La-Z-Boy Reports Fiscal 2021 First-Quarter Results

La-Z-Boy Incorporated (“La-Z-Boy” or the “company”), a global leader in residential furniture, today reported its operating results for the fiscal 2021 first quarter ended July 25, 2020.

Fiscal 2021 first quarter versus Fiscal 2020 first quarter:

– Consolidated sales decreased 31.0% to $285.5 million, reflecting ongoing COVID-19 impact
– Written same-store sales for the entire La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® network increased 14.8%
– Consolidated operating margin: GAAP: 1.5% versus 5.7%; Non-GAAP(1): 3.1% versus 6.3%
– Wholesale(2): 9.4% versus 9.5%
– Retail: (6.8)% versus 6.0%

– Net income attributable to La-Z-Boy Incorporated per diluted share (“EPS”): GAAP: $0.10 versus $0.38; Non-GAAP(1): $0.18 versus $0.42

– Cash generated from operating activities was $106.3 million
– Cash(3) was $336.7 million at quarter end

Kurt L. Darrow, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of La-Z-Boy, said, “Our first quarter began in May with most of our customers still closed due to COVID-19. However, as retailers re-opened, written orders rapidly accelerated in June and July, with consumers spending a higher percentage of discretionary dollars on home furnishings. During the quarter, we re-opened all operations across our retail, distribution and manufacturing businesses. Our team demonstrated great resilience and we are thankful for everyone’s hard work, safety consciousness, and dedication to the company.”

Darrow added, “After temporary shutdowns for most of April, our plants have increased production weekly to meet demand, and are operating at about 90% of prior-year levels. Strong demand, coupled with ramping up manufacturing, has resulted in a significant increase in product backlog, extended lead times between order and delivery, and slower-than-normal delivered sales for the first quarter.”

Darrow concluded, “We are cautiously optimistic as we head into the fall, based on current demand trends, but recognize the pandemic is still upon us and much uncertainty exists on a variety of fronts. We remain agile in managing the business day to day, focusing on service to customers while maintaining financial conservatism. We are proud to have delivered strong cash results in this challenging first quarter, with $106 million in cash from operations and a strong balance sheet which enables us to navigate this uncertain time.”

Consolidated sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 decreased 31.0% to $285.5 million, due to the impact of COVID-19. Consolidated GAAP operating margin was 1.5% versus 5.7% in the prior-year quarter. Non-GAAP(1) operating margin was 3.1% versus 6.3% in last year’s first quarter, due to the impact of closures and start up.

For the entire La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® network, written same-store sales increased 14.8% for the fiscal 2021 first quarter. An initial decline in May of 13%, due to pandemic-related store closures, was more than offset by increases of 30% in June and 32% in July.

For the quarter, sales in the company’s Wholesale(2) segment, which now includes the former Upholstery and Casegoods segments, decreased 30% to $223.6 million, primarily the result of lower unit volume due to COVID-19-related retail closures and extended lead times to delivery as production continued to increase each month. Written orders were up 2.4% for the quarter, after a decline of 38% in May and an increase of 29% in both June and July. Non-GAAP(1) operating margin for the Wholesale(2) segment was 9.4% versus 9.5%. The negative impact of the many COVID-19 challenges to profitability were mostly offset by aggressive temporary cost-control measures implemented across the organization.

Retail segment sales decreased 36.3% to $91.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, primarily the result of temporary store closures in the fourth quarter and into the fiscal 2021 first quarter, and delays in product deliveries from manufacturing shut-downs. Written same-store sales for the company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores increased 11.1% in the first quarter, even with the majority of stores closed in May and some still closed in June. On a decline in traffic, conversion and average ticket improved, driven by increased units and higher design sales. Non-GAAP(1) operating margin for the Retail segment was a loss of (6.8%) versus income of 6.0% in last year’s first quarter, as a result of fixed costs during the temporary decline in volume.

Fiscal 2021 first-quarter sales for Joybird (reported in the Corporate & Other segment) decreased 21.7% to $13.4 million. Written sales increased 38.2%, with deliveries expected later in the second quarter and into the third quarter as Joybird’s Tijuana-based plant re-opened later than the company’s U.S.-based plants. Joybird reduced its operating loss for the quarter on a year-over-year basis and sequentially as the company balances investments in sales growth with bottom-line performance.

GAAP diluted EPS was $0.10 for the fiscal 2021 first quarter versus $0.38 in the prior-year quarter. Non-GAAP(1) diluted EPS was $0.18 versus $0.42 in last year’s first quarter.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

For the first quarter, the company generated $106.3 million in cash from operating activities, including a $61 million increase in customer deposits from written orders for the company’s Retail segment and Joybird. La-Z-Boy ended the quarter with $336.7 million in cash(3), including $50 million in cash proactively drawn on the company’s credit facility to enhance liquidity in response to COVID-19, compared with $113.6 million in cash(3) at the end of the fiscal 2020 first quarter. In addition, the company holds $16.5 million in investments to enhance returns on cash versus $32.9 million in last year’s first quarter. During the period, the company invested $9.8 million in the business through capital expenditures and paid back $25 million of the original $75 million drawn against its credit line.

(1)Non-GAAP amounts for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 exclude:

– a pre-tax charge of $3.5 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, related to the company’s business realignment, announced in June 2020, which included a 10% reduction in the company’s global workforce and the closure of its Newton, Mississippi upholstery manufacturing facility
– pre-tax purchase accounting charges related to acquisitions completed in prior periods totaling $1.2 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, with $1.0 million included in operating income and $0.2 million expense included in interest expense

(1)Non-GAAP amounts for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 exclude:

– pre-tax purchase accounting charges of $1.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, with $1.3 million included in operating income and $0.2 million included in interest expense
– a pre-tax charge of $1.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, related to the company’s supply chain optimization initiative

Please refer to the accompanying “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for detailed information on calculating the Non-GAAP measures used in this press release and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

(2)Wholesale segment: Effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, in order to better align with the manner in which we view and manage the business, coupled with economic and customer channel similarities, the company revised its reportable operating segments by aggregating the former Upholstery segment with the former Casegoods segment to form the newly combined Wholesale segment. The change in reportable operating segments reflects how the company evaluates financial information used to make operating decisions. Prior-period results disclosed in this earnings release with respect to the Wholesale segment have been revised to reflect these changes.

(3)Cash: Includes cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash.

Dividend

On August 18, 2020, the Board of Directors elected to reinstate a regular quarterly dividend to shareholders of $0.07 per share, 50% of the dividend amount paid quarterly prior to the company’s suspension of dividends as part of its COVID-19 Action Plan. The dividend will be paid on September 15, 2020, to shareholders of record as of September 3, 2020.

For the full first quarter results, click here.

About La-Z-Boy

La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The Upholstery segment companies are England and La-Z-Boy. The Casegoods segment consists of three brands: American Drew®, Hammary®, and Kincaid®. The company-owned Retail segment includes 155 of the 355 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores. Joybird is an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer of upholstered furniture. The corporation’s branded distribution network is dedicated to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 355 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores and 559 independent Comfort Studio® locations, in addition to in-store gallery programs for the company’s Kincaid and England operating units. Additional information is available at http://www.la-z-boy.com/.

Contact:

Kathy Liebmann – kathy.liebmann@la-z-boy.com – (734) 241-2438

Source: La-Z-Boy Incorporated