UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

Form 10-K

Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 29, 2023

Commission file number 000-25349

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

440 East Commonwealth Boulevard, Martinsville, VA 24112

(Address of principal executive offices, Zip Code)

(276) 632-2133

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, if changed since last report)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $193 million.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock as of April 10, 2023:

Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held June 6, 2023 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

Hooker Furnishings Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

All references to 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 or other years are referring to our fiscal years, unless otherwise stated. Our fiscal years end on the Sunday closest to January 31, with fiscal 2023 ending on January 29, 2023. Our quarterly periods are based on thirteen-week “reporting periods” (which end on a Sunday) rather than quarterly periods consisting of three calendar months. As a result, each quarterly period generally is thirteen weeks, or 91 days, long, except as noted below. In some years (generally once every six years) the fourth quarter will be fourteen weeks long and the fiscal year will consist of fifty-three weeks. The 2019 fiscal year that ended on February 3, 2019 was a 53-week fiscal year.

On January 31, 2022, the first day of our 2023 fiscal year, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Sunset HWM, LLC (“Sunset West”) and its three members to acquire substantially all of the assets of Sunset West (the “Sunset Acquisition”). The results of operations of Sunset West are included in the Domestic Upholstery segment’s results beginning with the fiscal 2023 first quarter. Consequently, Sunset West’s results are not included in our results prior to the 2023 fiscal year.

All references to the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this document refer to Hooker Furnishings Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless specifically referring to segment information. All references to the “Hooker,” “Hooker Division(s),” “Hooker Legacy Brands” or “traditional Hooker” divisions or companies refer to all current business units and brands except for those in the Home Meridian segment. The Hooker Branded segment includes Hooker Casegoods and Hooker Upholstery. The Domestic Upholstery segment includes Bradington-Young, HF Custom (formerly Sam Moore), Shenandoah Furniture and Sunset West. All Other includes H Contract and Lifestyle Brands.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this report, including statements under Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this report, are not based on historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our reasonable judgment with respect to future events and typically can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could” or “anticipates,” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to:

Our forward-looking statements could be wrong in light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The future events, developments or results described in this report could turn out to be materially different. Any forward-looking statement we make speaks only as of the date of that statement, and we undertake no obligation, except as required by law, to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise and you should not expect us to do so.

Also, our business is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties any of which can adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or future prospects. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that we face, see the Forward-Looking Statements detailed above and Item 1A, “Risk Factors” below.

Investors should also be aware that while we occasionally communicate with securities analysts and others, it is against our policy to selectively disclose to them any material nonpublic information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, investors should not assume that we agree with any projection, forecast or report issued by any analyst regardless of the content of the statement or report, as we have a policy against confirming information issued by others.

Hooker Furnishings Corporation

Part I

ITEM 1.         BUSINESS

Hooker Furnishings Corporation, incorporated in Virginia in 1924, is a designer, marketer and importer of casegoods (wooden and metal furniture), leather furniture, fabric-upholstered furniture and outdoor furniture for the residential, hospitality and contract markets. We also domestically manufacture premium residential custom leather, custom fabric-upholstered furniture and outdoor furniture.

We believe that consumer tastes and channels in which they shop for furniture are evolving at a rapid pace, and we continue to change to meet these demands. On January 31, 2022, the first day of our 2023 fiscal year, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Sunset HWM, LLC (“Sunset West”) and its three members (the “Sunset West Members”) to acquire substantially all of the assets of Sunset West (the “Sunset Acquisition”). Sunset West is a leading West Coast-based manufacturer of outdoor furniture with its headquarters in Vista, California. The acquisition enables us to immediately gain market share in the growing outdoor furniture segment of the industry. For more information regarding the Sunset Acquisition, please see Item 7 and Note 4 to our Consolidated Financial Statements on page F-15.

Reportable Segments

Furniture sales account for all of our net sales. For financial reporting purposes and as described further below, we are organized into three reportable segments, Hooker Branded, Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery. Our other businesses are aggregated into “All Other”. See Note 18 -Segment Information to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional financial information regarding our operating segments.

Products

Our product lines cover the design spectrum of residential furniture: traditional, contemporary and transitional. Further, our product lines are in the “good”, “better” and “best” product categories, which carry medium and upper price points. Hooker Furnishings Corporation consists of the following three operating segments and “All Other”:

Sourcing

Imported Products

We have sourced products from foreign manufacturers for over thirty years, predominantly from Asia. Imported casegoods and upholstered furniture together accounted for approximately 72% of our net sales in fiscal 2023, 82% of our net sales in fiscal 2022 and 83% of our net sales in fiscal 2021.

Our imported furniture business is subject to inherent risks in importing products manufactured abroad, including, but not limited to, supply disruptions and delays due to a variety of reasons, including our foreign suppliers’ factory capacities, factory shutdowns, and delays including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and possible similar health-related issues, much higher ocean freight costs, container and vessel space availability, currency exchange rate fluctuations, economic and political developments and instability, as well as the laws, policies and actions of foreign governments and the United States. These laws, policies and actions may include regulations affecting trade or the application of tariffs, much like the 25% tariff on certain goods imported into the United States from China, including almost all furniture and furniture components manufactured in China since fiscal 2019. In response to these tariffs, we began re-sourcing products from non-tariff countries, primarily Vietnam and reduced our Chinese imports to less than 10% of total imports by the end of fiscal 2023. Additionally, we are beginning to further diversify our sourcing footprint to include other countries, including Malaysia, Mexico and India.

Because of the large number and diverse nature of the foreign suppliers from which we source our imported products, we have flexibility in the sourcing of products among any particular supplier or country. However, a disruption in our supply chain from a major supplier or from Vietnam or China in general, could significantly compromise our ability to fill customer orders for products manufactured at that factory or in that country. Supply disruptions and delays on selected items could occur for six months or longer. If we were to be unsuccessful in obtaining those products from other sources or at a comparable cost, a disruption in our supply chain from a major furniture supplier, or from Vietnam or China in general, could decrease our sales, earnings and liquidity. For example, in calendar 2021, the COVID-19 related lockdown at our suppliers in Vietnam and Malaysia, along with constrained container and steamship availability as well as congestion at U.S. ports, negatively impacted our shipments and inventory levels in early calendar 2022.

Given the sourcing capacity available in Vietnam, China and other low-cost producing countries, we currently believe the risks from these potential supply disruptions are manageable in the long-term; however, we have limited insight into the extent to which our business could be further impacted by COVID-19 or other possible pandemics, and there are many unknowns including, how long we will be impacted, the severity of the impacts and the probability of a recurrence of COVID-19 or similar regional or global pandemics. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for additional information on our risks related to imported products.

For imported products, we generally negotiate firm pricing with foreign suppliers in U.S. Dollars, typically for a term of at least one year. However, under certain circumstances, we may re-negotiate pricing during the year. Due to the global supply chain crisis and inflation pressure in Asia and the U.S., we were forced to re-negotiate prices multiple times during fiscal 2023 and 2022. We accept the exposure to exchange rate movements during these negotiated periods. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage this risk but could choose to do so in the future. Since we transact our imported product purchases in U.S. Dollars, a relative decline in the value of the U.S. Dollar compared to the currencies from which we obtain our imported products could increase the price we pay for imported products beyond the negotiated periods. We generally expect to reflect substantially all of the effects of any price increases from suppliers in the prices we charge for imported products. However, these price changes could adversely impact sales volume and profit margin during the affected periods. Conversely, a relative increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar compared to the currencies from which we obtain our imported products could decrease the cost of imported products and favorably impact net sales and profit margins during the affected period. However, due to other factors, such as inflationary pressure in China and other countries, we may not fully realize savings when exchange rates fall. Therefore, lower exchange rates may only have a tempering effect on future price increases by merely delaying cost increases on imported products. See also Item 7A. “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

Raw Materials

Significant materials used in manufacturing our domestic upholstered furniture products include leather, fabric, foam, wooden and metal frames and electronic mechanisms. Most of the leather is imported from Italy and South America, and is purchased as full hides and cut and sewn in our facilities or is purchased as pre-cut and sewn kits processed by our vendors to our pattern specifications. We believe our sources for raw materials are adequate and that we are not dependent on any one supplier. Our five largest domestic upholstery suppliers accounted for 33% of our raw materials purchases for domestic upholstered furniture manufacturing operations in fiscal 2023. Should disruptions with these suppliers occur, other than macro disruptions affecting all such suppliers, we believe we could successfully source these products from other suppliers without significant disruption to our operations. For example, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is a shortage of Russian Birch which was the third largest source of US hardwood plywood imports in calendar 2021. Prior to the invasion, a large portion of the plywood used at one division of our Domestic Upholstery segment was Russian Birch. We were able to find an alternative plywood source at a higher price during fiscal 2023 and this issue was mitigated as of early calendar 2023.

Customers

Our home furnishings products are sold through a variety of retailers including independent furniture stores, department stores, mass merchants, national chains, catalog merchants, interior designers, and e-commerce retailers. No single customer accounted for more than 6% of our consolidated sales in fiscal 2023. Our top five customers accounted for approximately 22% of our fiscal 2023 consolidated sales. The loss of any one or more of these customers would have a material adverse impact on our business. Less than 2% of our sales in fiscal 2023 were to international customers. We define sales to international customers as sales to customers outside of the United States and Canada since our independent domestic sales force services both countries.

Competition

The furniture industry is highly competitive and includes a large number of foreign and domestic manufacturers and importers, none of which dominates the market in our price points. While the markets in which we compete include a large number of relatively small and medium-sized manufacturers, certain competitors have substantially greater sales volumes and financial resources than we do. U.S. imports of furniture produced overseas, such as from Vietnam and China, have stabilized in recent years. The primary competitive factors for home furnishings in our price points include price, style, availability, service, quality and durability. Competitive factors in the hospitality and contract furniture markets include product value and utility, lead times, on-time delivery and the ability to respond to requests for special and non-standard products. We believe our design capabilities, ability to import and/or manufacture upholstered furniture, product value, longstanding customer and supplier relationships, significant sales, distribution and inventory capabilities, ease of ordering, financial strength, experienced management and customer support are significant competitive advantages.

Warehousing and Distribution

We distribute furniture to retailers directly from factories and warehouses in Asia via our container direct programs and from our facilities in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and California, and in limited cases, from customer operated warehouses in strategic locations. Due to our exit from the ACH business unit which demanded significant amounts of inventory to meet the quick shipping requirements of its e-commerce model, we anticipate a reduction in the physical footprint of the Georgia warehouse over the course of fiscal 2024.

Working Capital Practices

Inventory: We generally import casegoods inventory and certain upholstery items in amounts that enable us to meet the delivery requirements of our customers, our internal in-stock goals and minimum purchase requirements from our sourcing partners. Our domestic upholstery segment products are made to order and shipped shortly after they are produced; however, this segment carries significant amounts of raw materials for production. We do not carry significant amounts of hospitality products, as most of these products are built to order and are shipped shortly after their manufacture directly to the customer.

The majority of products in the Hooker Branded segment are shipped from our U.S. warehouses. In calendar 2021, the COVID-19 related lockdowns at our suppliers in Vietnam and Malaysia, along with the supply chain disruptions, resulted in low inventory levels within the Hooker Branded segment in early fiscal 2023. These conditions improved throughout fiscal 2023, and inventory levels are now higher than usual, with plans to work them down over the course of the fiscal 2024 first half.

A large percentage of products sold at our Home Meridian segment are not warehoused by us but ship directly to our customers and thus are not included in our inventory. However, Home Meridian’s warehoused inventory increased significantly during fiscal 2023 due primarily to increased inventory in the ACH division, which is focused on the e-commerce channel. A slowing in the ecommerce business, coupled with an aggressive backlog reduction by our Asian suppliers after the end of COVID-19-related lockdowns in the late-summer of 2021, resulted in a substantial ACH inventory increase in fiscal 2023. Due to low profitability, low rates of sales and a general slowing of furniture sales in the e-commerce space, we decided to exit this division and recorded $24.4 million write-downs of ACH inventories and other excess inventories during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. We expect the exit of the ACH business and the inventory write down will lead to improvements in working capital, inventory turns and obsolescence reserves.

Accounts receivable: Substantially all of our trade accounts receivable are due from retailers and dealers that sell residential home furnishings or commercial purchasers of our hospitality and senior living products, which consist of a large number of entities with a broad geographic dispersion. We perform credit evaluations of our customers and generally do not require collateral. For qualified customers, we offer payment terms, generally requiring payment 30 days from shipment. However, we may offer extended payment terms in certain circumstances, including to promote sales of our product. We purchase accounts receivable insurance on certain customers if their risk profile warrants it and the insurance is available. Due to the highly customized nature of our hospitality products, we typically require a 50% deposit upon order, a 40% deposit before goods reach a U.S. port and the remaining 10% balance due within 30 days of the receipt of goods by the customer. For our outdoor furnishings, most orders require a 50% deposit upon order and the balance when production is started.

Accounts payable: Payment for our imported products warehoused first in Asia is due 10 to 14 days after our quality audit inspections are complete and the vendor invoice is presented. Payment for goods which are shipped to our US warehouses or container direct to our customers FOB Origin (free on board origin, which means the buyer is responsible for the costs and liability of the freight during transport) is generally due upon proof of lading onto a US-bound vessel and invoice presentation; however, payment terms, depending on the supplier, can stretch up to 45 days from invoice date. Payment terms for domestic raw materials and non-inventory related charges vary but are generally 30 days from invoice date.

Order Backlog

At January 29, 2023, our backlog of unshipped orders was as follows:

In the discussion below and herein, we reference changes in sales orders or “orders” and sales order backlog (unshipped orders at a point in time) or “backlog” over and compared to certain periods of time and changes discussed are in sales dollars and not units of inventory, unless stated otherwise. We believe orders are generally good current indicators of sales momentum and business conditions. If the items ordered are in stock and the customer has requested immediate delivery, we generally ship products in about seven days or less from receipt of order; however, orders may be shipped later if they are out of stock or there are production or shipping delays or the customer has requested the order to be shipped at a later date. It is our policy and industry practice to allow order cancellation for casegoods up to the time of shipment or, in the case of container direct orders, up until the time the container is booked with the ocean freight carrier; therefore, customer orders for casegoods are not firm. However, domestically produced upholstered products are predominantly custom-built and consequently, cannot be cancelled once the leather or fabric has been cut. Additionally, our hospitality products are highly customized and are generally not cancellable.

For the Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments and All Other, we generally consider backlogs to be one helpful indicator of sales for the upcoming 30-day period, but because of our relatively quick delivery and our cancellation policies, we do not consider order backlogs to be a reliable indicator of expected long-term sales. We generally consider the Home Meridian segment’s backlog to be one helpful indicator of that segment’s sales for the upcoming 90-day period. Due to (i) the average sales order sizes of its mass and mega account channels of distribution, (ii) the proprietary nature of many of its products and (iii) the project nature of its hospitality business, for which average order sizes tend to be larger and consequently, the Home Meridien segment’s order backlog tends to be larger. There have been exceptions to the general predictive nature of our orders and backlogs noted in this paragraph, such as during times of extremely high demand and supply chain challenges as experienced during the immediate aftermath of the initial COVID-19 crisis and subsequent recovery. They are discussed in greater detail below and in Item 7 and are essential to understanding our prospects.

In the prior fiscal year, orders were not being converted to shipments as quickly as would be expected compared to the pre-pandemic environment due to the lack and cost of shipping containers and vessel space as well as limited overseas vendor capacity. As a result, backlogs were significantly elevated and reached historical levels. At the end of fiscal 2023, order backlog decreased by $214.7 million or 69%, as compared to the prior year end. The decrease was largely attributable to more normalized levels of shipping, especially in the Hooker legacy divisions, lower incoming orders in the Home Meridian segment, and to a lesser degree at Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments, driven by a decrease in overall demand when compared to the prior year’s surge in demand after the initial COVID crisis, absence of Clubs channel orders and decreased orders from retailer customers with high inventory levels delaying shipments.

Seasonality

Generally, sales in our fiscal first quarter are lower than our other fiscal quarters due to the post-Lunar New Year shipping lag and sales in our fiscal fourth quarter are generally stronger due to the pre-Lunar New Year surge in shipments from Asia.

Environmental Matters

As a part of our business operations, our manufacturing sites generate both non-hazardous and hazardous wastes; the treatment, storage, transportation and disposal of which are subject to various local, state and federal laws relating to environmental protection. Our policy is to record monitoring commitments and environmental liabilities when expenses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. The costs associated with our environmental responsibilities, compliance with federal, state and local laws regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or costs otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, have not had and are not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, capital expenditures or competitive position.

We are actively working to refine and align our environmental stewardship based on current best practices, shareholder expectations and regulatory developments through our ESG-focused committee called CARE (Community Action & Responsibility for our Environment). It regularly updates management and updates the Board at least quarterly on these initiatives. We note the following recent and ongoing activities and new developments:

Human Capital Resources

As of January 29, 2023, we had 1,259 full-time employees, of which 292 were employed in our Hooker Branded segment, 246 were employed in our Home Meridian segment, 715 were employed in our Domestic Upholstery segment and 6 were employed in All Other. 1,070 employees were located in the United States and 189 were located in Asia. None of our employees are represented by a labor union. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.

We are committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive space for all our employees, customers and retail partners. The core values of our Company include integrity, caring and inclusivity that affirms every individual. Our leadership team is committed to fostering an environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, listened to and valued for their unique contributions to the organization, and to providing a work environment that is free from all forms of harassment, discrimination and inequality. We recruit, employ, train, promote and compensate our employees without regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran’s status or disability. All facilities have established human resource departments with formal hiring processes and controls in place to ensure ethical and fair hiring practices. The action steps we have taken recently or are working on currently include:

We compensate employees competitively relative to the industry and local labor market, and in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local wage, work hour, overtime and benefit laws. In addition, we offer affordable and competitive benefits to support the well-being of all employees including health insurance, disability and life insurance, worker’s compensation, wellness credits, paid time off, a 401(k) savings plan with company-match, an employee assistance program, and training and educational opportunities for all employees, including educational stipends or renewable college scholarships to children and spouses of all employees, excluding family members of current and former officers and board directors of the Company.

Patents and Trademarks

The Hooker Furnishings, Hooker Furniture, Bradington-Young, Sam Moore, Pulaski Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, Room Gear, Right2Home, Home Meridian International, Prime Resources International, Accentrics Home, HMidea, Shenandoah, H Contract, Homeware, MARQ and Sunset West trade names represent many years of continued business.  We believe these trade names are well-recognized and associated with quality and service in the furnishings industry. We also own a number of patents and trademarks, both domestically and internationally, none of which is considered to be material.

Governmental Regulations

Our company is subject to U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations in the areas of safety, health, employment and environmental pollution controls, as well as U.S. and international trade laws and regulations. We are also subject to foreign laws and regulations. In the past, compliance with these laws and regulations has not had any material effect on our earnings, capital expenditures or competitive position in excess of those affecting others in our industry; however, the effect of compliance in the future cannot be predicted. We believe we are in material compliance with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations.

Additional Information

You may visit us online at hookerfurnishings.com, hookerfurniture.com, bradington-young.com, sammoore.com, homemeridian.com, pulaskifurniture.com, slh-co.com, hcontractfurniture.com and sunsetwestusa.com. We make available, free of charge through our Hooker Furnishings website hookerfurnishings.com, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports, and other documents as soon as practical after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). A free copy of our annual report on Form 10-K may also be obtained by contacting Earl Armstrong, Corporate Controller and Secretary at earmstrong@hookerfurnishings.com or by calling 276-632-2133.

ITEM 1A.      RISK FACTORS

Our business is subject to a variety of risks. The risk factors discussed below should be considered in conjunction with the other information contained in this annual report on Form 10-K. If any of these risks actually materialize, our business, results of operations, financial condition or future prospects could be negatively impacted. These risks are not the only ones we face. There may be additional risks that are presently unknown to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial that could affect us.

We rely on offshore sourcing from Vietnam and China for most of our sales. Consequently:

In fiscal 2023, imported products sourced from Vietnam and China accounted for 91% of our import purchases and our top five suppliers in Vietnam and China accounted for 50% of our fiscal 2023 import purchases. Our supply chain could be adversely impacted by the uncertainties of health concerns and governmental restrictions. A disruption in our supply chain, or from Vietnam or China in general, such as the COVID-19 related lockdown in certain parts of Asia in the Summer of calendar 2021, could significantly impact our ability to fill customer orders for products manufactured in those countries. In some cases, we were able to provide substitutions using inventory on hand, in-transit and from our domestic warehouses, but not enough to entirely mitigate the lost sales. Supply disruptions and delays on selected items could occur for six months or longer before the impact of remedial measures would be reflected in our results. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining those products from other sources or at comparable cost, a disruption in our supply chain from our largest import furniture suppliers, or from Vietnam or China in general, could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Manufacturing and delivery lead times for our imported products necessitate that we make forecasts and assumptions regarding current and future demand for these products. If our forecasts and assumptions are inaccurate, we may purchase excess or insufficient amounts of inventory. If we purchase too much or the wrong mix of inventory, we may be forced to sell it at lower margins, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity. If we purchase too little or the wrong mix of inventory, we may not be able to fill customer orders and may lose market share and weaken or damage customer relationships, which also could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Transportation costs on our imported products are affected by a myriad of factors including the global economy, petroleum prices and ocean freight carrier capacity. In the recent past, especially during fiscal 2022, transportation costs, including ocean freight costs and domestic trucking costs, on imported products represented a significant portion of the cost of those products. We saw a significant spike in these costs during that time and our profitability was materially impacted. To mitigate the increased costs, we implemented price increases and surcharges; however, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in increasing prices or receiving freight surcharges in the future or that we can do it quickly enough to offset increased costs. Increased transportation costs, both domestically and internationally, in the future would likely adversely affect earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We rely heavily on suppliers we do not own or control, including a large number of non-U.S. suppliers. All of our suppliers may not provide goods that meet our quality, design or other specifications in a timely manner and at a competitive price. If our suppliers do not meet our specifications, we may need to find alternative suppliers, potentially at a higher cost, or may be forced to discontinue products. Also, delivery of goods from non-U.S. suppliers may be delayed for reasons not typically encountered for domestically manufactured furniture, such as shipment delays caused by customs issues, labor issues, port-related issues such as weather, congestion or port equipment, decreased availability of shipping containers and/or the inability to secure space aboard shipping vessels to transport our products. Our failure to timely fill customer orders due to an extended business interruption for a major supplier, or due to transportation issues, could negatively impact existing customer relationships and adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

New tariffs could be imposed on manufactured goods from other countries from which we source, including Vietnam. Inability to reduce product costs, pass through price increases or find other suitable manufacturing sources outside of China may have a material adverse impact on sales volume, earnings and liquidity. In addition, the tariffs, and our responses to the tariffs, may cause our products to become less competitive due to price increases or less profitable due to lower margins. Our inability to effectively manage the negative impacts of changing U.S. and foreign trade policies could adversely affect our business and financial results.

Changes in political, economic and social conditions, as well as in the laws and regulations in the foreign countries from which we source our products could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity. These changes could make it more difficult to provide products and service to our customers or could increase the cost of those products. International trade regulations and policies of the United States and the countries from which we source finished products could adversely affect us. Imposition of trade sanctions relating to imports, taxes, import duties and other charges on imports affecting our products could increase our costs and decrease our earnings. For example, the U.S. Department of Commerce imposes tariffs on wooden bedroom furniture coming into the United States from China. In this case, none of the rates imposed have been of sufficient magnitude to alter our import strategy in any meaningful way; however, these and other tariffs are subject to review and could be increased or new tariffs implemented in the future.

For imported products, we generally negotiate firm pricing with our foreign suppliers in U.S. Dollars, typically for periods of at least one year. We accept the exposure to exchange rate movements during these negotiated periods. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage this risk but could choose to do so in the future. Since we transact our imported product purchases in U.S. Dollars, a relative decline in the value of the U.S. Dollar could increase the price we must pay for imported products beyond the negotiated periods. These price changes could decrease our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity during affected periods.

In the past, inflation concerns, and to a lesser extent quality and supplier viability concerns, affecting some of our imported product suppliers located in China prompted us to source more of our products from lower cost suppliers located in other countries, such as Vietnam. As discussed above, during fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 we transitioned a significant portion of our imported product purchases from China to Vietnam due to the imposition of tariffs on most furniture and component parts imported from China. As conditions dictate, we could be forced to make similar transitions in the future. When undertaken, transitions of this type involve significant planning and coordination by and between us and our new suppliers in these countries. Despite our best efforts and those of our new sourcing partners, these transition efforts are likely to result in longer lead times and shipping delays over the short term. Risks associated with product defects, including higher than expected costs associated with product quality and safety, and regulatory compliance costs related to the sale of consumer products and costs related to defective or non-compliant products, including product liability claims and costs to recall defective products. One or a combination of these issues could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

A disruption affecting our domestic facilities could disrupt our business.

The facilities in which we store our inventory in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and California are critical to our success. Our corporate and divisional headquarters, which house our administration, sourcing, sales, finance, merchandising, customer service and logistics functions for our imported and domestic products are located in Virginia, North Carolina and California.

Our domestic upholstery manufacturing facilities are located in Virginia, North Carolina and California. Furniture manufacturing creates large amounts of highly flammable wood dust and utilizes other highly flammable materials such as varnishes and solvents in its manufacturing processes and is therefore subject to the risk of losses arising from explosions and fires. Additionally, our domestic operations could be negatively affected by public health events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Any disruption affecting our domestic facilities, for even a relatively short period of time, could adversely affect our ability to ship our furniture products and disrupt our business, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Labor shortages and rising labor costs could disrupt operations at our domestic warehousing and manufacturing facilities

We observed a strong labor market after the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to experience difficulties in recruiting skilled labor into our domestic upholstery plants and warehouses and in some skilled or professional positions. Lack of qualified workers and high turnover in a variety of positions caused increased training costs and adversely affected our production schedules and the ability to ship our furniture products. Furthermore, we experienced higher labor costs and ongoing inflationary pressure. Should these issues persist or increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic, similar future pandemics or for other reasons, our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity could again be adversely affected.

Fluctuations in the price, availability or quality of raw materials for our domestically manufactured upholstered furniture could cause manufacturing delays, adversely affect our ability to provide goods to our customers or increase our costs.

We use various types of wood, leather, fabric, foam and other filling material, high carbon spring steel, bar and wire stock and other raw materials in manufacturing upholstered furniture. We depend on outside suppliers for raw materials and must obtain sufficient quantities of quality raw materials from these suppliers at acceptable prices and in a timely manner. We do not have long-term supply contracts with our suppliers. Unfavorable fluctuations in the price, quality or availability of required raw materials could negatively affect our ability to meet the demands of our customers. We may not always be able to pass price increases on raw materials through to our customers due to competition and other market pressures. In addition, the price increases are frequently implemented on future orders instead of existing order backlogs. Considering our lead times of five to six months, the benefits of new pricing could be offset by continued price increases from our suppliers that could impact us before we realize the benefit from our price increases. The inability to meet customers’ demands or recover higher costs could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

If demand for our domestically manufactured upholstered furniture declines, we may respond by realigning manufacturing.

Our domestic manufacturing operations make only upholstered furniture. A decline in demand for our domestically produced upholstered furniture could result in the realignment of our domestic manufacturing operations and capabilities and the implementation of cost-saving measures. These programs could include the consolidation and integration of facilities, functions, systems and procedures. We may decide to source certain products from other suppliers instead of continuing to manufacture them. These realignments and cost-saving measures typically involve initial upfront costs and could result in decreases in our near-term earnings before the expected cost savings are realized, if they are realized at all. We may not always accomplish these actions as quickly as anticipated and may not achieve the expected cost savings, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may experience impairment of our long-lived assets, which would decrease our earnings and net worth.

At January 29, 2023, we had $73.7 million in net long-lived assets, consisting primarily of property, plant and equipment, trademarks, trade names and goodwill. Our goodwill, some trademarks and tradenames have indefinite useful lives and, consequently, are not subject to amortization for financial reporting purposes, but are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. As an example, COVID-19 had a material impact on our financial performance in the fiscal 2021 first quarter and on the market valuations, discount rates and other inputs used in our intangibles valuation analysis. We determined that an immediate intangible asset valuation was necessary given our performance and changing market dynamics. As a result of the intangible asset valuation analysis, in the fiscal 2021 first quarter, we recorded $44.3 million in non-cash impairment charges to write down goodwill and certain tradenames in the Home Meridian segment and goodwill in the Shenandoah division of its Domestic Upholstery segment. In fiscal 2023, we wrote off $12,500 representing the remaining value of the Right2Home trade name in the Home Meridian segment due to the decision to exit the ACH business unit in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Our definite-lived assets consist of property, plant and equipment and certain intangible assets related to our recent acquisitions and are tested for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. The outcome of impairment testing could result in the write-down of all or a portion of the value of these assets. A write-down of our assets would, in turn, reduce our earnings and net worth. See Note 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Our sales and operating results could be adversely affected by product safety concerns.

If our product offerings do not meet applicable safety standards or consumers' expectations regarding safety, we could experience decreased sales, increased costs and/or be exposed to legal and reputational risk. Events that give rise to actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns could expose us to regulatory enforcement action and/or private litigation. While we carry general and umbrella liability insurance for such events, settlements or jury awards could exceed our policy limits. Reputational damage caused by real or perceived product safety concerns or failure to prevail in private litigation against us could adversely affect our business, sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

The implementation of our Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) system could disrupt our business.

We are in the process of implementing a common ERP system across all divisions. The ERP system went live at Sunset West in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, and is expected to go-live in our legacy Hooker divisions in fiscal 2024, with Home Meridian segment following thereafter. Although we currently expect the ERP implementation to increase efficiencies by leveraging a common, cloud-based system throughout all divisions and standardizing processes and reporting, our ERP system implementation may not result in improvements that outweigh its costs and may disrupt our operations. Our inability to mitigate existing and future disruptions could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity. For example, when the ERP system went live at Sunset West in December 2022, the conversion process significantly impacted its shipping activities and negatively impacted its sales and profitability in the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter due to longer than expected post-implementation stabilization. We expect these issues to be resolved in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The ERP system implementation subjects us to substantial costs and inherent risks associated with migrating from our legacy systems. These costs and risks could include, but are not limited to:

A material part of our sales and accounts receivable are concentrated in a few customers. The loss of several large customers through business consolidations or otherwise, the loss of a major customer or significant sales programs with major customers, failures or other reasons, including economic downturn and the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar events, could adversely affect our business.

One customer accounted for approximately 6% of our consolidated sales in fiscal 2023, our top five customers accounted for about 22% of our fiscal 2023 consolidated sales. Approximately 20% of our consolidated accounts receivable is concentrated in our top five customers. Should any one of these receivables become uncollectible, it would have an immediate and material adverse impact on our financial condition and liquidity. The loss of any one or more of these customers could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity. The loss of several of our major customers through business consolidations, the loss of major product placements, failures or otherwise, could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity and the resulting loss in sales may be difficult or impossible to replace. Amounts owed to us by a customer whose business fails, or is failing, may become uncollectible (in whole or in part), and we could lose future sales, any of which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may not be able to collect amounts owed to us.

We grant payment terms to most customers ranging from 30 to 60 days and do not generally require collateral. However, in some instances we provide longer payment terms. We purchase credit insurance on certain customers’ receivables and factor certain other customer accounts. Some of our customers have experienced, and may in the future experience, credit-related issues. Were the COVID-19 or a similar pandemic or another major, unexpected event with negative economic effects occur, we may not be able to collect amounts owed to us or such payment may only occur after significant delay. While we perform credit evaluations of our customers, those evaluations may not prevent uncollectible trade accounts receivable. Credit evaluations involve significant management diligence and judgment, especially in the current environment. We may be unable to obtain sufficient credit insurance on certain customers’ receivable balances. Should more customers than we anticipate experience liquidity issues, if payment is not received on a timely basis, or if a customer declares bankruptcy or closes stores, we may have difficulty collecting amounts owed to us by these customers, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may engage in acquisitions and investments in companies, form strategic alliances and pursue new business lines. These activities could disrupt our business, divert management attention from our current business, pose integration concerns, dilute our earnings per share, decrease the value of our common stock and decrease our earnings and liquidity.

Our growth strategy includes growth by acquisition, which is highly dependent upon finding attractive targets and there can be no assurance those targets will be found. We may acquire or invest in businesses such as those that offer complementary products or that we believe offer competitive advantages. However, we may fail to identify significant liabilities or risks that could negatively affect us or result in our paying more for the acquired company or assets than they are worth. We may also have difficulty assimilating and integrating the operations and personnel of an acquired business into our current operations. Acquisitions may disrupt or distract management from our ongoing business. We may pay for future acquisitions using cash, stock, the assumption of debt or a combination of these. Future acquisitions could result in dilution to existing shareholders and to earnings per share and decrease the value of our common stock. We may pursue new business lines in which we have limited or no prior experience or expertise. These pursuits may require substantial investment of capital, personnel and management attention. New business initiatives may fail outright or fail to produce an adequate return, which could adversely affect our earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the Sunset Acquisition.

We incurred significant debt, acquisition and acquisition-related costs in connection with the Sunset Acquisition, but we may fail to realize all the anticipated benefits of the Sunset Acquisition or they may take longer to realize than expected. While we believe the Sunset Acquisition will be accretive to our earnings per share, this expectation is based on preliminary estimates which may materially change. Although we do not expect to merge operations or change customer-facing services, the success of this acquisition will depend, in part, on our ability to improve each business by sharing best practices in order to lower costs, improve efficiencies and grow sales. We have based our expectations in part on the historical results and trends in Sunset West’s business; however there can be no assurance regarding when or the extent to which we will be able to realize these benefits. Achieving the anticipated benefits is subject to a number of uncertainties, including whether the business acquired can be operated in the manner we intend. Events outside of our control could also adversely affect our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the acquisition. Thus, the integration of Sunset West’s business may be unpredictable, subject to delays or changed circumstances, and we can give no assurance that the acquired business will perform in accordance with our expectations, or that our expectations with respect to integration or benefits as a result of the contemplated acquisition will materialize.

The integration process in on-going and could result in the diversion of management attention to the detriment of other areas, the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies. If the integration is not completed as planned, our ongoing business and financial results may be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may fail to realize the benefits of HMI segment restructuring and cost-savings efforts.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, management approved a plan to exit the Accentrics Home (ACH) e-commerce brand of the HMI segment along with repositioning the Prime Resources International (PRI) brand as a direct-container only business model. We recorded a $24.4 million charge in the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter to write-down certain segment inventories to market and also recorded severance expenses. We expect to reduce the physical footprints at our Savannah, GA warehouse and High Point, NC administrative office over the course of the current 2024 fiscal year with a concurrent reduction in lease, warehouse, and related expenses. We expect these actions will return the HMI segment to profitability sometime in fiscal 2024. However, we may be unable to realize these cost savings in a timely manner or at all. If these efforts are unsuccessful, in whole or in part, our ongoing business and financial results may be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

We may lose market share due to furniture retailers by-passing us and sourcing directly from non-U.S. furnishings sources.

Some large furniture retailers are sourcing directly from non-U.S. furniture factories. Over time, this practice may expand to smaller retailers. As a result, we are continually subject to the risk of losing market share to these non-U.S. furnishings sources, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Failure to anticipate or timely respond to changes in fashion and consumer tastes could adversely impact our business.

Furniture is a styled product and is subject to rapidly changing fashion trends and consumer tastes, as well as to increasingly shorter product life cycles. If we fail to anticipate or promptly respond to these changes, we may lose market share or be faced with the decision of whether to sell excess inventory at reduced prices. This could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Our results of operations for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of our results of operations for a full year.

Home furnishings sales fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to factors such as changes in economic and competitive conditions, seasonality, weather conditions, availability of raw materials and finished inventory and changes in consumer order patterns. From time to time, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, volatility with respect to availability of and demand for our home furnishing products. Accordingly, our results of operations for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for a full year or the next quarter.

We may not be able to maintain, raise prices, or raise prices in a timely manner in response to inflation and increasing costs.

Competitive and market forces could prohibit or delay future successful price increases for our products in order to offset on a timely basis increased costs of labor, finished goods, raw materials, freight and other product-related costs, which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Economic downturns could result in decreased sales, earnings and liquidity.

The furniture industry is particularly sensitive to cyclical variations in the general economy and to uncertainty regarding future economic prospects, including those caused by pandemics such as COVID-19. Home furnishings are generally considered a postponable purchase by most consumers. Economic downturns could affect consumer spending habits by decreasing the overall demand for home furnishings. Changes in interest rates, consumer confidence, new housing starts, existing home sales, the availability of consumer credit and broader national or geopolitical factors have particularly significant effects on our business. We have seen negative effects on all of these measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recovery in our sales could lag significantly behind a general recovery in the economy after an economic downturn, due to, among other things, the postponable nature and relatively significant cost of home furnishings purchases or scarcity of transportation and Asian manufacturing capacity during times of increased demand. These events could also impact retailers, who are our primary customers, possibly adversely affecting our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

The impact of future pandemics could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and stock price.

At the initial height of the COVID-19 pandemic, home furnishings purchases are largely postponable and heavily influenced by consumer confidence and most of our customers’ businesses are classified as non-essential. Consequently, traffic to our customers’ stores and demand for our products significantly decreased, our sales deteriorated and our earnings were negatively impacted. COVID-19 also impacted our Asian supply chain, particularly as a result of mandatory shutdowns in locations where our products are manufactured in the Summer of calendar 2021, and we experienced out-of-stocks and lost sales as a result. Additionally, the demand surge that occurred after the initial height of the pandemic caused supplier capacity constraints, shipping container and steamship space shortages. These logistics issues increased costs, led to out-of-stocks and adversely affected our sales and earnings.

The extent of the continued impact of a pandemic or other global health crisis on our business and financial results depends on future developments, including the emergence of new and different strains of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccinations and other public health measures and could result in similar or worse public health outcomes compared to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sweeping nature of pandemics makes it extremely difficult to predict how our business and operations could be affected in the longer run. Any of the foregoing factors, or other cascading effects of this or other pandemics, could materially increase our costs, negatively impact our sales and damage the Company’s results of operations and its liquidity, possibly to a significant degree. The duration of any such impacts also cannot be predicted.

The interruption, inadequacy or security failure of our information systems or information technology infrastructure or the internet or inadequate levels of cyber-insurance could adversely impact our business, sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Our information systems (software) and information technology (hardware) infrastructure platforms and those of third parties who provide these services to us, including internet service providers and third parties who store data for us on their servers (“the cloud”), facilitate and support every facet of our business, including the sourcing of raw materials and finished goods, planning, manufacturing, warehousing, customer service, shipping, accounting, payroll and human resources. Our systems, and those of third parties who provide services to us, are vulnerable to disruption or damage caused by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: power disruptions or outages; natural disasters or other so-called “Acts of God”; computer system or network failures; viruses or malware; physical or electronic break-ins; the theft of computers, tablets and smart phones utilized by our employees or contractors; unauthorized access, phishing and cyber-attacks. The risk of cyberattacks also includes attempted breaches of contractors, business partners, vendors and other third parties. We have a cybersecurity program designed to protect and preserve the integrity of our information systems. Additionally, we implemented a multi-factor authentication process in order to enhance the security of our remote work environment. We have experienced and expect to continue to experience actual or attempted cyber-attacks of our information systems or networks; however, none of these actual or attempted cyber-attacks had a material impact on our operations or financial condition. Additionally, while we carry cyber insurance, including insurance for social engineering fraud, the amounts of insurance we carry may be inadequate due either to inadequate limits available from the insurance markets or inadequate coverage purchased. Because cyber threat scenarios are inherently difficult to predict and can take many forms, cyber insurance may not cover certain risks. Further, legislative or regulatory action in these areas is evolving, and we may be unable to adapt our information systems or to manage the information systems of third parties to accommodate these changes. If these information systems or technologies are interrupted or fail, or we are unable to adapt our systems or those of third parties as a result of legislative or regulatory actions, our operations and reputation may be adversely affected, we may be subject to legal proceedings, including regulatory investigations and actions, which could diminish investor and customer confidence which could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information provided to us by our customers, employees, or third parties could harm our business.

We rely on the internet and other electronic methods to transmit confidential information and we store confidential information on our networks. If there was a disclosure of confidential information by our employees or contractors, including accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unapproved dissemination of information, or if a third party were to gain access to the confidential information we possess, our reputation could be harmed, and we could be subject to civil or criminal liability and regulatory actions. A claim that is brought against us, successful or unsuccessful, that is uninsured or under-insured could harm our business, result in substantial costs, divert management attention and adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

ITEM 1B.      UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.         PROPERTIES

Set forth below is information with respect to our principal properties on April 14, 2023. We believe all of these properties are well-maintained and in good condition. During fiscal 2023, we estimate our upholstery plants operated at approximately 87% of capacity on a one-shift basis. All our production facilities are equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. All facilities maintain modern fire and spark detection systems, which we believe are adequate. We have leased certain warehouse facilities for our distribution and import operations, typically on a short or medium-term basis. We expect that we will be able to renew or extend these leases or find alternative facilities to meet our warehousing and distribution needs at a reasonable cost. All facilities set forth below are active and operational, representing in the aggregate approximately 3.8 million square feet of owned space, leased space or properties utilized under third-party operating agreements.

ITEM 3.         LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

None.

ITEM 4.         MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Hooker Furnishings’ executive officers and their ages as of April 14, 2023 and the calendar year each joined the Company are as follows:

Jeremy R. Hoff has been Chief Executive Officer and Director since February 2021. Mr. Hoff served as President of Hooker Legacy Brands from February 2020 to January 2021, President of the Hooker Branded segment from April 2018 to January 2020. Mr. Hoff joined the Company in August of 2017 as President of Hooker Upholstery. Prior to that, Mr. Hoff served as President of Theodore Alexander USA from December 2015 to August 2017.

Paul A. Huckfeldt has been Senior Vice President - Finance and Accounting since September 2013 and Chief Financial Officer since January 2011. Mr. Huckfeldt served as Vice President – Finance and Accounting from December 2010 to September 2013, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer from January 2010 to January 2011, Manager of Operations Accounting from March 2006 to December 2009 and led the Company’s Sarbanes-Oxley implementation and subsequent compliance efforts from April 2004 to March 2006.

Anne J. Smith has been Chief Administration Officer and President – Domestic Upholstery since February 2021. Ms. Smith served as Chief Administration Officer from July 2018 to January 2021, Senior Vice President – Administration from January 2014 to June 2018, Vice President- HR and Administration from January 2011 to January 2014 and Vice President-Human Resources from November 2008 to January 2011. Ms. Smith joined the Company in January of 2008 as Director of Human Resources.

Tod R. Phelps has been Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President – Operations since February 2021. Mr. Phelps joined the Company in April 2017 as Chief Information Officer. From March 2014 to April 2017, he served as Chief Technology Officer of Heritage Home Group, LLC.

Hooker Furnishings Corporation

Part II

ITEM 5.         MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES         

Our stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “HOFT”. As of January 29, 2023, we had approximately 11,500 beneficial shareholders. As we have done in the past, we currently expect that future regular quarterly dividends will be declared and paid in the months of March, June, September and December. Although we presently intend to continue to declare regular cash dividends on a quarterly basis for the foreseeable future, the determination as to the payment and the amount of any future dividends will be made by the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis and will depend on our then-current financial condition, capital requirements, results of operations and any other factors then deemed relevant by the Board of Directors.

Purchase of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

On June 6, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s common shares. The authorization does not obligate us to acquire a specific number of shares during any period and does not have an expiration date, but it may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market, or through privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to our cash requirements for other purposes, compliance with the covenants under the loan agreement for our revolving credit facility and other factors we deem relevant.

The following table details the repurchase activities in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023:

Through fiscal 2023, we had used approximately $13.3 million of the authorization to purchase 819,632 of our common shares (at an average price of $16.27 per share), with approximately $6.6 million remaining available for future purchases under the authorization as of the end of fiscal 2023.

Performance Graph (1)

The following graph compares cumulative total shareholder return for the Company with a broad performance indicator, the Russell 2000® Index (2), and a published industry index, the Household Furniture Index (3), for the period from January 28, 2018 to January 29, 2023.

ITEM 6.         SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

SEC disclosure rules no longer require the presentation of selected financial data; however, based on shareholder and internal feedback we continue to provide this information. The following selected financial data for each of our last five fiscal years has been derived from our audited, consolidated financial statements. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements, including the related notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this report. Additionally, we face a number of significant risks and uncertainties, as more fully discussed in Item 1A, “Risk Factors”, above. If any or a combination of these risks and uncertainties were to occur, the information below may not be fully indicative of our future financial condition or results of operations.

ITEM 7.         MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

As you read Management’s Discussion and Analysis, please refer to the selected financial data and the consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, contained elsewhere in this annual report. We especially encourage you to familiarize yourself with:

In Management’s Discussion and Analysis, we analyze and explain the annual changes in some specific line items in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022. We also provide information regarding the performance of each of our operating segments and All Other. The analysis and discussions of fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021 results are in our 2022 Form-10K available through Hooker Furnishings and SEC websites.

Unless otherwise indicated, references to the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Hooker Furnishings Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless specifically referring to segment information. All references to the “Hooker,” “Hooker Division,” “Hooker Legacy Brands” or “traditional Hooker” divisions or companies refer to the current components of our Hooker Branded segment, the Domestic Upholstery segment including Bradington-Young, HF Custom, Shenandoah Furniture and Sunset West, and All Other which includes H Contract and Lifestyle Brands.

Furniture sales account for all of our net sales. For financial reporting purposes, we are organized into three reportable segments- Hooker Branded, Home Meridian and Domestic Upholstery, with our other businesses included in All Other. We regularly monitor our reportable segments for changes in facts and circumstances to determine whether changes in the identification or aggregation of operating segments are necessary. Before the fiscal 2023, H Contract’s results included sales of seating products sourced from HF Custom. Due to a change in the way management internally evaluates operating performance, beginning with fiscal 2023 first quarter, HF Custom’s results, which are included in Domestic Upholstery, now include sales of seating products formerly included in H Contract’s results. Fiscal 2022 results discussed below have been recast to reflect this change. The Hooker Branded and Home Meridian segments are unchanged. Additionally, based on our analysis and the requirements of ASC 280: Segment Reporting, the operational results of the newly acquired Sunset West division are included in the Domestic Upholstery segment starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 on a prospective basis. See Note 18 to our consolidated financial statements for additional financial information regarding our segments.

Overview

Executive Summary- Fiscal 2023 Results of Operations

Consolidated net sales decreased by $10.5 million, or 1.8%, compared to the previous fiscal year. The decrease was driven by a $62.6 million, or 22.4% sales decline in the Home Meridian segment, which was largely offset by a significant increase of $49.9 million or 46.7% in the Domestic Upholstery segment. Hooker Branded segment net sales had a minor decrease of $1.1 million, or 0.5%. Despite being a small portion of the consolidated results, All Other revenue increased by 45.3% or $3.3 million. Consolidated gross profit and margin decreased by $8.4 million and 110 bps, respectively, primarily due to the gross loss in the Home Meridian segment resulting from the $24.4 million write down of ACH and other excess inventories, and to a lesser extent, a decrease in gross profit and margin in the Hooker Branded segment. The charge was initially expected to be $34 million, but estimates were refined during our year-end financial close and was ultimately less than originally estimated in part as sales of the inventory thus far in fiscal 2024 have been at less of a discount than originally expected. These decreases were partially offset by increased profitability in the Domestic Upholstery segment. The Company reported a consolidated operating loss of $6.0 million or (1.0%) operating margin, as compared to operating income of $14.8 million in the previous fiscal year. Consolidated net loss was $4.3 million or ($0.37) per diluted share, as compared to net income of $11.7 million or $0.97 per diluted share in the prior year period.

Our fiscal 2023 performance is discussed in greater detail below under “Review” and “Results of Operations”.

Review

Fiscal 2023 was a challenging year as we faced macro-economic uncertainties, ongoing inflation, volatile interest rates and a slowdown in the demand for home furnishings following the prior year’s demand surge after the initial COVID crisis. Despite these challenges, we were encouraged by the improvements in the global supply chain, a strong labor market, and our overseas vendors returning to normal production levels. As discussed below, we were pleased to report solid results in both Hooker Branded and Domestic Upholstery segments; however, we had to make difficult but necessary decisions aimed at optimizing our resources and improving profitability in the Home Meridian segment.

The Hooker Branded segment’s net sales slightly decreased by $1.1 million, or 0.5%, as compared to the all-time record net sales this segment achieved in the prior fiscal year. At the beginning of the fiscal year, this segment experienced inventory unavailability due to the COVID-related lockdown at our suppliers in Vietnam and their slow re-openings in late 2021 and early 2022. Inventory levels increased throughout fiscal 2023, allowing us to fulfill a significant portion of the large order backlog carried over from the prior year. However, in the third quarter, there was a temporary delay in shipments due to inventory mix issues. Dealers delayed receipts of orders until collections could ship complete. This was resolved in the fourth quarter. By the end of fiscal year 2023, inventory had increased by $35 million in this segment compared to the previous year-end and more than doubled compared to fiscal 2020 and 2021 year-end. Meanwhile, gross profit and margin for the segment decreased by $3.8 million or 180 bps due to much higher-than-expected demurrage expenses and increased warehousing labor costs, driven by the large inventory volume as well as port and warehouse congestion in the U.S.. Operating income decreased to $20.5 million, with an operating margin of 10.3%, compared to $30.7 million and 15.3%, respectively, in the prior year. The decline was due to higher compensation expenses (due to increased headcount, wage inflation and favorable performance to budget which affected staff variable compensation), higher professional services and training expenses, higher lease expense at the new Hooker showroom in High Point, NC, which is expected to come online in April 2023, and other increased operating expenditures as business returned to the pre-pandemic environment. Despite a significant decrease in incoming orders compared to the strong rebound in the prior year, order backlog remained 76% higher than pre-pandemic levels at fiscal 2020 year end.

The Home Meridian segment experienced a decline of $62.6 million, or 22.4% in net sales, compared to the prior year. Moreover, the segment recorded an operating loss of $37.2 million, driven by lower sales volume due to the demand environment and a $24.4 million inventory write down related to the exit of the ACH business unit and repositioning of PRI in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.

We believe the actions to eliminate these slow-moving and low-margin categories, reduce overhead, and focus our resources on more profitable products, sales channels and customer mix are essential for sustained performance and long-term profitability.

The Domestic Upholstery segment’s net sales increased by $49.9 million, or 46.7% compared to the prior fiscal year. The sales increase was due primarily to the addition of Sunset West results, which accounted for approximately 54% of the increase, while the remainder was due to double-digit sales growth at Bradington-Young, HF Custom, and Shenandoah for the second consecutive year. Manufacturing constraints such as shortages and inconsistent deliveries of certain raw materials that we experienced in the prior year were no longer an issue. Gross margin was 20.8%, compared to 19.5% in the prior year. Higher sales volume and operating near full capacity significantly improved indirect and fixed costs absorption and direct labor efficiency; however, price inflation of raw materials and higher freight surcharges offset the favorable sales variances by approximately 300 bps and 220 bps, respectively. Additionally, Sunset West's shipping activities were disrupted by the conversion of the new ERP system in the fourth quarter due to longer than expected post-implementation stabilization, resulting in low shipments and unabsorbed costs. This issue was largely resolved in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The segment reported an operating income of $8.9 million, with a 5.7% operating margin compared to $4.7 million and 4.4% in the prior year, respectively. Incoming orders decreased mostly due to current demand, while shipments were higher and aligned with internal goals, fulfilling and reducing the historically high order backlogs which was carried over from the prior year. At the end of fiscal 2023, order backlog, excluding Sunset West, remained 57% higher than pre-pandemic levels at fiscal 2020 year end.

Cash and cash equivalents stood at $19 million at fiscal 2023 year-end, a decrease of $50.4 million from the prior year-end. During fiscal 2023, we used a portion of cash on hand and cash collected from accounts receivable to fund $19 million increase in inventory, $13.3 million share repurchases, $9.6 million in cash dividends to our shareholders, $5.4 million for development of our new cloud-based ERP system, and $4.2 million capital expenditure for enhancements of other systems and facilities. During fiscal 2023, we received $25 million in term loan proceeds to replenish cash used to make the Sunset Acquisition. In the third quarter of fiscal 2023, our Board of Directors approved the increase of our quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, an increase of 10% or $0.02 per share, representing the seventh consecutive annual dividend increase. In fiscal 2023, dividends totaled $0.82 per share or $9.6 million in the aggregate, an increase of 10.8% or $0.08 per share, compared to the prior year.

In addition to our cash balance, at fiscal 2023 third quarter end, we had $26.4 million available under our $35 million revolving credit facility with BofA (the “Existing Revolver”) to fund working capital needs and have access to $27.6 million in cash surrender value of Company-owned life insurance policies. We believe that our liquidity and capital requirements will be further improved through the write down of ACH inventories and other excess inventories, as discussed above. With strategic inventory management, reasonable capital expenditures, and prudent expense management, we believe we have the financial resources to support our business operations for the foreseeable future.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth the percentage relationship to net sales of certain items for the annual periods included in the consolidated statements of income:

Fiscal 2023 Compared to Fiscal 2022

Net Sales

Unit Volume and Average Selling Price (“ASP”)

*Sunset West is excluded from the Domestic Upholstery segment in the Unit Volume and ASP portions of the table above since it was not a part of our fiscal 2022 results. Consequently, we believe including its fiscal 2023 results would skew Domestic Upholstery results and reduce the usefulness of those portions of the table.

Consolidated net sales decreased primarily due to sales decline in the Home Meridian segment, partially offset by revenue growth at Domestic Upholstery segment and All Other.

Gross Profit/(Loss) and Margin

Consolidated gross profit and margin both decreased as compared to the prior year, attributed primarily to a gross loss at the Home Meridian segment, while partially offset by an increase in gross profit and margin at Domestic Upholstery segment.

Selling and Administrative Expenses (“S&A”)

Consolidated selling and administrative expenses increased in absolute terms and as a percentage of net sales driven by increased S&A expenses at Hooker Branded segment and the addition of Sunset West expenses.

Intangible Asset Amortization

Intangible asset amortization expense was higher in fiscal 2023 due to Sunset Acquisition-related amortization expense. See Note 10 Intangible Assets and Goodwill to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about our amortizable intangible assets.

Operating (Loss)/Profit and Margin

Operating profitability decreased both in absolute terms and as a percentage of net sales in fiscal 2023 compared to the prior-year period due to the factors discussed above. Sunset West operating profit of $683,000 for the fiscal 2023, net of $1.1 million in intangible asset amortization expense on Sunset Acquisition-related intangibles, was included in the Domestic Upholstery segment’s results.

Interest Expense, net

Consolidated interest expense increased in fiscal 2023 due primarily to interest on new term loans and the amounts drawn on the revolving credit facility throughout the year.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax benefit of $1.8 million for fiscal 2023, compared to income tax expense of $3.4 million for fiscal 2022. The effective tax rates for fiscal 2023 and 2022 were 29.9% and 22.4%, respectively. The effective tax rate was higher in fiscal 2023 due to the impact of the cash surrender value of company-owned life insurance which was added to the favorable tax impact of the pretax loss in current year, versus a subtraction from tax expense in the case of a pretax profit. See Note 17 Income Taxes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about our income taxes.

Net (Loss)/Income and (Loss)/Earnings Per Share

The analysis and discussion of fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021 results are available in Item 7 of our 2022 Annual Report on Form-10K available through Hooker Furnishings and SEC websites.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

Summary Cash Flow Information – Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

During fiscal 2023, we used a portion of the $25 million term-loan proceeds and existing cash and cash equivalents on hand to fund the $25 million Acquisition, build up inventory levels by $19 million, pay $13.3 million in purchases and retirement of common stock, $9.6 million in cash dividends, $5.4 million for the development of our new cloud-based ERP system, $4.2 million capital expenditures to enhance our business systems and facilities, and $492,000 in life insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies. Company-owned life insurance policies are in place to compensate us for the loss of key employees and to facilitate business continuity.

During fiscal 2022, we used a portion of the $19.2 million generated from operations and $372,000 in life insurance proceeds to pay $8.8 million in cash dividends, $6.7 million in capital expenditures to enhance our systems and facilities and $560,000 for insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

During fiscal 2021, we used existing cash, a portion of the $68.3 million generated from operations and $1.3 million in life insurance proceeds to retire our $30.1 million in outstanding term loans related to the Home Meridian acquisition, pay $7.8 million in cash dividends, $1.2 million in capital expenditures to enhance our systems and facilities and to pay $555,000 for insurance premiums on Company-owned life insurance policies.

Liquidity, Financial Resources and Capital Expenditures

Our sources of liquidity are:

The most significant components of our working capital are inventory, accounts receivable and cash and cash equivalents reduced by accounts payable and accrued expenses.

Our most significant ongoing short-term cash requirements relate primarily to funding operations (including expenditures for inventory, lease payments and payroll), quarterly dividend payments and capital expenditures related primarily to our ERP project, showroom renovations and upgrading systems, buildings and equipment. The timing of our working capital needs can vary greatly depending on demand for and availability of raw materials and imported finished goods but is generally the greatest in the mid-summer as a result of inventory build-up for the traditional fall selling season. Long-term cash requirements relate primarily to funding lease payments.

While we generally fund short-term and long-term cash requirements with cash from operating activities, during fiscal 2023, at various times we borrowed and repaid amounts totaling $36.2 million on our revolving line of credit. We believe our primary sources of liquidity will satisfy our cash requirements over both the short-term (the next twelve months) and long-term.

Loan Agreements and Revolving Credit Facility

On July 26, 2022, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Amendment”) with Bank of America, N.A. (“BofA”) to replenish cash used to make the Sunset Acquisition. The Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017, had previously been amended by a First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 31, 2019, a Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of November 4, 2020, and a Third Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of January 27, 2021 (as so amended, the “Existing Loan Agreement”). Details of the individual credit facilities provided for in the Amendment are as follows:

We may prepay any outstanding principal amounts borrowed under either the Secured Term Loan or the Unsecured Term Loan at any time, without penalty provided that any payment is accompanied by all accrued interest owed. As of January 29, 2023, $6.3 million was outstanding under the Unsecured Term Loan, and $18 million was outstanding under the Secured Term Loan.

We incurred $37,500 in debt issuance costs in connection with our term loans. As of January 29, 2023, unamortized loan costs of $33,750 were netted against the carrying value of our term loans on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The Amendment also included customary representations and warranties and requires us to comply with customary covenants, including, among other things, the following financial covenants:

The Existing Loan Agreement also limits our right to incur other indebtedness, make certain investments and create liens upon our assets, subject to certain exceptions, among other restrictions. The Existing Loan Agreement does not restrict our ability to pay cash dividends on, or repurchase, shares of our common stock, subject to our compliance with the financial covenants discussed above, if we are not otherwise in default under the Existing Loan Agreement.

We were in compliance with each of these financial covenants at January 29, 2023 and expect to remain in compliance with existing covenants for the foreseeable future.

Revolving Credit Facility Availability

As of January 29, 2023, we had $26.4 million available under our $35 million Existing Revolver to fund working capital needs. Standby letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $8.6 million, used to collateralize certain insurance arrangements and for imported product purchases, were outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of January 29, 2023. There were no additional borrowings outstanding under the Existing Revolver as of January 29, 2023.

Share Repurchase Authorization

On June 6, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s common shares. The authorization does not obligate us to acquire a specific number of shares during any period and does not have an expiration date, but it may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market, or through privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to our cash requirements for other purposes, compliance with the covenants under the loan agreement for our revolving credit facility and other factors we deem relevant.

Through the end of fiscal 2023, we had used approximately $13.3 million of the authorization to purchase 819,632 of our common shares (at an average price of $16.27 per share), with approximately $6.7 million remaining available for future purchases under the authorization as of the end of the fiscal 2023.

Capital Expenditures

We expect to spend between $2.5-$3.5 million in capital expenditures in fiscal 2024 to maintain and enhance our operating systems and facilities.

Enterprise Resource Planning

During calendar 2021, our Board of Directors approved an upgrade to our current ERP system and implementation efforts began shortly thereafter. The ERP system went live at Sunset West in December 2022 and is expected to go-live in our legacy Hooker divisions in fiscal 2024, with the Home Meridian segment following afterwards. To complete the ERP system implementation as anticipated, we will be required to expend significant financial and human resources. We anticipate spending approximately $4.0 million in fiscal 2024, with a significant amount of time invested by our associates.

Material Capital Commitments

Our material capital commitments primarily consist of term loan and lease payments.

Contractual term-loan and interest payments assuming identical effective interest rates as of the end of fiscal 2023 are expected to be $2.7 million in fiscal 2024, $2.6 million in fiscal 2025, $2.5 million in fiscal 2026, $2.5 million in fiscal 2027 and $19.2 million in fiscal 2028 including the payoff of $18 million Secured Term Loan.

We lease office space, warehousing facilities, showroom space and office equipment under leases expiring over the next five years. Future minimum annual commitments under leases and operating agreements are $10 million in fiscal 2024, $10.1 million in fiscal 2025, $10.2 million in fiscal 2026, $10.3 million in fiscal 2027 and $8.9 in fiscal 2028.

Dividends

We declared and paid dividends of $0.82 per share or approximately $9.6 million in fiscal 2023, an increase of 10.8% or $0.08 per share compared to $0.74 per share in fiscal 2022.

On March 3, 2023, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per share, payable on March 31, 2023 to shareholders of record at March 17, 2023.

Our Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the appropriateness of the current dividend rate considering our performance and economic conditions in future quarters.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

No new accounting pronouncements were adopted in fiscal 2023 and none are expected to be adopted in fiscal 2024. We reviewed newly issued accounting pronouncements and concluded they are either not applicable to our business or are not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements as a result of future adoption.

Outlook

Economic indicators remain mixed. We are encouraged by the stabilization of global supply chain dynamics, some moderation of inflation and continuing strength in employment levels, but concerned about possible instability in global banking, interest rates and the stock market. Other headwinds include retailers delaying shipments due to temporarily high inventory levels, and the regulatory uncertainty with respect to anti-tipping standards on bedroom storage furniture, which we believe negatively impacted incoming order rates in the fiscal 2024 first quarter, especially from larger customers of our Home Meridian segment. Based on recent developments, it appears the tip-over issue is near resolution and we do not expect it to have a long-term impact on demand or product costs.

As the industry returns to more typical demand and supply chain constraints continue to improve, previously astronomical ocean freight rates have declined, and appear to have stabilized. We expect to begin realizing cost savings and improved margins as the year progresses as we sell though our existing, higher-cost inventory and replenish with goods carrying lower freight charges.

There is significant momentum at Home Meridian with meaningful new placements with major customers. We expect the product commitments made by customers will positively affect the current fiscal year, helping put HMI on the path for solid and sustainable profitability. With the opening of our new Hooker Legacy Showroom and our first Spring High Point Market in the renovated HMI and Portfolio showrooms, we expect an exciting, well-attended furniture market next week. We believe our new High Point and Las Vegas showrooms and plans to show at the Atlanta Market this summer present an opportunity for us to get our brands in front of more customers and prospects in the next 12 months than at any time in our history.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The methods, estimates and judgments we use in applying our most critical accounting policies have a significant impact on the results we report in our consolidated financial statements. Critical accounting estimates are those that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Specific areas requiring the application of management’s estimates and judgments include, among others, revenue recognition, inventory valuation, assumptions pertaining to valuation of goodwill and intangible assets and useful lives of long-lived assets. Accordingly, a different financial presentation could result depending on the judgments, estimates or assumptions that are used. However, we do not believe that actual results will deviate materially from our estimates related to our accounting policies described below but because application of these accounting policies involves the exercise of judgment and the use of assumptions as to future uncertainties, actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Therefore, we consider an understanding of the variability and judgment required in making these estimates and assumptions to be critical in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 606, which requires revenue to be recognized at an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to receive in exchange for transferring goods or services to our customers. Our policy is to record revenue when control of the goods transfers to the customer. We have a present right to payment at the time of shipment as customers are invoiced at that time. We believe the customer obtains control of goods at the time of shipment, which is typically when title passes. While the customer may not enjoy immediate physical possession of the products, the customers’ right to re-direct shipment indicates control. In the very limited instances when products are sold under consignment arrangements, we do not recognize revenue until control over such products has transferred to the end consumer. Orders are generally non-cancellable once loaded into a shipping trailer or container.

The transaction price for each contract is the stated price of the product, reduced by any stated discounts or allowances at that point in time. We do not engage in sales of products that attach a future material right which could result in a separate performance obligation for the purchase of goods in the future at a material discount. The implicit contract with the customer, as reflected in the order acknowledgement and invoice, states the final terms of the sale, including the description, quantity, and price of each product purchased. The transaction price reflects the amount of estimated consideration to which we expect to be entitled. This amount of variable consideration included in the transaction price, and measurement of net sales, is included in net sales only to the extent that it is probable that there will be no significant reversal in a future period.

Net sales are comprised of gross revenues from sales of home furnishings and hospitality furniture products and are recorded net of allowances for trade promotions, estimated product returns, rebate advertising programs and other discounts. Physical product returns are very rare due to the high probability of damages to our products in return transit. Other revenues, primarily royalties, are immaterial to our overall results. Payment is typically due within 30-60 days of shipment for customers qualifying for payment terms. Collectability is reasonably assured since we extend credit to customers for whom we have performed credit evaluations and/or from whom we have received a down payment or deposit. Due to the highly-customized nature of our hospitality products, we typically require substantial prepayments on these orders, with the balance due within 30 days of delivery.

Acquisition of Sunset West.

The acquisition of Sunset West was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. The acquisition method of accounting involved the allocation of the $26.0 million purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The $26.0 million in assets acquired included a customer relationships intangible asset with an acquisition-date fair value of $10.4 million. The allocation process involved the use of estimates and assumptions made in connection with estimating the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed including cash flows expected to be derived from the use of the asset including projected cash flows, the timing of such cash flows, the remaining useful life of assets, royalty rates and applicable discount rates. Inputs used are generally obtained from historical data supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions and growth rates. If the actual results differ from the estimates and judgements used in these fair values, the amounts recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements could result in a possible impairment of these assets or require acceleration of the amortization expense of finite-lived intangible assets.

Inventory

Inventories, consisting of finished furniture for sale, raw materials, manufacturing supplies and furniture in process, are stated at the lower of cost, or market value, with cost determined using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. Under this method, inventory is valued at cost, which is determined by applying a cumulative index to current year inventory dollars.

We review inventories on hand and record an allowance for slow-moving and obsolete inventory based on historical experience, current sales trends and market conditions, expected sales and other factors. When we identify inventory that is unlikely to be sold or that has a cost basis in excess of its net realizable value, we record a write-down to reduce the carrying amount of inventory to its estimated net realizable value. In fiscal 2023, we recorded $24.4 million inventory write down on the ACH and other excess inventories related to the exit of ACH business unit and repositioning of PRI business unit as a direct-container only business model. These estimates and assumptions were based on then current inventory levels, industry discounting levels, current demand, and offers to purchase these inventories.

Concentrations of Sourcing Risk

In fiscal 2023, imported products sourced from Vietnam and China accounted for 91% of our import purchases and our top five suppliers in Vietnam and China accounted for 50% of our fiscal 2023 import purchases. A disruption in our supply chain, or from Vietnam or China in general, could significantly impact our ability to fill customer orders for products manufactured in those countries. Our supply chain could be adversely impacted by the uncertainties of health concerns and governmental restrictions. In some cases, we were able to provide substitutions using inventory on hand, in-transit and from our domestic warehouses, but not enough to entirely mitigate the lost sales. Supply disruptions and delays on selected items could occur for six months or longer before the impact of remedial measures would be reflected in our results. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining those products from other sources or at comparable cost, a disruption in our supply chain from our largest import furniture suppliers, or from Vietnam or China in general, could adversely affect our sales, earnings, financial condition and liquidity.

ITEM 7A.      QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to various types of market risk in the normal course of our business, including the impact of interest rate changes, raw materials price risk and changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which could impact our results of operations or financial condition. We manage our exposure to this risk through our normal operating activities.

Interest Rate Risk

Borrowings under the Existing Revolver, the Secured Term Loan and the Unsecured Term loan bear interest based on BSBY plus 1.00%, BSBY plus 0.90% and BSBY plus 1.40%, respectively. As such, these debt instruments expose us to market risk for changes in interest rates. There was no outstanding balance under the Existing Revolver as of January 29, 2023 other than standby letters of credit in the amount of $8.6 million. As of January 29, 2023, $24.3 million was outstanding under our term loans. A 1% increase in the BSBY rate would result in an annual increase in interest expenses on our terms loans of approximately $237,000.

Raw Materials Price Risk

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the cost of raw materials used in our domestic upholstery manufacturing processes; principally, wood, fabric and foam products.  Increases in home construction activity could result in increases in wood and fabric costs. Additionally, the cost of petroleum-based foam products we utilize are sensitive to crude oil prices, which vary due to supply, demand and geo-political factors.

Currency Risk

For imported products, we generally negotiate firm pricing denominated in U.S. Dollars with our foreign suppliers, typically for periods of at least one year. We accept the exposure to exchange rate movements beyond these negotiated periods. We do not use derivative financial instruments to manage this risk but could choose to do so in the future. Most of our imports are purchased from suppliers located in Vietnam and China. The Chinese currency floats within a limited range in relation to the U.S. Dollar, resulting in exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Since we transact our imported product purchases in U.S. Dollars, a relative decline in the value of the U.S. Dollar could increase the price we pay for imported products beyond the negotiated periods. We generally expect to reflect substantially all of the effect of any price increases from suppliers in the prices we charge for imported products. However, these changes could adversely impact sales volume or profit margins during affected periods.

ITEM 8.         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Our consolidated financial statements listed in Item 15(a), and which begin on page F-5, of this report are incorporated herein by reference and are filed as a part of this report.

ITEM 9.         CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A.      CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended January 29, 2023. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of January 29, 2023, the end of the period covered by this annual report, to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. 

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

In accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and SEC rules thereunder, management has conducted an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as of January 29, 2023, based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Management’s report regarding that assessment is included on page F-2 of this report, with our consolidated financial statements, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Report of Registered Public Accounting Firm         

Our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, audited the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K and has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. KPMG’s report is included on page F-3 and F-4 of this report, with our consolidated financial statements, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

On January 31, 2022, we closed on the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Sunset HWM, LLC (“Sunset West"). As permitted by SEC guidance for newly acquired businesses, we excluded Sunset West’s operations from the scope of our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 report on internal controls over financial reporting for the year ending January 29, 2023. We expect to complete the implementation of our internal control structure at Sunset West in fiscal 2024.

As previously discussed, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 we implemented a new ERP system at Sunset West. As mentioned above, we were not required to include Sunset West’s operations in the scope of our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 report on internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) for the year ending January 29, 2023. Consequently, this implementation did not result in material changes to our ICFR. These system changes were not undertaken in response to any actual or perceived deficiencies in our ICFR.

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended January 29, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B.      OTHER INFORMATION         

None.

ITEM 9C.      DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

Not Applicable.

Hooker Furnishings Corporation

Part III

In accordance with General Instruction G (3) of Form 10-K, most of the information called for by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held June 6, 2023 (the “2023 Proxy Statement”), as set forth below.

ITEM 10.       DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information relating to our directors will be set forth under the caption “Proposal One-Election of Directors” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information relating to our executive officers is included in Part I of this report under the caption “Information about our Executive Officers” and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information relating to compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act will be set forth under the caption “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information relating to the code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions will be set forth under the caption “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information relating to material changes, if any, in the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees for our Board of Directors will be set forth under the caption “Procedures for Shareholder Recommendations of Director Nominees” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information relating to the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors, including the composition of the Audit Committee and the Board’s determinations concerning whether certain members of the Audit Committee are “financial experts” as that term is defined under Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K will be set forth under the captions “Corporate Governance” and “Audit Committee” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11.       EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information relating to this item will be set forth under the captions “Report of the Compensation Committee,” “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12.       SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS

Information relating to this item will be set forth under the captions “Equity Compensation Plan Information” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13.       CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Information relating to this item will be set forth in the last two paragraphs under the caption “Audit Committee” and the caption “Corporate Governance” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14.       PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

Information relating to this item will be set forth under the caption “Proposal Two - Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the 2023 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Hooker Furnishings Corporation

Part IV

ITEM 15.       EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)         Documents filed as part of this report on Form 10-K:

(1)         The following reports and financial statements are included in this report on Form 10-K:

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 29, 2023 and January 30, 2022

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fifty-two-week periods ended January 29, 2023, January 30, 2022 and January 31, 2021

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) / Income for the fifty-two-week periods ended January 29, 2023, January 30, 2022 and January 31, 2021

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fifty-two-week periods ended January 29, 2023, January 30, 2022 and January 31, 2021

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the fifty-two-week periods ended January 29, 2023, January 30, 2022 and January 31, 2021

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(2)         Financial Statement Schedules:

Financial Statement Schedules have been omitted because the information required has been separately disclosed in the consolidated financial statements or related notes.

(b)         Exhibits:

*Management contract or compensatory plan

ITEM 16.       FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

HOOKER FURNISHINGS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS