Allbirds Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allbirds, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIRD), a global lifestyle brand that innovates with sustainable materials to make better products in a better way, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Overview

• Third quarter net revenue decreased 24.9% to $43.0 million versus a year ago, within the Company's guidance range.
• Third quarter gross margin improved approximately 90 basis points to 44.4% versus a year ago.
• Third quarter net loss of $21.2 million, or $2.68 per basic and diluted share.
• Third quarter adjusted EBITDA1 loss of $16.2 million, within the Company's guidance range.
• Inventory at quarter end of $57.5 million, representing a decrease of 28.1% versus a year ago.
• As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $78.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and no outstanding borrowings under its $50.0 million revolving credit facility.
• The Company completed its transition to a distributor model in China and entered into a new distributor agreement covering six countries across mainland Europe.
• Subsequent to quarter end, the Company entered into a new distributor agreement covering six countries in Latin America.
• The Company's latest sustainability report, the Allbirds 2023 Flight Status, reported a 22% reduction of its per unit carbon footprint2 in 2023 compared to 2022.
  

“We are pleased to deliver Q3 results within our expectations as we continue to advance our three strategic focus areas,” said Joe Vernachio, Chief Executive Officer.“Our teams are delivering strong execution across the board and we are energized by the opportunity ahead as we prepare to bring our reignited product to market in 2025.”

Third Quarter Operating Results

In the third quarter of 2024, net revenue decreased 24.9% to $43.0 million compared to $57.2 million in the third quarter of 2023. The year-over-year decrease is primarily attributable to lower unit sales, partially offset by higher average selling prices within our direct business. Revenue was also impacted by our international distributor transitions and planned retail store closures.

Gross profit totaled $19.1 million compared to $24.9 million in the third quarter of 2023, and gross margin improved approximately 90 basis points to 44.4% compared to 43.5% in the third quarter of 2023. The improvement in gross margin is primarily due to lower freight, duty, and warehouse costs per unit, and a decrease in inventory write-downs resulting from a healthier inventory composition versus a year ago.

Selling, general, and administrative expense (SG&A) was $31.0 million, or 72.0% of net revenue, compared to $43.5 million, or 76.1% of net revenue in the third quarter of 2023. The decrease is primarily attributable to decreases in personnel expenses, depreciation and amortization expense, stock-based compensation expense, and occupancy costs.

Marketing expense totaled $9.9 million, or 22.9% of net revenue, compared to $10.2 million, or 17.8% of net revenue in the third quarter of 2023. The lower spend was primarily driven by decreased digital advertising.

In the third quarter of 2024, net loss was $21.2 million compared to $31.6 million in the third quarter of 2023, and net loss margin was 49.3% compared to 55.2% in the third quarter of 2023.

In the third quarter of 2024, adjusted EBITDA1 was a loss of $16.2 million compared to a loss of $19.0 million in the third quarter of 2023, and adjusted EBITDA margin1 declined to (37.8)% compared to (33.1)% in the third quarter of 2023.

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1 For a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, please refer to the reconciliation tables in the section titled“Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
2 The annual per unit carbon footprint is the average carbon footprint calculated based on the product carbon footprints in that year and the units produced in that year. In other words, it is the total product-related emissions in that year, divided by the total number of units produced in that year.

Nine Month Operating Results

Net revenue in the first nine months of 2024 decreased 26.5% to $133.9 million compared to $182.1 million in the first nine months of 2023. The year-over-year decrease is primarily attributable to lower unit sales, partially offset by higher average selling prices within our direct business. Revenue was also impacted by our international distributor transitions and planned retail store closures.

Gross profit in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $63.6 million compared to $76.9 million in the first nine months of 2023, while gross margin improved approximately 530 basis points to 47.5% in the first nine months of 2024 versus 42.2% in the same period a year ago. The improvement in gross margin is primarily due to lower freight and duty costs per unit, and a decrease in inventory write-downs resulting from a healthier inventory composition versus a year ago.

SG&A in the first nine months of 2024 was $104.2 million, or 77.8% of net revenue, compared to $132.5 million, or 72.8% of net revenue, in the first nine months of 2023, with the decrease primarily attributable to decreases in personnel expenses, stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, and occupancy costs.

Marketing expense in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $29.4 million, or 21.9% of net revenue, compared to $34.2 million, or 18.8% of net revenue, in the first nine months of 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by decreased digital advertising spend.

Restructuring expense in the first nine months of 2024 totaled $1.8 million, or 1.3% of net revenue, compared to $5.5 million, or 3.0% of net revenue in the same period in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to lower fees incurred related to the execution of our strategic transformation plan announced in March 2023.

Net loss in the first nine months of 2024 was $67.6 million compared to $95.7 million in the first nine months of 2023, and net loss margin was 50.5% compared to 52.5% in the first nine months of 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA loss1 in the first nine months of 2024 was $50.9 million compared to a loss of $58.9 million in the first nine months of 2023, and adjusted EBITDA margin1 declined to (38.0)% compared to (32.4)% for the first nine months of 2023.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Allbirds ended the quarter with $78.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and no outstanding borrowings under its $50.0 million revolving credit facility. Inventories totaled $57.5 million, a decrease of 28.1% versus a year ago.

2024 Financial Outlook

The Company is updating its full year 2024 revenue guidance and narrowing its Adjusted EBITDA guidance range as follows:

• Net revenue of $187 million to $193 million, compared to prior guidance of $190 million to $210 million.
  • US net revenue of $143 million to $147 million, including a $10 million to $12 million impact resulting from anticipated store closures
  • International net revenue of $44 million to $46 million, including $13 million to $16 million of impact resulting from transitions to a distributor model in certain international markets
• Adjusted EBITDA3 loss of $75 million to $71 million compared to prior guidance for a loss of $75 million to $63 million.

The Company is maintaining its full year 2024 gross margin guidance:

• Gross margin of 43% to 46%
  

The Company is providing the following guidance for the fourth quarter of 2024:

• Net revenue of $53 million to $59 million
  • US net revenue of $45 million to $49 million
  • International net revenue of $8 million to $10 million
• Adjusted EBITDA3 loss of $25 million to $21 million

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3 A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to corresponding GAAP financial measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort as we are currently unable to predict with a reasonable degree of certainty certain expense items that are excluded in calculating adjusted EBITDA, although it is important to note that these factors could be material to our results computed in accordance with GAAP. We have provided a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the section titled“Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for our third quarter 2024 and 2023 results included in this press release.

Conference Call Information

Allbirds will host a conference call to discuss the results, followed by Q&A, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today, November 6, 2024. A live webcast and replay of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of the Allbirds website at . Information on the Company's website is not, and will not be deemed to be, a part of this press release or incorporated into any other filings the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A replay of the webcast will also be archived on the Allbirds website for 12 months.

About Allbirds, Inc.

Based in San Francisco, with its roots in New Zealand, Allbirds launched in 2016 with a single shoe: the now iconic Wool Runner. In the years since, Allbirds has sold millions of pairs of shoes, and has maintained its commitment to incredible comfort, versatile style and unmatched quality. This is made possible with materials like Allbirds's sugarcane-based midsole technology, SweetFoamTM, and textiles made with eucalyptus fibers and Merino wool – so consumers don't have to compromise between the best products and their impact on the earth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and related conference call contain“forward-looking” statements, as the term is defined under federal securities laws, that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding our strategic transformation plan and related efforts, future financial performance, including our financial outlook on financial results and guidance targets, planned transition to a distributor model in certain international markets, anticipated distributor model arrangements, focus on improving efficiencies and driving profitability, restructuring charges, estimated and/or targeted cost savings, medium-term financial targets, market position, future results of operations, financial condition, business strategy and plans, reducing the carbon footprint of our products, materials innovation and new product launches, and objectives of management for future operations are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as“designed,”“objective,”“anticipate,”“believe,”“contemplate,”“continue,”“could,”“estimate,”“expect,”“intend,”“may,”“plan,”“potential,”“predict,”“project,”“should,”“target,”“will,” or“would” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from those statements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: unfavorable economic conditions; our ability to execute our strategic transformation plans, simplification initiatives or our long-term growth strategy; fluctuations in our operating results; our ability to achieve the financial outlook and guidance targets for the third quarter and full year of 2024; our ability to complete transitions to a distributor model in certain international markets; our ability to achieve our cost savings targets by 2025; deteriorating economic conditions, including economic recession, inflation, tax rates, foreign currency exchange rates, or the availability of capital; impairment of long-lived assets; the strength of our brand; our introduction of new products; our net losses since inception; the competitive marketplace; our reliance on technical and materials innovation; our use of sustainable high-quality materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and supply chain practices; our ability to attract new customers and increase sales to existing customers; the impact of climate change and government and investor focus on sustainability issues; our ability to anticipate product trends and consumer preferences, including with respect to the product launches we have planned for the fourth quarter of 2024 and mid-2025; breaches of security or privacy of business information; and our ability to forecast consumer demand. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment in which new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause our actual results or performance to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make.

A further discussion of these and other factors that could cause our financial results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from any results, performance, or achievements anticipated, expressed, or implied by these forward-looking statements is included in the filings we make with the SEC, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and future reports we may file with the SEC from time to time. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release and related conference call relate only to events as of the date stated or, if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release and related conference call. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in or expressed by, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and accompanying financial tables include references to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, which are non-GAAP financial measures. We believe that providing these non-GAAP financial measures, when reviewed in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, and not in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results of operations under GAAP, are useful to investors as they are widely used measures of performance, and the adjustments we make to these non-GAAP financial measures may provide investors further insight into our profitability and additional perspectives in comparing our performance to other companies and in comparing our performance over time on a consistent basis. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to net loss or net loss margin as calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net loss before stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, impairment expense, restructuring expense (consisting of professional fees, personnel and related expenses, and other related charges resulting from our strategic initiatives), non-cash gains or losses on the sales of businesses relating to our March 2023 initiatives, other income or expense (consisting of non-cash gains or losses on foreign currency, non-cash gains or losses on sales of property and equipment, and non-cash gains or losses on modifications or terminations of leases), interest income or expense, and income tax provision or benefit.

Adjusted EBITDA margin is defined as adjusted EBITDA divided by net revenue.

Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate these adjusted financial measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, we consider, and investors should consider, these adjusted financial measures together with other operating and financial performance measures presented in accordance with GAAP.

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[1] Amounts have been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 reverse stock split that became effective on September 4, 2024.

The following tables present a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to its most comparable GAAP measure, net loss, and presentation of net loss margin and adjusted EBITDA margin for the periods indicated:

[1] In the first quarter of 2024, we closed the operations of three stores in the US. In the second quarter of 2024, we closed the operations of ten stores in the US. In the third quarter of 2024, we closed the operation of one store in the US.

[2] In the third quarter of 2023, we transitioned the operations of two stores in Canada and one store in South Korea to unrelated third-party distributors. In the second quarter of 2024, we transitioned the operations of two stores in Japan and one store in New Zealand to unrelated third-party distributors and closed one store in Europe. In the third quarter of 2024, we transitioned the operations of six stores in China to an unrelated third-party distributor and closed two stores in Europe.

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