DELTA APPAREL, INC - Quarter Report: 2023 July (Form 10-Q)

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

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

(Unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations 

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Amounts in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Amounts in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Delta Apparel, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

Note A— Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Delta Apparel, Inc. (collectively with DTG2Go, LLC, Salt Life, LLC, M.J. Soffe, LLC, and other subsidiaries, "Delta Apparel," "we," "us," "our," or the "Company") is a vertically-integrated, international apparel company with approximately 7,100 employees worldwide. We design, manufacture, source, and market a diverse portfolio of core activewear and lifestyle apparel products under our primary brands of Salt Life®, Soffe®, and Delta. We are a market leader in the on-demand, digital print and fulfillment industry, bringing DTG2Go's proprietary technology and innovation to our customers' supply chains. We specialize in selling casual and athletic products through a variety of distribution channels and tiers, including outdoor and sporting goods retailers, independent and specialty stores, better department stores and mid-tier retailers, mass merchants, eRetailers, the U.S. military, and through our business-to-business digital platform. Our products are also made available direct-to-consumer on our ecommerce sites and in our branded retail stores. Our diversified go-to-market strategy allows us to capitalize on our strengths in providing activewear and lifestyle apparel products to a broad and evolving customer base whose shopping preferences may span multiple retail channels.

We design and internally manufacture the majority of our products, with more than 90% of the apparel units that we sell sewn in our own facilities. This allows us to offer a high degree of consistency and quality, leverage scale efficiencies, and react quickly to changes in trends within the marketplace. We have manufacturing operations located in the United States, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, and we use domestic and foreign contractors as additional sources of production. Our distribution facilities are strategically located throughout the United States to better serve our customers with same-day shipping on our catalog products and weekly replenishments to retailers. We were incorporated in Georgia in 1999, and our headquarters is located in Duluth, Georgia. Our common stock trades on the NYSE American exchange under the symbol “DLA."

We operate on a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to September 30.  Our 2023 fiscal year is a 52-week year and will end on September 30, 2023 ("fiscal 2023"). Accordingly, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q presents our results for our third quarter of fiscal 2023. Our 2022 fiscal year was a 52-week year and ended on October 1, 2022 ("fiscal 2022").

For presentation purposes herein, all references to period ended relate to the following fiscal years and dates:

We prepared the accompanying interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for complete financial statements. We believe these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation. Operating results for the three and nine months ended June 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for our fiscal 2023. Although our various product lines are sold on a year-round basis, the demand for specific products or styles reflects some seasonality. By diversifying our product lines and go-to-market strategies over the years, we have reduced the overall seasonality of our business. Consumer demand for apparel is cyclical and dependent upon the overall level of demand for soft goods, which may or may not coincide with the overall level of discretionary consumer spending. These levels of demand change as regional, domestic and international economic conditions change. Therefore, the distribution of sales by quarter in fiscal 2023 may not be indicative of the distribution in future years. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal 2022, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Delta Apparel and its wholly-owned and majority-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries. We apply the equity method of accounting for our investment in 31% of the outstanding capital stock of a Honduran company. During the nine months ended June 2023 and June 2022, we received dividends from this investment of $1.2 million and $1.1 million, respectively. Our Ceiba Textiles manufacturing facility is leased under an operating lease arrangement with this Honduran company. During the nine months ended June 2023 and June 2022, we paid approximately $1.3 million in rent under this arrangement.

We make available copies of materials we file with, or furnish to, the SEC free of charge at https://ir.deltaapparelinc.com. The information found on our website is not part of this, or any other, report that we file with, or furnish to, the SEC. In addition, we will provide upon request, at no cost, paper or electronic copies of our reports and other filings made with the SEC. Requests should be directed to: Investor Relations Department, Delta Apparel, Inc., 2750 Premiere Parkway, Suite 100, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Requests can also be made by telephone to 864-232-5200, or via email at investor.relations@deltaapparel.com.

Note B—Accounting Policies

Our accounting policies are consistent with those described in our Significant Accounting Policies in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal 2022, filed with the SEC. See Note C for consideration of recently issued accounting standards.

Note C—New Accounting Standards

Standards Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires an entity to assess impairment of its financial instruments based on the entity's estimate of expected credit losses. Since the issuance of ASU 2016-13, the FASB released several amendments to improve and clarify the implementation guidance. These standards have been collectively codified within ASC Topic 326, Credit Losses (“ASC 326”). As a smaller reporting company as defined by the SEC, the provisions of ASC 326 are effective as of the beginning of our fiscal year 2024. We are currently evaluating the impacts of the provisions of ASC 326 on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and disclosures. 

Note D—Revenue Recognition

Our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations include revenue streams from retail sales at our branded retail stores; direct-to-consumer ecommerce sales on our consumer-facing websites; and sales from wholesale channels, which includes our business-to-business ecommerce and DTG2Go sales.  The table below identifies the amount and percentage of net sales by distribution channel (in thousands):

The table below provides net sales by reportable segment and the percentage of net sales by distribution channel for each reportable segment (in thousands):

Note E—Inventories

Inventories, net of reserves of $14.0 million and $17.7 million as of June 2023 and September 2022, respectively, consisted of the following (in thousands):

Raw materials include finished yarn and direct materials for the Delta Group, undecorated garments for the DTG2Go business, and direct embellishment materials for the Salt Life Group.

Note F—Debt

Credit Facility

On May 10, 2016, we entered into a Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as further amended, the “Amended Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”), as Administrative Agent, the Sole Lead Arranger and the Sole Book Runner, and the financial institutions named therein as Lenders, which are Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, and Regions Bank. Our subsidiaries M.J. Soffe, LLC, Culver City Clothing Company, Salt Life, LLC, and DTG2Go, LLC (collectively, the "Borrowers"), are co-borrowers under the Amended Credit Agreement. The Borrowers entered into amendments to the Amended Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo and the other lenders on November 27, 2017, March 9, 2018, October 8, 2018, November 19, 2019, April 27, 2020, August 28, 2020, June 2, 2022, January 3, 2023, February 3, 2023, and March 23, 2023.

On June 2, 2022, the Borrowers entered into the Seventh Amendment to the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo and the other lenders set forth therein (the “Seventh Amendment”). The Seventh Amendment, (i) removes LIBOR based borrowing and utilizes SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) as the primary pricing structure, (ii) amends the pricing structure based on SOFR plus a CSA (Credit Spread Adjustment) defined as 10 bps for 1 month and 15 bps for 3-month tenors, (iii) sets the SOFR floor to 0 bps, (iv) reloads the fair market value of real estate and intellectual property within the borrowing base calculation and resets their respective amortization schedules, (v) sets the maturity date to 5 years from the closing date, and (vi) updates the requirement for our Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (“FCCR”) for the preceding 12-month period to not be less than 1.0 (previously 1.1).

On January 3, 2023, the Borrowers entered into the Eighth Amendment to the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo and the other lenders set forth therein (the “Eighth Amendment”). The Eighth Amendment essentially clarifies the Amended Credit Agreement’s provisions regarding the inclusion of eligible in-transit inventory in the borrowing base and amends the definition of Increased Reporting Event to include 12.5% of the lesser of the borrowing base and the maximum revolver amount as opposed to 12.5% of the line cap. 

On February 3, 2023, the Borrowers entered into the Ninth Amendment to the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo and the other lenders set forth therein (“Ninth Amendment”). The Ninth Amendment adds an Accommodation Period beginning on the amendment date and continuing through the date following September 30, 2023, upon which Borrowers satisfy minimum availability thresholds and during which: (i) the minimum borrowing availability thresholds applicable to the Amended Credit Agreement are (a) through (and including) April 1, 2023, $7,500,000, (b) on and after April 2, 2023 through (and including) June 4, 2023, $9,000,000, (c) on and after June 5, 2023, through the date following September 30, 2023, upon which Borrowers satisfy minimum availability thresholds, $10,000,000; and (d) at all times thereafter, $0; (ii) the FCCR covenant is suspended; (iii) Borrowers must maintain specified minimum EBITDA levels for trailing three-month periods starting March 4, 2023; (iv) the Applicable Margin with respect to loans under the Amended Credit Agreement is increased by 50 basis points; and (v) a Cash Dominion Trigger Event occurs if availability is less than $2,000,000.

On March 23, 2023, the Borrowers entered into the Tenth Amendment to the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo and the other lenders set forth therein to account for specified costs and expenses in calculating EBITDA for purposes of the Amended Credit Agreement.

The Amended Credit Agreement allows us to borrow up to $170 million (subject to borrowing base limitations), including a maximum of $25 million in letters of credit. Provided that no event of default exists, we have the option to increase the maximum credit to $200 million (subject to borrowing base limitations), conditioned upon the Administrative Agent's ability to secure additional commitments and customary closing conditions. The Amended Credit Agreement contains a subjective acceleration clause and a “springing” lockbox arrangement (as defined in ASC 470, Debt) whereby remittances from customers will be forwarded to our general bank account and will not reduce the outstanding debt until and unless a specified event or an event of default occurs. We classify borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement as long-term debt with consideration of current maturities.

As of June 2023, we had $126.4 million outstanding under our U.S. revolving credit facility at an average interest rate of 7.8%. Our cash on hand combined with the availability under the U.S. revolving credit facility totaled $14.4 million. At  June 2023 and September 2022, there was $16.4 million and $24.9 million, respectively, of retained earnings free of restrictions to make cash dividend payments or stock repurchases to the extent permitted under our U.S. revolving credit facility.

Honduran Debt

Since March 2011, we have entered into term loans and a revolving credit facility with Banco Ficohsa, a Honduran bank, to finance investments in both the operations and capital expansion of our Honduran facilities. In December 2020, we entered into a new term loan and revolving credit facility with Banco Ficohsa, both with five-year terms, and simultaneously settled the prior term loans and revolving credit facility with outstanding balances at the time of settlement of $1.1 million and $9.5 million, respectively. Additionally, in May 2022, we entered into a new term loan with a five-year term with a principal amount of $3.7 million. These loans are secured by a first-priority lien on the assets of our Honduran operations and are not guaranteed by our U.S. entities. These loans are denominated in U.S. dollars, and the carrying value of the debt approximates its fair value. As the revolving credit facility permits us to re-borrow funds up to the amount repaid, subject to certain objective covenants, and we intend to re-borrow funds, subject to those covenants, the amounts borrowed are classified as long-term debt.

El Salvador Debt

In September 2022, we entered into a new term loan with a five-year term with a principal amount of $3.0 million with Banco Ficohsa, a Panamanian bank, to finance investments in our El Salvador operations. This loan is secured by a first-priority lien on the assets of our El Salvador operations and is not guaranteed by our U.S. entities. The loan is denominated in U.S. dollars, and the carrying value of the debt approximates its fair value. Information about this loan and the outstanding balance as of March 2023 is listed as part of the long-term debt schedule below.

Additional information about these loans and the outstanding balances as of  June 2023 is as follows (in thousands):

Note G—Selling, General and Administrative Expense

We include in selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses the costs incurred subsequent to the receipt of finished goods at our distribution facilities, such as the cost of stocking, warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping goods for delivery to our customers. Distribution costs included in SG&A expenses totaled $5.2 million and $5.6 million for the June 2023 and June 2022 quarters, respectively. Distribution costs included in SG&A expenses totaled $16.3 million and $16.8 million for the nine months ended June 2023 and June 2022, respectively. In addition, SG&A expenses include costs related to sales associates, administrative personnel, advertising and marketing expenses, retail store build-outs, and other general and administrative expenses.

Note H—Stock-Based Compensation

On February 6, 2020, our shareholders approved the Delta Apparel, Inc. 2020 Stock Plan ("2020 Stock Plan") to replace the 2010 Stock Plan, which was previously re-approved by our shareholders on February 4, 2015, and was scheduled to expire by its terms on September 14, 2020. The purpose of the 2020 Stock Plan is to continue to give our Board of Directors and its Compensation Committee the ability to offer a variety of compensatory awards designed to enhance the Company’s long-term success by encouraging stock ownership among its executives, key employees and directors. Under the 2020 Stock Plan, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors has the authority to determine the employees and directors to whom awards may be granted, and the size and type of each award and manner in which such awards will vest. The awards available under the plan consist of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock, stock performance units, and other stock and cash awards. While employed by the Company or serving as a director, unvested awards become fully vested under certain circumstances as defined in the 2020 Stock Plan. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, the participant’s death or disability. The Compensation Committee is authorized to establish the terms and conditions of awards granted under the 2020 Stock Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the 2020 Stock Plan, and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary. Similar to the 2010 Stock Plan, the 2020 Stock Plan limits the number of shares that may be covered by awards to any participant in a given calendar year and also limits the aggregate awards of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance stock granted in a given calendar year. Shares are generally issued from treasury stock upon the vesting of the restricted stock units, performance units or other awards under the 2020 Stock Plan. On August 2, 2023, our Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of its Compensation Committee, approved a Declaration of Amendment to the 2020 Stock Plan. See Part II, Item 5 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for more information.

Compensation expense is recorded within SG&A in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations over the vesting periods. During the June 2023 and June 2022 quarters, we recognized $0.6 million and $1.1 million in stock-based compensation expense, respectively. Associated with this compensation cost are income tax benefits recognized of $0.2 million and $0.2 million, respectively, for each of the three-month periods ended June 2023 and June 2022. During the nine-months ended June 2023 and June 2022, we recognized $1.6 million and $2.4 million respectively, in stock-based compensation expense. Associated with the compensation cost are income tax benefits recognized of $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively, for each of the nine-months periods ended June 2023 and June 2022.

During the December 2022 quarter, restricted stock units representing 105,000 shares of our common stock vested with the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022 and were issued in accordance with their respective agreements. Of these vested awards, all were payable in common stock.

During the December 2022 quarter, performance stock units and restricted stock units representing 5,000 and 18,000 shares of our common stock, respectively, were forfeited.

As of June 2023, there was $2.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards granted under the 2020 Stock Plan. This cost is expected to be recognized over a period of 2.4 years.

Note I—Purchase Contracts

We have entered into agreements, and have fixed prices, to purchase yarn, finished fabric, and finished apparel and headwear products. At June 2023, minimum payments under these contracts were as follows (in thousands):

Note J—Business Segments

Our operations are managed and reported in two segments, Delta Group and Salt Life Group, which reflect the manner in which the business is managed, and results are reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer, who is our chief operating decision maker.

The Delta Group is comprised of the following business units, which are primarily focused on core activewear styles: DTG2Go and Delta Activewear.

DTG2Go is a market leader in the on-demand, direct-to-garment digital print and fulfillment industry, bringing technology and innovation to the supply chains of our many customers. Our ‘On-Demand DC’ digital solution provides retailers and brands with immediate access to utilize DTG2Go’s broad network of print and fulfillment facilities, while offering the scalability to integrate digital fulfillment within the customer's own distribution facilities. We use highly-automated factory processes and our proprietary software to deliver on-demand, digitally printed apparel direct to consumers on behalf of our customers. Via our multi-facility fulfillment footprint across the United States, DTG2Go offers a robust digital supply chain shipping custom graphic products within 24 to 48 hours to consumers in the United States and to over 100 countries internationally. DTG2Go has made significant investments in its “digital first” retail model providing digital graphic prints that meet the high-quality standards of brands, retailers and intellectual property holders. Through integration with Delta Activewear, DTG2Go also services the eRetailer, ad-specialty, promotional and screen print marketplaces, among others.

Delta Activewear is a preferred supplier of activewear apparel to regional and global brands as well as direct-to-retail and wholesale markets. The Activewear business is organized around three key customer channels – Delta Direct, Global Brands, and Retail Direct – that are distinct in their go-to-market strategies and how their respective customer bases source their various apparel needs. Our Delta Direct channel services the screen print, promotional, and eRetailer markets as well as retail licensing customers that sell through to many mid-tier and mass market retailers. Delta Direct products include a broad portfolio of apparel and accessories under the Delta, Delta Platinum, and Soffe brands as well as sourced items from select third party brands. Our fashion basics line includes our Platinum Collection, which offers fresh, fashionable silhouettes with a luxurious look and feel, as well as versatile fleece offerings. We offer innovative apparel products, including the Delta Dri line of performance shirts built with moisture-wicking material to keep athletes dry and comfortable; ringspun garments with superior comfort, style and durability; and Delta Soft, a collection with an incredible feel and price. We also offer our heritage, mid- and heavier-weight Delta Pro Weight® and Magnum Weight® tee shirts.

The iconic Soffe brand offers activewear for spirit makers and record breakers and is widely known for the original "cheer short" with the signature roll-down waistband. Soffe carries a wide range of activewear for the entire family. Soffe's heritage is anchored in the military, and we continue to be a proud supplier to both active duty and veteran United States military personnel worldwide. The Soffe men's assortment features the tagline "anchored in the military, grounded in training" and offers everything from physical training gear certified by the respective branches of the military, classic base layers that include the favored 3-pack tees, and the iconic "ranger panty." Complementing the Delta and Soffe brand apparel, we offer customers a broad range of nationally recognized branded products including polos, outerwear, headwear, bags and other accessories. Our Soffe products are also available direct to consumers at www.soffe.com.

Our Global Brands channel serves as a key supply chain partner to large multi-national brands, major branded sportswear companies, trendy regional brands, and all branches of the United States armed forces, providing services ranging from custom product development to the shipment of branded products with “retail-ready” value-added services including embellishment, hangtags, and ticketing.

Our Retail Direct channel serves brick and mortar and online retailers by providing our portfolio of Delta, Delta Platinum, and Soffe products directly to the retail locations and ecommerce fulfillment centers of a diversified customer base including sporting goods and outdoor retailers, specialty and resort shops, farm and fleet stores, department stores, and mid-tier and mass retailers. As a key element of the integrated Delta Group segment, each of Activewear’s primary channels offer a seamless solution for replenishment strategies, small-run decoration needs, and quick reaction programs with on-demand digital print services, powered by DTG2Go.

The Salt Life Group is comprised of our Salt Life business, which is built on the authentic, aspirational Salt Life lifestyle brand that represents a passion for the ocean, the salt air, and, more importantly, a way of life and all it offers, from surfing, fishing, and diving to beach fun and sun-soaked relaxation. The Salt Life brand combines function and fashion with a tailored fit for the active lifestyles of those that “live the Salt Life.” With increased worldwide appeal, Salt Life has continued to provide the cotton graphic tees and logo decals that originally drove awareness for the brand, and expanded into performance apparel, swimwear, board shorts, sunglasses, bags, and accessories. Consumers can also seamlessly experience the Salt Life brand through retail partners including surf shops, specialty stores, department stores, and outdoor merchants or by accessing our Salt Life ecommerce site at www.saltlife.com.

Our chief operating decision maker and management evaluate performance and allocate resources based on profit or loss from operations before interest, income taxes and special charges ("segment operating earnings"). Our segment operating earnings may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The accounting policies of our reportable segments are the same as those described in Note 2 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022, filed with the SEC. Intercompany transfers between operating segments are transacted at cost and have been eliminated within the segment amounts shown in the following table (in thousands).

The following table reconciles the segment operating (loss) earnings to the consolidated earnings before (benefit from) provision for income taxes (in thousands):

Note K—Income Taxes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted on December 22, 2017, significantly revised the U.S. corporate income tax code by, among other things, lowering federal corporate income tax rates, implementing a modified territorial tax system and imposing a repatriation tax ("transition tax") on deemed repatriated cumulative earnings of foreign subsidiaries which will be paid over eight years. In addition, new taxes were imposed related to foreign income, including a tax on global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) as well as a limitation on the deduction for business interest expense (“Section 163(j)"). GILTI is the excess of the shareholder’s net controlled foreign corporations net tested income over the net deemed tangible income.  GILTI income is eligible for a deduction of up to 50% of the income inclusion, but the deduction is limited to the amount of U.S. adjusted taxable income.  The Section 163(j) limitation does not allow the amount of deductible interest to exceed the sum of the taxpayer's business interest income and 30% of the taxpayer’s adjusted taxable income. We have included in our calculation of our effective tax rate the estimated impact of GILTI and Section 163(j). In addition, we have elected to account for the tax on GILTI as a period cost and, therefore, do not record deferred taxes related to GILTI on our foreign subsidiaries.

Our effective income tax rate on operations for the nine-months ended June 2023 was 27.0% compared to a rate of 17.2% in the same period of the prior year, and an effective rate of 17.9% for fiscal 2022. We generally benefit from having income in foreign jurisdictions that are either exempt from income taxes or have tax rates that are lower than those in the United States. As such, changes in the mix of U.S. taxable income compared to profits in tax-free or lower-tax jurisdictions can have a significant impact on our overall effective tax rate. The current year tax expense decreased relative to prior periods due to US operating losses expected to generate a US tax benefit.

Note L—Derivatives and Fair Value Measurements

From time to time, we may use interest rate swaps or other instruments to manage our interest rate exposure and reduce the impact of future interest rate changes. These financial instruments are not used for trading or speculative purposes. We have designated our interest rate swap contracts as cash flow hedges of our future interest payments. As a result, the gains and losses on the swap contracts are reported as a component of other comprehensive income and are reclassified into interest expense as the related interest payments are made. As of  June 2023, all of our other comprehensive income was attributable to shareholders; none related to the non-controlling interest.  Outstanding instruments as of  June 2023 are as follows:

The following table summarizes the fair value and presentation in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for derivatives related to our interest swap agreements as of June 2023 and September 2022 (in thousands):

From time to time, we may purchase cotton option contracts to economically hedge the risk related to market fluctuations in the cost of cotton used in our operations. We do not receive hedge accounting treatment for these derivatives. As such, the realized and unrealized gains and losses associated with them are recorded within cost of goods sold on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. No such cotton contracts were outstanding at  June 2023 and September 2022.

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are grouped in three levels. The levels prioritize the inputs used to measure the fair value of the assets or liabilities. These levels are:

The following financial liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

The fair value of the interest rate swap agreements was derived from a discounted cash flow analysis based on the terms of the contract and the forward interest rate curves adjusted for our credit risk, which fall in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. At June 2023 and September 2022, book value for fixed rate debt approximates fair value based on quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rates offered to us for debt of the same remaining maturities (a Level 2 fair value measurement).

Note M—Legal Proceedings

At times, we are party to various legal claims, actions and complaints. We believe that, as a result of legal defenses, insurance arrangements, and indemnification provisions with parties believed to be financially capable, such actions should not have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition, or liquidity. 

Note N—Repurchase of Common Stock

As of September 28, 2019, our Board of Directors authorized management to use up to $60.0 million to repurchase stock in open market transactions under our Stock Repurchase Program. We did not purchase any shares of our common stock during the June 2023 quarter. Through June 2023, we have purchased 3,735,114 shares of our common stock for an aggregate of $56.4 million under our Stock Repurchase Program since its inception. All purchases were made at the discretion of management and pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of SEC Rule 10b-18. As of June 2023, $3.6 million remained available for future purchases under our Stock Repurchase Program, which does not have an expiration date.

Note O—Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Components of intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):

Goodwill represents the acquired goodwill net of the $0.6 million impairment losses recorded in fiscal year 2011. As of June 2023, the Delta Group segment assets include $18.0 million of goodwill, and the Salt Life Group segment assets include $19.9 million of goodwill.

Depending on the type of intangible asset, amortization is recorded under cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses. Amortization expense for intangible assets for the June 2023 and June 2022 quarters was $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively. Amortization expense for the nine-months ended June 2023 and June 2022 was $1.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Amortization expense is estimated to be approximately $2.3 million for the year ended September 2023, approximately $2.3 million for each of the years ended September 2024 and 2025, and approximately $2.2 million for each of the years ended September 2026 and 2027.

Note P—Subsequent Events

None.

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. We may from time to time make written or oral statements that are “forward-looking,” including statements contained in this report and other filings with the SEC, in our press releases, and in other reports to our shareholders. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, which address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The words “plan”, “estimate”, “project”, “forecast”, “outlook”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “remain”, “seek", “believe”, “may”, “should” and similar expressions, and discussions of strategy or intentions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on our current expectations and are necessarily dependent upon assumptions, estimates and data that we believe are reasonable and accurate but may be incorrect, incomplete or imprecise. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of business risks and inherent uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

A detailed discussion of significant risk factors that have the potential to cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations is set forth in Part 1 under the subheading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2022, filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized. Further, any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and we do not undertake to publicly update or revise the forward-looking statements, except as required by the federal securities law.

Business Outlook

We are seeing indications of stabilizing demand in the activewear market and believe that the elevated inventory levels in the retail supply chain following last year’s heavy buying activity may be moderating. In addition, we continue to make steady progress towards a more normalized operating environment for our business, with our decision last year to reduce production levels to align with the lower demand environment and purchase less price-inflated cotton proving effective in positioning Delta Apparel for improved operating results going forward. 

During our third quarter we were able to work through much of the trailing expense impacts of our curtailed production levels and last year’s historically high-priced cotton flowing through our cost of sales.  Our Activewear business, which houses our nearshore manufacturing platform and serves the channels hit hardest by the over-inventoried retail environment, was the most directly impacted by these unique cost-driving events. Now that we are inputting lower cotton cost in our inventory and running our manufacturing facilities at levels closer to capacity, we believe our Activewear business is well-positioned to take advantage of market improvements going forward.   

We expect to complete a significant strategic initiative before the end of our fiscal year involving the transition of our more expensive offshore production capacity into our lower cost Central American platform. This initiative, along with several other recent restructuring activities, should generate annual cost savings of up to $6 million.  We also made substantial progress during the quarter on inventory and debt reduction initiatives intended to counteract the challenging operating environment seen in recent periods, including an approximately 20% reduction in inventory and an approximately 15% reduction in long-term debt from our most recent high points. We expect further inventory and debt reductions as we move through our fourth quarter and plan to continue to tightly manage our spending and reduce capital expenditures year-over-year. 

Our Salt Life business continued to expand its direct-to-consumer footprint during the quarter, opening its 24^th and 25^th retail locations across the country.  Salt Life’s branded retail footprint now extends across nine states including California, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Delaware, New Jersey and, most recently, two locations in New York.  In addition, Salt Life’s ecommerce business grew over 100% during the June quarter and achieved significant gains across key metrics including site traffic and conversion rates.  Salt Life’s four new retail locations in the Northeast U.S. market are a great example of  our omni-channel consumer strategy and data-driven approach to retail store site selection, with ecommerce order activity in New Jersey and New York and adjacent states consistently among the most active on our site in recent periods. We expect for Salt Life’s direct-to-consumer retail and ecommerce channels to continue to expand and anticipate additional sales growth at Salt Life going forward.

Our DTG2Go business recently achieved a variety of key milestones, including the recalibration of our entire “Digital First” technology fleet, a consumer satisfaction initiative involving the rationalization of size and color offerings within our “Digital First” channel, and the launch of a proprietary online portal geared towards quick reaction programs not suited for traditional decoration platforms. The gains flowing from these initiatives and the near-term demand creation opportunities from the new portal should provide a solid foundation for improved operating results and double-digit sales growth at DTG2Go going forward. Moreover, DTG2Go is poised to further capitalize on the ongoing digital disruption in the decorated apparel market through its industry-leading print capacity, nationwide fulfillment network, proprietary technology and processes, and vertical blank supply through Delta Direct.

With two very significant cost-driving trends now moving behind us and a streamlined cost structure in place moving ahead, Delta Apparel is in an excellent position to take advantage of favorable changes in demand as they arise across our five go-to-market channels. We expect to see steady improvement in our overall operating results as we close out our fourth quarter and move into our next fiscal year.  For fiscal year 2024, we currently anticipate net sales in a range of $410 to $425 million generating operating profit margins of 3.25% to 4.25%, with gross margins sequentially increasing into the low-to-mid 20% range and improving operating profit margins beginning in the second quarter, as well as revenue growth in the second half of the year.  We remain keenly focused on growth, profitability, and above all, creating value for shareholders for many years to come.

Results of Operations

Financial results included herein have been presented on a generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") basis and, in certain limited instances, we have presented our financial results on a GAAP and non-GAAP (“adjusted”) basis, which is further described in the sections entitled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Net sales were $106.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023, a decline of 16% compared to the prior year third quarter net sales of $126.9 million.   For the first nine months, net sales were $323.9 million compared to prior year period net sales of $369.3 million.

Net sales in the Delta Group segment declined 16% to $89.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to $106.0 million in the prior year third quarter. Delta Direct channel sales were down from the prior year but sequentially grew 9% from the March quarter. Retail Direct and Global Brand channel sales declined primarily due to customers being overstocked. Net sales  in the Delta Group segment for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 were $277.5 million, a 14% decrease from the prior year.

Net sales in the Salt Life Group segment for the third quarter of fiscal 2023 declined 18% to $17.2 million compared to $20.9 million in the prior year third quarter. Salt Life direct-to-consumer sales continued their strong growth trend with over 100% sales growth in ecommerce and 11% sales growth in the branded Salt Life stores over the prior year.  This was offset by lower wholesale sales year-over-year due to sales in the prior year quarter being skewed by significant sales shifting from the March quarter to the June quarter in connection with transportation delays. For the first nine months of 2023, net sales were $46.5 million, up $0.5 million from the prior year's net sales of $46.0 million.

Gross margins were 13.1% for the third quarter of fiscal 2023, a decline from 24.2% in the prior year third quarter driven by production curtailments to match manufacturing output with market demand as well as inflationary cotton costs (collectively "Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs"). Excluding these Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs, third quarter adjusted gross margins were 22.7%.  Gross margins for the first nine months were 13.5% compared to 23.6% in the prior year period, driven primarily by the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs coupled with the impacts of the restructuring actions actions we undertook to better optimize our overall cost structure (collectively "Restructuring Costs").  Excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs and Restructuring Costs, adjusted gross margins for the first nine months were 22.7%.

The Delta Group segment gross margins were 5.9% for the third quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to 19.1% in the prior year third quarter. Excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs, adjusted gross margins were 17.4%. Gross margins for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 declined from 19.6% in the prior year to 6.5% in the current year. However, when excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs and Restructuring Costs we took earlier this year, Delta Group segment adjusted gross margins were 17.2%.

The Salt Life Group segment gross margins were 50.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2023, an improvement of 30 basis points compared to 50.2% in the prior year third quarter resulting from a favorable mix of sales, including increased Salt Life branded retail store sales. For the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, gross margins grew to 55.4% of sales from 51.6% in the prior year.

Selling, general, and administrative expenses ("SG&A") were $18.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023, or 17.4% of sales, compared to $22.4 million, or 17.7% of sales, in the prior year's third quarter.  The decrease in SG&A expenses of $3.9 million compared to the prior year third quarter was primarily driven by lower variable selling and distribution costs as well as lower compensation costs. SG&A expenses for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 were $56.7 million, or 17.5% of sales, compared to $59.6 million, or 16.1% of sales, in the prior year. 

Other income for the 2023 and 2022 third fiscal quarters include profits related to our Green Valley Industrial Park equity method investment. Other income for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 also includes a valuation change in our contingent consideration liabilities of $0.8 million. Other income for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 includes a discrete gain of $2.5 million from the settlement of a commercial litigation matter recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 as well as profits in our Honduran equity method investment, offset by costs incurred to better align our offshore manufacturing cost structure with market demand. Other income for the first nine months of fiscal 2022, included profits related to our Honduran equity method investment and a valuation adjustment of our contingent consideration.

Operating loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 was $4.5 million, or (4.2)% of sales. This is a decrease of 148.0% over the prior year third fiscal quarter's $9.3 million of operating profit. However, excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs, third quarter adjusted operating income was $5.8 million, or 5.5% of sales. Operating income for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 declined year-over-year from $29.6 million, or 8% of sales, to an operating loss of $12.4 million, or (3.8%) of  sales. However, excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs and Restructuring Costs, operating income was $20.5 million, or 6.3% of sales. For the first nine months of fiscal year 2022, operating income was $29.6 million.

The Delta Group segment experienced an operating loss of $3.6 million in the third fiscal quarter of 2023, or (4.1%) of net sales, compared to operating profit of $10.7 million, or 10.1% of net sales, in the prior year third quarter. Excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs, third quarter adjusted operating income was $6.7 million, or 7.5% of net sales. Operating loss was $11.0 million, or (4.0)% of sales, for the first nine months of fiscal 2023, compared to operating income of $33.6 million, or 10.4% of sales, in the prior year period.  However, excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs and Restructuring Costs, Delta Group segment adjusted operating income was $22.0 million, or 7.9% of sales.

The Salt Life Group segment achieved operating income of $1.6 million in the third fiscal quarter of 2023, or 9.6% of net sales, compared to $3.6 million, or 17% of net sales, in the prior year third quarter. The lower operating income was driven by lower sales volume and increased selling costs partially offset by increased gross margins as a percentage of sales.  For the first nine months of fiscal 2023, operating income was $6.6 million, or 14.1% of sales, compared to $7 million, or 15.3% of sales, in the prior year period.

Net interest expense for the third quarters of fiscal year 2023 and 2022 was $4.0 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Net interest expense for the first nine months of 2023 was $10.7 million compared to $5.4 million in the prior year first nine months. The increases in interest expense are over the prior year periods is primarily due to increased interest rates.

Our effective tax rate on operations for the nine-month period ended June 2023 was 27.0%. This compares to an effective tax rate of 17.2% for the same period in the prior year and 17.9% for the full fiscal year 2022. Changes in the mix of U.S. taxable income compared to profits in tax-free or lower-tax jurisdictions drove this change in our effective tax rate.

Net loss attributable to shareholders for the third fiscal quarter of 2023 was $6.3 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, compared to net income of $6.2 million, or $0.88 per diluted share, in the prior year. Excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs, third quarter adjusted net income was $1.2 million, or $0.17 per diluted share. Net loss attributable to shareholders for the first nine months of fiscal 2023 was $16.8 million, or $2.41 per diluted share, compared to net income of $20.0 million, or $2.84 per diluted share, in the prior year. However, excluding the Production Curtailment & Cotton Costs along with Restructuring Costs, adjusted net income was $7.2 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, for the first nine months of fiscal 2023.

Accounts receivable were $41.7 million at June 2023, compared to $68.2 million as of September 2022. Days sales outstanding ("DSO") as of June 2023 were 36 days compared to 52 days at September 2022.

Net inventory as of June 2023 was $226.2 million, a decrease of $22.3 million from September 2022. The inventory value is lower than both the prior third quarter and fiscal year end as a result of lower input costs impacting materials, transportation and labor combined with a decrease in units on hand.

Total net debt, including capital lease financing and cash on hand, was $166.2 million at June 2023, a decrease of $4.4 million from September 2022. Cash on hand and availability under our U.S. revolving credit facility totaled $14.4 million at June 2023, a $20.3 million decrease from September 2022 principally driven by investments in the business to support working capital needs and increased input costs due to inflationary pressures.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We provide all information required in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but we believe that evaluating our ongoing operating results may be difficult if limited to reviewing only U.S. GAAP financial measures. In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding our results, we also provide non-GAAP information that management believes is useful to investors. We discuss gross margins, operating income and net income performance measures that are, for comparison purposes, adjusted to eliminate items or results stemming from discrete events. We do this because management uses these measures in evaluating our underlying performance on a consistent basis across periods. We also believe these measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of our ongoing performance. These non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and securities analysts, investors and other interested parties should not consider any of these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis or our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Reconciliation of GAAP gross margins to non-GAAP gross margins, GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income, and GAAP net income to non-GAAP net income are presented below. A description of the amounts excluded on a non-GAAP basis are provided in conjunction with the below information. Non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP net income should be evaluated in light of the Company's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of Gross Margin, Operating Income and Net Income to Non-GAAP Measures Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted Operating Income, and Adjusted Net Income

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(in thousands)

Reconciliation of Delta Group Segment Gross Margin and Operating Income to Delta Group Segment Adjusted Gross Margin and Adjusted Operating Income

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(in thousands)