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HOOKER FURNISHINGS Corp - Quarter Report: 2021 October (Form 10-Q)



UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549 

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

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

 

For the quarterly period ended October 31, 2021

 

Commission file number 000-25349

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Virginia

54-0251350

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)  

(IRS employer identification no.)

 

440 East Commonwealth Boulevard, Martinsville, VA 24112

(Address of principal executive offices, zip code)

 

(276) 632-2133

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

 

Hooker Furniture Corporation

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

 

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

 

Large accelerated Filer ☐ 

Accelerated filer ☒

Non-accelerated Filer ☐

Smaller reporting company ☐

Emerging growth company ☐

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

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

 

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

 

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, no par value 

HOFT

NASDAQ Global Select Market

 

As of December 3, 2021, there were 11,922,314 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 
     

Item 1.

Financial Statements

3

     

Item 2.

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

16

     

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

27

     

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

28

     

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 
     

Item 6.

Exhibits

29

     

Signature

30

 

 

 

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

As of

 

October 31,

   

January 31,

 
   

2021

   

2021

 
   

(unaudited)

         

Assets

               

Current assets

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 57,219     $ 65,841  

Trade accounts receivable, net

    73,585       83,290  

Inventories

    77,864       70,159  

Income tax recoverable

    3,098       -  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

    6,523       4,432  

Total current assets

    218,289       223,722  

Property, plant and equipment, net

    29,590       26,780  

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies

    26,133       25,365  

Deferred taxes

    11,835       14,173  

Operating leases right-of-use assets

    53,225       34,613  

Intangible assets, net

    24,449       26,237  

Goodwill

    490       490  

Other assets

    3,374       893  

Total non-current assets

    149,096       128,551  

Total assets

  $ 367,385     $ 352,273  
                 

Liabilities and Shareholders Equity

               

Current liabilities

               

Trade accounts payable

  $ 16,599     $ 32,213  

Accrued salaries, wages and benefits

    5,928       7,136  

Income tax accrual

    -       501  

Customer deposits

    6,550       4,256  

Current portion of lease liabilities

    7,293       6,650  

Other accrued expenses

    5,456       3,354  

Total current liabilities

    41,826       54,110  

Deferred compensation

    10,676       11,219  

Lease liabilities

    47,530       29,441  

Total long-term liabilities

    58,206       40,660  

Total liabilities

    100,032       94,770  
                 

Shareholders’ equity

               

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

11,922 and 11,888 shares issued and outstanding on each date

    53,690       53,323  

Retained earnings

    214,242       204,988  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (579 )     (808 )

Total shareholders’ equity

    267,353       257,503  

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

  $ 367,385     $ 352,273  

 

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

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

    For the  
    Thirteen Weeks Ended     Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended  
    October 31,     November 1,     October 31,     November 1,  
   

2021

   

2020

   

2021

   

2020

 
                                 

Net sales

  $ 133,428     $ 149,687     $ 458,807     $ 384,821  
                                 

Cost of sales (See note 3)

    113,421       116,204       373,501       305,684  
                                 

      Gross profit

    20,007       33,483       85,306       79,137  
                                 

Selling and administrative expenses

    21,139       19,850       63,343       57,920  

Goodwill impairment charges

    -       -       -       39,568  

Trade name impairment charges

    -       -       -       4,750  

Intangible asset amortization

    596       596       1,788       1,788  
                                 

        Operating (loss)/income

    (1,728 )     13,037       20,175       (24,889 )
                                 

Other income, net

    133       158       160       107  

Interest expense, net

    27       106       81       433  
                                 

      (Loss)/income before income taxes

    (1,622 )     13,089       20,254       (25,215 )
                                 

Income tax (benefit)/expense

    (403 )     2,996       4,563       (6,263 )
                                 

       Net (loss)/income

  $ (1,219 )   $ 10,093     $ 15,691     $ (18,952 )
                                 

(Loss)/earnings per share

                               

       Basic

  $ (0.10 )   $ 0.85     $ 1.32     $ (1.61 )

       Diluted

  $ (0.10 )   $ 0.84     $ 1.30     $ (1.61 )
                                 

Weighted average shares outstanding:

                               

       Basic

    11,863       11,833       11,849       11,818  

       Diluted

    11,863       11,939       12,017       11,818  
                                 

Cash dividends declared per share

  $ 0.18     $ 0.16     $ 0.54     $ 0.48  

 

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

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/INCOME

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

   

For the

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31,

   

November 1,

   

October 31,

   

November 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

   

2021

   

2020

 
                                 

Net (loss)/income

  $ (1,219 )   $ 10,093     $ 15,691     $ (18,952 )

       Other comprehensive income (loss):

                               

                 Amortization of actuarial loss

    100       84       301       253  

                 Income tax effect on amortization

    (24 )     (20 )     (72 )     (60 )

        Adjustments to net periodic benefit cost

    76       64       229       193  
                                 

Total comprehensive (loss)/income

  $ (1,143 )   $ 10,157     $ 15,920     $ (18,759 )

 

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

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

   

For the

 
   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31,

   

November 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

 

Operating Activities:

               

Net income/(loss)

  $ 15,691     $ (18,952 )

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash

provided by operating activities:

               

Goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges

    -       44,318  

Depreciation and amortization

    5,623       5,052  

Deferred income tax expense/(benefit)

    2,266       (10,143 )

Noncash restricted stock and performance awards

    367       1,473  

Provision for doubtful accounts and sales allowances

    474       4,527  

Gain on life insurance policies

    (802 )     (1,750 )

Changes in assets and liabilities:

               

Trade accounts receivable

    9,230       7,829  

Inventories

    (7,705 )     28,730  

Income tax recoverable

    (3,098 )     751  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

    (4,074 )     620  

Trade accounts payable

    (15,632 )     2,947  

Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits

    (1,140 )     (441 )

Accrued income taxes

    (501 )     2,015  

Customer deposits

    2,294       967  

Operating lease liabilities

    120       797  

Other accrued expenses

    2,104       (1,165 )

Deferred compensation

    (243 )     32  

              Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 4,974     $ 67,607  
                 

Investing Activities:

               

Purchases of property and equipment

    (6,626 )     (642 )

Premiums paid on life insurance policies

    (533 )     (519 )

Proceeds received on life insurance policies

            1,489  

              Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities

    (7,159 )     328  
                 

Financing Activities:

               

Cash dividends paid

    (6,437 )     (5,699 )

Payments for long-term debt

    -       (4,393 )

              Cash used in financing activities

    (6,437 )     (10,092 )
                 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

    (8,622 )     57,843  

Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year

    65,841       36,031  

Cash and cash equivalents - end of quarter

  $ 57,219     $ 93,874  
                 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

               

Cash paid for income taxes

  $ 5,858     $ 2,301  

Cash paid for interest, net

    1       365  
                 

Non-cash transactions:

               

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

  $ 23,736     $ 2,103  

Increase in property and equipment through accrued purchases

    17       12  

 

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

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

                           

Accumulated

         
                           

Other

   

Total

 
   

Common Stock

   

Retained

   

Comprehensive

   

Shareholders'

 
   

Shares

   

Amount

   

Earnings

   

Income (loss)

   

Equity

 

      Balance at February 2, 2020

    11,838     $ 51,582     $ 223,252     $ (713 )   $ 274,121  

Net loss

                    (18,952 )             (18,952 )

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $60

                            193       193  

Cash dividends paid and accrued ($0.48 per share)

                    (5,699 )             (5,699 )

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

    49       169                       169  

Restricted stock compensation cost

            651                       651  

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

            653                       653  

      Balance at November 1, 2020

    11,887     $ 53,055     $ 198,601     $ (520 )   $ 251,136  
                                         
                                         
                                         
                                         

      Balance at January 31, 2021

    11,888     $ 53,323     $ 204,988     $ (808 )   $ 257,503  

Net income

                    15,691               15,691  

Unrealized loss on defined benefit plan, net of tax of $72

                            229       229  

Cash dividends paid and accrued ($0.54 per share)

                    (6,437 )             (6,437 )

Restricted stock grants, net of forfeitures

    34       (125 )                     (125 )

Restricted stock compensation cost

            813                       813  

Performance-based restricted stock units costs

            419                       419  

PSU awards

            (740 )                     (740 )

      Balance at October 31, 2021

    11,922     $ 53,690     $ 214,242     $ (579 )   $ 267,353  

 

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

 

 

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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

(Unaudited)

For the Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended October 31, 2021

 

 

1.         Preparation of Interim Financial Statements

 

The condensed consolidated financial statements of Hooker Furnishings Corporation and subsidiaries (referred to as “we,” “us,” “our,” “Hooker” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of all interim periods reported herein. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) are condensed or omitted pursuant to SEC rules and regulations. However, we believe that the disclosures made are adequate for a fair presentation of our results of operations and financial position. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021 (“2021 Annual Report”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect both the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from our estimates. Operating results for the interim periods reported herein may not be indicative of the results expected for the fiscal year.

 

The financial statements contained herein are being filed as part of a quarterly report on Form 10-Q covering the 2022 fiscal year thirteen-week period (also referred to as “three months,” “three-month period,” “quarter,” “third quarter” or “quarterly period”) that began August 2, 2021, and the thirty-nine week period (also referred to as “nine months”, “nine-month period” or “year-to-date period”) that began February 1, 2021, which both ended October 31, 2021. This report discusses our results of operations for these periods compared to the 2021 fiscal year thirteen-week period that began August 3, 2020, and the thirty-nine week period that began February 3, 2020, which both ended November 1, 2020; and our financial condition as of October 31,2021 compared to January 31, 2021.

 

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

 

 

the 2022 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fifty-two-week fiscal year that began February 1, 2021 and will end January 30, 2022; and

 

 

the 2021 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fifty-two-week fiscal year that began February 3, 2020 and ended January 31, 2021.

 

2.         Recently Adopted Accounting Policies

 

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2018-14, Compensation —Retirement Benefits —Defined Benefit Plans —General (Subtopic 715-20) —Disclosure Framework —Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans (“ASU 2018-14”). The amendments in this update change the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension and/or other post-retirement benefit plans. It eliminates requirements for certain disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial and requires new disclosures that the FASB considers pertinent. The guidance is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. We adopted this guidance in the fiscal 2022 first quarter. The adoption of ASU 2018-14 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

 

3.         Cancellation Costs

 

The Home Meridian segment incurred cancellation costs of $2.6 million for raw materials related to its exit of the ready-to-assemble furniture category. The amount was recorded in cost of sales in the fiscal 2022 third quarter. Due to the increases in freight costs since these items were ordered, we determined that the additional cost needed to move these products stateside would have resulted in a substantially greater loss than the cost to cancel the orders at the factories.

 

 

4.         Accounts Receivable

 

   

October 31,

   

January 31,

 
   

2021

   

2021

 
                 

Trade accounts receivable

  $ 83,363     $ 92,621  

Other accounts receivable allowances

    (7,621 )     (6,993 )

Allowance for doubtful accounts

    (2,157 )     (2,338 )

   Accounts receivable

  $ 73,585     $ 83,290  

 

5.          Inventories

 

   

October 31,

   

January 31,

 
   

2021

   

2021

 

Finished furniture

  $ 88,815     $ 81,290  

Furniture in process

    2,152       1,397  

Materials and supplies

    13,176       9,639  

   Inventories at FIFO

    104,143       92,326  

Reduction to LIFO basis

    (26,279 )     (22,167 )

   Inventories

  $ 77,864     $ 70,159  

 

6.         Property, Plant and Equipment

 

   

Depreciable Lives

   

October 31,

   

January 31,

 
   

(In years)

   

2021

   

2021

 
                       

Buildings and land improvements

  15 - 30     $ 31,998     $ 31,316  

Computer software and hardware

  3 - 10       15,592       15,012  

Machinery and equipment

  10       10,570       9,314  

Leasehold improvements

 

Term of lease

      11,322       10,005  

Furniture and fixtures

  3 - 10       5,748       2,614  

Other

  5       674       651  

   Total depreciable property at cost

      75,904       68,912  

Less accumulated depreciation

          (47,851 )     (44,098 )

   Total depreciable property, net

          28,053       24,814  

Land

          1,077       1,077  

Construction-in-progress

          460       889  

   Property, plant and equipment, net

    $ 29,590     $ 26,780  

 

7.          Fair Value Measurements

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

As of October 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, Company-owned life insurance was measured at fair value on a recurring basis based on Level 2 inputs. The fair value of the Company-owned life insurance is determined by inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. Additionally, the fair value of the Company-owned life insurance is marked to market each reporting period and any change in fair value is reflected in income for that period.

 

 

Our assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at October 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, were as follows:

 

   

Fair value at October 31, 2021

   

Fair value at January 31, 2021

 

Description

 

Level 1

   

Level 2

   

Level 3

   

Total

   

Level 1

   

Level 2

   

Level 3

   

Total

 
                           

(In thousands)

                         

Assets measured at fair value

                                                               

Company-owned life insurance

  $ -     $ 26,133     $ -     $ 26,133     $ -     $ 25,365     $ -     $ 25,365  

 

8.         Intangible Assets

 

       

January 31, 2021

           

October 31, 2021

 

Non-amortizable Intangible Assets

 

Segment

 

Beginning Balance

   

Impairment Charges

   

Net Book Value

 

Goodwill

 

Domestic Upholstery

  $ 490     $ -     $ 490  
                             

Trademarks and trade names - Home Meridian

 

Home Meridian

    6,650       -       6,650  

Trademarks and trade names - Bradington-Young

 

Domestic Upholstery

    861       -       861  

Trademarks and trade names - Sam Moore

 

Domestic Upholstery

    396       -       396  

   Total Trademarks and trade names

  $ 7,907     $ -     $ 7,907  
                             

   Total non-amortizable assets

  $ 8,397     $ -     $ 8,397  

 

Our amortizable intangible assets are recorded in our Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery segments. The carrying amounts and changes therein of those amortizable intangible assets were as follows:

 

   

Amortizable Intangible Assets

 
   

Customer

                 
   

Relationships

   

Trademarks

   

Totals

 
                         

Balance at January 31, 2021

  $ 17,672     $ 658     $ 18,330  

Amortization

    (1,743 )     (45 )     (1,788 )

Balance at October 31, 2021

  $ 15,929     $ 613     $ 16,542  

 

For the remainder of fiscal 2022, amortization expense is expected to be approximately $596,000.

 

9.          Leases

 

We recognized sub-lease income of $266,000 for the three-month period and $561,000 for the nine-month period, both ended October 31, 2021. We recognized sub-lease income of $144,000 for the three-month period and $432,000 for the nine-month period, both ended November 1, 2020. The components of lease cost and supplemental cash flow information for leases for the three-months and nine-months ended October 31, 2021 and November 1, 2020 were:

 

   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31, 2021

   

November 1, 2020

   

October 31, 2021

   

November 1, 2020

 

Operating lease cost

  $ 1,794     $ 2,061     $ 5,712     $ 6,319  

Variable lease cost

    53       37       162       105  

Short-term lease cost

    27       70       94       272  

Total operating lease cost

  $ 1,874     $ 2,168     $ 5,968     $ 6,696  
                                 
                                 

Operating cash outflows

  $ 1,843     $ 2,056     $ 5,818     $ 5,908  

 

 

The right-of-use assets and lease liabilities recorded on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of October 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021 were as follows:

 

   

October 31, 2021

   

January 31, 2021

 

Real estate

  $ 52,010     $ 33,651  

Property and equipment

    1,215       962  

Total operating leases right-of-use assets

  $ 53,225     $ 34,613  
                 
                 

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

  $ 7,293     $ 6,650  

Long term operating lease liabilities

    47,530       29,441  

Total operating lease liabilities

  $ 54,823     $ 36,091  

 

The increase in right-of-use assets and lease liabilities is primarily due to the commencement of the operating lease at our new warehouse facility in Georgia during the fiscal 2022 third quarter.

 

The weighted-average remaining lease term is 8.5 years. We used our incremental borrowing rate which is LIBOR plus 1.5% at the adoption date. The weighted-average discount rate is 1.93%.

 

The following table reconciles the undiscounted future lease payments for operating leases to the operating lease liabilities recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets on October 31, 2021:

 

   

Undiscounted Future Operating Lease Payments

 

Remainder of 2022

  $ 1,796  

2023

    8,213  

2024

    6,980  

2025

    6,960  

2026

    7,032  

2027 and thereafter

    28,519  

Total lease payments

  $ 59,500  

Less: impact of discounting

    (4,677 )

Present value of lease payments

  $ 54,823  

 

As of October 31, 2021, the Company had an additional lease for a showroom in High Point, North Carolina. This lease is expected to commence in Fall of calendar 2022 with an initial lease term of 10 years and estimated future minimum rental commitments of approximately $23.7 million. Since the lease has not yet commenced, the undiscounted amounts are not included in the table above.

 

10.       Long-Term Debt

 

As of October 31, 2021, we had an aggregate $27.9 million available under our $35 million revolving credit facility (the “Existing Revolver”) to fund working capital needs. Standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $7.1 million, used to collateralize certain insurance arrangements and for imported product purchases, were outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of October 31, 2021. There were no additional borrowings outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of October 31, 2021.

 

 

11.       Employee Benefit Plans

 

We maintain two “frozen” retirement plans, which are paying benefits and may include active employees among the participants. We do not expect to add participants to these plans in the future. The two plans include:

 

 

a supplemental retirement income plan (“SRIP”) for certain former and current executives of Hooker Furnishings Corporation; and

 

the Pulaski Furniture Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) for certain former executives.

 

   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31,

   

November 1,

   

October 31,

   

November 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

   

2021

   

2020

 

Net periodic benefit costs

                               

      Service cost

    33       32       100       96  

      Interest cost

    53       74       159       222  

      Actuarial loss

    100       84       301       253  
                                 

Consolidated net periodic benefit costs

  $ 186     $ 190     $ 560     $ 571  

 

The SRIP and SERP plans are unfunded plans. In fiscal 2022, we paid $259,000 in the third quarter and $803,000 in the nine-month period and expect to pay a total of approximately $230,000 in benefit payments from our general assets during the remainder of fiscal 2022 to fund SRIP and SERP payments.

 

12.       Earnings Per Share

 

We refer you to the discussion of Earnings Per Share in Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the financial statements included in our 2021 Annual Report, for additional information concerning the calculation of earnings per share.

 

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

 

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

 

   

October 31,

   

January 31,

 
   

2021

   

2021

 
                 

Restricted shares

    60       55  

RSUs and PSUs

    132       141  
      192       196  

 

 

All restricted shares, RSUs and PSUs awarded that have not yet vested are considered when computing diluted earnings per share. The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31,

   

November 1,

   

October 31,

   

November 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

   

2021

   

2020

 
                                 

Net income/(loss)

  $ (1,219 )   $ 10,093     $ 15,691     $ (18,952 )

   Less: Unvested participating restricted stock dividends

    11       9       34       26  

            Net earnings allocated to unvested participating restricted stock

    -       47       84       -  

Earnings/(loss) available for common shareholders

    (1,230 )     10,037       15,573       (18,978 )
                                 

Weighted average shares outstanding for basic earnings per share

    11,863       11,833       11,849       11,818  

Dilutive effect of unvested restricted stock, RSU and PSU awards*

    -       106       168       -  

   Weighted average shares outstanding for diluted earnings per share

    11,863       11,939       12,017       11,818  
                                 

Basic (loss)/earnings per share

  $ (0.10 )   $ 0.85     $ 1.32     $ (1.61 )
                                 

Diluted (loss)/earnings per share

  $ (0.10 )   $ 0.84     $ 1.30     $ (1.61 )

 

*Due to the net loss recorded in the fiscal 2022 third quarter, approximately 164,000 potentially dilutive shares would have been antidilutive and are therefore excluded from the calculation above. Due to the fiscal 2021 year-to-date net loss, approximately 92,000 shares would have been antidilutive and are therefore excluded from the calculation of earnings per share for the thirty-nine weeks ended November 1, 2020.

 

13.       Income Taxes

 

We recorded income tax benefit of $403,000 for the fiscal 2022 third quarter compared to $3.0 million income tax expense for the comparable prior year quarter. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2022 and 2021 third quarters were 24.8% and 22.9%, respectively. For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, we recorded income tax expense of $4.6 million, compared to income tax benefit of $6.3 million for the comparable prior year period, of which $10.7 million was recorded related to goodwill and trade name impairment charges. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2022 and 2021 nine-month periods were 22.5% and 24.8%, respectively.

 

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

 

Tax years ending January 28, 2018 through January 31, 2021 remain subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities.

 

14.       Segment Information

 

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

 

 

better understand our performance;

 

better assess our prospects for future net cash flows; and

 

make more informed judgments about us as a whole.

 

 

We define our segments as those operations our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) regularly reviews to analyze performance and allocate resources. We measure the results of our segments using, among other measures, each segment’s net sales, gross profit and operating income, as determined by the information regularly reviewed by the CODM. We continually monitor our reportable segments for changes in facts and circumstances to determine whether changes in the identification or aggregation of operating segments are necessary.  For financial reporting purposes, we are organized into three reportable segments and “All Other”, which includes the remainder of our businesses:

 

 

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

 

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

 

Domestic Upholstery, which includes the domestic upholstery manufacturing operations of Bradington-Young, Sam Moore and Shenandoah Furniture; and

 

All Other, consisting of H Contract and Lifestyle Brands, a new business started in late fiscal 2019. Neither of these operating segments were individually reportable; therefore, we combined them in “All Other” in accordance with ASC 280.

 

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

 

   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

         
   

2021

           

2020

           

2021

           

2020

         
           

% Net

           

% Net

           

% Net

           

% Net

 

Net Sales

         

Sales

           

Sales

           

Sales

           

Sales

 

   Hooker Branded

  $ 56,037       42.0 %   $ 47,287       31.6 %   $ 157,304       34.3 %   $ 113,268       29.4 %

   Home Meridian

    46,230       34.6 %     73,727       49.3 %     217,964       47.5 %     202,560       52.6 %

   Domestic Upholstery

    27,972       21.0 %     25,350       16.9 %     74,996       16.3 %     59,640       15.6 %

   All Other

    3,189       2.4 %     3,323       2.2 %     8,543       1.9 %     9,353       2.4 %

Consolidated

  $ 133,428       100 %   $ 149,687       100.0 %   $ 458,807       100.0 %   $ 384,821       100.0 %
                                                                 

Gross Profit/(Loss)

                                                               

   Hooker Branded

  $ 15,366       27.4 %   $ 15,446       32.7 %   $ 49,639       31.6 %   $ 35,894       31.7 %

   Home Meridian

    (1,807 )     -3.9 %     11,169       15.1 %     17,935       8.2 %     28,489       14.1 %

   Domestic Upholstery

    5,353       19.1 %     5,751       22.7 %     14,879       19.8 %     11,555       19.4 %

   All Other

    1,095       34.3 %     1,117       33.6 %     2,853       33.4 %     3,199       34.2 %

Consolidated

  $ 20,007       15.0 %   $ 33,483       22.4 %   $ 85,306       18.6 %   $ 79,137       20.6 %
                                                                 

Operating (Loss)/Income

                                                               

   Hooker Branded

  $ 6,669       11.9 %   $ 7,686       16.3 %   $ 25,040       15.9 %   $ 15,108       13.3 %

   Home Meridian

    (10,181 )     -22.0 %     2,510       3.4 %     (9,274 )     -4.3 %     (26,754 )     -13.2 %

   Domestic Upholstery

    1,443       5.2 %     2,421       9.6 %     3,589       4.8 %     (14,399 )     -24.1 %

   All Other

    341       10.7 %     420       12.6 %     820       9.6 %     1,156       12.4 %

Consolidated

  $ (1,728 )     -1.3 %   $ 13,037       8.7 %   $ 20,175       4.4 %   $ (24,889 )     -6.5 %
                                                                 

Capital Expenditures

                                                               

   Hooker Branded

  $ 306             $ 60             $ 427             $ 173          

   Home Meridian

    2,501               27               4,956               137          

   Domestic Upholstery

    344               82               1,233               332          

   All Other

    10               -               10               -          

Consolidated

  $ 3,161             $ 169             $ 6,626             $ 642          
                                                                 

Depreciation

& Amortization

                                                               

   Hooker Branded

  $ 645             $ 444             $ 1,844             $ 1,338          

   Home Meridian

    710               540               1,779               1,608          

   Domestic Upholstery

    682               700               1,991               2,097          

   All Other

    3               3               9               9          

Consolidated

  $ 2,040             $ 1,687             $ 5,623             $ 5,052          

 

 

   

As of October 31,

           

As of January 31,

           
   

2021

   

%Total

   

2021

   

%Total

   

Identifiable Assets

         

Assets

           

Assets

   

   Hooker Branded

  $ 164,358       48.0 %   $ 174,475       53.5 %  

   Home Meridian

    123,991       36.2 %     100,497       30.9 %  

   Domestic Upholstery

    53,431       15.6 %     49,370       15.2 %  

   All Other

    666       0.2 %     1,204       0.4 %  

Consolidated

  $ 342,446       100 %   $ 325,546       100 %  

   Consolidated Goodwill and Intangibles

    24,939               26,727            

Total Consolidated Assets

  $ 367,385             $ 352,273            

 

Sales by product type are as follows:

 

   

Net Sales (in thousands)

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31, 2021

   

 %Total

   

November 1, 2020

   

%Total

   

October 31, 2021

   

 %Total

   

November 1, 2020

   

%Total

 

Casegoods

  $ 75,982       57 %   $ 91,457       61 %   $ 271,421       59 %   $ 234,905       61 %

Upholstery

    57,446       43 %     58,230       39 %     187,386       41 %     149,916       39 %
    $ 133,428       100 %   $ 149,687       100 %   $ 458,807       100 %   $ 384,821       100 %

 

15.       Subsequent Events

 

Dividends

 

On December 7, 2021, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, an increase of $0.02 per share or 11% over the most recent dividend, which will be paid on December 31, 2021 to shareholders of record at December 17, 2021.

 

 

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

 

All references to the Company, we, us and our in this document refer to Hooker Furnishings Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless specifically referring to segment information.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

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

 

 

disruptions involving our vendors or the transportation and handling industries, particularly those affecting imported products from Vietnam, China, and Malaysia, including customs issues, labor stoppages, strikes or slowdowns and the availability and cost of shipping containers and cargo ships;

 

 

the effect and consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or future pandemics on a wide range of matters including but not limited to U.S. and local economies; our business operations and continuity; the health and productivity of our employees; and the impact on our global supply chain, inflation, the retail environment and our customer base;

 

 

general economic or business conditions, both domestically and internationally, and instability in the financial and credit markets, including their potential impact on our (i) sales and operating costs and access to financing or (ii) customers and suppliers and their ability to obtain financing or generate the cash necessary to conduct their respective businesses;

 

 

adverse political acts or developments in, or affecting, the international markets from which we import products, including duties or tariffs imposed on those products by foreign governments or the U.S. government, such as the prior U.S. administration’s imposition of a 25% tariff on certain goods imported into the United States from China including almost all furniture and furniture components manufactured in China, which is still in effect, with the potential for additional or increased tariffs in the future;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

difficulties in forecasting demand for our imported products;

 

 

risks associated with product defects, including higher than expected costs associated with product quality and safety, and regulatory compliance costs related to the sale of consumer products and costs related to defective or non-compliant products, including product liability claims and costs to recall defective products and the adverse effects of negative media coverage;

 

 

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

 

 

 

risks associated with our newly leased warehouse space in Georgia, including risks associated with our move to and occupation of the facility, including information systems, access to warehouse labor and the inability to realize anticipated cost savings;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

capital requirements and costs;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

price competition in the furniture industry;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

Also, our business is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties any of which can adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or future prospects. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that we face, see the Forward-Looking Statements detailed above and Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Annual Report.

 

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

 

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q includes our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the 2022 fiscal year thirteen-week period (also referred to as “three months,” “three-month period,” “quarter,” “third quarter” or “quarterly period”) that began August 2, 2021, and the thirty-nine week period (also referred to as “nine-months”, “nine-month period” or “year-to-date period”) that began February 1, 2021, which both ended October 31, 2021. This report discusses our results of operations for these periods compared to the 2021 fiscal year thirteen-week period that began August 3, 2020 and the thirty-nine week period that began February 3, 2020, which both ended November 1, 2020; and our financial condition as of October 31, 2021 compared to January 31, 2021.

 

 

References in this report to:

 

 

the 2022 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fiscal year that began February 1, 2021 and will end January 30, 2022; and

 

 

the 2021 fiscal year and comparable terminology mean the fiscal year that began February 3, 2020 and ended January 31, 2021.

 

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

 

In the discussion below and herein we reference changes in sales orders, or “orders,” and sales order backlog (unshipped orders at a point in time), or “backlog,” over and compared to certain periods of time and changes discussed are in sales dollars and not units of inventory, unless stated otherwise. We believe orders are generally good current indicators of sales momentum and business conditions. However, except for custom or proprietary products, orders may be cancelled before shipment. If the items ordered are in stock and the customer has requested immediate delivery, we generally ship products in about seven days or less from receipt of order; however, orders may be shipped later if they are out of stock or there are production or shipping delays or the customer has requested the order to be shipped at a later date. For the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments and All Other, we generally consider unshipped order backlogs to be one helpful indicator of sales for the upcoming 30-day period, but because of our relatively quick delivery and our cancellation policies, we do not consider order backlogs to be a reliable indicator of expected long-term sales. We generally consider the Home Meridian segment’s backlog to be one helpful indicator of that segment’s sales for the upcoming 90-day period. Due to (i) Home Meridian’s sales volume, (ii) the average sales order sizes of its mass, club and mega account channels of distribution, (iii) the proprietary nature of many of its products and (iv) the project nature of its hospitality business, for which average order sizes tend to be larger and consequently, its order backlog tends to be larger. There are exceptions to the general predictive nature of our orders and backlogs noted in this paragraph due to current demand and supply chain challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are discussed in greater detail below and are essential to understanding our prospects.

 

At October 31, 2021, our backlog of unshipped orders was as follows:

 

   

Order Backlog

 
   

(Dollars in 000s)

 
                         

Reporting Segment

 

October 31, 2021

   

January 31, 2021

   

November 1, 2020

 
                         

Hooker Branded

  $ 55,599     $ 34,776     $ 28,627  

Home Meridian

    208,364       180,188       186,487  

Domestic Upholstery

    61,516       30,271       24,582  

All Other

    5,432       2,845       2,210  
                         

Consolidated

  $ 330,911     $ 248,080     $ 241,906  

 

At the end of the fiscal 2022 third quarter, order backlog increased $82.8 million, or 33.3%, as compared to the end of fiscal 2021 and increased $89 million, or 36.8%, as compared to the prior-year nine months end, due to increased incoming orders in all three reportable segments as well as longer delivery times resulting from the supply chain disruptions in the Home Meridian and, to a lesser degree, Hooker Branded segments and production delays in the Domestic Upholstery segment. We are very encouraged by the current historic levels of orders and backlogs; however, due to the current supply chain issues including the lack and cost of shipping containers and vessel space and limited overseas vendor capacity, orders are not converting to shipments as quickly as could be expected compared to the pre-pandemic environment and we expect that to continue at some level through the fiscal 2023 second quarter. The current logistics challenges are slowing order fulfillment, particularly for Home Meridian whose average order sizes tend to be larger and more project-based versus orders for the traditional Hooker businesses, which tend to be smaller and more predictable. Additionally, Home Meridian orders are programmed out and scheduled for delivery to its larger accounts further into the future than usual, which is also contributing to the increased backlog.

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, contained elsewhere in this quarterly report. We also encourage users of this report to familiarize themselves with all of our recent public filings made with the SEC, especially our 2021 Annual Report. Our 2021 Annual Report contains critical information regarding known risks and uncertainties that we face, critical accounting policies and information on commitments and contractual obligations that are not reflected in our condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as a more thorough and detailed discussion of our corporate strategy and new business initiatives.

 

 

Our 2021 Annual Report and other public filings made with the SEC are available, without charge, at www.sec.gov and at http://investors.hookerfurniture.com.

 

Overview

 

Hooker Furnishings Corporation, incorporated in Virginia in 1924, is a designer, marketer and importer of casegoods (wooden and metal furniture), leather furniture and fabric-upholstered furniture for the residential, hospitality and contract markets. We also domestically manufacture premium residential custom leather and custom fabric-upholstered furniture. We are ranked among the nation’s top five largest publicly traded furniture sources, based on 2020 shipments to U.S. retailers, according to a 2021 survey by a leading trade publication. We believe that consumer tastes and channels in which they shop for furniture are evolving at a rapid pace and we continue to change to meet these demands.

 

Executive Summary-Results of Operations

 

 

Consolidated net sales for the fiscal 2022 third quarter decreased as compared to the prior year period due to significantly reduced shipments in the Home Meridian segment as the result of temporary COVID-related factory closures in Vietnam and Malaysia. Consolidated gross profit and margin decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter as compared to the prior year period due primarily to the sales volume decline and to a lesser extent higher freight costs, inventory cancellation costs and higher than expected customer chargebacks in the Home Meridian segment. Consolidated operating loss for the fiscal 2022 third quarter was $1.7 million, compared to a $13.0 million operating income in the prior year period. Consolidated net loss for the quarter was $1.2 million or ($0.10) per diluted share, as compared to net income of $10.1 million or $0.84 per diluted share in the prior year quarter.

 

 

For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, consolidated net sales increased by $74.0 million, or 19.2%, compared to the prior year period, as all three reportable segments had sales increases. Consolidated gross profit increased due to increases in the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments, partially offset by decreased gross profit and margin in the Home Meridian segment. Consolidated operating income was $20.2 million for the fiscal 2022 nine-month period compared to a $24.9 million operating loss in the prior year period. Consolidated net income was $15.7 million or $1.30 per diluted share for the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, as compared to net loss of $19.0 million or ($1.61) per diluted share in the prior year period.

 

Our fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine months performance are discussed in greater detail below under “Review” and “Results of Operations.”

 

Review

 

Despite favorable demand for home furnishings and our strong order backlog, we were challenged by ongoing supply chain disruptions, the COVID lockdown and slower than expected reopenings in Vietnam and Malaysia, and industry-wide inflationary pressures. Fiscal 2022 third quarter consolidated net sales decreased by 10.9% compared to prior year period. Sales volume decline and increased product costs led to an operating loss of $1.7 million.

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s net sales increased by $8.7 million, or 18.5%, as compared to the prior year quarter, which was attributable to increased sales volume and lower discounting driven by higher demand, as well as inventory availability. All the net sales increases were in our Casegoods non-container business, which comprised 80% of revenue in this segment. Because we source product on a consistent weekly basis and ship product to our U.S. warehouses, Hooker Branded is better able to mitigate supply chain constraints and keep its best sellers in stock. However, higher ocean freight and product cost inflation significantly impacted this segment’s gross margin and offset the gains from sales increases in the third quarter. Despite these adverse factors, this segment reported $6.7 million operating income or an 11.9% operating margin. Incoming orders decreased slightly by 1.9% as compared to prior year period when business dramatically rebounded. Backlog remained historically high and nearly doubled as compared to the prior year third quarter end when backlog was already at a high level.

 

 

Home Meridian segment’s net sales decreased by $27.5 million, or 37.3%, as compared to the prior year third quarter and this segment reported a $10.2 million operating loss. Despite the disappointing financial results, we believe the challenges are short-term as discussed below:

 

 

During the quarter, container direct sales, which typically comprise the majority of revenue in this segment, decreased by over 50% compared to the prior year third quarter, driven by sales volume loss due to the temporary COVID lockdowns in Vietnam and Malaysia. As a result, sales with major furniture chains and large independent accounts decreased by over 50% compared to the prior year quarter, which counted for two thirds of total sales decrease in this segment. Additionally, e-commerce sales decreased by 25% due to inventory unavailability and price increases due primarily to increased freight costs. Clubs sales decreased due to lower volume and higher than expected chargebacks which negatively impacted net sales and operating income by $1.9 million in that channel. Hospitality sales also decreased during the quarter as this business has not yet recovered from the COVID crisis.

 

 

Higher freight costs adversely impacted gross margin by 800 bps in the quarter and were the primary driver of increased product costs. We imposed freight surcharges and price increases during the second and third quarters to mitigate these excess costs; however significant volume was shipped at pre-surcharge selling prices.

 

 

To help drive improved future profitability, eliminate low-margin categories and avoid unnecessary costs, we exited the Ready-To-Assemble (“RTA) furniture category and incurred cancellation costs of  $2.6 million for raw materials related to this exit. Although these costs increased segment cost of goods sold by 580 bps and resulted in a gross loss in the quarter, we estimate we avoided roughly $10 million in additional product and freight costs related to these orders by taking this action. Furthermore, this action allows us to focus resources on more profitable business opportunities to drive long-term growth.

 

The Home Meridian segment finished the quarter with a backlog 12% higher than the prior year third quarter end, and more than doubled as compared to pre-pandemic levels.

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s net sales increased by $2.6 million, or 10.3%, in the fiscal 2022 third quarter compared to the prior year period as all three divisions of the segment reported over or close to 10% sales increases. However, material cost inflation for nearly all the raw materials and higher freight surcharges on the materials increased product costs by 340 bps and offset the gains from increased sales. Other manufacturing constraints adversely impacted our profitability, including wage inflation and the domestic driver and truck shortage which adversely impacted the delivery of finished products. Despite increased material costs, this segment reported operating income of $1.4 million, or 5.2% operating margin for the third quarter. Although we are encouraged by historically high backlog at the end of the fiscal 2022 third quarter at all three divisions, production levels were adversely impacted by manufacturing capacities, inconsistent deliveries of materials due to supply disruption with our suppliers, and labor inefficiencies at the Sam Moore division. We have implemented price increases and surcharges with major accounts to improve margin and filled key positions to improve labor productivity. Since this segment has current order backlog levels of 5-6 months and prices were not increased on backlog orders, we anticipate seeing the benefits of the price increases beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.

 

All Other’s net sales decreased by $134,000, or 4.0%, in the fiscal 2022 third quarter as compared to the prior year period, due to a 5.6% sales decrease at H Contract. The senior living industry, which comprises the majority of H Contract’s business, has been severely impacted by the pandemic and has reduced capital spending due to increased costs and uncertain revenues. However, as vaccination rates have increased, especially among the senior population, H Contract’s incoming orders have increased for three consecutive quarters in fiscal 2022 and finished the quarter with backlog 150% higher than prior year third quarter end. Despite the sales decrease, All Other still reported a 10.7% operating margin for the quarter.

 

Cash and cash equivalents stood at $57.2 million at fiscal 2022 third quarter-end, down $8.6 million compared to the balance at the fiscal 2021 year-end due primarily to $7.7 million increase in inventory. During the first nine months of fiscal 2022, we used cash on hand and $5 million generated from operations to pay $6.6 million of capital expenditures including $4.4 million in our newly opened Georgia distribution center, $6.4 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, and $2.6 million on our new common, cloud-based ERP platform. In addition to our cash balance, we have an aggregate of $27.9 million available under our existing revolver to fund working capital needs. We believe we have the financial resources to fund our business operations for the foreseeable future, including weathering an extended impact of COVID-19 pandemic as well as the logistics issues, cost increases and production capacity constraints which are currently impacting our industry.

 

 

Results of Operations

 

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

 

   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

   

Nov 1,

   

Oct 31,

   

Nov 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

   

2021

   

2020

 

Net sales

    100 %     100 %     100 %     100 %

Cost of sales

    85.0       77.6       81.4       79.4  

Gross profit

    15.0       22.4       18.6       20.6  

Selling and administrative expenses

    15.8       13.3       13.8       15.1  

Goodwill impairment charges

    -       -       -       10.3  

Trade name impairment charges

    -       -       -       1.2  

Intangible asset amortization

    0.4       0.4       0.4       0.5  

Operating income/(loss)

    (1.3 )     8.7       4.4       (6.5 )

Interest expense, net

    -       0.1       -       0.1  

Income/(Loss) before income taxes

    (1.2 )     8.7       4.4       (6.6 )

Income tax expense

    (0.3 )     2.0       1.0       (1.6 )

Net income/(loss)

    (0.9 )     6.7       3.4       (4.9 )

 

Fiscal 2022 Third Quarter and Nine Months Compared to Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter and Nine Months

 

   

Net Sales

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

  $ 56,037       42.0 %   $ 47,287       31.6 %   $ 8,750       18.5 %   $ 157,304       34.3 %   $ 113,268       29.4 %   $ 44,036       38.9 %

Home Meridian

    46,230       34.6 %     73,727       49.3 %     (27,497 )     -37.3 %     217,964       47.5 %     202,560       52.6 %     15,404       7.6 %

Domestic Upholstery

    27,972       21.0 %     25,350       16.9 %     2,622       10.3 %     74,996       16.3 %     59,640       15.6 %     15,356       25.7 %

All Other

    3,189       2.4 %     3,323       2.2 %     (134 )     -4.0 %     8,543       1.9 %     9,353       2.4 %     (810 )     -8.7 %

  Consolidated

  $ 133,428       100 %   $ 149,687       100 %   $ (16,259 )     -10.9 %   $ 458,807       100 %   $ 384,821       100 %   $ 73,986       19.2 %

 

Unit Volume

 

FY22 Q3 % Increase

vs. FY21 Q3

   

FY22 YTD % Increase

vs. FY21 YTD

   

Average Selling Price ("ASP")

 

FY22 Q3 % Increase

vs. FY21 Q3

   

FY22 YTD % Increase

vs. FY21 YTD

 
                                     

Hooker Branded

    0.9 %     20.6 %  

Hooker Branded

    17.1 %     14.5 %

Home Meridian

    -46.1 %     -1.8 %  

Home Meridian

    4.9 %     1.6 %

Domestic Upholstery

    0.3 %     17.1 %  

Domestic Upholstery

    8.7 %     6.4 %

All Other

    -19.4 %     -17.2 %  

All Other

    14.6 %     7.4 %

Consolidated

    -35.6 %     2.2 %  

Consolidated

    31.7 %     11.5 %

 

 

Consolidated net sales decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter due to the sales decline in Home Meridian segment but increased in the first nine months as compared to the prior year periods.

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s net sales increased significantly in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine months, as compared to the respective prior year periods, due to both increased unit volume and ASP, driven by increased demand. Hooker Upholstery unit volume decreased during the third quarter due to inventory unavailability issues.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s net sales decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter driven by a 46% decrease in unit volume as the result of COVID lockdown in Vietnam which led to much lower shipments. For the nine-month period, net sales increased with major furniture chains and retail stores as the result of strong demand, partially offset by decreased net sales in hospitality business, e-commerce and the club businesses, and higher than expected chargebacks from a clubs channel customer. The ASP increase was attributable to price increases to mitigate higher freight costs; however, the increases were not sufficient to cover the excess freight costs.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s net sales increased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine months as all three divisions of the segment reported increased net sales for both periods. ASP increased at all three divisions in response to the inflation of material costs, with Sam Moore ASP increasing the most in order to improve profitability in this division. However, Sam Moore unit volume decreased during the third quarter due to labor inefficiencies.

 

 

All Other’s net sales decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine-month period due to reduced unit volume at H Contract, as this division has not yet recovered from the impact of reduced capital spending by the senior living industry as a result of COVID crisis. ASP increased in response to increased product costs; however, it was not sufficient to offset the volume loss.

 

   

Gross Profit/(Loss) and Margin

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

  $ 15,366       27.4 %   $ 15,446       32.7 %   $ (80 )     -0.5 %   $ 49,639       31.6 %   $ 35,894       31.7 %   $ 13,745       38.3 %

Home Meridian

    (1,807 )     -3.9 %     11,169       15.1 %     (12,976 )     -116.2 %     17,935       8.2 %     28,489       14.1 %     (10,554 )     -37.0 %

Domestic Upholstery

    5,353       19.1 %     5,751       22.7 %     (398 )     -6.9 %     14,879       19.8 %     11,555       19.4 %     3,324       28.8 %

All Other

    1,095       34.3 %     1,117       33.6 %     (22 )     -2.0 %     2,853       33.4 %     3,199       34.2 %     (346 )     -10.8 %

  Consolidated

  $ 20,007       15.0 %   $ 33,483       22.4 %   $ (13,476 )     -40.2 %   $ 85,306       18.6 %   $ 79,137       20.6 %   $ 6,169       7.8 %

 

For the fiscal 2022 third quarter, consolidated gross profit and margin both decreased as compared to the prior year quarter. For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, consolidated gross profit increased due to the sales increase while margin decreased.

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s gross profit and margin both decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter driven by higher freight costs, product cost inflation, and higher demurrage and drayage expenses due to supply chain interruptions. For the nine-month period, gross profit increased due primarily to the net sales increase while gross margin decreased slightly.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s gross profit and margin decreased significantly in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine-month period, due to sales volume loss, excess ocean freight costs, higher than expected customer chargebacks and order cancellation costs.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s gross profit and margin decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter due primarily to raw material cost inflation, which offset the effect of increased sales. Gross profit and margin increased in the nine-month period due to net sales increases and production efficiencies from operating near full capacity due to historic levels of backlog.

 

 

All Other’s gross profit decreased in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine-month period due principally to H Contract net sales declines, while gross margin still maintained a high level.

 

 

   

Selling and Administrative Expenses (S&A)

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

  $ 8,697       15.5 %   $ 7,762       16.4 %   $ 935       12.0 %   $ 24,599       15.6 %   $ 20,788       18.4 %   $ 3,811       18.3 %

Home Meridian

    8,042       17.4 %     8,325       11.3 %     (283 )     -3.4 %     26,208       12.0 %     26,305       13.0 %     (97 )     -0.4 %

Domestic Upholstery

    3,647       13.0 %     3,067       12.1 %     580       18.9 %     10,503       14.0 %     8,785       14.7 %     1,718       19.6 %

All Other

    753       23.6 %     696       21.0 %     57       8.2 %     2,033       23.8 %     2,042       21.8 %     (9 )     -0.4 %

  Consolidated

  $ 21,139       15.8 %   $ 19,850       13.3 %   $ 1,289       6.5 %   $ 63,343       13.8 %   $ 57,920       15.1 %   $ 5,423       9.4 %

 

Consolidated selling and administrative (“S&A”) expenses increased in absolute terms and as a percentage of net sales in the fiscal 2022 third quarter. For fiscal 2022 nine-month period, S&A expenses increased in absolute terms but decreased as a percentage of net sales.

 

 

The Hooker Branded segment’s S&A expenses increased in absolute terms in the fiscal 2022 third quarter driven by increased selling costs as the result of higher net sales, increased expenses incurred as part of our ERP project, and increased salaries and wages, partially offset by decreased bonus accruals on lower profits. For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, S&A expenses increased in absolute terms due to the factors discussed above, offset by lower bad debt expenses due to the absence of a customer write-off in the current year. S&A expenses decreased as a percentage of net sales in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine-month period in the segment due to increased net sales.

 

 

The Home Meridian segment’s S&A expenses decreased in absolute terms in the fiscal 2022 third quarter due to lower selling costs on decreased sales, partially offset by increased severance expenses due to personnel changes and increased professional service expenses. S&A expense increased as a percentage of net sales in the fiscal 2022 third quarter due to decreased sales. For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, S&A expenses decreased slightly in absolute terms, with lower selling costs, professional service expenses and advertising supply expenses, nearly offset by increased severance expenses, the absence of employee furloughs in the current year period, and increased market expenses and other spending as business returned to more normal levels. S&A expenses decreased as a percentage of net sales in the nine-month period in the segment due to higher net sales.

 

 

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s S&A expenses increased in absolute terms in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and nine-month period due to increased selling expenses on higher net sales, increased salaries and wages due to the absence of a number of employees furloughed when factories were temporarily shut down in the prior year period, and increased depreciation expenses due to the accelerated depreciation of our existing ERP system due to the expected implementation of an upgraded cloud-based ERP solution in fiscal 2023.

 

 

All Other S&A expenses increased in absolute terms in the fiscal 2022 third quarter and stayed essentially flat in the nine-month period due to increased market expenses, advertising supply expenses and other spending, offset by decreased selling expenses. S&A expenses increased as a percentage of net sales due to lower net sales in the segment.

 

In the prior year first quarter, we recorded $23.2 million and $16.4 million in non-cash impairment charges to write down goodwill in Home Meridian segment and the Shenandoah division under Domestic Upholstery segment, respectively. We also recorded $4.8 million non-cash impairment charges to write down tradenames in the Home Meridian segment.

 

   

Intangible Asset Amortization

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Intangible asset amortization

  $ 596       0.4 %   $ 596       0.4 %   $ -       0.0 %   $ 1,788       0.4 %   $ 1,788       0.5 %   $ -       0.0 %

 

Intangible asset amortization expense stayed the same compared to the prior year periods.

 

 

   

Operating (Loss)/Profit and Margin

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Hooker Branded

  $ 6,669       11.9 %   $ 7,686       16.3 %   $ (1,017 )     -13.2 %   $ 25,040       15.9 %   $ 15,108       13.3 %   $ 9,932       65.7 %

Home Meridian

    (10,181 )     -22.0 %     2,510       3.4 %     (12,691 )     -505.6 %     (9,274 )     -4.3 %     (26,754 )     -13.2 %     17,480       65.3 %

Domestic Upholstery

    1,443       5.2 %     2,421       9.6 %     (978 )     -40.4 %     3,589       4.8 %     (14,399 )     -24.1 %     17,988       124.9 %

All Other

    341       10.7 %     420       12.6 %     (79 )     -18.8 %     820       9.6 %     1,156       12.4 %     (336 )     -29.1 %

 Consolidated

  $ (1,728 )     -1.3 %   $ 13,037       8.7 %   $ (14,765 )     -113.3 %   $ 20,175       4.4 %   $ (24,889 )     -6.5 %   $ 45,064       181.1 %

 

We recognized an operating loss in the fiscal 2022 third quarter due to the factors discussed above.

 

   

Interest Expense, net

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Consolidated interest expense, net

  $ 27       0.0 %   $ 106       0.1 %   $ (79 )     -74.5 %   $ 81       0.0 %   $ 433       0.1 %   $ (352 )     -81.3 %

 

Consolidated interest expense decreased in both the third quarter and nine months of fiscal 2022 due to the payoff of our term loans in fiscal 2021 fourth quarter.

 

   

Income taxes

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Consolidated income tax (benefit)/expense

  $ (403 )     -0.3 %   $ 2,996       2.0 %   $ (3,399 )     -113.5 %   $ 4,563       1.0 %   $ (6,263 )     -1.6 %   $ 10,826       172.9 %
                                                                                                 

Effective Tax Rate

    24.8 %             22.9 %                             22.5 %             24.8 %                        

 

We recorded income tax benefit of $403,000 for the fiscal 2022 third quarter compared to $3.0 million income tax expense for the comparable prior year quarter. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2022 and 2021 third quarters were 24.8% and 22.9%, respectively. For the fiscal 2022 nine-month period, we recorded income tax expense of $4.6 million, compared to income tax benefit of $6.3 million for the comparable prior year period, of which $10.7 million was recorded related to goodwill and trade name impairment charges. The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2022 and 2021 nine-month periods were 22.5% and 24.8%, respectively.

 

   

Net (Loss)/Income

 
   

Thirteen Weeks Ended

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                           

Oct 31,

           

Nov 1,

                         
   

2021

           

2020

                           

2021

           

2020

                         
           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

           

% Net Sales

           

% Net Sales

   

$ Change

   

% Change

 

Net (loss)/income Consolidated

  $ (1,219 )     -0.9 %   $ 10,093       6.7 %   $ (11,312 )     -112.1 %   $ 15,691       3.4 %   $ (18,952 )     -4.9 %   $ 34,643       182.8 %
                                                                                                 

Diluted earnings/(loss) per share

  $ (0.10 )           $ 0.84                             $ 1.30             $ (1.61 )                        

 

 

COVID-19

 

We monitor information on COVID-19 from the CDC and believe we are adhering to their recommendations regarding the health and safety of our personnel. To address the potential human impact of the virus, many of our administrative staff are telecommuting for at least part of their work-week. For those administrative staff not telecommuting and our warehouse and domestic manufacturing employees, we have implemented appropriate social distancing policies and have stepped-up facility cleaning at each location. Domestic travel for our employees has been limited and international travel is mostly non-existent. Testing, treatment and vaccinations for COVID-19 are covered 100% under our medical plan and counseling is available through our employee assistance plan to assist employees with financial, mental and emotional stress related to the virus and other issues. We are encouraging vaccinations and requiring the wearing of masks for unvaccinated employees. In addition, we are offering temporary paid leave to employees diagnosed with the virus (and those associates with another diagnosed person or persons in their household) and are working to accommodate associates with child-care issues related to school or day-care closures.

 

We continue to cautiously make decisions regarding our financial resources to weather and adapt to changes in market conditions, including any further impacts of COVID-19, including certain COVID variants and possible future pandemics.

 

Outlook

 

Consumer and retail demand remain historically strong, with the Company experiencing consolidated backlogs nearly triple compared to pre-pandemic level. However, we expect varying degrees of continued supply chain turbulence and product and raw materials cost inflation to impact our net sales and income in the short term, at least through the second quarter of fiscal 2023.

 

We expect that our Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments will continue to be less challenged than Home Meridian primarily due to more than 70% of Home Meridian’s business historically being direct container versus domestic warehouse distribution. In addition, higher freight costs have a greater impact as a percentage on the Home Meridian’s lower price points.

 

We continue to manage our logistics issues, with the goal of minimizing costs and maximizing delivery; however, there is no indication that ocean freight container rates will return to pre-COVID-19 levels in the near term. We believe we have mitigated these dynamics as much as possible through surcharges and price increases, but these increases can trail price increases received from logistics partners and suppliers for up to ninety days and up to one hundred eighty days for some backlog orders. Additionally, in the current environment, these supply-side factors are unpredictable and often involve frequent, unexpected changes with little or no notice.

 

We believe we are utilizing all available levers to help mitigate these headwinds, and we remain optimistic about our long-term position as we work our way through these transitory disruptions. Our strong balance sheet and variable cost business model give us confidence that we can weather this current industry-wide challenge and will allow us to take advantage of the healthy consumer demand environment and long-term positive economic indicators and demographic trends for home-related industries. However, we continue to see increased competition for consumer discretionary income from industries such as travel, apparel, dining out and in-person events as vaccination rates increase. Additionally, potential adverse effects of new COVID-19 variants on the US and global economies remain uncertain.

 

Longer-term, we believe that several macroeconomic factors provide a path for growth such as the strong housing market and favorable demographics with the large Millennial generation becoming highly engaged in household formation and home furnishings purchases. While we expect the extraordinary levels of demand for home furnishings to diminish somewhat, we also expect that demand for home furnishings will settle into a higher level of demand than pre-pandemic.

 

We believe we are well positioned to help consumers enhance their homes with comfortable, stylish and quality home furnishings and will continue to focus on items under our control such as developing relevant new products to meet consumer needs, operational improvements, managing overhead and costs, and executing our strategic growth initiatives. We remain optimistic as we manage through the current challenging environment.

 

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Cash Flows – Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

 

   

Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended

 
   

October 31,

   

November 1,

 
   

2021

   

2020

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 4,974     $ 67,607  

Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities

    (7,159 )     328  

Cash used in financing activities

    (6,437 )     (10,092 )

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

  $ (8,622 )   $ 57,843  

 

 

During the nine months ended October 31, 2021, we used a portion of the existing cash and cash equivalents on hand and $5 million generated from operations to pay $6.6 million of capital expenditures to enhance our business systems and facilities, including $4.4 million in our newly opened Georgia distribution center, $6.4 million in cash dividends, $2.6 million on our new common, cloud-based ERP platform and $533,000 in life insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

 

In comparison, during the nine months ended November 1, 2020, we used a portion of the $67.6 million cash generated from operations and $1.5 million life insurance proceeds to pay $5.7 million in cash dividends, $4.8 million in principal and interest payments on our term loans, $642,000 to enhance our business systems and facilities, and $519,000 in life insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

 

Liquidity, Financial Resources and Capital Expenditures

 

Our financial resources include:

 

 

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

 

 

expected cash flow from operations;

 

 

available lines of credit; and

 

 

cash surrender value of Company-owned life insurance.

 

We believe these resources are sufficient to meet our business requirements and the payment of dividends through fiscal 2022 and for the foreseeable future, including expected capital expenditures and working capital needs.

 

Loan Agreements and Revolving Credit Facility

 

We currently have one $35 million revolving credit facility (the “Existing Revolver”) with Bank of America, N. A. (“BofA”), which we entered into on January 27, 2021. The credit facility is based on successive past amendments to previous BofA banking agreements which are collectively referred to as the “Previous Agreements.” Details of our Existing Revolver are outlined below:

 

 

The facility is available between January 27, 2021 and February 1, 2026 or such earlier date as the availability may terminate or such later date as BofA may from time to time in its sole discretion designate in any extension notice;

 

 

During the availability period, BofA will provide a line of credit to the maximum amount of the Existing Revolver;

 

 

The initial amount of the Existing Revolver is $35 million;

 

 

The sublimit of the facility available for the issuance of letters of credit was increased to $10 million;

 

 

The actual daily amount of undrawn letters of credit is subject to a quarterly fee equal to a per annum rate of 1%;

 

 

We may, on a one-time basis, request an increase in the Existing Revolver by an amount not to exceed $30 million at BofA’s discretion; and

 

 

Any amounts outstanding under the Existing Revolver bear interest at a rate, equal to the then current LIBOR monthly rate (adjusted periodically) plus 1.00%. We must also pay a quarterly unused commitment fee at a rate of 0.15% determined by the actual daily amount of credit outstanding during the applicable quarter.

 

The loan covenants agreed to under the Previous Agreements continue to apply to us. They include customary representations and warranties and require us to comply with customary covenants, including, among other things, the following financial covenants:

 

 

Maintain a ratio of funded debt to EBITDA not exceeding 2.00:1.00;

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

We were in compliance with each of these financial covenants at October 31, 2021 and expect to remain in compliance with existing covenants for the foreseeable future. We believe we have the financial resources to fund our business operations, including weathering the logistics issues, cost increases and production capacity constraints which are currently impacting our industry.

 

As of October 31, 2021, we had $27.9 million available under our Existing Revolver to fund working capital needs. Standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $7.1 million, used to collateralize certain insurance arrangements and for imported product purchases, were outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of October 31, 2021. There were no additional borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility as of October 31, 2021.

 

Capital Expenditures

 

We expect to spend approximately $500,000 in capital expenditures over the remainder of fiscal 2022 to maintain and enhance our operating systems and facilities.

 

Enterprise Resource Planning

 

In early fiscal 2022, our Board of Directors approved an upgrade to our current ERP system and implementation efforts began shortly thereafter. We expect to implement the ERP upgrade in our Hooker Branded segment and certain divisions under Domestic Upholstery segment by mid calendar 2022, with Home Meridian and Shenandoah divisions following afterwards. To complete the ERP system implementation as anticipated, we will be required to expend significant financial and human resources. We anticipate spending approximately $5.5 million over the course of this project, with a significant amount of time invested by our associates. We spent approximately $2.6 million on this project in the first nine months of fiscal 2022 and expect to spend approximately $1 million in the last quarter of fiscal 2022.

 

Dividends

 

On December 7, 2021, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, an increase of $0.02 per share or 11% over the most recent dividend, which will be paid on December 31, 2021 to shareholders of record at December 17, 2021. The Board will continue to evaluate the appropriateness of the current dividend rate considering our performance and economic conditions in future quarters.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

Except as discussed below, there have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from the information provided in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in our 2021 Annual Report.

 

On the first day of the current fiscal year, we adopted the accounting standards outlined in Part 1, Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, “Note 2. Recently Adopted Accounting Policies” (“Note 2”). See Note 2 for additional information related to the impact of adopting this accounting standard.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

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

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest based on LIBOR plus 1.0%. As such, this debt instrument exposes us to market risk for changes in interest rates. There was no outstanding balance under our revolving credit facility as of October 31, 2021, other than amounts reserved for standby letters of credit in the amount of $7.1 million.

 

 

Raw Materials Price Risk

 

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

 

Currency Risk

 

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

 

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

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2021. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of October 31, 2021 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2021, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 6.         Exhibits

 

3.1

Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended as of September 16, 2021

   

3.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended December 10, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (SEC File No. 000-25349) for the year ended February 2, 2014)

   

4.1

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

   

4.2 

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

   

31.1*

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

   

31.2*

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

   

32.1**

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

   

101*

Interactive Data Files (formatted as Inline XBRL)

   

104*

Cover page Interactive Data File (formatted in Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

 

____________

*Filed herewith

** Furnished herewith

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

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

 

  HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION
     

Date: December 9, 2021

 

By: /s/Paul A. Huckfeldt                                           

   

Paul A. Huckfeldt 

Chief Financial Officer and

Senior Vice President – Finance and Accounting

     

 

30