CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORP - Quarter Report: 2016 April (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

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

For the quarterly period ended April 30, 2016

 

or

 

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

 

For the transition period from  to

 

Commission File No. 001-31390

 

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (763) 551-5000

 

 Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

 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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  ☒  YES  ☐  NO

 

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

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  ☐  YES ☒  NO

 

As of June 3, 2016 there were 37,084,323 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding.

 

 

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

 

NOTE 1 — Basis of Presentation

 

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been prepared by Christopher & Banks Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “Christopher & Banks”, “the Company”, “we” or “us”) pursuant to the current rules and regulations of the United States ("U.S.") Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. have been omitted, pursuant to such rules and regulations. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016.

 

The results of operations for the interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full fiscal year. In the opinion of management, the information contained herein reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal adjustments, except as otherwise stated in these notes, considered necessary to present fairly our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows as of April 30, 2016, and May 2, 2015 and for all periods presented.

 

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued authoritative guidance under Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 supersedes existing revenue recognition requirements and provides a new comprehensive revenue recognition model that requires entities to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year. As a result, ASU 2014-09 is effective retrospectively for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017. Adoption is allowed by either the full retrospective or modified retrospective approach.  The Company is currently evaluating which approach it will apply and the potential impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires entities with a classified balance sheet to present all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. The Company elected early adoption of this guidance for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016, on a prospective basis. The adoption of this ASU allows the Company to simplify its presentation of deferred income tax liabilities and assets.  Prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which requires that lease arrangements longer than twelve months result in an entity recognizing an asset and liability. The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. We have not evaluated the impact of the updated guidance on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this pronouncement will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

NOTE 2 — Investments

 

Investments as of April 30, 2016, consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Investments as of January 30, 2016, consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

During the thirteen weeks ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, there were no purchases of available-for-sale securities. During the thirteen weeks ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, there were approximately $2.0 million and $3.7 million of maturities of available-for-sale securities, respectively. There were no other-than-temporary impairments of available-for-sale securities during the thirteen weeks ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015.

 

Expected maturities of the Company's investments are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

NOTE 3 — Merchandise Inventories and Sources of Supply

 

Merchandise inventories consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

There have been no material changes to our ratio of imports to total merchandise purchases or concentration of supplier purchases in the thirteen weeks ended April 30, 2016 compared to the fiscal 2015 year ended January 30, 2016.

 

NOTE 4 — Property, Equipment and Improvements, Net

 

Property, equipment and improvements, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. In conjunction with an impairment analysis, the Company determined that improvements and equipment at certain under-performing stores and at stores identified for closure were impaired. As a result, the Company recorded approximately $0.2 million and $0 for long-lived asset impairments during the thirteen week periods ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively.

 

NOTE 5 — Accrued Liabilities

 

Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE 6 — Credit Facility

 

The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement (the "Credit Facility") with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”), as lender.  The Credit Facility was most recently amended and extended on September 8, 2014. The current expiration date is September 2019.

   

The Credit Facility provides the Company with revolving credit loans of up to $50.0 million in the aggregate, subject to a borrowing base formula based primarily on eligible credit card receivables, inventory and real estate, as such terms are defined in the Credit Facility, and up to $10.0 million of which may be drawn in the form of standby and documentary letters of credit.

   

Borrowings under the Credit Facility will generally accrue interest at a rate ranging from 1.50% to 1.75% over the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or 0.50% to 0.75% over the Wells Fargo Prime Rate based on the amount of Average Daily Availability for the Fiscal Quarter immediately preceding each Adjustment Date, as such term is defined in the Credit Facility. The Company has the ability to select between the LIBOR or prime based rate at the time of the cash advance.  The Credit Facility has an unused commitment fee of 0.25%.

   

The Credit Facility contains customary events of default and various affirmative and negative covenants. The sole financial covenant contained in the Credit Facility requires the Company to maintain Availability at least equal to the greater of (a) ten percent (10%) of the borrowing base or (b) $3.0 million. In addition, the Credit Facility permits the payment of dividends to the Company's stockholders if certain financial conditions are met. The Company was in compliance with all covenants and other financial provisions as of April 30, 2016.

   

The Company's obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company has pledged substantially all of its assets as collateral security for the loans, including accounts owed to the Company, bank accounts, inventory, other tangible and intangible personal property, intellectual property (including patents and trademarks), and stock or other evidences of ownership of 100% of all of the Company's subsidiaries.

 

The Company had no revolving credit loan borrowings under the Credit Facility during each of the thirteen week periods ended April 30, 2016, and May 2, 2015. The total Borrowing Base at April 30, 2016 was approximately $43.3 million. As of April 30, 2016, the Company had open on-demand letters of credit of approximately $0.3 million. Accordingly, after reducing the Borrowing Base for the open letters of credit and the required minimum availability of the greater of $3.0 million, or 10.0% of the Borrowing Base, the net availability of revolving credit loans under the Credit Facility was approximately $38.7 million at April 30, 2016.

 

NOTE 7 — Income Taxes

 

The Company's liability for unrecognized tax benefits associated with uncertain tax positions is recorded within other non-current liabilities. There has been no material change in the reserve for unrecognized tax benefits since the end of the previous year. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as components of income tax expense.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income taxes and the income tax obligations of various state and local jurisdictions. The Company is currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for fiscal 2013. Periods after the fiscal 2012 transition period remain subject to examination by the IRS. With few exceptions, the Company is not subject to state income tax examination by tax authorities for taxable years prior to fiscal 2011. As of April 30, 2016, the Company had no other ongoing audits and does not expect the liability for unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease in the next twelve months.

 

In April 2015, the Company settled the IRS examination of the Fiscal 2011 tax year.   The settlement was related to certain issues which the Company had previously reflected net of tax within deferred tax assets.  The settlement did not result in any cash payments nor any impact to tax expense.

 

Deferred income tax assets represent potential future income tax benefits. Realization of these assets is ultimately dependent upon future taxable income.  ASC 740 Income Taxes requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on all available evidence, it is considered more likely than not that some or all of the recorded deferred tax assets will not be realized in a future period. Forming a conclusion that a valuation allowance is not needed is difficult when negative evidence such as cumulative losses exists. As a result of management's evaluation in fiscal 2011, a non-cash provision of $10.6 million was recognized to establish a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets as there was insufficient positive evidence to overcome the negative evidence related to the Company's cumulative losses. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, the Company released the vast majority of the valuation allowance based on two consecutive years of profitability, 3 years of cumulative positive earnings achieved in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 and the Company’s forecast of continued profitability in fiscal 2015.  A small valuation allowance was retained for state net operating loss carryforwards that may expire before they were utilized.  The release of the valuation allowance resulted in a $41.3 million benefit to the income tax provision in fiscal 2014. 

 

Management continued to monitor the realizability of the deferred tax assets in fiscal 2015. The release of the valuation allowance in fiscal 2014 had assumed the Company would continue to generate future profits. The fiscal 2015 loss had an impact on the expected amount of the 36 month cumulative loss. Although management’s evaluation considered the effects of improved sales trends on future taxable income, estimates such as these are inherently subjective. Without significant positive evidence to overcome the weight of possible future cumulative losses, the Company established a

valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015.  A non-cash provision of $37.5 million was recognized to establish the valuation allowance. A small deferred tax asset was allowed related to certain state tax benefits. As of April 30, 2016, the possibility of future cumulative losses still exists. Accordingly, the Company has continued to maintain a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.

 

As of April 30, 2016, the Company had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards which will reduce future taxable income. Approximately $29.8 million in net federal tax benefits are available from these loss carryforwards of approximately $85.0 million, and an additional $1.3 million is available in net tax credit carryforwards. Included in the federal net operating loss is approximately $5.3 million of loss generated by deductions related to equity-based compensation, the tax effect of which will be recorded to additional paid-in capital when utilized. The state loss carryforwards will result in net state tax benefits of approximately $2.1 million. The federal net operating loss carryovers will expire in October 2032 and beyond. The state net operating loss carryforwards will expire in November 2016 and beyond. Additionally, the Company has charitable contribution carryforwards that will expire in 2016 and beyond.

 

NOTE 8 — Earnings Per Share

 

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) shown on the face of the accompanying consolidated statement of operations:

 

 

Total stock options of approximately 2.2 million and 0.7 million were excluded from the shares used in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the thirteen week periods ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, as they were anti-dilutive.

 

NOTE 9 — Fair Value Measurements

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are categorized using defined hierarchical levels directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair value measurements, as follows:

 

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are either directly or indirectly observable

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value of the asset or liability.

 

Assets that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis:

 

The following tables provide information by level for the Company's available-for-sale securities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of April 30, 2016, the Company’s available-for-sale securities were valued based on quoted prices for similar assets in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets in which there were fewer transactions. There were no transfers of assets between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value measurement hierarchy during the thirteen week periods ended April 30, 2016, and May 2, 2015. Consistent with Company policy, transfers into levels and transfers out of levels are recognized on the date of the event or when a change in circumstances causes a transfer.

 

Assets that are Measured at Fair Value on a Non-recurring Basis:

 

The following table summarizes certain information for non-financial assets for the thirteen weeks ended April 30, 2016 and the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016, that are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis in periods subsequent to an initial recognition period.  The Company places amounts into the most appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to determine the fair value at the measurement date. 

 

 

All of the fair value measurements included in the table above were based on significant unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Company determines fair value for measuring assets on a non-recurring basis using a discounted cash flow approach as discussed in Note 1, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies in our Form 10-K for the year ended January 30, 2016. In determining future cash flows, the Company uses its best estimate of future operating results, which requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including estimated sales, merchandise margin and expense levels, and the selection of an appropriate discount rate; therefore, differences in the estimates or assumptions could produce significantly different results. General economic uncertainty impacting the retail industry and continuation of recent trends in company performance makes it reasonably possible that additional long-lived asset impairments could be identified and recorded in future periods.

 

The fair value measurement of the long-lived assets encompasses the following significant unobservable inputs:

 

 

 

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NOTE 10 — Legal Proceedings

 

The Company is subject, from time to time, to various claims, lawsuits or actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. Although the amount of any liability that could arise with respect to any current proceedings cannot be accurately predicted, management does not expect any such liability to have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

 

NOTE 11 — Segment Reporting

 

In the table below, the Retail Operations includes activity generated by the Company’s retail store locations (Missy Petite Women ("MPW"), outlet stores, Christopher & Banks, and C.J. Banks) as well as the eCommerce business. Retail Operations only includes net sales, merchandise gross margin and direct store expenses with no allocation of corporate overhead as that is the information used by the chief operating decision maker to evaluate performance and to allocate resources.  The Corporate/Administrative balances include supporting administrative activity at the corporate office and distribution center facility and are included to reconcile the amounts to the condensed consolidated financial statements. 

 

For the thirteen week period ended April 30, 2016, long-lived assets with a carrying amount of $0.2 million were written down to their fair value of $0 resulting in an impairment charge of $0.2 million. No impairment charge was recorded for the thirteen week period ended May 2, 2015. The impairment costs for the thirteen week period ended April 30, 2016 related to store-level asset impairment charges are included in the operating income for the Retail Operations segment.

 

Business Segment Information

(in thousands)

 

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

 

Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016 and our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Unless otherwise noted, transactions and other factors significantly impacting our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity are discussed in order of magnitude.

 

Executive Overview

 

We are a national specialty retailer featuring exclusively-designed, privately-branded women’s apparel and accessories. We offer our customer an assortment of unique, classic and versatile clothing that fits her everyday needs at a good value.

 

We operate an integrated, omni-channel platform that provides our customer the ability to shop when and where she wants, including online or at retail and outlet stores. This approach allows our customers to browse, purchase, return, or exchange our merchandise through the channel that is optimal for her.

 

As of April 30, 2016, we operated 512 stores in 45 states, including 317 Missy, Petite, Women ("MPW") stores, 81 outlet stores, 59 Christopher & Banks ("CB") stores, and 55 C.J. Banks ("CJ") stores. Our CB brand offers unique fashions and accessories featuring exclusively designed assortments of women’s apparel in sizes 4 to 16 and in petite sizes 4P to 16P. Our CJ brand offers similar assortments of women’s apparel in sizes 14W to 26W. Our MPW format and outlet stores offer a merchandise assortment of both CB and CJ brands in all three size ranges resulting in greater opportunity to service our customers and increase productivity.

 

Update on our Fiscal 2016 Strategic Priorities

 

In fiscal 2016, we intend to continue our efforts to provide our customers with experiences that make her look and feel her best.

 

Our strategy includes three key initiatives:

 

Bring the “Special” Back to Our Specialty Stores

 

We are committed to ensuring we consistently meet our customers’ needs with differentiated styles that fit her lifestyle. We intend to increase the breadth of our fashion offerings and ensure frequent newness to encourage repeat visits and increased spend.  We also will continue our focus on expanding on our new categories to augment her wardrobe needs. 

 

Our focus remains on cultivating and delivering a true “specialty” shopping experience through exceptional customer service and inspirational merchandising presentations. We have a highly loyal customer base largely attributable to our shopping environment and our engaged, knowledgeable store associates. Our associates have long-term relationships with our customers and understand their preferences to assist them in selecting styles that makes them look and feel their best. We believe this genuine service focus is a competitive advantage and is a key component of our omni-channel initiative.

 

In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, we completed changes to our in-store merchandise presentation and related visual elements to assist customers of all sizes more easily find the product they seek. Leveraging our retail analytic capabilities, we are also working to optimize the depth of our product assortments, with the goal of improving

merchandise availability to enable a more localized merchandise assortment by tailoring our offerings by market type and customer size.

 

Increase Brand Awareness and Drive Engagement

 

We have a very loyal customer base that is highly engaged. As such, we intend to continue to leverage our direct and digital marketing channels to encourage our customer to shop more frequently and increase her spend with us. During the fiscal year, we also will be focused on increasing our brand awareness in order to acquire new customers.  We intend to increase marketing spend to build the brand through refreshing our creative brand, look and feel, and by expanding our marketing mix during the latter part of the year. 

 

We continue to be focused on maximizing the benefits of our customer relationship management ("CRM") system database and Friendship Rewards Loyalty Program (“Friendship Rewards”) to strengthen our engagement with our customers.

 

In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, we launched our redesigned Friendship Rewards loyalty program to further strengthen our customer retention by rewarding her for shopping more frequently and incenting her to earn more rewards. The more personalized reward system is differentiated by level of purchase activity and provides enhanced benefits as customers achieve the next reward level. Our loyalty program, in conjunction with our CRM system, will enable us to personalize communications and customize our offers.

 

Leverage Our Omni-Channel Capabilities

 

We continue to make significant investments in the development of our integrated, omni-channel strategy which is designed to provide customers a seamless retail experience together with the ability to shop when and where they want, including retail stores, outlet stores, online and mobile. Our omni-channel investments will enable us to address multiple customer touch points to drive spend and build brand affinity by providing a holistic view of our customer and our merchandise assortment and depth.

 

In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, we continued our efforts to implement technology to support these omni-channel capabilities. In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, we launched our redesigned eCommerce website to serve as a valuable tool for our customers and to provide improved visual presentation, additional site navigation tools, and a simplified check out process. In addition, we have begun a roll-out of new point-of-sale hardware at all store locations that we expect to complete in the second half of this year.

 

Performance Measures

 

Management evaluates our financial results based on the following key measures of performance:

 

Comparable sales

 

Comparable sales is a measure that highlights the performance of our store channel and ecommerce channel sales by measuring the changes in sales over the comparable, prior-year period of equivalent length.

 

Our comparable sales calculation includes merchandise sales for:

 

 

Our comparable sales calculation excludes:

 

 

We believe our eCommerce operations are interdependent with our brick-and-mortar store sales and, as such, we believe that reporting combined store and eCommerce comparable sales is a more appropriate presentation. Our customers are able to browse merchandise in one channel and consummate a transaction in a different channel. At the same time, our customers have the option to return merchandise to a store or our third-party distribution center, regardless of the original channel used for purchase.

 

As we continue to execute our MPW format conversions as part of our strategic initiatives, we have made changes to the base store populations that comprise comparable stores, as illustrated in the table below:

 

 

Comparable sales measures vary across the retail industry. As a result, our comparable sales calculation is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

 

To supplement our comparable sales performance measure, we also monitor changes in net sales per store, net sales per gross square foot, gross profit per store, and gross margin per square foot for the entire store base.

 

Gross profit

 

Gross profit is equal to net sales minus merchandise, buying and occupancy costs.

 

Merchandise, buying and occupancy costs, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, measure whether we are appropriately optimizing the price of our merchandise and markdown utilization.

 

Merchandise, buying and occupancy costs include the cost of merchandise, markdowns, shrink, freight, buyer and distribution center salaries, buyer travel, rent and other occupancy-related costs, various merchandise design and development costs, miscellaneous merchandise expenses and other costs related to our distribution network.

 

Buying and occupancy costs related to stores mostly represent a fixed charge and, as a result, should not change significantly with changes in sales.

 

Operating income

 

Operating income measures our ability to effectively manage operating costs relative to changes in sales volume. The key components of operating income include net sales, merchandise, buying and occupancy costs, selling, general, and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization expenses.

 

Cash flow and liquidity

 

We closely manage our liquidity and access to capital resources. Our liquidity requirements depend on key variables, including our financial results, the level of investment necessary to support our business strategies, capital expenditures, and working capital management. Capital expenditures are a component of our cash flow which, to a large extent, we can adjust in response to economic and other changes in our business.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles used in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during a reporting period. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable. As a result, actual results could differ because of the use of these estimates and assumptions.

 

Our critical accounting policies can be found in Note 1 - Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies, to the condensed consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting policies or estimates in the first quarter of fiscal 2016.

 

Results of Operations

 

The following table presents selected consolidated financial data for the first quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2015:

 

First Quarter Fiscal 2016 Summary

 

 

Net Sales

 

The components of the 9.2% net sales increase in the first quarter fiscal 2016 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2015 were as follows:

 

 

 

To supplement our comparable sales measure, we also monitor changes in other store sales metrics as illustrated in the table below:

 

Sales increased in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to a balanced merchandise assortment, including depth in key merchandise categories, effective merchandise promotions, and compelling visual presentations. The increases in units per transaction and average unit retail were relatively broad across our merchandise categories. This sales increase was partly dampened by the aggregate effects of general market weakness in women’s apparel, a broad decline in mall traffic, and unseasonable weather patterns in certain regions. Average store count in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 was 516 stores compared to an average store count of 518 stores in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, a 0.4% decrease.

 

In the first quarter of fiscal 2015, sales were negatively impacted by labor issues at West Coast ports which caused a disruption to our merchandise flow in late fiscal 2014 through the first part of fiscal 2015.

 

Store count, openings, closings, and square footage for our stores were as follows:

 

 

Gross Profit

 

To supplement our gross profit analysis, we also monitor changes in other store profit metrics as illustrated in the table below:

 

Gross margin rate increased 255 basis points primarily due to higher merchandise margins and the effects of sales leverage on occupancy expenses partly offset by higher eCommerce transitional costs associated with temporarily running dual platforms. Merchandise margin improvement is attributable to the benefit of improved initial mark-ups and disciplined inventory management resulting in a decrease in markdowns.

 

Selling, General, and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expenses

 

SG&A expenses increased in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2015 primarily due to increased legal and other professional advisory fees of $1.5 million in connection with shareholder activism, higher eCommerce operational and transition costs of $0.9 million, including a one-time expense to exit the current eCommerce platform of $0.4 million, higher medical costs of $0.6 million, and incremental marketing expense of $0.5 million. The SG&A rate increased 55 basis points mainly due to increased SG&A spend, offset, in part, by improved sales leverage.

 

Depreciation and Amortization (“D&A”)

 

Depreciation and amortization expense increased primarily due to the effects of new stores, MPW store conversions, and the deployment of technology solutions, including new omni-channel capabilities.