the comparable prior year quarter. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2024 and 2021 first2023 third quarters were 21.7%22.4% and 23.7%21.6%, respectively. For the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, we recorded income tax expense of $2.6 million, compared to $3.9 million for the comparable prior year period. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2024 and 2023 nine-month periods were 22.0% and 22.5%, respectively.

 

 

Net Income

  

Net Income

 
 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

      

May 1,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

              

October 29,

      

October 30,

             
 

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

              

2023

      

2022

             
     

% Net Sales

    

% Net Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

      

% Net

Sales

      

% Net

Sales

  

$ Change

  

% Change

 

Consolidated net income

 $1,450   1.2% $3,182   2.2% $(1,732)  -54.4% $7,038   6.0% $4,841   3.2% $2,197   45.4% $9,272   2.8% $13,566   3.0% $(4,294)  -31.7%
                                                                        

Diluted earnings per share

 $0.13      $0.26              $0.65      $0.42              $0.85      $1.14             

 

 

Outlook

 

While retail conditionseconomic indicators remain mixed and economic uncertainties continue, we saw increases infurniture industry retail traffic is down about 15% from January through October 2023, our consolidated incoming orders in fiscal May. We believewere up $12.7 million, or 15.7% for the industry is steadily working through excess inventorythird quarter and believe incomingfor the first nine months, consolidated orders increased by $75.8 million or 33.5%. Recent order trends and an improved long-term economic outlook bode well for Hooker and the industry. Reduced housing activity and high mortgage interest rates are indicative of that progress. Furthermore, we are encouraged by reports from customers about strong Memorial Day sales.still challenging, but several positives have emerged since last quarter. Core inflation is at the lowest level since 2021, the US economy grew nearly 5% last quarter, unemployment remains at record lows and a recession appears less likely.

 

Following Hooker Legacy Brands’ successful new showroom grand opening atAs we look to the Spring High Point Market,next quarter, we expect to continue initiatives to enhance visibility and addressable market reach this summer such as debuting a new showroom at the Atlanta Marketsee flat sales for our higher-priced Hooker Legacy brands and showingas compared to the prior year fourth quarter. We expect that the current downturn in the furniture retail business will temporarily suppress sales growth at ourHMI through the fourth Las Vegas Market this summer. Sunset West will debut aquarter. However, significant new showroom at the Atlanta Market, which is the new sponsor of the Casual Market for outdoor furniture,retail product placements achieved by HMI recently relocated from Chicago. At HMI, we expect the previously announced inventory liquidationsshould begin to be substantially completedbuoy sales by the endfirst quarter of next fiscal year as the fiscal 2024 second quarter. While we expect some short-term volatility in salesplacements generate orders and earnings at HMI, we continue to expect the segment to achieve profitability by the end of the 2024 fiscal year.backlogs.

 

We believe a lot of our growth initiatives will begin to gain traction in the first half of calendar 2024. We believe that our focus on reducing costs, keeping our balance sheet strong and judiciously deploying capital, along with our investments to promote higher visibility and future growth will continue to focus on organic growth opportunities through expanded visibility, strategic product development, operational improvements, and cost reductions. We believe by focusing on these controllables, we will beput us in the strongest possible position when theto leverage a return of furniture demand environment improves.to more typical levels.

 

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Cash Flows – Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

 

 

Thirteen Weeks Ended

  

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
 

April 30,

  

May 1,

  

October 29,

  

October 30,

 
 

2023

  

2022

  

2023

  

2022

 

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities

 $22,350  $(30,018) $48,770  $(41,149)

Net cash used in investing activities

  (3,265)  (26,860)  (8,025)  (29,845)

Cash used in financing activities

  (7,111)  (2,388)

Net Cash (used in)/ provided by financing activities

  (19,952)  8,136 

Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 $11,974  $(59,266) $20,793  $(62,858)

 

During the threenine months ended April 30,October 29, 2023, we used a portion of the $22.4$48.8 million cash generated from operations and $444,000 life insurance proceeds to fund $4.3$11.7 million share repurchases, $3.2$7.2 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, $5.7 million capital expenditures including investments in our new showroom, $2.4 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, $1.3showrooms, $3.8 million for development of our cloud-based ERP system, $2.4 million on the BOBO acquisition, and $107,000$378,000 in life insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

 

In comparison, during the threenine months ended May 1,October 30, 2022, we used a portion of the $25 million term-loan proceeds and existing cash and cash equivalents on hand to build up inventory levels by $58.9 million, fund the $26 million Sunset Acquisition, pay $2.4$9.4 million in purchases and retirement of common stock, $7.1 million in cash dividends, $830,000$4.4 million for the development of our new cloud-based ERP system, $3.5 million capital expenditures to enhance our business systems and facilities, and $118,000$464,000 in life insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

 

Liquidity, Financial Resources and Capital Expenditures

 

Our financial resources include:

 

 

available cash and cash equivalents, which are highly dependent on incoming order rates and our operating performance;

 

 

expected cash flow from operations;

 

 

available lines of credit; and

 

 

cash surrender value of Company-owned life insurance.

 

The most significant components of our working capital are inventory, accounts receivable and cash and cash equivalents reduced by accounts payable and accrued expenses.

 

 

Our most significant ongoing short-term cash requirements relate primarily to funding operations (including expenditures for inventory, lease payments and payroll), quarterly dividend payments and capital expenditures related primarily to our ERP project, showroom renovations and upgrading systems, buildings and equipment. The timing of our working capital needs can vary greatly depending on demand for and availability of raw materials and imported finished goods but is generally the greatest in the mid-summer as a result of inventory build-up for the traditional fall selling season. Long term cash requirements relate primarily to funding lease payments and repayment of long-term debt.

 

Loan Agreements and Revolving Credit Facility

 

On July 26, 2022, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Amendment”) with Bank of America, N.A. (“BofA”) to replenish cash used to make the Sunset Acquisition. The Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017, had previously been amended by a First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 31, 2019, a Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of November 4, 2020, and a Third Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 27, 2021 (as so amended, the “Existing Loan Agreement”). Details of the individual credit facilities provided for in the Amendment are as follows:

 

 

Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. Under the Amendment, the expiration date of the existing $35 million Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (the “Existing Revolver”) was extended to July 26, 2027. Any amounts outstanding will bear interest at a rate per annum, equal to the then current Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”) (adjusted periodically) plus 1.00%. The interest rate will be adjusted on a monthly basis. The actual daily amount of undrawn letters of credit is subject to a quarterly fee equal to a per annum rate of 1%. We must also pay a quarterly unused commitment fee that is based on the average daily amount of the facility utilized during the applicable quarter;

 

 

2022 Secured Term Loan. The Amendment provided us with aan $18 million term loanSecured Term Loan (the “Secured Term Loan”), which was disbursed to us on July 26, 2022. We are required to pay monthly interest only payments at a rate per annum equal to the then current BSBY rate (adjusted periodically) plus 0.90% on the outstanding balance until the principal is paid in full. The interest rate will be adjusted on a monthly basis. On July 26, 2027, the entire outstanding indebtedness is due in full, including all principal and interest. The Secured Term Loan is secured by certain company-owned life insurance policies under a Security Agreement (Assignment of Life Insurance Policy as Collateral) dated July 26, 2022, by and between the Company and BofA; and

 

 

2022 Unsecured Term Loan. The Amendment provided us with a $7 million unsecured term loanUnsecured Term Loan (the “Unsecured Term Loan”), which was disbursed to us on July 26, 2022. We are required to pay monthly principal payments of $116,667 and monthly interest payments at a rate per annum equal to the then current BSBY (adjusted periodically) plus 1.40% on the outstanding balance until paid in full. The interest rate will be adjusted monthly. On July 26, 2027, the entire outstanding indebtedness is due in full, including all principal and interest.

 

We may prepay any outstanding principal amounts borrowed under either the Secured Term Loan or the Unsecured Term Loan at any time, without penalty provided that any payment is accompanied by all accrued interest owed. As of April 30,October 29, 2023, $5.9$5.2 million was outstanding under the Unsecured Term Loan, and $18 million was outstanding under the Secured Term Loan.

 

We incurred $37,500 in debt issuance costs in connection with our term loans. As of April 30,October 29, 2023, unamortized loan costs of $31,875$28,125 were netted against the carrying value of our term loans on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

The Amendment also included customary representations and warranties and requires us to comply with customary covenants, including, among other things, the following financial covenants:

 

 

Maintain a ratio of funded debt to EBITDA not exceeding:

o

2.50:1.0 through July 30, 2023;

 

 

o

2.25:1.0 through July 30, 2024; and

 

 

o

2.00:1.00 thereafter.

 

 

A basic fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.25:1.00; and

 

 

Limit capital expenditures to no more than $15.0 million during any fiscal year.

 

 

The Existing Loan Agreement also limits our right to incur other indebtedness, make certain investments and create liens upon our assets, subject to certain exceptions, among other restrictions. The Existing Loan Agreement does not restrict our ability to pay cash dividends on, or repurchase, shares of our common stock, subject to our compliance with the financial covenants discussed above if we are not otherwise in default under the Existing Loan Agreement.

 

We were in compliance with each of these financial covenants at April 30,October 29, 2023 and expect to remain in compliance with existing covenants for the foreseeable future.

 

As of April 30,October 29, 2023, we had $27.2 million available under our $35 million Existing Revolver to fund working capital needs. Standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $7.8 million, used to collateralize certain insurance arrangements and for imported product purchases, were outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of April 30,October 29, 2023. There were no additional borrowings outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of April 30,October 29, 2023.

 

Share Repurchase Authorization

 

In fiscal 2023, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s common shares. The authorization does not obligate us to acquire a specific number of shares during any period and does not have an expiration date, but it may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market, or through privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to our cash requirements for other purposes, compliance with the covenants under the loan agreement for our revolving credit facility and other factors we deem relevant. In fiscal 2024 second quarter, our Board of Directors approved an additional $5 million for the repurchase of our common shares, adding to the $20 million authorization it approved in fiscal 2023.

 

During the first quarter of fiscal 2024 nine-month period, we used approximately $4.3$11.7 million of the authorization to purchase 227,330620,634 of our common shares (at an average price of $18.99$18.79 per share), with approximately $2.3 million remaining available for future purchases under the authorization as of the end of. The share repurchase program was completed during the fiscal 2024 firstthird quarter. See Note 14 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statement “Additional Share Repurchase Authorization” herein for an update on our share repurchase program.

 

Capital Expenditures

 

We expect to spend approximately $2.0-3.0$1 million in capital expenditures over the remainder of fiscal 2024 to maintain and enhance our operating systems and facilities.

 

Enterprise Resource Planning Project

 

During calendar 2021, our Board of Directors approved an upgrade to our current ERP system and implementation efforts began shortly thereafter. The ERP system went live at Sunset West in December 2022 and is expectedin the legacy Hooker divisions in early September 2023. We expect it to go live in other legacy Hooker divisions in fiscal 2024, with the Home Meridian segment following afterwards.in fiscal 2025. To complete the ERP system implementation as anticipated, we will be required to expend significant financial and human resources. We anticipate spending approximately $2.5$1 million over the remainder of fiscal 2024, with a significant amount of time invested by our associates.

 

Dividends

 

On JuneDecember 5, 2023, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22$0.23 per share which will be paid on June 30,December 29, 2023 to shareholders of record at June 16,December 15, 2023. This represents a $0.01 per share and 4.5% increase over the previous quarterly dividend and the eighth consecutive annual dividend increase.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from the information provided in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in our 2023 Annual Report.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

We are exposed to various types of market risk in the normal course of our business, including the impact of interest rate changes, raw materials price risk and changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which could impact our results of operations or financial condition. We manage our exposure to this risk through our normal operating activities.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Borrowings under our revolving credit facility, the Secured Term Loan and the Unsecured Term loan bear interest based on BSBY plus 1.00%, BSBY plus 0.90% and BSBY plus 1.40%, respectively. As such, these debt instruments expose us to market risk for changes in interest rates. There was no outstanding balance under our revolving credit facility as of April 30,October 29, 2023 other than standby letters of credit in the amount of $7.8 million. As of April 30,October 29, 2023, $23.9$23.2 million was outstanding under our term loans. A 1% increase in the BSBY rate would result in an annual increase in interest expenses on our terms loans of approximately $233,000.$226,000.

 

Raw Materials Price Risk

 

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the cost of raw materials used in our domestic upholstery manufacturing processes; principally, wood, fabric, and foam products. Increases in home construction activity could result in increases in wood and fabric costs. Additionally, the cost of petroleum-based foam products we utilize are sensitive to crude oil prices, which vary due to supply, demand, and geo-political factors.

 

Currency Risk

 

For imported products, we generally negotiate firm pricing denominated in U.S. Dollars with our foreign suppliers, typically for periods of at least one year. We accept the exposure to exchange rate movements beyond these negotiated periods. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage this risk but could choose to do so in the future. Most of our imports are purchased from suppliers located in Vietnam and China. The Chinese currency floats within a limited range in relation to the U.S. Dollar, resulting in exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

 

Since we transact our imported product purchases in U.S. Dollars, a relative decline in the value of the U.S. Dollar could increase the price we pay for imported products beyond the negotiated periods. We generally expect to reflect substantially all of the effect of any price increases from suppliers in the prices we charge for imported products. However, these changes could adversely impact sales volume or profit margins during affected periods.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended April 30,October 29, 2023. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of April 30,October 29, 2023 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

On January 31, 2022, we closed on the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Sunset HWM, LLC (“Sunset West"). As permitted by SEC guidance for newly acquired businesses, we excluded Sunset West’s operations from the scope of our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 report on internal controls over financial reporting for the year ending January 29, 2023. We are in the process of implementing our internal control structure at Sunset West and expect that this effort will be completed in fiscal 2024.

 

During fiscal 2024 second quarter, we closed on the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of BOBO Intriguing Objects (“BOBO"). As permitted by SEC guidance for newly acquired businesses, we intend to exclude BOBO’s operations from the scope of our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 report on internal controls over financial reporting for the year ending January 28, 2024. We are in the process of implementing our internal control structure at BOBO and expect that this effort will be completed in fiscal 2025.

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended April 30,October 29, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 2.Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds (1).

 

  

Total Number of Shares Purchased

  

Average Price Paid Per Share

  

Total Number of Shares Purchased As Part of Publicly Announced Program

  

Maximum Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under The Program

 
              $6,646,127 

January 30, 2023 - March 5, 2023

  57,772   20.94   57,772   5,435,040 

March 6, 2023 - April 2, 2023

  58,216   19.79   58,216   4,281,603 

April 3, 2023 - April 30, 2023

  111,342   17.55   111,342   2,325,293 
                 

Total

  227,330  $18.99   227,330     
  

Total Number

of Shares

Purchased

  

Average

Price Paid

Per Share

  

Total Number of

Shares Purchased

As Part of Publicly

Announced Program

  

Maximum Dollar

Value of Shares

That May Yet Be

Purchased Under

The Program

 
              $3,005,963 

July 31, 2023 - September 3, 2023

  78,471   21.00   78,471   1,356,172 

September 4, 2023 - October 1, 2023

  62,705   19.73   62,705   117,838 

October 2, 2023 - October 29, 2023

  5,995   19.64   5,995   0 
                 

Total

  147,171  $20.41   147,171     

 

 

(1)

On June 6, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s common shares. The authorization does not obligate us to acquire a specific number of shares during any period and does not have an expiration date, but it may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market, or through privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to our cash requirements for other purposes, compliance with the covenants under the loan agreement for our revolving credit facility and other factors we deem relevant.

During the first quarter of In fiscal 2024 we used approximately $4.3second quarter, our Board of Directors approved an additional $5 million offor the authorization to purchase 227,330repurchase of our common shares, (at an average price of $18.99 per share), with approximately $2.3adding to the $20 million remaining available for future purchases under the authorization as of the end of theit approved in fiscal 2024 first quarter. See Note 14 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statement “Additional Share Repurchase Authorization” herein for an update on our share repurchase program.2023.

During the fiscal 2024 nine-month period, we used approximately $11.7 million of the authorization to purchase 620,634 of our common shares (at an average price of $18.79 per share). The share repurchase program was completed during the fiscal 2024 third quarter.

Item 5.         Other Information

During the three months ended October 29, 2023, no director or officer of the Company adopted, terminated or modified a ‘Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement’ or ‘non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,’ as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.

 

Item 6.         Exhibits

 

3.1

Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended as of September 16, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (SEC File No. 000-25349) for the quarter ended October 31, 2021)

3.23.2*

Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended December 10, 2013September 5, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s AnnualQuarterly Report on Form 10-K10-Q (SEC File No. 000-25349) for the yearquarter ended February 2, 2014)July 30, 2023)

4.1

Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended (See Exhibit 3.1)

4.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended (See Exhibit 3.2)

31.1*

Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of the Company’s principal executive officer

31.2*

Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of the Company’s principal financial officer

32.1**

Rule 13a-14(b) Certification of the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

101*

Interactive Data Files (formatted as Inline XBRL)

104*

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

 


*Filed herewith

** Furnished herewith

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION

Date: JuneDecember 8, 2023

By:

/s/ Paul A. Huckfeldt

Paul A. Huckfeldt

Chief Financial Officer and

Senior Vice President – Finance and Accounting

 

 

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