Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes in our risk factors from those disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, except for the revision of the ninth and fourteenth risk factor listed below and the addition of the last risk factor listed below.
We are moving away from our wholesale distribution model to third-party preferred supplier arrangements.
We are exiting the wholesale distribution model and have entered into a preferred supplier agreement with a supplier. This change has and will continue to reduce our future revenue and we have and may continue to incur significant costs related to the transition. We have sold inventory at a loss and have significantly reduced our inventory balance to management’s estimated realizable value. These inventory related losses may continue and we may have to reduce the value of our existing inventory in the future. In addition, if our new supplier is unable to source the products at the prices expected by our franchisees, our franchisees' profitability and our profitability may be adversely impacted. Further, economic instability and other impactful events and circumstances in the regions in which our supplier and their manufacturers are located (such as in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), the financial instability of our supplier, our supplier's failure to meet our terms and conditions or our supplier standards, product safety and quality issues, disruption or delay in the transportation of products from our supplier and their manufacturers to our salons, transport availability and cost, transport security, inflation and other factors relating to the suppliers and the areas in which they are located are beyond our control.
Our ability to franchise our company-owned SmartStyle salons and successfully operate this business is dependent on our relationship with Walmart.
As of March 31, 2022, we had 1,719 SmartStyle or Cost Cutters salons within Walmart locations. Walmart is our largest landlord, and we believe we are Walmart's largest tenant. Our business within each of those 1,719 salons relies primarily on the traffic of visitors to the Walmart location, so our success is tied to Walmart's success in bringing shoppers into their stores. We have limited control over the locations and markets in which we open new SmartStyle locations, as we only have potential opportunities in locations offered to us by Walmart. Furthermore, Walmart has the right to close up to 100 of our salons per year for any reason, upon payment of certain penalties, to terminate lease agreements for breach, such as if we failed to conform with required operating hours, subject to a notice and cure period, and to terminate the lease if the Walmart store is closed. In fiscal year 2017, we began franchising SmartStyle salons. Future franchising activity will require, and be limited, by the approval of Walmart on a location-by-location basis. Walmart may not give its approval to franchise some or all of our company-owned salons. Further, Walmart may attempt to impose changes to the terms and conditions of our agreements, which may be contrary to our economic interests. Operating SmartStyle salons adds complexity in overseeing franchise compliance and coordination with Walmart. Additionally, there are various remodel requirements of our franchisees, whether it be upon lease expiration or the remodeling of a Walmart location. To the extent Walmart accelerates the pace of their own store remodels, our stores in remodeled Walmart locations would be held to the same standard. The cost of these remodels may be prohibitive to our franchisees and could lead to the Company bearing a portion of the cost, or closures if the remodel requirement is not satisfied.
Our ability to use our U.S. net operating loss carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
Utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to an annual limitation if an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 occurs. An ownership change could be triggered by subsequent sales of securities by us or our stockholders and such a change of ownership may limit our utilization of net operating losses.
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