0001548309-15-000005.txt : 20150313 0001548309-15-000005.hdr.sgml : 20150313 20150312182929 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001548309-15-000005 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20150312 ITEM INFORMATION: Results of Operations and Financial Condition ITEM INFORMATION: Other Events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20150313 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20150312 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: SEARS HOMETOWN & OUTLET STORES, INC. CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001548309 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: RETAIL-DEPARTMENT STORES [5311] IRS NUMBER: 800808358 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 0201 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-35641 FILM NUMBER: 15697144 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 5500 TRILLIUM BOULEVARD STREET 2: SUITE 501 CITY: HOFFMAN ESTATES STATE: IL ZIP: 60192 BUSINESS PHONE: 847-286-7000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 5500 TRILLIUM BOULEVARD STREET 2: SUITE 501 CITY: HOFFMAN ESTATES STATE: IL ZIP: 60192 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores, Inc. DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20120425 8-K 1 earningsreleaseq4andfiscal.htm 8-K FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR END 2014 EARNINGS RELEASE Earnings Release Q4 and Fiscal Year 2014


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 13, 2015
 
SEARS HOMETOWN AND OUTLET STORES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Delaware
 
001-35641 
 
80-0808358
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
 
(Commission
File Number)
 
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
5500 Trillium Boulevard, Suite 501
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
 
60192
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 286-7000
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report):

 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))







Item 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
Before the opening of the market on March 13, 2015 Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (the "Company") issued a news release regarding its preliminary 2014 fourth quarter and 2014 fiscal year earnings. The news release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 8.01
Other Events.
The Company also announced, via the above-referenced news release, that it intends to hold its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 27, 2015 and intends to begin mailing its proxy statement and related materials for the Annual Meeting on or about April 14, 2015. The Company further announced that it has fixed April 7, 2015 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
99.1 News release dated March 13, 2015.





SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements 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.
 
 
 
 
SEARS HOMETOWN AND OUTLET STORES, INC.
 
 
By:
 
/s/ Ryan D. Robinson
 
 
 
 
Ryan D. Robinson
 
 
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Date: March 13, 2015

EXHIBIT INDEX
 
Exhibit Number
 
Document Description
 
 
99.1

  
News release of Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. dated March 13, 2015.



EX-99.1 2 exh991earningsreleaseq4and.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 Exh. 99.1 Earnings Release Q4 and Fiscal Year 2014



Exhibit 99.1
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Ryan D. Robinson,
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
847-286-8700
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 13, 2015
SEARS HOMETOWN AND OUTLET STORES, INC. REPORTS PRELIMINARY FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL 2014 FISCAL YEAR RESULTS AND ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MEETING DATE
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. ("SHO") (NASDAQ: SHOS) today reported preliminary, unaudited results for its fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal year ended January 31, 2015 and announced the date it intends to hold its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the date it intends to begin mailing its proxy statement and related materials for the Annual Meeting.
Overview of Preliminary, Unaudited Results
Results for the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013 included:

Comparable store sales decreased 7.7%
Recorded an incremental $1.5 million charge related to the reserve for potential losses on franchisee receivables
Adjusted EBITDA decreased $19.1 million to $(5.9) million from $13.2 million
Operating income decreased $17.5 million to $(9.7) million from $7.8 million
EPS decreased $0.36 to $(0.20) from $0.16

Results for the 2014 fiscal year compared to the 2013 fiscal year included:

Comparable store sales decreased 5.7%
One-time, non-cash charge for impairment of goodwill of $167.0 million
Recorded a $13.1 million charge related to the reserve for potential losses on franchisee receivables
Adjusted EBITDA decreased $65.6 million to $5.9 million from $71.5 million
Operating income decreased $232.3 million to $(171.2) million from $61.1 million, including impairment of goodwill and charges related to the reserve for potential losses on franchisee receivables
EPS decreased $9.00 to $(7.45) from $1.55

Bruce Johnson, Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "Fourth quarter results were disappointing, especially in our Hometown segment where Adjusted comparable store sales were down 8.3%. This segment continues to be adversely affected by the continuing highly promotional environment for major home appliances."

"Additionally, year-over-year comparisons were unfavorably impacted by our significant franchising activity in the fourth quarter of 2013. Initial franchise revenues were down $9.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2014 from $10.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. Also, based on recent events and the decline in the financial performance of some of our franchisees, we have recorded a non-cash, incremental $1.5 million provision for losses on franchisee receivables in the fourth quarter of 2014, which is included in the Adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter noted above."

"Looking ahead, we are taking steps to improve performance in 2015. In our Hometown segment we are testing several initiatives that leverage our core strengths in home appliances by focusing on the top 10 appliance brands, boosting the selling skills of our associates, independent dealers and franchisees, providing our customers with enhanced service levels from product selection to delivery, and offering the lowest prices with our price match program. We anticipate continuing to make progress in our Outlet segment sourcing initiatives and operational efficiencies. We are also enhancing our online capabilities with improvements in online marketing and the user experience on searsoutlet.com."
Fourth Quarter Results






Net sales in the fourth quarter of 2014 decreased $40.1 million, or 6.7%, to $562.3 million from the fourth quarter of 2013. This decrease was primarily due to a comparable store sales decrease of 7.7% in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the fourth quarter of 2013 and lower initial franchise revenues, which were $1.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to $10.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. These decreases were partially offset by sales from new stores (net of closures).

In-store sales transacted by SHO and its independent dealers and franchisees through www.sears.com and recorded and fulfilled by Sears Holdings Corporation during the fourth quarter of 2014 were $15.1 million compared to $7.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. As a result, comparable store sales, which measure the increase in sales on transactions fulfilled and recorded by SHO, were unfavorably impacted. Including total sales for online transactions fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings, Adjusted comparable store sales for the fourth quarter of 2014 decreased 6.4%. Comparable store sales were down 9.9% in our Hometown segment ("Hometown") and down 0.5% in our Outlet segment ("Outlet"). Adjusted comparable store sales were down 8.3% in Hometown and down 0.3% in Outlet.

Gross margin was $126.5 million, or 22.5% of net sales, in the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to $140.0 million, or
23.2% of net sales, in the fourth quarter of 2013. The decrease in gross margin rate was primarily driven by lower initial franchise revenues partially offset by (1) higher margins on merchandise sales (2) higher online commissions, (3) lower support services charges from Sears Holdings and (4) higher Outlet apparel liquidation income. Excluding the impact of online commissions and initial franchise revenues, gross margin was 21.7% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to 21.5% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Selling and administrative expenses increased to $132.4 million, or 23.5% of net sales, in the fourth quarter of 2014 from $126.8 million, or 21.0% of net sales, in the prior year quarter. The increase was primarily due to (1) higher owner commissions in Outlet (primarily related to the conversion of Company-operated stores to franchisee-operated stores), (2) an incremental $1.5 million for the provision for losses on franchisee receivables recognized in the fourth quarter of 2014, (3) higher marketing expense, and (4) expenses from new stores opened (net of closures) since the fourth quarter of 2013. These increases were partially offset by lower payroll and benefits costs resulting from the conversion of Company-operated stores to franchisee-operated stores and lower insurance expense.

We recorded an operating loss of $9.7 million and operating income of $7.8 million in the fourth quarters of 2014 and 2013, respectively. The $17.5 million decrease in operating income was driven primarily by lower net sales, lower initial franchise revenues, and higher selling and administrative expenses.

Full Year Results
Net sales for the 2014 fiscal year decreased $65.5 million, or 2.7%, to $2.4 billion from the 2013 fiscal year. This decrease in sales was driven by a 5.7% decrease in comparable store sales and lower initial franchise revenues, which were $16.9 million in 2014 compared to $25.6 million in 2013. These declines were partially offset by new stores (net of closures) and higher online commissions.

In-store sales transacted by SHO and its independent dealers and franchisees through www.sears.com and recorded and fulfilled by Sears Holdings during 2014 were $77.5 million compared to $28.6 million in 2013. As a result, comparable store sales, which measure the increase in sales on transactions fulfilled and recorded by SHO, were unfavorably impacted. Including total sales for online transactions fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings, Adjusted comparable store sales for 2014 decreased 3.6%. Comparable store sales were down 7.1% in Hometown and down 1.2% in Outlet. Adjusted comparable store sales were down 4.7% in Hometown and down 0.1% in Outlet.

Gross margin was $552.5 million, or 23.5% of net sales, in 2014 compared to $578.1 million, or 23.9% of net sales, in 2013. The decrease in gross margin rate was primarily driven by lower margins on merchandise sales, lower initial franchise revenues and higher inventory shrinkage partially offset by higher online commissions, lower occupancy costs resulting from the conversion of Company-operated stores to franchisee-operated stores, and lower support services charges from Sears Holdings. Excluding the impact of online commissions and initial franchise revenues, gross margin was 22.1% of net sales in 2014 compared to 22.7% of net sales in 2013.

Selling and administrative expenses increased to $546.6 million, or 23.2% of net sales, in 2014 compared to $506.6 million, or 20.9% of net sales, in 2013. The increase was primarily due to (1) higher owner commissions in Outlet (primarily related to the conversion of Company-operated stores to franchisee-operated stores), (2) a $13.1 million charge for the provision for losses on franchisee receivables recognized in 2014, (3) higher marketing expense, and (4) expenses from new stores opened (net of





closures) since the fourth quarter of 2013. These increases were partially offset by lower payroll and benefits costs resulting from the conversion of Company-operated stores to franchisee-operated stores.

During the 2014 fiscal year we recorded a one-time, non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $167.0 million associated with Hometown.

We recorded an operating loss of $171.2 million and operating income of $61.1 million in 2014 and 2013, respectively. The $232.3 million decrease in operating income was driven by (1) the non-cash goodwill impairment charge, (2) lower net sales,(3) higher selling and administrative expenses, including the establishment of a reserve for potential losses on franchisee receivables, (4) the lower gross margin rate, and (5) lower initial franchise revenues.
Financial Position

We had $19.7 million in cash and cash equivalents as of January 31, 2015 and $23.5 million as of February 1, 2014. Availability as of January 31, 2015 under our Credit Agreement, dated as of October 11, 2012, among the Company, its subsidiaries, Bank of America, N.A., and other lenders (the “Senior ABL Facility”) was $157.9 million with $84.1 million drawn and $5.6 million of letters of credit outstanding. Through the fourth quarter of 2014 we funded ongoing operations with cash on hand and cash generated by operating activities. Our primary needs for liquidity were to fund inventory purchases and capital expenditures and for general corporate purposes.

Total merchandise inventories were $442.7 million at January 31, 2015 and $482.1 million at February 1, 2014. Merchandise inventories decreased $39.4 million due to a $14.6 million decrease in Hometown and a $24.8 million decrease in Outlet. The decrease in Hometown was primarily due to lower home appliances inventory resulting from a change in the timing of product transitions and reductions associated with store closures. Outlet's reduction, despite a 6% increase in store count, resulted from a shift in the mix of home appliances from "new, in-box" merchandise to lower-cost "as-is" merchandise, partially offset by increases in apparel from increased receipts and lower sales, in mattresses due to higher receipts, and in furniture due to category expansion.
Comparable Store Sales

Comparable store sales include merchandise sales for all stores operating for a period of at least 12 full months, including remodeled and expanded stores but excluding relocated stores and stores that have undergone format changes.  Comparable store sales include online transactions fulfilled and recorded by SHO and the change in unshipped sales reserves recorded at the end of each reporting period. 
Adjusted Comparable Store Sales

In addition to our net sales determined in accordance with GAAP, for purposes of evaluating our sales performance we also use "Adjusted comparable store sales." This measure includes in net sales, as if fulfilled and recorded by SHO, all in-store sales that were transacted by SHO and its independent dealers and franchisees through www.sears.com and that were fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings. Our management uses Adjusted comparable store sales, among other factors, to evaluate the sales performance of our overall business and individual stores for comparable periods. Adjusted comparable store sales should not be used by investors or other third parties as the sole basis for formulating investment decisions as it includes sales that were not fulfilled and recorded by SHO and for which sales SHO only received commissions. Adjusted comparable store sales should not be considered as a substitute for GAAP measurements.

While Adjusted comparable store sales is a non-GAAP measure, management believes that it is an important indicator of store sales performance because:

SHO receives commissions on all in-store sales that were transacted by SHO and its independent dealers and franchisees through www.sears.com and that were fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings.
During the fourth quarter of 2014 these sales fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings increased to $15.1 million compared to $7.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. During the 52 weeks ended January 31, 2015 these sales fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings increased significantly to $77.5 million compared to $28.6 million in the 52 weeks ended February 1, 2014.
Unadjusted comparable store sales, which do not include in-store sales that were transacted by SHO and its independent dealers and franchisees through www.sears.com and that were fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings, understates what SHO believes to be its effective comparable store sales performance.





The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted comparable store sales to net sales, the most comparable GAAP measure, for each of the periods indicated: 

Preliminary and subject to change
 
13 Weeks Ended January 31, 2015
 
52 Weeks Ended January 31, 2015
thousands
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
 
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
Net sales
$
405,845

 
$
156,494

 
$
562,339

 
$
1,692,377

 
$
663,656

 
$
2,356,033

Less: Non-comparable store sales
(38,678
)
 
(28,406
)
 
(67,084
)
 
(175,711
)
 
(141,996
)
 
(317,707
)
Comparable store sales recorded by SHO
367,167

 
128,088

 
495,255

 
1,516,666

 
521,660

 
2,038,326

SHO in-store sales through www.sears.com recorded by Sears Holdings (1)
13,131

 
1,128

 
14,259

 
62,312

 
9,295

 
71,607

Adjusted comparable store sales
$
380,298

 
$
129,216

 
$
509,514

 
$
1,578,978

 
$
530,955

 
$
2,109,933

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13 Weeks Ended February 1, 2014
 
52 Weeks Ended February 1, 2014
thousands
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
 
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
Net sales
$
449,611

 
$
152,867

 
$
602,478

 
$
1,811,519

 
$
610,043

 
$
2,421,562

Less: Non-comparable store sales
(42,097
)
 
(24,090
)
 
(66,187
)
 
(178,904
)
 
(82,028
)
 
(260,932
)
Comparable store sales recorded by SHO
407,514

 
128,777

 
536,291

 
1,632,615

 
528,015

 
2,160,630

SHO in-store sales through www.sears.com recorded by Sears Holdings (1)
7,168

 
889

 
8,057

 
24,902

 
3,322

 
28,224

Adjusted comparable store sales
$
414,682

 
$
129,666

 
$
544,348

 
$
1,657,517

 
$
531,337

 
$
2,188,854

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13 Weeks Ended January 31, 2015 vs. 13 Weeks Ended February 1, 2014
 
52 Weeks Ended January 31, 2015 vs. 52 Weeks Ended February 1, 2014
 
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
 
Hometown
 
Outlet
 
Total
Comparable store sales recorded by SHO
(9.9
)%
 
(0.5
)%
 
(7.7
)%
 
(7.1
)%
 
(1.2
)%
 
(5.7
)%
Adjusted comparable store sales
(8.3
)%
 
(0.3
)%
 
(6.4
)%
 
(4.7
)%
 
(0.1
)%
 
(3.6
)%
(1) SHO in-store sales through www.sears.com fulfilled and recorded by Sears Holdings above are for comparable stores only. For all comparable and non-comparable stores these sales for the 13 weeks and 52 weeks ended January 31, 2015 were $15.1 million and $77.5 million, respectively, compared to $7.9 million and $28.6 million for the 13 weeks and 52 weeks ended February 1, 2014, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA

In addition to our net income determined in accordance with GAAP, for purposes of evaluating operating performance we also use Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, or “Adjusted EBITDA,” which excludes certain significant items as set forth below. Our management uses Adjusted EBITDA, among other factors, for evaluating the operating performance of our business for comparable periods. Adjusted EBITDA should not be used by investors or other third parties as the sole basis for formulating investment decisions as it excludes a number of important cash and non-cash recurring items. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a substitute for GAAP measurements.

While Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measurement, management believes that it is an important indicator of operating performance because:






EBITDA excludes the effects of financing and investing activities by eliminating the effects of interest and depreciation costs; and
Other significant items, while periodically affecting our results, may vary significantly from period to period and may have a disproportionate effect in a given period, which affects comparability of results.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income, the most comparable GAAP measure, for each of the periods indicated:







Preliminary and subject to change
 
 
13 Weeks Ended
 
52 Weeks Ended
Thousands
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
Net income (loss)
 
$
(4,634
)
 
$
3,723

 
$
(168,805
)
 
$
35,550

Income tax (benefit) expense
 
(5,393
)
 
3,521

 
(3,066
)
 
24,333

Other income
 
(783
)
 
(548
)
 
(3,149
)
 
(1,854
)
Interest expense
 
1,107

 
1,077

 
3,861

 
3,046

Operating income (loss)
 
(9,703
)
 
7,773

 
(171,159
)
 
61,075

Depreciation
 
3,782

 
5,438

 
10,172

 
12,006

(Gain) loss on the sale of assets
 
42

 

 
(113
)
 
(1,567
)
Impairment of goodwill
 

 

 
167,000

 

Adjusted EBITDA
 
$
(5,879
)
 
$
13,211

 
$
5,900

 
$
71,514

Information Regarding 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

We intend to hold our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 27, 2015 and to begin mailing our proxy statement and related materials for the Annual Meeting on or about April 14, 2015. Our Board of Directors has fixed April 7, 2015 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.
Forward-Looking Statements
Results are unaudited. This news release contains forward-looking statements (the “forward looking statements”). The forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance, and achievements in the future to be materially different from the future results, future performance, and future achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include, without limitation, information concerning our future financial performance, business strategy, plans, goals, beliefs, expectations, and objectives. The forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, and one or more of the differences could have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate our business and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, and cash flows: the Company has not completed the preparation of its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015 and the preliminary results reported in this news release may be subject to adjustments and could change materially; the possible material adverse effects on SHO if Sears Holdings’ financial condition were to significantly deteriorate, including if as a consequence Sears Holdings were to choose to seek the protection of the U.S. bankruptcy laws; our ability to offer merchandise and services that our customers want, including those under the KENMORE®, CRAFTSMAN®, and DIEHARD® brands (which brands are owned by subsidiaries of Sears Holdings (the "KCD Marks")); our Merchandising Agreement with Sears Holdings provides that (1) if a third party that is not an affiliate of Sears Holdings acquires the rights to one or more (but less than all) of the KCD Marks Sears Holdings may terminate our rights to buy merchandise branded with any of the acquired KCD Marks and (2) if a third party that is not an affiliate of Sears Holdings acquires the rights to all of the KCD Marks Sears Holdings may terminate the Merchandising Agreement in its entirety, over which events we have no control; the sale by Sears Holdings and its subsidiaries to other retailers that compete with us of major home appliances and other products branded with one of the KCD Marks; the willingness and ability of Sears Holdings to fulfill its contractual obligations to us; our ability to successfully manage our inventory levels and implement initiatives to improve inventory management and other capabilities; competitive conditions in the retail industry; worldwide economic conditions and business uncertainty, the availability of consumer and commercial credit, changes in consumer confidence, tastes, preferences and spending, and changes in vendor relationships; the fact that our past performance generally, as reflected on our historical financial statements, may not be indicative of our future performance as a result of, among other things, the consolidation of Hometown and Outlet into a single business entity, our separation from Sears Holdings (the "Separation"), and operating as a standalone business entity; the impact of increased costs due to a decrease in our purchasing power following the Separation, and other losses of benefits (such as a more effective and productive business relationship with Sears Holdings) that were associated with having been wholly owned by Sears Holdings and its subsidiaries prior to the Separation; our continuing reliance on Sears Holdings for most products and services that are important to the successful operation of our business, and our potential need to rely on Sears Holdings for some products and services beyond the expiration, or earlier termination by Sears Holdings, of our agreements with Sears Holdings; the willingness of Sears Holdings' appliance, lawn and garden, tools, and other vendors to





continue to supply to Sears Holdings, on terms (including vendor payment terms for Sears Holdings' merchandise purchases) that are acceptable to it and to us, merchandise that we would need to purchase from Sears Holdings to ensure continuity of merchandise supplies for our businesses; our ability to obtain the resolution, on commercially reasonable terms, of existing disputes and, when they arise, future disputes with Sears Holdings regarding many of the material terms and conditions of our agreements with Sears Holdings; our ability to establish information, merchandising, logistics, and other systems separate from Sears Holdings that would be necessary to ensure continuity of merchandise supplies for our businesses if vendors were to reduce, or cease, their merchandise sales to Sears Holdings or if Sears Holdings were to reduce, or cease, its merchandise sales to us; our ability to establish a more effective and productive business relationship with Sears Holdings, particularly in light of the existence of pending, and the likelihood of future, disputes with respect to the terms and conditions of our agreements with Sears Holdings; most of our agreements related to the Separation and our continuing relationship with Sears Holdings were negotiated while we were a subsidiary of Sears Holdings, and we may have received different terms from unaffiliated third parties (including with respect to merchandise-vendor and service-provider indemnification and defense for negligence claims and claims arising out of failure to comply with contractual obligations); our reliance on Sears Holdings to provide computer systems to process transactions with our customers (including the point-of-sale system for the stores we operate and the stores that our independent dealers and franchisees operate, which point-of-sale system captures, among other things, credit-card information supplied by our customers) and others, quantify our results of operations, and manage our business ("SHO's SHC-Supplied Systems"); SHO's SHC-Supplied Systems could be subject to disruptions and data/security breaches (Kmart, owned by Sears Holdings, announced in October 2014 that its payment-data systems had been breached), and Sears Holdings could be unwilling or unable to indemnify and defend us against third-party claims and other losses resulting from such disruptions and data/security breaches, which could have one or more material adverse effects on SHO; limitations and restrictions in the Senior ABL Facility and related agreements governing our indebtedness and our ability to service our indebtedness; our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms; our dependence on the ability and willingness of our independent dealers and independent franchisees to operate their stores profitably and in a manner consistent with our concepts and standards; our ability to sell profitably online all of our merchandise and services; our dependence on sources outside the U.S. for significant amounts of our merchandise inventories; fixed-asset impairment for long-lived assets; our ability to attract, motivate, and retain key executives and other employees; the impact of increased costs associated with being a publicly held company; our ability to maintain effective internal controls as a publicly held company; our ability to realize the benefits that we expect to achieve from the Separation; litigation and regulatory trends challenging various aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship in the fast-food industry could expand to challenge or adversely affect our relationships with our independent dealers and independent franchisees; low trading volume of our common stock due to limited liquidity or a lack of analyst coverage; the impact on our common stock and our overall performance as a result of our principal stockholders' ability to exert control over us; and other risks, uncertainties, and factors discussed in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We intend the forward-looking statements to speak only as of the date of this news release, and we do not undertake to update or revise the forward-looking statements as more information becomes available.
About Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. is a national retailer primarily focused on selling home appliances, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden equipment. Our Hometown stores are designed to provide our customers with in-store and online access to a wide selection of national brands of home appliances, tools, lawn and garden equipment, sporting goods, and household goods, depending on the particular format. Our Outlet stores are designed to provide our customers with in-store and online access to new, one-of-a-kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, obsolete, used, reconditioned, overstocked, and scratched and dented products across a broad assortment of merchandise categories, including home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, apparel, mattresses, sporting goods and tools at prices that are significantly lower than list prices. As of January 31, 2015 we or our independent dealers and franchisees operated a total of 1,260 stores across all 50 states as well as in Puerto Rico and Bermuda. Our principal executive offices are located at 5500 Trillium Boulevard, Suite 501, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192 and our telephone number is (847) 286-7000.

* * * * *






Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Preliminary and subject to change

 
 
13 Weeks Ended
 
52 Weeks Ended
Thousands, except per share amounts
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
NET SALES
 
$
562,339

 
$
602,478

 
$
2,356,033

 
$
2,421,562

COSTS AND EXPENSES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales and occupancy
 
435,853

 
462,451

 
1,803,497

 
1,843,418

Selling and administrative
 
132,365

 
126,816

 
546,636

 
506,630

Impairment of goodwill
 

 

 
167,000

 

Depreciation
 
3,782

 
5,438

 
10,172

 
12,006

Loss (gain) on the sale of assets
 
42

 

 
(113
)
 
(1,567
)
Total costs and expenses
 
572,042

 
594,705

 
2,527,192

 
2,360,487

Operating income (loss)
 
(9,703
)
 
7,773

 
(171,159
)
 
61,075

Interest expense
 
(1,107
)
 
(1,077
)
 
(3,861
)
 
(3,046
)
Other income
 
783

 
548

 
3,149

 
1,854

Income (loss) before income taxes
 
(10,027
)
 
7,244

 
(171,871
)
 
59,883

Income tax benefit (expense)
 
5,393

 
(3,521
)
 
3,066

 
(24,333
)
NET INCOME (LOSS)
 
$
(4,634
)
 
$
3,723

 
$
(168,805
)
 
$
35,550

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NET INCOME (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTRIBUTABLE TO STOCKHOLDERS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic:
 
$
(0.20
)
 
$
0.16

 
$
(7.45
)
 
$
1.55

Diluted:
 
$
(0.20
)
 
$
0.16

 
$
(7.45
)
 
$
1.55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding
 
22,666

 
22,729

 
22,666

 
22,984

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding
 
22,666

 
22,729

 
22,666

 
22,989










Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
Preliminary and subject to change
 
Thousands
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
ASSETS
 
 
 
 
CURRENT ASSETS
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
19,746

 
$
23,475

Accounts and franchisee receivables, net
 
15,456

 
19,252

Merchandise inventories
 
442,743

 
482,107

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
 
19,350

 
13,216

Total current assets
 
497,295

 
538,050

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net
 
50,708

 
48,973

GOODWILL
 

 
167,000

LONG-TERM DEFERRED TAXES
 
54,273

 
52,672

OTHER ASSETS, net
 
43,446

 
40,490

TOTAL ASSETS
 
$
645,722

 
$
847,185

LIABILITIES
 
 
 
 
CURRENT LIABILITIES
 
 
 
 
Short-term borrowings
 
$
84,100

 
$
99,100

Payable to Sears Holdings Corporation
 
61,089

 
68,396

Accounts payable
 
14,888

 
24,129

Other current liabilities
 
60,938

 
60,319

Current portion of capital lease obligations
 
147

 
662

Total current liabilities
 
221,162

 
252,606

CAPITAL LEASE OBLIGATIONS
 
176

 
95

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
 
2,098

 
4,259

TOTAL LIABILITIES
 
223,436

 
256,960

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
 
 
 
Common stock: $.01 par value;
 
227

 
228

Authorized shares: 400,000
 
 
 
 
Issued shares: 22,736 and 22,753 respectively
 
 
 
 
Outstanding shares: 22,736 and 22,753, respectively
 
 
 
 
Capital in excess of par value
 
547,888

 
547,021

Retained earnings (deficit)
 
(125,829
)
 
42,976

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
422,286

 
590,225

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
$
645,722

 
$
847,185






Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.
Segment Results
(Unaudited)
Preliminary and subject to change
 
Hometown
 
13 Weeks Ended
 
52 Weeks Ended
Thousands, except for number of stores
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
Net sales
 
$
405,845

 
$
449,611

 
$
1,692,377

 
$
1,811,519

Comparable store sales %
 
(9.9
)%
 
(4.0
)%
 
(7.1
)%
 
(3.2
)%
Cost of sales and occupancy
 
313,998

 
348,876

 
1,297,212

 
1,389,627

Gross margin
 
91,847

 
100,735

 
395,165

 
421,892

Margin rate
 
22.6
 %
 
22.4
 %
 
23.3
 %
 
23.3
 %
Selling and administrative
 
95,620

 
96,899

 
403,367

 
396,073

Selling and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales
 
23.6
 %
 
21.6
 %
 
23.8
 %
 
21.9
 %
Impairment of goodwill
 

 

 
167,000

 

Depreciation
 
1,690

 
3,950

 
3,817

 
6,321

Loss (gain) on the sale of assets
 
42

 

 
(113
)
 

Total costs and expenses
 
411,350

 
449,725

 
1,871,283

 
1,792,021

Operating income (loss)
 
$
(5,505
)
 
$
(114
)
 
$
(178,906
)
 
$
19,498

Total Hometown stores
 
 
 
 
 
1,109

 
1,117

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outlet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13 Weeks Ended
 
52 Weeks Ended
Thousands, except for number of stores
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
 
January 31, 2015
 
February 1, 2014
Net sales
 
$
156,494

 
$
152,867

 
$
663,656

 
$
610,043

Comparable store sales %
 
(0.5
)%
 
(1.5
)%
 
(1.2
)%
 
1.2
 %
Cost of sales and occupancy
 
121,855

 
113,575

 
506,285

 
453,791

Gross margin
 
34,639

 
39,292

 
157,371

 
156,252

Margin rate
 
22.1
 %
 
25.7
 %
 
23.7
 %
 
25.6
 %
Selling and administrative
 
36,745

 
29,917

 
143,269

 
110,557

Selling and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales
 
23.5
 %
 
19.6
 %
 
21.6
 %
 
18.1
 %
Depreciation
 
2,092

 
1,488

 
6,355

 
5,685

Gain on the sale of assets
 

 

 

 
(1,567
)
Total costs and expenses
 
160,692

 
144,980

 
655,909

 
568,466

Operating income (loss)
 
$
(4,198
)
 
$
7,887

 
$
7,747

 
$
41,577

Total Outlet stores
 
 
 
 
 
151

 
143