Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM
2 – MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
Perfect
Moment is a luxury lifestyle brand that combines fashion and technical performance for its ranges of skiwear, outerwear, swimwear and
activewear. We create apparel and products that feature what we believe is an unmatched combination of fashion, form, function and fun
for women, men and children.
Across
all revenue channels, Perfect Moment distributes to over 60 countries. We design our products in-house and work with a variety of suppliers
to manufacture materials and finished goods. Our collections are worn by an evolving list of celebrities and influencers whose perfect
moments are captured across a range of social media platforms.
Revenue
Total
revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $19,602 compared to $19,426 for the nine months ended December 31, 2022,
an increase of $176 or 1%. The increase is primarily attributed to an increase in ecommerce revenue of $1,266 or 28% versus the prior
year. The increase in ecommerce is attributed to enhanced brand awareness and the Company’s focus on ecommerce. The overall increase
is offset by a decrease in wholesale revenue of $1,090 or 7%. The decrease is attributed to significantly higher purchases in fiscal
year 2023 due to the post Covid rebound.
Total
revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $12,726 compared to $16,146 for the three months ended December 31, 2022,
a decrease of $3,420 or 21%. The decrease is primarily attributed to the fact we recognized a significant amount of wholesale revenue
in the second quarter related to early shipments of our fall and winter collections that was recognized in the third quarter last year.
For the six months ended September 30, 2023, our wholesale revenue was up $3,009 or 165% versus the six months ended September 30, 2022.
In addition to timing of shipment and revenue recognition, our wholesale accounts had significantly higher purchases in fiscal year 2023
due to the post Covid rebound. The decrease is offset
by an increase in ecommerce revenue of $707 or 23% versus the prior year. The increase in ecommerce is attributed to enhanced brand awareness
and the Company’s focus on ecommerce.
Ecommerce
The
Company has deployed strategies across the entire sales and marketing funnel as we focus on building a direct relationship with our customer,
which we believe is an important step of following our customer from the ski slopes, to après, to the chalet, and eventually home
expanding our product offering across all seasons.
We
remain one of the most followed luxury ski brands globally and increased our followers across all social media platforms (Instagram,
Facebook (Meta) and TikTok) by 18% from March 31, 2023 through March 20, 2024. The number of unpaid celebrities and influencers
driving the top of our funnel is extraordinary for a Company our size. The strength at the top of the funnel provides opportunities
to move our customers through the funnel that not only leads to sales, but more importantly allows us to build a community and
ultimately customer loyalty.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2023, our digital strategies have aligned our customer with the expectations
of a luxury brand allowing us to reach new milestones. Our focus for fiscal 2024 was to drive full price retail by reducing the number
of products on discount and shortening our discount windows. The strategy was deployed throughout the year including Black Friday where we discounted a smaller
product range than in prior years while providing our customers with a balance between full price and promotional items. The result was
our biggest Black Friday as we delivered $1,833 of sales a 52% increase versus the prior year, while achieving higher margins.
24
Gross
Profit and Margin
Our
gross profit for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $7,636 compared to $7,101 for the nine months ended December 31, 2022,
an increase of $535 or 8%. Our gross margins were 39.0% compared to 36.6% in the prior year. The increases are driven by less discounting
and fewer discount windows plus the addition of Global-e as a logistic partner.
Our
gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $4,866 compared to $6,202 for the three months ended December 31,
2022, a decrease of $1,336 or 22%. Our gross margins were 38.2% and virtually flat compared to the 38.4% achieved in the prior year.
The decrease in gross profit is primarily attributed to the early shipment of wholesale orders as the margin was recognized in Q2 in
the current year compared to Q3 last year. The fact margins remained virtually flat considering the decrease in higher margin wholesale revenue is attributed
to our strategic shift in ecommerce sales where we lowered the number of products discounted, while maintaining full prices on our core
products in the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to same period in the prior year.
Improving
our gross margins in ecommerce has been a focus in fiscal year 2024, with anticipated improvements to our gross margins in fiscal
year 2025. Currently, all ecommerce orders are dispatched from a third party distribution center in the United Kingdom and in most
instances the Company is paying duties to cross international borders. Compounding the margin dilution is the fact we are paying
duties at full retail and not at a transfer price. We plan on opening third party operated distribution centers in key markets to
lower our duty costs. The local distribution centers will improve our customer experience, lower our duty cost plus reduce outbound
and return shipping cost. Our first third party distribution center outside of the United Kingdom will be in the United
States.
Summary
of Key Strategies to Improve Margin
●
Shift
towards direct-to-consumer revenue (such as ecommerce and physical retail) . We expect that reducing our focus on wholesale from
a two-thirds share of sales to 40% over time would result in a double-digit percentage point improvement in our gross margin.
●
Reducing
product range within skiwear . We believe the current range offers too much choice, and yields poorer margins, resulting from
a lack of economies of scale and higher levels of markdown and discounts.
●
Review
and modify supplier base . We are expecting our supplier base to evolve as we source fabrics and trims more efficiently
and introduce new finished good suppliers with better commercial terms (such as lower labor costs or better duty rates due to factories
being based in the EU, UK or Vietnam).
●
Review
and revise price positioning . We will continue reviewing our selling prices. We are expecting to introduce better discipline
and processes to assess price positioning with a focus on margin by each product, country of manufacture and country of selling.
We expect to raise selling prices to improve the gross margin over time as part of the range development process and will
monitor price elasticity. We believe prices are relatively in-elastic for our industry and our customer segment, and that pricing
increases are generally expected by customers annually for luxury goods.
●
Focusing
on reducing costs relating to crossing borders . Operating a global business requires crossing borders with products resulting
in high costs for freight, duty, couriers and other handling costs. Perfect Moment has grown very quickly and as a result has not
been able to focus on crossing borders in a cost-effective way. We are focused on reducing these costs and expect to see savings
over time in freight (for example by using less air freight and more sea freight), lowering duty costs (for example moving production
to countries with lower tariffs and opening third party logistic hubs) and reducing broker fees through better processes.
Our
Business Strategy
Perfect
Moment sits at the intersection of three large and growing markets (luxury ski apparel, premium outerwear and athleisure and lifestyle).
Based on the characteristics of these respective markets, we believe we have the right brand profile, geographic footprint, target demographic,
marketing tools and operational expansion plan to gain significant market share. We believe we are also well-positioned to drive sustainable
growth and profitability by executing on the following strategies:
25
Grow
Brand Awareness and Attract New Customers
Building
brand awareness among potential new customers and strengthening our connections with those who already know us will be a key driver
of our growth. While we believe our brand has achieved substantial traction globally and those who have experienced our products
demonstrate loyalty, our presence is relatively nascent in many of our markets. We believe we have a significant opportunity
to grow brand awareness and attract new customers to Perfect Moment through word of mouth, brand marketing and performance
marketing.
In
the past, Perfect Moment’s strong skiing heritage has been used to engage with a core ski audience for whom we believe the combination
of technical performance and retro inspired designs resonate strongly. We believe the nature of skiing as a largely affluent, international
pursuit means there is a large opportunity in aspirational, lifestyle-led social media engagement. We believe Perfect Moment has captured
this social media opportunity to great effect, combining the style and form of the brand with celebrities, influencers, top-tier editorial,
collaborations and luxury locations to create a distinct, fun and engaging aspirational lifestyle narrative. Beyond social media, we
believe Perfect Moment has been able to deploy this same core brand proposition and narrative to direct digital marketing and traditional
media, elevating brand profile and driving high levels of engagement simultaneously. Perfect Moment has also been able to build an effective
online marketing engine driving large volumes of direct, organic search and paid search traffic to our e-commerce website, www.perfectmoment.com.
Perfect
Moment expects to continue its approach to social media, building its follower base through a similar and evolving mix of celebrities,
influencers, editorials and locations. It also expects to continue to pursue and scale the effective search engine optimization and paid
search strategies which have contributed to online sales growth, as well as direct marketing and customer engagement via direct customer communications. Perfect Moment is developing plans to leverage a new Perfect Moment owned physical store network to deepen its brand identity
and profile, as well as drive higher levels of loyalty and engagement at the local level.
Brand
marketing and performance marketing also work together to drive millions of visits to our digital platforms. Brand marketing includes
differentiated content, our network of ambassadors, and social media, all of which result in what we believe is outsized engagement with
our community. Our performance marketing efforts are designed to drive customers from awareness to consideration to conversion. These
efforts include retargeting, paid search and product listing advertisements, paid social media advertisements, search engine optimization
and personalized email. We believe our highly productive, diversified strategy generates a significant return on brand equity, driving
sales and building a growing customer database.
We
approach this strategy as a funnel, with brand awareness at the top and customer conversion at the bottom, allocating resources across
the top, middle and bottom, and measuring returns on these respective investments.
Accelerate
Digital Growth
Having
used the wholesale channel to establish our brand globally, we believe we will become less reliant on wholesale partners during the next
5 years by committing more resources to our direct-to-consumer strategy and accelerating our digital growth. We believe technology and
partnerships are the key underpinning factors in any e-commerce business and as such we will continue to enhance customer experience,
focusing on mobile as the dominant growth channel and leveraging the emerging benefits of social and conversational commerce.
Pursue
International Expansion and Enter New Markets
We
believe there is an opportunity to increase penetration across our existing markets and selectively enter new regions. Although the Perfect
Moment brand is recognized globally, our past investments have been focused on North America, the United Kingdom and the EU and have
driven revenue growth in the United States during the past fiscal year.
While
we expect the majority of our near-term growth to continue to come from the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU, we believe
there is a tremendous opportunity over the long term throughout the rest of the world. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, we increased
our outreach in what we believe are the most promising countries in continental Europe. As part of the plan to enter new markets, we
will start with China, as we seek to enhance our ability to serve our international customers and further establish Perfect Moment as
a global brand.
26
We
believe there is a significant opportunity beyond our existing markets, with China representing the next market opening for Perfect Moment.
China is projected to become the largest winter sports market, with people participating expected to reach 50 million by 2025 with 1,000
ski resorts to be open by 2030, according to reports by Daxue Consulting and Capital Mind. We plan to enter the Chinese market directly
in 2024 on Tmall, using local partners to operate, with a digital approach to selling. We are forecasting running losses with respect
to such activities for two years, then become profitable from the third year of such activities, with China representing less than 10%
of our revenue by 2027. We believe the most significant hurdle to overcome with respect to our plan to enter the Chinese market is liquidity
to fund the initial operating losses.
In
order to offer a more localized experience to customers internationally, we intend to offer market-specific languages, currency and content,
as well as strategic international shipping and distribution hubs. We plan to leverage our social media strategy and expand our network
of social media ambassadors to grow our brand awareness globally.
Enhance
Our Wholesale Network
Although
in the next 5 years we will be mainly focused on accelerating digital growth and our direct-to-consumer channel, we still intend to continue
broadening customer access and strengthening our global foothold in new and existing markets by strategically expanding our wholesale
network and deepening current relationships. In all of our markets, we have an opportunity to increase sales by adding new wholesale
partners and increasing volume in existing retailers. Additionally, we are focused on strengthening relationships with our retail partners
through broader offerings, exclusive products and shop-in-shop formats, which are dedicated spaces within another company’s retail
store on a short-term rental basis. We believe our retail partners have a strong incentive to showcase our brand as our products drive
customer traffic and consistent full-price sell-through in their stores.
Broaden
Our Product Offering
Continuing
to enhance and expand our product offering represents a meaningful growth driver for Perfect Moment. We expect that broadening our product
line will allow us to strengthen brand loyalty with the existing Perfect Moment customer base, drive higher penetration in our existing
markets and expand our appeal across new geographies. We intend to continue developing our offering through the following strategies.
Elevate
Fall and Winter . Perfect Moment will continue to focus on quality materials and distinctive designs in order to create luxury products
which aim to deliver technical performance and style impact. However, believing that people want to bring the functionality of our ski
apparel into their everyday lives, Perfect Moment is broadening the product range beyond the core “on-slope” skiwear to encompass
less technical lifestyle products and a wide range of exceptional products for any occasion, including all year round accessories.
Expand
Spring and Summer. We intend to continue building our successful Spring and Summer collections in categories such as surfwear, activewear,
loungewear and swimwear. We believe offering inspiring new and complementary product categories that are consistent with our values of
heritage, functionality and quality and can become part of our core business represents an opportunity to develop a closer relationship
with our customers and expand our addressable market.
We
believe this strategy will deliver a number of benefits:
●
Increased
Revenues . We expect that cross-over into adjacent product markets will increase sales by allowing us to sell outerwear, lifestyle
products, activewear and swimwear to non-skiers and cross-sell lifestyle and “off-slope” products to existing skiwear
customers in a winter setting.
●
Reduced
Seasonality . We expect that sales of new lifestyle products as well as activewear and swimwear products will be less concentrated
in the winter months and increase revenue from new and existing customers as we grow brand awareness.
●
Improved
Margins . We believe that our margins will be improved by this strategy because modest price increases across the existing range
will allow Perfect Moment to strengthen its gross margins, greater use of high-margin luxury materials such as cashmere will support
price and margin increases and a move towards more less technically-complex lifestyle pieces will also drive margin improvement.
Full price sales with limited promotional activity will further improve margins.
During
the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and the nine months ended December 31, 2023, we have restructured and invested in our design, product
development, merchandizing and production teams to create a pathway to execute on this underpinning strategy. We expect the first products
resulting from this investment to launch in the summer of 2024. We plan to then gradually increase our product offering as we evaluate
demand, supply and profitability.
27
Establish
Perfect Moment Owned Physical Retail
Perfect
Moment has grown to date without a Perfect Moment owned physical stand-alone store presence. Sales growth has been driven by our online
offering and wholesale network. As part of our growth strategy, we believe opening directly operated stores in strategically selected
major cities and pop-up stores in strategic ski resorts and high-traffic city locations would provide an excellent opportunity to generate
sales in key locations, providing a luxury in-store experience, reflecting the character of the brand and providing an experiential contact
point for customers.
As
our product range expands, we see the potential to further grow our community with a physical presence by opening directly operated stores.
We already have physical presence in department stores, operated under wholesale arrangements. Operating Perfect Moment owned stores
would provide our community a home for the brand and act as a beacon for new or potential customers, but they also add extra complexity
and risk. In order to test our retail model we plan to first establish pop-up locations. We evaluate each potential store location based on lease availability and projected
viability, and plan to open popups in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 and year-round stores beginning the fiscal year ending March
31, 2026.
28
Segment
Reporting
The
Company applies ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, in determining reportable segments for its financial statement disclosure. The Chief
Operating Decision Maker has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer. The Company reports segments based on the financial
information it uses in assessing performance and deciding how to allocate resources. Management has determined that the Company operates
in one business segment, product sales. Key financial measures including but not limited to gross profit, Adjusted EBITDA and net loss
are not reported at a disaggregated level for wholesale and ecommerce and resource allocation decisions to the business strategy are
not made based solely on our key financial measures.
Geographic
Concentration
Although
we are organized fundamentally as one business segment, our revenue is primarily split between three geographic areas: the United
States, Europe and the United Kingdom. Customers in these regions are served by our leadership and operations teams in the
United Kingdom and our production team in Hong Kong.
The table below reflects total net
revenues attributed to Europe (excluding the United Kingdom), United States, United Kingdom, and the rest of the world:
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
Europe (excluding United Kingdom)
$ 4,801
38%
$ 5,415
34%
$ 6,833
35%
$ 6,456
33%
United States
4,743
37%
7,128
44%
8,189
42%
8,343
43%
United Kingdom
2,402
19%
2,752
17%
3,467
18%
3,491
18%
Rest of the World
780
6%
851
5%
1,113
5%
1,136
6%
Total Revenues
$ 12,726
$ 16,146
$ 19,602
$ 19,426
The
change in United States revenue as a percentage of total revenue is primarily due to a significant amount of wholesale revenue in the
second quarter related to early shipments of our fall and winter collections.
Supplier
concentration
For
the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the largest single supplier of manufactured goods, Everich Garments Group Ltd., produced
92% and 83%, respectively, of the Company’s products. For the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no fabric
purchases.
For
the nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the largest single supplier of manufactured goods, Everich Garments Group Ltd., produced
75% and 72%, respectively, of the Company’s products. For the nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the largest fabric
supplier, Toray International Inc., supplied 63% and 54%, respectively, of the fabric used to manufacture the Company’s products.
29
Customer
concentration
No
single customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023. For the nine months ended
December 31, 2023, we had one major customer, which accounted for approximately 16% or $3,168 of total revenue. The related accounts
receivable balance for this customer was approximately $0 as of December 31, 2023, and $41 as of March 31, 2023.
For
the three and nine months ended December 31, 2022, we had one major customer, which accounted for approximately 17% or $2,786
of total revenue and 14% or $2,786 of total revenue, respectively. The related accounts receivable balance for this customer was
approximately $41 as of December 31, 2022, and $0 as of March 31, 2022.
Key
Financial Measures
We
use the following US GAAP and non-US GAAP financial measures to assess the progress of our business, make decisions on where to allocate
time and investment and assess then near-term and longer-term performance of our business:
Three months ended
December 31,
Nine months ended
December 31,
2023
2022
2023
2022
(unaudited)
(unaudited)
(unaudited)
(unaudited)
(Amounts in thousands, except percentages)
Key Financial Measures
Net revenue
Wholesale
$ 8,974
$ 13,101
$ 13,827
$ 14,917
Ecommerce
3,752
3,045
5,775
4,509
Total net revenue
12,726
16,146
19,602
19,426
Gross profit
4,866
6,202
7,636
7,101
Gross margin (1)
38 %
38 %
39 %
37 %
Loss from operations
728
2,320
(2,284 )
(5,970 )
Net loss
$ 1,204
$ 3,267
$ (2,980 )
$ (7,838 )
Adjusted EBITDA (2)
$ 1,749
$ 4,074
$ (1,171 )
$ (1,016 )
(1)
Gross
margin is defined as gross profit as a percentage of total net revenue.
(2)
We
define “Adjusted EBITDA” as net loss excluding interest expense, income tax benefit (expense), depreciation and amortization
and stock-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA is a measure that is not defined in US GAAP. For further information about
how we calculate Adjusted EBITDA, the limitations of its use and a reconciliations to the most comparable US GAAP measure.
Results
of Operations
Three
Months Ended December 31, 2023 as Compared to the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022
The
following is a comparison of our results of operations for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Three months ended
December 31,
2023
2022
Change
(Amounts in thousands)
Statements of operations data:
Net revenue
Wholesale
$ 8,974
$ 13,101
$ (4,127 )
Ecommerce
3,752
3,045
707
Total Revenue
12,726
16,146
(3,420 )
Cost of goods sold
(7,860 )
(9,944 )
2,084
Gross profit
4,866
6,202
(1,336 )
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses
(2,659 )
(2,442 )
(217 )
Marketing and advertising expenses
(1,479 )
(1,440 )
(39 )
Total operating expenses
(4,138 )
(3,882 )
(256 )
Income from operations
728
2,320
(1,592 )
Interest expense
(403 )
(489 )
86
Foreign currency transactions gains
879
1,436
(557 )
Net income
1,204
3,267
(2,063 )
Other comprehensive gains
Foreign currency translation losses
(758 )
(923 )
165
Comprehensive income/(loss)
$ 446
$ 2,344
$ (1,898 )
30
Revenue
Total
revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $12,726 compared to $16,146 for the three months ended December 31, 2022,
a decrease of $3,420 or 21%. The decrease is primarily attributed to recognizing a significant amount of wholesale revenue in the second
quarter related to early shipments of our fall and winter collections. For the six months ended September 30, 2023, our wholesale revenue
was up $3,009 or 165% versus the six months ended September 30, 2022. In addition to the timing of revenue recognition, our wholesale
accounts had significantly higher purchases in fiscal year 2022 due to the post Covid rebound. The additional purchases created lower
sell through impacting fiscal 2023 orders. The decrease is offset by an increase in ecommerce revenue of $707 or 23% versus the prior
year. The increase in ecommerce is attributed to our continued focus of enhancing brand awareness to drive ecommerce sales, which led
to our biggest Black Friday in the Company’s history.
Cost
of goods sold
Cost
of goods sold for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $7,860 compared to $9,944 for the three months ended December 31,
2022, a decrease of $2,084 or 21%. The change in cost of goods sold is primarily attributed to a decline in sales.
Gross
profit and gross margin
Our
gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $4,866 compared to $6,202 for the three months ended December 31,
2022, a decrease of $1,336 or 22%. The decrease in gross profit is primarily attributed to the early shipment of wholesale orders as
the margin was recognized in Q2 in the current year compared to Q3 last year.
Our
gross margins were 38.2% and virtually flat compared to the 38.4% in the prior year. The fact margins remained virtually flat
considering the decrease in higher margin wholesale revenue is attributed to our strategic shift in ecommerce sales where we lowered
the number of products discounted, while maintaining full prices on our core products in the three months ended December 31, 2023
compared to same period in the prior year.
Selling,
general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”)
SG&A
expenses consist of personnel related expenses, stock compensation expense, legal and professional fees, depreciation and amortization
and other selling, general and administrative expenses, including IT, property related expenses, travel and product sample costs.
SG&A
expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2023 were $2,659 compared to $2,442 for the three months ended December 31, 2022,
an increase of $217 or 9%. The increase is primarily attributed to prior year restructuring costs of $657, offset by increases in labor
of $252 to support growth and the fact the new management team started at various points of the third quarter, one-off costs to get the
company public of $212, and increased travel of $197 due to lower travel in the prior year coming out of COVID-19.
Marketing
and advertising expense
Marketing
and advertising expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2023 were $1,479 compared to $1,440 for the three months ended
December 31, 2022, an increase of $39 or 3%. The increase is primarily attributed to investments in brand awareness to drive
ecommerce revenues and wholesale sell-through, which included a collaboration with Soho House & Co., a global hotel chain and group of private clubs, who have over 1.4 million Instagram followers and over 237,000 members drawn from the media,
arts and fashion industries. All offset by decreases in amortization of pre-paid marketing.
Marketing
and Brand Highlights
●
The
total social audience reached by content posted by U.S. and U.K. key opinion leaders (KOLs) 1 about Perfect Moment was
more than 166.8 million during the period. This represents the total combined followers of the celebrities, influencers, models,
media publications, and fashion industry notables who organically posted about the brand during the quarter in the U.S. and U.K.
●
The
total number of global unique visitors per month (UVPM) reached more than 4 billion during the quarter. This is the combined sum
of UVPM reached by all global digital media coverage achieved during the quarter.
●
Hosted
several brand events across the U.S. and Europe that included top fashion models and social media influencers with collective reach
of more than 66.8 million followers.
●
Received
broad media coverage during the quarter, including features in both US and British Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler,
Esquire, Town & Country, Travel & Leisure, Evening Standard, WWD, GQ and Rolling Stone, and accolades from Harper’s
BAZAAR, NY Magazine, Forbes, Esquire, ELLE, Glamor, and Haute Living Magazine (LA and Miami).
●
Featured
on the front cover of Modern Luxury Aspen’s Holiday 2023/Winter 2024 issue, featuring model Kate Love wearing exclusively Perfect
Moment. Included an eight-page fashion feature with Kate Love styled in Perfect Moment’s autumn/winter 2023 (AW23) collection,
and a two-page profile feature with Jane Gottschalk our Chief Creative Officer. As the top luxury fashion publication in Aspen,
Modern Luxury Aspen has 50,000 print subscribers and more than 1.1 million digital readers per month.
Note 1 :
The company defines a key opinion leader (KOL) as a person who is considered an expert on a certain topic and whose opinions are
respected by the public due to their trajectory and the reputation they have built. They are typically identified by their reach, social
media following and stature. KOL may include but is not limited to celebrities, social media influencers, fashion models, contributors
to media publications, and noted members of the fashion industry. There is no official listing or accreditation of KOLs, so the term
is subjective, and therefore the list and definition may vary from company to company. The source of the KOLs, social media and audience
reach statistics provided in this release are reports by the company’s public relations firm. No reliance should be made upon their
accuracy or timeliness.
Foreign
currency transactions gains (losses)
Foreign
currency transactions gains decreased by $557, from $1,436 for the three months ended December 31, 2022 to $879 for the three months
ended December 31, 2023, mainly driven by fluctuations in the U.S. dollar to the U.K. pound sterling exchange rate.
Foreign currency translation gains (losses)
Foreign currency translation gains
(losses) result from the process of translating the financial statements of our foreign entities functional currency into USD. Foreign
currency translation losses decreased by $165, from $923 for the three months ended December 31, 2022 to $758 for the three months ended
December 31, 2023, mainly driven by fluctuations in the U.S. dollar to the U.K. pound sterling exchange rate.
31
Nine
Months Ended December 31, 2023 as Compared to the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2022
The
following is a comparison of our results of operations for the Nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Nine months ended December 31,
2023
2022
Change
(Amounts in thousands)
Statements of operations data:
Net revenue
Wholesale
$ 13,827
$ 14,917
$ (1,090 )
Ecommerce
5,775
4,509
1,266
Total Revenue
19,602
19,426
176
Cost of goods sold
(11,966 )
(12,325 )
359
Gross profit
7,636
7,101
535
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses
(6,839 )
(9,762 )
2,923
Marketing and advertising expenses
(3,081 )
(3,309 )
228
Total operating expenses
(9,920 )
(13,071 )
3,151
Loss from operations
(2,284 )
(5,970 )
3,686
Interest expense
(1,169 )
(1,411 )
242
Foreign currency transactions gains (losses)
473
(457 )
930
Net loss
(2,980 )
(7,838 )
4,858
Other comprehensive gains
Foreign currency translation (losses)/gains
(407 )
645
(1,052 )
Comprehensive loss
$ (3,387 )
$ (7,193 )
$ 3,806
Revenue
Total
revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $19,602 compared to $19,426 for the nine months ended December 31, 2022,
an increase of $176 or 1%. The increase is primarily attributed to an increase in ecommerce revenue of $1,266 or 28% versus the prior
year. The increase in ecommerce is attributed to enhanced brand awareness and the Company’s focus on ecommerce. The overall increase
is offset by a decrease in wholesale revenue of $1,090 or 7%. The decrease is attributed to significantly higher purchases in fiscal
year 2022 due to the post Covid rebound. The additional purchases created lower sell through impacting fiscal 2023 orders.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2023, our digital strategies have aligned our customer with the expectations
of a luxury brand allowing us to reach new milestones. Our focus for fiscal 2024 was to drive full price retail by reducing the number
of products on discount and shortening our discount windows. The strategy was deployed for Black Friday where we discounted a smaller
product range than in prior years while providing our customers with a balance between full price and promotional items. The result was
our biggest Black Friday as we delivered $1,833 of sales a 52% versus the prior year, while achieving higher margins.
Cost
of goods sold
Cost
of goods sold for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $11,966 compared to $12,325 for the nine months ended December
31, 2022, a decrease of $359 or 3%. The change in cost of goods sold is primarily attributed to improvements in our supply chain and
the addition of Global-e as a logistics partner. The shift in sales mix between wholesale (decrease of $1,090) and ecommerce
(increase of $1,266) versus the prior year had a negative impact on cost of goods sold.
Gross
Profit and gross margin
Our
gross profit for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $7,636 compared to $7,101 for the nine months ended December 31,
2022, an increase of $535 or 8%. Our gross margins were 39% compared to 37% in the prior year. The increases in both gross profit
and gross margin are primarily driven by less discounting and fewer discount windows plus the addition of Global-e as a logistic
partner.
Selling,
general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”)
SG&A
expenses for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 were $6,839 compared to $9,762 for the nine months ended December 31, 2022,
a decrease of $2,923 or 30%. The decrease is primarily attributed to lower stock compensation expense of $3,872, restructuring costs
of $657, lower legal costs of $170, all offset by increases in labor of $539 to support growth and full run rate of new management team,
increased travel of $248 due to lower travel in the prior year coming out of COVID-19, an increase in bad debt of $202, an increase in
rent for our new offices to support growth of $192, an increase in audit and professional fees of $131, and one-off costs to get the
company public of $124.
32
Marketing
and advertising expense
Marketing
and advertising expenses for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 were $3,081 compared to $3,309 for the nine months ended
December 31, 2022, a decrease of $228 or 7%. The decrease is primarily attributable to lower amortization of pre-paid marketing expense of $928,
offset by investments in brand awareness to drive ecommerce revenues and wholesale sell-through, which included a collaboration with Soho House & Co., a global hotel chain and group of private clubs, who have over 1.4 million Instagram followers and over 237,000 members drawn from the media,
arts and fashion industries.
Foreign
currency transactions gains (losses)
Foreign
currency transactions gains (losses) increased favorably by $930; a loss of $457 during the nine months ended December 31, 2022 to a
gain of $473 during the nine months ended December 31, 2023, mainly driven by fluctuations in the U.S. dollar to the U.K. pound sterling
exchange rate.
Foreign currency translation gains (losses)
Foreign currency translation gains (losses) result from the process of translating the financial statements of
our foreign entities’ functional currency into USD. Foreign currency translation gains (losses) decreased unfavorably by $1,052; a gain of $645 during the nine months ended December 31, 2022 to a loss of $407 during the nine months ended December 31, 2023, mainly driven by fluctuations in the U.S. dollar to the U.K. pound sterling exchange rate.
Use
of Non-GAAP Measures - Adjusted EBITDA
In
addition to our results under generally accepted accounted principles (“GAAP”), we present Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental
measure of our performance. However, Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative
to net income, income from operations or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP or as an alternative to cash flow
from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss), plus interest expense, depreciation
and amortization, stock-based compensation, financing costs and changes in fair value of derivative liability.
Management
considers our core operating performance to be that which our managers can affect in any particular period through their management
of the resources that affect our underlying revenue and profit generating operations in that period. Non-GAAP adjustments to our
results prepared in accordance with GAAP are itemized below. You are encouraged to evaluate these adjustments and the reasons we
consider them appropriate for supplemental analysis. In evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we may
incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation. Our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA
should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine months ended
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2022
Net income / (loss), as reported
$ 1,204
$ 3,267
$ (2,980 )
$ (7,838 )
Adjustments:
Interest expense
403
489
1,169
1,411
Stock compensation expense
4
(191 )
18
3,890
Amortization of pre-paid marketing
-
371
185
1,113
Depreciation and amortization
138
138
437
408
Income tax benefit
-
-
-
-
Total EBITDA adjustments
545
807
1,809
6,822
Adjusted EBITDA
$ 1,749
$ 4,074
$ (1,171 )
$ (1,016 )
The
$2,325 decrease in adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, is primarily
attributed to lower gross profit of $1,336 driven by the timing of wholesale shipments. We had significant Q2 shipments that were
shipped in Q3 last year, lowering our gross profit on a comparative basis. We also incurred additional operating costs of $256 to
support our growth and we incurred a negative change in foreign exchange of $557.
The
$155 decrease in Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, was primarily driven
by an increase in labor of $539 to support growth, investments in brand awareness to drive ecommerce revenues and wholesale sell-through, which included a collaboration
with Soho House, increased travel of $339 due to lower travel
in the prior year coming out of COVID-19, all offset by prior year restructuring of $657, and
increase in gross margins of $535 driven by the Company’s margin initiatives.
33
We
present adjusted EBITDA because we believe it assists investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on
a consistent basis by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. In addition, we use Adjusted
EBITDA in developing our internal budgets, forecasts, and strategic plan; in analyzing the effectiveness of our business strategies in
evaluating potential acquisitions; and in making compensation decisions and in communications with our board of directors concerning
our financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, which includes, among others, the following:
●
Adjusted
EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
●
Adjusted
EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
●
Adjusted
EBITDA does not reflect future interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on
our debts; and
●
Although
depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in
the future, and the Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.
Seasonality
and Quarterly Trends
Our
business is seasonal with revenue concentrated in northern hemisphere countries. Revenue is elevated in the quarters ending December
31 and March 31 owing to sales of ski and outerwear through the fall and winter months. In the quarters ending June 30 and September
30 sales are driven by swimwear and activewear. Our growth rate fluctuates quarter-on-quarter as a result of the seasonality of our business.
We expect this fluctuation to continue. In addition to seasonality, quarter-on-quarter results are expected to be impacted owing to the
timing of goods production and delivery, promotional activities and the addition of new products and geographies as the business grows.
The business is also subject to the impact of economic cycles that influence retail apparel trends.
For the nine months ended
December 31, 2023, we recognized a significant amount of wholesale revenue in the second quarter related to early shipments of our
fall and winter collections. For the six months ended September 30, 2023, our wholesale revenue was up $3,009 or 165% versus the six
months ended September 30, 2022.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $3,370, restricted
cash of $173 and an accumulated deficit of $43,235. Historically, Perfect Moment has generated negative cash flows from operations and
has primarily financed its operations through private sales of equity securities, debt and working capital finance. Overall, cash and
cash equivalents and restricted cash, in aggregate, decreased by $1,169 million, from $4,712 million as of March 31, 2023 to $3,543 million
as of December 31, 2023.
Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the Company generated net proceeds totaling
$6,426 from the sale of our common stock as part of our initial public offering. The company’s pro forma cash position after the
completion of IPO was $9,796.
The Company, through PMA, has a trade finance facility extended on goods
for which letters of credit are issued to the Company’s suppliers by HSBC. As of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, the outstanding
balance under the trade finance facility was $999 and $26, respectively, and the Company had an available trade finance facility of $5.00
million. As of December 31, 2023, there was one outstanding pledged letter of credit by HSBC amounting to $173, however, the trade finance
facility does not become the Company’s responsibility until the Company receives the manufactured clothing goods from suppliers.
Once drawn, the company has 120 days credit on the loan before repayment is due. For drawings in Hong Kong dollars, the interest rate
equals HIBOR plus 3.0%, and for drawings in U.S. dollars, the interest rate equals SOFR plus 3.3%. The trade finance facility was originally
secured by a standby documentary credit for $1.0 million from UBS Switzerland AG and a personal guarantee to the value of $4,000
from the Chairman of our board of directors, Max Gottschalk. The UBS standby documentary credit expired on April 30, 2023 and the facility
was then secured by charge over cash deposits equal to the amount of the facility used at any given moment in time in addition to the
aforementioned personal guarantee. On June 26, 2023, the UBS standby documentary credit was reinstated for $1,000, which standby
documentary credit was secured by a guarantee from JGA. The UBS standby documentary credit was extended on November 26, 2023 through January
26, 2024 at a 10% interest rate. The JGA guarantee is in addition to the $4,000 personal guarantee of the trade finance facility
by Mr. Gottschalk. The JGA guarantee accrues interest of between 8% and 10% per annum, payable by the Company. The interest charged for
the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $47. During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2023, the Company utilized $1,847 of
borrowings under the facility, of which was $874 was repaid by December 31, 2023. The trade finance facility is also secured by a guarantee
by Perfect Moment Ltd. in the amount of $2.0 million.
34
During May 2023 to August 2023, the Company issued and sold 409,050 shares
of common stock to accredited investors in an equity financing at a purchase price of $6.00 per share for an aggregate consideration of
$2,179, net of broker fees and expenses of approximately $275.
The Company has issued an aggregate of 1,189,998 shares of its Series B
convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series B preferred stock”), between September 2022 and November
2022, at a purchase price of $5.00 per share, for net proceeds of $5,200, net of broker fees of 750. The Series B preferred stock is subject
to mandatory conversion into common stock upon either an initial public offering or by vote or written consent of at least 66 2/3% holders
of the outstanding shares of the Series B preferred stock without payment of additional consideration. The conversion rate will be determined
by dividing the original issue price by the conversion price in effect at the time of conversion. The initial conversion price is set
at $5.00 per share.
On
February 12, 2024, all outstanding shares of our Series B convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into 1,189,998 shares
of common stock in connection with the closing of the initial public offering (see note 18).
On
March 15, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with accredited investors pursuant to which it issued 8% Secured
Convertible Promissory Notes (also referred to herein as the “2021 Notes”) with an aggregate principal amount of $6.0 million
(such financing, the “2021 Debt Financing”). During April to July 2022, further 8% Secured Convertible Promissory Notes (also
referred to herein as the “2022 Notes” and, together with the 2021 Notes, the “Notes”), that rank pari passu
to the original convertible debt financing, were issued to accredited investors with an aggregate principal amount of $4.00 million (such
financing, the “2022 Debt Financing”). The maturity date for the Notes issued in the 2021 Debt Financing and the 2022 Debt
Financing is February 15, 2024. The outstanding balance of the Notes will convert automatically upon the closing of a firm commitment
underwritten public offering of our common stock with aggregate gross proceeds of at least $8.0 million and simultaneous listing on a
national stock exchange (such transaction, a “Qualified IPO”), at a conversion price equal to 80% of the offering price to
the public in such Qualified IPO.
On February 12, 2024, $10,002 in principal amount plus accrued interest
in the amount of $1,985 automatically converted into Company common stock, at 80% of the initial public offering price into an aggregate
of 2,497,267 shares of common stock (see note 13).
We
expect operating losses and negative cash flows from operations to continue into the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in growing
our business and expanding our infrastructure. Our primary uses of cash include personnel and marketing expenditures, inventory, capital
investment and expenditures in technology and incremental expenses arising from distribution center operating costs to support our operations
and our growth.
As
of December 31, 2023, our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are mainly held in U.S. dollar, U.K. pound sterling, Hong Kong
dollar, and euro cash accounts with high credit quality financial institutions. As a result of the seasonality of our business, we typically
draw down on our trade finance facilities during summer, fall and early winter to meet a large proportion of the cost of goods associated
with the manufacture of our fall/winter collection. Trade finance and debt factoring facilities support our working capital cycle through
to the late fall/winter season when wholesale receivables are paid and ecommerce revenues increase.
In
connection with our 2021 Debt Financing and 2022 Debt Financing, we had covenants that limit the amount of indebtedness we may incur
and the assets we may pledge. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with such covenants. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the
2021 Debt Financing and 2022 Debt Financing were automatically converted into common stock and those covenants terminated (see note 18)
35
Our
ability to fund inventory, capital expenditures, and growth will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. Our future ability
to generate cash from operations is, to a certain extent, subject to general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other conditions.
Based on our current level of operations, we believe our existing cash balances and expected cash flows from operations, alongside the
continuance of our existing financing arrangements, will be sufficient to meet our operating requirements for at least the next 18 months.
We may seek additional or alternative debt and equity financing to that set out above. If we raise equity financing, our shareholders
may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. If we conduct additional debt financing, the terms of such debt financing
may be similar or more restrictive that the terms of our current financing arrangements and we would have additional debt service obligations.
In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise it on terms acceptable to us or
at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, financial condition and results of operations could
be harmed. See the sections below titled “Risk Factors
– Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock – Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common
stock, including pursuant to our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders”
and “Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Business, Our Brand, Our Products and Our Industry – We have a history of losses,
expect to continue to incur losses in the near term and may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future, and as a result, our
management has identified and our auditors reported that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.”
The
report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our audited consolidated financial statements contains
for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, contained in our final prospectus for our IPO dated February 7, 2024,
and filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, includes a going concern explanatory paragraph in which such firm expressed that there
is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements contained in this
report and in that prospectus do not include any adjustments that might result if we are unable to continue as a going concern. If
we are unable to continue as a going concern, holders of our securities might lose their entire investment. As discussed above,
although we plan to attempt to raise additional capital through one or more private placements or public offerings, the doubts
raised relating to our ability to continue as a going concern may make our shares an unattractive investment for potential
investors. These factors, among others, may make it difficult to raise any additional capital and may cause us to be unable to
continue to operate our business.
The
following table shows summary consolidated cash flow information for the periods presented:
Nine months ended
December 31,
2023
2022
(Amounts in thousands)
Consolidated statement of cash flow data:
Net cash used in operating activities
$ (3,078 )
$ (6,361 )
Net cash used in investing activities
(194 )
(277 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
$ 2,229
$ 10,154
Cash
Flows from Operating Activities
During the nine months ended December 31, 2023, operating activities used
$3,078 in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, primarily resulting from a net loss of $2,980, an adjustment to add back non-cash
charges of $1,950 and a net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $2,048. Net cash used by changes in operating
assets and liabilities during the nine months ended December 31, 2023 consisted primarily of an inflow of cash from a $1,537 increase
in accrued expenses, a $704 increase in trade payables, offset by a cash outflow as a result of a $2,571 increase in accounts receivable
and an $1,822 increase in inventories.
During the nine months ended December 31, 2022, operating activities used
$6,361 in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, primarily resulting from a net loss of $7,838, an adjustment to add back non-cash
charges of $7,153 and a net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $5,676. Net cash used by changes in operating
assets and liabilities during the nine months ended December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of an inflow of cash as a result of a $253 decrease
in prepaid and other current assets and an increase of $165 in trade payables, offset by an outflow of cash as a result of a $4,667 increase
in accounts receivable, a $1,094 increase in inventories, and a $259 decrease in unearned revenue. The movements being general timing
of working capital receipts and payments.
36
Cash
Flows from Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities was $194 in the nine months ended December
31, 2023 and $277 in the nine months ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $83, primarily due to a reduction of software and website
development capital expenditure.
Cash
Flows from Financing Activities
Net
cash obtained from financing activities during the nine months ended December 31, 2023 was $2,229 mainly attributed to $2,179 net
proceeds from the issuance of common shares and $1,847 in net proceeds from trade finance facilities, offset by $923 in deferred
offering costs and $874 in repayment of trade finance facilities. Net cash obtained from financing activities during the nine months
ended December 31, 2022 was $10,154 primarily resulting from $5,200 net proceeds from the issuance of preferred shares, $4,132 in
proceeds from trade finance facilities $2,709 in proceeds from debt financing transactions, and proceeds from other borrowings of
$210, offset by $1,560 repayment of trade finance facilities and $537 repayment of shareholder loans.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We
did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or any relationships
with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, including entities sometimes referred to as structured finance or special purpose
entities, that were established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited
purposes.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial
statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of those consolidated financial statements requires
our management to make judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent
assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported revenue generated, and expenses
incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe
are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying value of asset and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates inherent in the preparation of the consolidated financial
statements include reserves for uncollectible accounts receivables; realizability of inventory; customer returns; useful lives and impairments
of long-lived tangible and intangible assets; accounting for income taxes and related uncertain tax positions; and the valuation of stock-based
compensation awards. Actual results may differ from these judgements and estimates under different assumptions or conditions and any
such differences may be material.
We
believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies
relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgements and estimates.
Revenue
recognition
The
majority of the Company’s revenue is recognized at a point in time based on the transfer of control. In addition, the majority
of the Company’s contracts do not contain variable consideration and contract modifications are minimal. The majority of the Company’s
revenue arrangements generally consists of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods. Revenue is reported net of markdowns,
discounts and sales taxes collected from customers on behalf of taxing authorities. Revenue is also presented net of an allowance for
expected returns where contracts include the right of return.
We
estimate returns on an ongoing basis to estimate the consideration from the customer that we expect to ultimately receive. Consideration
in determining our estimates for returns may include agreements with customers, the Company’s return policy and historical and
current trends. We record the returns as a reduction to net sales in our consolidated statements of operations and the recognition of
a provision for returns within accrued expenses in our consolidated balance sheets and the estimated value of inventory expected to be
returned as an adjustment to inventories, net.
37
Revenue
is comprised of direct-to-consumer ecommerce revenue through the Company’s website and revenue related to wholesalers.
Revenue
is recognized when performance obligations are satisfied through the transfer of control of promised goods to the Company’s customers.
Control transfers once a customer has the ability to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the benefits from, the product.
This includes the transfer of legal title, physical possession, the risks and rewards of ownership, and customer acceptance. For direct-to-consumer
ecommerce revenue, the Company receives payment before the customer receives the promised goods. Revenue is only recognized once the
goods have been delivered to the customer. Sales to wholesale customers are recognized when the customer has control which will depend
on the agreed upon International Commercial Terms (“inco-terms”). For inventories sold on consignment to wholesalers, the
Company records revenue when the inventory is sold to the third-party customer by the wholesaler. The Company may issue merchant credits,
which are essentially refund credits. The merchant credits are initially deferred and subsequently recognized as revenue when tendered
for payment.
The
Company’s business is significantly affected by the pattern of seasonality common to most retail apparel businesses. Historically,
the Company has recognized a significant portion of its revenue in the fourth fiscal quarter of each year as a result of increased net
revenue during the ski season.
Accounts
receivable
Accounts
receivable primarily arise out of sales to wholesale accounts and ecommerce partners. The allowance for doubtful accounts represents
management’s best estimate of probable credit losses in accounts receivable using the incurred loss methodology. Receivables are
written off against the allowance when management believes that it is probable the amount receivable will not be recovered. Additionally,
the Company records higher allowances in the first and third quarters following its peak sales seasons after the Company determines it
to be probable that it will not collect the related receivables.
Inventories
Inventories,
consisting of finished goods, inventories in transit, and raw materials, are initially recognized at cost and subsequently measured at
the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined on a first-in, first-out basis and is comprised of all costs of purchases,
costs of conversion and other costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition.
The
Company periodically reviews its inventories and makes a provision as necessary to appropriately value goods that are obsolete, have
quality issues, or are damaged. The amount of the provision is equal to the difference between the cost of the inventory and its net
realizable value based upon assumptions about product quality, damages, future demand, selling prices, and market conditions. If changes
in market conditions result in reductions in the estimated net realizable value of its inventory below its previous estimate, the Company
would increase its provision in the period in which it made such a determination.
In
addition, the Company provides for inventory shrinkage based on historical trends from actual physical inventory counts. Inventory shrinkage
estimates are made to reduce the inventory value for lost or stolen items. The Company performs a physical inventory at least count once
a year and adjusts the shrinkage reserve accordingly.
Stock-based
compensation
The
Company maintains the 2021 Plan, which provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation
rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and performance units and performance shares to employees, directors and consultants
of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company. The purpose of the 2021 Plan is to enable the Company to attract and retain
the best available personnel for positions of substantial responsibility, to provide additional incentive to employees, directors and
consultants of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the company, and to promote the success of the Company’s business. The
Company has historically granted stock options to non-employees in exchange for the provision of services, both under the 2021 Plan and
outside of the 2021 Plan.
38
The
Company accounts for such awards based on ASC 505 and 718, whereby the value of the award is measured on the date of grant and recognized
as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The Company measures fair value as of the grant date for options
and warrants using the Black Scholes option pricing model and for common share awards using a weighted average of the Black Scholes method
and probability-weighted expected return method (PWERM).
The
inputs into the Black Scholes option pricing model are subjective and generally require significant judgment. The fair value of the shares
of common and preferred stock has historically been determined by the Company’s management with the assistance of third party specialists
as there was no public market for the common stock. The fair value is obtained by considering a number of objective and subjective factors,
including the valuation of comparable companies, sales of preferred stock to unrelated third parties, projected operating and financial
performance, the lack of liquidity of common and preferred stock and general and industry specific economic outlook, amongst other factors.
The expected term represents the period that the Company’s stock options are expected to be outstanding and is determined using
the simplified method (based on the mid-point between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term) as the Company’s stock
option exercise history does not provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term. Because the Company is privately held
and does not have an active trading market for its common and preferred stock for a sufficient period of time, the expected volatility
was estimated based on the average volatility for comparable publicly traded companies, over a period equal to the expected term of the
stock option grants. The risk-free rate assumption is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for
periods corresponding with the expected term of the option. The Company has never paid dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate
paying dividends on common stock in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the Company uses an expected dividend yield of zero.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
For
recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 2 of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We
are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. These risk primarily include:
Interest
rate risk
The
fair value of our cash equivalents, held primarily in cash deposits, have not been significantly impacted by increases or decreases in
interest rates to date, due to the short term nature of these instruments. The interest expense associated with our letter of credit
trade finance facility and debt factoring facilities are composed of a fixed spread over HIBOR or SOFR. The fee associated with revenue
financing is fixed and the interest rate on our convertible bridge loan is accrued at a fixed rate also. We are exposed to interest rate
risk where the interest expense associated with our financing arrangements is depending upon HIBOR or SOFR, a floating reference rate,
or in the event that the fixed interest rate associated with our financing arrangements is increased upon roll-over of the financing
arrangement at its contractual maturity. Fluctuations in interest rates have not been significant to date. We do not expect that interest
rates will have a material impact on our results of operations, owing to the size and short term nature of the floating rate financing
arrangements and the fixed rate nature of the convertible bridge loan that is expect to convert to equity before its contractual maturity
on February 15, 2024.
Inflation
risk
We
are beginning to observe increases in our costs of goods sold, in particular, transportation costs. If these cost increases are sustained
and we become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we may not be able to fully offset such higher costs. Our inability to do
so could harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
39
Foreign
exchange risk
To
date, revenue has primarily been generated in U.S. dollar, U.K. pound sterling and euro. As a result, our revenue may be subject to fluctuations
due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly changes in U.K. pound sterling and euros relative to the U.S. dollar.
Our foreign exchange risk is less pronounced for our cost of sales as to our cost of goods sold being predominantly U.S. dollar denominated.
Our selling, general and administrative expenses are primarily made up of U.S. dollar, Hong Kong dollar, U.K. pound sterling and euro
amounts. Although a portion of our non-U.S. dollar costs offset non-U.S. dollar revenue, a currency mismatch arises as to the amount
and timing of our different currency cash flows. To date, we have not hedged our foreign currency exposure. We will continue to monitor
the impact of foreign exchange risk and review whether to implement a hedging strategy to minimize this risk in future accounting periods.
Hedging strategies where implemented are unlikely to completely mitigate this risk. To the extent that foreign exchange risk is not hedged
it may result in harm to our business, results of operations and financial condition.
ITEM
3 - QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We
are a smaller reporting company and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.
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