PLANO, Texas - February 13, 2017 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ/NGS: RCII) today announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2016.
GAAP Basis
Excluding Special Items (see non-GAAP reconciliation below)
“As previously announced, the fourth quarter proved to be much more challenging than expected due to recovery challenges from the POS system outages in the previous quarter, heavy promotional activity, and historically high delinquencies,” stated Mark E. Speese, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Rent-A-Center, Inc.
“Today, we are intensely focused on turning the Core business around by improving our product mix, delivering a better value proposition for customers, stabilizing our workforce and improving our account management. Within the Acceptance Now business, we recently signed pilot agreements for the first time with two new national retailers representing a significant scale opportunity. We are leveraging technology investments and new capabilities to enable or accelerate our business strategies and to better serve and engage customers. We remain committed to taking all necessary actions to execute our turnaround and are moving forward with urgency to drive improved results and shareholder value, including an execution of a cost rationalization plan to achieve approximately 6% reduction in the field support center workforce,” Mr. Speese concluded.
Testing of goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level is performed annually, and this testing resulted in the recognition of an impairment of goodwill in the Core U.S. business. Substantially all of this goodwill was created as a result of the acquisition growth strategy pursued from 1993 until 2006.
Same Store Sales (Unaudited)
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Note: Same store sales generally represents revenue earned in stores that were operated by us for 13 months or more and are reported on a constant currency basis.
Explanations of performance are excluding special items and compared to the prior year unless otherwise noted.
CORE U.S. fourth quarter revenues of $472.9 million decreased 17.6 percent primarily due to lower same store sales and the continued rationalization of our Core U.S. store base. Gross profit as a percent of total revenue was impacted by heavy promotional activity. Labor expenses decreased $17.3 million, however, as a percent of store revenue, increased due to sales deleverage. Other store expenses were positively impacted by lower store count, however, as a percent of store revenue, increased primarily due to sales deleverage and higher skip/stolen losses which increased by 110 basis points.
ACCEPTANCE NOW fourth quarter revenues of $193.5 million decreased 1.7 percent while same store sales increased as lower store count was partially offset by higher purchase volume per store. Gross profit as a percent of total revenue declined versus the prior year primarily due to lower gross profit margin on merchandise sales. Labor, as a percent of store revenue was flat versus the prior year. Other store expenses, as a percent of store revenue, were negatively impacted by higher skip/stolen losses which increased by 200 basis points.
MEXICO fourth quarter revenues decreased 23.9 percent driven by currency fluctuations, store closures and lower same store sales that were lower by 1.8 percent. Gross profit as a percent of total revenue improved 520 basis points driven by revenue mix and higher merchandise sales gross margin due to pricing initiatives.
FRANCHISING fourth quarter revenues decreased 23.2 percent and operating profit decreased by $0.4 million driven by fees associated with a new franchisee in 2015.
General and administrative expenses increased in the fourth quarter of 2016 by $8.9 million, primarily due to timing differences related to compensation costs, including severance, and costs related to preparing for the Acceptance Now national accounts pilots. For the full year of 2016, general and administrative expenses increased $2.8 million.
The Company remains focused on reducing costs and has executed on a cost rationalization plan that will reduce the field support center workforce by approximately 6%.
To supplement the Company's financial results presented on a GAAP basis, Rent-A-Center uses the non-GAAP measures ("special items”) indicated in Table 2 below. As stated above, because we are unable to report net loss or diluted loss per share on a GAAP basis at this time, we have included a reconciliation of loss before income taxes. Special items include charges in 2016 for goodwill impairment in the Core U.S. segment, restructuring charges in 2016 for the closure of certain Core U.S. and Mexico stores, and Acceptance Now locations. Gains or charges related to sales of stores and store closures will generally recur with the occurrence of these events in the future. The presentation of these financial measures is not in accordance with, or an alternative for, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Rent-A-Center management believes that excluding special items from the GAAP financial results provides investors a clearer perspective of the Company's ongoing operating performance and a more relevant comparison to prior period results.
Reconciliation of loss before income taxes to (loss) earnings before income taxes excluding special items:
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(1) Other (gains) and charges primarily includes restructuring charges related to the closure of Core U.S. and Mexico stores, and Acceptance Now locations in 2016, and corporate restructuring charges and losses incurred on the sale of Core U.S. and Canada stores in 2015. Restructuring charges are primarily comprised of lease obligation costs, employee severance, asset disposals, and miscellaneous costs incurred as a result of the closures. The three months and twelve months ended December 31, 2016 is partially offset by a pre-tax gain related to a litigation claims settlement
The Company is not providing annual guidance as it relates to revenue or diluted earnings per share for 2017. In an effort to enhance transparency regarding the Company’s results and turnaround efforts, the Company will shift to a monthly report of key operating metrics. The Company believes these changes will provide the investment community meaningful insight into the progress the Company is making on its turnaround.
The Company will provide the metrics outlined below for our two main operating segments.
Core U.S.
Acceptance NOW
Rent-A-Center, Inc. will host a conference call to discuss the fourth quarter results, guidance and other operational matters on Tuesday morning, February 14, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. ET. For a live webcast of the call, visit http://investor.rentacenter.com. Certain financial and other statistical information that will be discussed during the conference call will also be provided on the same website.
A rent-to-own industry leader, Plano, Texas-based, Rent-A-Center, Inc., is focused on improving the quality of life for its customers by providing them the opportunity to obtain ownership of high-quality, durable products such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories, under flexible rental purchase agreements with no long-term obligation. The Company owns and operates approximately 2,600 stores in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico, and approximately 1,900 Acceptance Now kiosk locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a national franchiser of approximately 230 rent-to-own stores operating under the trade names of "Rent-A-Center", "ColorTyme", and "RimTyme". For additional information about the Company, please visit our website at www.rentacenter.com.
This press release and the guidance above contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "could," "estimate," "should," "anticipate," or "believe," or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are accurate. However, there can be no assurance that such expectations will occur. The Company's actual future performance could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the general strength of the economy and other economic conditions affecting consumer preferences and spending; factors affecting the disposable income available to the Company's current and potential customers; changes in the unemployment rate; difficulties encountered in improving the financial and operational performance of the Company's business segments; our chief executive officer and chief financial officer transitions, including our ability to effectively operate and execute our strategies during the interim period and difficulties or delays in identifying and attracting a permanent chief executive officer and chief financial officer, each with the required level of experience and expertise; failure to manage the Company's store labor (including overtime pay) and other store expenses; the Company’s ability to develop and successfully execute strategic initiatives; disruptions caused by the implementation and operation of the Company's new store information management system, including capacity-related outages; the Company’s ability to successfully market smartphones and related services to its customers; the Company's ability to develop and successfully implement virtual or e-commerce capabilities; failure to achieve the anticipated profitability enhancements from the changes to the 90 day option pricing program and the development of dedicated commercial sales capabilities; disruptions in the Company's supply chain; limitations of, or disruptions in, the Company's distribution network; rapid inflation or deflation in the prices of the Company's products; the Company's ability to execute and the effectiveness of a store consolidation, including the Company's ability to retain the revenue from customer accounts merged into another store location as a result of a store consolidation; the Company's available cash flow; the Company's ability to identify and successfully market products and services that appeal to its customer demographic; consumer preferences and perceptions of the Company's brand; uncertainties regarding the ability to open new locations; the Company's ability to acquire additional stores or customer accounts on favorable terms; the Company's ability to control costs and increase profitability; the Company's ability to retain the revenue associated with acquired customer accounts and enhance the performance of acquired stores; the Company's ability to enter into new and collect on its rental or lease purchase agreements; the passage of legislation adversely affecting the rent-to-own industry; the Company's compliance with applicable statutes or regulations governing its transactions; changes in interest rates; adverse changes in the economic conditions of the industries, countries or markets that the Company serves; information technology and data security costs; the impact of any breaches in data security or other disturbances to the Company's information technology and other networks and the Company's ability to protect the integrity and security of individually identifiable data of its customers and employees; changes in the Company's stock price, the number of shares of common stock that it may or may not repurchase, and future dividends, if any; changes in estimates relating to self-insurance liabilities and income tax and litigation reserves; changes in the Company's effective tax rate; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls; the resolution of the Company's litigation; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016, and September 30, 2016. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company is not obligated to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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(1) Excludes the effects of a $151.3 million pre-tax goodwill impairment charge in the Core U.S. segment, a $0.3 million pre-tax restructuring charge and a $2.2 million pre-tax gain related to a litigation claims settlement. These charges reduced loss before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2016, by approximately $149.4 million.
(2) Excludes the effects of a $1,170.0 million pre-tax goodwill impairment charge in the Core U.S. segment, a $2.2 million pre-tax loss on the sale of Core U.S. stores and a $2.0 million pre-tax restructuring charge. These charges reduced loss before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2015, by approximately $1,174.2 million.
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(1) Excludes the effects of a $151.3 million pre-tax goodwill impairment charge, $22.5 million of pre-tax restructuring charges primarily related to the closure of Core U.S. and Mexico stores, and Acceptance Now locations, partially offset by a $2.2 million pre-tax gain related to a litigation claims settlement. These charges reduced loss before income tax for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, by approximately $171.6 million.
(2) Excludes the effects of a $1,170.0 million pre-tax goodwill impairment charge in the Core U.S. segment, a $34.7 million pre-tax write-down of smartphones, a $7.5 million pre-tax loss on the sale of Core U.S. and Canada stores, a $7.2 million pre-tax charge related to the closure of Core U.S. and Mexico stores, $2.8 million of pre-tax charges for start-up and warehouse closure expenses related to our sourcing and distribution initiative, a $2.0 million pre-tax restructuring charge and $1.1 million of losses for other store sales and closures. These charges reduced loss before income taxes for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, by approximately $1,225.3 million.
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(1) In accordance with a newly adopted accounting standard, debt balances are now presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs and the 2015 amounts have been revised to conform to the current period presentation. Unamortized debt issuance costs related to Senior Debt were $5.1 million and $6.0 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Unamortized debt issuance costs related to Senior Notes were $5.3 million and $6.6 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. These unamortized debt issuance costs were previously presented in Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets.
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(1) Includes a $151.3 million goodwill impairment charge in the Core U.S. segment.
(2) Includes a $0.3 million restructuring charge offset by a $2.2 million litigation claims settlement.
(3) Includes a $1,170.0 million goodwill impairment charge in the Core U.S. segment.
(4) Includes a $2.2 million loss on the sale of Core U.S. stores and a $2.0 million restructuring charge.
(5) Includes a $22.5 million restructuring charge offset by a $2.2 million litigation claims settlement.
(6) Includes a $34.7 million write-down of smartphones.
(7)Includes a $7.5 million loss on the sale of Core U.S. and Canada stores, a $7.2 million charge related to the closure of Core U.S. and Mexico stores, $2.8 million of charges for start-up and warehouse closure expenses related to our sourcing and distribution initiative, a $2.0 million restructuring charge and $1.1 million of losses for other store sales and closures.
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(1) Includes a $34.7 million write-down of smartphones.
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(1) Includes a $151.3 million goodwill impairment charge and $0.3 million of restructuring charges primarily related to the closure of Core U.S stores and Acceptance Now locations, offset by a $2.2 million pre-tax gain related to a litigation claims settlement.
(2) Includes a $1,170.0 million goodwill impairment charge and a $2.2 million loss on the sale of Core U.S. stores.
(3) Includes a $2.0 million restructuring charge.
(4) Includes a $151.3 million goodwill impairment charge and a $20.2 million restructuring charge, offset by a $2.2 million pre-tax gain related to a litigation claims settlement.
(5) Includes $2.3 million of restructuring charges related to the closure of Mexico stores.
(6) Includes a $1,170.0 million goodwill impairment charge, a $7.5 million loss on the sale of Core U.S. and Canada stores, a $4.2 million charge related to the closure of Core U.S. stores, $2.8 million of charges for start-up and warehouse closure expenses related to our sourcing and distribution initiative and $1.1 million of losses for other store sales and closures.
(7) Includes a $3.0 million charge related to the closure of stores.
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(1) We recorded goodwill impairment charges of $151.3 million and $1,170.0 million in the Core U.S. segment during the fourth quarters of 2016 and 2015, respectively, not included in the table above.
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Maureen Short
Rent-A-Center, Inc.
972-801-1899
Interim Chief Financial Officer
maureen.short@rentacenter.com
SOURCE Rent-A-Center, Inc.
Rent-A-Center, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, is the largest rent-to-own operator in North America.