Kate Spade & Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results and Provides 2016 Guidance

NEW YORK, March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kate Spade & Company (NYSE: KATE) today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended January 2, 2016.

Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding sales for wind-down operations, were $428 million, an increase of $52 million, or 13.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, adjusting 2014 net sales for wind-down operations and excluding the impacts of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and 2015 strategic initiatives.  Refer to the table entitled "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Net Sales Information" for a reconciliation from GAAP results.

Reported net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $429 million, an increase of $30 million, or 7.6%, from the comparable 2014 period.    

Craig A. Leavitt, Chief Executive Officer of Kate Spade & Company, said: "In 2015, we became a stronger, refocused Kate Spade & Company. We made significant progress along our two axes of growth - product category and geographic expansion - introducing 14 new product categories and entering 8 new countries. Our results reflect our success, with sales growth of 21% on a pro forma basis over last year. In addition, our quality of sale efforts are successfully fueling brand aspiration and our channel-agnostic approach was a key driver of growth both during the fourth quarter and throughout 2015. We will continue to prioritize these important points of differentiation in 2016."

Mr. Leavitt concluded: "Looking ahead, we will harness the powerful momentum we created in 2015 to drive Kate Spade & Company's growth across our four category pillars - women's, men's, children's and home. As we enter 2016, we are well-positioned for sustainable long-term growth." 

George Carrara, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kate Spade & Company, added:  "We are very pleased with our full year performance for 2015, particularly our industry leading comparable sales growth of 13% and robust Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of 380 basis points, positioning us well to achieve our Adjusted EBITDA margin target of 18-20% in 2016. We have worked diligently over the past two years to achieve margin expansion and are in a solid position as a global, multi-channel lifestyle brand poised to generate strong double-digit growth on both our top and bottom line in the year ahead."

For the fourth quarter of 2015 on a GAAP basis, income from continuing operations was $62 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, compared to $126 million, or $0.99 per diluted share (which included a benefit of $88 million resulting from the reversal of income tax reserves, due to the expiration of the related statutes of limitations), for the fourth quarter of 2014. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the fourth quarter of 2015 were $0.32, compared to $0.24 in the fourth quarter of 2014.

For the full year 2015, the Company reported income from continuing operations of $22 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to income from continuing operations for the full year 2014 of $77 million, or $0.60 per diluted share (which included a net benefit of $87 million resulting from the reversal of income tax reserves, due to the expiration of the related statutes of limitations).  Reported net sales for the full year 2015 were $1.243 billion, an increase of $104 million, or 9.1%, from 2014.  Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in 2015 were $0.48 compared to $0.25 in 2014.  Net sales for 2015, excluding sales for wind-down operations, were $1.215 billion, an increase of $208 million, or 20.6% compared to 2014, adjusting 2014 net sales for wind-down operations and excluding the impacts of the 53rd week, changes in foreign currency exchange rates and 2015 strategic initiatives.  Adjusted EBITDA, excluding the previously announced wind-down operations in 2015 was $203 million for 2015.

The Company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today to discuss its results for the fourth quarter 2015. The dial-in number is 1-888-694-4676 with pass code 38819191. The webcast and slides accompanying the prepared remarks can be accessed via the Investor Relations section of the Kate Spade & Company website at www.katespadeandcompany.com. An archive of the webcast will be available on the website. Additional information on the results of the Company's operations is available in the Company's Form 10-K for the full year 2015, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

The Company determined that the Kate Spade Saturday, Jack Spade, Kate Spade Brazil and Adelington Design Group initiatives did not represent a strategic shift in the Company's operations and therefore did not present these activities as discontinued operations.

Adjustments to net sales for wind-down operations include net sales for Kate Spade Saturday, Jack Spade brick and mortar locations, Kate Spade Brazil and brand exits in the Adelington Design Group segment in both periods. In addition to those items, the impacts of the 53^rd week, changes in foreign currency exchange rates and strategic initiatives, including quality of sale and the conversion of the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan territories to a joint venture are adjusted in 2014.  Refer to the table entitled "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Net Sales Information" for a reconciliation from GAAP results.

The adjusted results for the fourth quarter 2015 and 2014 exclude the impact of expenses incurred in connection with the Company's streamlining initiatives (such as severance costs, contract termination costs, asset write-downs and other costs) and brand-exiting activities, acquisition related costs, impairment of intangible assets in 2014, loss on settlement of note receivable and loss on extinguishment of debt. The adjusted results for 2015 also exclude a $26 million charge related to the termination of certain contracts with the Company's former joint venture partner in Kate Spade China Co., Ltd. The Company believes that the adjusted results for such periods represent a more meaningful presentation of its historical operations and financial performance since these results provide period to period comparisons that are consistent and more easily understood. In addition to those items, the Company presents its 2015 adjusted results further adjusted to exclude the adjusted results of wind-down operations (Kate Spade Saturday, Jack Spade brick and mortar, Kate Spade Brazil and brand exits in the Adelington Design Group segment). The Company believes that the adjusted results excluding wind-down operations provide a meaningful presentation of its 2015 results on a go-forward basis. The attached tables, captioned "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Information," provide a full reconciliation of actual results to the adjusted results. The Company presents Adjusted EBITDA, which it defines as income (loss) from continuing operations, adjusted to exclude income tax provision (benefit), interest expense, net, depreciation and amortization, net, expenses incurred in connection with the Company's streamlining initiatives, brand-exiting activities, acquisition related costs, non-cash impairment charges, losses on asset disposals, loss on settlement of note receivable, loss on extinguishment of debt, non-cash share-based compensation expense and unrealized and certain realized foreign currency transaction adjustments, net. The Company presents the above-described Adjusted EBITDA measures because it considers them important supplemental measures of its performance and believes they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in its industry.  The Company also presents Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Wind-Down Operations, which the Company defines as Adjusted EBITDA further adjusted to remove the Adjusted EBITDA of Kate Spade Saturday, Jack Spade brick and mortar, Kate Spade Brazil and the brand exits in the Adelington Design Group segment.  The Company believes this Adjusted EBITDA measure provides a meaningful presentation of its 2015 results on a go-forward basis.

FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS

Overall Results

Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding sales for wind-down operations, were $428 million, an increase of $52 million, or 13.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, adjusting 2014 net sales for wind-down operations and excluding the impacts of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the 2015 strategic initiatives.  Reported net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $429 million, an increase of $30 million, or 7.6%, from the comparable 2014 period. Fourth quarter 2015 direct-to-consumer comparable sales growth was 14%, or 9% excluding eCommerce.  Comparable sales per square foot for kate spade new york stores were $1,588 for the latest twelve months, compared to $1,504 for the twelve month period ended October 3, 2015.                     

Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 60.3%, excluding the impact of wind-down operations, and 60.2% on a reported basis, for the fourth quarter of 2015.  Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 59.7% for the fourth quarter 2014, excluding an $8 million inventory write down resulting from discontinuing Kate Spade Saturday as a standalone business and the change in the Jack Spade business model.  Including these charges, gross margin as a percentage of sales was 57.8% in the fourth quarter of 2014. 

Selling, general & administrative expenses were $182 million, or 42.4% of net sales, excluding the results of wind-down operations and expenses associated with streamlining activities.  On a reported basis, selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $184 million, or 43.0% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to $182 million, or 45.6% of net sales in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Interest expense, net increased to $5 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to $2 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, primarily reflecting the absence of interest income related to the Lucky Brand Note which was settled in the first quarter of 2015.

Net Debt decreased to $104 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2015 from $227 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2014.

Segment Highlights

Net sales and Segment Adjusted EBITDA for our reportable segments are provided below.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA excludes: (i) depreciation and amortization; (ii) charges due to streamlining initiatives, brand-exiting activities and acquisition related costs; and (iii) losses on asset disposals and impairments.  The costs of all corporate departments that serve the respective segment are fully allocated. The Company does not allocate amounts reported below Operating income (loss) to its reportable segments, other than adjusted equity income (loss) in its equity method investees. The Company's definition of Segment Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Kate Spade North America

Kate Spade North America net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding sales for wind-down operations, were $371 million, an increase of $48 million, or 14.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, adjusting for wind-down operations and excluding the impacts of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and quality of sale initiatives in 2014.  Reported net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $371 million, an increase of $45 million, or 13.6%, from the comparable 2014 period.

Store counts and key operating metrics for kate spade new york stores are as follows:

• We ended the quarter with 104 specialty retail stores and 64 outlet stores, reflecting the net addition over the last 12 months of 11 specialty retail stores and 7 outlet stores; and
• Average retail square footage in the fourth quarter of 2015 was approximately 377 thousand square feet, a 10.9% increase compared to 2014.

Kate Spade North America Segment Adjusted EBITDA both Excluding and Including Wind-Down Operations was $91 million (24.5% of net sales) for the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to $73 million (22.5% of net sales) for the fourth quarter of 2014. 

Kate Spade International

Kate Spade International net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding sales for wind-down operations, were $51 million, an increase of $8 million, or 18.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014, adjusting for wind-down operations and excluding the impact of the conversion of the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan territories to a joint venture and changes in foreign currency exchange rates in 2014. Reported net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $52 million, a decrease of $8 million, or 13.3%, from the comparable 2014 period.  

Store counts and key operating metrics are as follows:

• We ended the quarter with 22 kate spade new york specialty retail stores, 52 concessions and 13 outlet stores, reflecting the net reduction over the last 12 months of 10 specialty retail stores and one outlet store, including the conversion of 6 specialty retail stores, 3 concessions and 1 outlet store totaling 11 thousand square feet in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to a joint venture; and
• Average retail square footage for Japan and Europe in the fourth quarter of 2015 was approximately 77 thousand square feet, a 12.3% increase compared to 2014.

Kate Spade International Segment Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Wind-Down Operations was $5 million (9.1% of net sales) for the fourth quarter of 2015.  Kate Spade International Segment Adjusted EBITDA, including results of wind-down operations, was $4 million (8.6% of net sales) for the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to $1 million (1.2% of net sales) for the fourth quarter of 2014.

Adelington Design Group

Adelington Design Group net sales for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $6 million, a decrease of $4 million or 40.3% adjusting for wind-down operations in 2014.  Reported net sales were $6 million, a 52.8% decrease compared to 2014.

Adelington Design Group Segment Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Wind-Down Operations was $1 million (26.6% of net sales) in the fourth quarter of 2015.  Segment Adjusted EBITDA was $2 million (32.3% of net sales) in the fourth quarter of 2015 and $3 million (26.1% of net sales) in the fourth quarter of 2014.   

2016 GUIDANCE

The Company expects to report first quarter 2016 financial results on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. 

ABOUT KATE SPADE & COMPANY

Kate Spade & Company (NYSE: KATE) operates principally under two global, multichannel lifestyle brands: kate spade new york and Jack Spade.  The Company's four category pillars – women's, men's, children's and home – span demographics, genders and geographies. Known for crisp color, graphic prints and playful sophistication, kate spade new york aims to inspire a more interesting life.  The kate spade new york collection includes the Madison Avenue, Broome Street and on purpose labels.  Jack Spade offers a timeless and versatile assortment of bags, sportswear and tailored clothing founded on the aesthetic of simple, purposeful design.  The Company also owns Adelington Design Group, a private brand jewelry design and development group.  Visit www.katespadeandcompany.com for more information.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release, future filings by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and oral statements made by, or with the approval of, our authorized personnel, that relate to our future performance or future events are forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "intend," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "target," "aim," "forecast," "project," "expect," "believe," "we are optimistic that we can," "current visibility indicates that we forecast," "contemplation" or "currently envisions" and similar phrases.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these expectations may not prove to be correct or we may not achieve the financial results, savings or other benefits anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our senior management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which may be beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: our ability to successfully implement our long-term strategic plans; general economic conditions in the United States, Asia, Europe, Canada and other parts of the world; our exposure to currency fluctuations; levels of consumer confidence, consumer spending and purchases of discretionary items, including fashion apparel and related products, such as ours; changes in the cost of raw materials, occupancy, labor, advertising and transportation which could impact prices of our products; our ability to expand into markets outside of the US, including our ability to promote brand awareness in our international markets, find suitable partners in certain of those markets and hire and retain key employees for those markets; our ability to maintain targeted profit margins and levels of promotional activity; our ability to optimize our product offerings, in order to anticipate and timely respond to constantly changing consumer demands, tastes and fashion trends, across multiple brands, product lines, shopping channels and geographies; the impact of the highly competitive nature of the markets within which we operate, both within the US and abroad; issues related to our current level of debt, including an inability to pursue certain business strategies because of the restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our debt and our potential inability to obtain the capital resources needed to operate and grow our business; restrictions in the credit and capital markets, which would impair our ability to access additional sources of liquidity, if needed; our ability to expand our retail footprint with profitable store locations; our ability to implement operational improvements and realize economies of scale in finished product and raw material costs in connection with growth in our business; our ability to expand into new product categories; our ability to successfully implement our marketing initiatives; our dependence on a limited number of large US department store customers, and the risk of consolidations, restructurings, bankruptcies and other ownership changes in the retail industry and financial difficulties at our larger department store customers; risks associated with material disruptions in our information technology systems, both owned and licensed, and with our third party eCommerce platforms and operations; risks associated with data security, including privacy breaches; risks associated with credit card fraud and identity theft; our ability to attract and retain talented, highly qualified executives, and maintain satisfactory relationships with our employees; our ability to adequately establish, defend and protect our trademarks and other proprietary rights; our reliance on independent foreign manufacturers, including the risk of their failure to comply with legal requirements or our policies regarding applicable safety standards or labor practices; risks associated with having a buying/sourcing agreement which results in a single third party foreign buying/sourcing agent for a significant portion of our apparel products and transitioning buying/sourcing  activities for our non-apparel products to an in-house model; risks associated with our arrangement to operate our leased Ohio distribution facility with a third party operations and labor management company that provides distribution operations services, including risks related to increased operating expenses and operating under a third party arrangement; risks associated with the various businesses we have disposed; risks associated with severe weather, natural disasters, public health crises, war, terrorism or other catastrophic events; a variety of legal, regulatory, political, labor and economic risks, including risks related to the importation and exportation of product, tariffs and other trade barriers; our ability to adapt to and compete effectively in the current quota environment in which general quota has expired on apparel products, but political activity seeking to re-impose quota has been initiated or threatened; risks associated with third party service providers, both domestic and overseas, including service providers in the area of e-commerce; limitations on our ability to utilize all or a portion of our US deferred tax assets if we experience an "ownership change"; and the outcome of current and future litigation and other proceedings in which we are involved.

The list of factors above is illustrative, but by no means exhaustive. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the matters addressed in this press release and attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are qualified by these cautionary statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations only and are not guarantees of future performance, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in this press release, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2016, to be filed with the SEC, including in the sections entitled "Item 1A-Risk Factors" and "Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements." We may change our intentions, beliefs or expectations at any time and without notice, based upon any change in our assumptions or otherwise. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. In addition, some factors are beyond our control. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.