Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently believe are not material, also may become important factors that affect us and impair our business operations. The occurrence of any of the events or developments discussed in the risk factors below could have a material and adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, and in such case, our future prospects would likely be materially and adversely affected. If any of such events or developments were to happen, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Summary
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, as described below, that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects. The principal factors and uncertainties that make investing in our common stock risky include, among others:
• any decline in consumer spending including due to negative impact from economic conditions;
• our ability to maintain our brand image, engage new and existing customers and gain market share;
• our ability to compete successfully;
• our ability to attract, develop, motivate and maintain well-qualified associates;
• systems interruptions that impair customer access to our sites or other performance failures in our technology infrastructure, including significant disruptions of or breach in security of information technology systems and violation of data privacy laws;
• our dependence on a small number of suppliers, including international suppliers and those in developing countries, foreign manufacturing and imports;
• our ability to successfully develop U.S. domestic manufacturing capabilities and achieve expected cost, capacity, and supply‑chain benefits;
• the impact of increases in demand for, or the price of, raw materials used to manufacture our products;
• our inability to manage our inventory levels and products, including the complexities created by our omni-channel operations, and sustain our Internet sales levels;
• our ability to effectively market and launch our products and increase customer traffic;
• our ability to successfully open and operate new showrooms and continue to achieve showroom growth rates that we have achieved in the past;
• our ability to successfully adapt to consumer shopping preferences;
• our ability to sustain profitability, and raise capital;
• our ability to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting;
• the impact related to the restatement of our previously issued financial statements;
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• our ability to accurately forecast our operating results and growth rate or manage our growth effectively;
• our ability to protect our trademarks, brand image, or other intellectual property rights;
• the impact of potential product recalls or product safety issues that could result in significant costs and damage to our brand;
• unfavorable changes to government regulation, including of the Internet and ecommerce; and
• failure to meet our publicly announced guidance.
Business and Industry Risks
If we fail to manage our growth effectively, our business, financial condition and operating results could be harmed.
Our historical growth rates may not be sustainable or indicative of future growth. To manage our growth effectively, we must continue to implement our operational plans and strategies, acquire new and retain existing customers, increase our showroom base, optimize our omni-channel operations, and improve and expand our infrastructure of people and information systems. The success of our growth strategy depends, in part, on our ability to keep existing customers engaged and attract new customers to our brand. There is no guarantee that we will continue to be able to retain existing customers and drive customer acquisition rates necessary for us to maintain our current growth rate.
Additionally, we may not be able to achieve the showroom sales growth rates that we have achieved historically as we continue to expand our showroom base. While our focus is to continue the expansion of our showrooms, this may result in the closure of underperforming showroom locations or locations with declining profitability in order to pursue more productive opportunities that are in line with our real estate strategy. In addition, the results of operations of our showroom locations have and are expected to continue to fluctuate based on, among others, consumer spending patterns, fashion trends, competition, current economic conditions, pricing, inflation, the timing of the release of new merchandise and promotional events, changes in our product assortment, the success of marketing programs, weather conditions and public health crises. These factors may cause our showroom sales results and growth rates in the future to be materially lower than recent periods or our expectations, which could harm our business and results of operations.
Growing our business through our omni-channel operations is key to our growth strategy. Our goal is to offer our customers seamless access to our products across our channels, and our success depends on our ability to anticipate and implement innovations in sales and marketing strategies to appeal to existing and potential customers who increasingly rely on multiple channels, such as ecommerce, to meet their shopping needs. Failure to enhance our technology and marketing efforts to align with our customers’ developing shopping preferences could significantly impair our ability to meet our strategic business and financial goals.
Additionally, the growth of our business places significant demands on our operations, as well as our management and other employees. The growth of our business may require significant additional resources to meet these daily requirements, which may not scale in a cost-effective manner or may negatively affect the quality of our sites and customer experience. We are also required to manage relationships with a growing number of suppliers, customers and other third parties across the world. Our information technology systems and our internal controls and procedures may not be adequate to support future growth of our supplier and employee base. Failure to manage our growth and organizational change effectively could lead us to over-invest or under-invest in technology and operations; result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, systems or controls; give rise to operational mistakes, losses or loss of productivity or business opportunities; reduce customer satisfaction; limit our ability to respond to competitive pressures; and result in loss of employees and reduced productivity of remaining employees. If we are unable to manage the growth of our organization effectively, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected.
Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by global economic conditions and the effect of economic pressures and other business factors on discretionary consumer spending and consumer preferences.
We face numerous business risks relating to macroeconomic factors. Uncertainties in global economic conditions that are beyond our control have in the past impacted discretionary consumer spending and our business and may in the future materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. Consumer purchases of discretionary items, including our products, generally decline during recessionary periods and other times when disposable income is lower. Factors impacting discretionary consumer spending include general economic conditions, inflation,
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reduction in wages and discretionary income, levels of unemployment, consumer debt, reductions in net worth based on severe market declines, residential real estate and mortgage markets, taxation, regulations and new or increased tariffs, including retaliatory tariffs, export controls, volatility of fuel and energy prices, fluctuations in interest rates or currency exchange rates, consumer confidence, closure or restricted operating conditions for businesses, political and economic uncertainty, inclement weather, natural disasters, health epidemics or pandemics and other macroeconomic factors, including geopolitical conditions and regional conflicts. Deterioration in economic conditions, increasing inflation or increasing unemployment levels may reduce the level of discretionary consumer spending and inhibit consumers’ use of credit, which may adversely affect our sales. In recessionary periods and other periods where disposable income is adversely affected, we may have to increase the number of promotional sales or otherwise dispose of inventory we have previously paid to manufacture, which could further adversely affect our financial performance. A downturn in the economic environment can also lead to financial instability, increased credit and collectability risk on our receivables, the failure of important partners, including suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers, and other financial institutions. It is difficult to predict when or for how long any of these conditions could affect our business and a prolonged economic downturn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Our inability to maintain our brand image, engage new and existing customers and gain market share could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy and our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Our ability to maintain our brand image and reputation is integral to our business and implementation of our growth strategy. Maintaining, promoting and growing our brand will depend largely on the success of our design, merchandising and marketing efforts and our ability to provide a consistent, high-quality product and customer experience. Our reputation could be jeopardized if we fail to maintain high standards for product quality and integrity and any negative publicity about these types of concerns, whether real or perceived, may reduce demand for our products. If customers do not have a satisfactory shopping experience, they may seek out alternative offerings from our competitors and may not return as a customer as often in the future, or at all. In addition, unfavorable publicity regarding, for example, our practices relating to privacy and data protection, product quality or availability, poor customer service, delivery problems, competitive pressures, litigation or regulatory activity, could seriously harm our reputation. A significant portion of our customers' brand experience also depends on third parties outside our control, including manufacturers, suppliers, assembly and installation service providers and logistics providers such as FedEx, UPS and other third-party delivery agents. If these third parties do not meet our or our customers' expectations, our brands may suffer irreparable damage. Additionally, our reputation could be damaged if we do not (or are perceived not to) act responsibly with respect to any social or sustainability matters, which could negatively impact our business and results of operations. While we believe our brand enjoys a loyal customer base, the success of our growth strategy depends, in part, on our ability to keep existing customers engaged and attract new customers to our brand. We may not be able to maintain and enhance our brand if we receive unfavorable customer complaints, negative publicity or otherwise fail to live up to consumers' expectations. If we experience damage to our reputation or loss of consumer confidence, we may not be able to retain existing customers or acquire new customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
If we fail to acquire new customers, or fail to do so in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to achieve revenue growth or profitability.
To acquire new customers, we must appeal to prospects who have historically used other means of commerce to purchase furniture, such as traditional furniture retailers. We have made significant investments related to customer acquisition and expect to continue to spend significant amounts to acquire additional customers and to reactivate prior customers. To date, we have reached new customers primarily through our showroom presence in various markets, and through social media, digital content, third-party advocates for our brand and products, by word of mouth, and through national television advertisements. These efforts are expensive and may not result in the cost-effective acquisition of customers. Our marketing expenses have varied from period to period, and we expect this trend to continue as we test new channels and refine our marketing strategies. There is no guarantee that these methods will continue to be successful or will drive customer acquisition rates necessary for us to achieve revenue growth or profitability.
We also utilize non-paid advertising. Our non-paid advertising efforts include search engine optimization, non-paid social media, mobile "push" notifications and email. We obtain a significant amount of traffic via search engines and, therefore, rely on search engines such as Google. We employ search engine optimization and search engine marketing strategies, and our ability to maintain and increase the number of visitors directed to our website and application is not entirely within our control. Search engines frequently update and change the logic that determines the placement and display of results of a user's search, such that the purchased or algorithmic placement of links to our sites can be negatively affected. Moreover, a search engine could, for competitive or other purposes, alter its search algorithms or results, causing our sites to place
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lower in search query results. A major search engine could change its algorithms in a manner that negatively affects our paid or non-paid search ranking, and competitive dynamics could impact the effectiveness of search engine marketing or search engine optimization. Furthermore, major search engines can and have shifted to artificial intelligence-generated search results, which may cause us to experience a significant decrease in traffic to our sites. Mobile “push” notifications and emails are also an important source of traffic to our sites. Regulatory changes could limit our ability to send such communications or impose additional requirements upon us in connection with sending such communications. Further, changes in how web and mail services block, organize and prioritize email may reduce the number of prospective customers who receive or open our emails. Our use of email and other messaging services to send communications to consumers may also result in legal claims against us, which may cause us increased expenses, and if successful might result in fines and orders with costly reporting and compliance obligations or might limit or prohibit our ability to send emails or other messages. We also obtain a significant amount of traffic via social networking websites or other channels used by our current and prospective customers. As e-commerce and social networking continue to rapidly evolve, we must continue to establish relationships with these channels and may be unable to develop or maintain these relationships on acceptable terms. If we are unable to cost-effectively drive traffic to our sites, our ability to acquire new customers, reactivate prior customers or retain our existing customers and our financial condition would suffer.
Further, some of our new customers originate from word of mouth or other non-paid referrals from existing customers. If our efforts to satisfy our existing customers are not successful, we may not be able to acquire new customers or reactivate prior customers through these referrals, which may adversely affect how we continue to grow our business, or may require us to incur significantly higher marketing expenses in order to acquire new customers.
Our business is highly competitive. Competition presents an ongoing threat to the success of our business.
Our business is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and we have many competitors in different industries. We compete with furniture stores, big box retailers, department stores, specialty retailers and online furniture retailers and marketplaces.
We expect competition in both retail stores and ecommerce to continue to increase. Our ability to compete successfully depends on many factors both within and beyond our control, including:
• the size and composition of our customer base;
• our selling and marketing efforts;
• the quality, price, reliability and uniqueness of products we offer;
• the convenience of the shopping experience that we provide;
• our ability to distribute our products and manage our operations; and
• our reputation and brand strength.
Many of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories, greater brand recognition, larger fulfillment infrastructures, greater technological capabilities, faster and less costly shipping, more efficient distribution models, significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources and larger customer bases than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to, among other things, derive greater sales from their existing customer base, acquire customers at lower costs and respond more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in consumer habits. These competitors may engage in more extensive research and development efforts, undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing policies. If we are unable to successfully compete, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
We have faced and may face price competition in the future. In addition, competitors with whom we compete, or who can obtain better pricing, more favorable contractual terms and conditions, or more favorable allocations of products during
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periods of limited supply may be able to offer lower prices than we are able to offer. Our operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected by these and other industry-wide pricing pressures.
We rely on the performance of members of management and highly skilled personnel. If we are unable to attract, develop, motivate and retain well-qualified associates, our business could be harmed.
We believe our success has depended, and continues to depend, on the efforts and talents of Shawn Nelson, our founder, member of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer; Mary Fox, our President; Keith Siegner, our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer; and other members of our management team. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled associates. The market for such associates in the cities in which we operate is competitive. Qualified individuals are in high demand, and we may incur significant costs to attract and retain them. The loss of any of our key associates, including members of our senior management team, could materially adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan, and we may not be able to find adequate replacements. Our inability to recruit and develop mid-level managers could have similar adverse effects on our ability to execute our business plan. Moreover, we believe that a key contributor to our success and our ability to retain highly skilled personnel has been our corporate culture, which we believe fosters innovation, teamwork, and a passion for our products and consumers. If we fail to maintain the beneficial aspects of our corporate culture globally, it could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain employees, continue to perform at current levels, or execute on our business strategy.
Our officers and other key associates are employed at-will, meaning that they may terminate their employment relationship with us at any time, and their knowledge of our business and industry would be extremely difficult to replace. While others have employment agreements with stated terms, they could still leave our employ. If we do not succeed in retaining and motivating existing associates or attracting well-qualified associates, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects may be materially adversely affected.
System interruptions that impair customer access to our sites or other performance failures in our technology infrastructure could damage our business, reputation and brand, and substantially harm our business and results of operations.
The satisfactory performance, reliability and availability of our website, transaction processing systems and technology infrastructure are critical to our reputation, and our ability to acquire and retain customers and maintain adequate customer service levels. We currently rely on a variety of third-party service providers to support mission critical systems and the efficient flow of merchandise from and between warehouses and showrooms to customers and we cannot be sure that these third-party systems, services and support will continue to be available to us without interruption. For example, we rely on common carriers for the delivery of merchandise purchased by customers through our website and in our showrooms, and the systems we employ to communicate delivery schedules and update customers about order tracking interface with the information systems of these common carriers. Our own systems, which are customized versions of ecommerce, customer relationship management, payment processing, and inventory management software technologies deployed by numerous retailers and wholesalers in a variety of industries, must work seamlessly in order for information to flow correctly and update accurately across these systems. We and our third-party service providers have and may in the future experience periodic system interruptions from time to time. Any damage to our technology systems or website could cause interruptions to our operations that materially adversely affect our ability to meet customers' requirements, resulting in an adverse impact to our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, continued growth in our transaction volume, as well as surges in online traffic and orders associated with promotional activities and seasonal trends in our business, place additional demands on our technology platform and could cause or exacerbate slowdowns or interruptions. We have in the past and may in the future experience slowdowns or interruptions in some or all of our sites when we are updating them, and new technologies or infrastructures may not be fully integrated with existing systems on a timely basis, or at all. Additionally, periodically these systems and our website may need to be expanded, updated or upgraded as our business needs change. Our net revenue depends on the number of visitors who shop on our sites and the volume of orders we can handle. Unavailability of our sites or reduced order fulfillment performance would reduce the volume of goods sold and could also materially adversely affect consumer perception of our brand.
Through third parties that underwrite customer risk, we offer financing options in order to increase the market demand for our products among customers who may not be able to buy them using cash. The systems of these third parties must work efficiently in order to give customers real-time credit availability. Changes in the risk underwriting or technologies of these
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third parties may result in lower credit availability to our potential customers and therefore reduced sales. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, whether through a breach of our computer system or otherwise, could severely hurt our business.
Certain aspects of our business involve the receipt, storage and transmission of customers’ personal information and consumer preferences, as well as confidential information about our associates, our suppliers and our Company, some of which is entrusted to third-party service providers and vendors. Despite the security measures we have in place, our facilities and systems, and those of third parties with which we do business, have been subject to and may in the future be vulnerable to security breaches, acts of vandalism and theft, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming and/or human errors, or other similar events. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may intensify these cybersecurity risks.
An electronic security breach in our systems (or in the systems of third parties with which we do business) that results in the unauthorized release of individually identifiable information about customers or other sensitive data could occur and have a material adverse effect on our reputation, lead to substantial financial losses from remedial actions, and lead to a substantial loss of business and other liabilities, including possible punitive damages. In addition, as the regulatory environment relating to retailers and other companies’ obligation to protect such sensitive data becomes increasingly rigorous, with new and constantly changing requirements applicable to our business, compliance with those requirements could result in additional costs, and a material failure on our part to comply could subject us to fines, other regulatory sanctions and lawsuits.
A substantial portion of our business is dependent on a small number of suppliers. In some instances, our suppliers are the only source of supply, or one of a limited number of suppliers, used by the Company for materials, components or services. A material disruption or labor shortage at any of our suppliers could impede our ability to meet customer demand, manufacture or deliver our products, and reduce our sales, and/or negatively affect our financial results.
We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities and therefore depend on third-party suppliers for the manufacturing of all of our products. Moreover, a substantial portion of our business is dependent on a small number of suppliers. Sacs are currently manufactured by one manufacturer in North Carolina, which has previously experienced, and may continue to experience in the future, disruptions to its manufacturing operations. Sactionals are currently manufactured by suppliers in Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and India. If our relationship with these suppliers or the suppliers' services are disrupted, terminated or otherwise negatively impacted, we could have difficulty or incur additional costs in replacing these suppliers.
We rely on two primary logistics and transportation carriers to fulfill our last mile product delivery services. These carriers could be vulnerable to labor challenges, liquidity concerns, the impacts of global health conditions, or other factors that may result in delays in deliveries or increased costs of deliveries. Any significant delay in deliveries to our customers could cause increased order cancellations or returns and cause us to lose sales or incur increased costs. Delays in deliveries and increases in freight charges or other costs of deliveries has and could continue to harm our sales, profitability, cash flows and financial condition.
Some of our third-party suppliers experienced a shortage of qualified labor at their manufacturing facilities in certain geographies, due in part to general macroeconomic factors. A prolonged shortage of qualified labor may result in disruption, delays in deliveries or increased costs of deliveries, which could decrease our third-party suppliers' ability to effectively produce and meet our demands and efficiently operate their facilities. A prolonged labor shortage could also lead to increased labor costs from higher overtime, the need to hire temporary help to meet demand and higher wages rates in order to attract and retain employees. Any of these developments or manufacturing disruptions could materially increase our sourcing costs and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Certain of our suppliers’ manufacturing facilities, and machines within an otherwise operational facility, have previously ceased temporarily, and could in the future cease, operations unexpectedly due to a number of events, which could materially and adversely impact our business, operations and financial condition. These events include but are not limited to:
• equipment failure;
• public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
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• fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters and climate-related events;
• unscheduled maintenance outages;
• utility and transportation infrastructure disruptions;
• labor difficulties;
• other operational problems;
• war or terrorism;
• political, social or economic instability, such as any conflict that may arise between China and Taiwan; or
• financial instability or bankruptcy of any such supplier.
Further, we rely on our suppliers' representations of product quality, safety and compliance with applicable laws and standards. If our suppliers or other vendors violate our agreements, applicable laws or regulations, or implement practices regarded as unethical, unsafe, or hazardous to the environment, it could damage our reputation and negatively affect our operating results. Further, concerns regarding the safety and quality of products provided by our suppliers could cause our customers to avoid purchasing those products from us, or avoid purchasing products from us altogether, even if the basis for the concern is outside our control. As such, any issue, or perceived issue, regarding the quality and safety of any items we sell, regardless of the cause, could adversely affect our brand, reputation, operations and financial results. We are also subject to risks of fraud from our suppliers. If our suppliers violate our agreements, applicable laws or regulations, or implement fraudulent practices regarding their products, it could harm our business, reputation and brands and our operating results may be negatively affected.
We are subject to risks associated with our dependence on foreign manufacturing, suppliers and imports for our products.
Our business highly depends on global trade, as well as trade and other factors that impact the specific countries where our vendors’ production facilities are located. Our future success will depend in large part upon our ability to maintain our existing foreign vendor relationships and to develop new ones based on the requirements of our business and any changes in trade dynamics that might dictate changes in the locations for sourcing of products. While we rely on long-term relationships with many of our vendors, we have no long-term contracts with them and generally transact business with them on an order-by-order basis.
Our current suppliers operate manufacturing facilities located in Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and India. We are developing additional relationships with domestic manufacturing partners. Our reliance on international suppliers for the substantial majority of our products increases our risk of supply chain disruption. Events that have in the past and could in the future cause disruptions to our supply chain include but are not limited to, the imposition of additional trade laws or regulations; public health crises; the imposition of additional duties, tariffs and other charges on imports and exports; foreign currency fluctuations; theft; and restrictions on the transfer of funds. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could materially increase the cost and reduce or delay the supply of our products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Many of our imported products are subject to existing duties, tariffs, anti-dumping duties and quotas that may limit the quantity or affect the price of some types of goods that we import into the United States. The U.S. Government has also raised the possibility of other initiatives that may affect importation of goods including renegotiation of trade agreements with other countries and the introduction of new or increased import duties or tariffs with respect to products from a number of different countries. The U.S. has imposed or proposed the imposition of new tariffs on products imported into the U.S. from a number of countries, and could propose additional tariffs or increases to those already in place. A portion of our products have been affected by increased tariffs and may be subject to further increased tariffs. The possible implementation of a border tax or new or increased tariffs, or the uncertainty surrounding existing or invalidated tariffs and any related refund processes, could materially increase our cost of goods sold with respect to merchandise that we purchase from vendors who manufacture products outside the U.S., which could in turn require us to increase our prices and, in the event consumer demand declines as a result, negatively impact our results of operations. Furthermore, certain of our competitors may be better positioned than us to withstand or react to border taxes, tariffs or other restrictions on global trade and as a result, we may lose market share to such competitors. Due to broad uncertainty regarding the timing, content
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and extent of any regulatory changes in the U.S. or abroad, we cannot predict the impact, if any, that these changes could have to our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We also face uncertainty in the interpretation of new tariffs and their applicability, including with respect to customs valuation, product classification and country-of-origin determinations. Although we and our vendors seek to comply with applicable customs laws and regulations, the application of rules regarding new tariffs can be subject to varying interpretations or future re-interpretations. It is possible that U.S. Customs and Border Protection or other relevant authorities could, upon review or audit, disagree with the valuation, rules of origin or classification methods applied to certain merchandise. Any such disagreement could result in the retroactive assessment of additional duties with interest, the imposition of penalties, or other enforcement actions without the ability to mitigate such penalties, thereby adversely affecting our operations or financial results. In addition, recent events have resulted in substantial regulatory uncertainty regarding international trade and trade policy, both in the United States and abroad. For example, in February 2026, the Supreme Court of the U.S. issued a ruling striking down certain tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). To preserve its rights to recover such duties, we filed a complaint and a protective action with the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking a full refund of all tariffs paid under the invalidated IEEPA authorities, but the ultimate availability, timing and amount of any potential refunds of these tariffs remain uncertain. Following the Supreme Court decision, the U.S. Administration announced a new 15% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, subject to certain carveouts. At this time we cannot reasonably estimate the total financial impact of this ruling, however it, and any additional tariffs, may materially affect our future results of operations and cash flows.
Additionally, the availability of certain goods could be affected if suppliers choose to limit their exposure to U.S. markets in response to unfavorable trade policies, and we may be unable to source alternatives quickly enough to avoid interruptions in product supply. Further, these changes to tariffs or other rules related to cross border trade, could materially increase our cost of goods sold with respect to products that we purchase from vendors who manufacture products abroad, which could in turn require us to increase our prices and, in the event consumer demand declines as a result, negatively impact our financial performance. Certain of our competitors may be better positioned than us to withstand or react to these kinds of changes including border taxes, tariffs or other restrictions on global trade and as a result we may lose market share to such competitors. In addition, while we may be able to continue to expand and shift our sourcing options, such expansion is time consuming and would be difficult or impracticable for many products and may result in an increase in our manufacturing costs. Due to broad uncertainty regarding the timing, content and extent of any regulatory changes in the United States or abroad, we cannot predict the impact, if any, that these changes could have to our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reliance on suppliers in developing countries increases our risk with respect to available manufacturing infrastructure, labor and employee relations, political and economic stability, corruption, and regulatory, environmental, health and safety compliance.
Our reliance on suppliers in developing countries increases our risk with respect to infrastructure available to support manufacturing, labor and employee relations, political and economic stability, natural disasters, corruption, and regulatory, environmental, health and safety compliance. Any failure of our suppliers to comply with ethical sourcing standards or labor or other local laws in the country of manufacture, or the divergence of a supplier’s labor practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the United States, could disrupt the shipment of products, force us to locate alternative manufacturing sources, reduce demand for our products, damage our reputation and/or expose us to potential liability for their wrongdoings. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
We may not be able to achieve expected returns from additional investments in U.S. domestic manufacturing capabilities.
We have commenced efforts to support supply chain redundancy in the United States for our Sactionals product line with goals to expand our production capabilities and de-risk our exposure to the volatile international trade landscape in a cost-neutral fashion. Our efforts to identify and on-board domestic manufacturing partners may not be successful in achieving these goals for a variety of reasons, including that labor costs in the U.S. generally exceed those of the countries from which we obtain products from our overseas manufacturing partners.
As a result, it may be difficult to find manufacturing partners in the United States with capabilities and production capacity to permit us to develop this manufacturing channel on favorable terms.
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Most of our products are shipped from our suppliers by ocean vessel. If a disruption occurs in the operation of ports through which our products are imported, we may incur increased costs and suffer delays, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Most of our products are shipped from our suppliers by ocean vessel. If a disruption occurs in the operation of ports through which our products are imported, for instance, as a result of port congestion, adverse weather, terrorist attack, natural disasters or climate change, we may incur increased costs related to air freight or use of alternative ports. Shipping by air is significantly more expensive than shipping by ocean and our margins could be reduced. Shipping to alternative ports could also lead to delays in receipt of our products. We rely on third-party shipping companies to deliver our products to us. Our ability to efficiently ship products to customers has been and may be in the future negatively affected by factors beyond our and the shipping companies' control, which may include labor disputes, union organizing activity, supply chain issues, the closure of such shipping companies’ offices or a reduction in operational capacity due to an economic slowdown or the inability to sufficiently ramp up operational capacity during an economic recovery or upturn, health pandemics and epidemics, political instability, military conflict, increased fuel costs and costs associated with any regulations to address climate change, and other factors affecting the shipping industry’s capacity or ability to deliver our products to us. For example, ocean freight capacity issues increased during the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in greater demand for shipping and reduced capacity and equipment, which resulted in increases in shipping container rates. As a result, our inventory levels were adversely impacted and resulted in elevated, and sometimes lengthy, customer backorders. While the pandemic-era disruptions have largely subsided, if in the future there are transportation delays, increases on costs of shipping containers, more extensive travel restrictions, closures or disruptions of businesses and facilities or social, economic, political or labor instability in the affected areas, as a result of pandemics or otherwise, these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Additionally, a port fee implemented by the U.S. on Chinese-operated and built vessels restricts a percentage of U.S. products from being transported on non-U.S. vessels, which could have the potential to dramatically impact shipping capacity and costs. Furthermore, retaliatory measures from China or other nations could further compound disruptions and cost increases within the global shipping industry. This fee, or other similar fees, could result in a significant increase in our shipping costs, cause inventory disruptions and have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial results.
Additionally, we cannot guarantee that products we receive from suppliers will be of sufficient quality or free from damage, or that such products will not be damaged during shipping, while stored in one of our distribution facilities, or when returned by customers. While we take measures to ensure the products' quality and avoid damage, including evaluating supplier product samples, conducting inventory inspections and inspecting returned products, we cannot control the products while it is out of our possession or prevent all damage while in our distribution facilities.
Increases in the demand for, or the price of, raw materials used to manufacture our products or other fluctuations in sourcing or distribution costs could increase our costs and negatively impact our gross margin.
Our gross margin depends, in part, on our ability to mitigate rising costs or shortages of raw materials used to manufacture our products. Raw materials used to manufacture our products are subject to availability constraints and price volatility impacted by a number of factors, including supply and demand for fabrics, steel and metal components, and electronic components, weather, government regulations, economic conditions, economic and political instability, and other unpredictable factors. In addition, our sourcing costs may fluctuate due to labor conditions, transportation or freight costs, energy prices, currency fluctuations, tariffs and trade restrictions, public health crises, or other unpredictable factors. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could increase our costs, delay or reduce the availability of our products and negatively impact our gross margin. For example, members of the U.S. Government have called for substantial changes to tax policies, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs or trade restrictions. The U.S. Government has also raised the possibility of other initiatives that may affect importation of goods including renegotiation of trade agreements with other countries and the introduction of new or increased import duties or tariffs with respect to products from a number of different countries. The U.S. has imposed or proposed the imposition of new tariffs on products imported into the U.S. from a number of countries. If maintained, these and other newly announced tariffs and the potential escalation of trade disputes could increase price and supply pressures.
Although we instituted measures to ensure our supply chain remains open to us, we have in the past, and may in the future continue to, experience raw material supply chain challenges related to suppliers negatively impacted by macroeconomic factors and shipping delays. These global supply chain challenges could continue or reoccur in the future and in turn materially adversely impact our manufacturing production and fulfillment of backlog. While we strive to maintain multiple sources for our raw materials, the impact of certain other macroeconomic conditions on raw materials and increased demand on our supply chain, could again cause additional pricing and availability pressures. Higher raw material prices and costs of sourced products could have an adverse effect on our future margins. We expect raw material prices to remain
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at historically high levels in many categories during fiscal 2027 due to price inflation and increased tariffs in certain raw materials and global supply chain complexities. Macroeconomic factors, such as inflation, will continue to introduce uncertainty into many markets, especially with respect to freight and labor availability. To the extent that we experience incremental costs in any of these areas, we may increase our selling prices or assess material surcharges to offset the impact. However, increases in selling prices, or surcharges, may not fully mitigate the impact of raw material cost increases which would adversely impact operating income.
Our inability to manage our inventory levels and products, including with respect to our omni-channel operations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in lower than planned financial performance. We may be required to mark down certain products to sell any excess inventory or to sell such inventory through liquidation channels at prices that are significantly lower than our retail prices, any of which would negatively impact our business and operating results. Alternatively, if we underestimate demand for our products, we may experience inventory shortages resulting in delays in fulfilling customer demands and replenishing to appropriate inventory levels, missed sales and lost revenues. We may not always be able to respond quickly and effectively to changes in consumer taste and demand due to the amount of time and financial resources that may be required to bring new products to market or to constraints in our supply chain if our vendors do not have the capacity to handle elevated levels of demand for part or all of our orders or could experience delays in production for our products. Much of our merchandise requires that we provide vendors with significant ordering lead times and we may not be able to source sufficient inventory if demand for a product is greater than anticipated. Continued or lengthy delays in fulfilling customer demand could cause our customers to shop with our competitors instead of us, which could harm our business. Either of these events could significantly affect our operating results and brand image and loyalty.
We are required to make substantial lease payments under our leases, and any failure to make these lease payments when due would likely harm our business. In addition, many of our leases contain use restrictions that may limit our ability to introduce new products or relocation clauses that allow the landlord to move the location of our showrooms. As our leases expire, we may be unable to negotiate acceptable renewals.
We do not own any of our showrooms. Instead, we rent all of our showroom spaces pursuant to leases. Nearly all of our leases require a fixed annual rent, and many of them require the payment of additional rent if showroom sales exceed a negotiated amount. Most of our leases are “net” leases that require us to pay all costs of insurance, maintenance and utilities, as well as applicable taxes.
Our required payments under these leases are substantial and account for a significant portion of our selling, general and administrative expenses. We expect that any new showrooms we open will also be leased, which will further increase our lease expenses and require significant capital expenditures. We depend on cash flow from operations to pay our lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities, and sufficient funds are not otherwise available to us from other sources, we may not be able to service our substantial lease expenses, which would harm our business.
Our substantial lease obligations could have significant negative consequences, including, among others:
• increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
• limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;
• requiring a substantial portion of our available cash to pay our rental obligations, reducing cash available for other purposes;
• limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business or in the industry in which we compete; and
• placing us at a disadvantage with respect to some of our competitors who sell their products exclusively online.
Moreover, our showroom leases are generally long term and non-cancelable, and we generally expect future showrooms to be subject to similar long term, non-cancelable leases. If an existing or future showroom is not profitable, and we decide to close it, we may nonetheless be required to perform our obligations under the applicable lease including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term if we cannot negotiate a mutually acceptable termination payment.
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Many of our leases contain use clauses that restrict the types of products we may offer at specific locations. These provisions may limit our operations to particular categories of merchandise or restrict us from entering the market for new rooms of furniture or offering certain types of merchandise without landlord consent, which such consent may be withheld, conditioned or delayed. If we are unable to timely obtain landlord consent to expand into new rooms or categories or modify our merchandise offerings, we may be prevented from capitalizing on new revenue opportunities, implementing strategic initiatives, or optimizing our product assortment. In addition, any required negotiations with landlords could result in increased costs, lease amendments on less favorable terms, or operational disruptions.
Many of our leases also include relocation clauses that allow the landlord to move the location of our showrooms. If any of our showrooms are relocated, there can be no assurance that the new location will experience the same levels of customer traffic or success that the prior location experienced. In addition, as our leases expire, we may fail to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms or at all, which could cause us to close showrooms in desirable locations. We may also be unable to enter into new leases on terms acceptable to us or in desirable locations. If any of the foregoing occur, our business, sales and results of operations may be harmed.
Our business depends on effective marketing and increased customer traffic, and the failure to effectively develop and expand our sales and marketing capabilities could harm our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our e-commerce and our omnichannel approach for shopping.
We rely on a variety of marketing strategies to compete for customers and increase sales. If our competitors increase their spending on marketing, if our marketing is less effective than that of our competitors, or if we do not adequately leverage the technology and data analytics needed to generate concise competitive insight, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be adversely affected. We use digital advertising to drive sales and traffic to our e-commerce sites. As a result, if the online market for our products does not continue to gain acceptance, a significant portion of our business may suffer. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to attract consumers who have historically purchased furniture through traditional retailers. Furthermore, we may have to incur significantly higher and more sustained advertising and promotional expenditures in order to attract additional online consumers to our sites and convert them into purchasing customers online. We market our products globally through a range of advertising and promotional programs and campaigns, including social media. Customer response to our advertisements depends on merchandise assortment, availability and creative presentation, as well as the general retail sales environment, current domestic and global economic conditions and competition. If we do not successfully market our products or invest in the right campaigns or promotions for the right products at the right time, the lack of success or increased costs of promotional programs could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our increased use of social media poses reputational risks.
As use of social media becomes more prevalent, our susceptibility to risks related to social media increases. The immediacy of social media precludes us from having real-time control over postings made regarding us via social media, whether matters of fact or opinion. Information distributed via social media could result in immediate unfavorable publicity we may not be able to reverse. Our ability to prevent Internet publication of false or misleading information regarding our products or the Company is limited. We rely in part upon third parties, such as social media influencers, to market its brand, and are unable to fully control their efforts. Influencers with whom we maintain a relationship could engage in behavior or use their platforms to communicate directly with our customers in a manner that reflects poorly on our brand, and these communications may be attributed to us or otherwise adversely affect us. It is not possible to prevent such behavior, and the precautions we take to prevent or detect this activity may not be effective. This unfavorable publicity could result in damage to our reputation and therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Our efforts to launch new products may not be successful.
We plan to continue to expand our product line in the future. We may not be able to develop products which are attractive to our customers, and our costs to develop new products may be significant. It may take longer than we might expect for a product, even if ultimately successful, to achieve attractive sales results. We incur significant research and development and other expenditures in the pursuit of improvements and additions to our product line. The success of new product introductions depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, timely and successful research and development, pricing, market and consumer acceptance, the ability to successfully identify and originate product trends, effective forecasting and management of product demand, purchase commitments and inventory levels, availability of products in appropriate quantities to meet anticipated demand, ability to obtain timely and adequate delivery of components for our new products from third-party suppliers, management of any changes in major component suppliers, management of
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manufacturing and supply costs, management of risks and delays associated with new product design and production ramp-up issues, logistics, and the risk that new products may have quality issues or other defects or bugs in the early stages of introduction including testing of new parts and features. Failure to successfully develop or market new products or delays in the development of new products could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and business.
Our ability to attract customers to our showrooms depends heavily on successfully locating our showrooms in suitable locations. Any impairment of a showroom location, including any decrease in customer traffic, could cause our sales to be lower than expected.
We plan to open new showrooms in high traffic urban and suburban locations and historically we have favored top tier mall locations near luxury and contemporary retailers that we believe are consistent with our key customers’ demographics and shopping preferences. Our site selection has evolved to include lifestyle and strip shopping centers. Sales at these showrooms are derived, in part, from the volume of foot traffic in these locations. Showroom locations may become unsuitable due to, and our sales volume and customer traffic generally may be harmed by, among other things:
• economic downturns in a particular area;
• competition from nearby retailers selling similar products;
• changing consumer demographics in a particular market;
• changing preferences of consumers in a particular market;
• the closing or decline in popularity of other businesses located near our store;
• reduced customer foot traffic outside a showroom location; and
• store impairments due to acts of God, climate-related events, pandemic, terrorism, protest or periods or civil unrest.
Even if a showroom location becomes unsuitable, we will generally be unable to cancel the long-term lease associated with such showroom.
We may be unable to successfully open and operate new showrooms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
As of February 1, 2026, we had 278 showrooms. Our growth strategy relies in part on our ability to increase our showroom base. There can be no assurance that we will succeed in opening additional showrooms. If we are unable to successfully open and operate new showrooms, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Our ability to successfully open and operate new showrooms depends on many factors, including, among other things, our ability to:
• identify new markets where our products and brand image will be accepted or the performance of our showrooms will be successful;
• find available and suitable showroom locations that align with our consumer location strategy;
• obtain labor and materials required to construct our showrooms that can achieve capital payback requirements;
• obtain desired locations, including showroom size and adjacency, in targeted high traffic street and urban locations and top tier malls;
• adapt our showrooms to address public health crises;
• negotiate acceptable lease terms, including desired rent and tenant improvement allowances;
• achieve brand awareness, affinity and purchaser intent in new markets;
• manage capital expenditures while designing new showrooms and remodeling our existing showrooms;
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• hire, train and retain showroom associates and field management;
• assimilate new showroom associates and field management into our corporate culture;
• source and supply sufficient inventory levels;
• employ the technologies needed to service a customer and complete a transaction;
• successfully integrate new showrooms into our existing operations and information technology systems; and
• have the capital necessary to fund new showrooms.
In addition, new showroom openings may negatively impact our financial results due to the effect of opening costs and lower sales during the initial period following opening. New showrooms, particularly those in new markets, build their brand recognition and customer base over time and, as a result, may have lower margins and incur higher operating expenses. Unavailability of desired showroom locations, delays in the acquisition or opening of new showrooms, delays or costs resulting from a decrease in commercial development due to capital restraints, difficulties in staffing and operating new showroom locations or a lack of customer acceptance of showrooms in new market areas may negatively impact our new showroom growth and the costs or the profitability associated with new showrooms. While we are seeking to mitigate some of the risks related to our mall-based showrooms by opening high traffic street and lifestyle center-based showrooms and continuing to build our online sales, there can be no assurance that this strategy will be successful or lead to greater sales.
As we expand our showroom base and expend capital remodeling our existing showrooms, we may not be able to achieve the showroom sales growth rates that we have achieved in the past and there is no guarantee that this will result in incremental showroom traffic or sales, which could cause our share price to decline.
As we expand our showroom base, we may not be able to achieve the showroom sales growth rates that we have achieved historically. If our showroom sales growth rates decline or fail to meet market expectations, our financial results could be impacted and the value of our common stock could decline. While our focus is to continue the expansion of our showrooms, this may result in the closure of underperforming showroom locations or locations with declining profitability in order to pursue more productive opportunities that are in line with our real estate strategy. The closure of these showrooms and transition to new showroom locations as part of our strategy may impact our sales and productivity.
In addition, the results of operations of our showroom locations have fluctuated in the past and can be expected to continue to fluctuate in the future. A variety of factors affect showroom sales, including, among others, consumer spending patterns, fashion trends, competition, current economic conditions, pricing, inflation, the timing of the release of new merchandise and promotional events, changes in our product assortment, the success of marketing programs, weather conditions and public health crises. If we misjudge the market for our products, we may have excess inventory of some of our products and miss opportunities for other products. These factors may cause our showroom sales results in the future to be materially lower than recent periods or our expectations, which could harm our results of operations and result in a decline in the price of our common stock.
We intend to continue remodeling our existing showroom base to reflect our new showroom design, and we intend to expend capital doing so. Our new showroom concept is designed to increase customer traffic and sales by emphasizing our unique product platform and using experiential technology. However, there is no guarantee that the capital spent on these remodeled showrooms will result in increased showroom traffic or increased sales.
Our inability to successfully optimize our omni-channel operations and maintain a relevant and reliable omni-channel experience for our customers could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy and our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Growing our business through our omni-channel operations is key to our growth strategy. Our goal is to offer our customers seamless access to our products across our channels, and our success depends on our ability to anticipate and implement innovations in sales and marketing strategies to appeal to existing and potential customers who increasingly rely on multiple channels, such as ecommerce, to meet their shopping needs. However, our omni-channel operations create additional complexities in our ability to manage inventory levels, as well as certain operational issues, including timely shipping and returns. Accordingly, our success depends to a large degree on continually evolving the processes and technology that enable us to plan and manage inventory levels and fulfill orders, address any related operational issues and further align channels to optimize our omni-channel operations. Additionally, while we interact with many of our
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customers through our showrooms, our customers are increasingly using computers, tablets and smartphones to make purchases online and to help them make purchasing decisions when in our showrooms. Our customers also engage with us online through our social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram, by providing feedback and public commentary about aspects of our business. Failure to enhance our technology and marketing efforts to align with our customers’ developing shopping preferences could significantly impair our ability to meet our strategic business and financial goals. Moreover, if we do not successfully optimize our omni-channel operations, or if they do not achieve their intended objectives, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Purchasers of furniture may choose not to shop online, which could affect the growth of our business.
The online market for furniture is less developed than the online market for apparel, consumer electronics and other consumer products in the United States. While we believe this market is growing, it still accounts for a relatively smaller percentage of the market as a whole. We are relying on online sales for our continued success and growth. If the online market for furniture does not continue to gain wider acceptance, our growth and business may suffer.
In addition, our success in the online market will depend, in part, on our ability to attract consumers who have historically purchased furniture through traditional retailers. We may have to incur significantly higher and more sustained advertising and promotional expenditures in order to attract additional online consumers to our website and convert them into purchasing customers. Specific factors that could impact consumers’ willingness to purchase furniture from us online include:
• concerns about buying products, and in particular larger products, with a limited physical storefront, face-to-face interaction with sales personnel and the ability to physically examine products;
• delivery time associated with online orders;
• actual or perceived lack of security of online transactions and concerns regarding the privacy of personal information;
• delayed shipments or shipments of incorrect or damaged products
• inconvenience associated with returning or exchanging items purchased online;
• usability, functionality and features of our website; and
• our reputation and brand strength.
If the online shopping experience we provide does not appeal to consumers or meet the expectations of existing customers, we may not acquire new customers at rates consistent with historical periods, and existing customers’ buying patterns may not be consistent with historical buying patterns. If either of these events occur, our business, sales and results of operations may be harmed.
We depend on our ecommerce business and failure to successfully manage this business and deliver a seamless omni-channel shopping experience to our customers could have an adverse effect on our growth strategy, business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Sales through our ecommerce channel account for a significant portion of our revenues. Our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects are dependent on maintaining our ecommerce business. Dependence on our ecommerce business and the continued growth of our direct and retail channels subjects us to certain risks, including:
• the failure to successfully implement new systems, system enhancements and Internet platforms;
• the failure of our technology infrastructure or the computer systems that operate our website and their related support systems, causing, among other things, website downtimes, telecommunications issues or other technical failures;
• the reliance on third-party computer hardware/software providers;
• rapid technological change, including as a result of artificial intelligence;
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• liability for online content;
• violations of federal, state, foreign or other applicable laws, including those relating to data protection;
• credit card fraud;
• cyber security and vulnerability to electronic break-ins and other similar disruptions; and
• diversion of traffic and sales from our stores.
Our failure to successfully address and respond to these risks and uncertainties could negatively impact sales, increase costs, diminish our growth prospects and damage the reputation of our brand, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Seasonal trends in our business create variability in our financial and operating results and place increased strain on our operations.
Historically, we have experienced surges in online traffic and orders associated with promotional activities and seasonal trends. This activity may place additional demands on our technology systems and logistics network and could cause or exacerbate slowdowns or interruptions. Any such system, site or service interruptions could prevent us from efficiently receiving or fulfilling orders, which may reduce the volume or quality of goods we sell and may cause customer dissatisfaction and harm our reputation and brand.
Climate change or measures to address climate change can negatively affect our business or damage our reputation .
Climate change related events, including increased frequency or severity of natural disasters and other extreme weather conditions (including fluctuations in temperatures, water availability, floods, wildfires and resultant air quality impacts, other unusual or prolonged adverse weather patterns and power shutoffs associated with these events) and their impact on critical infrastructure, could pose risks to our supplier facilities, impair our production capabilities, and disrupt our supply chain. Climate change may also have a negative effect on the pricing and availability of wood sourced and used in the manufacture of our products. In addition, the impacts of climate change may alter customer preferences toward increased demand for climate-friendly products, resulting in a potential loss in market share if we fail to meet this demand. We have elected to set and publicly share corporate sustainability metrics related to reducing our impact on the environment. These statements reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them. Any failure to achieve or properly report on the targets set forth in our ESG Report, or any perception of failure to act responsibly in the areas in which we report, may harm our reputation with investors, customers and other third parties. This damage to our reputation may result in reduced demand for our products or increase the risk of litigation, all of which can negatively affect our business and operations.
Significant merchandise returns could harm our business.
We allow our customers to return products, subject to our return policy. If customer returns are significant, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be harmed. Further, we modify our policies relating to returns from time to time, which may result in customer dissatisfaction or an increase in the number of product returns.
We are subject to risks related to online payment methods.
We accept payment using a variety of methods, including credit card, debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Affirm and gift cards. As we offer new payment options to consumers, we may become subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements and fraud. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and increase our operating costs and we may be unable to pass through these costs to consumers. We are also subject to payment card association operating rules and certification requirements, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply.
As our business changes, we may also be subject to different rules under existing standards, which may require new assessments that involve costs above what we currently pay for compliance. If we fail to comply with the rules or requirements of any provider of a payment method we accept, if the volume of fraud in our transactions limits or terminates our rights to use payment methods we currently accept, or if a data breach occurs relating to our payment systems, we may, among other things, be subject to fines or higher transaction fees and may lose, or have restrictions placed upon, our ability
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to accept credit card and debit card payments from consumers or our ability to facilitate other types of online payments. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, which may result in a shift to other payment types or potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs. If any of these events were to occur, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, we occasionally receive orders placed with fraudulent credit card data. We may suffer losses as a result of orders placed with fraudulent credit card data even if the associated financial institution approved payment of the orders. Under current credit card practices, we may be liable for fraudulent credit card transactions. Our failure to adequately prevent fraudulent transactions could damage our reputation, result in litigation or regulatory action and lead to expenses that could harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Financial Risks
Our ability to raise capital in the future may be limited. Our inability to raise capital when needed could prevent us from growing and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
If we experience insufficient cash flow from operations to support our operating and capital needs, we will be required to raise additional capital through public or private financing or other arrangements. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. We may sell common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities and other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in such a manner as we may determine from time to time. If we sell any such equity securities in subsequent transactions, investors may be materially diluted. Concerns over the economic impact of fluctuating inflation and interest rates, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs, decreased consumer confidence in the economy and armed hostilities, have caused extreme volatility in financial and capital markets, which has adversely impacted our stock price and may materially adversely affect our ability to access capital markets. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and could reduce, among other things, our operational flexibility. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able to grow our business or respond to competitive pressures. In addition, debt financings may be blocked by our senior lender that provides an asset-backed revolving credit facility to fund our inventory purchases in advance of customer sales. Our lender has, and any subsequent senior lender likely will have, the right to consent to any new debt financing. There can be no assurance that our lender will provide such consent. Our inability to raise capital when needed could prevent us from growing and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
We previously identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that resulted in a restatement of our financial statements. Although these weaknesses have been remediated, if we experience additional material weaknesses or other deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, prevent fraud or file our periodic reports in a timely manner, which may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may lead to a decline in our stock price.
We are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal control. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“Section 404”) requires that we furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment requires disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm also needs to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, is designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations.
Our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting have in the past been subject to deficiencies and material weaknesses which resulted in the restatement of our financial statements, and we cannot assure you that additional material weaknesses will not arise in the future. If other material weaknesses or other deficiencies arise in the future or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion or expresses a qualified or adverse opinion about the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our future financial results, which could cause our future financial results to be materially misstated and require additional restatement. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements. We may also have difficulty accessing capital on favorable terms, or at all, be subject to fines, penalties or judgments, and incur reputational harm
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which may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and our stock price may decline as a result.
Additionally, we have in the past experienced high employee turnover in our accounting department which has resulted in significant time and expense relating to identifying, recruiting, hiring, relocating and integrating qualified individuals. High employee turnover of key personnel may deplete our institutional knowledge base, erode our competitiveness and impact our internal controls and our financial reporting. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, or any measures we may take in the future, will be sufficient to prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses. Our failure to maintain the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or if we experience difficulties in their implementation, our business and operating results could be harmed, and we could fail to meet our financial and other reporting obligations.
We face risks related to the restatement of our previously issued financial statements and the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
As previously disclosed, we reached a determination to restate our financial statements as of and for the year ended January 29, 2023, and the unaudited condensed quarterly financial information for the quarterly periods ended April 30, 2023, October 30, 2022, July 31, 2022 and May 1, 2022. As a result, we voluntarily self-reported to the SEC information concerning the internal investigation of these accounting matters. As a result of self-reporting, the Company was the subject of a non-public investigation by the SEC. The Company cooperated fully with the SEC in its investigation, and on October 29, 2024, the Company agreed to a settlement to resolve the claims against it. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, we agreed to the entry of a final judgment ordering us to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty and imposing a permanent injunction against future violations of Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the associated rules thereunder. As a result of the restatements, we have become subject to a number of additional risks and uncertainties, which may affect investor confidence in the accuracy of our financial disclosures and may raise reputational issues for our business. Specifically, we were involved in a putative securities class action that was filed against us and certain of our current and former officers, which we have settled. We were also involved in certain putative shareholder derivative actions filed on behalf of the Company against certain of its current and former officers and directors, which have concluded. We may in the future be subject to additional litigation or other disputes, which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the restatement. We cannot assure that all of the risks and challenges described above will be eliminated or that general reputational harm will not persist. If one or more of the foregoing risks or challenges persist, our business, operations and financial condition are likely to be materially and adversely affected.
We may be unable to accurately forecast our operating results and growth rate, which may adversely affect our reported results and stock price.
We may not be able to accurately forecast our operating results and growth rate. We use a variety of factors in our forecasting and planning processes, including historical results, recent history and assessments of economic and market conditions. Our growth rates may not be sustainable, and our growth depends on the continued growth of demand for the products we offer. Lower demand caused by changes in customer preferences, a weakening of the economy or other factors may result in decreased revenues or growth. Furthermore, many of our expenses and investments are fixed, and we may not be able to adjust our spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected shortfall in our operating results. Failure to accurately forecast our operating results and growth rate could cause our actual results to be materially lower than anticipated. If our growth rate declines as a result, investors’ perceptions of our business may be adversely affected, and the market price of our common stock could decline.
We may not be able to fully utilize our media credits if our third-party vendor ceases operations or if there are significant changes to our marketing strategy before the credits expire.
The Company recognizes an asset for media credits obtained through barter transactions with a third-party vendor. We utilize these marketing credits as a percentage of certain advertising costs. If our third-party experiences a material adverse effect on their business, they may be unable to offer the level of advertising needed to fully utilize our remaining credits. If our business or the broader macroeconomic environment experiences a material change to advertising or marketing strategies, we may be unable to fully utilize our credits prior to expiration. If we determine through evaluation that we may not be able to fully utilize our remaining credits, the Company may be required to impair the remaining credits, and that impairment could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.
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Legal, Tax and Regulatory Risks
A significant disruption in, or breach in security of, our information technology systems or violations of data protection laws could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
In the ordinary course of business, we electronically collect, use and store confidential information, including proprietary business information belonging to us, our customers, suppliers, business partners and other third parties and personally identifiable information of our associates. We rely on information technology systems to protect this information and to keep financial records, process orders, manage inventory, coordinate shipments to customers, and operate other critical functions. There can be no assurance that the precautions of our partners, vendors, and other third parties on which we rely will be adequate to prevent significant damage, system failure or data loss. These precautions may change over time as laws and regulations regarding data privacy, security and protection of information change. Our information technology systems may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to power outages, hardware failures, telecommunication failures and user errors. In addition, our remote hybrid working environment may exacerbate these and other operational risks. If we experience a disruption in our information technology systems, whether due to human error or misconduct, system errors or vulnerabilities in our or our third party service providers' products, systems or solutions, it could result in the loss of sales and customers and significant incremental costs, which could materially adversely affect our business.
We have been and may in the future be subject to security breaches caused by computer viruses and other malicious codes, malware, ransomware, phishing and other unauthorized access attempts, social engineering, denial-of-service attacks, illegal break-ins or hacking, sabotage, acts of vandalism by disgruntled associates or third parties, and other means of unauthorized access. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Additionally, because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to systems and networks are increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolving, we may not be able to anticipate, detect, or prevent all attacks until after they have already been launched. For example, as artificial intelligence continues to evolve, cyber-attackers could also use artificial intelligence to develop malicious code and sophisticated phishing attempts. Our information technology network and systems have been and, we believe, continue to be under constant attack. Accordingly, despite our security measures or those of our third-party service providers, a security breach may occur, including breaches that we may not be able to detect. A breach of our or our third party service providers' information technology systems that results in the unauthorized release of confidential information could adversely affect our reputation, leading to a loss of our existing customers and potential future customers, cause financial losses due to remedial actions or potential liability, including punitive damages and regulatory fines or penalties, and materially increase the costs we incur to protect against these risks, including costs associated with insurance coverage and potential remediation measures. In addition, we have a large remote workforce and have implemented security and other policies to govern this population of associates. Although we continue to implement strong physical and cybersecurity measures to ensure that our business operations remain functional and to ensure uninterrupted service to our customers, our systems and our operations remain vulnerable to cyberattacks and other disruptions due to the fact that a significant portion of our employees work remotely, and we cannot be certain that our mitigation efforts will be effective.
Failure to comply with personal data protection and privacy laws, and other laws and regulations applicable to our business, can adversely affect our business.
We are subject to a variety of continuously evolving and developing laws and regulations in numerous state, federal and foreign jurisdictions regarding personal data protection and privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, which was significantly modified by the California Privacy Rights Act, new privacy legislation passed in an increasing number of states, as well as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation and China's Personal Information Protection Act. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations or to otherwise protect personal data from unauthorized access, use or other processing, could result in litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or investigations, damage to our reputation, fines or penalties, all of which can adversely affect our business.
Our handling of data is subject to a variety of laws and regulations, including regulation by various government agencies, including the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and various state, local and foreign regulators, and agencies. Our agreements with certain customers and business partners may also subject us to certain requirements related to our processing of personal information, including obligations to use industry-standard or reasonable security measures to safeguard personal information. We also expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws, regulations and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection and information security in the United States, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and we cannot yet determine always predict the impact of such future laws, regulations, and standards may
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have on our business. We expect that existing laws, regulations, and standards may even be interpreted differently or inconsistently relative to each other in the future.
We are also subject to numerous laws and regulations including those relating to the production, sale, marketing, labeling, content, safety and distribution of our products, anti-corruption (such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), employment and occupational health and safety, and environmental, social and governance matters and reporting, among others. Compliance with these laws and regulations is costly and complex given the nature of our business, our reliance on third party suppliers in foreign countries and our exposure to the laws of those countries, and the frequent adoption of new laws and regulations. Failure to comply with such laws or regulations can subject us to criminal or civil investigations or enforcement actions, fines, penalties, injunctions or restrictions, all of which can adversely affect our business.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights.
We regard our customer and prospect lists, trademarks, domain names, copyrights, patents and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark, copyright and patent law, trade secret protection, agreements and other methods with our associates and others to protect our proprietary rights. We might not be able to obtain protection in the United States or internationally for our intellectual property, and we might not be able to obtain effective intellectual property protection in countries in which we may in the future sell products. If we are unable to obtain such protection, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects may be harmed. Additionally, associates, contractors or consultants may misappropriate or disclose our confidential information or intellectual property and agreements with those persons may not exist, may not cover the information or intellectual property in question, or may not be enforceable, all of which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects for the future.
The protection of our intellectual property rights may require the expenditure of significant financial, managerial and operational resources. Notwithstanding such expenditures, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may not adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from infringing, misappropriating or disclosing confidential information or intellectual property. The validity, enforceability and infringement of our patents, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights may be challenged by others in litigation or through administrative process, and we may not prevail in such disputes. Additionally, because the process of obtaining patent and trademark protection is expensive and time-consuming, we may not be able to prosecute all necessary or desirable patent and trademark applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner, and such applications may never be granted. Even if such applications issue as patents and trademarks, there can be no assurance that these patents and trademarks will adequately protect our intellectual property, as the legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights are uncertain. If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects may be harmed.
We also might be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our intellectual property rights. We may not be able to discover or determine the extent of any infringement, misappropriation, disclosure or other violation of our intellectual property rights, confidential information or other proprietary rights. We may initiate claims or litigation against others for infringement, misappropriation or violation of our intellectual property rights, confidential information or other proprietary rights or to establish the validity of such rights. Despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties, former associates, consultants or independent contractors from infringing upon, misappropriating, disclosing or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights, confidential information and other proprietary rights. In addition, initiating claims or litigation against others for infringement, misappropriation, disclosure or violation of our intellectual property rights, confidential information or proprietary rights will be expensive, and may be prohibitively expensive. Any litigation or other dispute resolution mechanism, whether or not it is resolved in our favor, could result in significant expense to us and divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel, which may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
For example, we rely on trademark registrations and common law trademark rights to protect the distinctiveness of our brand. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the actions we have taken to establish and protect our trademarks will be adequate to prevent counterfeiting or infringement of our trademarks by others. Further, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect the use of unregistered trademarks to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. As a result, international protection of our brand image may be limited, and our right to use our trademarks outside the United States could be impaired. Other persons or entities may have rights to trademarks that contain portions of our marks or may have registered similar or competing marks for furniture and/or accessories in foreign countries where our products are manufactured. There may also be other prior registrations of trademarks identical or similar to our trademarks in other foreign countries of which we are not aware. Accordingly, it may be possible for others to prevent the manufacture of our branded merchandise in certain foreign countries or the sale or exportation of our branded merchandise from certain
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foreign countries to the United States. If we were unable to reach a licensing arrangement with these parties, we might be unable to manufacture our products in those countries. Our inability to register our trademarks or purchase or license the right to use the relevant trademarks or logos in these jurisdictions could limit our ability to manufacture our products in less costly markets or penetrate new markets in jurisdictions outside the United States. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business.
Evolving government regulations and investor expectations on environmental, social and governance factors may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.
There is uncertainty regarding potential laws, regulations and policies related to global environmental sustainability matters, climate change laws and regulations, including disclosure obligations and reporting on such matters. Changes in the legal or regulatory environment affecting ESG and sustainability disclosure, responsible sourcing, supply chain transparency, or environmental protection, among others, including regulations to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, to discourage the use of plastic or to limit or to impose additional costs on commercial water use may result in increased compliance costs for us and our business partners, all of which may negatively impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The expectations related to ESG and sustainability matters are rapidly evolving, and from time to time, we announce certain initiatives and goals, related to these matters. We could fail, or be perceived to fail to act responsibly, in our efforts, or we could fail in accurately reporting our progress on such initiatives and goals.
We may be subject to product liability claims if people or property are harmed by the products we sell.
We have not had any significant product liability claims to date. We place a high priority on designing our products to be safe for consumers and safety test our products in third-party laboratories. Still, the products we sell or have manufactured may expose us to product liability claims, litigation and regulatory action relating to personal injury, death and environmental or property damage. Some of our agreements with our suppliers and international manufacturers may not indemnify us from product liability for a particular supplier’s or international manufacturer’s products, or our suppliers or international manufacturers may not have sufficient resources or insurance to satisfy their indemnity and defense obligations. Although we maintain liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all. Any product liability claims asserted against us could, among other things, harm our reputation, damage our brand, cause us to incur significant costs, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Product warranty claims could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We provide a lifetime warranty on the hard insert pieces of our Sactionals and the soft insert pieces of our Sacs and a limited warranty on our StealthTech components and covers which, if deficient, could lead to warranty claims. The Company maintains a reserve for warranty claims. However, there can be no assurance that our reserve for warranty claims will be adequate or additional warranty reserves will not be required due to failures in the technology in our StealthTech components or reduced warranty reserves may be required. Material warranty claims could, among other things, harm our reputation and damage our brand, cause us to incur significant repair and/or replacement costs, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Product recalls and other claims could affect our financial position and results of operations.
As a retailer of consumer products, we could be required to repurchase or recall one or more of our products if they are found to not meet quality or safety standards or be defective. A repurchase or recall of our products could be costly to us and could damage the reputation of our brands. If we were required to remove, or voluntarily remove our products from the market, our reputation could be impaired and our ability to sell affected inventory could be challenged. As a result, product recalls could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are and may in the future be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
We are involved in and may in the future be subject to litigation or other disputes, which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the restatements, market price volatility or other factors. The outcome of any such litigation is uncertain. Additionally, the market price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. As a result, we may be the target of securities class action litigation in the future. The defense or settlement of this litigation and any future litigation could be time-consuming and
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expensive, divert the attention of management away from our business, and, if any litigation is adversely resolved against us, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Any additional regulatory consequences, litigation, claim or dispute, whether successful or not, could subject us to additional costs, divert the attention of our management, or impair our reputation. Each of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover litigation or other claims asserted against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.
We are subject to the risk of litigation from time to time, including relating to claims involving the federal and state securities laws, product liability claims, wage and hour claims, and pricing-related claims. Our insurance coverage may be insufficient to fully cover any such claims that may be asserted against us. Certain types of claims may not be covered by our insurance policies, may be subject to significant exclusions or limitations, or may exceed applicable policy limits, potentially exposing us to substantial cash exposure upon settlement or judgment. In addition, our insurers may deny coverage for certain claims, assert that exclusions apply, or become insolvent or otherwise unable to satisfy their coverage obligations. We may also be required to incur substantial deductibles or self-insured retentions before insurance coverage applies. Even where insurance coverage is available, we may incur significant legal fees and other costs in defending claims that are not fully reimbursed by insurance. If we are required to pay substantial amounts in connection with litigation or other claims that are not covered by insurance, or that exceed our coverage limits, such payments could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations.
Furthermore, we may be unable to obtain certain types or levels of commercial insurance at acceptable rates or on commercially reasonable terms, and in some cases coverage may be unavailable entirely. As a result, we may elect to self‑insure for certain exposures, and if we experience a significant loss that exceeds our insurance coverage or our self‑insurance reserves, our expenses could increase and our business, financial condition, and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
Government regulation of the Internet and ecommerce is evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by us to comply with these regulations could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet and ecommerce. Existing and future regulations and laws could impede the growth of the Internet, ecommerce or mobile commerce. These regulations and laws may involve taxes, tariffs, privacy and data security, anti-spam, consumer credit offerings, content protection, electronic contracts and communications (such as “do not call/mail” and text messaging requirements), consumer protection, use of artificial intelligence, Internet neutrality and gift cards. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, sales and other taxes and consumer privacy apply to the Internet as the vast majority of these laws were adopted prior to the advent of the Internet and do not contemplate or address the unique issues raised by the Internet or ecommerce. It is possible that general business regulations and laws, or those specifically governing the Internet or ecommerce, may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Additionally, we are subject to various federal, state and local consumer protection, pricing transparency and false advertising laws that regulate retailers and govern the marketing, advertising, promotion and sale of merchandise, including California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
Though we seek at all times to be in full compliance with all such laws, we cannot be sure that our practices have complied, comply or will comply fully with all such laws and regulations. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with any of these laws or regulations could result in damage to our reputation, a loss in business and proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others. Any such proceeding or action could damage our reputation and brand, force us to spend significant amounts in defense of these proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business, decrease the use of our website by consumers and result in the imposition of monetary liability. We may also be contractually liable to indemnify and hold harmless third parties from the costs or consequences of non-compliance with any such laws or regulations. In particular, we are subject to a putative class action lawsuit in California related to the Company’s pricing practices. The complaint generally alleges that the Company falsely advertised discounts on certain products. The plaintiff seeks, among other things, an unspecified amount of monetary damages, including treble damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief related to the Company’s sales practices, and attorneys’ fees, expert fees, and other expenses. Although we intend to defend ourselves vigorously against the claims asserted against us, we cannot predict the potential outcomes, cost and expenses associated with current and any future claims and lawsuits. Any damages, legal fees, or costs associated with litigating or resolving claims under any such laws could be material.
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Our products or marketing activities may be found to infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of others.
Third parties may assert claims or initiate litigation asserting that our products or our marketing activities infringe or violate such third parties’ patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights. The asserted claims and/or litigation could include claims against us or our suppliers alleging infringement of intellectual property rights with respect to our products or components of such products.
Regardless of the merit of the claims, if our products are alleged to infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of other parties, we could incur substantial costs and we may have to, among other things:
• obtain licenses to use such intellectual property rights, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all;
• redesign our products or change our marketing activities to avoid infringement or other violations of the intellectual property rights of others;
• stop using the subject matter protected by the intellectual property held by others;
• pay significant compensatory and/or enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees and costs; and/or
• defend litigation or administrative proceedings which may be costly whether we win or lose, and which could result in a substantial diversion of our time, financial and management resources.
If any of the foregoing occur, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The trading price of the shares of our common stock has been and is likely to continue to be highly volatile.
The stock market in general has experienced volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:
• actual or anticipated fluctuations in our customer growth, sales, or other operating results;
• variations between our actual operating results and the expectations of securities analysts, investors, and the financial community;
• any forward-looking financial or operating information we may provide to the public or securities analysts, any changes in this information, or our failure to meet expectations based on this information;
• actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our Company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
• additional shares of our common stock being sold into the market by us or our existing stockholders, or the anticipation of such sales;
• price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;
• announcements by us or our competitors of significant products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;
• lawsuits threatened or filed against us;
• developments in new legislation or rulings by judicial or regulatory bodies;
• other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events; and
• the societal and economic impact of macroeconomic factors, public health crises and international conflicts.
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If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of these securities or industry analysts ceases coverage of us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock, publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.
Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock price to decline.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock. Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase our common stock could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. We may sell shares or other securities in the future that could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the current price per share of our common stock.
We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be fully consummated or will enhance long-term stockholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the trading price of our common stock and diminish our cash reserves.
In June 2024, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program. As of February 1, 2026, $14.1 million remained available for future purchases under the share repurchase program. In March 2026, subsequent to the end of the fiscal period, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $40.0 million of our outstanding common stock under the share repurchase program. As a result, total remaining availability under the share repurchase program increased to $54.1 million. Our share repurchase program does not have an expiration date and does not obligate us to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares on any particular timetable or at all. There can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares at favorable prices or at all. Further, our share repurchases could affect the trading price of our common stock, increase its volatility, reduce the market liquidity for our stock and may be suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a lower market valuation of our common stock. Repurchasing our common stock will reduce the amount of cash we have available to fund working capital, capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions or business opportunities, and other general corporate purposes. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased will depend on various factors, including the market price of our common stock, trading volume, general market conditions and other corporate and economic considerations.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our Company more difficult, and limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions that:
• permit the board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly created directorships by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors or stockholders holding at least 25% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock;
• provide that directors may only be removed by the majority of the shares of voting stock then outstanding entitled to vote generally in election of directors;
• require two-thirds of all directors who constitute the board of directors or holders at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares our common stock to adopt, amend or repeal provisions of our Amended and Restated Bylaws;
• require 50% of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in election of directors to amend, alter or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with certain sections of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation;
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• except as otherwise provided by the terms of any series of preferred stock, special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the board of directors, the chairperson of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer) or at least 25% of all then outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class;
• establish advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at annual stockholder meetings;
• restrict the forum for certain litigation against us to Delaware
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL"), which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any holder of at least 15% of our capital stock for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became a 15% stockholder.
Actions of activist stockholders could be costly and time-consuming, divert management’s attention and resources, and have an adverse effect on our business.
Activist stockholders could take actions that could be costly and time-consuming to us, disrupt our operations, and divert the attention of our board of directors, management, and employees, such as public proposals and requests for potential nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors, requests to pursue a strategic combination or other transaction, or other special requests. If an activist campaign were to be launched against us, we may retain legal, financial and communications advisers, the costs of which could be significant and negatively impact our future financial results. In addition, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction, strategy, or leadership created as a consequence of activist stockholder initiatives could result in the loss of potential business opportunities, harm our ability to attract new or retain existing investors, customers, directors, employees or other partners, and cause our stock price to experience periods of volatility or stagnation.
Claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Pursuant to our charter, our directors will not be liable to us or any stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty, except (i) for acts that breach his or her duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law; and (iii) as otherwise required pursuant to the DGCL. The amended and restated bylaws also require us, if so requested, to advance expenses that such director or officer incurred in defending or investigating a threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, provided that such person will return any such advance if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification by us. We have indemnified certain of our officers and directors and advanced expenses in connection with certain claims. These claims have and any claims for indemnification by our directors and officers in the future may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.
Our amended and restated bylaws designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, and designates the federal district courts of the United States as the sole and exclusive forum for claims arising under the Securities Act, which, in each case could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers employees, agents or other stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (a) derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (b) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, or other employee to us or our stockholders; (c) action asserting a claim arising under any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws; or (d) action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
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Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Pursuant to the Exchange Act, claims arising thereunder must be brought in federal district courts of the United States.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provision in our amended and restated bylaws. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a different judicial forum, including one that it may find favorable or convenient for a specified class of disputes with us or our directors, officers, other stockholders or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits, make them more difficult or expensive to pursue and result in outcomes that are less favorable to such stockholders than outcomes that may have been attainable in other jurisdictions.
By agreeing to this provision, however, stockholders are not deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation or bylaws has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. If a court were to find the choice of forum provisions in our amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We do not expect to declare any dividends in the foreseeable future.
The continued operation and growth of our business will require substantial cash. Accordingly, we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends to holders of our common stock at any time in the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, indebtedness, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our board of directors deems relevant. Consequently, the only way our shareholders may be able to realize future gain on their investment is to sell their shares of common stock after the price of such shares has appreciated. However, there is no guarantee that our shares of common stock will appreciate in value.
We may fail to meet our publicly announced guidance or other expectations about our business and future operating results, which would cause the price of our securities to decline.
From time to time, we release earnings guidance in our earnings conference calls, earnings releases, or otherwise, regarding our future performance that represents our management's estimates as of the date of release. This guidance includes forward-looking statements based on projections prepared by our management. Projections are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies on our business, many of which are beyond our control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. Some of those key assumptions relate to the macroeconomic environment, including inflation and fluctuations in interest rates, which are inherently difficult to predict. We generally state possible outcomes as high and low ranges, which are intended to provide a sensitivity analysis as variables are changed but are not intended to imply that actual results could not fall outside of the suggested ranges. Furthermore, analysts and investors may develop and publish their own projections of our business, which may form a consensus about our future performance. Furthermore, if we make downward revisions of our previously announced guidance, if we withdraw our previously announced guidance, or if our publicly announced guidance of future operating results fails to meet expectations of securities analysts, investors or other interested parties, the price of our securities would decline. Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions underlying the guidance furnished by us will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, our guidance is only an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date of release. Actual results may vary from our guidance and the variations may be material. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged not to rely upon our guidance in making an investment decision regarding our securities. Any failure to successfully implement our operating strategy or the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances set forth in this “Risk Factors” section, many of which are outside of our control, could result in the actual operating results being different from our guidance, and the differences may be adverse and material.
