From the Wires
Eddie Bauer Reports Third Quarter and Year-to-Date 2008 Results - Cuts Third Quarter Operating Loss by 65% ($17.1 million)
Nov. 6, 2008 04:01 PM
SEATTLE, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc.
(Nasdaq: EBHI) today reported financial performance for the third quarter and
nine-month period ended September 27, 2008. Operating loss improved by 65%,
or $17.1 million to $9.4 million in the quarter, primarily due to lower
selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses. Earnings before interest
expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), excluding the
fair value adjustments on the Company's convertible debt, increased by $15.3
million to $0.1 million for the third quarter of 2008, and year-to-date
adjusted EBITDA loss was narrowed to a $1.3 million loss for the first nine
months of 2008 from an $18.0 million loss in the year-ago period, when
excluding the fair value adjustments and certain non-recurring expenses.
"This was a transitional quarter for us as we scaled back substantially on
unprofitable marketing, catalog and promotional expenses," said Neil Fiske,
President and Chief Executive Officer. "While our sales were negatively
impacted by the reduced promotional activity and by the economic downturn, our
profitability improved substantially. Costs and inventories were down, while
cash flow and profits were up. This translated into a substantial improvement
of $15.3 million in EBITDA, excluding the fair value adjustments on our
convertible debt, and the cash flow gain was even greater. We are executing
against our plan and demonstrating meaningful improvement."
THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS
Revenue
Total revenues for the quarter decreased by $3.7 million to $207.3
million, compared to $211.0 million in the third quarter of 2007. Comparable
store sales declined slightly for the quarter on lower promotional activity
and catalog circulation. Catalog circulation pages were down approximately
22% for the quarter, while catalog productivity was up approximately 24% on a
more targeted mailing strategy.
Comp Store Sales by Channel Q3 2008 (%) Q3 2007 (%)
Combined (retail and outlet) (1.1) 3.4
Retail (2.3) 8.0
Outlet 0.6 (2.8)
Direct 1.4 (0.7)
Net merchandise sales, included within total revenues, decreased by $2.7
million as follows:
Q3 2008 Q3 2007
($ in millions) ($ in millions) % Change
Net Merchandise Sales 196.1 198.8 (1.4)
Retail and Outlet 146.0 149.4 (2.3)
Direct 50.1 49.4 1.4
The Company operated 254 retail stores and 118 outlet stores in 2008,
compared with 260 and 121 stores, respectively, in 2007.
Gross Margins
Gross margin rate rose to 30.2% in the third quarter from 29.9% in the
year-ago quarter. Gross margin dollars remained relatively flat at $59.2
million in the third quarter of 2008 compared to $59.4 million in the prior
year quarter, as a result of lower capitalized inventory costs and occupancy
costs.
Inventory
At quarter end, total inventories were down 13.6% percent overall, and
down 11.8% on a per store basis, partially due to floor set timing.
Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A)
SG&A expenses continued to show improvement as the Company maintains its
focus on its key initiative of removing $25 to $30 million in total SG&A
expenses in 2008. SG&A decreased by 18.7% ($18.3 million) in the third
quarter of 2008.
EBITDA and Operating Loss
EBITDA, an important non-GAAP financial measure used to measure operating
performance, improved by $15.3 million to slightly positive for the quarter
when excluding the non-operational fair value adjustments in the embedded
derivative liability of the Company's convertible notes. Changes in the fair
value do not affect the Company's cash flow or operating profit. "Loss Before
Income Tax Benefit" (shown below) is considered the comparable GAAP measure.
(See the attached table, "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures," for
a more complete description.)
The 65% improvement in operating loss was primarily driven by the 18.7%
($18.3 million) decrease in SG&A expenses as compared to the prior year
quarter.
Q3 2008 Q3 2007
($ in millions) ($ in millions) $ Change % Change
Operating Loss (9.4) (26.5) 17.1 64.6
EBITDA (7.9) (3.9) (4.0) (100.6)
EBITDA excluding
nonrecurring and
nonoperational items 0.1 (15.2) 15.3 99.6
Loss Before Income Tax
Benefit (23.6) (20.7) (2.9) 14.1
Net Loss
Net loss for the third quarter increased by $2.2 million to $18.6 million,
or $0.61 per share, primarily driven by a $19.2 million non-cash change in the
fair value adjustment of the Company's embedded derivative liability
associated with its convertible notes.
"We enter the fourth quarter in a financially stronger position this year
than last. Nevertheless, we are concerned about deterioration in the
macroeconomic retail trends and consumer sentiment, which is putting pressure
on both top-line sales and margin. We saw a sharp drop in mall traffic and
consumer spending in the latter part of September that continued into the
fourth quarter. The biggest part of the season is still ahead of us - - but
how it will play out is very uncertain and requires caution," said Mr. Fiske.
Year-TO-Date Results
Revenues
Total revenues for the year-to-date period increased by 0.2% to $653.5
million, compared to $651.9 million in the first nine months of 2007. Catalog
circulation pages were down approximately 14% for the year, as the Company has
become more selective in its mailing strategy. Catalog productivity increased
by approximately 14%. Comparable store sales for our retail and outlet
stores and direct sales were as follows:
Comp Store Sales by Channel Nine Months 2008 (%) Nine Months 2007 (%)
Combined (retail and outlet) 2.8 4.2
Retail 4.1 9.0
Outlet 0.8 (2.6)
Direct (0.2) 7.6
The Company opened seven retail and three outlet stores, and closed 24
retail and five outlet stores during the first nine months of 2008.
Net merchandise sales included within total revenues were as follows:
Q3 2008 Q3 2007
($ in millions) ($ in millions) % Change
Net Merchandise Sales 615.3 611.7 0.6
Retail and Outlet 441.2 437.2 0.9
Direct 174.1 174.5 (0.2)
Gross Margins
Gross margin percentage increased 0.5% to 32.1% during the first nine
months of 2008 from 31.6% in the prior year period. Gross margin dollars
increased to $197.6 million for the period from $193.3 million in the prior
year, as a result of lower capitalized inventory costs and lower occupancy
costs.
SG&A
SG&A declined by $39.0 million to $270.4 million, or 43.9% of net
merchandise sales for the nine months ended September 27, 2008 from $309.4
million, or 50.6% a year ago. Excluding the $16.4 million of non-recurring
expenses from the prior year as compared to $3.1 million in the current year,
SG&A expenses decreased by $25.7 million due to the Company's cost cutting
efforts and lower advertising and promotional costs. This was partially
offset by less SG&A capitalized into inventory due to the 13.6% reduction in
inventory levels and increased shipping expenses resulting from higher fuel
costs.
EBITDA and Operating Loss
EBITDA for the first nine months of 2008 improved by $16.7 million, when
excluding certain non-operational and non-recurring items, to a loss of $1.3
million from a loss of $18.0 million in the first nine months of 2007.
Operating loss improved to $34.6 million during the first nine months of
2008, from $75.9 million for the prior year comparable period, driven by the
$39.0 million reduction in SG&A expenses discussed above and an increase in
gross margin dollars.
Q3 2008 Q3 2007
($ in millions) ($ in millions) $ Change % Change
Operating Loss (34.6) (75.9) 41.3 54.5
EBITDA (13.8) (32.5) 18.7 57.6
EBITDA excluding
nonrecurring and
nonoperational items (1.3) (18.0) 16.7 92.9
Loss Before Income Tax
Benefit (61.7) (89.4) 27.7 31.0
Net Loss
Net loss for the first nine months of 2008 improved by $45.5 million to
$38.0 million, or $1.24 per share, compared to a net loss of $83.5 million, or
$2.74 per share, in 2007. The reduction in the Company's net loss resulted
from the $41.3 million improvement in operating loss and a $17.8 million
higher tax benefit in the current year, offset by a $10.7 million change in
the valuation of the Company's embedded derivative liability on its
convertible notes.
Balance Sheet Highlights Year Over Year
Senior Term Loan: Decreased to $192.8 million at 2008 third quarter
end from $223.9 million a year earlier, a reduction of $31.1 million,
or 13.9%. Reductions to the outstanding balance included a
$20 million voluntary prepayment and $11.1 million of mandatory
repayments arising from the sale of certain receivables.
Short Term Borrowings: Decreased to $26.7 million at the end of the
third quarter of 2008 from $54.6 million at third quarter end 2007, a
reduction of $27.9 million or 51.1%.
Inventories: Decreased to $175.0 million at 2008 third quarter end
from $202.6 million a year earlier, a decrease of $27.6 million or
13.6%.
Capital Expenditures: Decreased to $15.6 million for the first nine
months of 2008 from $43.7 million for the comparable period in 2007, a
reduction of $28.1 million, or 64.3%, as a result of the completion of
the new corporate headquarters in 2007 and fewer store openings in
2008.
Details of the Company's financial performance for the third quarter and
first nine months of 2008 are available in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the period ended September 27, 2008.
Stockholder Vote
On November 5, 2008, the Company's stockholders approved an extension of
the current 4.75% ownership limitation contained in the Company's Certificate
of Incorporation from January 4, 2009 to January 1, 2012.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call on November 6, 2008, at 1:30 pm
PST (4:30 pm EST) to discuss its financial results for the third quarter 2008.
* To access the live conference call, participants may dial 800-309-1301
or 719-785-1745.
* A simultaneous webcast will be available and can be accessed through the
investors section of Eddie Bauer's website at
http://investors.eddiebauer.com/events.cfm.
* Following the call, a recorded replay of the conference call may be
accessed through the investors section of the Company's website. In
addition, a telephonic replay will be available through November 13,
2008 by dialing 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820 and entering the code
4635520.
About Eddie Bauer
Established in 1920 in Seattle, Eddie Bauer is a specialty retailer that
sells outerwear, apparel and accessories for the active outdoor lifestyle. The
Eddie Bauer brand is a nationally recognized brand that stands for high
quality, innovation, style and customer service. Eddie Bauer products are
available at 375 stores throughout the United States and Canada, through
catalog sales and online at http://www.eddiebauer.com. Eddie Bauer
participates in a joint venture in Japan and has licensing agreements across a
variety of product categories.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you
can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might,"
"will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates,"
"predicts," "intends," "potential", qualifiers such as "preliminary", and
similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
events, and the Company can provide no assurance that such statements will be
realized. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based
on estimates and assumptions, which assumptions and estimates may prove to be
inaccurate, and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ
from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of a
variety of factors, including a continued downturn in the national and global
economies; the ability to meet the covenants contained in our various credit
facilities; changes in consumer confidence and consumer spending patterns; our
inability to effectuate our proposed turnaround of Eddie Bauer as a premium
quality brand and improve profitability of our retail and outlet stores,
catalogs and website operations; our inability to hire, retain and train key
personnel; risks associated with legal and regulatory matters; risks
associated with rising energy costs; the volatility of foreign exchange rates
as they impact our results of operations; risks associated with reliance on
information technology; increased levels of merchandise returns not estimated
by management; our inability to source our requirements from our current
sourcing agents; disruption in our back-end operations; the inability of our
joint venture partner to operate our joint venture effectively; our inability
to protect our trademarks and other proprietary intellectual property rights;
unseasonable or severe weather conditions; the Company's inability to use its
federal net operating loss carryforwards, whether as a result of lack of
future income from tax purposes or otherwise; and the other risks identified
in our periodic reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period
December 29, 2007 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended
March 29, 2008, June 28, 2008 and September 27, 2008. The information
contained in this release is as of November 6, 2008, and except as required by
law, we undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking
statements.
-- Tables Follow --
Contacts:
Investors and Media
Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc.
Marv Toland, Chief Financial Officer 425-755-6226
EDDIE BAUER HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
As of As of
September 27, December 29,
2008 2007
Cash and cash equivalents $3,546 $27,596
Restricted cash 180 30,862
Accounts receivable, less allowances for
doubtful accounts of $367 and $983,
respectively 21,781 30,122
Inventories 175,003 158,223
Prepaid expenses 31,515 27,297
Total Current Assets 232,025 274,100
Property and equipment, net of accumulated
amortization of $114,388 and $90,557,
respectively 180,078 195,103
Goodwill 107,748 107,748
Trademarks 185,000 185,000
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated
amortization of $27,646 and $22,332,
respectively 16,419 21,668
Other assets 23,823 27,813
Total Assets $745,093 $811,432
Trade accounts payable $59,915 $45,102
Bank overdraft 10,887 12,915
Accrued expenses 84,682 107,036
Current liabilities related to Spiegel Creditor
Trust 180 30,870
Short-term borrowings 26,699 -
Deferred tax liabilities - current 2,879 6,356
Total Current Liabilities 185,242 202,279
Deferred rent obligations and unfavorable lease
obligations 44,134 42,811
Deferred tax liabilities - noncurrent 13,734 30,490
Senior term loan 192,769 196,162
Convertible note and embedded derivative
liability, net of discount of $17,929 and
$19,629, respectively 73,260 66,113
Other non-current liabilities 5,184 7,802
Pension and other post-retirement benefit
liabilities 8,530 9,503
Total Liabilities 522,853 555,160
Commitments and Contingencies
Common stock:
$0.01 par value, 100 million shares
authorized; 30,824,275 and 30,672,631
shares issued and outstanding as of September
27, 2008 and December 29, 2007, respectively 308 307
Treasury stock, at cost (157) (157)
Additional paid-in capital 592,675 588,302
Accumulated deficit (374,758) (336,818)
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of
taxes of $2,631 and $2,848, respectively 4,172 4,638
Total Stockholders' Equity $222,240 $256,272
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $745,093 $811,432
EDDIE BAUER HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
($ in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
September 27, September 29, September 27, September 29,
2008 2007 2008 2007
Net sales and other
revenues $207,289 $210,952 $653,539 $651,923
Costs of sales,
including buying
and occupancy 136,958 139,472 417,755 418,459
Selling, general
and administrative
expenses 79,723 98,018 270,350 309,358
Total operating
expenses 216,681 237,490 688,105 727,817
Operating income
(loss) (9,392) (26,538) (34,566) (75,894)
Interest expense 5,584 6,589 16,607 19,711
Other income
(expense) (7,898) 13,413 (5,037) 7,319
Equity in income
(losses) of foreign
joint ventures (735) (973) (5,524) (1,127)
Loss before income tax
benefit (23,609) (20,687) (61,734) (89,413)
Income tax benefit (4,979) (4,247) (23,735) (5,944)
Net loss $(18,630) $(16,440) $(37,999) $(83,469)
Net loss per basic
and diluted share $(0.61) $(0.54) $(1.24) $(2.74)
Weighted average
shares used to
compute net loss
per basic and
diluted share 30,773,794 30,583,930 30,712,434 30,474,393
EDDIE BAUER HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
($ in thousands)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Three Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
September 27, September 29, September 27, September 29,
2008 2007 2008 2007
Loss before income
tax benefit $(23,609) $(20,687) $(61,734) $(89,413)
Interest expense 5,584 6,589 16,607 19,711
Depreciation and
amortization 10,140 10,168 31,365 37,216
EBITDA (7,885) (3,930) (13,762) (32,486)
Fees and other costs
related to
terminated merger
agreement - - - 6,396
Severance charges
(2008-RIF/2007-CEO) - - 2,500 8,418
Litigation settlement - - - 1,600
Loss on extinguishment
of debt - - 3,284
Impairment of foreign
joint venture - - 3,922 -
Write-off related to
foreign joint venture - - 606 -
Change in fair value of
convertible note
embedded derivative
liability 7,946 (11,319) 5,447 (5,254)
EBITDA, excluding
certain non-operational
and non-recurring items $61 $(15,249) $(1,287) $(18,042)
SOURCE Eddie Bauer Holdings, Inc.
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