Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of estimates

The preparation of these financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), required management to make estimates and assumptions that affected the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid instruments with original maturities of 90 days or less.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable represents amounts owed to us through our operating activities and are presented net of allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts receivable for core Nu Skin consists primarily of credit card receivables, while accounts receivable for our Manufacturing segment consistent primarily of trade receivables from customer sales.  For the Company’s trade receivables from its manufacturing customers, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and maintains an allowance for expected credit losses. The allowance for expected credit losses represents the Company’s best estimate based on current and historical information, and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future events and circumstances.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories consist primarily of merchandise purchased for resale and are stated at the lower of standard cost or net realizable value, using a standard cost method which approximates the first-in, first-out method. The Company had reserves of its inventory carrying value totaling $14.2 million and $12.3 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Inventories consist of the following (U.S. dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2020		2019
Raw materials	$	118,877	$	87,942
Finished goods		195,489		187,949
Total inventory, net	$	314,366	$	275,891

Reserves of inventories consist of the following (U.S. dollars in thousands):

	2020			2019			2018
Beginning balance	$	12,295		$	14,149		$	8,081
Additions		15,952			14,931			23,940
Write-offs		(13,998	)		(16,785	)		(17,872	)
Ending balance	$	14,249		$	12,295		$	14,149

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

Buildings	39 years
Furniture and fixtures	5 - 7 years
Computers and equipment	3 - 5 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of estimated useful life or lease term
Scanners	3 years
Vehicles	3 - 5 years

Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When an asset is sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and associated accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is recognized in the statement of income. Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.

Leases

Leases

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Topic 842 using the modified retrospective method. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2019 are presented under Topic 842, while prior periods are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historic accounting under Topic 840.

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, accrued expenses and operating lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in other assets, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.

Operating lease ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the estimated present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses its estimated incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU assets also include any lease payments made and exclude lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees.

The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components.  The Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and other intangible assets

Goodwill is recorded when the cost of acquired businesses exceeds the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are assessed for impairment annually on June 30. In addition, impairment testing is conducted when events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives would be written down to fair value if considered impaired. Guidance under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, requires an entity to test goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis. The Company had the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary or to perform a quantitative assessment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. Under the qualitative assessment, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. If under the quantitative assessment the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the amount of the impairment loss, if any, must be measured. In fiscal year 2020, a quantitative assessment was performed. The Company elected to perform the qualitative assessment during fiscal years 2019 and 2018, and determined that it is not more likely than not the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting units. Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized to their estimated residual values over such finite lives using the straight-line method and reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances warrant such a review.

No impairment charges were recorded for goodwill or intangibles during the periods presented.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue recognition

Net sales include products and shipping and handling charges, net of estimates for product returns and any related sales incentives. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring products. All revenue is recognized when we satisfy our performance obligations under the contract. The Company recognizes revenue by transferring the promised products to the customer, with revenue recognized at shipping point, the point in time the customer obtains control of the products. The Company recognizes revenue for shipping and handling charges at the time the products are delivered to or picked up by the customer. A reserve for product returns is accrued based on historical experience totaling $4.0 million and $3.9 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded sales returns of $49.5 million, $52.2 million and $52.0 million, respectively. The majority of the Company’s contracts have a single performance obligation and are short term in nature. Sales taxes and value added taxes in foreign jurisdictions that are collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and therefore are excluded from net sales.

Contract Liabilities – Customer Loyalty Programs

Contract liabilities, recorded as deferred revenue within the accrued expenses line in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, include loyalty point program deferrals with certain customers which are accounted for as a reduction in the transaction price and are generally recognized as points are redeemed for additional products on an annual basis.

The balance of deferred revenue related to contract liabilities was $18.2 million and $12.5 million as of December 31, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The contract liabilities impact to revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was an decrease of $5.7 million and an increase of $1.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively.

Disaggregation of Revenue

Please refer to Note 15 - Segment Information for revenue by segment and product line.

Arrangements with Multiple Performance Obligations

The Company’s contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, the Company allocates revenues to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The Company generally determines standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to customers for individual products sales to customers.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs

Shipping and handling costs are recorded as cost of sales and are expensed as incurred.

Advertising Expenses

Advertising expenses

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense incurred for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 totaled $14.7 million, $16.3 million and $19.1 million, respectively.

Selling Expenses

Selling expenses

Selling expenses are the Company’s most significant expense and are classified as operating expenses. Selling expenses include commissions the Company pays to its Brand Affiliates, as well as salaries, service fees, benefits, bonuses and other labor and unemployment expenses the Company pays to its sales force in Mainland China. The term “Brand Affiliates” refers to members of the Company’s independent sales force in all of the Company’s markets besides Mainland China. In each of the Company’s markets, except Mainland China, Sales Leaders can earn “multi-level” compensation under the Company’s global sales compensation plan, including commissions for product sales to their consumer groups as well as the product sales made through the sales network they have developed and trained. The Company does not pay commissions on sales materials.

Outside of Mainland China, the Company’s Brand Affiliates may make profits by purchasing the products from the Company at a discount and selling them to consumers with a mark-up. The Company does not account for nor pay additional commissions on these mark-ups received by Brand Affiliates. In many markets, the Company also allows individuals who are not members of its sales force, referred to as “preferred customers,” to buy products directly from the Company at a discount. The Company pays commissions on preferred customer purchases to the referring member of its sales force.

Research and Development

Research and development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income and totaled $23.3 million, $30.1 million and $23.0 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Deferred tax assets and liabilities

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the Income Taxes Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Codification. These standards establish financial accounting and reporting standards for the effects of income taxes that result from an enterprise’s activities during the current and preceding years. The Company takes an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting of income taxes. The Company pays income taxes in many foreign jurisdictions based on the profits realized in those jurisdictions, which can be significantly impacted by terms of intercompany transactions between the Company and its foreign affiliates. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are created in this process. The Company has netted these deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities by jurisdiction. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be ultimately realized.

Uncertain Tax Positions

Uncertain tax positions

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and in various state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to tax examinations from the IRS for all years for which tax returns have been filed before 2020. With a few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to state and local income tax examination by tax authorities for the years before 2017. In 2009, the Company entered into a voluntary program with the IRS called Compliance Assurance Process (“CAP”). The objective of CAP is to contemporaneously work with the IRS to achieve federal tax compliance and resolve all or most of the issues prior to filing of the tax return. The Company has elected to participate in the CAP program for 2021 and may elect to continue participating in CAP for future tax years; the Company may withdraw from the program at any time. In major foreign jurisdictions, the Company is generally no longer subject to income tax examinations for years before 2014. However, statutes in certain markets may be as long as ten years for transfer pricing related issues. The Company is currently under examination in certain foreign jurisdictions; however, the outcomes of those reviews are not yet determinable.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits included in other liabilities is as follows (U.S. dollars in thousands):

	2020			2019			2018
Gross balance at January 1	$	13,507		$	11,456		$	5,514
Increases related to prior year tax positions		2,958			775			5,161
Increases related to current year tax positions		3,302			2,273			3,704
Settlements		(1,091	)		—			(956	)
Decreases due to lapse of statutes of limitations		(1,377	)		(1,051	)		(1,483	)
Currency adjustments		321			54			(484	)
Gross balance at December 31	$	17,620		$	13,507		$	11,456

At December 31, 2020, the Company had $17.6 million in unrecognized tax benefits of which $17.6 million, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. In comparison, at December 31, 2019, the Company had $13.5 million in unrecognized tax benefits of which $13.5 million, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits relate to multiple foreign and domestic jurisdictions. Due to potential changes in unrecognized tax benefits from the multiple jurisdictions in which the Company operates, as well as the expiration of various statutes of limitation, it is reasonably possible that the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits, net of foreign currency adjustments, may decrease within the next 12 months by a range of approximately $2.5 to $3.5 million.

During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 the Company recognized $1.5 million, $0.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively in interest and penalties expenses related to uncertain tax positions. The Company had $5.1 million, $3.6 million and $2.9 million of accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized as a component of income tax expense.

Net Income per Share

Net income per share

Net income per share is computed based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Additionally, diluted earnings per share data gives effect to all potentially dilutive common shares that were outstanding during the periods presented (Note 8).

Foreign Currency Translation and Classification of a Highly Inflationary Economy

Foreign currency translation

A significant portion of the Company’s business operations occurs outside of the United States. The local currency of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries is considered its functional currency, except for the Company’s subsidiaries in Singapore and countries deemed highly inflationary where the U.S. dollar is used. All assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates existing at the balance sheet dates, revenue and expenses are translated at weighted-average exchange rates and stockholders’ equity is recorded at historical exchange rates. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets and transaction gains and losses are included in other income (expense) in the consolidated financial statements. Net of tax, the accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the foreign currency translation adjustments are $65.6 million (net of tax of $7.1 million), $85.3 million (net of tax of $7.4 million), and $79.9 million (net of tax of $7.9 million), at December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Classification of a highly inflationary economy

A market is considered to have a highly inflationary economy if it has a cumulative inflation rate of approximately 100% or more over a three-year period as well as other qualitative factors including historic inflation rate trends (increasing and decreasing), the capital intensiveness of the operation and other pertinent economic factors. The functional currency in highly inflationary economies is required to be the functional currency of the entity’s parent company, and transactions denominated in the local currency are remeasured to the functional currency. The remeasurement of local currency into U.S. dollars creates foreign currency transaction gains or losses, which the Company includes in its consolidated statement of income.

In the second quarter of 2018, published inflation indices indicated that the three-year cumulative inflation in Argentina exceeded 100 percent, and as of July 1, 2018, we elected to adopt highly inflationary accounting for our subsidiary in Argentina. Under highly inflationary accounting, Argentina’s functional currency became the U.S. dollar, and its income statement and balance sheet have been measured in U.S. dollars using both current and historical rates of exchange. The effect of changes in exchange rates on peso-denominated monetary assets and liabilities has been reflected in earnings in Other income (expense), net and was not material. As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, Argentina had a small net peso monetary position. Net sales of Argentina were less than 2 percent of our consolidated net sales for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value of financial instruments

The carrying value of financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The Company’s current investments as of December 31, 2020 include certificates of deposits and pre-refunded municipal bonds that are classified by management as held-to-maturity as the Company had the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity. The carrying value of these current investments approximate fair values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the fair value of debt was $337.5 million and $365.0 million, respectively. The estimated fair value of the Company’s debt is based on interest rates available for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities.

The FASB Codification defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. On a quarterly basis, the Company measures at fair value certain financial assets, including cash equivalents. Accounting standards specify a hierarchy of valuation techniques based on whether the inputs to those valuation techniques are observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s market assumptions. These two types of inputs have created the following fair-value hierarchy:

● Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

● Level 2 – inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly;

● Level 3 – unobservable inputs based on the Company’s own assumptions.

Accounting standards permit companies, at their option, to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The Company has elected not to apply the fair value option to existing eligible items.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based compensation

All share-based payments, including grants of stock options and restricted stock units, are required to be recognized in the Company’s financial statements based upon their respective grant date fair values. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of stock options. The determination of the fair value of stock options is affected by the Company’s stock price and a number of assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The Company uses historical volatility as the expected volatility assumption required in the Black-Scholes model. The expected life of the stock options is based on historical data trended into the future. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on observed interest rates appropriate for the expected terms of the Company’s stock options. The fair value of the Company’s restricted stock units is based on the closing market price of its stock on the date of grant less the Company’s expected dividend yield. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation net of actual forfeitures over the requisite service period of the award.

The total compensation expense related to equity compensation plans was $24.1 million, $9.9 million and $26.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In 2020, 2019 and 2018, these amounts reflect the reversal of none, $4.3 million, and none, respectively, for certain performance-based awards that were no longer expected to vest. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, all stock-based compensation expense was recorded within general and administrative expenses.

Reporting Comprehensive Income

Reporting comprehensive income

Comprehensive income is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, and it includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivative instruments and hedging activities

FASB ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), provides the disclosure requirements for derivatives and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced understanding of: (a) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (b) how the entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items, and (c) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Further, qualitative disclosures are required that explain the Company’s objectives and strategies for using derivatives, as well as quantitative disclosures about the fair value of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative instruments.

As required by ASC 815, the Company records all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value.  The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether the Company has elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Derivatives may also be designated as hedges of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation. Hedge accounting generally provides for the matching of the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instrument with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk in a fair value hedge or the earnings effect of the hedged forecasted transactions in a cash flow hedge.  The Company may enter into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain of its risk, even though hedge accounting does not apply or the Company elects not to apply hedge accounting.

In accordance with the FASB’s fair value measurement guidance in ASU 2011-04, the Company made an accounting policy election to measure the credit risk of its derivative financial instruments that are subject to master netting agreements on a net basis by counterparty portfolio.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance modifies the measurement of expected credit losses of certain financial instruments. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods and should be applied on a modified retrospective basis to all periods presented. This ASU was effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This guidance modifies, removes, and adds certain disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods therein, and early adoption is permitted.  This ASU was effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Topic 350): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract. This new guidance aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. This ASU was effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued, ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional guidance for a limited time to ease the potential burden in accounting for the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. ASU 2020-04 applies only to contracts and hedging relationships that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. The expedients and exceptions provided by the amendments do not apply to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated after December 31, 2022. The amendments in ASU 2020-04 are elective and are effective upon issuance for all entities. The Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur.