1 800 FLOWERS COM INC - Quarter Report: 2022 October (Form 10-Q)

PART I. – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. – CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except for share data)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(in thousands, except for per share data)

(unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity

(in thousands, except share data)

(unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(unaudited)

Note 1 – Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended October 2, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending July 2, 2023. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2022, which provides a more complete understanding of our accounting policies, financial position, operating results and other matters.

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

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Net revenue is measured based on the amount of consideration that we expect to receive, reduced by discounts and estimates for credits and returns (calculated based upon previous experience and management’s evaluation). Service and outbound shipping charged to customers are recognized at the time the related merchandise revenues are recognized and are included in net revenues. Inbound and outbound shipping and delivery costs are included in cost of revenues. Net revenues exclude sales and other similar taxes collected from customers.

A description of our principal revenue generating activities is as follows:

Deferred Revenues

Deferred revenues are recorded when the Company has received consideration (i.e. advance payment) before satisfying its performance obligations. As such, customer orders are recorded as deferred revenue prior to shipment or rendering of product or services. Deferred revenues primarily relate to e-commerce orders placed, but not shipped, prior to the end of the fiscal period, as well as for subscription programs, including our various food, wine, and plant-of-the-month clubs and our Celebrations Passport program.

Our total deferred revenue as of July 3, 2022 was $33.7 million (included in “Accrued expenses” on our consolidated balance sheets), of which $16.9 million was recognized as revenue during the three months ended October 2, 2022. The deferred revenue balance as of October 2, 2022 was $34.4 million.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company does not expect that any recently issued accounting pronouncements will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Note 2 – Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss during the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period and excludes the dilutive potential common shares (consisting of unvested restricted stock awards), as their inclusion would be antidilutive. As a result of the net loss for the three months ended October 2, 2022 and September 26, 2021, there is no dilutive impact to the net loss per share calculation for the respective periods.

Note 3 – Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has a Long Term Incentive and Share Award Plan, which is more fully described in Note 12 and Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2022, that provides for the grant to eligible employees, consultants and directors of stock options, restricted shares, and other stock-based awards.

The amounts of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the periods presented are as follows:

Stock-based compensation is recorded within the following line items of operating expenses:

Stock-based compensation expense has not been allocated between business segments, but is reflected as part of Corporate overhead (see Note 12 - Business Segments). 

Stock Options

As of October 2, 2022, the Company does not have any options outstanding.

Restricted Stock

The Company grants shares of Common Stock to its employees that are subject to restrictions on transfer and risk of forfeiture until fulfillment of applicable service and performance conditions and, in certain cases, holding periods (Restricted Stock). The following table summarizes the activity of non-vested restricted stock awards during the three months ended October 2, 2022:

The fair value of non-vested shares is determined based on the closing stock price on the grant date. As of October 2, 2022, there was $10.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested, restricted, stock-based compensation to be recognized over the weighted-average remaining period of 2.2 years.  

Note 4 – Acquisitions

Acquisition of Vital Choice

On October 27, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of all of the membership interests in Vital Choice Seafood LLC (“Vital Choice”), a provider of wild-caught seafood and sustainably farmed shellfish, pastured proteins, organic foods, and marine-sourced nutritional supplements. The Company utilized its existing credit facility to fund the $20.0 million purchase (subject to certain working capital and other adjustments), which included tradenames, customer lists, websites and operations. Vital Choice revenues were approximately $27.8 million during its most recent year ended December 31, 2020.

After working capital and related adjustments, total consideration was approximately $20.3 million, and was preliminarily allocated to the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on our preliminary estimates of their fair values on the acquisition date. The Company is in the process of finalizing its allocation of acquired intangible assets and has recorded certain immaterial adjustments during the measurement period. The final allocation may result in additional adjustments to the carrying value of the respective recorded assets and liabilities, establishment of certain additional intangible assets, revisions of useful lives of intangible assets, and the determination of any residual amount that will be allocated to goodwill.

The following table summarizes the preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

The estimated fair value of the acquired work in process and finished goods inventory was determined utilizing the income approach. The income approach estimates the fair value of the inventory based on the net retail value of the inventory, less operating expenses and a reasonable profit allowance. Raw materials inventory was valued at book value, as there have not been any significant price fluctuations or other events that would materially change the cost to replace the raw materials.

Of the acquired intangible assets, $4.5 million was assigned to customer lists, which is being amortized over the estimated remaining life of 5 years, $5.3 million was assigned to tradenames (indefinite life), and $4.4 million was assigned to goodwill (indefinite life), which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill recognized is primarily related to synergistic value created in terms of both operating costs and revenue growth opportunities, enhanced financial and operational scale, and other strategic benefits.

The estimated fair value of the acquired tradenames was determined using the relief from royalty method, which is a risk-adjusted discounted cash flow approach. The relief from royalty method values an intangible asset by estimating the royalties saved through ownership of the asset. The relief from royalty method requires identifying the future revenue that would be generated by the trademark, multiplying it by a royalty rate deemed to be avoided through ownership of the asset and discounting the projected royalty savings amounts back to the acquisition date. The royalty rate used in the valuation was based on a consideration of market rates for similar categories of assets. The discount rate used in the valuation was based on the Company’s weighted average cost of capital, the riskiness of the earnings stream associated with the trademarks and the overall composition of the acquired assets.

The estimated fair value of the acquired customer lists was determined using the excess earnings method under the income approach. This method requires identifying the future revenue that would be generated by existing customers at the time of the acquisition, considering an appropriate attrition rate based on the historical experience of the Company. Appropriate expenses are then deducted from the revenues and economic rents are charged for the return on contributory assets. The after-tax cash flows attributable to the asset are discounted back to their net present value at an appropriate intangible asset rate of return and summed to calculate the value of the customer lists.

Operating results of the Vital Choice business are reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition within the Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets segment. Pro forma results of operations have not been presented, as the impact on the Company’s consolidated financial results was not material.

Acquisition of Alice’s Table

On December 31, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Alice’s Table, Inc. (“Alice’s Table”), a lifestyle business offering fully digital livestreaming floral, culinary and other experiences. The Company utilized existing cash of $0.8 million, contributed accounts receivable due from Alice’s Table of $0.3 million, and converted its cost method investment in Alice’s Table of $0.3 million, in order to acquire 100% ownership in Alice’s Table, which included tradenames, customer lists, websites and operations. Immediately prior to completing the acquisition, the Company wrote down its previous cost method investment in Alice’s Table to its $0.3 million fair value, on the date of the acquisition, resulting in an impairment of $0.7 million, which is recorded in the “Other (income) expense, net” line item on the Statement of Operations for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2022. Alice’s Table revenues were approximately $3.8 million during its most recent fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

The resulting total consideration of $1.3 million was preliminarily allocated to the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on our preliminary estimates of their fair values on the acquisition date, including: goodwill of $0.7 million, trademarks of $0.5 million, customer lists of $0.2 million (4 year life) and deferred revenue of $0.1 million. The Company is in the process of finalizing its allocation and this may result in potential adjustments to the carrying value of the respective recorded assets and liabilities, establishment of certain additional intangible assets, revisions of useful lives of intangible assets, and the determination of any residual amount that will be allocated to goodwill.

Note 5 – Inventory, Net

The Company’s inventory, stated at cost, which is not in excess of market, includes purchased and manufactured finished goods for sale, packaging supplies, crops, raw material ingredients for manufactured products and associated manufacturing labor, and is classified as follows:

Note 6 – Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net

The following table presents goodwill by segment and the related change in the net carrying amount:

The Company’s other intangible assets consist of the following:

Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. Future estimated amortization expense is as follows: remainder of fiscal 2023 - $3.2 million, fiscal 2024 - $4.2 million, fiscal 2025 - $1.7 million, fiscal 2026 - $1.2 million, fiscal 2027 - $0.5 million and thereafter - $0.5 million.

Note 7 – Investments

Equity investments without a readily determinable fair value

Investments in non-marketable equity instruments of private companies, where the Company does not possess the ability to exercise significant influence, are accounted for at cost, less impairment (assessed qualitatively at each reporting period), adjusted for observable price changes from orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. These investments are included within “Other assets” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate carrying amount of the Company’s cost method investments was $3.5 million as of October 2, 2022 and July 3, 2022, respectively. 

Equity investments with a readily determinable fair value

The Company also holds certain trading securities associated with its Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (“NQDC Plan”). These investments are measured using quoted market prices at the reporting date and are included within the “Other assets” line item in the consolidated balance sheets (see Note 10 - Fair Value Measurements).

Note 8 –Debt, Net

The Company’s current and long-term debt consists of the following:

On May 31, 2019, the Company and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “2019 Credit Agreement”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as administrative agent, and a group of lenders. The 2019 Credit Agreement amended and restated the Company’s existing amended and restated credit agreement dated as of December 23, 2016 to, among other modifications: (i) increase the amount of the outstanding term loan (“Term Loan”) from approximately $97 million to $100 million, (ii) extend the maturity date of the outstanding Term Loan and the revolving credit facility (“Revolver”) by approximately 29 months to May 31, 2024, and (iii) decrease the applicable interest rate margins for LIBOR and base rate loans by 25 basis points. The Term Loan is payable in 19 quarterly installments of principal and interest beginning on September 29, 2019, with escalating principal payments, at the rate of 5.0% per annum for the first eight payments, and 10.0% per annum for the remaining 11 payments, with the remaining balance of $62.5 million due upon maturity. The Revolver, in the aggregate amount of $200 million, subject to seasonal reduction to an aggregate amount of $100 million for the period from January 1 through August 1, may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, subject to certain restrictions. For each borrowing under the Existing Credit Agreement (as defined below), the Company may elect that such borrowing bear interest at an annual rate equal to either: (1) a base rate plus an applicable margin varying based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio, where the base rate is the highest of (a) the prime rate, (b) the New York fed bank rate plus 0.5%, and (c) a LIBOR rate plus 1%, or (2) an adjusted LIBOR rate plus an applicable margin varying based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

On August 20, 2020, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as administrative agent, and a group of lenders entered into a First Amendment (the “First Amendment”) to the 2019 Credit Agreement. The First Amendment amends the 2019 Credit Agreement to, among other modifications, (i) increase the aggregate principal amount of the existing Revolver commitments from $200.0 million to $250.0 million, (ii) establish a new tranche of term A-1 loans in an aggregate principal amount of $100.0 million (the “2020 Term Loan”), (iii) increase the working capital sublimit with respect to the Revolver from $175.0 million to $200.0 million, and (iv) increase the seasonally-reduced Revolver commitments from $100.0 million to $125.0 million for the period from January 1 through August 1 for each fiscal year of the Company.

The 2020 Term Loan will mature on May 31, 2024. Proceeds of the borrowing under the 2020 Term Loan may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes of the Company and its subsidiaries, subject to certain restrictions. The 2020 Term Loan is payable in 15 quarterly installments of principal and interest beginning on September 27, 2020, with escalating principal payments, at the rate of 5.0% per annum for the first four payments, and 10.0% per annum for the remaining 11 payments, with the remaining balance of $67.5 million due upon maturity.

On November 8, 2021, the Company, certain of its U.S. subsidiaries, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, entered into a Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the 2019 Credit Agreement. The Second Amendment amended the 2019 Credit Agreement to, among other modifications, decrease the interest margins and LIBOR floor applicable to the 2020 Term Loan.

On August 29, 2022, the Company, certain of its U.S. subsidiaries, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, entered into a Third Amendment (the “Third Amendment”) to the 2019 Credit Agreement. The Third Amendment amends the 2019 Credit Agreement (the 2019 Credit Agreement, as amended by the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, and the Third Amendment, the “Existing Credit Agreement”) to, among other modifications, (A) alter the financial maintenance covenants set forth therein by (1) increasing the required maximum consolidated leverage ratio, for the reference period ending October 2, 2022, from 3.25 to 1.00 to 4.25 to 1.00 and (2) decreasing the required minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, for the reference periods ending October 2, 2022, January 1, 2023, and April 2, 2023, from 1.50 to 1.00 to 1.00 to 1.00 and (B) increase the amount of certain capital expenditures that may be disregarded for purposes of calculating the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio from $25.0 million to $35.0 million.

The Existing Credit Agreement requires that while any borrowings or commitments are outstanding the Company comply with certain financial covenants and affirmative covenants as well as certain negative covenants that, subject to certain exceptions, limit the Company’s ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, make certain investments and make certain restricted payments. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of October 2, 2022. The Existing Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company. 

Future principal payments under the Term Loan and 2020 Term Loan are as follows: $15.0 million – remainder of fiscal 2023 and $145.0 million – fiscal 2024. 

Note 9 - Property, Plant and Equipment

The Company’s property, plant and equipment consists of the following:

Note 10 - Fair Value Measurements

Cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables, prepaids, accounts payable and accrued expenses are reflected in the consolidated balance sheets at carrying value, which approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. Although no trading market exists, the Company believes that the carrying amount of its debt approximates fair value due to its variable nature. The Company’s investments in non-marketable equity instruments of private companies are carried at cost and are periodically assessed for other-than-temporary impairment when an event or circumstances indicate that an other-than-temporary decline in value may have occurred. The Company’s remaining financial assets and liabilities are measured and recorded at fair value (see table below). The Company’s non-financial assets, such as definite lived intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, are recorded at cost and are assessed for impairment when an event or circumstance indicates that an other-than-temporary decline in value may have occurred. Goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles are tested for impairment annually, or more frequently, if events occur or circumstances change such that it is more likely than not that an impairment may exist, as required under the accounting standards.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability, in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under the guidance are described below:

The following table presents by level, within the fair value hierarchy, financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Note 11 – Income Taxes

At the end of each interim reporting period, the Company estimates its effective income tax rate expected to be applicable for the full year. This estimate is used in providing for income taxes on a year-to-date basis and may change in subsequent interim periods. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended October 2, 2022 was 25.3% compared to 37.9% in the same period of the prior year. The effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% for the three months ended October 2, 2022, primarily due to state income taxes and nondeductible expenses for executive compensation, partially offset by various permanent differences and tax credits. The effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% for the three months ended September 26, 2021, primarily due to excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, as well as state income taxes and nondeductible expenses for executive compensation.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various state jurisdictions, and various foreign countries. The Company completed its U.S. federal examination for fiscal 2018, however, fiscal years 2019, 2020 and 2021 remain subject to U.S. federal examination. Due to ongoing state examinations and nonconformity with the U.S. federal statute of limitations for assessment, certain states remain open from fiscal 2016. The Company's foreign income tax filings from fiscal 2017 are open for examination by its respective foreign tax authorities, mainly Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties accrued on any unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. At October 2, 2022, the Company has an unrecognized tax benefit, including accrued interest and penalties, of approximately $1.4 million. The Company believes that $0.1 million of unrecognized tax positions will be resolved over the next twelve months. 

Note 12 – Business Segments

The Company’s management reviews the results of its operations by the following three business segments:

Segment performance is measured based on contribution margin, which includes only the direct controllable revenue and operating expenses of the segments. As such, management’s measure of profitability for these segments does not include the effect of corporate overhead (see (a) below), nor does it include depreciation and amortization, other (income) expense, net and income taxes, or stock-based compensation, which are included within corporate overhead. Assets and liabilities are reviewed at the consolidated level by management and not accounted for by segment.

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

The following tables represent a disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers, by channel: 

Note 13 – Leases

The Company currently leases plants, warehouses, offices, store facilities, and equipment under various leases through fiscal 2036. Most lease agreements are of a long-term nature (over a year), although the Company does also enter into short-term leases, primarily for seasonal needs. Lease agreements may contain renewal options and rent escalation clauses and require the Company to pay real estate taxes, insurance, common area maintenance and operating expenses applicable to the leased properties. The Company accounts for its leases in accordance with ASC 842.

At contract inception, we determine whether a contract is, or contains, a lease by determining whether it conveys the right to control the use of the identified asset for a period of time, by assessing whether we have the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from use of the identified asset and the right to direct the use of the identified asset.

At the lease commencement date, we determine if a lease should be classified as an operating or a finance lease (we currently have no finance leases) and recognize a corresponding lease liability and a right-of-use asset on our Balance Sheet. The lease liability is initially and subsequently measured as the present value of the remaining fixed minimum rental payments (including base rent and fixed common area maintenance) using discount rates as of the commencement date. Variable payments (including most utilities, real estate taxes, insurance and variable common area maintenance) are expensed as incurred. Further, we elected a short-term lease exception policy, permitting us to not apply the recognition requirements of this standard to short-term leases (i.e. leases with terms of 12 months or less) and an accounting policy to account for lease and non-lease components as a single component for certain classes of assets. The right-of-use asset is initially and subsequently measured at the carrying amount of the lease liability adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease payments, remaining balance of lease incentives received, unamortized initial direct costs, or impairment charges relating to the right-of-use asset. Right-of-use assets are assessed for impairment using the long-lived assets impairment guidance. The discount rate used to determine the present value of lease payments is our estimated collateralized incremental borrowing rate, based on the yield curve for the respective lease terms, as we generally cannot determine the interest rate implicit in the lease.

We recognize expense for our operating leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. As these leases expire, it can be expected that in the normal course of business they will be renewed or replaced. Renewal option periods are included in the measurement of lease liability, where the exercise is reasonably certain to occur. Key estimates and judgments in accounting for leases include how we determine: (1) lease payments, (2) lease term, and (3) the discount rate used in calculating the lease liability.

Additional information related to our leases is as follows:

Maturities of lease liabilities in accordance with ASC 842 as of October 2, 2022 and reconciliation to balance sheet are as follows (in thousands):

Note 14 - Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:

Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

Call Center Worker Claim:

In March of 2018, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against a subsidiary of the Company (the “Subsidiary”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Medford Division (the “Court”), alleging violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Oregon state law. The complaint was brought on behalf of a putative class of call center workers and alleged that certain Subsidiary policies and practices resulted in class members’ performance of unpaid work. The plaintiff sought class certification, compensation for alleged unpaid and underpaid wages, civil penalties, prejudgment interest, liquidated damages, litigation costs, and attorneys’ fees. Following mediation, the parties reached an agreement in April 2022 to resolve all claims. The settlement agreement remains subject to certain judicial approvals. The Subsidiary’s payment liability under the settlement agreement is capped at a maximum amount of $3.3 million, and the amount payable will depend on the number of claims filed by class members and the amounts of attorneys’ fees and litigation costs approved by the Court. In September 2022, the Court granted final approval of the settlement agreement. The parties are awaiting a final calculation from the settlement administrator. During the quarter ended March 27, 2022, the Company accrued $2.9 million, which is included in "Accrued expenses" in the consolidated balance sheets at  July 3, 2022 and October 2, 2022, based upon the expected "opt-in" participation rate of the class members. In entering into the settlement agreement, the Subsidiary is making no admission of liability. 

In addition, there are various claims, lawsuits, and pending actions against the Company and its subsidiaries incident to the operations of its businesses. It is the opinion of management, after consultation with counsel, that the final resolution of such claims, lawsuits and pending actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

This “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” ("MD&A") is intended to provide an understanding of our financial condition, change in financial condition, cash flow, liquidity and results of operations. The following MD&A discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes to those statements that appear elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended July 3, 2022. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s plans, estimates and beliefs. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those discussed or referred to in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to any differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the caption “Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results,” under Part I, Item 1A, of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended July 3, 2022 under the heading “Risk Factors” and Part II-Other Information, Item 1A in this Form 10-Q.

Business Overview

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

For additional information, see Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Overview” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 3, 2022. 

Acquisition of Vital Choice

On October 27, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Vital Choice Seafood LLC (“Vital Choice”), a provider of wild-caught seafood and sustainably farmed shellfish, pastured proteins, organic foods, and marine-sourced nutritional supplements. The Company utilized its existing credit facility to fund the $20.0 million purchase (subject to certain working capital and other adjustments), which included tradenames, customer lists, websites and operations. Vital Choice revenues were approximately $27.8 million during its most recent year ended December 31, 2020 - see Note 4 –Acquisitions in Item 1. 

Acquisition of Alice’s Table

On December 31, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Alice’s Table LLC (“Alice’s Table”), a lifestyle business offering fully digital livestreaming floral, culinary and other experiences. The Company utilized existing cash of $0.8 million, converted the existing accounts receivable from Alice’s Table of $0.3 million and its previous $0.3 million cost method investment in Alice’s Table, in order to acquire 100% ownership in Alice’s Table, which included tradenames, customer lists, websites and operations. Alice’s Table revenues were approximately $3.8 million during the twelve-month period ended September 30, 2021 - see Note 4 –Acquisitions in Item 1.

Amended Credit Agreement

On August 29, 2022, the Company entered into a Third Amendment to the Company's 2019 Credit Agreement. The Third Amendment amends the 2019 Credit Agreement to, among other modifications, (A) alter the financial maintenance covenants set forth therein by (1) increasing the required maximum consolidated leverage ratio, for the reference period ending October 2, 2022, from 3.25 to 1.00 to 4.25 to 1.00 and (2) decreasing the required minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, for the reference periods ending October 2, 2022, January 1, 2023, and April 2, 2023, from 1.50 to 1.00 to 1.00 to 1.00 and (B) increase the amount of certain capital expenditures that may be disregarded for purposes of calculating the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio from $25.0 million to $35.0 million (See Note 8 - Debt, in Item 1, for details).

COVID-19 and Other Macro-Economic Factors

The global COVID-19 pandemic, and its related impacts, have affected, and will continue to affect, our operations and financial results for the foreseeable future.

Overall, consumer behavior continues to reflect the significant geo-political and inflationary forces that are affecting both discretionary and nondiscretionary spending. Our total revenues for the quarter ended October 2, 2022 were down 1.9% in comparison to the prior year, mainly as a result of consumers purchasing fewer “Everyday” gifts, as they respond to these macro-economic pressures. However, as we look forward to the holiday season and the balance of our fiscal year, we are cautiously optimistic that consumers will continue to spend on the major gift giving holiday occasions, but we anticipate they will remain cautious in their spending otherwise.

Coming into fiscal 2023, we expected the challenging macro-economic and geo-political backdrop to affect our performance during the first quarter, as our year-ago results had not yet been affected by the global supply chain constraints, and the surge in in-bound and out-bound shipping, commodity costs, labor and fuel which began during the second quarter of fiscal 2022, and escalated throughout the balance of the year.

However, we expect to see a stabilization of our business during our second quarter and improvement during the second half of our fiscal year, as we cycle against the sharp inflationary period of a year ago. After growing revenues 77% since fiscal 2019, we anticipate revenues to decline slightly in fiscal 2023 as consumers adjust their discretionary purchases in response to the current inflationary environment. The impact of this revenue decline on our earnings is expected to be partially mitigated by our strategic cost reduction initiatives, coupled with the decline that we are seeing in ocean freight costs. We expect the reduction of these costs to begin to provide a margin benefit in the second half of this fiscal year, and even more so next year.

Company Guidance

The Company is providing the following guidance for fiscal 2023. While the highly unpredictable nature of the current macro economy makes it difficult to forecast in this environment, the Company anticipates that after growing revenues 77% over the past three fiscal years, revenues will decline slightly in fiscal 2023 on lower consumer confidence and cautious spending behavior. The Company anticipates that the combination of the investments it has made – and continues to make – in its business platform, along with strategic pricing programs and moderation of cost inputs, will enable it to gradually improve gross margins and bottom-line results during the latter half of the current fiscal year. Additionally, this guidance assumes the restoration of 100% bonus payout in fiscal 2023, compared with a limited bonus payout in fiscal 2022.

Full Year Fiscal 2023 Guidance

Definitions of non-GAAP Financial Measures:

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

EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA

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

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

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

Segment contribution margin and adjusted segment contribution margin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Free Cash Flow

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

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

Segment Information

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

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

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

(c) Income tax effect on adjustments is calculated based upon the Company’s effective tax rate during the applicable period.

Results of Operations

Net revenues

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

Net revenues decreased 1.9% during the three months ended October 2, 2022, compared to the same period of the prior year due to lower volume within the Consumer Floral & Gifts segment, partially offset by increased volume in the Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets and BloomNet segments. Adjusted for the non-comparative impact of Alice’s Table and Vital Choice, which were acquired on December 31, 2021 and October 27, 2021, respectively, consolidated revenues decreased 3.6%, in comparison to the prior year period.

To provide perspective, our post-pandemic Q1 fiscal 2023 revenues exceeded our pre-pandemic Q1 fiscal 2019 revenues by 79.1% This revenue growth includes revenues attributable to Shari’s Berries, which was acquired in August 2019, PersonalizationMall, which was acquired on August 3, 2020, Vital Choice, which was acquired on October 27, 2021, and Alice's Table, which was acquired on December 31, 2021. Excluding revenues from these acquisitions, pro-forma revenue growth exceeded pre-pandemic Q1 fiscal 2019 revenues by 50.7%.