J.Jill, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2021 July (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended July 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from _____________________ to _____________________

Commission File Number: 001-38026

J.Jill, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617) 376-4300

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

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 (§ 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, 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.

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(g) of the Act: None

As of September 1, 2021, the registrant had 9,984,596 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding.

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PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

J.Jill, Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except share data)

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

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J.Jill, Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND

COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

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

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J.Jill, Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except common share data)

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

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J.Jill, Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

(in thousands)

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

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J.Jill, Inc.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

1. Description of Business

J.Jill, Inc., “J.Jill” or the “Company”, is a premier omnichannel retailer and nationally recognized women’s apparel brand committed to delighting customers with great wear-now product. The brand represents an easy, thoughtful and inspired style that reflects the confidence of remarkable women who live life with joy, passion and purpose. J.Jill offers a guiding customer experience through 261 stores nationwide and a robust ecommerce platform. J.Jill is headquartered outside Boston.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted, in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) associated with reporting of interim period financial information. We consistently applied the accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “2020 Annual Report”) for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 (“Fiscal Year 2020”) in preparing these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements contain all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to state fairly the financial position and results of operations of the Company. The consolidated balance sheet as of January 30, 2021 is derived from the audited consolidated balance sheet as of that date. The unaudited results of operations for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of future results or results to be expected for the full year ending January 29, 2022 (“Fiscal Year 2021”). You should read these statements in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes in our 2020 Annual Report.

Prior year shares and per share amounts on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and condensed consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity have been restated to reflect the reverse stock split on November 9, 2020.

Going Concern

In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern,” we are required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date of issuance of the financial statements. As discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended January 30, 2021 (“2021 Form 10-K”), during 2020 our revenues, results of operations, cash flows and financing arrangements were materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a result, despite the fact that conditions had significantly improved by April 12, 2021 and that we had taken substantial actions to improve our liquidity and financial performance, due to remaining risks and uncertainties relating to the future impacts of COVID-19, we concluded at the time that our liquidity and capital may not be sufficient to finance our continued operations for at least the next 12 months.

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, we immediately took actions to improve our liquidity and financial flexibility by restructuring our debt with an extended maturity. We also took actions to reduce expenses, and, to maximize cash on hand, we continue to closely manage working capital (primarily inventory levels) and capital expenditures.  Additionally, on August 27, 2021 we made a $25 million debt payment, which was generated by operating cash flows, in order to avoid additional fees and interest that would have commenced if the payment was not made (see Note 13).  

While the Company and the retail industry in general have recovered significantly and current projections are favorable, we still could experience potential negative COVID-19 impacts including, but not limited to, additional charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of our inventory, goodwill, intangible assets, right-of-use assets, and long-lived assets as well as additional store closures. Actual results may differ materially from the Company’s current estimates as considerable risk remains related to the performance of stores, the resilience of the customer in an uncertain economic climate, the possibility of a resurgence of COVID-19, and emergence of severe variants, with its potential for future business disruption and the related impacts on the U.S. economy. If one or more of these risks materialize, we believe it is still possible that our current liquidity and capital could be impacted and may not be sufficient to finance our continued operations for at least the next year. These risks raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these condensed consolidated financial statements have been issued.

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Cost of Goods Sold 

Cost of goods sold (“COGS”) consist of all costs of sold merchandise (net of purchase discounts and vendor allowances).  These costs include:

Our COGS and Gross margin may not be comparable to other entities. Some entities, like us, exclude costs related to shipping products to their customers, as well as costs of their distribution network, buying function, store occupancy costs and depreciation and amortization expenses from COGS and include them in Selling, general and administrative expenses, whereas other entities include these costs in their COGS.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses consist of:

Out-of-Period Item

During the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2021, the Company recorded an adjustment to correct prior period overstatements of inventory and understatements of COGS totaling $1.5 million ($1.1 million after taxes).  The errors were primarily caused by an overstatement of inventory transferred from certain locations.  Management evaluated the impacts of the out-of-period adjustment to correct the errors for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 and for prior periods, both individually and in the aggregate, and concluded that the adjustment was not material to the Company’s consolidated annual or interim financial statements for all impacted periods.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”. The pronouncement is effective for a public company’s annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those annual periods. As an emerging growth company, the Company has elected to adopt the pronouncement following the effective date for private companies beginning with annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this standard will have on the condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company plans to adopt the pronouncement in Fiscal Year 2022.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform”, which provides temporary optional guidance to companies impacted by the transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). The guidance provides certain expedients and exceptions to applying GAAP in order to lessen the potential accounting burden when contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR as a benchmark rate are modified. The guidance is currently effective and may be applied prospectively at any point through December 31, 2022. The Company is assessing what impact this guidance will have on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

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3. Revenues

Disaggregation of Revenue          

Net sales consists primarily of revenues, net of merchandise returns and discounts, generated from the sale of apparel and accessory merchandise through retail stores (“Retail”) and through its website and catalog orders (“Direct”). Net sales also include shipping and handling fees collected from customers and royalty revenues and marketing reimbursements related to our private label credit card agreement. Retail revenue is recognized at the time of sale and Direct revenue is recognized upon shipment of merchandise to the customer. The following table presents disaggregated revenues by source (in thousands):

Contract Liabilities

The Company recognizes a contract liability when it has received consideration from the customer and has a future obligation to the customer. Total contract liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021, the Company recognized approximately $2.6 million and $5.0   million, respectively, of revenue related to gift card redemptions and breakage. For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020, the Company recognized approximately $1.8 million and $4.0 million, respectively, of revenue related to gift card redemptions and breakage. Revenue recognized consists of gift cards that were part of the unredeemed gift card balance at the beginning of the period as well as gift cards that were issued and earned during the period.

Performance Obligations

The Company has a remaining performance obligation of $0.3 million for a signing bonus related to the private label credit card agreement that is being amortized to revenue evenly through the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2023.

Unredeemed gift cards also require a performance obligation for revenue to be recognized, but substantially all gift cards are redeemed in the first year of issuance.

Practical Expedients and Policy Elections

The Company excludes from its transaction price all amounts collected from customers for sales taxes that are remitted to taxing authorities.

Shipping and handling activities that occur after control of related goods transfers to the customer are accounted for as fulfillment activities rather than assessing these activities as performance obligations.

The Company does not disclose remaining performance obligations that have an expected duration of one year or less.

4. Asset Impairments

Long-lived Asset Impairments

The Company did not record any impairments on long-lived assets during the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021.

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In the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, the Company reduced the net carrying value of certain long-lived assets to their estimated fair value, which was determined using a discounted cash flows method.  These impairment charges arose from the material adverse effect COVID-19 had on our results of operations, particularly with our store fleet.  The Company incurred impairment charges of $6.7 million on leasehold improvements and $20.8 million on the right-of-use asset.  During the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, the Company recorded a $1.3 million non-cash gain on the operating leases liabilities due to its decision to close certain retail stores. Approximately $0.9 million of the benefit related to leases that were included in the impairment on right-of-use assets recorded in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020; therefore, the benefit was recorded as a reduction of the previously recorded impairment. See Note 12 for additional information.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Asset Impairments

In the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, the Company temporarily closed its retail locations due to COVID-19, which had a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and liquidity and led to a significant decline in our net sales for the first half of Fiscal Year 2020. The Company incurred impairment charges of $17.9 million on goodwill, $4.0 million on trade name and $2.6 million on customer relationships during the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020. All stores were open during the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 and the Company did not record any impairments on goodwill or other intangible assets for this period.

The Company performed the impairment tests in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 using the income approach (or discounted cash flows method) for goodwill, the relief-from-royalty method for indefinite-lived intangible assets and a recoverability analysis for definite-lived intangible assets. Key assumptions included future revenue growth and profitability trends over a period of 5-10 years with a terminal value, a discount rate based on an estimated weighted average cost of capital within a range of 23.5% to 34.0% and royalty rates within a range of 1% to 4%. These assumptions are classified as Level 3 inputs.

The following table displays a rollforward of the carrying amount of goodwill from February 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021 (in thousands):

The accumulated goodwill impairment losses as of July 31, 2021 are $137.3 million.

A summary of intangible assets as of July 31, 2021 and January 30, 2021 is as follows (in thousands):

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Total amortization expense for these amortizable intangible assets was $2.0 million and $4.9 million for the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021 and August 1, 2020, respectively, and $4.1 million and $7.3 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 and August 1, 2020, respectively.

The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years and thereafter is as follows (in thousands):

5. Debt

The components of the Company’s outstanding long-term debt were as follows (in thousands):

Term Loan

The Company is party to a term loan credit agreement, dated as of May 8, 2015, by and among Jill Holdings, Inc. (as successor to Jill Holdings LLC), Jill Acquisition LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of us, and the various lenders party thereto, as amended on May 27, 2016 by Amendment No. 1 thereto, as further amended by Amendment No. 2 thereto (the “Term Loan”).

Priming Loan

The Company is party to a senior secured priming term loan facility, dated August 31, 2020 (the “Priming Loan” and, the lenders thereunder, the “Priming Lenders”). The Priming Loan provides for a principal paydown of at least $25.0 million by August 30, 2021; otherwise, there will be a paid-in-kind (“PIK”) interest rate increase and a PIK fee based on the level of payment below the $25.0 million. See Note 13.

In accordance with the Priming Credit Agreement, the Company issued to the Priming Lenders 656,717 shares, as adjusted for the Company’s 1-for-5 stock split that occurred during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Equity Consideration”).  On May 31, 2021, the Company had the choice (the “May 31, 2021 Option”) to either (i) repay $4.9 million in aggregate principal amount of the loans under the Priming Credit Agreement, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon or (ii) issue additional shares of Common Stock to the Priming Lenders in an amount equal to the greater of (I) 9.79% of the fully diluted shares of Common Stock as of October 1, 2020 less 656,717 shares and (II) a number of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate value of $0.5 million at the time of such issuance; provided, that the Priming Lenders shall not receive on such date shares of Common Stock having a value greater than $4.75 million (based on the volume-weighted average stock price of the preceding five trading days) at the time of such issuance.  The May 31, 2021 Option was considered an embedded derivative within the Priming Loan that was required to be adjusted to fair value each period while it was outstanding, with the adjustment being recorded in income. On May 31, 2021, and within the terms of the Priming Loan, the Company chose to issue 272,097 additional shares of Common Stock to the Priming Lenders with a value of approximately $5.2 million (based on the value of those shares as of close on that date).  

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Subordinated Facility

On September 30, 2020, in accordance with the TSA, the Company entered into a subordinated facility, with the Subordinated Lenders (as defined below), that provides for a secured term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount equal to $15.0 million with an additional incremental capacity subject to certain customary conditions (the “Subordinated Facility”). The Subordinated Lenders are a group of related parties that includes certain affiliates of TowerBrook and our Chairman of the board of directors.

In accordance with the Subordinated Facility, the Company issued penny warrants to the Subordinated Lenders. See Note 8 for additional information regarding the warrants.

Asset-Based Revolving Credit Agreement

The Company is party to a secured $40.0 million asset-based revolving credit facility agreement (the “ABL Facility”) with a maturity date of May 8, 2023.

During the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021, the company paid down the outstanding short-term borrowings under the ABL Facility.  The Company had short-term borrowings of $11.1 million under the Company’s ABL Facility as of January 30, 2021. The Company’s available borrowing capacity under the ABL Facility as of July 31, 2021 and January 30, 2021 was $32.1 million and $23.8 million, respectively. As of July 31, 2021 and January 30, 2021, there were outstanding letters of credit of $2.9 million which reduced the availability under the ABL Facility. As of July 31, 2021, the maximum commitment for letters of credit was $10.0 million.

6. Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value in accordance with GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.

Valuation techniques used to measure fair value require the Company to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:

The following table presents the carrying value and fair value hierarchy for debt as of July 31, 2021 (in thousands):

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The following table presents the carrying value and fair value hierarchy for financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of January 30, 2021 and for debt which is not carried at fair value (in thousands).  Effective May 31, 2021, the warrants and derivative liabilities were transferred to equity and are no longer measured at fair value on a recurring basis (see Note 8 for additional information):

The Company determines the fair value of its financial assets and liabilities using the following methodologies:

The methodology used by the Company to determine the fair value of its financial assets and liabilities at July 31, 2021, is the same as that used at January 30, 2021.

The Company believes that the carrying amounts of its other financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and any amounts drawn on its revolving credit facilities, consisting primarily of instruments without extended maturities, based on management’s estimates, approximates their fair value due to the short-term maturities of these instruments.

Assets and Liabilities with Recurring Fair Value Measurements - Certain assets and liabilities may be measured at fair value on an ongoing basis. We did not elect to apply the fair value option for recording financial assets and financial liabilities. Other than the warrants, derivative liability and total debt, we do not have any assets or liabilities which we measure at fair value on a recurring basis.

Assets and Liabilities with Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements - Certain assets and liabilities are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis. These assets and liabilities, which include long-lived assets, goodwill, and intangible assets, are subject to fair value adjustment in certain circumstances. From time to time, the fair value is determined on these assets as part of related impairment tests. Other than impairment accounting adjustments, no adjustments to fair value or fair value measurements were required for non-financial assets and liabilities for all periods presented. See Note 4, Assets Impairments, for additional information.

7. Income Taxes

The Company recorded an income tax provision of $4.4 million for the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021 and an income tax benefit of $7.0 million during the thirteen weeks ended August 1, 2020. The Company recorded an income tax provision of $5.8 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 and an income tax benefit of $31.2 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020.

The effective tax rate for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 differs from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the nondeductible fair value adjustment of the warrants and the Priming Loan embedded derivative, the impact of executive compensation limitations and the impact of state and local income taxes. The effective tax rate for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020 differs from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the impact on the effective tax rate from goodwill impairment, which has no associated tax benefit, which was partially offset by a benefit from the CARES Act as well as the impact of state income taxes.

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8. Net Loss Per Share

The following table summarizes the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share (“EPS”) (in thousands, except share and per share data):

The weighted average common shares for the diluted earnings per share calculation exclude the impact of outstanding equity awards if the assumed proceeds per share of the award is in excess of the related fiscal period’s average price of the Company’s common stock. Such awards are excluded because they would have an antidilutive effect due to the Company having a net loss for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 and August 1, 2020. There were 104,108 antidilutive shares for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021, and 520,521 antidilutive shares for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020, of such awards excluded.

Warrants

On May 31, 2021, and within the terms of the Priming Loan, the Company chose to issue 272,097 additional shares of Common Stock to the Priming Lenders with a value of approximately $5.2 million based upon the preceding 5-day volume weighted average share price rather than repay $4.9 million of principal. As a result of this choice and because of the antidilution provision under the warrant agreement, the penny warrants became exercisable into 3,820,748 shares of common stock for an aggregate exercise price of $186,000. Through May 31, 2021, the Company recognized approximately $39.0 million and $59.8 million of non-cash charges recorded within Fair value adjustments – derivative and Fair value adjustments – warrants, respectively, in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income during the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021, respectively.  Effective May 31, 2021, the remaining derivative and warrants liabilities totaling $78.2 million were reclassed to Additional paid-in capital because from that date they can only be settled by exercise of the warrants into common stock (i.e., cash is no longer a settlement option).  

Effective May 31, 2021 the warrants issued to the Subordinated Facility holders have been included in the denominator for basic and diluted EPS calculations as the exercise of the warrants is near certain because the exercise price is non substantive in relation to the fair value of the common shares to be issued upon exercise.

9. Equity-Based Compensation

Equity-based compensation expense was $0.7 million and $1.1 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021, respectively, and $0.6 million and $1.3 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020, respectively,

10. Related Party Transactions

On September 30, 2020, the Company entered into the Subordinated Facility, with a group of lenders that includes certain affiliates of TowerBrook and our Chairman of the board of directors. In accordance with the Subordinated Facility, the Company issued penny warrants to the Subordinated Lenders.  For the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021 the Company incurred $0.5 million and $38.3 million, respectively, of Interest expense, net – related party and Fair value adjustment of warrants – related party associated with the Subordinated Facility in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. For the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021 the Company incurred $1.0 million and $57.0 million, respectively, of Interest expense, net – related party

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and Fair value adjustment of warrants – related party associated with the Subordinated Facility in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.  

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 1, 2020, the Company incurred an immaterial amount of other related party transactions.

11. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

The Company is subject to various legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcome of such proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not believe that the Company is presently party to any legal proceedings the resolution of which management believes would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results or cash flows. The Company establishes reserves for specific legal matters when the Company determines that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable, and the loss is reasonably estimable.

12. Operating Leases

During the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021, the Company recorded non-cash gains of $0.7 million associated with exiting store leases earlier than expected and non-cash gains of $0.6 million related to favorable lease renegotiations. During the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021, the Company recorded immaterial non-cash activity related to these transactions.

During the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, the Company reduced the net carrying value of right-of-use assets to their estimated fair value, which was determined using a discounted cash flows method. These impairment charges arose from the material adverse effect that COVID-19 had on our results of operations, particularly with our store fleet. The Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $6.7 million on leasehold improvements and non-cash impairment charges associated with right-of-use assets of $20.8 million during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020. During the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, the Company recorded a $1.3 million non-cash gain on the operating lease liability due to its decision to close certain retail stores. Approximately $0.9 million of the benefit related to leases that were included in the impairment on right-of-use assets recorded in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020; therefore, the benefit was recorded as a reduction of the previously recorded impairment. Approximately $0.4 million of the benefit related to the adjustment to the right-of-use asset and operating lease liability of leases not previously impaired and was recorded in Selling, General and Administrative expenses.

 The Company did not incur any impairment charges on its right-of-use assets during the twenty-six weeks ended July 31, 2021.

13. Subsequent Event

On August 27, 2021, the Company made a $25.0 million voluntary principal payment on the Priming Loan, which was generated by operating cash flows.  This payment was made to avoid increased PIK interest and fees. See Note 5.

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

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q (the “Quarterly Report”). The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and assumptions. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in the sections of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q titled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.

We operate on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the Saturday that is closest to January 31. Each fiscal year generally is comprised of four 13-week fiscal quarters, although in the years with 53 weeks, the fourth quarter represents a 14-week period. The Fiscal Year 2021 and fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 (“Fiscal Year 2020”) are both comprised of 52 weeks.

Overview

J.Jill is a premier omnichannel retailer and nationally recognized women’s apparel brand committed to delighting customers with great wear-now product. The brand represents an easy, thoughtful and inspired style that reflects the confidence of remarkable women who live life with joy, passion and purpose. J.Jill offers a guiding customer experience through 261 stores nationwide and a robust ecommerce platform. J.Jill is headquartered outside Boston.

Following the significant impacts on Fiscal Year 2020 from the COVID-19 pandemic, we achieved significant improvements in sales growth and gross margin expansion in the first and second quarters of Fiscal Year 2021 due to our focus on driving full price sales as customer traffic trends improved. The pandemic began to affect our business in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 as our stores were temporarily closed beginning in mid-March 2020 and remained closed through portions of the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2020.

The COVID-19 global pandemic and resulting temporary store closures and changes in customer behavior toward in-store shopping have had a material adverse effect on our operations, cash flows and liquidity. We have made significant progress reducing cash expenditures and maximizing cash receipts from our direct-to-consumer business channel such that our current base forecast projects sufficient liquidity over the coming 12 months; however, considerable risk remains related to the performance of stores, the resilience of the customer in an uncertain economic climate, the possibility of a prolonged market impact from COVID-19 in the coming 12 months. If one or more of these risks materialize, we believe that our current sources of liquidity and capital may not be sufficient to finance our continued operations for at least the next 12 months.

Factors Affecting Our Operating Results

Various factors are expected to continue to affect our results of operations going forward, including the following:

Overall Economic Trends. Consumer purchases of clothing and other merchandise generally decline during recessionary periods and other periods when disposable income is adversely affected, and consequently our results of operations may be affected by general economic conditions. For example, reduced consumer confidence, lower availability and higher cost of consumer credit may reduce demand for our merchandise and may limit our ability to increase or sustain prices. The growth rate of the market could be affected by macroeconomic conditions in the United States.

Consumer Preferences and Fashion Trends. Our ability to maintain our appeal to existing customers and attract new customers depends on our ability to anticipate fashion trends. During periods in which we have successfully anticipated fashion trends, we have generally had more favorable results.

Competition. The retail industry is highly competitive and retailers compete based on a variety of factors, including design, quality, price and customer service. Levels of competition and the ability of our competitors to more accurately predict fashion trends and otherwise attract customers through competitive pricing or other factors may impact our results of operations.

Our Strategic Initiatives. The ongoing implementation of strategic initiatives will continue to have an impact on our results of operations.  These initiatives include our ecommerce platform and our initiative to upgrade and enhance our information systems. Although initiatives of this nature are designed to create growth in our business and continuing improvement in our operating results, the timing of expenditures related to these initiatives, as well as the achievement of returns on our investments, may affect our results of operations in future periods.

Pricing and Changes in Our Merchandise Mix. Our product offering changes from period to period, as do the prices at which goods are sold and the margins we are able to earn from the sales of those goods. The levels at which we are able to price our merchandise are influenced by a variety of factors, including the quality of our products, cost of production, prices at which our competitors are selling similar products and the willingness of our customers to pay for products.

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Potential Changes in Tax Laws and/or Regulations.  Changes in tax laws in any of the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, or adverse outcomes from tax audits that we may be subject to in any of the jurisdictions in which we operate, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.  Additionally, any potential changes with respect to tax and trade policies, tariffs and government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries could adversely affect our business, as we source the majority of our merchandise from manufacturers located outside of the U.S.

How We Assess the Performance of Our Business

In assessing the performance of our business, we consider a variety of financial and operating metrics, including GAAP and non-GAAP measures, including the following:

Net sales consist primarily of revenues, net of merchandise returns and discounts, generated from the sale of apparel and accessory merchandise through our Retail channel and Direct channel. Net sales also include shipping and handling fees collected from customers and royalty revenues and marketing reimbursements related to our private label credit card agreement. Revenue from our Retail channel is recognized at the time of sale and revenue from our Direct channel is recognized upon shipment of merchandise to the customer.

Net sales are impacted by the size of our active customer base, product assortment and availability, marketing and promotional activities and the spending habits of our customers. Net sales are also impacted by the migration of single-channel customers to omnichannel customers who, on average, spend nearly three times more than single-channel customers.

Number of stores reflects all stores open at the end of a reporting period. In connection with opening new stores, we incur pre-opening costs. Pre-opening costs include expenses incurred prior to opening a new store and primarily consist of payroll, travel, training, marketing, initial opening supplies and costs of transporting initial inventory and fixtures to retail stores, as well as occupancy costs incurred from the time of possession of a store site to the opening of that store. These pre-opening costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses and are generally incurred and expensed within 30 days of opening a new store.

Gross profit is equal to our net sales less costs of goods sold. Gross profit as a percentage of our net sales is referred to as gross margin.

Costs of goods sold includes the direct costs of sold merchandise, inventory shrinkage, and adjustments and reserves for excess, aged and obsolete inventory. We review our inventory levels on an ongoing basis to identify slow-moving merchandise and use product markdowns to liquidate these products. Changes in the assortment of our products may also impact our gross profit. The timing and level of markdowns are driven by customer acceptance of our merchandise. The Company’s COGS, and consequently gross profit, may not be comparable to those of other retailers, as inclusion of certain costs vary across the industry.

The primary drivers of the costs of goods sold are raw materials, which fluctuate based on certain factors beyond our control, including labor conditions, transportation or freight costs, energy prices, currency fluctuations and commodity prices. We place orders with merchandise suppliers in United States dollars and, as a result, are not exposed to significant foreign currency exchange risk.

Selling, general and administrative expenses include all operating costs not included in costs of goods sold. These expenses include all payroll and related expenses, occupancy costs, information systems costs and other operating expenses related to our stores and to our operations at our headquarters, including utilities, depreciation and amortization. These expenses also include marketing expense, including catalog production and mailing costs, warehousing, distribution and shipping costs, customer service operations, consulting and software services, professional services and other administrative costs.

Our historical revenue growth has been accompanied by increased selling, general and administrative expenses. The most significant increases were in occupancy costs associated with retail store expansion, and in marketing and payroll investments.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin. Adjusted EBITDA represents net (loss) income plus net interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, equity-based compensation expense, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment, write-off of property and equipment and other non-recurring expenses, primarily consisting of outside legal and professional fees associated with certain non-recurring transactions and events. We present Adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis because management uses it as a supplemental measure in assessing our operating performance, and we believe that it is helpful to investors, securities analysts and other interested parties as a measure of our comparative operating performance from period to period. We also use Adjusted EBITDA as one of the primary methods for planning and forecasting overall expected performance of our business and for evaluating on a quarterly and annual basis actual results against such expectations. Further, we recognize Adjusted EBITDA as a commonly used measure in determining business value and as such, use it internally to report results. Adjusted EBITDA margin represents, for any period, Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net sales.

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While we believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating our business, Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that has limitations as an analytical tool. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to, or substitute for, net income (loss), which is calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently or not at all, which reduces the usefulness of Adjusted EBITDA as a tool for comparison. We recommend that you review the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, and the calculation of the resultant Adjusted EBITDA margin below and not rely solely on Adjusted EBITDA or any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA and Calculation of Adjusted EBITDA Margin

The following table provides a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA and the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA margin for the periods presented.

Items Affecting Comparability of Financial Results

COVID-19 impact. Our second quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 financial results were significantly impacted by COVID-19 as our stores were temporarily closed beginning in mid-March 2020 through most of the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Although the stores were temporarily closed and the Company lost revenues as a result, we continued to incur certain expenses, such as payroll and rent; therefore, ratios and other items may not be comparable to our second quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 financial results.

Impairment losses. Our Fiscal Year 2020 year to date results include impairment charges of $52.0 million for long-lived assets (operating lease right-of-use asset and leasehold improvements), goodwill and intangible assets. See Note 4, Asset Impairments, in Item I, Financial Statements, for additional information on these impairment losses.

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Fair value adjustments.  Fair value adjustments consist of the mark-to-market of warrants and derivative liabilities related to the debt restructuring consummated on September 30, 2020.  These fair value adjustments were driven by the increase in J.Jill’s stock price since January 30, 2021.  Our Fiscal Year 2021 results include negative fair value adjustments totaling $39.0 million and $59.8 million for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods, respectively.  Effective May 31, 2021, these liabilities were reclassified to equity because from that date they can only be settled by exercise of the warrants into common stock.  See Note 8, Net Loss per Share, in Item 1, Financial Statements, for additional information on these fair value adjustments.  

Results of Operations

Thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2021 Compared to Thirteen weeks ended August 1, 2020

The following table summarizes our consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated: