• Consolidated Net Sales: Decreased 10.5% year-over-year to $196.6 million.
• Container Store Retail Business Sales: $186.8 million, a 10.4% decrease from the prior year.
• Comparable Store Sales: Decreased 12.5% year-over-year.
• General Merchandise Sales: Declined 18.7%, negatively impacting comp store sales by 1,200 basis points.
• Custom Spaces Sales: Decreased 1.5% in comp store sales, negatively impacting by 50 basis points; operational demand up 4.5%.
• Online Channel Sales: Decreased 13.7% year-over-year.
• Website Generated Sales: Decreased 7.9%, representing 22.4% of TCS net sales.
• Elfa Third Party Net Sales: $9.8 million, a decrease of 12.9% year-over-year.
• Consolidated Gross Margin: Decreased 210 basis points to 55.5%.
• SG&A Expenses: Decreased $4.1 million to $105.2 million; increased as a percentage of net sales by 380 basis points to 53.5%.
• Net Loss: $16.1 million or $4.85 per share, compared to a net loss of $23.7 million or $7.17 per share last year.
• Adjusted Net Loss: $10.7 million or $3.23 per share.
• Adjusted EBITDA: Decreased to $3.9 million from $17 million last year.
• Cash and Debt: $66.1 million in cash, $232 million in total debt.
• Inventory: Consolidated inventory down 12% year-over-year.
• Capital Expenditures: $15.3 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.
• Store Changes: Opened one store, closed one store; plan to open two more and close one in Chicago.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with TCS.

Release Date: October 29, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• The Container Store Group Inc (NYSE:TCS) reported sequential improvement in general merchandise trends, indicating stabilization efforts are gaining traction.
• Custom spaces orders placed but not yet delivered were up 4.5% compared to the prior year, showing strength in this segment.
• The introduction of new products, such as the everything organizer collection, has been well-received, with plans to expand the product line further.
• The company has entered into a strategic partnership with Beyond, expected to enhance capabilities and expand reach through data analytics and financial solutions.
• Efforts to tightly manage inventory resulted in a 12% decline in consolidated inventory compared to the previous year, reflecting effective inventory management.

Negative Points

• Year-over-year comparable sales declined 12.5%, with a significant 18.7% drop in general merchandise categories.
• Consolidated net sales decreased 10.5% year-over-year, reflecting ongoing challenges in the retail environment.
• The company recorded a $3.4 million long-lived asset impairment related to an underperforming store, indicating challenges in certain locations.
• Net loss for the quarter was $16.1 million, compared to a net loss of $23.7 million in the same quarter last year, highlighting ongoing financial struggles.
• The company is facing pressure on its ability to comply with leverage ratio covenants, leading to the addition of going concern language in its financial statements.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide insights into the trends within general merchandise and any improvements seen in the quarter? A: Satish Malhotra, CEO, noted sequential improvement in general merchandise, driven by restocking core SKUs and growth in the everything organizer collection, which was up 14% over the prior quarter and 50% compared to last year. The company plans to expand this collection internationally due to significant demand.

Q: Could you explain the demand comp for custom spaces and the typical delivery timeline? A: Jeffrey Miller, CFO, explained that the delivery timeline for custom spaces varies. Elfa products typically take two weeks to a month, while Preston products take four to six weeks. The demand comp improved sequentially, but Elfa remains the larger part of the custom spaces offering.

Q: Is Preston becoming a larger part of the custom spaces mix? A: Jeffrey Miller, CFO, clarified that Preston is not yet a larger part of the mix. Elfa continues to dominate the custom spaces offering, and growth in the business often results in increased unearned revenue at the end of a quarter.

Q: How are you handling the Elfa brand campaigns this year compared to last year? A: Satish Malhotra, CEO, stated that the Elfa campaign was split into two parts to create urgency, differing from the previous year's single long campaign. This year, they are also comping over last year's anniversary sale, which affects the discount rate comparison.

Q: What are the strategic benefits of the partnership with Beyond? A: Satish Malhotra, CEO, highlighted that the partnership with Beyond will enhance capabilities through data analytics, improve lead management, and offer additional financial solutions. It will also expand the store format and merchandise offering, leveraging Beyond's global loyalty program and data platform.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.