Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Oct. 29, 2022

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

The Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of its business and have not been finally adjudicated.  Although there can be no assurance as to the ultimate disposition of these matters, it is management’s opinion, based upon the information available at this time, that the expected outcome of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the results of operations and financial condition of the Company. As a result, the liability for the cases listed below is remote.

On June 18, 2021, Vijuve Inc. filed a lawsuit against Kaspien Inc. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington (Case No. 2:21-cv-00192-SAB) concerning a Retailer Agreement that the parties entered into in September of 2020. Vijuve manufactures skin care products and face massagers. The parties agreed that Kaspien would sell Vijuve’s products on Amazon. The complaint alleged that Kaspien breached the Retailer Agreement when it declined to acquiesce to Vijuve’s demand that Kaspien purchase over $700,000 of products. In total, Vijuve is seeking $774,000 in damages. Kaspien denies that it breached the agreement. Moreover, on July 19, 2021, Kaspien filed counterclaims and alleged that Vijuve breached the contract, including by refusing to buy back inventory from Kaspien upon termination of the Retailer Agreement.  Kaspien subsequently filed additional counterclaims against Vijuve for fraud and negligent misrepresentation. Kaspien is seeking at least $229,000 from Vijuve. A trial on all of the parties’ claims is scheduled for September 18, 2023. There is no determination of outcome, thus no contingencies are recognized as of the reporting date.

On February 17, 2022, CA Washington, LLC (“CA”) filed a lawsuit against Kaspien, Inc. in Wake County, North Carolina Superior Court (court file 22 CVS 2051). CA Washington, LLC claims that Kaspien, Inc. breached the contract between the parties by using CA’s technology platform to facilitate sales by third parties and by using CA’s technology to develop a competing platform. The lawsuit also includes an alternative claim for unjust enrichment and a claim for breach of North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. CA seeks an unspecified amount of damages. Kaspien removed the lawsuit to federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina (case number 5:22-cv-00111), filed an Answer denying CA’s claims, and asserted a counterclaim against CA for breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. There is no determination of outcome, thus no contingencies are recognized as of the reporting date.

Contingent Value Rights

On March 30, 2020, the Company entered into the Contingent Value Rights Agreement (the “CVR Agreement”), pursuant to which the Related Party Entities received contingent value rights (“CVRs”) representing the contractual right to receive cash payments from the Company in an amount equal, in the aggregate, to 19.9% of the proceeds (10.35% for Alimco, 1.90% for Kick-Start, and 7.64% for RJHDC) received by the Company in respect of certain intercompany indebtedness owing to it by Kaspien and/or its equity interest in Kaspien. The Company does not anticipate these contingencies being met in Fiscal 2022.

On March 2, 2022, the Company entered into a Contingent Value Rights Agreement (the “Second CVR Agreement”) with the Tranche B Lender under the Subordinated Loan Agreement, pursuant to which the Tranche B Lender received contingent value rights (“Second CVRs”) representing the contractual right to receive cash payments from the Company in an amount equal, in the aggregate, to 9.0% of the proceeds received by the Company in respect of certain distributions by the Company or Kaspien; recapitalizations or financings of the Company or Kaspien (with appropriate carve out for trade financing in the ordinary course); repayment of intercompany indebtedness owing to the Company by Kaspien; or sale or transfer of any stock of the Company or Kaspien.

The CVRs terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) certain consolidations, mergers or similar extraordinary events involving Kaspien (and, if applicable, the making of a cash payment by the Company to the Lenders pursuant to the CVR Agreement in connection therewith) and (ii) March 2, 2032.