At Home Group Inc. Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Results

PLANO, Texas–At Home Group Inc. (NYSE: HOME), the home décor superstore, today announced its financial results for its first quarter ended April 25, 2020.

Lee Bird, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Over the last few months, our team has risen to the challenge and focused on prioritizing the health and safety of our team members, customers, and communities. We have focused on preserving liquidity, enhancing financial flexibility, and ensuring At Home can thrive going forward. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, we had seen an improvement in comparable store sales trends. However, as the pandemic escalated and we temporarily closed our stores, sales were materially impacted.”

Mr. Bird continued, “We acted quickly and deliberately to continue serving our customers during a time when they are spending more time at home than ever and to provide them with safe and convenient ways to shop with us. Since early May, as local and state mandates were lifted, we began reopening a majority of our stores. Early results are strong across all markets with initial sales in reopened stores up solid double-digits during their reopening period quarter-to-date. As the low-price leader in our category with a focus on expanding our omnichannel presence, I am confident that At Home is well positioned for both the near and long-term to take additional share of the large and fragmented home furnishings market.”

For the Thirteen Weeks Ended April 25, 2020

• The Company opened six new stores in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and ended the quarter with 218 stores in 39 states. The Company has opened a net 27 stores since the first quarter of fiscal 2020, representing a 14.1% increase.
• Net sales decreased 38.0% to $189.8 million from $306.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 as a result of temporary store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by a net increase in the number of stores. Comparable store sales¹ decreased 46.5% compared to a decrease of 0.8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, as a result of temporary store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Gross profit decreased 81.4% to $16.4 million from $88.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 primarily driven by the decrease in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gross margin decreased to 8.6% from 28.8% in the prior year period primarily due to deleverage on occupancy costs and depreciation as a result of the sales decline.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) decreased 13.6% to $66.5 million from $76.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 primarily driven by our actions to reduce store-level and home office labor, advertising, and other discretionary expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted SG&A¹ decreased 12.5% to $66.5 million compared to $76.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted SG&A¹ as a percentage of net sales increased to 35.0% from 24.8% primarily due to deleverage on lower sales, partially offset by our successful efforts to reduce operating expenses.
• Operating loss was $(372.1) million compared to operating income of $25.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 primarily due to a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $319.7 million recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and the impact of temporary store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted operating income¹ was a loss of $(52.3) million compared to income of $10.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted operating margin¹ was (27.6)% compared to 3.4% in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 driven by the gross margin and adjusted SG&A¹ factors described above.
• Interest expense decreased to $7.0 million from $7.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 due to a year-over-year decrease in average interest rates, partially offset by increased borrowings under our revolving credit facility (“ABL facility”).
• Income tax benefit was $20.1 million compared to income tax expense of $4.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The effective tax rate decreased to 5.3% from 23.4% for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 due to the tax impact of the non-cash goodwill impairment charge and net operating loss carryback provisions under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES” Act).
• Net loss was $(358.9) million compared to net income of $13.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted Net income¹ was a loss of $(39.2) million compared to incomeof $1.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020.
• EPS was $(5.60) compared to $0.21 in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted EPS¹ was $(0.61) compared to $0.03 in the first quarter of fiscal 2020.
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ was $(14.6) million compared to $33.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020.

Goodwill Impairment

During the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we conducted an interim impairment test and concluded that our goodwill was fully impaired. As a result, we recognized a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $319.7 million.

Balance Sheet Highlights as of April 25, 2020

• Net inventories decreased 0.3% to $407.0 million from $408.0 million as of April 27, 2019 primarily due to reduced inventory purchases in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by a 14.1% increase in the number of stores.
• Total cash was $43.6 million and borrowings available under our ABL facility was $44.1 million; however, our ability to incur additional borrowings would have been limited by $38.7 million due to the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio described in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the thirteen weeks ended April 25, 2020 in “—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” As of June 16, 2020, our estimated total liquidity was more than $200 million.
• Long-term debt was $334.2 million compared to $336.8 million as of April 27, 2019. Additionally, there was $342.0 million outstanding under our ABL facility as of April 25, 2020 compared to $228.0 million as of April 27, 2019. Increased borrowings were primarily driven by a net increase of 27 new stores year-over-year as well as our decision to draw an additional $55 million under our ABL facility during the quarter as a precautionary measure to provide more financial flexibility and maintain liquidity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(1) Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information about non-GAAP measures, including, where applicable, reconciliations to the most directly comparable financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP, please see “Non-GAAP Measures” below.

Subsequent Events

• On June 12, 2020, we amended our ABL facility to provide for a new tranche of term loans in a principal amount of $35.0 million on a “first-in, last out” basis, subject to a borrowing base, the net proceeds of which were used to repay a portion of the outstanding revolving credit loans on that date. Guggenheim Securities, LLC served as our financial advisor.

Outlook & Key Assumptions

Given the unprecedented and continued uncertainty related to COVID-19, the Company is not providing second quarter and fiscal year 2021 guidance at this time.

Conference Call Details

A conference call to discuss the first quarter fiscal 2021 financial results is scheduled for today, June 18, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 1-877-407-0789 (international callers please dial 1-201-689-8562) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available online at investor.athome.com.

A recorded replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed online at investor.athome.com for 90 days.

Terminology

We define certain terms used in this release as follows:

“Adjusted EBITDA” means net (loss) income before net interest expense, income tax (benefit) provision and depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the impact of certain other items as defined in our debt agreements, including certain legal settlements and consulting and other professional fees, stock-based compensation expense, impairment charges, gain on sale-leaseback, non-cash rent and other adjustments.

“Adjusted Net Income” means net (loss) income, adjusted for impairment charges, gain on sale-leaseback, payroll tax expenses related to initial public offering non-cash stock-based compensation expense (the “IPO Grant”), the income tax impact associated with the IPO Grant stock option exercises and other adjustments, which include other transaction costs.

“Adjusted operating income” means operating (loss) income, adjusted for impairment charges, gain on sale-leaseback, payroll tax expenses related to the IPO Grant stock option exercises and other adjustments, which include other transaction costs.

“Adjusted SG&A” means selling, general and administrative expenses adjusted for certain expenses, including payroll tax expenses related to the IPO Grant stock option exercises and other adjustments, which include other transaction costs.

“Comparable store sales” means, for any reporting period, the change in period-over-period net sales for the comparable store base, beginning with stores on the second day of the sixteenth full fiscal month following the store’s opening. When a store is being relocated or remodeled, we exclude sales from that store in the calculation of comparable store sales until the first day of the sixteenth full fiscal month after it reopens. As it relates to At Home, “two-year comparable store sales basis” refers to the sum of the increase (decrease) in comparable store sales for each of the current and preceding fiscal years.

“EPS” means diluted earnings per share.

“GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

“Adjusted EPS” means Adjusted Net Income divided by diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

“Store-level Adjusted EBITDA” means Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted further to exclude the impact of costs associated with new store openings and certain corporate overhead expenses which we do not consider in our evaluation of the ongoing operating performance of our stores from period to period.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate”, “are confident”, “assumed”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “look forward”, “may”, “might”, “on track”, “outlook”, “plan”, “potential”, “predict”, “reaffirm”, “seek”, “should”, “trend” or “vision”, or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. In particular, statements about our assumptions for future financial performance, as well as statements about the markets in which we operate, expected new store openings, our real estate strategy, growth targets, potential growth opportunities, market share, impact of expected stock option exercises, future capital expenditures, and estimates of expenses we may incur in connection with equity incentive awards to management and our expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, prospects, assumptions or future events or performance contained in this document are forward-looking statements. Furthermore, statements contained in this document relating to the recent global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the impact of which remains inherently uncertain on our financial results, are forward-looking statements.

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors, including those factors described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 25, 2020 as well as those factors updated in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 25, 2020 and other reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and events in the industry in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this release, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.

Any forward-looking statement that we make in this release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this document.

About At Home Group Inc.

At Home (NYSE:HOME), the home decor superstore, offers more than 50,000 on-trend home products to fit any budget or style, from furniture, mirrors, rugs, art and housewares to tabletop, patio and seasonal decor. At Home is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and currently operates 219 stores in 40 states. For more information, please visit us online at investor.athome.com.

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