Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The risk factors summarized
and detailed below could materially harm our business, results of operation and/or financial condition, impair our future prospects and/or
cause the price of our Common Stock to decline. Any defined terms used in the Risk Factor Summary are defined in the full Risk Factors.
These are not all of the risks we face and other factors not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also
affect our business if they occur.
Risk Factor Summary
Material risks that may affect
our business, results of operation and financial condition include, but are not necessarily limited to, those relating to:
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Our level of indebtedness and related covenants could limit our operational and financial flexibility;
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We may be required to make certain prepayments on our term loan;
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We may need additional funds to execute our business plan, maintain our liquidity and fund operations;
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We have in the past experienced and may in the future experience significant fluctuations in our results of operations;
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Coliseum is our controlling stockholder and lender, and exercises substantial control over us:
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We engage in significant related-party transactions that may give rise to conflicts of interest, result in losses to the Company or otherwise adversely affect our operations and the value of our business;
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We may not successfully anticipate consumer trends and demand;
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We operate in the highly competitive sleep products industry;
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Substantial and increasingly intense competition worldwide in e-commerce may harm our business;
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Lack of availability and quality of raw materials, labor, components, and shipping services, or increases in the cost of such inputs, could result in our inability to provide goods or could increase our costs;
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We are subject to risk if our information technology systems fail to
perform adequately;
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Changes in economic conditions such as raw materials and labor, and impacts on our consumers, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition;
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If we are unable to maintain sufficient production capacity to meet customer demands, we may not have profitable operations or sufficient liquidity or capital resources;
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Disruption in our manufacturing facilities has and could increase our costs or lead to delays in shipping;
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We use heavy machinery and equipment, which exposes us to potentially significant financial losses and reputational harm;
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Our future growth and profitability may depend in part on our ability to continue to improve and expand our product line and to successfully execute new product introductions;
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Our expansion into new products, market segments and geographic regions subjects us to additional business, legal, financial, and competitive risks;
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Our future growth and results of operations depend upon the strength of our Purple brand and the effectiveness and efficiency of our marketing programs and our ability to attract and retain customers;
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Our business could suffer if we are unsuccessful in making, integrating and maintaining commercial agreements, strategic alliances and other business relationships;
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A reduction in credit availability under our consumer credit programs or the availability of more favorable terms with competitors could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition;
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Over or under supply of raw material inventory and finished products could leave us vulnerable to shortages or shrinkage that may harm our ability to profitably satisfy consumer demand;
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Any disruption in our delivery capabilities could adversely affect our results of operations;
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If we lose members of the executive team, we may not be able to run our business effectively;
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Regulatory requirements may require costly expenditures and expose us to liability;
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Climate change and legal or regulatory responses could adversely affect our business;
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Regulatory requirements relating to the manufacture and disposal of mattresses may increase our product costs and increase the risk of disruption to our business;
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We could be subject to additional sales tax or other indirect tax liabilities;
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We could be subject to additional income tax liabilities;
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Litigation and the related potential adverse publicity could adversely affect our business;
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Failure to protect our proprietary rights could adversely affect our competitive position and reduce the value of our products and brands, and litigation to protect our intellectual property rights may be costly;
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We may be subject to claims that we or our licensors have infringed the proprietary rights of others;
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Purple LLC has licensed certain intellectual property to a third party for the purpose of enabling it to meet contractual obligations to its licensees under contracts previously entered into, and some licensees are competitors of Purple LLC;
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If we cannot keep pace with rapid technological developments to provide new and innovative programs, products and services, the use of our products and our results of operations could be adversely affected;
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Our business and our reputation could be adversely affected if we fail to protect sensitive data, or to comply with evolving regulations relating to our obligation to protect data;
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The market price of our Common Stock is volatile;
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Anti-takeover provisions and provisions of Delaware law contain anti-takeover provisions;
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Significant payment obligations
under our Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon a change of control of our Company, thereby discouraging a potential acquisition
of our Company and adversely affecting any potential control premium payable for shares of our Common Stock.
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Provisions in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum;
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Future sales of our Common Stock in the public market may depress our share price;
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Our stockholders may experience substantial dilution or may have their interests impaired if we issue additional shares of our capital stock, including as a result of the exercise of the Warrants;
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Our only significant asset is our ownership of Purple LLC and such ownership may not be sufficient to enable us to satisfy our financial obligation;
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We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future;
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We may issue debt and equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities;
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NASDAQ may delist our securities from its exchange;
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We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting which has not been remediated as of December 31, 2023;
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Obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could materially adversely affect our cash flows in the future once we become profitable and begin paying income taxes;
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Under certain circumstances, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated or significantly exceed the actual benefits we realize;
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Changes in accounting
standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could
significantly affect our financial results, and
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Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Our
Operations
Our
level of indebtedness and related covenants could limit our operational and financial flexibility and adversely affect our business if
we breach such covenants or default on such indebtedness.
On January 23, 2024, to refinance existing obligations, we entered
into a Second Amendment to Term Loan Agreement (the “Second Amendment”) and concurrently therewith an Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) with Coliseum Capital Partners, L.P. (“CCP”), Blackwell
Partners LLC – Series A (“Blackwell”), Harvest Small Cap Partners Master, Ltd.(“Harvest Master”), Harvest
Small Cap Partners, L.P. (“Harvest Partners”), and HSCP Strategic IV, L.P. (“HSCP” and together with CCP, Blackwell,
Harvest Master, and Harvest Partners, the “Lenders”) and Delaware Trust Company, as administrative agent, which amended and
restated the Term Loan Agreement, dated August 7, 2023, among Purple LLC, Purple Inc., Intellibed LLC, Callodine Commercial Finance, LLC
and a group of financial institutions (the “Term Loan Agreement”.) Upon entry into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement,
we received a term loan in the amount of $61.0 million, which bears interest equal to a rate of(i) the secured overnight financing rate
as administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York plus 0.10%, with a floor of 3.5% per annum, plus (ii) 8.25% per annum (or, if
Purple LLC elects to pay interest in kind to reduce its cash obligations, 10.25% per annum).
Under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, we are subject to
a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including covenants regarding dispositions of property, investments, forming or acquiring
subsidiaries, business combinations or acquisitions, incurrence of additional indebtedness, and transactions with affiliates, among other
customary covenants. In particular, we are restricted from incurring additional debt up to certain amounts, subject to limited exceptions.
We are also restricted from paying dividends or making other distributions or payments on our capital stock, subject to limited exceptions.
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These restrictions may prevent
us from taking actions that we believe would be in the best interests of the business and may make it difficult for us to successfully
execute our business strategy or effectively compete with companies that are not similarly restricted. If we determine that we need to
take any action that is restricted under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, we will need to first obtain a waiver from the applicable
Agent and Lenders. Obtaining such waivers, if needed, may impose additional costs on us or we may be unable to obtain such waivers. Our
ability to comply with these restrictive covenants in future periods will largely depend on our ability to successfully implement our
overall business strategy. The breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in a default, which could potentially result
in the acceleration of our outstanding debt. In the event of an acceleration of such debt, we could be forced to apply all available cash
flows to repay such debt, which could also force us into bankruptcy or liquidation.
If we are not able to maintain
compliance with our covenants under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, we may need to seek amendments or waivers to the Amended
and Restated Credit Agreement in the future and may also need to obtain alternative sources of liquidity. Such alternative sources of
liquidity, including subordinated debt, may not be available on terms favorable to us or at all.
To the extent that waivers and amendments under the Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement are necessary, there can be no guarantee that we will be able to obtain waivers or amendments from the Lenders if, in
the future, we are unable to comply with the covenants and other terms of the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement. Our failure to satisfy
the required conditions under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement or maintain compliance with the financial and performance covenants
under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement could result in future defaults, which would materially adversely affect our financial
condition and results of operations, including, potentially, as a result of acceleration of our outstanding debt. In addition, any default
under our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement would materially adversely affect our ability to obtain alternative financing, and significantly
limit our ability to execute our business strategies.
We
may be required to make certain prepayments to our term loan and thereafter will not be able to benefit from that portion of the term
loan.
Under
the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, we have certain mandatory prepayment obligations. If for any reason we are required to prepay
any amount owed under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, we may not have sufficient liquidity available to make such prepayments
and we would be in default on our obligations. In addition, any prepayment would require us to divert liquidity and capital resources
away from the operating expenses of our business and we may not be able to reborrow the prepaid principal amount, which could adversely
affect our relationships with suppliers and vendors and our ability to execute on our growth strategies and prevent us from taking actions
in our best interest or even continue in business.
We
may need additional funds to execute our business plan, maintain our liquidity, repay our debt and fund operations and we may not be able to obtain such
funds on acceptable terms or at all.
We
have recently incurred negative cash flows on an annual basis and may continue to experience negative cash flow in the future. For the
years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, we had negative cash flow from operating activities of $54.7 million and $28.8 million, respectively.
We expect to incur significant ongoing operating expenses in connection with the execution of our business strategies. We will need to
incur significant capital expenses as we seek to expand our business.
Our
efforts to obtain needed capital resources and sources of liquidity may not be sufficient to support our business operations and future
growth strategies. If we are unable to satisfy our liquidity and capital resource requirements, we may have to scale back, postpone or
discontinue our growth strategies, which could result in slower growth or no growth, and we may lose key suppliers, be unable to timely
satisfy customer orders, and be unable to retain our employees. In addition, we may be forced to restructure our obligations to creditors,
pursue work-out options or other protective measures.
Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement we may
request additional term loans, but the lenders in their discretion may deny such requests, which denial could limit our ability to access
future amounts under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement provides for our payment of interest, payable monthly, at a rate equal to (i) the
secured overnight financing rate as administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York plus 0.10%, with a floor of 3.5% per annum, plus
(ii) 8.25% per annum (or, if Purple LLC elects to pay interest in kind to reduce its cash obligations, 10.25% per annum). To the extent
that the interest rate under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement exceeds market interest rates, such interest payments will adversely
affect our liquidity, financial position and result of operations.
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Further, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms or at all is subject to a variety of uncertainties. Adequate alternative
financing may not be available or, if available, may only be available on unfavorable terms or subject to covenants that we may not be
able to satisfy. There is no assurance we will obtain the capital we require. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able
to fund our liquidity needs, our future operations or growth strategies.
Future equity or debt financings may require us to also issue warrants
or other equity securities that are likely to be dilutive to our existing stockholders. For example, on January 23, 2024, we issued to
the Lenders as partial consideration for their entering into the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement warrants (the “Warrants”)
to purchase 20 million shares of our Common Stock (approximately 19% of our currently outstanding Common Stock) at a price of $1.50 per
share, subject to certain adjustments. The Warrants will expire on the 10-year anniversary of issuance, or earlier upon redemption. The
existence of such Warrants, and their ultimate exercise will result in substantial dilution to our stockholders. A holder of the Warrants
will not have the right to exercise them, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, the holder (together with its affiliates)
would beneficially own in excess of 49.9% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise (the
“Beneficial Ownership Cap”).
Newly issued securities may include preferences or superior voting
rights or may be combined with the issuance of warrants or other derivative securities, which each may have additional dilutive effects.
Furthermore, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital and financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting
fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We may also be required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection
with certain securities we may issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which will adversely affect our financial condition.
We
have in the past experienced and may in the future experience significant fluctuations in our results of operations, which could make
our future results of operations difficult to predict or cause our results of operations to fall below analysts’ and investors’
expectations.
We have encountered and will continue to encounter
risks and difficulties frequently experienced by young companies in rapidly developing and changing industries, including, but not limited
to, inconsistent financial results, challenges in forecasting accuracy, determining appropriate investments of our limited resources,
market acceptance of our products and services and future products and services, competition from new and established companies, including
those with greater financial and technical resources, enhancing our products and services and developing new products and services.
Our quarterly and annual results of operations have fluctuated in the
past and we expect our future results of operations will fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Fluctuations in our results of operations could cause our performance to fall below the expectations of analysts and investors, and adversely
affect the price of our Common Stock. Because our business is changing and evolving rapidly, our historical results of operations may
not necessarily be indicative of our future results of operations. Factors that may cause our results of operations to fluctuate include,
but are not limited to, the following:
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changes in demand for our products, whether caused by changes in customer confidence or preferences, infringing products, disruption to our sales channels, inflation, or a weakening of the United States or global economies;
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disruptions or delays in or increased costs for our production and shipping of our products, whether caused by pandemics or otherwise;
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failures in our manufacturing equipment;
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supply chain constraints, including the availability of raw materials in a timely manner;
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costs of employee recruiting and retention;
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changes in the pricing or availability of advertising;
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changes in our capital expenditures;
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costs related to acquisitions of businesses or technologies and development of new products;
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the introduction of new technologies or products by our competitors;
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general political, economic and business conditions worldwide, including political or social unrest;
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disruption of our physical facilities or those of our wholesale partners due to social unrest or other issues;
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the impact of natural disasters on our manufacturing facilities and supply chain;
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changes to our executive leadership or our Board;
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actions of activist
investors that divert our attention and resources;
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the loss of key strategic relationships with partners; and
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the cost of recapitalization.
In addition, we rely on estimates
and forecasts of our expenses and revenues to provide guidance and inform our business strategies, and some of our past estimates and
forecasts have not been accurate. The evolving nature of our business makes forecasting results of operations difficult. If we fail to
accurately forecast our expenses and revenues, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations may suffer, and
the value of our business may decline. If our estimates and forecasts prove incorrect, we may not be able to adjust our operations quickly
enough to respond to lower-than-expected sales which, for example, could result in higher than anticipated inventory levels, or higher-than-expected
expenses which, for example, could be the result of building excess capacity.
Based upon the factors above and others beyond our control, we have
a limited ability to forecast our future revenue, costs and expenses. If we fail to meet or exceed the expectations of analysts and investors
or if analysts and investors have estimates and forecasts of our future performance that are unrealistic or that we do not meet, the market
price of our Common Stock could decline. In addition, if one or more of the analysts who cover us adversely change their recommendation
regarding our stock, the market price of our Common Stock could decline.
Any disruption of our operations,
and related impacts on our results of operations, could also adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock, which could result
in securities litigation. Such litigation could result in substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our
core business, and adversely affect our business.
Coliseum Capital Management,
LLC is our controlling stockholder and lender, and exercises substantial control over our Board composition, management team members and
strategies.
As reported by Coliseum in its Schedule 13D/A filed on January 23,
2024, Coliseum Capital Management LLC (“Coliseum”) beneficially owns 58.5 million shares of Common Stock (which includes 46.9
million shares of Common Stock currently owned and 11.6 million shares of Common Stock that could be acquired upon exercise of its Warrants).
Coliseum also beneficially owns 1.8 million additional Warrants that cannot be exercised if doing so would cause Coliseum to exceed the
Beneficial Ownership Cap. At any time during which the Warrants are exercisable, Coliseum may not exercise any Warrants that would result
in Coliseum exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Cap. In addition, as the primary Lender under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement,
Coliseum exercises substantial control over us, including control of the composition of our Board and management, as well as our corporate
strategies. Coliseum also has the ability to influence the outcome of any corporate actions which require stockholder approval, including
but not limited to, the election of directors, significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of the Company or the
sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentrated voting control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters
and could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing
to pay in the future for our Common Stock.
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On September 17, 2022, Coliseum, our largest stockholder, delivered
to us an unsolicited bid to acquire the remaining outstanding shares of our Common Stock not already beneficially owned by Coliseum for
$4.35 per share in cash (the “Proposal”). In response, the Company formed a special committee of independent directors (the
“Special Committee”) to evaluate the Proposal. On January 12, 2023, the Company issued a press release stating that the Special
Committee had rejected the Proposal.
On January 13, 2023, Coliseum submitted a letter to the chairman of
the Board setting forth a cooperation proposal On January 17, 2023, Coliseum filed a Schedule 13D/A with the SEC indicating that, in the
absence of an agreement, Coliseum intended to nominate a slate of directors for election at the 2023 Annual Meeting, which slate would
constitute a majority of the Board. On January 19, 2023, the Company issued a press release stating the position of the Special Committee
with respect to the Coliseum proposal. On February 13, 2023, Coliseum submitted a notice of its intention to nominate four persons to
the Board, replacing four of the seven-member Board and retaining only Mr. DeMartini, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr.
Gray, Coliseum’s manager, and one of the existing non-executive directors. On February 14, 2023, the Special Committee announced
a dividend of one new Proportional Representation Preferred Linked Stock (“PRPLS”) for each 100 shares of Common Stock, with
each PRPLS having 10,000 votes. Holders of PRPLS were entitled to allocate votes in director elections on a cumulative basis and accordingly
had the opportunity to vote for proportional representation on the Board at our 2023 Annual Meeting.
On February 21, 2023, Coliseum filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court
of Chancery captioned Coliseum Capital Management, LLC et al. v. Pano Anthos et al. , (the "Action"), purporting to challenge
the issuance of PRPLS and alleging that, among other things, the issuance of PRPLS deprived stockholders of a fair and democratic election
of directors at our 2023 Annual Meeting, and other related allegations. On April 19, 2023, Coliseum and the Company entered into a cooperation
agreement (the “Cooperation Agreement”) settling the Action, which included among other items the appointment of certain new
directors and standstill provisions related to the acquisition of additional stock, the nomination of directors, and other matters. The
Cooperation Agreement terminates on the date following our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. On April 26, 2023, the Company received
consent under the 2020 Credit Agreement that allowed the Company’s redemption of PRPLS issued by the Company on February 24, 2023.
After
the Cooperation Agreement terminates, there can be no assurance that Coliseum will not make another unsolicited bid to acquire the remaining
outstanding shares of our Common Stock not already beneficially owned by Coliseum or attempt to nominate replacement members to the Board.
Such future actions by Coliseum may require us to devote significant additional resources and time that would otherwise be directed to
our business and operations or may demotivate current executives and discourage other executives from joining the Company. In addition,
such actions could cause the price of our Common Stock to change based on investors’ perceptions of Coliseum’s actions and
Coliseum’s influence over the Company and our Board.
We have engaged in significant related-party transactions with Coliseum
and other parties that may give rise to conflicts of interest, result in losses to us or otherwise adversely affect our results of operations
and the value of our business.
We have engaged in numerous related-party transactions involving significant
stockholders and directors of the Company, as well as with other entities affiliated with such persons.
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Under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, the Lenders agreed
to assume the rights and obligations of the Term Loan Lenders under the Term Loan Agreement and, pursuant to the Second Amendment and
the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, agreed to refinance existing obligations with a term loan in the amount of $61.0 million, to
Purple LLC. Further, in connection with the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement we issued the Warrants to the Lenders to purchase 20
million shares of our Common Stock at a price of $1.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments. The Warrants will expire on the 10-year
anniversary of issuance, or earlier upon redemption. The Lenders, including Coliseum, our largest stockholder, has appointed one director
to serve on our Board, Adam Gray, who continues to serve on our Board as its Chairman.
As reported by Coliseum in its Schedule 13D/A filed on January 23,
2024, Coliseum beneficially owns 58.5 million shares of Common Stock (which includes 46.9 million shares of Common Stock currently owned
and 11.6 million shares of Common Stock that could be acquired upon exercise of its Warrants). Coliseum also beneficially owns 1.8 million
additional Warrants that cannot be exercised if doing so would cause Coliseum to exceed the Beneficial Ownership Cap. At any time during
which the Warrants are exercisable, Coliseum may not exercise any Warrants that would result in Coliseum exceeding the Beneficial Ownership
Cap. The Lenders’ current and potential future ownership percentage, combined with their rights under the Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement give the Lenders significant and effective control over the Company. Future transactions with the Lenders, if any, may give
rise to conflicts of interest or otherwise adversely affect our business.
We
may not be able to successfully anticipate consumer trends and demand and our failure to do so may lead to a loss of consumer acceptance
of the products we sell.
Our success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and respond
to changing trends and consumer demands in a timely manner. Changes in consumers’ tastes and trends and the resulting change in
our product mix, as well as failure to offer our consumers multiple avenues for purchasing our products, could adversely affect our business
and results of operations. For example, as retail stores reopened following the elimination or easing of restrictions in connection with
the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers shifted away from online retail purchases towards brick-and-mortar shopping. Our gross profit margins
for sales through wholesale customers are lower than those in our DTC channel and, as a result, this shift in customer preference has
and may continue to adversely affect our gross profit margins.
Further, general macroeconomic conditions, including persistent inflation,
have and may continue to adversely affect consumer demand for our products, which are generally priced at a premium. Reductions in consumer
demand for our products has adversely affected and may continue to affect our sales and financial position. For example, consumers have
recently begun shifting spending to services and experiences. Such shifts in spending could adversely affect our results of operations
and financial position, particularly as we introduce our luxury products, which are priced at higher price points.
If
we fail to identify and respond to emerging trends, consumer acceptance of the products we manufacture and sell and our image with current
or potential customers may be harmed, which could reduce our net sales. If we misjudge market trends, we may significantly overstock inventory
and be forced to take significant inventory markdowns, which would have a negative impact on our gross profit and cash flow. Conversely,
shortages of inventory or increases in time for fulfillment of our products that prove popular could also reduce our sales.
We operate in the highly competitive sleep products industry, and if
we are unable to compete successfully, we may lose customers and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The sleep products industry
is highly competitive and fragmented. We face competition from many manufacturers (including competitors that primarily manufacture and
import from China and other low-cost countries), traditional brick-and-mortar retailers and online retailers, including direct-to-consumer competitors.
Participants in the sleep products industry compete primarily on price, quality, brand name recognition, product availability and product
performance and compete across a range of distribution channels. The highly competitive nature of the sleep products industry means we
are continually subject to the risk of loss of market share, loss of significant customers, reductions in margins, and the inability to
acquire new customers.
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We have introduced new product
models in the luxury mattress market. We have limited experience in such market and may not be able to compete effectively with other
manufacturers who have more experience and established reputations in such market. If we are unable to compete effectively in the luxury
market, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
A number of our significant competitors offer products that compete
directly with our products, and such direct competition is increasing. Any such competition by established manufacturers and retailers
or new entrants into the market could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Sleep product
industry manufacturers and retailers are seeking to increase their channels of distribution and are looking for new ways to reach the
consumer. Many newer competitors in the mattress industry have begun to offer products directly to consumers through the internet and
other distribution channels. Many of our competitors source their products from countries such as China and Vietnam, where the costs may
be lower than our costs. Companies providing for the distribution of mattresses online or through retail stores, such as Mattress Firm,
Amazon and Walmart, also offer competing products in their respective channels. In addition, retailers outside the United States have
integrated vertically in the furniture and sleep product industries, and it is possible that retailers may acquire other retailers or
may seek to vertically integrate in the United States by acquiring a mattress manufacturer.
Many of our current and potential
competitors may have substantially greater financial support, technical and marketing resources, larger customer bases, longer operating
histories, greater name recognition, mature distribution methods, greater vertical integration, and more established relationships in
the industry than we do and sell products through broader and more established distribution channels. These competitors, or new entrants
into the market, may compete aggressively and gain market share with existing or new products, and may pursue or expand their presence
in the sleep products industry. We cannot be sure we will have the resources or expertise to compete successfully in the future. We have
limited ability to anticipate the timing and scale of new product introductions, advertising campaigns or new pricing strategies by our
competitors, which could inhibit our ability to retain or increase market share, or to maintain our product margins. Our current and potential
competitors may secure better terms from vendors, adopt more aggressive pricing, and devote more resources to technology, infrastructure,
fulfillment, and marketing. Also, due to the large number of competitors and their wide range of product offerings, we may not be able
to continue to differentiate our products through value, styling or functionality from those of our competitors. Our products are also
typically heavier than others and some markets we wish to expand into will not support delivery of our heavy products through parcel services
or other affordable home delivery services, limiting our ability to serve the market.
In addition, the barriers
to entry into the retail sleep product industry are relatively low. New or existing sleep product retailers could enter our markets and
increase the competition we face. Competition in existing and new markets may also prevent or delay our ability to gain relative market
share. Any of the developments described above could have a material adverse effect on our planned growth and future results of operations.
We will face different market
dynamics and competition as we develop new products to expand our presence in our target markets. In some markets, our future competitors
may have greater brand recognition and broader distribution than we currently enjoy. We may not be as successful as our competitors in
generating revenues in those markets due to the lack of recognition of our brands, lack of customer acceptance, lack of product quality
history and other factors. As a result, any new expansion efforts could be costlier and less profitable than our efforts in our existing
markets. If we are not as successful as our competitors are in our target markets, our sales could decline, our margins could be impacted
negatively and we could lose market share, any of which could materially harm our business.
If we are unable to effectively compete with other manufacturers and
retailers of mattresses, pillows, cushions, and our other products our sales, profitability, cash flows and financial condition may be
adversely affected.
Substantial and increasingly
intense competition worldwide in e-commerce may harm our business.
Consumers who might purchase
our products from us online have a wide variety of alternatives for purchasing competing mattresses, pillows and cushions, including traditional
brick and mortar retailers (as well as the online and mobile operations of these traditional retailers), other online DTC retailers
and their related mobile offerings, online and offline classified services, online retailer platforms, such as Amazon.com, and other shopping
channels, such as offline and online home shopping networks.
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The internet and mobile networks
provide new, rapidly evolving, and intensely competitive channels for the sale of all types of goods and services, including products
that compete directly with our products. Consumers who purchase mattresses, pillows and cushions through us have more and more alternatives,
and merchants have more online channels to reach consumers. We expect competition to continue to intensify. Online and offline businesses
increasingly are competing with each other, and our competitors include a number of online and offline retailers with significant resources,
large user communities and well-established brands. Moreover, the barriers to entry into these channels can be low, and businesses easily
can launch online sites or mobile platforms and applications at nominal cost by using commercially available software or partnering with
successful e-commerce companies. As we respond to changes in the competitive environment, we may, from time to time, make pricing,
service or marketing decisions or acquisitions that may be controversial with and lead to dissatisfaction among our customers, which could
reduce activity on our platform and harm our profitability.
In addition, sellers in our
industry are increasingly utilizing multiple sales channels, including the acquisition of new customers by paying for search-related advertisements
on horizontal search engine sites, such as Google, Yahoo!, Naver and Baidu. We use product search engines and paid search advertising
to help users find our sites, but these services also have the potential to divert users to other online shopping destinations. Consumers
may choose to search for products with a horizontal search engine or shopping comparison website, and such sites may also send users to
other shopping destinations. In addition, the increased competition with our wholesale partners for advertising on search engines could
result in reduced traffic to our website, higher marketing costs, and reduced margins on products purchased by e-commerce customers. Traditional
forms of advertising such as television also may increase because of increased competition. For example, 2024 is an important election
year and historically television and local advertising tend to increase during election years.
E-commerce customers have
come to expect improved user experience, greater ease of buying goods, lower (or no) shipping costs, faster delivery times and more favorable
return policies from e-commerce sellers. Also, certain platform businesses, many of whom are larger than us or have greater capitalization,
have a dominant and secure position in other industries or certain significant markets, and offer a broader variety of sleep product industry
products to consumers and retailers that we do not offer. If we are unable to change our product offerings in ways that reflect the changing
demands of e-commerce and mobile commerce marketplaces, particularly the higher growth of sales of fixed-price items and higher
expected service levels or compete effectively with and adapt to changes in larger platform businesses, our business will suffer.
Some of our e-commerce competitors
offer a significantly broader range of products and services than we do. Competitors with other revenue sources may be able to devote
more resources to marketing and promotional campaigns, adopt more aggressive pricing policies and devote more resources to website, mobile
platforms and applications and systems development than we can. Other direct to consumer retailers and e-commerce competitors
may offer or continue to offer faster shipping, flexible shipping, delivery on Sunday, same-day delivery, favorable return policies
or other transaction-related services which improve the user experience on their sites, and which could be impractical or inefficient
for us to match. Competitors may be able to innovate faster and more efficiently, and new technologies may increase competitive pressure
by enabling competitors to offer more efficient or lower-cost services.
Lack of availability
and quality of raw materials, labor, components and shipping services, or increases in the cost of such inputs, have caused and may continue
to cause delays that could result in our inability to provide goods to our customers or could increase our costs, either of which could
adversely affect our results of operations.
In
manufacturing products, we use various commodity components, such as polyurethane foam, oil, spring units, ingredients for our Hyper-Elastic
Polymer® material, our water-based adhesive and other raw materials. Because we are dependent on outside suppliers for our raw
materials, lack of availability and quality could have a negative effect on our cost of sales and our ability to meet our customers’
demands. Competitive and marketing pressures may prevent us from passing along price increases to our customers, and the inability to
meet our customers’ demands could cause us to lose sales.
23
Some
components, such as foam and spring units, are widely used in our industry. Shortages in such components, due to any reason including
increase in demand, weather events, supply chain difficulties within the supplier or otherwise, could adversely affect our production
capacity and results of operations. If we were unable to obtain raw materials and components from suppliers, we would have to find replacement
suppliers. Any new arrangements for raw materials and components might not be on favorable terms if we are able to enter into new arrangements
at all. If a supplier for a component failed to supply such component in required amounts this could significantly interrupt production
and increase costs.
Even
if we are able to obtain raw materials and other production inputs in a timely manner, supply chain constraints, inflation and other factors
may increase the costs of shipping, raw materials, labor and other production and operational resources. We have experienced and may continue
to experience increases in the cost of core materials, transportation and labor needed to manufacture our products. Such cost increases
could adversely affect our production capacity and efficiency and reduce our gross margins and adversely affect our results of operations.
Shipping
and freight costs and delays have also been increasing as port closures, port congestion, shipping lane disruptions, and shipping container
and ship shortages have increased. To the extent that unforeseen events such as future pandemics or geopolitical conflicts result in continuation
or worsening of manufacturing and shipping delays and constraints, our suppliers of raw materials and other components may have difficulty
obtaining and providing the materials we require to manufacture our products or may increase the costs of such materials including additional
duties and tariffs, which could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to acquire and maintain adequate inventory
and meet demand for our products. Any significant delay or interruption in our supply chain, or our inability to obtain substitute components
or materials from alternate sources at acceptable prices in a timely manner, could impair our ability to meet the demand of our customers
and could harm our business.
We are subject to risk
if our information technology systems fail to perform adequately or are disrupted by natural disasters or other catastrophes or if we
are unable to protect the integrity and security of our information systems.
We depend largely upon our
information technology systems in the conduct of all aspects of our operations. If our information technology systems fail to perform
as anticipated, we could experience difficulties in virtually any area of our operations, including but not limited to receiving orders
from customers, replenishing inventories or delivering our products. We may be required to incur significant capital expenditures in the
pursuit of improvements or upgrades to our management information systems. These efforts may take longer and may require greater financial
and other resources than anticipated, may cause distraction of key personnel, and may cause short-term disruptions to our existing systems
and our business. New SEC rules related to cybersecurity risk management may further increase the Company’s regulatory burden and
the related cost of compliance. If we experience difficulties in implementing new or upgraded information systems or experience significant
system failures, or if we are unable to successfully modify our information systems to respond to changes in our business needs, our ability
to run our business could be adversely affected. It is also possible that our competitors could develop better e-commerce platforms
than ours, which could negatively impact our sales.
In addition, our systems may
experience service interruptions or degradation due to hardware and software defects or malfunctions, computer denial-of-service and
other cyberattacks, human error, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, natural disasters, power losses, disruptions in telecommunications
services, fraud, military or political conflicts, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, or other events. Some of our systems are not fully
redundant and our disaster recovery planning is not sufficient for all eventualities. Our systems are also subject to break-ins, sabotage,
information hijacking or ransom, and intentional acts of vandalism. Any of these or other systems-related problems could, in turn, adversely
affect our results of operations.
Changes in economic
conditions, including inflationary trends in the price of our input costs, such as raw materials and labor, and impacts on our consumers,
could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
bedding industry is subject to volatility in the price of petroleum-based and steel products, which affects the cost of certain raw materials.
The price and availability of these raw materials are subject to market conditions affecting supply and demand. Given the significance
of the cost of these materials to our products, volatility in the prices of the underlying commodities can significantly affect profitability.
We have experienced and may continue to experience, volatility and increases in the price of certain of these raw materials as a result
of a global market and supply chain disruptions and the broader inflationary environment. In addition, inflation has and may continue
to erode consumer discretionary spending. Reductions in consumer discretionary spending have and we anticipate will continue to adversely
affect demand for our products.
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If
we are unable to maintain sufficient production capacity to meet customer demands, we may not have profitable operations or sufficient
liquidity or capital resources.
We
have expanded operations during significant periods of our limited operating history, including expanding our workforce, increasing product
offerings, scaling infrastructure to support expansion of our manufacturing capacity, expanding wholesale channels, and opening of Purple
showrooms. Our planned growth includes increasing our manufacturing efficiencies, developing and introducing new products, developing
new and broader distribution channels including wholesale, Purple showrooms, and online marketplaces, and extending our global reach to
other countries. This planned expansion will increase the complexity of our business and places significant strain on our management,
personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources, and internal financial control and reporting functions.
Our
future success may depend, in part, upon our ability to manage our operations, facilities and production capacity. Past growth in our
operations has placed, and in the future may place, significant demands on our management, operations and financial infrastructure. If
we do not manage growth effectively, the quality of our products and fulfillment capabilities may suffer, which could adversely affect
our results of operations. If we are unable to satisfy our liquidity and capital resource requirements, we may have to scale back, postpone
or discontinue our growth strategies, which could result in slower growth, no growth or shrinking. We may run the risk of losing key suppliers,
we may not be able to timely satisfy customer orders, and we may not be able to retain our employees. In addition, we may be forced to
restructure our obligations to creditors or pursue work-out options.
Future
growth may depend on our ability to manage operating production facilities and Purple showrooms, which will require leases and other obligations.
To be successful, we will need to continue developing retail expertise. In general, operating new facilities and opening Purple showrooms
in new locations exposes us to laws in other states that may not be as employer friendly as those in which we currently operate, and may
expose us to new compliance risks, expenses and liabilities. If we are not able to successfully manage the process of expanding operations
geographically, opening new Purple showrooms and maintaining operations in an expanding number of facilities and Purple showrooms, we
may have to close facilities and incur sunk costs and continuing obligations that could put a strain upon our resources, damage our brand
and reputation and limit our growth.
To
manage growth effectively, we need to continue to implement operational, financial and management controls and reporting systems and procedures
and improve the systems and procedures that are currently in place. There is no assurance that we will be able to fulfill our staffing
requirements for our business, successfully train and assimilate new employees, maintain our management team and enhance our operating
and financial systems. Failure to achieve any of these goals will likely prevent us from managing our growth in an effective manner and
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, a softening of demand,
whether caused by changes in customer preferences or a weakening of the United States or global economies, may result and has resulted
in decreased revenue or growth. For example, we are experiencing weaker demand than in the past in part as a result of current inflationary
trends. Due to uncertainty in the weakening United States and global economies caused by inflation and other factors, we may not be able
to accurately forecast our anticipated results of operations. We base our expense levels and investment plans on sales estimates. A significant
portion of our expenses and investments is fixed, and we may not be able to adjust our spending quickly enough if our sales are less than
expected.
We
have identified the need for improved processes and procedures to avoid delays in the timely delivery of our mattress products and to
improve the customer’s experience. Also, in the past we have experienced rapid growth in our employee base, and the need to implement
processes and procedures for improving employee training and retention. Competition for employees where our production facilities are
located has also increased the costs for employee retention. We have implemented improved processes and procedures in an environment of
continuous change, but our use of resources may not be as effective as intended or we may need to apply more resources than expected to
continue to make changes to improve our employee retention and effectiveness and the quality of our products and services over time. If
we are unable to make continuous improvements, achieve greater efficiencies in our operating expenses and improve our products and services,
our business could be adversely affected.
25
We manufacture our mattresses using our proprietary and patented machinery
to make our Hyper-Elastic Polymer® cushioning material. Because these machines are proprietary and we do not yet have a long
history of their maintenance needs, we may not be able to sufficiently maintain them for operation at full capacity or at all when needed.
We have experienced unexpected maintenance issues following a shutdown of these machines that took longer to bring them up to full operating
capacity then what we expected. Also, because of the unique features of our machines, and due to continuing improvements to these machines,
new machines are not readily available and must be constructed, which takes time. If we are unable to construct new machines and integrate
them into our production process in a timely manner, if our existing machines are unable to function at the desired capacity or if we
are unable to develop replacements for our existing machines if such replacements should become necessary, our production capacity may
be constrained and our ability to respond to customer demand may be adversely affected. This could negatively impact our ability to grow
our business and our results of operations.
Disruption of operations
in our manufacturing facilities has and could increase our costs of doing business or lead to delays in shipping our products and could
materially adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to grow our business.
The
disruption of operations at our manufacturing facilities for a significant period of time, or even permanently, such as due to a closure
related to a pandemic, natural disasters, the termination or expiration of a lease or mechanical failures in our manufacturing equipment,
would likely increase our costs of doing business and lead to delays in manufacturing and shipping our products to customers and could
adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to grow our business. In addition, the occurrence of workplace injuries or
other industrial accidents at one or more of our manufacturing plants has required, and may require in the future, that we suspend production
or modify our operations, which could lead to delays in manufacturing and shipping our products to customers. Likewise, acts of workplace
violence may require us to temporarily suspend production or modify our operations. Such delays could adversely affect our customer satisfaction,
results of operations, and financial condition. Because two of our currently operating manufacturing plants are located within the same
geographic region, regional economic downturns, natural disasters, closures due to pandemics, the unavailability of utilities as a result
of climate events or otherwise, or other issues could potentially disrupt a significant portion of our manufacturing and other operating
activities, which could adversely affect our business. Our Utah facilities are near earthquake fault lines and our Georgia facility is
located in an area that may be subject to hurricanes; such natural disasters in these areas could disrupt manufacturing and other operating
activities, which could adversely affect our business.
Our manufacturing processes
involve the use of heavy machinery and equipment, which exposes us to potentially significant financial losses and reputational harm due
to workplace injuries or industrial accidents that may occur at our facilities.
Our
manufacturing processes involve the use of heavy machinery and equipment and are subject to risks involving workplace injuries, mechanical
failures and industrial accidents, including, among other things, personal injury or death resulting from such incidents at our manufacturing
plants. A workplace accident, mechanical failure, industrial accident or any similar problem involving any one or more of our facilities
has required, and may require in the future, that we suspend production at one or more of our manufacturing plants, which could lead to
delays in manufacturing and shipping our products and adversely affect our business and results of operations. For example, in 2021, we
experienced an incident involving our manufacturing equipment that resulted in the death of one of our employees. As a result, we evaluated
the safety of our manufacturing equipment and identified and implemented safety improvements. In addition, once safety improvements were
implemented and manufacturing resumed, we experienced unanticipated mechanical and maintenance issues
while ramping up to normal production, which resulted in shipment delays and adversely affected our results of operations and relationships
with customers. The occurrence of such incidents, or any perceived insufficiency in our response to any such deficiency or problem, could
also adversely and materially affect our reputation with customers, adversely affect our results of operations, and negatively impact
the market price of our Common Stock. If we are unable to meet workplace safety standards or, if our employees or customers perceive us
having a poor safety record, it could materially impact our ability to attract and retain new employees and our reputation with our customers
could suffer, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
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Safety
improvements adopted in response to accidents or other similar incidents may cause our production output to decrease and could adversely
affect our results of operations and our ability to grow our business. The occurrence of such incidents has resulted and could in the
future result in investigations by or the imposition of fines from regulatory authorities or require us to implement corrective actions
to address the causes of such incidents, which could require the expenditure of significant resources and could adversely affect our financial
condition and results of operations. Further, the occurrence of such incidents may result in litigation, including personal injury or
workers’ compensation claims, as well as securities litigation resulting from any related impact on the market price of our Common
Stock, which could also adversely affect our financial condition and reputation. While we maintain insurance coverage for certain types
of losses, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses that may arise.
Our future growth and
profitability may depend in part on our ability to continue to improve and expand our product line and to successfully execute new product
introductions.
The
mattress, pillow, bedding, bed base, cushion and related industries are highly competitive, and our ability to compete effectively and
to profitably grow our market share depends in part on our ability to continue to improve and expand our product line and related accessory
products.
We
incur significant research and development and other expenditures in the pursuit of improvements and additions to our product line. If
these efforts do not result in meaningful product improvements or new product introductions, or if we are not able to gain widespread
consumer acceptance of product improvements or new product introductions, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely
affected. In addition, if any significant product improvements or new product introductions are not successful, our reputation and brand
image may be adversely affected, and our business may be harmed.
A
significant portion of our gross profit comes from our mattress products. If we are unable to develop new models of our mattress products
or successfully market and sell new mattress models, such as the new mattress models announced in 2023, our results of operations could
be adversely affected, and our business will be harmed. For example, we have introduced several new mattress models, including luxury
mattress models, and have expanded our brand to include higher-priced mattresses. If we are not able to successfully market these new
models or compete in the luxury mattress market, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our
expansion into new products, market segments and geographic regions subjects us to additional business, legal, financial, and competitive
risks.
The
majority of our sales are made directly to consumers through our DTC channels. We have been expanding our business into the wholesale
distribution channel through relationships with our wholesale partners but there can be no assurance that we will continue to experience
success with our wholesale partners or that anticipated new locations will be successful.
We
may be unsuccessful in generating additional sales through wholesale channels. We may extend credit terms in connection with such relationships
and such relationships may expose us to the risk of unpaid or late-paid invoices. In addition, we may provide fixtures to such partners
that may be difficult to recover or re-use. Our wholesale customers may not purchase our products in the volume we expect.
Profitability,
if any, from sales to wholesale customers and new product offerings may be lower than from our DTC model and current products,
and we may not be successful enough in these newer activities to recoup our investments in them. If any of these issues were to arise,
they could damage our reputation, limit our growth, and adversely affect our results of operations.
We
may be unsuccessful in opening any Purple showrooms beyond those already opened in cities across the United States. Operating Purple showrooms
includes additional risks. For example, we will incur expenses and accept obligations related to additional leases, insurance, distribution
and delivery challenges, increased employee management, the method of compensating showroom employees, and new marketing challenges. If
we are not successful in our efforts to profitably operate these new stores, our reputation and brand could be damaged, growth could be
limited, and our business may be harmed.
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In
addition, offerings of new products through our e-commerce, wholesale distribution channel and Purple showrooms may present new and
difficult challenges, and we may be subject to claims if customers of these offerings experience service disruptions or failures or other
quality issues. Expansion of sales channels may require the development of additional, differentiated products to avoid price and distribution
conflicts between and within sales channels. Wholesale expansion increases our risk as our wholesale partners will require delaying payments
to us on net terms ranging from a few days to 60 or more days, or they may delay paying us beyond the agreed-upon net terms or fail to
pay. Our Purple showroom expansion increases our risk of inventory shrinkage from destruction, theft, obsolescence and other factors that
render such inventory unusable or unsellable.
New
products may come with unknown warranty and return risks. New product offerings or expansion into new market channels or geographic regions
may subject us to new or additional regulations, which would impose on us potentially significant compliance and distribution costs.
Our
future growth and results of operations depend upon the strength of our Purple brand and the effectiveness and efficiency of our marketing
programs and our ability to attract and retain customers.
We
are highly dependent on the effectiveness of our marketing messages and the efficiency of our advertising expenditures in generating consumer
awareness and sales of our products. We continue to evolve our marketing strategies by adjusting our messages, the amount we spend on
advertising, and where we spend it. We may not always be successful in developing effective messages and new marketing channels, as consumer
preferences and competition change, and in achieving efficiency in our advertising expenditures.
We
depend heavily on internet-based advertising to market our products through internet-based media and e-commerce platforms. If we are unable
to continue utilizing such platforms, if those media and platforms diminish in efficacy, importance or size, if consumer usage of the
platform decreases, or if we are unable to direct our advertising to our target consumer groups, our advertising efforts may be ineffective,
and our business could be adversely affected. The costs of advertising through these platforms have increased significantly, which has
resulted in decreased efficiency in the use of our advertising expenditures, and we expect these costs may continue to increase in the
future.
We
have relationships with traditional and digital media partners, online services, search engines, affiliate marketing websites, social
media influencers, directories and other website and e-commerce businesses to provide content, advertising and other links that
direct customers to our website. We rely on these relationships as significant sources of traffic to our website and to generate new customers.
If we are unable to develop or maintain these or new relationships for necessary marketing services on acceptable terms or if our reputation
suffers due to these relationships, our ability to attract new customers and our financial condition could suffer. In addition, current
or future relationships or agreements may fail to produce the sales that we anticipate. The cost of advertising for web-based platforms,
such as Facebook, are increasing. Increasing advertising costs erode the efficiency of our advertising efforts. If we are unable to effectively
manage our advertising costs or if our advertising efforts fail to produce the sales that we anticipate, our business could be adversely
affected.
Consumers
are increasingly using digital tools as a part of their shopping experience. As a result, our future growth and results of operations
will depend in part on (i) the effectiveness and efficiency of our online experience for North American audiences, including advertising
and search optimization programs in generating consumer awareness and sales of our products, (ii) our ability to prevent confusion
among consumers that can result from search engines that allow competitors to use or bid on our trademarks to direct consumers to competitors’
websites, (iii) our ability to prevent internet publication or television broadcast of false or misleading information regarding
our products or our competitors’ products, (iv) the nature and tone of consumer sentiment published on various social media
sites, and (v) the stability of our website. In recent years, a number of direct to consumer, internet-based retailers,
like us, have emerged and have driven up the cost of basic search terms, which has and may continue to increase the cost of our internet-based
marketing programs. More recently, the large traditional mattress manufacturers have been increasing their efforts to increase their DTC
sales which also is increasing the cost of our internet-based marketing programs and cost of customer conversion.
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The
number of third-party review websites is increasing and customers have many platforms on which they can review our products, and such
reviews are becoming increasingly influential with consumers. Negative reviews from such sources may receive widespread attention from
consumers, which could damage our reputation and brand value and adversely affect our results of operations. If we are unable to effectively
manage relationships with such reviewers to promote accurate reviews of our products, reviewers may decline to review our products or
may post reviews with misleading information, which could damage our reputation and make it more difficult for us to improve our brand
value.
If
our marketing messages are ineffective or our advertising expenditures, geographic price-points, and other marketing programs, including
digital programs, are inefficient in creating awareness and consideration of our products and brand name and in driving consumer traffic
to our website, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. In addition, if we are not effective in preventing
the publication of confusing, false or misleading information regarding our brand or our products, or if there arises significant negative
consumer sentiment on social media regarding our brand or our products, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely
affected.
Our
business could suffer if we are unsuccessful in making, integrating and maintaining commercial agreements, strategic alliances and other
business relationships.
To
successfully operate our business, we rely on commercial agreements and strategic relationships with suppliers, service providers and
certain wholesale partners and customers. As we grow, we may acquire other businesses to incorporate into our operations. These arrangements
can be complex and require substantial infrastructure capacity, personnel, and other resource commitments. Further, our business partners
may have disruptions in their businesses or choose to no longer do business with us and the impact of such disruption or choices could
be magnified to the extent such business partners represent a significant part of our business. Moreover, our business partners and their
owners may make strategic decisions that result in negative consequences for our business. For example, (i) one of our wholesale partners
may be sold to one of our competitors, which could disrupt our relationship with that wholesale partner or prevent us from continuing
to sell our products in favorable placements alongside the competitor’s products within the wholesale partner’s stores or
at all in the wholesale partner’s stores, and (ii) one of our competitors owns a manufacturing company with which we have a manufacturing
relationship, and that competitor could disrupt that relationship to harm our manufacturing efforts. We may not be able to implement,
maintain, or develop the components of these commercial relationships. Moreover, we may not be able to enter into additional commercial
relationships and strategic alliances on favorable terms or at all.
Our
wholesale relationships may from time to time be terminated by us or our partners, or the terms of such relationships may be amended or
modified. As a result of such terminations, we would lose sales previously generated through such relationships, which could have an adverse
effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Disputes with wholesale partners also may arise related to such relationships,
or any terminations of related agreements, which could cause us to incur expenses, delay our receipt of amounts owed to us, interfere
with our relationship with other retailers, subject us to liabilities and distract us from our strategic objectives. As our agreements
terminate or relationships unwind, we may be unable to renew or replace these agreements on comparable terms, or at all, and the loss
of sales from such relationships could harm our business. We may in the future enter into amendments on less favorable terms or encounter
parties that have difficulty meeting their contractual obligations to us, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
We
have entered into arrangements with wholesale partners through which we sell certain of our products in their retail stores and may seek
opportunities to increase the number of these partnerships in the future. Our relationships with our wholesale partners may not be profitable
to us or may impose additional costs that we would not otherwise incur under our DTC operations. Our wholesale partners may choose
not to continue doing business with us or may choose to reduce the amount of our products they order, which would result in a corresponding
loss of revenue. Our wholesale partners may experience their own business disruptions, including for example bankruptcy, that could affect
their ability to continue to do business with us. Our wholesale partners may engage in conduct that could breach the contractual rights
we owe other wholesale partners or interfere with their other legal rights. Our wholesale partners may compete against us in DTC or other
channels that are important to us and may erode our business in such channels. Further, maintaining these relationships may require the
commitment of significant amounts of time, financial resources and management attention, and may result in prohibitions on certain sales
channels through exclusivity requirements, which may adversely affect other aspects of our business.
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We
have opened and plan to continue to open a growing number of Purple showrooms in cities across the United States. Our business is expanding
into additional Purple showrooms which, like our online e-commerce retail store, may compete more directly with our wholesale
partners for customers. In our effort to make our products available to consumers in multiple retail channels, there is the risk that
sales may diminish in other channels, costs may be incurred without an increase in overall sales and our wholesale partners may no longer
carry our products. Managing an omni-channel distribution strategy, including the relationships with business partners in each channel,
may require significant amounts of time, resources and attention which may adversely affect other aspects of our business.
The
final assembly of some of our mattresses is executed by third-party partners and suppliers. If we are unable to maintain those relationships
or if such third parties are disrupted in their ability to perform such final assembly and we are unable to make alternative arrangements,
our ability to produce certain mattresses may be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial
condition.
Many
of our commercial relationships involve commercial partners extending terms of payment to us. If our financial performance fails to meet
the expectations of our commercial partners, our ability to obtain favorable terms with our commercial partners may suffer or we may not
be able to obtain credit terms at all.
A reduction in the availability
of credit to consumers generally or under our existing consumer credit programs or the availability of more favorable credit terms with
competitors could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We offer financing to consumers
through third-party consumer finance companies. During the year ended December 31, 2023, a significant percentage of our sales were
financed through third-party consumer finance companies. The amount of credit available to consumers may be adversely affected by macroeconomic
factors that affect the financial position of consumers as suppliers of credit adjust their lending criteria. Suppliers of credit may
also require us to pay more in order to maintain lending approval levels and related sales. In addition, changes in federal regulations
place additional restrictions on all consumer credit programs, including limiting the types of promotional credit offerings that may be
offered to consumers.
These third-party consumer
finance companies offer consumer financing options to our customers through agreements that may be terminated by us or the companies upon
30 days’ prior written notice. These consumer finance companies have discretion to control the content of financing offers to our
customers and to set minimum credit standards under which credit is extended to customers. These consumer finance companies may make more
favorable terms available to our competitors, or they may offer more favorable terms in channels other than the channels in which we focus
our efforts.
Reduction of credit availability
due to changing economic conditions, changes in regulatory requirements, or the termination of our agreements with third-party consumer
finance companies or the availability of more favorable credit terms offered by competitors could adversely affect our results of operations
and financial condition.
We attempt to maintain
desirable amounts of raw material inventory and finished products, which in the case of over or under supply could leave us vulnerable
to shortages or shrinkage of components and products that may harm our ability to profitably satisfy consumer demand and could adversely
affect our results of operations.
Although
we attempt to maintain only the necessary amounts of raw material inventory on hand, in some instances we have accumulated excess amounts
of raw materials and finished goods inventory. All such excess inventory is subject to shrinkage from destruction, theft, obsolescence,
and factors that render such inventory unusable or unsellable, and we have lost inventory for such reasons. Excessive inventory also takes
warehouse space that prevents efficient use for other activities. For example, in 2021 we experienced production delays, which resulted
in wholesale partners not ordering the volume we anticipated. Lower than expected order volume resulted in higher than anticipated levels
of inventory. While we take efforts to right-size all raw materials and finished goods inventory, if our efforts are not successful,
we could continue to experience excess amounts of some items of raw materials and finished goods and related shrinkage and inefficiencies
that could adversely affect our results of operations.
30
Alternatively,
if we do not maintain the necessary amounts of products and raw material inventory on hand, we would be vulnerable to shortages in supply
of products or components that may harm our ability to satisfy consumer demand and could adversely affect our results of operations. Lead
times for ordered components and products may vary significantly, especially as we source some of our materials and products from China
or other countries. Our business may be harmed by legal, regulatory, economic, political, health concerns, military conflict, and unforeseen
risks associated with international trade in those countries. The loss of suppliers could temporarily disrupt production of products.
Moreover, we may experience increased costs in sourcing Chinese materials as a result of the uncertain status of the United States-China
trade relationship and conflicts between China and Taiwan or may experience related disruption if we seek to replace Chinese suppliers
with suppliers in other countries. Any unexpected shortage of products or materials caused by any disruption of supply or an unexpected
increase in the demand for our products, could lead to delays in shipping our products to customers. Any such delays could adversely affect
our customer satisfaction, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely upon several key suppliers
that are, in some instances, the only source of supply currently used by us for particular products, materials, components or services.
We currently obtain all of the raw materials and components used to produce our mattresses, pillows and cushions from outside sources.
While we believe that these materials and components, or suitable replacements, could be obtained from other sources, in the event of
a disruption or loss of supply of relevant materials or components for any reason, we may not be able to find alternative sources of supply,
or if found, may not be found on comparable terms. A disruption in the supply or substantial increase in cost of any of these products
or services could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, a change in the financial condition
of some of our suppliers could impede their ability to provide products to us in a timely manner.
In addition, shipping and
freight delays have occurred and may again occur due to port closures, port congestion, shipping lane disruptions, and shipping container
and ship shortages. These events could result in manufacturing and shipping delays and constraints and limit the ability of our suppliers
to provide raw materials and other components in a timely manner, which could adversely affect our ability to acquire and maintain adequate
inventory and meet demand for our products. Shipping delays could also adversely affect our ability to deliver products to our customers
in a timely manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our success is highly
dependent on our ability to provide timely delivery on a cost-effective basis to our customers, and any disruption in our delivery capabilities
or our related planning and control processes could adversely affect our results of operations.
An important part of our success
is our ability to deliver our products to our customers in a timely manner. This requires successful planning, distribution infrastructure,
ordering, transportation, receipt processing, suppliers, meeting our distribution requirements, and our contractors meeting our delivery
requirements. Our ability to maintain success depends on the continued identification and implementation of improvements to our planning
processes, distribution infrastructure and supply chain. We also need to ensure that our distribution infrastructure and supply chain
keep pace with our anticipated growth and increased product output. The cost of these enhanced processes could be significant and any
failure to maintain, grow or improve them could adversely affect our results of operations.
We rely on common carriers
and freight forwarders to deliver our products to customers on a timely, convenient, and cost-effective basis. We also rely on the systems
of such carriers to provide us with accurate information about the status and delivery of our products. Any disruption to the business
of delivery carriers could cause our business to be adversely affected. Any significant delay in deliveries to our customers could lead
to increased cancellations and returns and cause us to lose sales. Any increase in freight charges could increase our costs of doing business
and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Lack of accurate information from such carriers could damage our
brand and our relationship with our customers. In some areas, we are testing Company-owned delivery services that have been successful
and efficient, and we intend to continue growing such services as demand and volume dictate. If our Company-owned delivery services do
not continue to deliver products in a timely or cost-effective manner, we may need to revert to third party carriers and our reputation
and business may be adversely affected.
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Our business could also be
adversely affected if there are delays in product shipments to us due to freight difficulties, supply chain disruptions or delays (including,
for example, from port closures, shipping lane disruptions, or shipping or labor shortages), delays in product shipments clearing United
States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) for reasons of non-compliance or otherwise, challenges with our suppliers
or contractors involving strikes or other difficulties at their principal transport providers or otherwise. The adverse effect on our
business could include increases in freight costs if we choose to use more air freight. Our business could also be adversely affected
if the business of our suppliers is disrupted because of infectious diseases or fear thereof such that quarantines, factory closures,
labor disturbances, and transportation delays result. Such delays and events could adversely affect our results of operations and reputation.
In addition, if we are unable
to deliver our products in a timely manner, our customers, both DTC and wholesale, may choose to limit future orders of our products,
or choose not to order products from us at all. We may also incur late charges for late deliveries to our wholesale customers. If, as
a result of production or shipment issues, demand for our products declines or does not increase, our business and results of operations
could be materially and adversely affected.
We depend on our executive
employees, and if we lose the services of members of the executive team, we may not be able to run our business effectively.
Our future success depends
in part on our ability to attract and retain key executive, merchandising, marketing, sales, finance, operations and engineering personnel.
If any of our executives cease to be employed by us, or if our growth or other changes in circumstances require executives with additional
skill sets, we would have to hire replacement or additional qualified personnel. Our ability to successfully attract and hire other experienced
and qualified executives cannot be assured and may be difficult because we face competition for these professionals from our competitors,
our suppliers and other companies operating in our industry and in our geographic locations. Recruiting qualified executives may be further
complicated by uncertainties resulting from the effective control of our Company by Coliseum or stockholder activism. Departures and any
delay in replacing executives could significantly disrupt our ability to grow and pursue our strategic plans. If we are unable to attract
and retain qualified executives and other employees, including through competitive compensation and other incentives, our business may
be adversely affected. For example, due to our recent results of operations and stock price, our short-term incentive plans, long-terms
incentive plans, and option grants may not be adequate to retain executives and other participating employees. Finding qualified replacements
is time-consuming, requires Company resources, and may disrupt our growth and achievement of strategic plans. We do not maintain key-person
insurance for members of our executive management team.
Regulatory and Litigation Risks
Regulatory requirements
may require costly expenditures and expose us to liability.
Our products and our marketing
and advertising programs are subject to regulation in the United States by various federal, state and local regulatory authorities, including
the Federal Trade Commission and the CBP. In addition, our operations are subject to federal, state and local consumer protection regulations
and other laws relating specifically to the sleep product industry. These rules and regulations may conflict and may change from time
to time, as a result of changes in the political environment or otherwise. There may be continuing costs of regulatory compliance including
continuous testing, additional quality control processes and appropriate auditing of design and process compliance.
In addition, we are subject
to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to pollution, environmental protection, recycling, and occupational health and
safety. We may not be in compliance with all such requirements at all times. We have been required in the past to make changes to our
facilities in order to comply with these requirements. We have made and will continue to make capital and other expenditures to comply
with environmental and health and safety requirements. If a release of harmful or hazardous substances occurs on or from our properties
or any associated offsite disposal location, or if contamination from prior activities is discovered at any of our properties, we may
be held liable, and the amount of such liability could be material. As a manufacturer of mattresses, pillows, cushions and related products,
we use and dispose of a number of substances, such as glue, oil, solvents and other petroleum products, as well as certain foam ingredients,
that may subject us to regulation under numerous foreign, federal and state laws and regulations governing the environment. We are also
subject to laws such as the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water
Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and related state and local
statutes and regulations.
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We are also subject to federal
laws and regulations relating to international shipments, customs, and import controls. We may not be always in compliance with all such
requirements. Non-compliance with such requirements may subject us to penalties or fines, which could have an adverse effect on our financial
condition and results of operations.
We are also subject to regulations
and laws specifically governing the internet, e-commerce, electronic devices, and other services. These regulations and laws
may cover taxation, privacy, data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, mobile communications, electronic device certification,
electronic waste, energy consumption, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, consumer protection, trade and protectionist
measures, web services, the provision of online payment services, information reporting requirements, unencumbered internet access to
our services or access to our facilities, the design and operation of websites and the characteristics and quality of products and services.
It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, libel and personal privacy apply to the internet, e-commerce, digital
content, and web services. Unfavorable regulations and laws could diminish the demand for, or availability of, our products and services
and increase our cost of doing business.
Claims have been made against
us for alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) related to accessibility to our website by the blind.
The law is unsettled as to which types of websites the ADA covers and what standards are applicable, but courts in certain jurisdictions
have recognized these types of ADA claims. While we attempt to comply with industry standards and are continuing to significantly enhance
our compliance efforts for making our website accessible to the blind, and regularly test our site for this purpose, we may be subject
to such claims. As a result, we may be required to expend resources in defense of these claims that could increase our cost of doing business.
We are also subject to various
health and environmental provisions such as California Proposition 65 (the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986). For
example, previously we received a claim that one of our products did not have the proper label required by Proposition 65 warning of exposures
to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. In that case, we resolved the claim by adding the required warning
label. While we make efforts to comply with Proposition 65, in the future we may be subject to such claims and be required to expend resources
defending these claims and complying with Proposition 65.
Climate change and legal
or regulatory responses could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The enactment of new laws
and regulations to address or limit the effects of climate change, or changes to existing laws and regulations, could mandate more restrictive
standards or require such changes on a more accelerated time frame. The consequences of climate change and the ensuing governmental regulations
could disrupt our operations or harm our ability to source necessary materials and components and manufacture our products, which could
adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.
The United States and certain
other countries have adopted international agreements such as the Paris Agreement on climate change that include commitments for companies
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The State of California has recently passed legislation requiring reporting on greenhouse emissions
and climate related financial risk by companies selling products into that state. In addition, the potential for federal and state actions
could increase costs associated with our manufacturing operations, including costs for raw materials, pollution control equipment and
transportation. Because it is uncertain what laws will be enacted or how they will be enforced, we cannot predict the potential impact
of such laws on our future financial condition or results of operations. If public perception of our compliance with laws and regulations
related to climate change is negative, it could adversely affect our business, reputation and stockholder perception. Adverse publicity
or climate-related litigation that impacts our Company could also have a negative impact on our business.
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Regulatory
requirements relating to the manufacture and disposal of mattresses may increase our product costs and increase the risk of disruption
to our business.
The United States Consumer
Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) and other jurisdictions have adopted rules relating to fire retardancy standards for the
mattress industry. Some states and the United States Congress continue to consider fire retardancy regulations that may be different from
or more stringent than the current standard. In addition, these regulations require manufacturers to implement quality assurance programs
and encourage manufacturers to conduct random testing of products. These regulations also require maintenance and retention of compliance
documentation. These quality assurance and documentation requirements are costly to implement and maintain. If any product testing, other
evidence, or regulatory inspections yield results indicating that any of our products may not meet the flammability standards, we may
be required to temporarily cease production and distribution or to recall products from the field, and we may be subject to fines or penalties,
any of which outcomes could harm our results of operations and financial condition.
The CPSC adopted flammability
standards and related regulations for mattresses and mattress and foundation sets. Compliance with these requirements has resulted in
higher materials and manufacturing costs for our products and has required modifications to our information systems and business operations,
further increasing our costs and negatively impacting our capacity. Some states and the United States Congress continue to consider fire
retardancy regulations that may be different from or more stringent than the CPSC standard.
New legislation aimed at improving
the fire retardancy of mattresses, regulating the handling of mattresses in connection with preventing or controlling the spread of bed
bugs could be passed, or requiring the collection or recycling of discarded mattresses, could result in product recalls or in a significant
increase in the cost of operating our business. In addition, failure to comply with these various regulations may result in penalties,
the inability to conduct business as previously conducted or at all, or adverse publicity, among other things. Adoption of multi-layered
regulatory regimes, particularly if they conflict with each other, could increase our costs, alter our manufacturing processes and impair
the performance of our products which may have an adverse effect on our business.
We could be subject
to additional sales tax or other indirect tax liabilities.
The application of indirect
taxes (such as sales and use tax, value-added tax (“VAT”), goods and services tax, business tax and gross receipt tax) to
applicable e-commerce businesses and to our users is a complex and evolving issue and we may be unable to timely or accurately
determine our obligations with respect to such indirect taxes, if any, in various jurisdictions. Many of the fundamental statutes and
regulations that impose these taxes were established before the adoption and growth of the internet and e-commerce.
An increasing number of states
and foreign jurisdictions have considered or adopted laws or administrative practices, with or without notice, that impose additional
obligations on remote sellers and online marketplaces to collect transaction taxes such as sales, consumption, value added, or similar
taxes. Failure to comply with such laws or administrative practices or a successful assertion by such states or foreign jurisdictions
requiring us to collect taxes where we did not, could result in substantial tax liabilities for past sales, as well as penalties and interest.
We are subject to sales tax
or other indirect tax obligations as imposed by the various states in the United States. If the tax authorities in these jurisdictions
were to challenge our filings or request an audit, our tax liability may increase. We are currently undergoing routine audits in a few
states.
We may be subject to laws,
regulations, and administrative practices that require us to collect information from our customers, vendors, merchants, and other third
parties for tax reporting purposes and report such information to various government agencies. The scope of such requirements continues
to expand, requiring us to develop and implement new compliance systems. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result
in significant penalties.
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The United States Supreme
Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. reversed a longstanding precedent that remote sellers are not required to collect
state and local sales taxes. We cannot predict the effect of these and other attempts to impose sales, income or other taxes on e-commerce.
We currently collect and report on sales tax in all states in which we do business. However, the application of existing, new or revised
taxes on our business, in particular, sales taxes, VAT and similar taxes would likely increase the cost of doing business online and decrease
the attractiveness of selling products over the internet. The application of these taxes on our business could also create significant
increases in internal costs necessary to capture data and collect and remit taxes. There have been, and will continue to be, substantial
ongoing costs associated with complying with the various indirect tax requirements in the numerous markets in which we conduct or will
conduct business.
We could be subject
to additional income tax liabilities.
We are subject to federal
and state income taxes in the United States tax laws, regulations, and administrative practices in the United States and in various state
and local jurisdictions are subject to significant change or increase, and significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating
our provision and accruals for taxes. In addition, some states and cities require additional taxes or fees for the right to sell mattresses
in their jurisdiction. While we have established reserves based on assumptions and estimates that we believe are reasonable to cover such
taxes and fees, these reserves may prove to be insufficient.
Our determination of our tax
liability is always subject to audit and review by applicable tax authorities. Any adverse outcome of any such audit or review could harm
our business, and the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may could adversely affect
our results of operations in the period or periods for which such determination is made. Regardless of the outcome, responding to any
such audit or review could cause us to incur significant costs and could divert resources away from our operations.
There are many transactions
that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax liability is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be
affected by earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in
jurisdictions where we have higher statutory rates, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not able to realize the related
tax benefit, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, entry into new businesses and geographies and changes to our existing businesses,
acquisitions (including integrations) and investments, changes in the price of our securities, changes in our deferred tax assets and
liabilities and their valuation, and changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles
and interpretations.
A number of states have attempted
to increase corporate tax revenues by taking an expansive view of corporate presence to attempt to impose corporate income taxes and other
direct business taxes on companies that have no physical presence in their state, and taxing authorities in other jurisdictions may take
similar actions. Many states are also altering their apportionment formulas to increase the amount of taxable income or loss attributable
to their state from certain out-of-state businesses. Further, we are required to pay sales and other taxes and fees to states
where our products are warehoused before shipping or where Purple showrooms are located presently or in the future. If more taxing authorities
are successful in applying direct taxes to internet companies that do not have a physical presence in their respective jurisdictions,
this could increase our effective tax rate.
Pending or unforeseen
litigation and the potential for adverse publicity associated with litigation could adversely affect our business, reputation, results
of operations or financial condition.
We may be involved from time
to time in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of its business, including commercial, product liability, employment
and intellectual property claims. Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and it is possible that the ultimate outcome of one or more
claims asserted in the future that we are currently not aware of, or adverse publicity resulting from any such litigation, could adversely
affect our business, reputation, results of operations or financial condition.
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Risks Relating to our Intellectual Property and Use of Technology
We may not be able
to protect our product designs, brand and other proprietary rights adequately, which could adversely affect our competitive position
and reduce the value of our products and brands, and may result in costly litigation to protect our intellectual property rights.
We attempt to strengthen and
differentiate our product portfolio by developing new and innovative brands, product designs and functionality and materials for use in
our products. We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technology, and similar
intellectual property as critical to our success. We rely on intellectual property laws and trade secret protection to protect our proprietary
rights. We also rely on contractual provisions such as confidentiality agreements, non-competition agreements and license agreements with
our vendors, contractors, employees, customers, competitors and others to protect our proprietary rights. If we are unable to enforce
these contractual provisions for any reason, including the FTC’s currently proposed ban on non-competition provisions, we may not
be able to protect our proprietary rights adequately, which could result in a negative impact on our operations.
We own various United States
and foreign patents and patent applications related to certain elements of the design and function of our products including mattresses,
pillows, cushions and related products, as well as related to proprietary formulas and related technology for certain materials used in
the manufacturing of our products. We own numerous registered and unregistered trademarks and trademark applications, as well as other
intellectual property rights, including trade secrets, trade dress and copyrights, which we believe have significant value and are important
to the marketing of our products. Our success will depend in part on our ability to protect our products, methods, processes and other
technologies, to preserve our trade secrets, and to operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties.
Despite our efforts, we may not be able to adequately protect or enforce
our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. We have seen an increase in the number of counterfeit goods and products that
infringe on our patents, trademarks and trade dress. We have increased our proactive policing of these counterfeit goods which has led
to an increased cost of intellectual property enforcement, including the intellectual property action filed with the International Trade
Commission that lead to a general exclusion order against a large number of foreign entities that were importing infringing products.
Additionally, we have seen an increase in competitive products that infringe our intellectual property. We anticipate our expenditures
of financial and managerial resources in these and other potential litigations could be significant, depending on how they progress. These
types of litigations could extend for months or years. There is no guarantee that any litigation will result in an outcome favorable to
us, and even if we obtain favorable judgments, the prevalence of infringement or counterfeit goods could continue to cause harm to the
business and diminish the value of our intellectual property.
Effective protection or enforcement
of intellectual property rights may be unavailable or limited in the jurisdictions in which we do business. We also may be unable to acquire
or maintain appropriate trademarks and domain names in all jurisdictions in which we do business. Furthermore, regulations governing domain
names may not protect our trademarks and similar proprietary rights. We may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names
that are similar to, infringe upon, or diminish the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights. Third parties that license our
proprietary rights also may take actions that diminish the value of our proprietary rights or reputation. We also cannot be certain that
others will not independently develop or otherwise acquire equivalent or superior technology or other intellectual property rights. If
we are unable to protect our proprietary rights adequately, it would have a negative impact on our operations.
We, or the owners of
any intellectual property rights licensed to us, may be subject to claims that we or such licensors have infringed the proprietary rights
of others, which could require us and our licensors to obtain a license or change designs.
As we continue to increase
our innovations and create new products and technologies, and as we enter new product categories, we may be limited by the intellectual
property rights of others. We attempt to respect the intellectual property rights of others; however, our ability to innovate and increase
our product footprint may be limited by the intellectual property rights of other parties.
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We have been subject to, and
expect to continue to be subject to, claims and legal proceedings regarding alleged infringement by us of the intellectual property rights
of third parties. Although we do not believe any of our products infringe upon the proprietary rights of others, there is no assurance
that infringement or invalidity claims (or claims for indemnification resulting from infringement claims) will not be asserted or pursued
against us or those from whom we have licenses or that any such assertions or prosecutions will not have an adverse effect on our business.
Regardless of whether any such claims are valid or can be asserted successfully, defending against such claims could cause us to incur
costs and could divert resources away from our other activities. In addition, assertion of infringement claims could result in injunctions
that prevent us from distributing our products. If any claims or actions are asserted against us or those from whom we have licenses,
we may seek to obtain a license to the intellectual property rights that are in dispute. Such a license may not be available on reasonable
terms, or at all, which could force us to change our designs.
Purple LLC has licensed
certain intellectual property to EdiZONE, LLC (“EdiZONE”), for the purpose of enabling EdiZONE to meet its contractual obligations
to licensees of EdiZONE under contracts entered into years before the Business Combination. Some of those licensees are competitors of
Purple LLC and have exclusivity rights that Purple LLC is required to observe.
Prior to the Business Combination,
we entered into an Amended and Restated Confidential Assignment and License Back Agreement with EdiZONE, an entity beneficially owned
and controlled our founders, pursuant to which EdiZONE transferred tangible and intellectual property to us and we licensed back to EdiZONE
certain intellectual property previously licensed by EdiZONE to third parties prior to the Business Combination in order to enable EdiZONE
to continue to meet certain pre-existing license obligations to those third parties. EdiZONE has agreed to not modify or extend
these third-party licenses and to not enter new third-party licenses. As these third-party license obligations end, all rights under the
license revert to us.
Among EdiZONE’s previously
entered into licenses of comfort-related intellectual property, as described above, one license includes exclusivity rights that may prohibit
us from selling our existing mattresses or potentially new mattress products in the European Union. That risk may be addressed by redesigning
the configuration of the Hyper-Elastic Polymer material in that geographic region by either using existing technologies already assigned
by EdiZONE to Purple LLC or developing new technologies. Alternatively, that risk may not exist at all to the extent Purple LLC’s
current mattress products are the subject of expired patent rights licensed by that licensee or because Purple LLC is not the licensor.
However, there can be no assurance that our future sales in the European Union, if any, will not be challenged by EdiZONE’s licensee
as a violation of the license agreement, or that any redesigned mattresses created by us will be successful in that market when we may
enter it. If Purple LLC’s activities are challenged by a licensee, Purple LLC has an indemnification obligation to EdiZONE.
Purple LLC has obtained, with
the cooperation of EdiZONE, the right at its expense to enforce its intellectual property rights against any of these licensees in the
event they violate their licenses with EdiZONE or infringe on intellectual property owned by Purple LLC, provided that Purple LLC will
indemnify EdiZONE and fund the expense of such enforcement. In the event such enforcement is deemed necessary by Purple LLC, Purple LLC
may not be successful in any such efforts to enforce its intellectual property and other rights and this could adversely affect our business.
While the current license
back to EdiZONE, as amended following the Business Combination, is much narrower than the license that existed at the time of the Business
Combination, EdiZONE’s third-party licenses may lead to conflicts between us and EdiZONE. If conflicts do arise and are not properly
addressed, disputes may occur which may be detrimental to us.
If we cannot keep pace
with rapid technological developments to provide new and innovative programs, products and services, the use of our products and our results
of operations could be adversely affected.
Rapid, significant technological
changes continue to confront the industries in which we operate. We cannot predict the effect of technological changes on our business.
We expect that new services and technologies applicable to our industries will continue to emerge. These new services and technologies
may be superior to, or render obsolete, the technologies we currently use in our products and services. Incorporating new technologies
into our products and services may require substantial expenditures and take considerable time, and ultimately may not be successful.
In addition, our ability to adopt new services and develop new technologies may be inhibited by industry-wide standards, new laws and
regulations, resistance to change from clients or merchants, or third parties’ intellectual property rights. Our success will depend
on our ability to develop new technologies and adapt to technological changes and evolving industry standards.
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Our business and our
reputation could be adversely affected by the failure to protect sensitive employee, customer and consumer data, or to comply with evolving
regulations relating to our obligation to protect such data.
In the ordinary course of
our business, we collect and store certain personal information from individuals, such as our customers and suppliers, and we process
customer payment card and check information for purchases via our website. In addition, we may share with third-parties personal information
we have collected. Cyberattacks designed to gain access to sensitive information by breaching security systems of large organizations
leading to unauthorized release of confidential information have occurred at a number of major United States companies despite widespread
recognition of the cyber-attack threat and improved data protection methods. Computer hackers may attempt to penetrate our computer system
or the systems of third parties with which we have shared personal information and, if successful, misappropriate personal information,
payment card or check information or confidential Company business information. In addition, a Company employee, contractor or other third
party with whom we do business may attempt to circumvent our security measures in order to obtain such information and may purposefully
or inadvertently cause a breach involving such information. For example, although it did not involve access to or release of any personal
information, we recently experienced an unauthorized intrusion into one of our vendor’s systems using a former contractor’s
credentials that resulted in access to email addresses and an unauthorized email being sent under a valid Purple email address.
Breaches involving any personal information could be more likely to the extent we have any material weakness in internal control over
financial reporting related to information technology general controls in the areas of user access and segregation of duties related to
certain information technology systems that support our financial reporting processes.
We and third parties with
which we have shared personal information have been subject to attempts to breach the security of networks, information technology infrastructure,
and controls through cyberattack, malware, computer viruses, social engineering attacks, ransomware attacks, and other means of unauthorized
access. For example, in 2022, we experienced a spear-phishing attack that resulted in the unauthorized change to a significant vendor’s
bank account to which we made payments that were lost in part until the scheme was discovered. This attack resulted in costs to us of
approximately $140,000. We anticipate that we may, in the future, continue to be subject to these and similar cyber threats. A breach
of systems resulting in the unauthorized release of sensitive data could also adversely affect our reputation and lead to financial losses
from remedial actions or potential liability, possibly including punitive damages, and could also materially increase the costs we already
incur to protect against these risks. In addition, cyberattacks, such as ransomware attacks, if successful, could interfere with our ability
to access and use systems and records that are necessary to operate our business. Such attacks could adversely affect our reputation,
relationships with customers, and results of operations and could require us to expend significant resources to resolve such issues. We
continue to balance the additional risk with the cost to protect us against a cyber breach. Additionally, while losses arising from a
cyber breach may be covered in part by insurance that we carry, such coverage may not be adequate for liabilities or losses actually incurred.
We
may be subject to data privacy and data breach laws in the states in which we do business, and as we expand into other countries, we may
be subject to additional data privacy laws and regulations. In many states, state data privacy laws (such as the California Consumer Privacy
Act), including application and interpretation, are rapidly evolving. The rapidly evolving nature of state and federal privacy laws, including
potential inconsistencies between such laws and uncertainty as to their application, adds additional compliance costs and increases our
risk of non-compliance. There are new SEC rules requiring disclosure of both material cybersecurity events and our process for handling
cybersecurity matters, and we are evaluating our processes to ensure compliance with these new rules. While we attempt to comply with
such laws, we may not be in compliance at all times in all respects. Failure to comply with such laws may subject us to fines, administrative
actions, and reputational harm.
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Risks Relating to our Common Stock
The market price of
our Common Stock is volatile and may decline regardless of our results of operations, and you may not be able to resell your shares at
or above your purchase price.
The market price of our Common
Stock has historically experienced high levels of volatility. If you purchase shares of our Common Stock, you may not be able to resell
those shares at or above your purchase price. The market price of our Common Stock has fluctuated and may fluctuate significantly in response
to numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be related to our results of operations, including but not limited
to:
●
announcements of new offerings, products, services or technologies, commercial relationships, acquisitions, or other events by us or our competitors;
●
price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market;
●
significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of companies in our industry;
●
fluctuations in the trading volume of our shares or the size of our public float;
●
actual or anticipated changes or fluctuations in our results of operations;
●
whether our results of operations meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors;
●
actual or anticipated changes in the expectations of investors or securities analysts;
●
litigation involving us, our industry, or both;
●
regulatory developments in the United States, foreign countries, or both;
●
general or industry economic conditions and trends;
●
terrorist attacks, political upheaval, natural disasters, public health crises, or other major catastrophic events;
●
sales of large blocks of our Common Stock, including SEC filings related to such potential sales;
●
departures of key employees;
●
an adverse impact on us from any of the other risks cited herein; or
●
unsolicited takeover bids and proposals.
In addition, if the stock
market for companies in our industry or related industries, or the stock market generally, experiences a loss of investor confidence,
the trading price of our Common Stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the results of operations of those companies.
The trading price of our Common Stock might also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry even if these
events do not directly affect us. In the past, stockholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market
volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the
attention of management from our core business, and adversely affect our Common Stock.
39
Anti-takeover provisions
in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Third Amended and Restated Bylaws as well as provisions of Delaware
law, contain anti-takeover provisions, any of which could delay or discourage a merger, tender offer, or assumption of control of our
Company not approved by our Board of Directors that some stockholders may consider favorable.
Provisions
of Delaware law, our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and our Third Amended and Restated Bylaws could hamper
a third party’s acquisition of us or discourage a third party from attempting to acquire control of us. You may not have the opportunity
to participate in these transactions. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future
for Common Stock. These provisions include:
●
the right of our Board to elect a director to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of our Board or the resignation, death or removal of a director in certain circumstances, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on our Board;
●
a prohibition on stockholder action by written consent, which forces stockholder action to be taken at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders;
●
a prohibition on stockholders calling a special meeting and the requirement that a meeting of stockholders may only be called by members of our Board, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors;
●
the requirement that changes or amendments to certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws must be approved by holders of at least two-thirds of our common stock; and
●
advance notice procedures that stockholders must comply with in order to nominate candidates to our Board or to propose matters to be acted upon at a meeting of stockholders, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
In December 2022, we amended
our bylaws to add requirements relating to stockholder nominations of directors, including a requirement that stockholder nominees complete
a written questionnaire and that stockholder nominees make themselves available for interviews by our Board upon request.
In addition, we are subject
to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may prohibit certain transactions with stockholders owning
15% or more of our outstanding voting stock or require us to obtain stockholder approval prior to engaging in such transactions. As reported
by Coliseum in its Schedule 13D/A filed on January 23, 2024, Coliseum beneficially owns 58.5 million shares of Common Stock (which includes
46.9 million shares of Common Stock currently owned and 11.6 million shares of Common Stock that could be acquired upon exercise of its
Warrants). Coliseum also beneficially owns $1.8 million additional Warrants that cannot be exercised if doing so would cause Coliseum
to exceed the Beneficial Ownership Cap. At any time during which the Warrants are exercisable, Coliseum may not exercise any Warrants
that would result in Coliseum exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Cap. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes
in our Board could adversely affect our ability to execute transactions that are needed to carry out our operations and growth strategies
and cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline.
Significant payment
obligations under our Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon a change of control of our Company, thereby discouraging a potential
acquisition of our Company and adversely affecting any potential control premium payable for shares of our Common Stock.
In connection with the Business
Combination, on February 22, 2018 we entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement with our founders (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”),
which generally provides for our payment to our former founders of 80% of certain tax benefits that we realize as a result of certain
increases in our asset tax basis and of certain other tax benefits. If we experience a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable
Agreement, which includes certain mergers, asset sales and other forms of business combinations and change of control events), we could
be required to make an immediate lump-sum payment to our former founders under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement (as defined herein).
We currently estimate the liability associated with this lump-sum payment as of December 31, 2023 to be approximately $119.8 million on
a discounted basis.
The acceleration of such a
material lump-sum payment obligation under our Tax Receivable Agreement could materially adversely affect a third party’s acquisition
of us, discourage a third party from attempting to acquire control of us or materially adversely affect the price payable for shares of
our Common Stock pursuant to such a transaction. As a result, you may not have the opportunity to participate in, or realize a potential
control premium for your shares pursuant to, such a change of control transaction. These obligations could also limit the price that investors
might be willing to pay in the future for our Common Stock.
40
Provisions
in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation could make it very difficult for an investor to bring any legal actions
against us and our directors or officers and may limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum.
Our Second Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, our directors shall not be personally liable
for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties. Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our third Amended
and Restated Bylaws also requires us to indemnify our directors and officers from and against any and all costs, charges and expenses
resulting from their acting in such capacities with us. Additionally, we sign indemnification agreements with our directors and officers
that provide them with similar indemnification rights. This means that if anyone was able to enforce an action against our directors or
officers, we would likely be required to pay any expenses they incurred in defending the lawsuit and any judgment or settlement they otherwise
would be required to pay. Accordingly, our indemnification obligations could divert needed financial resources and may adversely affect
our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Additionally, our Second Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive
forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable
judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents. It also provides that, unless we consent to the selection
of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action
or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim for or based on a breach of duty or obligation owed by any current
or former director, officer or employee of ours to us or to our stockholders, including any claim alleging the aiding and abetting of
such a breach; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any current or former director, officer or employee of ours arising pursuant
to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or our Third
Amended and Restated Bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim related to or involving us that is governed by the internal affairs
doctrine. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)
or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal
law claims the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by
the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal
and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. This
choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the stockholder finds favorable
for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers
or employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Certificate of Incorporation to be
inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations.
Future sales of our
Common Stock in the public market may depress our share price.
Sales of a substantial number
of shares of our Common Stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of
our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities or other securities convertible
into or exchangeable for equity securities, regardless of whether there is any relationship between such sales and the performance of
our business. In connection with the issuance of Warrants pursuant to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, On January 23, 2024,
the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with
CCP, Blackwell, Coliseum Capital Co-Invest III, L.P., Harvest Master, Harvest Partners, and HSCP (the “Holders”), providing
for the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants. The Registration
Rights Agreement provided that on or prior to February 22, 2024, the Company was required to prepare and file with the SEC pursuant to
Rule 415 of the Securities Act a registration statement to register the resale of the shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants
and our Common Stock held by the Holders of such date (the “Registrable Securities”). The Company received an extension from
the Holders to file the registration statement on or prior to March 22, 2024. The market price of our Common Stock could decline as a
result of sales in the market by a few large stockholders, such as Coliseum or the Holders, or the perception that these sales could occur,
including as a result of the Registration Statement discussed above. These sales might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity
securities at a time and price that we deem appropriate.
41
Our stockholders may
experience substantial dilution in the value of their investment or may otherwise have their interests impaired if we issue additional
shares of our capital stock, including as a result of the exercise of the Warrants.
Our Second Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation allows us to issue up to 300 million shares of our Common Stock, including 210 million shares of
Common Stock and 90 million shares of Class B Stock, and up to five million shares of undesignated preferred stock. For example, in February
2023 we issued 13,400,000 shares of Common Stock pursuant to an underwritten public offering. To raise additional capital, we may in the
future sell additional shares of our Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Common Stock at prices
that are lower than the prices paid by existing stockholders, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could
have rights superior to existing stockholders, which could result in substantial dilution to the interests of existing stockholders. For
example, on January 23, 2024, we issued to the Lenders under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement Warrants to purchase 20,000,000
of our Common Stock (approximately 19% of our currently outstanding Common Stock) at a price of $1.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments.
The Warrants will expire on the 10-year anniversary of issuance or earlier upon redemption. The exercise of the Warrants will dilute the
value of the Common Stock and stockholder voting power.
Pursuant to our Second Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Board may authorize the issuance of up to five million shares of preferred stock at any
time and from time to time, with such terms and preferences as the Board determines and without any stockholder approval other than as
may be required by NASDAQ rules. The issuance of such shares of preferred stock could dilute the interest of, or impair the voting power
of, our common stockholders. The issuance of such preferred stock could also be used as a method of discouraging, delaying, or preventing
a change of control.
Our only significant
asset is our ownership of Purple LLC and such ownership may not be sufficient to enable us to satisfy our financial obligations.
We are a holding company and
do not directly own any operating assets other than our ownership of interests in Purple LLC. We depend on Purple LLC for distributions,
loans and other payments to generate the funds necessary to meet our financial obligations, including our expenses as a publicly traded
company. The earnings from, or other available assets of, Purple LLC may not be sufficient to allow us to pay our financial obligations.
We do not anticipate
paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We intend to retain future
earnings, if any, for use in the business or for other corporate purposes and do not anticipate that cash dividends with respect to our
Common Stock will be paid in the foreseeable future. Any decision as to the future payment of dividends will depend on our results of
operations, financial position and such other factors as our Board, in its discretion, deems relevant. Moreover, our covenants in our
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement do not allow us to pay dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Common Stock
will be a stockholder’s sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
42
We
may issue debt and equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities, any of which may be senior to our Common Stock
as to distributions and in liquidation, which could negatively affect the value of our Common Stock.
In
the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by entering into additional debt or debt-like financing that is unsecured
or secured by up to all of our assets, or by issuing additional debt or equity securities, which could include issuances of secured or
unsecured notes, preferred stock, hybrid securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities. For
example, on January 23, 2024, we issued to the Lenders under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement warrants to purchase up to 20,000,000
shares of our Common Stock at a price of $1.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments.
In the event of our liquidation, our lenders and holders of our debt would receive distributions of our available assets before
distributions to holders of our Common Stock, and holders of securities senior to the Common Stock would receive distributions of our
available assets before distributions to the holders of our Common Stock. Because our decision to incur debt and issue securities in
future offerings may be influenced by market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount,
timing or nature of our future offerings or debt financings. Further, market conditions could require us to accept less favorable terms
for the issuance of our securities in the future.
NASDAQ may delist
our securities from its exchange, which could harm our business and limit our stockholders ’ liquidity.
Our Common Stock is currently
listed on NASDAQ, which has qualitative and quantitative listing criteria. However, we cannot assure that our Common Stock will continue
to be listed on NASDAQ in the future. In order to continue listing our Common Stock on NASDAQ, we must maintain certain financial, distribution
and stock price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum amount in stockholders’ equity, a minimum number of holders of our
Common Stock, and a $1.00 minimum per share bid price for our Common Stock. If we fail to maintain a $1.00 minimum per share bid price
for a period of 30 consecutive business days, we have 180 calendar days to maintain our Common Stock at a $1.00 minimum per share bid
price for 10 consecutive trading days. If we do not regain compliance within 180 calendar days, NASDAQ may grant a second compliance period
of 180 calendar days or it may make a determination to delist our Common Stock, at which point we would have an opportunity to appeal
the delisting determination to a hearings panel.
If
we are unable to comply with the continued listing requirements, our Common Stock may be subject to delisting. If NASDAQ delists our Common
Stock from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities
could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
●
a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
●
reduced liquidity for our securities;
●
a determination that our Common Stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Common Stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
●
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
●
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
We
have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting which has not been remediated as of December 31,
2023. I f we fail to effectively remediate our material weakness or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system
of internal controls, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately, may make a material misstatement in our financial
statements, may experience a financial loss or may face litigation. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately
and timely could adversely affect the value of our Common Stock.
As a public company,
we are required to establish and maintain internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures and to comply
with other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules promulgated by the SEC. Even when such controls are implemented, management,
including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, cannot guarantee that our internal controls and disclosure controls
and procedures will prevent all possible errors or losses. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no system of controls
can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company or perpetrated against us will
be prevented or have been detected. These inherent limitations include the possibility that judgments in decision-making can be faulty
and subject to simple error or mistake. Furthermore, controls can be circumvented by individual acts of some persons, by collusion of
two or more persons, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions
about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under
all potential future conditions. Over time, measures of control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, new fraudulent
schemes, or the deterioration of compliance with policies or procedures. Because of inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system,
misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and/or may not be detected.
43
The accuracy of our
financial reporting depends on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting
can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements and may not prevent
or detect misstatements. Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, or lapses in disclosure controls and
procedures, could undermine the ability to provide accurate disclosure (including with respect to financial information) on a timely basis,
which could cause investors to lose confidence in our disclosures (including with respect to financial information), require significant
resources to remediate the lapse or deficiency, and expose us to legal or regulatory proceedings.
In the course of preparing
our financial statements as of September 30, 2023, we identified certain errors in our accounting for warranty reserves, relating specifically
to our warranty reserves under wholesale contracts. As part of such process, we identified a material weakness in our internal control
over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting did not result in the proper accounting of warranty reserves relating
to our long-term warranty obligations, which due to its cumulative impact on our consolidated financial statements as of September 30,
2023, we determined to be a material weakness. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting continues
to be not effective as of December 31, 2023.
We
continue to evaluate, design and work through the process of implementing controls and procedures under a remediation plan designed to
address this material weakness, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to remediate this material weakness in a timely manner
or at all. If our remediation measures are insufficient to address the material weaknesses, or if additional material weaknesses or significant
deficiencies in our internal control are discovered or occur in the future, our financial statements may contain material misstatements
and we could be required to restate our financial results, which could lead to substantial additional costs for accounting and legal fees
and stockholder litigation.
We cannot guarantee
that we will not experience additional material weaknesses in our internal control in the future. If additional material weaknesses or
significant deficiencies in our internal control are discovered or occur in the future, our financial statements may contain material
misstatements and we could be required to restate our financial results, which could lead to substantial additional costs for accounting
and legal fees and stockholder litigation.
Any failure to maintain such
internal control could adversely affect our ability to report our financial position and results from operations on a timely and accurate
basis. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations. Likewise, if our
financial statements are not filed on a timely basis, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by NASDAQ, the SEC or other regulatory
authorities. In either case, this could result in a material adverse effect on our business. Failure to timely file will cause us to be
ineligible to utilize short form registration statements on Form S-3, which may impair our ability to obtain capital in a timely fashion
to execute our business strategies or issue shares to effect an acquisition. Ineffective internal control could also cause investors to
lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our Common Stock.
44
Tax Risks Relating
to our Structure
Obligations under the
Tax Receivable Agreement could materially adversely affect our cash flows in the future if we become profitable and begin paying income
taxes.
In connection with the Business
Combination, we entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement with our founders, which generally provides for our payment to our former founders
of 80% of certain tax benefits that we realize as a result of certain increases in our asset tax basis and of certain other tax benefits.
As of December 31, 2023, our preliminary estimate of our liability under the Tax Receivable Agreement was approximately $168.6 million.
To the extent we realize tax benefits in future years, or in the event of a change in future tax rates, or if payments under the Tax Receivable
Agreement are required to be accelerated, this liability may increase. However, because we have not been profitable or paid income taxes
recently, as of December 31, 2023, we determined the likelihood of a future Tax Receivable Agreement liability was not probable and therefore
no liability has been recorded.
If we become profitable and
begin to pay income taxes and thus realize tax savings resulting from the tax benefits covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement, we will
begin to owe payable obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement. As a result, such payment obligations could materially adversely
affect our cash flow if we become profitable.
Under certain circumstances,
payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated or significantly exceed the actual benefits we realize.
The Tax Receivable Agreement
provides that, in the event that we exercise our right to early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, or in the event of a change
of control of our Company or we are more than 90 days late in making of a payment due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, the Tax Receivable
Agreement will terminate, and we will be required to make a lump-sum payment to our former founders equal to the present value
of all forecasted future payments that would have otherwise been made under the Tax Receivable Agreement. As of December 31, 2023 we estimate
the potential lump-sum payment to be approximately $119.8 million In these situations, our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement
could have a substantial negative impact on our liquidity and could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers,
asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control due to the additional transaction cost a potential acquirer
may attribute to satisfying such obligations. Such provisions that prohibit or adversely affect a change of control will limit your ability
to influence corporate matters and could adversely affect the price payable to you for your Common Stock in such a transaction. In addition,
we may need to incur additional indebtedness to finance payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent our cash resources are
insufficient to meet our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise which may have
a material adverse effect on our financial condition. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance our obligations under
the Tax Receivable Agreement.
Even
in the absence of an early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, change of control of our Company or a payment that is more than
90 days late under the Tax Receivable Agreement, there may be a material adverse effect on our liquidity if the payments under the Tax
Receivable Agreement exceed the actual income or franchise tax savings that we realize from the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable
Agreement or if distributions to us by Purple LLC are not sufficient to permit us to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement
after we have paid taxes and other expenses.
Changes in accounting
standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly
affect our financial results.
Generally
accepted accounting principles and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide
range of matters that are relevant to our business are complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our
management, including but not limited to estimates that affect our revenue recognition, accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful
accounts, valuation of inventories, cost of revenues, sales returns, warranty liabilities, the recognition and measurement of loss contingencies,
warrant liabilities, estimates of current and deferred income taxes, deferred income tax valuation allowances and amounts associated with
our Tax Receivable Agreement. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments
by our management could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance, and could have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations or financial condition. For example, we performed a goodwill
impairment analysis as of September 30, 2023, that estimated the implied fair value of our goodwill using a variety of valuation methods,
including both the income and market approaches. As a result of our impairment assessment performed, we determined goodwill was impaired
and recorded an impairment charge to write off the entire $6.9 million balance of goodwill.
Our
ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
Under Section 382 and
related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership
change” generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in its equity ownership by certain stockholders
over a three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”)
and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income may be limited. If finalized, Treasury Regulations currently proposed
under Section 382 of the Code may further limit our ability to utilize our pre-change NOLs or other tax attributes if we undergo a future
ownership change. Thus, our ability to utilize our NOLs, including net operating losses acquired from our Intellibed acquisition, and
other tax attributes to reduce future tax liabilities may be substantially restricted. As of December 31, 2023, we have not completed
a study to assess whether an ownership change has occurred, as defined by IRC Sections 382 and 383, or whether there have been ownership
changes since the Company's formation due to the complexity and cost associated with such study, and the fact that there may be additional
such ownership changes in the future. The federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and research and development credit carryforwards
that can be utilized in the future could be significantly limited. There can be no assurance that the Company will ever be able to realize
the benefit of some or all of the federal and state loss carryforwards or credit carryforwards, either due to ongoing operating losses
or due to ownership change limitations.
45