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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. announces second quarter 2024 results

August 22, 2024 8:00 AM

Q2 comparable brand revenue -3.3%

Q2 operating margin of 16.2%; diluted EPS growth of 11.5% to $1.74

Revises 2024 outlook with lower revenues offset by higher operating margin

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) today announced operating results for the second quarter ended July 28, 2024 versus the second quarter ended July 30, 2023.

“Today we are reporting strong results for the second quarter of 2024, which were driven by our Q2 improved top-line trend, market-share gains, and continued delivery on our commitment to profitability. In Q2, our comp came in at -3.3%, and we exceeded profitability estimates with an operating margin of 16.2% and earnings per share of $1.74, reflecting the 2-for-1 stock split we completed in July,” said Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Alber concluded, “We are pleased with our operating results. Our revised outlook today reflects our prudent view of the top-line, and the confidence we have in our profitability profile. We now expect full year revenues to come in at a range of down 4.0% to down 1.5%, but we are raising our guidance on operating margin to be in the range of 17.4% to 17.8%. The reduction in our revenue outlook is offset by our raised operating margin guidance."

SECOND QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

FIRST QUARTER 2024 OUT-OF-PERIOD ADJUSTMENT

Subsequent to the filing of our Form 10-K, in April 2024, the Company determined that it over-recognized freight expense in fiscal years 2021, 2022 and 2023 for a cumulative amount of $49 million. The Company evaluated the error, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and determined that no prior interim or annual periods were materially misstated. The Company then evaluated whether the cumulative amount of the over-accrual was material to its projected fiscal 2024 results, and determined the cumulative amount was not material. Therefore, the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the twenty-six weeks ended July 28, 2024 include an out-of-period adjustment of $49 million, recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, to reduce cost of goods sold and accounts payable, which corrected the cumulative error on the balance sheet as of January 28, 2024.

OUTLOOK

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST INFORMATION

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will host a live conference call today, August 22, 2024, at 7:00 A.M. (PT). The call will be open to the general public via live webcast and can be accessed at http://ir.williams-sonomainc.com/events. A replay of the webcast will be available at http://ir.williams-sonomainc.com/events.

SEC REGULATION G NON-GAAP INFORMATION

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures. Exhibit 1 provides reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”). We have not provided a reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to the corresponding GAAP measures on a forward-looking basis as we cannot do so without unreasonable efforts due to the potential variability and limited visibility of excluded items, and for the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. These excluded items include exit costs associated with the closure of our West Coast manufacturing facility and the exiting of Aperture, a division of our Outward, Inc. subsidiary, as well as costs related to reduction-in-force initiatives. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when reviewed in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, can provide meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitate a meaningful evaluation of current period performance on a comparable basis with prior periods. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter. In addition, certain other items may be excluded from non-GAAP financial measures when the company believes this provides greater clarity to management and investors. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or superior to the GAAP financial measures presented in this press release and our financial statements and other publicly filed reports. Non-GAAP measures as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or are proven incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements in the quotes of our President and Chief Executive Officer, our updated fiscal year 2024 outlook and long-term financial targets, and statements regarding our industry trends and business strategies.

The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include: continuing changes in general economic conditions, and the impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending; the continuing impact of inflation and measures to control inflation, including changing interest rates, on consumer spending; the continuing impact of global conflicts, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and shortages of various raw materials on our global supply chain, retail store operations and customer demand; labor and material shortages; the outcome of our growth initiatives; new interpretations of or changes to current accounting rules; our ability to anticipate consumer preferences and buying trends; dependence on timely introduction and customer acceptance of our merchandise; changes in consumer spending based on weather, political, competitive and other conditions beyond our control; delays in store openings; competition from companies with concepts or products similar to ours; timely and effective sourcing of merchandise from our foreign and domestic vendors and delivery of merchandise through our supply chain to our stores and customers; effective inventory management; our ability to manage customer returns; uncertainties in e-marketing, infrastructure and regulation; multi-channel and multi-brand complexities; our ability to introduce and grow new brands and brand extensions; challenges associated with our increasing global presence; dependence on external funding sources for operating capital; disruptions in the financial markets; our ability to control employment, occupancy, supply chain, product, transportation and other operating costs; our ability to improve our systems and processes; changes to our information technology infrastructure; general political, economic and market conditions and events, including war, conflict or acts of terrorism; the impact of current and potential future tariffs and our ability to mitigate impacts; the potential for increased corporate income taxes; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our public announcements, reports to stockholders and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2024 and all subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. We have not filed our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 28, 2024. As a result, all financial results described here should be considered preliminary, and are subject to change to reflect any necessary adjustments or changes in accounting estimates that are identified prior to the time we file the Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer. The company’s products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, Mark and Graham, and GreenRow — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our loyalty and credit card program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. We are also proud to be a leader in our industry with our values-based culture and commitment to achieving our sustainability goals. Our company is Good By Design — we’ve deeply ingrained sustainability into our business. From our factories to your home, we’re united in a shared purpose to care for our people and our planet.

For more information on our sustainability efforts, please visit: https://sustainability.williams-sonomainc.com/

WSM-IR

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (unaudited)

For the Thirteen Weeks Ended

For the Twenty-six Weeks Ended

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

$

% of
Revenues

$

% of
Revenues

$

% of
Revenues

$

% of
Revenues

Net revenues

$

1,788,307

100.0

%

$

1,862,614

100.0

%

$

3,448,655

100.0

%

$

3,618,065

100.0

%

Cost of goods sold

961,981

53.8

1,105,047

59.3

1,819,814

52.8

2,185,439

60.4

Gross profit

826,326

46.2

757,567

40.7

1,628,841

47.2

1,432,626

39.6

Selling, general and administrative expenses

536,410

30.0

486,019

26.1

1,015,097

29.4

961,601

26.6

Operating income

289,916

16.2

271,548

14.6

613,744

17.8

471,025

13.0

Interest income, net

15,208

0.9

3,335

0.2

31,261

0.9

8,833

0.3

Earnings before income taxes

305,124

17.1

274,883

14.8

645,005

18.7

479,858

13.3

Income taxes

79,379

4.4

73,376

3.9

153,594

4.5

121,820

3.4

Net earnings

$

225,745

12.6

%

$

201,507

10.8

%

$

491,411

14.2

%

$

358,038

9.9

%

Earnings per share (EPS):

Basic

$

1.76

$

1.57

$

3.83

$

2.75

Diluted

$

1.74

$

1.56

$

3.78

$

2.73

Shares used in calculation of EPS:

Basic

128,256

128,326

128,334

130,012

Diluted

129,810

129,051

130,103

131,173

2nd Quarter Net Revenues and Comparable Brand Revenue Growth (Decline)1

Net Revenues

Comparable Brand Revenue

Growth (Decline)

(In millions, except percentages)

Q2 24

Q2 23

Q2 24

Q2 23

Pottery Barn

$

726

$

786

(7.1

)%

(10.6

)%

West Elm

459

484

(4.8

)

(20.8

)

Williams Sonoma

240

245

(0.8

)

(0.7

)

Pottery Barn Kids and Teen

259

256

1.5

(9.0

)

Other2

104

92

N/A

N/A

Total

$

1,788

$

1,863

(3.3

)%

(11.9

)%

1 See the Company’s 10-K and 10-Q for the definition of comparable brand revenue, which is calculated on a 13-week basis, and includes business-to-business revenues.

2 Primarily consists of net revenues from Rejuvenation, our international franchise operations, Mark and Graham, and GreenRow.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)

As of

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

July 28,
2024

January 28,
2024

July 30,
2023

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,265,259

$

1,262,007

$

514,435

Accounts receivable, net

112,492

122,914

117,045

Merchandise inventories, net

1,247,426

1,246,369

1,300,838

Prepaid expenses

99,409

59,466

73,521

Other current assets

19,711

29,041

26,293

Total current assets

2,744,297

2,719,797

2,032,132

Property and equipment, net

975,137

1,013,189

1,036,407

Operating lease right-of-use assets

1,150,180

1,229,650

1,232,925

Deferred income taxes, net

106,080

110,656

73,610

Goodwill

77,307

77,306

77,322

Other long-term assets, net

158,671

122,950

119,415

Total assets

$

5,211,672

$

5,273,548

$

4,571,811

Liabilities and stockholders' equity

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$

595,601

$

607,877

$

597,104

Accrued expenses

207,633

264,306

184,996

Gift card and other deferred revenue

576,458

573,904

435,369

Income taxes payable

53,373

96,554

127,581

Operating lease liabilities

233,361

234,517

222,155

Other current liabilities

92,369

103,157

96,645

Total current liabilities

1,758,795

1,880,315

1,663,850

Long-term operating lease liabilities

1,081,108

1,156,104

1,168,221

Other long-term liabilities

121,539

109,268

118,785

Total liabilities

2,961,442

3,145,687

2,950,856

Stockholders' equity

Preferred stock: $0.01 par value; 7,500 shares authorized, none issued

Common stock: $0.01 par value; 253,125 shares authorized; 127,788, 128,301, and 128,289 shares issued and outstanding at July 28, 2024, January 28, 2024 and July 30, 2023, respectively

1,278

1,284

1,283

Additional paid-in capital

538,172

587,960

550,866

Retained earnings

1,728,063

1,555,595

1,084,772

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(16,848

)

(15,552

)

(14,540

)

Treasury stock, at cost

(435

)

(1,426

)

(1,426

)

Total stockholders' equity

2,250,230

2,127,861

1,620,955

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

5,211,672

$

5,273,548

$

4,571,811

Retail Store Data

(unaudited)

Beginning of quarter

End of quarter

As of

April 28, 2024

Openings

Closings

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

Pottery Barn

184

3

(2

)

185

190

Williams Sonoma

156

2

158

164

West Elm

121

1

122

123

Pottery Barn Kids

45

45

46

Rejuvenation

11

11

9

Total

517

6

(2

)

521

532

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

For the Twenty-six Weeks Ended

(In thousands)

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net earnings

$

491,411

$

358,038

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

113,264

110,843

Loss on disposal/impairment of assets

2,963

14,185

Non-cash lease expense

129,608

126,981

Deferred income taxes

(5,931

)

(3,841

)

Tax benefit related to stock-based awards

10,139

12,334

Stock-based compensation expense

44,846

44,159

Other

(1,578

)

(1,647

)

Changes in:

Accounts receivable

10,393

(1,502

)

Merchandise inventories

(1,415

)

154,712

Prepaid expenses and other assets

(66,647

)

(6,615

)

Accounts payable

(26,617

)

87,840

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

(54,924

)

(67,955

)

Gift card and other deferred revenue

2,800

(43,699

)

Operating lease liabilities

(131,848

)

(135,206

)

Income taxes payable

(43,181

)

66,358

Net cash provided by operating activities

473,283

714,985

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property and equipment

(70,946

)

(92,880

)

Other

(13

)

211

Net cash used in investing activities

(70,959

)

(92,669

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Repurchases of common stock

(173,603

)

(310,000

)

Payment of dividends

(135,768

)

(116,643

)

Tax withholdings related to stock-based awards

(88,851

)

(49,950

)

Net cash used in financing activities

(398,222

)

(476,593

)

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

(850

)

1,368

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

3,252

147,091

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

1,262,007

367,344

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

1,265,259

$

514,435

Exhibit 1

2nd Quarter GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation

(unaudited)

For the Thirteen Weeks Ended

For the Twenty-six Weeks Ended

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

July 28, 2024

July 30, 2023

(In thousands, except per share data)

$

% of
revenues

$

% of
revenues

$

% of
revenues

$

% of
revenues

Occupancy costs

$

197,243

11.0

%

$

203,259

10.9

%

$

393,398

11.4

%

$

405,871

11.2

%

Exit Costs1

(239

)

Non-GAAP occupancy costs

$

197,243

11.0

%

$

203,259

10.9

%

$

393,398

11.4

%

$

405,632

11.2

%

Gross profit

$

826,326

46.2

%

$

757,567

40.7

%

$

1,628,841

47.2

%

$

1,432,626

39.6

%

Exit Costs1

2,141

Non-GAAP gross profit

$

826,326

46.2

%

$

757,567

40.7

%

$

1,628,841

47.2

%

$

1,434,767

39.7

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

$

536,410

30.0

%

$

486,019

26.1

%

$

1,015,097

29.4

%

$

961,601

26.6

%

Exit Costs1

(15,790

)

Reduction-in-force Initiatives2

(8,316

)

Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses

$

536,410

30.0

%

$

486,019

26.1

%

$

1,015,097

29.4

%

$

937,495

25.9

%

Operating income

$

289,916

16.2

%

$

271,548

14.6

%

$

613,744

17.8

%

$

471,025

13.0

%

Exit Costs1

17,931

Reduction-in-force Initiatives2

8,316

Non-GAAP operating income

$

289,916

16.2

%

$

271,548

14.6

%

$

613,744

17.8

%

$

497,272

13.7

%

$

Tax rate

$

Tax rate

$

Tax rate

$

Tax rate

Income taxes

$

79,379

26.0

%

$

73,376

26.7

%

$

153,594

23.8

%

$

121,820

25.4

%

Exit Costs1

4,690

Reduction-in-force Initiatives2

2,174

Non-GAAP income taxes

$

79,379

26.0

%

$

73,376

26.7

%

$

153,594

23.8

%

$

128,684

25.4

%

Diluted EPS

$

1.74

$

1.56

$

3.78

$

2.73

Exit Costs1

0.10

Reduction-in-force Initiatives2

0.05

Non-GAAP diluted EPS3

$

1.74

$

1.56

$

3.78

$

2.88

1 During Q1 2023, we incurred exit costs of $17.9 million, including $9.3 million associated with the closure of our West Coast manufacturing facility and $8.6 million associated with the exiting of Aperture, a division of our Outward, Inc. subsidiary.

2 During Q1 2023, we incurred costs related to reduction-in-force initiatives of $8.3 million primarily in our corporate functions.

3 Per share amounts may not sum due to rounding to the nearest cent per diluted share.

SEC Regulation G – Non-GAAP Information

These tables include non-GAAP occupancy costs, gross profit, gross margin, selling, general and administrative expense, operating income, operating margin, income taxes, effective tax rate and diluted EPS. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitate a meaningful evaluation of our quarterly actual results on a comparable basis with prior periods. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Jeff Howie EVP, Chief Financial Officer – (415) 402 4324

Jeremy Brooks SVP, Chief Accounting Officer & Head of Investor Relations – (415) 733 2371

Source: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

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