Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Furnishings, Fixtures & Appliances / Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated / FY2019 Annual Report

Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated
Annual Report 2019

BSET · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker BSET
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Furnishings, Fixtures & Appliances
Employees 1228
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FY2019 Annual Report · Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated
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A N N U A L   R E P O R T
2 0 1 9

Biscayne Bay by Lane Venture

Cover: Bassett Outdoor Lakeview Collection

To Our Shareholders

We are seeing several disruptive trends in the marketplace 
today  that  threaten  the  traditional  furniture  industry  and 
retail  in  general.  Ongoing  deflation  in  key  categories,  the 
seismic  shift  to  digital  marketing  and  online  commerce, 
tariffs  on  Chinese-made  goods,  evolving  generational 
consumption behavior, and the tight labor market and the 
aging  of  the  core  baby  boomer  workforce  are  factors  that 
must be dealt with – both for today and for the future.

In fiscal 2019, across all three of our business segments – 
wholesale, retail, and logistics, we proactively executed our 
plan and developed new strategies to address the changing 
environment  in  which  we  operate.  Generating  growth  is 
difficult  and  requires  both  operational  excellence  and 
capital investment. We remain vigilant of our strong balance 
sheet, which featured $37 million in cash and investments 
at  year  end  with  no  long-term  debt.  We  generated  $18.8 
million  of  operating  cash  flow  in  the  final  six  months  of 
2019.  For  the  year,  we  purchased  approximately  6%  of 
the  outstanding  shares  of  the  Company  and  paid  out  $5.1 
million  of  dividends  to  our  shareholders.  As  we  forge 
ahead,  we  will  continue  to  incorporate  these  principles 
of  conservative  financial  stewardship  to  provide  a  solid 
foundation for Bassett in the years to come.

Achieving  wholesale  growth  remains  the  heart  of  our 
strategy  as  we  seek  to  leverage  our  manufacturing  and 
sourcing  assets.  We  need  to  improve  upon  the  2.0% 
increase  for  the  year  (53  weeks  in  2019  vs.  52  weeks 
in  2018).  Reviewing  our  2019  divisional  performance, 
overall  upholstery  sales  grew  by  5%  for  the  year  (53  vs. 
52).    Going  further  down,  our  domestic  upholstery  sales 
also  grew  by  5%  for  the  year.  Impeded  by  tariff-based 
service  disruptions,  our  imported  upholstery  shipments 
were  down  10%  for  the  year.  Given  that,  we  were  happy 
to  more  than  hold  our  own  with  overall  shipments.  For 
the  year,  upholstery  profitability  grew  by  11%,  led  by  our  
Newton, N. C., facility and the Lane Venture division.

Our  core  custom  upholstery  program,  formerly  marketed 
as  HGTV  HOME  Design  Studio,  was  re-invented  and 
debuted in January 2019. The results were pleasing as the 
new  version  grew  by  7%  over  the  previous  year’s  number. 
Also contributing to this year’s upholstery growth was our 
burgeoning  outdoor  furniture  footprint.  We  began  the 
year  with  the  new  and  improved  Lane  Venture  division 
on  firm  footing  with  a  new  operational  platform  featuring 
imported woven wicker, teak, and aluminum frames being 
supplemented with domestically produced cushions and fully 
upholstered  products.  Retailers  embraced  the  assortment 
and the service levels and the division grew by 42%.

In October, we completed the purchase of Crimson Casual, a 
metal outdoor furniture manufacturer located in Haleyville, 
Alabama.  We  can  now  provide  the  marketplace  with  tariff 

free,  quick  response  aluminum  outdoor  furniture  in  a 
variety of finishes. We plan to use this product and others to 
enter the outdoor hospitality and contract business under 
the Bassett Outdoor Contract name in the next few weeks. 
Our third leg of the outdoor strategy launches in February 
with the Bassett Outdoor line that will be sold exclusively 
in Bassett Home Furnishings retail stores. We believe that 
we  have  the  brand,  the  domestic  manufacturing  assets, 
and the service model to become a significant player in the 
growing outdoor furniture category.

Also  worth  mentioning  on  the  upholstery  front  is  our 
new  “Magnificent  Motion”  domestically  manufactured 
custom  motion  furniture  program  that  was  introduced 
at  the  October  High  Point  Furniture  Market.  Magnificent 
Motion offers choices of arm, base, and back treatments in 
an  array  of  fabrics  and  leathers  and  is  engineered  to  look 
like  upscale  stationary  furniture.  We  began  shipping  this 
product  in  December  and  have  been  excited  by  the  retail 
sell through that we have seen since its introduction. Similar 
to outdoor, the custom motion product represents our foray 
into  a  largely  untapped  part  of  the  market  for  us  and  will 
provide incremental growth. Motion in general has been a 
winning  category  industry-wide  for  the  past  several  years 
and  we  plan  to  utilize  the  combination  of  capabilities  that 
we  now  have  at  our  disposal  to  offer  our  outside  retailers 
and  Bassett  stores  a  quality  alternative  to  the  crowded 
commercial market of imported motion upholstery.

Our imported Club Level line, offered primarily to our open 
market retailers, is still an important part of our wholesale 
business  despite  the  disruption  from  tariffs.  Offered  only 
in  leather  with  limited  customization,  it  offers  the  dealer 
a  less-expensive  motion  option  designed  to  be  a  higher 
turning  product  on  their  floors.  Recently,  we  successfully 
shifted  the  production  of  this  product  from  China  to 
Thailand to alleviate the added cost of tariffs. 

Wood shipments declined 2.7% for the year, with 100% of 
the decline occurring in the fourth quarter. The exit from the 
juvenile  products  business  comprised  100%  of  the  yearly 
shortfall.  Domestic  shipments  from  Martinsville  Table 
Plant  and  Bench  Made  facilities  were  flat  with  last  year’s 
record pace (53 vs. 52) but declined as the year progressed. 
Product  highlights  for  the  year  include  the  BenchMade 
Midtown  Collection  which  offers  a  contemporary  styling 
alternative  to  the  rustic  feel  for  which  Bench  Made  has 
become known.

Unfortunately, the growth in our domestic wood programs 
over the past few years has been offset by declines in our 
imported  casegoods  sales,  exacerbated  this  year  by  the 
juvenile  exit.  Exclusive  of  juvenile,  imported  casegoods 
sales were flat for the year (53 vs. 52) and profits increased 
by  3%.  Imported  wood  product  styling  offers  sensibilities 

Biscayne Bay by Lane Venture

Cover: Bassett Outdoor Lakeview Collection

Bassett’s new Magnificent Motion Collection

that  we  are  not  capable  of  producing  domestically  and 
is  viewed  as  an  important  component  of  our  corporate 
merchandising  mix.  In  March,  we  will  begin  to  test  a 
new  logistics  and  warehousing  model  for  250  SKUs,  or 
approximately  30%  of  our  imported  casegoods  lineup. 
By  bringing  containers  directly  to  the  population  centers, 
we  will  reduce  transportation  costs  on  those  items  and 
maintain  our  existing  margins  while  reducing  retail  prices 
by an average of 15%. We will also be able to deliver these 
products to our customers much more quickly. We believe 
that  we  will  become  more  competitive  on  these  products 
and  can  improve  our  fortunes  in  our  imported  casegoods 
business as a result.

Our blended distribution strategy resulted in approximately 
60% of our wholesale volume coming from our corporate 
and  licensed  stores  and  40%  from  all  other  channels  in 
2019. Wholesale shipments to stores grew by 1% for the year. 
Foot traffic to our stores has declined for three consecutive 
years and is an area of concern for our management team. 
We  have  mitigated  the  effects  of  this  trend  by  converting 
more  of  the  traffic  that  does  come  in  and  by  increasing 
the average value of a sale – now around $3,500. We view 
traffic  to  our  website  as  being  fundamental  to  improving 
store  footsteps  and  we  were  pleased  to  generate  double 
digit  increases  in  web  visits  in  the  back  half  of  2019.  In 
concert,  we  significantly  improved  the  operating  results 
of  our  corporate  stores  over  the  final  six  months  of  2019 
compared  to  the  start  of  the  year.  Converting  growing 
web  traffic  to  transactions  both  in-store  and  online  is  our 
primary objective for 2020.

We  have  embarked  upon  a  re-branding  effort  that  will 
appear  online  and  in-store  beginning  in  early  March.  This 
effort will come to fruition in stages over the course of 2020. 
After a successful eight-year run, we will no longer use the 
HGTV HOME Design Studio mark on our custom upholstery 
products  in  2020.  We  will,  however,  continue  to  advertise 
on the network and will remain the furniture sponsor for the 
HGTV Smart Home 2020, which has provided tremendous 
consumer  engagement  with  our  brand  over  the  years.  We 
plan  on  using  the  savings  from  redefining  the  relationship 
with HGTV to fund greater investments in digital marketing 
and  the  new  Bassett  re-branding  strategy.  We  have  added 
and will continue to add staff with digital marketing expertise 
to  our  team  as  we  re-allocate  marketing  dollars  to  digital 
strategies and away from traditional television media. 

Business  generated  through  independent  furniture  stores 
by our sales reps increased by 3% for the year. We sell 1,000 
open market accounts across the country and have worked 
to  add  reps  and  improve  penetration  in  underperforming 
areas over the past few years. We are particularly pleased 
to see the growth in our dedicated Bassett Design Centers’ 
volume  as  our  accounts  commit  to  a  footprint  of  our 
bestselling  custom  products  and  receive  training,  sales 
support,  and  marketing  assistance  from  our  reps  and 
from  corporate.  This  program  mirrors  our  Bassett  retail 

merchandising  and  marketing  strategy  closely  including 
the  annual  promotional  calendar  and  the  emphasis  on 
custom  products  and  interior  design.  The  new  branding 
strategy that we will unveil in 2020 has been embraced by 
our key open market retail base and we look forward to the 
efficiencies that this will provide as we go to market with a 
consistent message across all channels.

Our  Zenith  Freight  Lines  division  is  a  key  asset  of  the 
Company  and  is  becoming  increasingly  fundamental  to 
our  desire  to  warehouse  products  in  more  locations  and 
improve  the  speed-to-market  proposition  that  we  offer. 
Zenith  revenue  actually  declined  in  2019  due  to  our  exit 
from  the  “final  mile”  home  delivery  business.  Instead,  we 
focused on a new “middle mile” model that features point-
to-point  deliveries  from  our  large  distribution  centers  to 
smaller, strategically located warehouses with our fleet of 
over the road vehicles. Upon receipt of the goods, we break 
down the loads and nimbly deliver to our customers with a 
fleet of smaller trucks. This has greatly improved our ability 
to deliver fast in our key markets on the Eastern Seaboard, 
Mid-South, and Southwest U. S. markets. The merits of this 
model are being recognized by other furniture providers and 
we have signed on several new logistics customers over the 
past few months as a result. Our teams are working closely 
to  further  refine  the  new  model  to  reduce  costs  for  our 
customers and improve our own efficiencies. Along the way, 
Zenith was able to increase operating profit by 33% in 2019.

We firmly believe that the Bassett brand and our capabilities 
have  something  unique  to  offer  –  something  which 
consumers, including younger ones, will react to positively 
today  and  in  the  future.  Our  wholesale  partners  and  our  
retail customers believe this as well. What is it? Authenticity, 
heritage,  Made  in  America,  quality,  customization,  value, 
high  levels  of  service  …  these  are  not  concepts  that  were 
concocted by an ad firm to provide fodder for social media. 
These are the foundational elements of our Company that 
we have painstakingly developed over decades. Few, if any, 
can  claim  these  attributes,  especially  spanning  118  years 
of  the  American  experience.  One  of  our  primary  missions 
in  2020  is  to  artfully  “package”  these  brand  pillars  and 
communicate  them  in  the  ephemeral  parlance  of  today’s 
digital age. We are fully engaged in this pursuit.

In  closing,  I  want  to  thank  all  of  our  constituencies  – 
shareholders, customers, and associates; for their thinking 
and their support of our enterprise over the course of 2019.

Rob Spilman

Chairman/CEO

Financial Summary

Fiscal years ended November

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

INCOME STATEMENT DATA

Net Sales
Income (loss) From Operations
Adjusted Income From Operations
Net Income (loss)
Adjusted Net Income

$452,087
(595)
7,446
(1,928)
4,560

$456,855
14,084
14,854
8,218
10,119

$452,503
27,018
26,297
18,256
15,826

$432,038 
28,193
28,193
15,829
15,680

$430,927 
25,989
26,963
20,433
14,830

PER SHARE DATA

Diluted Income (loss)
Adjusted Diluted Income
Cash Dividends
Book Value

BALANCE SHEET DATA

Cash & Cash Equivalents
Investments
Total Assets
Long-Term Debt
Stockholders’ Equity

$     (0.19)
            0.44  
            0.  50
           17.66

$     0.77
0.95
0.47
18.08

$     1.70
1.47
0.77
17.83

$     1.46
1.44
0.68
16.85

$     1.88
1.37
0.54
16.25

$  19,687
17,436
275,766
—
178,670

$  33,468
22,643
291,641
—
190,309

$  53,949
23,125
293,748
329
191,460

$  35,144
23,125
278,267
3,821
180,705

$  36,268
23,125
282,543
8,500
177,366

Dollars in thousands except per share amounts

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Our fiscal year, which ends on the last Saturday of November, periodically results in a 53-week year instead of the normal 
52 weeks.  The current fiscal year ending November 30, 2019 is a 53-week year, with the additional week being included in 
our first fiscal quarter.  Accordingly, the information presented below includes 53 weeks of operations for the year ended 
November 30, 2019 as compared to 52 weeks included in the years ended November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017. 

Overview  

Bassett is a leading retailer, manufacturer and marketer of branded home furnishings. Our products are sold primarily through 
a network of Company-owned and licensee-owned branded stores under the Bassett Home Furnishings (“BHF”) name, with 
additional distribution through other wholesale channels including multi-line furniture stores. We were founded in 1902 and 
incorporated under the laws of Virginia in 1930. Our rich 117-year history has instilled the principles of quality, value, and 
integrity in everything we do, while simultaneously providing us with the expertise to respond to ever-changing consumer 
tastes and meet the demands of a global economy. 

With  103  BHF stores  at  November  30,  2019,  we  have  leveraged  our  strong  brand  name  in  furniture  into  a  network  of 
Company-owned and licensed stores that focus on providing consumers with a friendly environment for buying furniture 
and accessories.  Our store program is designed to provide a single source home furnishings retail store that provides a unique 
combination of stylish, quality furniture and accessories with a high level of customer service.  In order to reach markets that 
cannot be effectively served by our retail store network, we also distribute our products through other wholesale channels 
including multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature Bassett galleries or design centers. We use a network of over 30 
independent  sales  representatives  who  have  stated  geographical  territories.  These  sales  representatives  are  compensated 
based on a standard commission rate. We believe this blended strategy provides us the greatest ability to effectively distribute 
our products throughout the United States and ultimately gain market share.   

The BHF stores feature custom order furniture, free in-home design visits (“home makeovers”) and coordinated decorating 
accessories.   Our  philosophy  is  based  on  building  strong  long-term  relationships  with  each  customer.   Sales  people  are 
referred to as “Design Consultants” and are trained to evaluate customer needs and provide comprehensive solutions for their 
home decor.  Until a rigorous training and design certification program is completed, Design Consultants are not authorized 
to perform in-home design services for our customers. 

We have factories in Newton, North Carolina and Grand Prairie, Texas that manufacture custom upholstered furniture, a 
factory in Martinsville, Virginia that primarily assembles and finishes our custom casual dining offerings and a factory in 
Bassett, Virginia that assembles and finishes our “Bench Made” line of custom, solid hardwood furniture. In late 2019, we 
also began operating a facility in Haleyville, Alabama that will provide Bassett with the capability to manufacture custom 
aluminum outdoor furniture primarily under the Lane Venture brand. Our manufacturing team takes great pride in the breadth 
of its options, the precision of its craftsmanship, and the speed of its process, with custom pieces often manufactured within 
two weeks of taking the order in our stores. Our logistics team then promptly ships the product to one of our home delivery 
hubs or to a location specified by our licensees.  In addition to the furniture that we manufacture domestically, we source 
most of our formal bedroom and dining room furniture (casegoods) and certain leather upholstery offerings from several 
foreign plants, primarily in Vietnam, Thailand and China. Over 75% of the products we currently sell are manufactured in 
the United States. 

We also own Zenith Freight Lines, LLC (“Zenith”) which provides logistical services to Bassett along with other furniture 
manufacturers and retailers. Zenith delivers best-of-class shipping and logistical support services that are uniquely tailored 
to  the  needs  of  Bassett  and  the  furniture  industry.  Approximately  60%  of  Zenith’s  revenue  is  generated  from  services 
provided to non-Bassett customers. 

On December 21, 2017, we purchased certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Lane Venture from Heritage Home 
Group, LLC for $15,556 in cash. Lane Venture is a manufacturer and distributor of premium outdoor furniture and is now 
being operated as a component of our wholesale segment. This acquisition marked our entry into the market for outdoor 
furniture  and  we  believe  that  Lane  Venture  has  provided  a  foundation  for  us  to  become  a  significant  participant  in  this 
category. Our strategy is to distribute this brand outside of our BHF store network only. See Note 3 to our consolidated 
financial statements for additional details regarding this acquisition. 

1 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

With the knowledge we have gained through operating Lane Venture, we have developed a new separate brand that will only 
be marketed through the BHF store network. This will allow Bassett branded product to move from inside the home to outside 
the home to capitalize the growing trend of outdoor living. Bassett Outdoor is currently marketed in a limited number of 
stores with a broader distribution planned late in the first quarter of 2020. 

At November 30, 2019, our BHF store network included 70 Company-owned stores and 33 licensee-owned stores. During 
fiscal 2019, we opened new stores in Coral Gables, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, Tucson, Arizona, Estero, Florida, Sarasota, 
Florida and Princeton, New Jersey. During fiscal 2019 we closed one underperforming store in Gulfport, Mississippi and 
repositioned our store in Friendswood, Texas and another store in Palm Beach, Florida. In addition, a new licensee store was 
opened in Boise, Idaho. A new 23,000 square foot licensee store was opened in December of 2019 in Thornton, Colorado. 

We have completed a three-year store expansion program that has seen us grow to more than 100 stores throughout the 
country. We currently have no Company-owned or licensee-owned store openings planned. Our strategy is to assess the 
current fleet of stores and improve the overall operations and profitability of the Corporate Retail segment. We will continue 
to assess the economic and competitive environment in various markets and may consider future expansion should attractive 
opportunities arise. 

As with any retail operation, prior to opening a new store we incur such expenses as rent, training costs and other payroll 
related costs. These costs generally range between $200 to $400 per store depending on the overall rent costs for the location 
and the period between the time when we take physical possession of the store space and the time of the store opening. 
Generally, rent payments during a buildout period between delivery of possession and opening of a new store are deferred 
and therefore straight-line rent expense recognized during that time does not require cash. Inherent in our retail business 
model, we also incur losses in the two to three months of operation following a new store opening. Like other furniture 
retailers, we do not recognize a sale until the furniture is delivered to our customer. Because our retail business model does 
not involve maintaining a stock of retail inventory that would result in quick delivery and because of the custom nature of 
many of our furniture offerings, delivery to our customers usually occurs about 30 days after an order is placed. We generally 
require a deposit at the time of order and collect the remaining balance when the furniture is delivered, at which time the sale 
is recognized. Coupled with the previously discussed store pre-opening costs, total start-up losses can range from $400 to 
$600 per store. 

Today’s customers expect their digital experiences and communications to be personalized, highly-relevant and catered to 
match their specific needs and preferences. We have established a centralized customer care center that is using customer 
relationship management (CRM) software to track each customer’s path from initial engagement through point of sale and 
ultimately to their post-delivery experience. We will continue to invest in our digital effort to improve our customers’ journey 
from the time they begin on our website to the final step of delivering the goods to their homes. We view the combination of 
website traffic and store traffic in a holistic fashion where our customer generally experiences our brand on our website 
before visiting a store. While store traffic has been decreasing over the last few years, traffic to our website increased this 
year with web visits up 15% for the year ended November 30, 2019 as compared to the prior year period. We plan to invest 
more in new digital outreach strategies on a store market by market basis to drive more traffic to the website. 

Our pure e-commerce sales (ordering directly from the website) have historically been immaterial. We plan to invest in our 
website in 2020 to improve the navigation and the ordering capabilities to increase web sales. Much of our current product 
offerings highlight the breadth and depth of our custom furniture capabilities which are difficult to show and sell online. We 
plan to expand our merchandising strategies to include more product that can be more easily purchased online with or without 
a store visit. While we work to increase web sales, we will not compromise on our in-store experience or the quality of our 
in-home makeover capabilities. 

2 

 
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Analysis of Operations 

Net sales revenue, cost of furniture and accessories sold, selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense, new store 
pre-opening  costs,  other  charges,  and  income  from  operations  were  as  follows  for  the  years  ended  November  30,  2019, 
November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017: 

2019* 

2018 

2017 

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 
   Dollars      Percent   

2018 vs 2017 
  Dollars     Percent   

Sales Revenue: 
Furniture and 
accessories 

Logistics 
Total net sales 
revenue 

Cost of furniture 
and accessories 
sold 
SG&A 
New store pre-
opening costs 
Other charges 

Income 
(loss) from 
operations 

  $ 403,865       89.3 %   $ 402,469        88.1 %   $ 398,097        88.0 %   $  1,396      
(6,164)     
     48,222       10.7 %      54,386        11.9 %      54,406        12.0 %     

0.3 %   $  4,372      
(20)     

-11.3 %     

1.1 % 
0.0 % 

     452,087      100.0 %      456,855       100.0 %      452,503       100.0 %     

(4,768)     

-1.0 %      4,352      

1.0 % 

     179,244       39.6 %      179,581        39.3 %      177,579        39.2 %     
     264,280       58.5 %      260,339        57.0 %      245,493        54.3 %     

(337)     
3,941      

-0.2 %      2,002      
1.5 %      14,846      

1.1 % 
6.0 % 

1,117       0.2 %     
8,041       1.8 %     

2,081        0.5 %     
770        0.2 %     

2,413        0.6 %     
-        0.0 %     

-46.3 %     
(964)     
7,271       994.3 %     

(332)     
770      

-13.8 % 
 NM   

  $ 

(595)      -0.1 %   $  14,084        3.1 %   $  27,018        6.0 %   $ (14,679)      -104.2 %   $ (12,934)     

-47.9 % 

*53 weeks for fiscal 2019 as compared with 52 weeks for fiscal 2018 and 2017. 

Our consolidated net sales by segment were as follows: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

     Dollars 

     Percent    

   Dollars 

     Percent    

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 

2018 vs 2017 

Net Sales 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 
Inter-company eliminations: 
Furniture and accessories 
Logistical services 

Consolidated 

  $  261,105    $  255,958    $  249,193    $ 
268,264      
83,030      

268,693      
80,074      

268,883      
82,866      

(125,933)     
(31,852)     

(119,360)     
(28,624)     
  $  452,087    $  456,855    $  452,503    $ 

(122,372)     
(28,480)     

5,147      
(190)     
(2,792)     

(3,561)     
(3,372)     
(4,768)     

2.0 %   $ 
-0.1 %     
-3.4 %     

6,765       
619       
(164 )     

2.9 %     
11.8 %     
-1.0 %   $ 

(3,012 )     
144       
4,352       

2.7 % 
0.2 % 
-0.2 % 

2.5 % 
-0.5 % 
1.0 % 

Refer to the segment information which follows for a discussion of the significant factors and trends affecting our results of 
operations for fiscal 2019 and 2018 as compared with the prior year periods. 

Certain other items affecting comparability between periods are discussed below in “Other Items Affecting Net Income”. 

3 

 
 
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
    
        
  
    
    
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
    
        
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
      
  
    
  
  
    
  
      
  
      
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
       
         
         
         
        
  
       
        
  
    
    
    
      
      
      
        
  
    
        
  
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Segment Information 

We have strategically aligned our business into three reportable segments as described below: 

Wholesale. The wholesale home furnishings segment is involved principally in the design, manufacture, sourcing, 
sale  and  distribution  of  furniture  products  to  a  network  of  Bassett  stores  (licensee-owned  stores  and  Company-
owned  stores)  and  independent  furniture  retailers.  Our  wholesale  segment  includes  our  wood  and  upholstery 
operations as well as all corporate selling, general and administrative expenses, including those corporate expenses 
related  to  both  Company-  and  licensee-owned  stores.  We  eliminate  the  sales  between  our  wholesale  and  retail 
segments as well as the imbedded profit in the retail inventory for the consolidated presentation in our financial 
statements.  Our  wholesale  segment  also  includes  our  holdings  of  short-term  investments  and  retail  real  estate 
previously leased as licensee stores. The earnings and costs associated with these assets are included in other loss, 
net, in our consolidated statements of operations. 

Retail – Company-owned stores. Our retail segment consists of Company-owned stores and includes the revenues, 
expenses, assets and liabilities (including real estate) and capital expenditures directly related to these stores and the 
Company-owned distribution network utilized to deliver products to our retail customers. 

Logistical services. With our acquisition of Zenith on February 2, 2015, we created the logistical services operating 
segment which reflects the operations of Zenith. In addition to providing shipping and warehousing services for the 
Company, the revenue from which is eliminated upon consolidation, Zenith also provides similar services to other 
customers, primarily in the furniture industry. Revenue from the performance of these services to other customers 
is included in logistics revenue in our consolidated statement of operations. Zenith’s operating costs are included in 
selling, general and administrative expenses. 

During  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2018,  we  substantially  completed  transferring  operational  control  of  home  delivery 
services for BHF stores from Zenith to our retail segment, including the transfer of the assets and many of the employees 
used in providing that service. Accordingly, the revenues for the logistical services segment for all periods presented have 
been restated to no longer include the intercompany revenues and related costs for those services. Concurrently with the 
transfer of home delivery operations to retail, Zenith also ceased providing such services to third party customers. Revenues 
from Zenith’s home delivery services formerly provided to third party customers and the associated costs thereof continue 
to be reported in the logistical services segment. The impact upon segment operating income (loss) from the restatement was 
not  material.  Zenith  continues  to  provide  other  intercompany  shipping  and  warehousing  services  to  Bassett  which  are 
eliminated in consolidation. 

4 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

The  following  tables  illustrate  the  effects  of  various  intercompany  eliminations  on  income  (loss)  from  operations  in  the 
consolidation of our segment results: 

   Wholesale       Retail 

     Logistics 

    Eliminations     

  Consolidated   

Year Ended November 30, 2019 

Sales revenue: 

Furniture & accessories 
Logistics 

Total sales revenue 

  $ 

Cost of furniture and accessories sold      
SG&A expense 
New store pre-opening costs 
Income (loss) from operations (5) 

  $ 

261,105     $ 
-       
261,105       
173,350       
76,299       
-       
11,456     $ 

268,693    $ 
-      
268,693      
131,528      
143,057      
1,117      
(7,009)   $ 

-     $ 
80,074       
80,074       
-       
78,219       
-       
1,855     $ 

(125,933 ) (1)   $ 
(31,852 ) (2)     
(157,785 )   
(125,634 ) (3)     
(33,295 ) (4)     
-     
1,144     

  $ 

403,865   
48,222   
452,087   
179,244   
264,280   
1,117   
7,446   

   Wholesale       Retail 

     Logistics 

    Eliminations     

  Consolidated   

Year Ended November 24, 2018 

Sales revenue: 

Furniture & accessories 
Logistics 

Total sales revenue 

  $ 

Cost of furniture and accessories sold      
SG&A expense 
New store pre-opening costs 
Income (loss) from operations (5) 

  $ 

255,958     $ 
-       
255,958       
171,272       
72,412       
-       
12,274     $ 

268,883    $ 
-      
268,883      
130,591      
136,523      
2,081      
(312)   $ 

-     $ 
82,866       
82,866       
-       
81,468       
-       
1,398     $ 

(122,372 ) (1)   $ 
(28,480 ) (2)     
(150,852 )   
(122,282 ) (3)     
(30,064 ) (4)     
-     
1,494     

  $ 

402,469   
54,386   
456,855   
179,581   
260,339   
2,081   
14,854   

   Wholesale       Retail 

     Logistics 

    Eliminations     

  Consolidated   

Year Ended November 25, 2017 

Sales revenue: 

Furniture & accessories 
Logistics 

Total sales revenue 

  $ 

Cost of furniture and accessories sold      
SG&A expense 
New store pre-opening costs 
Income from operations 

  $ 

249,193     $ 
-       
249,193       
164,028       
66,044       
-       
19,121     $ 

268,264     $ 
-       
268,264       
132,463       
129,898       
2,413       
3,490     $ 

-     $ 
83,030       
83,030       
-       
80,068       
-       
2,962     $ 

(119,360 ) (1)   $ 
(28,624 ) (2)     
(147,984 )   
(118,912 ) (3)     
(30,517 ) (4)     
-     
1,445     

  $ 

398,097   
54,406   
452,503   
177,579   
245,493   
2,413   
27,018   

(1)  Represents the elimination of sales from our wholesale segment to our Company-owned BHF stores. 
(2)  Represents the elimination of logistical services billed to our wholesale segment. 
(3)  Represents the elimination of purchases by our Company-owned BHF stores from our wholesale segment, as well as the 

change for the period in the elimination of intercompany profit in ending retail inventory. 

(4)  Represents the elimination of rent paid by our retail stores occupying Company-owned real estate and logistical services 

expense incurred from Zenith by our wholesale segment. 

Year Ended 
  November 30,     November 24,     November 25,   
2018 

2019 

2017 

Intercompany logistical services 
Intercompany rents 

  $ 

Total SG&A expense elimination 

  $ 

(31,852 )   $ 
(1,443 )     
(33,295 )   $ 

(28,480)   $ 
(1,584)     
(30,064)   $ 

(28,624 ) 
(1,893 ) 
(30,517 ) 

(5)  Excludes  the  effects  of  goodwill  and  asset  impairment  charges,  cost  of  early  retirement  program,  litigation  costs 

and lease exit costs which are not allocated to our segments. 

5 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
       
         
         
  
    
  
   
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

The following table reconciles income from operations as shown above for our consolidated segment results with income 
(loss) from operations as reported in accordance with GAAP: 

Consolidated segment income from 

operations excluding special charges 

  $ 

7,446    $ 

14,854     $ 

27,018   

2019 

2018 

2017 

Less: 

Asset impairment charges 
Goodwill impairment charge 
Early retirement program 
Litigation expense 
Lease exit costs 

4,431      
1,926      
835      
700      
149      

469       
-       
-       
-       
301       

-   
-   
-   
-   
-   

Income (loss) from operations as reported 

  $ 

(595)   $ 

14,084     $ 

27,018   

Asset Impairment Charges 

During fiscal 2019 the loss from operations included $4,431 of non-cash impairment charges recognized on the assets of six 
underperforming retail stores. 

During fiscal 2018 income from operations included $469 of non-cash asset impairment charges recognized on the assets of 
one underperforming retail store. 

With regard to these seven locations, we are evaluating their ongoing viability which may result in the decision to close 
certain of these stores in the future. 

Goodwill Impairment Charge 

During fiscal 2019 our annual evaluation of the carrying value of our recorded goodwill resulted in the recognition of a 
$1,926  non-cash  charge  for  the  impairment  of  goodwill  associated  with  our  retail  reporting  unit  (see  Note  8  to  our 
Consolidated Financial Statements). 

Early Retirement Program 

During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we offered a voluntary early retirement package to certain eligible employees of the 
Company. Twenty-three employees accepted the offer, which expired on February 28, 2019. These employees are to receive 
pay equal to one-half their current salary plus benefits over a period of one year from the final day of each individual’s active 
employment. Accordingly, we recognized a charge of $835 during the year ended November 30, 2019. 

Litigation Expense  

During fiscal 2019 we accrued $700 for the estimated costs to resolve certain wage and hour violation claims that have been 
asserted against the Company. While the ultimate cost of resolving these claims may be substantially higher, the amount 
accrued represents our estimate of the most likely outcome of a mediated settlement. 

Lease Exit Costs 

During  fiscal  2019  we  recognized  a  $149  charge  for  lease  exit  costs  incurred  in  connection  with  the  repositioning  of  a 
Company-owned retail store in Palm Beach, Florida to a new location within the same market. 

During fiscal 2018 we recognized a $301 charge for lease exit costs incurred in connection with the closing of a Company-
owned retail store location in San Antonio, Texas. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Wholesale Segment 

Net sales, gross profit, SG&A expense and operating income for our Wholesale Segment were as follows for the years ended 
November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017: 

2019* 

2018 

2017 

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 
  Dollars     Percent   

2018 vs 2017 
  Dollars     Percent   

Net sales 
Gross profit 
SG&A 
Income from 
operations 

  $ 261,105       100.0 %   $ 255,958       100.0 %   $ 249,193       100.0 %   $  5,147      
     87,755        33.6 %      84,686        33.1 %      85,165        34.2 %      3,069      
     76,299        29.2 %      72,412        28.3 %      66,044        26.5 %      3,887      

2.0 %   $  6,765      
3.6 %     
(479)     
5.4 %      6,368      

2.7 % 
-0.6 % 
9.6 % 

  $  11,456        4.4 %   $  12,274        4.8 %   $  19,121        7.7 %   $ 

(818)     

-6.7 %   $  (6,847)     

-35.8 % 

Wholesale shipments by category for the last three fiscal years are summarized below: 

2019* 

2018 

2017 

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 
  Dollars     Percent   

2018 vs 2017 
  Dollars     Percent   

Bassett Custom 
Upholstery 
Bassett Leather 
Bassett Custom 
Wood 

  $ 152,415        58.4 %   $ 141,321        55.2 %   $ 136,366        54.7 %   $ 11,094      
     19,220        7.4 %      21,589        8.4 %      22,528        9.0 %      (2,369)     

7.9 %   $  4,955      
(939)     

-11.0 %     

3.6 % 
-4.2 % 

     46,082        17.6 %      46,074        18.0 %      43,793        17.6 %     

8      
Bassett Casegoods       40,920        15.7 %      42,875        16.8 %      42,874        17.2 %      (1,955)     
3,632        1.5 %      (1,631)     
Accessories 
  $ 261,105       100.0 %   $ 255,958       100.0 %   $ 249,193       100.0 %   $  5,147      
Total 

4,099        1.6 %     

2,468        0.9 %     

0.0 %      2,281      
-4.6 %     
1      
467      
-39.8 %     
2.0 %   $  6,765      

5.2 % 
0.0 % 
12.9 % 
2.7 % 

*53 weeks for fiscal 2019 as compared with 52 weeks for fiscal 2018 and 2017. 

Fiscal 2019 as Compared to Fiscal 2018 

On an average weekly basis (normalizing for 53 weeks compared to 52 weeks), net sales for 2019 were essentially flat at 
$256,178. A $3,206 increase in outdoor furniture shipments was primarily offset by a $2,707 decrease in juvenile furniture 
shipments as we exited this furniture line during 2019. In addition, the wholesale segment ceased selling accessories to the 
BHF network beginning at the start of the third quarter of 2019. Both the corporate- and licensee-owned stores now purchase 
accessories directly from third-party accessory providers. This resulted in a $1,678 decrease in the sale of accessories. Gross 
margin for the wholesale segment was 33.6% for fiscal 2019 as compared to 33.1% for the prior year. This increase was 
primarily driven by higher margins in domestic custom upholstery operations as price increases implemented during the third 
quarter of 2018 offset the increased raw material costs experienced late in 2017 and early 2018. Margins in the imported 
wood operations increased due to lower realized container freight costs and improved margins on the sales of discontinued 
product, partially offset by the $390 inventory valuation charge associated with our exit from the juvenile line of business. 
The increase in SG&A as a percentage of sales was primarily driven by higher marketing and other brand development costs 
and increased over-the-road freight and warehousing costs.    

Fiscal 2018 as Compared to Fiscal 2017 

The increase in net sales was driven by the addition of $9,546 of revenue for Lane Venture, acquired during the first quarter 
of 2018, along with a 1.8% increase in furniture shipments to the open market (outside the BHF network and excluding 
shipments from Lane Venture), partially offset by a 2.8% decrease in furniture shipments to the BHF network as compared 
to the prior year period. A much smaller component of our wholesale revenues, shipments of wholesale accessories, increased 
12.9% over the prior year period. Gross margins for the wholesale segment were 33.1% for fiscal 2018 compared to 34.2% 
for  the  prior  year.  This  decrease  was  primarily  driven  by  lower  margins  in  the  Bassett  Custom  Upholstery  operations, 
excluding Lane Venture, due to higher materials costs coupled with lower absorption of fixed costs due to lower volumes. 
In June 2018, we implemented targeted price increases to our Custom Upholstery line to mitigate the effects of the cost 
increases and began seeing the benefit on margins in July 2018. Wholesale SG&A increased as a percentage of sales over 

7 

 
 
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

the prior year period primarily driven by planned higher digital marketing and other brand development costs, partially offset 
by decreased incentive compensation. In addition, we incurred $256 of one-time acquisition costs along with other startup 
costs associated with the Lane Venture operation. 

Wholesale Backlog 

The dollar value of our wholesale backlog, representing orders received but not yet delivered to dealers and Company stores 
as of November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017 was as follows: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

Year end wholesale backlog    $ 

19,952     $ 

25,810     $ 

22,239   

Retail Segment – Company Owned Stores 

Net sales, gross profit, SG&A expense, new store pre-opening costs and operating income for our Retail Segment were as 
follows for the years ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017: 

2019 vs 2018 

2018 vs 2017 

2019* 

2018 

2018 

2017 

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 
   Dollars        Percent    

2018 vs 2017 
   Dollars      Percent   

Net sales 
Gross profit 
SG&A expense 
New store pre-
opening costs 
Income (loss) from 

(190)     
  $  268,693       100.0 %   $  268,883       100.0 %   $  268,883       100.0 %   $  268,264        100.0 %   $ 
     137,165       51.0 %      138,292       51.4 %      138,292       51.4 %      135,801        50.6 %      (1,127)     
     143,057       53.2 %      136,523       50.8 %      136,523       50.8 %      129,898        48.4 %      6,534       

619      
-0.1 %   $ 
-0.8 %      2,491      
4.8 %      6,625      

0.2 % 
1.8 % 
5.1 % 

1,117      

0.4 %     

2,081      

0.8 %     

2,081      

0.8 %     

2,413       

0.9 %     

(964)     

-46.3 %     

(332)     

-13.8 % 

operations 

  $ 

(7,009)     

-2.6 %   $ 

(312)     

-0.1 %   $ 

(312)     

-0.1 %   $ 

3,490       

1.3 %   $  (6,697)      2146.5 %   $  (3,802)      -108.9 % 

The following  tables present  operating  results  on a  comparable  store  basis  for  each  comparative  set  of periods.  Table A 
compares the results of the 56 stores that were open and operating for all of 2019 and 2018. Table B compares the results of 
the 53 stores that were open and operating for all of 2018 and 2017. 

Comparable Store Results: 

Table A: 2019 vs 2018 (56 Stores) 

Table B: 2018 vs 2017 (53 Stores) 

2019 vs 2018 

2019* 

2018 

2018 

2017 

   Dollars 

    Percent   

2018 vs 2017 
  Dollars     Percent   

Change from Prior Year 

Net sales 
Gross profit 
SG&A expense 
Income (loss) from 

  $  234,401       100.0 %   $  252,353        100.0 %   $  235,868        100.0 %   $  239,633        100.0 %   $  (17,952 )     
(10,316 )     
     119,786       51.1 %      130,102        51.6 %      121,399        51.5 %      122,710        51.2 %     
(3,641 )     
     120,755       51.5 %      124,396        49.3 %      115,094        48.8 %      115,161        48.1 %     

-7.1 %   $  (3,765)     
-7.9 %      (1,311)     
(67)     
-2.9 %     

-1.6 % 
-1.1 % 
-0.1 % 

operations 

  $ 

(969)     

-0.4 %   $ 

5,706       

2.3 %   $ 

6,305       

2.7 %   $ 

7,549       

3.2 %   $ 

(6,675 )      -117.0 %   $  (1,244)     

-16.5 % 

The following tables present operating results for all other stores which were not comparable year-over-year. Each table 
includes the results of stores that either opened or closed at some point during the 24 months of each comparative set of 
periods. 

All Other (Non-Comparable) Store Results: 

2019 vs 2018 All Other Stores 
2018 
2019* 

2018 vs 2017 All Other Stores 
2017 
2018 

2019 vs 2018 
   Dollars        Percent    

2018 vs 2017 
   Dollars       Percent    

Change from Prior Year 

  $  34,292         100.0 %   $  16,530       100.0 %   $  33,015       100.0 %   $  28,631        100.0 %   $  17,762        107.5 %   $  4,384      
9,189        112.2 %      3,802      
     17,379         50.7 %     
83.9 %      6,692      
     22,302         65.0 %      12,127       73.4 %      21,429       64.9 %      14,737        51.5 %      10,175       

8,190       49.5 %      16,893       51.2 %      13,091        45.7 %     

15.3 % 
29.0 % 
45.4 % 

1,117        

3.3 %     
  $  (6,040 )      -17.6 %   $ 

2,081       12.6 %     
(6,018)      -36.4 %   $ 

2,081      
8.4 %     
(6,617)      -20.0 %   $  (4,059 )      -14.2 %   $ 

2,413       

6.3 %     

(964)     
(22)     

-46.3 %     

(332)     
0.4 %   $  (2,558)     

-13.8 % 
63.0 % 

Net sales 
Gross profit 
SG&A expense 
New store pre-opening 

costs 

Loss from operations 

*53 weeks for fiscal 2019 as compared with 52 weeks for fiscal 2018 and 2017. 

8 

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
       
         
         
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
         
  
       
         
  
    
  
  
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
         
  
       
         
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
       
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
         
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
          
  
       
         
  
    
  
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Fiscal 2019 as Compared to Fiscal 2018 

The decrease in net sales for the 70 Company-owned BHF stores was driven by a 7.1% decrease for the 56 comparable stores 
from fiscal 2018, offset by a $17,762 increase in non-comparable store sales as we have opened 13 stores over the last 24 
months. On an average weekly basis (normalizing for the extra week in fiscal 2019), comparable store sales decreased 8.9%. 

While we do not recognize sales until goods are delivered to the consumer, management tracks written sales (the retail dollar 
value of sales orders taken, rather than delivered) as a key store performance indicator. Written sales for comparable stores 
decreased by 7.5% for fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018. On an average weekly basis, comparable store written sales 
decreased 9.3%. 

The  decrease  in  comparable  store  gross  margins  was  primarily  due  to  increased  wholesale  costs  as  a  result  of  tariffs  on 
Chinese products instituted in late 2018 along with higher costs of freight, both of which were passed on in a wholesale price 
increase in January 2019. Although most of our goods are domestically made, and most of our other goods are imported from 
countries outside of China, the tariffs have had a significant impact on the cost of a portion of the fabric that we use in our 
upholstered  furniture  manufactured  in  the  United  States.  We  implemented  a  price  increase  late  in  the  second  quarter  to 
mitigate these cost increases. Gross margins were also impacted by increased clearance activity primarily in the first quarter 
of 2019 due to the launch of the new custom upholstery program and the selloff of existing floor samples and other clearance 
product as a result of the repositioning of two stores in the Houston market late in 2018. 

The increase in SG&A expenses for comparable stores as a percentage of sales to 51.5% was primarily due to a de-leveraging 
of fixed costs from lower sales volumes, inefficiencies in the warehouse and home delivery operation and higher financing 
costs as more of our retail customers chose to finance their purchases through our third-party credit provider. These increases 
were partially offset by various fixed cost decreases primarily implemented in the second half of the year that resulted from 
changes to our cost structure. 

The $22 increase in the operating loss from non-comparable stores for fiscal 2019 includes new store pre-opening costs of 
$1,117 compared to $2,081 for the prior year. We incur losses in the first two to three months of operation following a store 
opening  as  sales  are  not  recognized  in  the  income  statement  until  the  furniture  is  delivered  to  its  customers  resulting  in 
operating expenses without the normal sales volume. Because we do not maintain a stock of retail inventory that would result 
in quick delivery, and because of the custom nature of the furniture offerings, such deliveries are generally not made until 
after 30 days from when the furniture is ordered by the customer. Coupled with the pre-opening costs, total start-up losses 
typically amount to $400 to $600 per store. During fiscal 2019 we incurred $1,392 of post-opening losses associated with 
six new stores opened during fiscal 2019 compared to $1,601 of post-opening losses incurred during fiscal 2018 associated 
with other locations. 

Each addition to our Company-owned store network results in incremental fixed overhead costs, primarily associated with 
local store personnel, occupancy costs and warehousing expenses. The incremental SG&A expenses associated with each 
new store will be ongoing.   

Fiscal 2018 as Compared to Fiscal 2017 

The increase in net sales for the 65 Company-owned stores over the prior year was comprised of a $4,384 increase in non-
comparable store sales partially offset by a 1.6% decrease in comparable store sales. 

While we do not recognize sales until goods are delivered to the consumer, management tracks written sales (the retail dollar 
value of sales orders taken, rather than delivered) as a key store performance indicator. Written sales for comparable stores 
decreased by 3.6% for fiscal 2018 as compared to prior year. 

The increase in comparable store gross margins to 51.5% for fiscal 2018 from 51.2% in the prior year period is primarily due 
to improved pricing strategies and product mix. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales for comparable stores increased 
slightly from 2017 due to decreased leverage of fixed costs on lower sales volume and increased advertising expenses. 

We incur losses in the first two to three months of operation following a store opening as sales are not recognized in the 
income statement until the furniture is delivered to its customers resulting in operating expenses without the normal sales 
volume. Because we do not maintain a stock of retail inventory that would result in quick delivery, and because of the custom 
nature of the furniture offerings, such deliveries are generally not made until after 30 days from when the furniture is ordered 

9 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

by the customer. Coupled with the pre-opening costs, total start-up losses typically amount to $400 to $600 per store. During 
fiscal 2018 we incurred $1,601 of post-opening losses associated with the seven new stores and clearance center opened 
during  2018  and  late  2017  compared  with  $969  of  post-opening  losses  during  fiscal  2017.  Included  in  the  2017  Non-
Comparable store loss was a $1,220 gain on the sale of our retail store location in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Each addition to our Company-owned store network results in incremental fixed overhead costs, primarily associated with 
local store personnel, occupancy costs and warehousing expenses. The incremental SG&A expenses associated with each 
new store will be ongoing. 

Retail Comparable Store Sales Trends  

The following table provides year-over-year comparable store sales trends for the last three fiscal years: 

As reported: 
Delivered 
Written 

Average weekly basis: 

Delivered 
Written 

 2019 

 2018 

2017 

-7.1 % 
-7.5 % 

-1.6 % 
-3.6 % 

-8.9 % 
-9.3 % 

-1.6 % 
-3.6 % 

1.9 % 
1.8 % 

1.9 % 
1.8 % 

Retail Backlog 

The dollar value of our retail backlog, representing orders received but not yet delivered to customers as of November 30, 
2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017, was as follows: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 
Year end retail backlog 
Retail backlog per open store    $ 

Logistical Services Segment 

31,146     $  35,493     $  35,684   
595   

546     $ 

445     $ 

Revenues, operating expenses and income from operations for our logistical services segment were as follows for the years 
ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017: 

2019* 

2018 

2017 

Change from Prior Year 

2019 vs 2018 
  Dollars     Percent   

2018 vs 2017 
  Dollars     Percent   

  $ 80,074       100.0 %   $ 82,866       100.0 %   $ 83,030       100.0 %   $  (2,792)     
     78,219        97.7 %      81,468        98.3 %      80,068        96.4 %      (3,249)     

-3.4 %   $ 
(164)     
-4.0 %      1,400      

-0.2 % 
1.7 % 

  $  1,855        2.3 %   $  1,398        1.7 %   $  2,962        3.6 %   $ 

457      

32.7 %   $  (1,564)     

-52.8 % 

Logistics revenue 
Operating expenses 
Income from 
operations 

*53 weeks for fiscal 2019 as compared with 52 weeks for fiscal 2018 and 2017. 

Fiscal 2019 as Compared to Fiscal 2018 

On an average weekly basis (normalizing for the extra week fiscal 2019), revenues for Zenith decreased $4,303 or 5.2%. 
This decrease was primarily due to the discontinuation of home delivery services to third-party customers, partially offset by 
revenue increases in third-party warehousing operations. The decrease in Zenith’s operating expenses as a percent of sales 
was primarily due to reduced expenses due to the elimination of the home delivery operation, partially offset by increased 
employee health care and workers compensation costs due to unfavorable claims experience. Operating costs for fiscal 2019 
and 2018 include non-cash depreciation and amortization charges of $4,019 and $4,068, respectively. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Fiscal 2018 as Compared to Fiscal 2017 

Zenith’s revenues were comparable year over year. Increased operating costs as a percentage of revenue were primarily due 
to significantly higher fuel costs coupled with the increasing cost of hiring and retaining over-the-road drivers. Operating 
costs for fiscal 2018 and 2017 include non-cash depreciation and amortization charges of $4,068 and $4,309, respectively. 

Other Items Affecting Net Income (Loss) 

Other items affecting net income (loss) for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 are as follows: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

Gain on sales of investments (1) 
Interest income (2) 
Interest expense (3) 
Retail real estate impairment charge (4) 
Net periodic pension costs (5) 
Cost of company-owned life insurance (6) 
Income from the Continued Dumping & Subsidy Offset Act (7) 
Other investment income (8) 
Other 

-     $ 
568       
(6 )     
-       
(883 )     
(39 )     
-       
57       
(842 )     

-     $ 
431       
(57 )     
-       
(986 )     
(598 )     
7       
52       
(727 )     

4,221  
230  
(234) 
(1,084) 
(1,049) 
(517) 
94  
88  
(891) 

Total other income (loss), net 

  $ 

(1,145 )   $ 

(1,878 )   $ 

858  

(1)  See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information related to gains realized from the sale of two 

investments during fiscal 2017. 

(2)  Consists  of  interest  income  arising  from  our  short-term  investments.  See  Note  4  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 

Statements for additional information regarding our investments in certificates of deposit. 

(3)  Our interest expense in fiscal 2019 and 2018 declined significantly from fiscal 2017 as all remaining debt incurred 
with the 2015 acquisition of Zenith was repaid during fiscal 2018 and the remaining balances on the mortgages of 
two  retail  store  locations  were  repaid  in  fiscal  2019.  See  Note  10  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for 
additional information regarding our debt. 

(4)  See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information related to impairment of retail real estate during 

fiscal 2017. 

(5)  Represents the portion of net periodic pension costs not included in income from operations. See Note 11 to the 

Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to our defined benefit pension plans. 

(6)  Cost for fiscal 2019 and 2018 is net of life insurance proceeds of $629 and $266, respectively, arising from the 

deaths of former executives. 

(7)  These amounts represent distributions received from U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (“Customs”) under the 
Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (“CDSOA”). These distributions primarily represent amounts 
previously withheld by Customs pending the resolution of certain claims filed by other manufactures which were 
dismissed in 2014. The distributions received from Customs have gradually diminished in the years subsequent to 
the dismissal and are no longer expected to be significant beyond 2018. 

(8)  Primarily reflects gains arising from the partial liquidation of our previously impaired investment in the Fortress 

Value Recovery Fund I, LLC, which was fully impaired during fiscal 2012. 

Provision for Income taxes  

On December 22, 2017, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) was signed into law. The Act reduced the federal statutory 
corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018 for all corporate taxpayers, while most other provisions 
of the Act took effect for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Therefore, we computed our income tax expense 
for  fiscal  2018  using  a  blended  federal  statutory  rate  of  22.2%.  The  21%  federal  statutory  rate,  as  well  as  certain  other 
provisions  of  the  Act  including  the  elimination  of  the  domestic  manufacturing  deduction  and  new  limitations  on  certain 
business deductions, were applied to our 2019 fiscal year. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

We recorded an income tax provision of $188, $3,988 and $9,948 in fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our effective 
tax rate of (10.8%) for 2019 differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the $1,926 Goodwill impairment 
charge which is not deductible for tax purposes. Other items affecting the rate include the effects of state income taxes and 
certain  other  non-deductible  expense.  For  fiscal  2018,  our  effective  tax  rate  of  32.7%  differs  from  the  federal  blended 
statutory rate of 22.2% primarily due to a discrete charge of $1,331 arising from the re-measurement of our deferred tax 
assets.  Other  items  impacting  our  effective tax  rate  for  fiscal  2018  include  the  effects of  state  income  taxes  and various 
permanent differences including the favorable impacts of excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation of $223 and the 
Section 199: Domestic Production Activities Deduction of $866. For fiscal 2017, our effective tax rate was 34.5% and differs 
from the statutory rate of 35.0% primarily due to the effects of state income taxes and various permanent differences including 
the favorable impact of the Section 199 manufacturing deduction. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for 
additional information regarding our income tax provision (benefit), as well as our net deferred tax assets and other matters. 

We have net deferred tax assets of $5,744 as of November 30, 2019, which, upon utilization, are expected to reduce our cash 
outlays for income taxes in future years. It will require approximately $22,000 of future taxable income to utilize our net 
deferred tax assets. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources  

We are committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet in order to weather difficult industry conditions, to allow us to take 
advantage of opportunities as market conditions improve, and to execute our long-term retail strategies. 

Cash Flows 

Cash provided by operations for fiscal 2019 was $9,809 compared to $29,907 for fiscal 2018, a decrease of $20,098. This 
decrease is primarily due to increased investment in inventory due to opening new stores, other changes in working capital 
due in part to the timing impact of the additional week in the current fiscal year and lower comparable store sales on an 
average weekly basis resulting in reduced cash flows. 

Our overall cash position decreased by $13,781 during fiscal 2019. In addition to the cash provided by operations, we had a 
net use of $11,173 of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of capital expenditures associated with retail store 
expansion and relocations partially offset by the maturity of $5,207 of our investment in CDs. Net cash used in financing 
activities was $12,417, including dividend payments of $5,133 and stock repurchases of $7,345 under our existing share 
repurchase plan, of which $10,639 remains authorized at November 30, 2019. With cash and cash equivalents and short-term 
investments totaling $37,123 on hand at November 30, 2019, expected future operating cash flows, expected reduced capital 
expenditures from fewer store openings and the availability under our credit line noted below, we believe we have sufficient 
liquidity to fund operations for the foreseeable future. 

Debt and Other Obligations 

Our credit facility with our bank provides for a line of credit of up to $25,000. This credit facility is unsecured and contains 
covenants requiring us to maintain certain key financial ratios. We are in compliance with all covenants under the agreement 
and expect to remain in compliance for the foreseeable future. The credit facility will mature in December 2021. At November 
30, 2019, we had $2,673 outstanding under standby letters of credit against our line, leaving availability under our credit line 
of $22,327. In addition, we have outstanding standby letters of credit with another bank totaling $325. 

We lease land and buildings that are used in the operation of our Company-owned retail stores as well as in the operation of 
certain of our licensee-owned stores, and we lease land and buildings at various locations throughout the continental United 
States for warehousing and distribution hubs used in our logistical services segment. We also lease tractors, trailers and local 
delivery trucks used in our logistical services segment. We had obligations of $184,704 at November 30, 2019 for future 
minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases having remaining terms in excess of one year. We also have 
guaranteed  certain  lease  obligations  of  licensee  operators.  Remaining  terms  under  these  lease  guarantees  range  from 
approximately one to three years. We were contingently liable under licensee lease obligation guarantees in the amount of 
$1,776 at November 30, 2019. See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements for additional details regarding our leases 
and lease guarantees. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Dividends and Share Repurchases 

During fiscal 2019, we declared and paid four quarterly dividends totaling $5,133, or $0.50 per share. During fiscal 2019, 
we repurchased 513,649 shares of our stock for $7,345 under our share repurchase program. The weighted-average effect of 
these share repurchases on both our basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share was not significant. The approximate dollar 
value that may yet be purchased pursuant to our stock repurchase program as of November 30, 2019 was $10,639. 

Capital Expenditures 

We currently anticipate that total capital expenditures for fiscal 2020 will be approximately $10 to $12 million which will be 
used primarily for additional tractors for our logistical services segment, additional investments in technology and various 
remodels or updates to the existing store fleet. Our capital expenditure and working capital requirements in the foreseeable 
future may change depending on many factors, including but not limited to the overall performance of the new stores, our 
rate of growth, our operating results and any adjustments in our operating plan needed in response to industry conditions, 
competition or unexpected events. We believe that our existing cash, together with cash from operations, will be sufficient 
to meet our capital expenditure and working capital requirements for the foreseeable future. 

Fair Value Measurements 

We account for items measured at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. 
ASC  820’s  valuation  techniques  are  based  on  observable  and  unobservable  inputs.  Observable  inputs  reflect  readily 
obtainable data from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market assumptions. ASC 820 classifies 
these inputs into the following hierarchy: 

Level 1 Inputs– Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. 

Level 2 Inputs– Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in 
markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are 
observable. 

Level 3 Inputs– Instruments with primarily unobservable value drivers. 

We believe that the carrying amounts of our current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term 
nature of these items. The recurring estimate of the fair value of our mortgages and notes payable for disclosure purposes 
(see  Note  10  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements)  involves  Level  3  inputs.  Our  primary  non-recurring  fair  value 
estimates, typically involving the valuation of business acquisitions (see Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements), 
goodwill  impairments  (see  Note  8  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements)  and  asset  impairments  (see  Note  15  to  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements) have utilized Level 3 inputs. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Contractual Obligations and Commitments  

We enter into contractual obligations and commercial commitments in the ordinary course of business (See Note 16 to the 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  a  further  discussion  of  these  obligations).  The  following  table  summarizes  our 
contractual payment obligations and other commercial commitments and the fiscal year in which they are expected to be 
paid. 

   2020 

     2021 

     2022 

     2023 

     2024 

    Thereafter      Total 

Post employment benefit 

obligations (1) 

Contractual advertising 
Letters of credit 
Operating leases (2) 
Lease guarantees (3) 
Other obligations & 
commitments 

Purchase obligations (4) 
Total 

  $ 

921     $ 
810       
2,998       

918     $  1,123     $  1,052     $  1,007     $ 
-       
-       
     37,031        32,478        27,929        22,913        16,835       
382       

-       
-       

-       
-       

-       
-       

353       

347       

347       

347       

-       
-       

7,730     $  12,751   
810   
2,998   
47,518        184,704   
1,776   

-       

200       
-       

200       
-       

100       
-       

100       

100       

  $  42,307     $  33,943     $  29,499     $  24,418     $  18,324     $ 

150       
-       

850   
-   
55,398     $  203,889   

   (1)  Does not reflect a reduction for the impact of any company owned life insurance proceeds to be received. Currently, 
we have life insurance policies with net death benefits of $17,271 to provide funding for these obligations. See Note 
11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information. 

   (2)  Does not reflect a reduction for the impact of sublease income to be received. See Note 16 to the Consolidated 

   (3) 

   (4) 

Financial Statements for more information. 
Lease guarantees relate to payments we would only be required to make in the event of default on the part of the 
guaranteed parties. 
The Company is not a party to any long-term supply contracts with respect to the purchase of raw materials or 
finished goods. At the end of fiscal year 2018, we had approximately $18,732 in open purchase orders, primarily 
for imported inventories, which are in the ordinary course of business. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements  

We utilize stand-by letters of credit in the procurement of certain goods in the normal course of business. We lease land and 
buildings that are primarily used in the operation of BHF stores and Zenith distribution facilities. We have guaranteed certain 
lease obligations of licensee operators as part of our retail strategy. See Contractual Obligations and Commitments table 
above and Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for 
further discussion of operating leases and lease guarantees, including descriptions of the terms of such commitments and 
methods used to mitigate risks associated with these arrangements. 

Contingencies  

We  are  involved  in  various  claims  and  litigation  as  well  as  environmental  matters,  which  arise  in  the  normal  course  of 
business. Although the final outcome of these legal and environmental matters cannot be determined, based on the facts 
presently known, it is our opinion that the final resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our 
financial position or future results of operations. 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates 

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the 
United States of America (“GAAP”) which requires that certain estimates and assumptions be made that affect the amounts 
and disclosures reported in those financial statements and the related accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from 
these estimates and assumptions. We use our best judgment in valuing these estimates and may, as warranted, solicit external 
advice.  Estimates  are  based  on  current  facts  and  circumstances,  prior  experience  and  other  assumptions  believed  to  be 
reasonable. The following critical accounting policies, some of which are impacted significantly by judgments, assumptions 
and estimates, affect our consolidated financial statements. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Revenue Recognition - We adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC Topic 606 or "ASC 606") 
effective as of November 25, 2018, the beginning of our 2019 fiscal year. ASC 606 requires a company to recognize revenue 
when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the company expects 
to receive in exchange for those goods or services. For our wholesale and retail segments, revenue is recognized when the 
risks and rewards of ownership and title to the product have transferred to the buyer. 

At wholesale, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon the shipment of goods to independent dealers and licensee-
owned BHF stores. We offer payment terms varying from 30 to 60 days for wholesale customers. Estimates for returns and 
allowances have been  recorded  as  a reduction  of revenue based on  our historical return patterns. The  contracts with our 
licensee store owners do not provide for any royalty or license fee to be paid to us. 

At retail, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon delivery of goods to the customer. We typically collect a significant 
portion of the purchase price as a customer deposit upon order, with the balance typically collected upon delivery. These 
deposits are carried on our balance sheet as a current liability until delivery is fulfilled and amounted to $25,341 and $27,157 
as of November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively. Substantially all of the customer deposits held at November 
24, 2018 related to performance obligations satisfied during fiscal 2019 and have therefore been recognized in revenue for 
the year ended November 30, 2019. Estimates for returns and allowances have been recorded as a reduction of revenue based 
on our historical return patterns. We also sell furniture protection plans to our retail customers on behalf of a third party 
which is responsible for the performance obligations under the plans. Revenue from the sale of these plans is recognized 
upon delivery of the goods net of amounts payable to the third party service provider. 

For our logistical services segment, line-haul freight revenue is recognized as services are performed and are billed to the 
customer upon the completion of delivery to the destination. Because the customer receives the benefits of these services as 
the freight is in transit from point of origin to destination, we recognize revenue using a percentage of completion method 
based on our estimate of the amount of time freight has been in transit as of the reporting date compared with our estimate 
of the total required time for the deliveries. We recognize an asset for the amount of line-haul revenue earned but not yet 
billed which is included in other current assets. The balance of this asset was $441 at November 30, 2019 and $512 at the 
beginning of fiscal 2019 upon adoption of ASC 606. Warehousing services revenue is based upon warehouse space occupied 
by a customer’s goods and inventory movements in and out of a warehouse and is recognized as such services are provided 
and billed to the customer concurrently in the same period. All invoices for logistical services are due 30 days from invoice 
date. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the 
inability of our customers to make required payments. Our accounts receivable reserves were $815 and $754 at November 
30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively, representing 3.7% and 3.8% of our gross accounts receivable balances at 
those  dates,  respectively.  The  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  is  based  on  a  review  of  specifically  identified  customer 
accounts in addition to an overall aging analysis. We evaluate the collectibility of our receivables from our licensees and 
other customers on a quarterly basis based on factors such as their financial condition, our collateral position, potential future 
plans with licensees and other similar factors. Our allowance for doubtful accounts represents our best estimate of potential 
losses on our accounts and notes receivable and is adjusted accordingly based on historical experience, current developments 
and present economic conditions and trends. Although actual losses have not differed materially from our previous estimates, 
future losses could differ from our current estimates. Unforeseen events such as a licensee or customer bankruptcy filing 
could have a material impact on our results of operations. 

Inventories - Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined for domestic furniture inventories, 
excluding  outdoor  furniture  products,  using  the  last-in,  first-out  method.  The  cost  of  imported  inventories  and  domestic 
outdoor furniture products is determined on a first-in, first-out basis. We estimate an inventory reserve for excess quantities 
and obsolete items based on specific identification and historical write-offs, taking into account future demand and market 
conditions. Our reserves for excess and obsolete inventory were $2,362 and $1,766 at November 30, 2019 and November 
24, 2018, respectively, representing 3.4% and 2.7%, respectively, of our inventories on a last-in, first-out basis. If actual 
demand or market conditions in the future are less favorable than those estimated, additional inventory write-downs may be 
required. 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Goodwill – Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of consideration given over the fair value of the tangible assets 
and  liabilities  and  identifiable  intangible  assets  of  businesses  acquired.  The  acquisition  of  assets  and  liabilities  and  the 
resulting goodwill is allocated to the respective reporting unit: Wood, Upholstery, Retail or Logistical Services. We review 
goodwill at the reporting unit level annually for impairment or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that assets 
might be impaired. 

In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles – Goodwill & Other, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether 
it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining 
whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test described in ASC Topic 350 (as amended by 
Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill 
Impairment, which we adopted for our annual evaluation of goodwill performed as of September 1, 2019). The more likely 
than  not  threshold  is  defined  as  having  a  likelihood  of  more  than  50  percent.  If,  after  assessing  the  totality  of  events  or 
circumstances, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying 
amount, then performing the quantitative impairment test is unnecessary and our goodwill is considered to be unimpaired. 
However, if based on our qualitative assessment we conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting 
unit is less than its carrying amount, we will proceed with performing the quantitative evaluation process. Based on our 
qualitative  assessment  as  described  above,  we  concluded  that,  given  declines  in  our  income  from  operations,  primarily 
resulting from operating losses incurred in our retail reporting unit, as well as in our stock price since the previous analysis 
in fiscal 2018, it was necessary to perform the quantitative evaluation in the current year. 

The quantitative evaluation compares the carrying value of each reporting unit that has goodwill with the estimated fair value 
of the respective reporting unit. Should the carrying value of a reporting unit be in excess of the estimated fair value of that 
reporting unit, a goodwill impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount 
exceeds its fair value, but not to exceed the total goodwill assigned to the reporting unit. The determination of the fair value 
of our reporting units is based on a combination of a market approach, that considers benchmark company market multiples, 
an income approach, that utilizes discounted cash flows for each reporting unit and other Level 3 inputs, and, in the case of 
our retail reporting unit, a cost approach that utilizes estimates of net asset value. The cash flows used to determine fair value 
are dependent on a number of significant management assumptions such as our expectations of future performance and the 
expected future economic environment, which are partly based upon our historical experience. Our estimates are subject to 
change given the inherent uncertainty in predicting future results. Additionally, the discount rate and the terminal growth 
rate are based on our judgment of the rates that would be utilized by a hypothetical market participant. As part of the goodwill 
impairment testing, we also consider our market capitalization in assessing the reasonableness of the combined fair values 
estimated for our reporting units. While we believe such assumptions and estimates are reasonable, the actual results may 
differ materially from the projected amounts. As a result of our annual goodwill impairment test performed as of September 
1, 2019, we recognized an impairment of $1,926 on the goodwill assigned to our retail reporting unit, and concluded that the 
remaining $14,117 of goodwill assigned to our other reporting units was not impaired. The fair values of the other reporting 
units with material amounts of goodwill substantially exceeded their carrying values as of September 1, 2019. 

Other Intangible Assets – Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful 
life are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually or between annual tests when an impairment indicator exists. 
The recoverability of indefinite-lived intangible assets is assessed by comparison of the carrying value of the asset to its 
estimated fair value. If we determine that the carrying value of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss 
equal to the excess would be recorded. At November 30, 2019, our indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill 
consist of trade names acquired in the acquisitions of Zenith and Lane Venture and have a carrying value of $9,338. 

Definite-lived  intangible  assets  are  amortized  over  their  respective  estimated  useful  lives  and  reviewed  for  impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. We estimate the 
useful  lives  of  our  intangible  assets  and  ratably  amortize the  value over  the  estimated useful  lives  of  those  assets. If  the 
estimates of the useful lives should change, we will amortize the remaining book value over the remaining useful lives or, if 
an asset is deemed to be impaired, a write-down of the value of the asset may be required at such time. At November 30, 
2019 our definite-lived intangible assets consist of customer relationships and customized technology applications acquired 
in the acquisition of Zenith and customer relationships acquired in the acquisition of Lane Venture with a total carrying value 
of $2,721. 

16 

 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Continued 
(Amounts in thousands except share and per share data) 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - We periodically evaluate whether events or circumstances have occurred that indicate 
long-lived  assets  may  not  be  recoverable  or  that  the  remaining  useful  life  may  warrant  revision.  When  such  events  or 
circumstances are present, we assess the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value will 
be recovered through the expected undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset. In the event the sum 
of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset, an impairment loss equal to the 
excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value is recorded. When analyzing our real estate properties for potential 
impairment, we consider such qualitative factors as our experience in leasing and selling real estate properties as well as 
specific site and local market characteristics. Upon the closure of a Bassett Home Furnishings store, we generally write off 
all tenant improvements which are only suitable for use in such a store. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

See Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements regarding the impact or potential impact of recent accounting 
pronouncements upon our financial position and results of operations. 

17 

 
 
  
  
 
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the value of foreign currencies. Substantially all of our imports purchased 
outside of North America are denominated in U.S. dollars. Therefore, we believe that gains or losses resulting from changes 
in the value of foreign currencies relating to foreign purchases not denominated in U.S. dollars would not be material to our 
results from operations in fiscal 2018. 

We are exposed to market risk from changes in the cost of raw materials used in our manufacturing processes, principally 
wood, woven fabric, and foam products. An increase in the rate of in home construction could result in increases in wood 
and fabric costs from current levels, and the cost of foam products, which are petroleum-based, is sensitive to changes in the 
price of oil. 

We are also exposed to commodity price risk related to diesel fuel prices for fuel used in our logistical services segment. We 
manage our exposure to that risk primarily through the application of fuel surcharges to our customers. 

We have potential exposure to market risk related to conditions in the commercial real estate market. Our retail real estate 
holdings of $17,845 and $19,997 at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively, for Company-owned stores 
could suffer significant impairment in value if we are forced to close additional stores and sell or lease the related properties 
during periods of weakness in certain markets. Additionally, if we are required to assume responsibility for payment under 
the lease obligations of $1,776 and $2,021 which we have guaranteed on behalf of licensees as of November 30, 2019 and 
November 24, 2018, respectively, we may not be able to secure sufficient sub-lease income in the current market to offset 
the payments required under the guarantees. 

Number of 
Locations 

Aggregate 
Square 
Footage 

Net Book 
Value  
(in thousands)   

Real estate occupied by Company-owned and operated stores, 

included in property and equipment, net 

8       

201,096     $ 

17,845   

Investment real estate leased to others 

1       

24,675       

- * 

Total Company investment in retail real estate 

9       

225,771     $ 

17,845   

*  The carrying value of a building in Chesterfield, Virginia that is subject to a ground lease was fully impaired during fiscal 

2017. 

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As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, “Bassett,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Bassett 
Furniture Industries, Incorporated and its subsidiaries. References to 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 mean the fiscal years 
ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, November 25, 2017, November 26, 2016 and November 28, 2015. Please 
note that fiscal 2019 contained 53 weeks. 

SAFE-HARBOR, FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

This discussion contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform 
Act  of  1995  with  respect  to  the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  business  of  Bassett  Furniture  Industries, 
Incorporated  and  subsidiaries.  Such  forward-looking  statements  are  identified  by  use  of  forward-looking  words  such  as 
“anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “estimates”, “expects”, “aimed” and “intends” or words or phrases of similar expression. 
These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that any such matters 
will be realized. Important factors, which should be read in conjunction with Item 1A “Risk Factors”, that could cause actual 
results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include: 

● 

competitive conditions in the home furnishings industry 

●  general economic conditions, including the strength of the housing market in the United States 

●  overall retail traffic levels in stores and on the web and consumer demand for home furnishings 

● 

ability of our customers and consumers to obtain credit 

●  Bassett  store  openings  and  store  closings  and  the  profitability  of  the  stores  (independent  licensees  and 

Company-owned retail stores) 

● 

● 

ability to implement our retail strategies, including our initiatives to expand and improve our digital marketing 
capabilities, and realize the benefits from such strategies as they are implemented 

fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, fuel, labor and sourced products, including those which 
may result from the imposition of new or increased duties, tariffs, retaliatory tariffs and trade limitations with 
respect to foreign-sourced products 

● 

results of marketing and advertising campaigns 

● 

effectiveness and security of our information technology systems 

● 

future tax legislation, or regulatory or judicial positions 

● 

ability to efficiently manage the import supply chain to minimize business interruption 

● 

concentration of  domestic manufacturing, particularly of  upholstery products,  and  the  resulting exposure  to 
business interruption from accidents, weather and other events and circumstances beyond our control 

●  general risks associated with providing freight transportation and other logistical services by our wholly-owned 

subsidiary Zenith Freight Lines, LLC 

19 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 
November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018 
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Assets 
Current assets 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Short-term investments 
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $815 and $754 as of 

  $ 

November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively 

Inventories 
Other current assets 

Total current assets 

Property and equipment, net 

Other long-term assets 

Deferred income taxes, net 
Goodwill and other intangible assets 
Other 

Total other long-term assets 
Total assets 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity 
Current liabilities 
Accounts payable 
Accrued compensation and benefits 
Customer deposits 
Other accrued liabilities 

Total current liabilities 

Long-term liabilities 

Post employment benefit obligations 
Other long-term liabilities 

Total long-term liabilities 

Commitments and Contingencies 

Stockholders’ equity 

  $ 

  $ 

2019 

2018 

19,687    $ 
17,436      

21,378      
66,302      
11,983      
136,786      

33,468   
22,643   

19,055   
64,192   
9,189   
148,547   

101,724      

104,863   

5,744      
26,176      
5,336      
37,256      
275,766    $ 

3,266   
28,480   
6,485   
38,231   
291,641   

23,677    $ 
11,308      
25,341      
11,945      
72,271      

11,830      
12,995      
24,825      

27,407   
12,994   
27,157   
14,261   
81,819   

13,173   
6,340   
19,513   

Common stock, $5 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding 

10,116,290 at November 30, 2019 and 10,527,636 at November 24, 2018 

Retained earnings 
Additional paid-in-capital 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 

Total stockholders' equity 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 

50,581      
129,130      
195      
(1,236)     
178,670      
275,766    $ 

52,638   
140,009   
-   
(2,338 ) 
190,309   
291,641   

  $ 

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements. 

20 

 
  
  
  
    
  
       
         
  
       
         
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
      
  
    
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
    
    
    
    
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
    
    
    
    
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
    
    
    
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
  
    
      
  
    
      
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
   
 
 
Consolidated Statements of Operations 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 
For the years ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017 
(In thousands, except per share data) 

Sales revenue: 

Furniture and accessories 
Logistics 

Total sales revenue 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

403,865    $ 
48,222      
452,087      

402,469    $ 
54,386      
456,855      

398,097   
54,406   
452,503   

Cost of furniture and accessories sold 

179,244      

179,581      

177,579   

Selling, general and administrative expenses excluding new store 

pre-opening costs 

New store pre-opening costs 
Asset impairment charges 
Goodwill impairment charge 
Early retirement program 
Litigation expense 
Lease exit costs 

264,280      
1,117      
4,431      
1,926      
835      
700      
149      

260,339      
2,081      
469      
-      
-      
-      
301      

245,493   
2,413   
-   
-   
-   
-   
-   

Income (loss) from operations 

(595)     

14,084      

27,018   

Gain on sale of investments 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Impairment of investment in real estate 
Other loss, net 

-      
568      
(6)     
-      
(1,707)     

-      
431      
(57)     
-      
(2,252)     

4,221   
230   
(234 ) 
(1,084 ) 
(2,275 ) 

Income (loss) before income taxes 

(1,740)     

12,206      

27,876   

Income tax expense 

Net income (loss) 

Net income per share 

Basic income (loss) per share 

Diluted income (loss) per share 

Dividends per share 

Regular dividends 
Special dividend 

188      

3,988      

9,620   

  $ 

(1,928)   $ 

8,218    $ 

18,256   

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 
  $ 

(0.19)   $ 

0.77    $ 

(0.19)   $ 

0.77    $ 

0.50    $ 
-    $ 

0.47    $ 
-    $ 

1.71   

1.70   

0.42   
0.35   

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements. 

21 

 
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
       
         
         
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
  
    
      
      
  
    
  
    
      
      
  
  
    
      
      
  
    
      
      
  
  
    
      
      
  
  
    
      
      
  
  
    
      
      
  
    
      
      
  
  
   
 
 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 
For the years ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017 
(In thousands) 

Net income (loss) 
Other comprehensive income (loss): 

Recognize prior service cost associated with Long Term Cash 

Awards (LTCA) 

Actuarial adjustment to LTCA 
Amortization associated with LTCA 
Income taxes related to LTCA 
Actuarial adjustment to supplemental executive retirement 

defined benefit plan (SERP) 

Amortization associated with SERP 
Income taxes related to SERP 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

(1,928)   $ 

8,218    $ 

18,256  

-      
(141)     
124      
4      

1,313      
184      
(382)     

-      

126      
(32)     

616      
304      
(237)     

(932) 

73  
331  

448  
374  
(311) 

(17) 

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 

1,102      

777      

Total comprehensive income (loss) 

  $ 

(826)   $ 

8,995    $ 

18,239  

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements. 

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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 
For the years ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017 
(In thousands) 

Operating activities: 
Net income (loss) 
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by 

operating activities: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

(1,928)   $ 

8,218    $ 

18,256   

Depreciation and amortization 
Non-cash goodwill impairment charge 
Non-cash asset impairment charges 
Non-cash portion of lease exit costs 
Gain on sale of investments 
Net (gain) loss on disposals of property and equipment 
Impairment charges on retail real estate 
Deferred income taxes 
Other, net 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities 

Accounts receivable 
Inventories 
Other current and long-term assets 
Customer deposits 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 
Net cash provided by operating activities 

Investing activities: 
Purchases of property and equipment 
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment 
Cash paid for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired 
Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments 
Other 

Net cash used in investing activities 

Financing activities:  
Cash dividends 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 
Issuance of common stock 
Repurchases of common stock 
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards 
Payments on notes and equipment loans 

Net cash used in financing activities 

Change in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year 
Cash and cash equivalents - end of year 

  $ 

13,500      
1,926      
4,431      
149      
-      
515      
-      
(2,890)     
1,497      

(2,555)     
(2,942)     
1,017      
(1,816)     
(1,095)     
9,809      

(17,375)     
1,643      
-      
5,207      
(648)     
(11,173)     

(5,133)     
25      
328      
(7,345)     
-      
(292)     
(12,417)     
(13,781)     
33,468      
19,687    $ 

13,203      
-      
469      
301      
-      
(234)     
-      
4,663      
2,607      

1,732      
(5,998)     
(961)     
50      
5,857      
29,907      

(18,301)     
2,689      
(15,556)     
482      
(1,287)     
(31,973)     

(8,800)     
27      
355      
(5,946)     
(674)     
(3,377)     
(18,415)     
(20,481)     
53,949      
33,468    $ 

13,312   
-   
-   
-   
(4,221 ) 
(1,190 ) 
1,084   
(302 ) 
2,018   

(1,225 ) 
(918 ) 
2,477   
1,926   
5,840   
37,057   

(15,500 ) 
4,474   
(655 ) 
5,546   
(857 ) 
(6,992 ) 

(7,725 ) 
310   
168   
(83 ) 
(641 ) 
(3,289 ) 
(11,260 ) 
18,805   
35,144   
53,949   

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements. 

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Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 
For the years ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018, and November 25, 2017 
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Common Stock 

   Shares 

     Amount      

    Additional       
     paid-in 
capital 

     Retained      comprehensive       
     earnings       income (loss)       Total 

     Accumulated        
other 

Balance, November 26, 2016 

    10,722,947     $ 

53,615     $ 

255     $  129,388     $ 

(2,553 )   $  180,705   

Comprehensive income 

Net income 
Prior service cost of LTCA, net of tax 
Actuarial adjustment to SERP, net of tax 

Regular dividends ($0.42 per share) 
Special dividend ($0.35 per share) 
Issuance of common stock 
Purchase and retirement of common stock 
Stock-based compensation 

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
39,313       
(24,310 )     
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
197       
(122 )     
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
281       
(602 )     
1,028       

18,256       
-       
-       
(4,508 )     
(3,758 )     
-       
-       
-       

-       
(528 )     
511       
-       
-       
-       
-       
-       

18,256   

511   
(4,508 ) 
(3,758 ) 
478   
(724 ) 
1,028   

Balance, November 25, 2017 

    10,737,950       

53,690       

962        139,378       

(2,570 )      191,460   

Comprehensive income 

Net income 
Prior service cost of LTCA, net of tax 
Actuarial adjustment to SERP, net of tax 

Reclassification of certain tax effects 
Regular dividends ($0.47 per share) 
Issuance of common stock 
Purchase and retirement of common stock 
Stock-based compensation 

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
63,403       
(273,717 )     
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
317       
(1,369 )     
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       
65       
(2,160 )     
1,133       

8,218       
-       
-       
545       
(5,041 )     
-       
(3,091 )     
-       

-       
94       
683       
(545 )     
-       
-       
-       
-       

8,218   
94   
683   

(5,041 ) 
382   
(6,620 ) 
1,133   

Balance, November 24, 2018 

    10,527,636       

52,638       

-        140,009       

(2,338 )      190,309   

Comprehensive income (loss) 

Net loss 
Prior service cost of LTCA, net of tax 
Actuarial adjustment to LTCA, net of tax 

Actuarial adjustment to SERP, net of tax 
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting 
principle 
Regular dividends ($0.50 per share) 
Issuance of common stock 
Purchase and retirement of common stock 
Stock-based compensation 

-       
-       
-       
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       

-       
-       
102,303       
(513,649 )     
-       

-       
-       
511       
(2,568 )     
-       

-       
-       
-       
-       

-       
-       
217       
(980 )     
958       

(1,928 )     
-       
-       
-       

(21 )     
(5,133 )     
-       
(3,797 )     
-       

-       
94       
(105 )     
1,113       

-       
-       
-       
-       
-       

(1,928 ) 
94   
(105 ) 
1,113   

(21 ) 
(5,133 ) 
728   
(7,345 ) 
958   

Balance, November 30, 2019 

    10,116,290     $ 

50,581     $ 

195     $  129,130     $ 

(1,236 )   $  178,670   

The accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these statements. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

1.  Description of Business  

Bassett  Furniture  Industries,  Incorporated  (together  with  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  “Bassett”,  “we”,  “our”,  the 
“Company”)  based  in  Bassett,  Virginia,  is  a  leading  manufacturer,  marketer  and  retailer  of  branded  home  furnishings. 
Bassett’s full range of furniture products and accessories, designed to provide quality, style and value, are sold through an 
exclusive nation-wide network of 103 retail stores known as Bassett Home Furnishings (referred to as “BHF”). Of the 103 
stores, the Company owns and operates 70 stores (“Company-owned retail stores”) with the other 33 being independently 
owned (“licensee operated”). We also distribute our products through other multi-line furniture stores, many of which feature 
Bassett galleries or design centers, specialty stores and mass merchants. 

We  sourced  approximately  23%  of  our  wholesale  products  from  various  foreign  countries,  with  the  remaining  volume 
produced at our five domestic manufacturing facilities. 

Lane Venture Acquisition 

On December 21, 2017, we purchased certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Lane Venture from Heritage Home 
Group, LLC. Lane Venture is being operated as a component of our wholesale segment (see Note 3, Business Combinations). 
Results of operations for the Lane Venture business are included in our consolidated statements of operations since the date 
of acquisition. 

2.  Significant Accounting Policies 

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation 

Our fiscal year ends on the last Saturday in November, which periodically results in a 53-week year.   Fiscal 2019 contained 
53 weeks while fiscal 2018 and 2017 each contained 52 weeks. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts 
of Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and our majority-owned subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest. 
All  significant  intercompany  balances  and  transactions  are  eliminated  in  consolidation.  Accordingly,  the  results  of  Lane 
Venture have been consolidated with our results since the date of the acquisition. Sales of logistical services from Zenith to 
our  wholesale  and  retail  segments  have  been  eliminated,  and  Zenith’s  operating  costs  and  expenses  since  the  date  of 
acquisition are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of net income. The 
financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States 
("GAAP"). Unless otherwise indicated, references in the Consolidated Financial Statements to fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 
are to Bassett's fiscal year ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017, respectively. References 
to the “ASC” included hereinafter refer to the Accounting Standards Codification established by the Financial Accounting 
Standards Board as the source of authoritative GAAP. 

We analyzed our licensees under the requirements for variable interest entities (“VIEs”). All of these licensees operate as 
BHF stores and are furniture retailers. We sell furniture to these licensees, and in some cases have extended credit beyond 
normal terms, made lease guarantees, guaranteed loans, or loaned directly to the licensees. We have recorded reserves for 
potential exposures related to these licensees. See Note 16 for disclosure of leases and lease guarantees. Based on financial 
projections and best available information, all licensees have sufficient equity to carry out their principal operating activities 
without subordinated financial support. Furthermore, we believe that the power to direct the activities that most significantly 
impact the licensees’ operating performance continues to lie with the ownership of the licensee dealers. Our rights to assume 
control  over  or  otherwise  influence  the  licensees’  significant  activities  only  exist  pursuant  to  our  license  and  security 
agreements and are in the nature of protective rights as contemplated under ASC Topic 810. We completed our assessment 
for  other  potential  VIEs,  and  concluded  that  there  were  none.  We  will  continue  to  reassess  the  status  of  potential  VIEs 
including when facts and circumstances surrounding each potential VIE change. 

Use of Estimates 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States 
requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of 
contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the 
reporting period. Some of the more significant estimates include allowances for doubtful accounts, calculation of inventory 
reserves, the valuation of our reporting units for the purpose of testing the carrying value of goodwill, valuation of income 

25 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

tax reserves, lease guarantees, insurance reserves and assumptions related to our post-employment benefit obligations. Actual 
results could differ from those estimates. 

Revenue Recognition 

We  adopted  ASU  2014-09,  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (ASC  Topic  606  or  "ASC  606")  effective  as  of 
November  25,  2018,  the  beginning  of  our  2019  fiscal  year.  ASC  606  requires  a  company  to  recognize  revenue  when  it 
transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the company expects to receive 
in exchange for those goods or services. For our wholesale and retail segments, revenue is recognized when the risks and 
rewards of ownership and title to the product have transferred to the buyer. 

At wholesale, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon the shipment of goods to independent dealers and licensee-
owned BHF stores. We offer payment terms varying from 30 to 60 days for wholesale customers. Estimates for returns and 
allowances have been  recorded  as  a reduction  of revenue based on  our historical return patterns. The  contracts with our 
licensee store owners do not provide for any royalty or license fee to be paid to us. 

At retail, transfer occurs and revenue is recognized upon delivery of goods to the customer. We typically collect a significant 
portion of the purchase price as a customer deposit upon order, with the balance typically collected upon delivery. These 
deposits are carried on our balance sheet as a current liability until delivery is fulfilled and amounted to $25,341 and $27,157 
as of November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively. Substantially all of the customer deposits held at November 
24, 2018 related to performance obligations satisfied during fiscal 2019 and have therefore been recognized in revenue for 
the year ended November 30, 2019. Estimates for returns and allowances have been recorded as a reduction of revenue based 
on our historical return patterns. We also sell furniture protection plans to our retail customers on behalf of a third party 
which is responsible for the performance obligations under the plans. Revenue from the sale of these plans is recognized 
upon delivery of the goods net of amounts payable to the third party service provider. 

For our logistical services segment, line-haul freight revenue is recognized as services are performed and are billed to the 
customer upon the completion of delivery to the destination. Because the customer receives the benefits of these services as 
the freight is in transit from point of origin to destination, we recognize revenue using a percentage of completion method 
based on our estimate of the amount of time freight has been in transit as of the reporting date compared with our estimate 
of the total required time for the deliveries. We recognize an asset for the amount of line-haul revenue earned but not yet 
billed which is included in other current assets. The balance of this asset was $441 at November 30, 2019 and $512 at the 
beginning of fiscal 2019 upon adoption of ASC 606. Warehousing services revenue is based upon warehouse space occupied 
by a customer’s goods and inventory movements in and out of a warehouse and is recognized as such services are provided 
and billed to the customer concurrently in the same period. All invoices for logistical services are due 30 days from invoice 
date. 

Sales commissions are expensed as part of selling, general and administrative expenses at the time revenue is recognized 
because the amortization period would have been one year or less. Sales commissions at wholesale are accrued upon the 
shipment of goods. Sales commissions at retail are accrued at the time a sale is written (i.e. – when the customer’s order is 
placed) and are carried as prepaid commissions in other current assets until the goods are delivered and revenue is recognized. 
At November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, our balance of prepaid commissions included in other current assets was 
$2,435 and $2,739, respectively. We do not incur sales commissions in our logistical services segment. 

We  adopted  ASC  606  using  the  modified  retrospective  method  and  applied  the  standard  only  to  contracts  that  were  not 
completed as of initial application. Results for reporting periods beginning after November 24, 2018 are presented under the 
new  standard,  while  prior  period  amounts  are  not  adjusted  and  continue  to  be  reported  in  accordance  with  our  historic 
accounting. Our adoption of ASC 606 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements except for our 
enhanced presentation and disclosures. 

Upon adoption of ASC 606, we have adopted the following policy elections and practical expedients: 

•  We exclude from revenue amounts collected from customers for sales tax, which is consistent with our policy prior 

to the adoption of ASC 606. 

•  We do not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component since 
the period of time between transfer of our goods or services and the collection of consideration from the customer 
is less than one year. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

•  We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations because the transfer of goods or services is 

made within one year of the placement of customer orders. 

See Note 19, Segment Information, for disaggregated revenue information. 

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments 

The Company considers cash on hand, demand deposits in banks and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity 
of three months or less to be cash and cash equivalents. Our short-term investments consist of certificates of deposit that have 
original maturities of twelve months or less but greater than three months. 

Accounts Receivable 

Substantially all of our trade accounts receivable is due from customers located within the United States. We maintain an 
allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. 
The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on a review of specifically identified accounts in addition to an overall aging 
analysis. Judgments are made with respect to the collectibility of accounts receivable based on historical experience and 
current economic trends. Actual losses could differ from those estimates. 

Concentrations of Credit Risk and Major Customers 

Financial  instruments  that  subject  us  to  credit  risk  consist  primarily  of  investments,  accounts  and  notes  receivable  and 
financial guarantees. Investments are managed within established guidelines to mitigate risks. Accounts and notes receivable 
and financial guarantees subject us to credit risk partially due to the concentration of amounts due from and guaranteed on 
behalf of independent licensee customers. At November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, our aggregate exposure from 
receivables and guarantees related to customers consisted of the following: 

Accounts receivable, net of allowances (Note 5) 
Contingent obligations under lease and loan guarantees, less amounts recognized (Note 16) 
Other 

Total credit risk exposure related to customers 

2019 

     2018 

   $  21,378     $  19,055   
1,751        1,995   
-   
168       
   $  23,297     $  21,050   

At November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, approximately 28% and 33%, respectively, of the aggregate risk exposure, 
net of reserves, shown above was attributable to five customers. In fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, no customer accounted for 
more than 10% of total consolidated net sales. However, two customers accounted for approximately 44%, 40% and 47% of 
our consolidated revenue from logistical services during 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

We have no foreign manufacturing or retail operations. We define export sales as sales to any country or territory other than 
the United States or its territories or possessions. Our export sales were approximately $1,846, $1,587, and $2,288 in fiscal 
2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. All of our export sales are invoiced and settled in U.S. dollars. 

Inventories 

Inventories (retail merchandise, finished goods, work in process and raw materials) are stated at the lower of cost or market. 
Cost is determined for domestic manufactured furniture inventories using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method because we 
believe  this methodology provides better matching of revenue and  expenses. The  cost  of  imported  inventories  and  Lane 
Venture product inventories are determined on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. Inventories accounted for under the LIFO 
method represented 52% of total inventory before reserves at both November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018. We estimate 
inventory reserves for excess quantities and obsolete items based on specific identification and historical write-offs, taking 
into account future demand and market conditions. If actual demand or market conditions in the future are less favorable 
than those estimated, additional inventory write-downs may be required. 

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment is comprised of all land, buildings and leasehold improvements and machinery and equipment used 
in the manufacturing and warehousing of furniture, our Company-owned retail operations, our logistical services operations, 
and corporate administration. This property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

computed  over  the  estimated  useful  lives  of  the  respective  assets  utilizing  the  straight-line  method.  Buildings  and 
improvements are generally depreciated over a period of 10 to 39 years. Machinery and equipment are generally depreciated 
over a period of 5 to 10 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized based on the underlying lease term, or the asset’s 
estimated useful life, whichever is shorter. 

Retail Real Estate 

Prior to November 30, 2019, retail real estate was comprised of owned and leased properties which have in the past been 
utilized by licensee operated BHF stores and are now leased or subleased to non-licensee tenants. The net book value of our 
retail real estate at November 24, 2018 was $1,655, included in other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet, and 
consisted of one property located near Charleston, South Carolina which was fully occupied by a tenant under a long term 
lease. During fiscal 2019, this property was sold to the tenant for net proceeds in the amount of $1,475, resulting in a loss of 
$98,  included  in  other  loss,  net  in  our  accompanying  statement  of  operations  for  the  year  ended  November  30,  2019. 
Depreciation expense was $94, $103, and $127 in fiscal 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, and is included in other loss, 
net, in our consolidated statements of operations. 

We also own a building in Chesterfield County, Virginia that was formerly leased to a licensee for the operation of a BHF 
store. The building is subject to a ground lease that expires in 2020, but has additional renewal options. Since 2012, we have 
leased the building to another party who is, as of recently, paying less than the full amount of the lease obligation, resulting 
in  rental  income  insufficient  to  cover  our  ground  lease  obligation.  Efforts  to  sell  our  interest  in  the  building  have  been 
unsuccessful so far. We have also concluded that absent a significant cash investment in the building the likelihood of locating 
another tenant for the building at a rent that would provide positive cash flow in excess of the ground lease expense is remote. 
In addition, we obtained an appraisal during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 which indicated that the value of the building 
had significantly decreased and was now minimal. Given these circumstances, we concluded in the second quarter of fiscal 
2017 that we are unlikely to renew the ground lease in 2020 and would therefore likely vacate the property at that time. 
Consequently, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $1,084 during fiscal 2017 to write off the value of the building. 

Goodwill  

Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of consideration given over the fair value of the tangible assets and liabilities 
and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. The acquisition of assets and liabilities and the resulting goodwill 
is allocated to the respective reporting unit: Wood, Upholstery, Retail or Logistical Services. We review goodwill at the 
reporting  unit  level  annually  for  impairment  or  more  frequently  if  events  or  circumstances  indicate  that  assets  might  be 
impaired. 

In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles – Goodwill & Other, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether 
it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining 
whether it is necessary to perform the quantitiative goodwill impairment test described in ASC Topic 350 (as amended by 
Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill 
Impairment, which we adopted for our annual evaluation of goodwill performed as of September 1, 2019). The more likely 
than  not  threshold  is  defined  as  having  a  likelihood  of  more  than  50  percent.  If,  after  assessing  the  totality  of  events  or 
circumstances, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying 
amount, then performing the quantitative impairment test is unnecessary and our goodwill is considered to be unimpaired. 
However, if based on our qualitative assessment we conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting 
unit is less than its carrying amount, we will proceed with performing the quantitative evaluation process. Based on our 
qualitative  assessment  as  described  above,  we  concluded  that,  given  declines  in  our  income  from  operations,  primarily 
resulting from operating losses incurred in our retail reporting unit, as well as in our stock price since the previous analysis 
in fiscal 2018, it was necessary to perform the quantitative evaluation in the current year. 

The quantitative evaluation compares the carrying value of each reporting unit that has goodwill with the estimated fair value 
of the respective reporting unit. Should the carrying value of a reporting unit be in excess of the estimated fair value of that 
reporting unit, a goodwill impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount 
exceeds its fair value, but not to exceed the total goodwill assigned to the reporting unit. The determination of the fair value 
of our reporting units is based on a combination of a market approach, that considers benchmark company market multiples, 
an income approach, that utilizes discounted cash flows for each reporting unit and other Level 3 inputs as specified in the 
fair value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure (see Note 4), and, in the case of our retail 
reporting unit, a cost approach that utilizes estimates of net asset value. The cash flows used to determine fair value are 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

dependent  on  a  number  of  significant  management  assumptions  such  as  our  expectations  of  future  performance  and  the 
expected future economic environment, which are partly based upon our historical experience. Our estimates are subject to 
change given the inherent uncertainty in predicting future results. Additionally, the discount rate and the terminal growth 
rate are based on our judgment of the rates that would be utilized by a hypothetical market participant. As part of the goodwill 
impairment testing, we also consider our market capitalization in assessing the reasonableness of the combined fair values 
estimated for our reporting units. While we believe such assumptions and estimates are reasonable, the actual results may 
differ  materially  from  the  projected  amounts.  See  Note  8  for  additional  information  regarding  the  results  of  our  annual 
goodwill impairment test performed as of September 1, 2019. 

Other Intangible Assets 

Intangible assets acquired in a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized but 
are  tested  for  impairment  annually  or  between  annual  tests  when  an  impairment  indicator  exists.  The  recoverability  of 
indefinite-lived intangible assets is assessed by comparison of the carrying value of the asset to its estimated fair value. If we 
determine that the carrying value of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss equal to the excess would 
be recorded. 

Definite-lived  intangible  assets  are  amortized  over  their  respective  estimated  useful  lives  and  reviewed  for  impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. We estimate the 
useful  lives  of  our  intangible  assets  and  ratably  amortize the  value over  the  estimated useful  lives  of  those  assets. If  the 
estimates of the useful lives should change, we will amortize the remaining book value over the remaining useful lives or, if 
an asset is deemed to be impaired, a write-down of the value of the asset may be required at such time. 

Impairment of Long Lived Assets 

We  periodically  evaluate  whether  events  or  circumstances  have  occurred  that  indicate  long-lived  assets  may  not  be 
recoverable or that the remaining useful life may warrant revision. When such events or circumstances are present, we assess 
the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value will be recovered through the expected 
undiscounted  future  cash  flows  resulting  from  the  use  and  eventual  disposition  of  the  asset.  In  the  event  the  sum  of  the 
expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset, an impairment loss equal to the excess 
of  the  asset’s  carrying  value  over  its  fair  value  is  recorded.  Fair  value  is  determined  based  on  discounted  cash  flows  or 
appraised values depending on the nature of the assets. The long-term nature of these assets requires the estimation of cash 
inflows and outflows several years into the future. 

When analyzing our real estate properties for potential impairment, we consider such qualitative factors as our experience in 
leasing and selling real estate properties as well as specific site and local market characteristics. Upon the closure of a Bassett 
Home Furnishings store, we generally write off all tenant improvements which are only suitable for use in such a store. 

Income Taxes 

We account for income taxes under the liability method which requires that we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities 
for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amount of existing assets 
and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected 
to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The 
effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the 
enactment date. See Note 14. 

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be 
sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. Despite our belief that our 
liability  for  unrecognized  tax  benefits  is  adequate,  it  is  often  difficult  to  predict  the  final  outcome  or  the  timing  of  the 
resolution of any particular tax matters. We may adjust these liabilities as relevant circumstances evolve, such as guidance 
from the relevant tax authority or our tax advisors, or resolution of issues in the courts. These adjustments are recognized as 
a component of income tax expense in the period in which they are identified. 

We  evaluate  our  deferred  income  tax  assets  to  determine  if  valuation  allowances  are  required  or  should  be  adjusted.  A 
valuation  allowance  is  established  against  our  deferred  tax  assets  based  on  consideration  of  all  available  evidence,  both 
positive and negative, using a “more likely than not” standard. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, 
frequency and severity of recent losses, forecasts of future profitability, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, our 

29 

 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

experience with tax attributes expiring unused and tax planning alternatives. In making such judgments, significant weight 
is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. See Note 14. 

New Store Pre-Opening Costs 

Income from operations for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 includes new store pre-opening costs of $1,117, $2,081 and $2,413, 
respectively. Such costs consist of expenses incurred at the new store location during the period prior to its opening and 
include, among other things, facility occupancy costs such as rent and utilities and local store personnel costs related to pre-
opening activities including training. New store pre-opening costs do not include costs which are capitalized in accordance 
with our property and equipment capitalization policies, such as leasehold improvements and store fixtures and equipment. 
Such capitalized costs associated with new stores are depreciated commencing with the opening of the store. There are no 
pre-opening costs associated with stores acquired from licensees, as such locations were already in operation at the time of 
their acquisition. 

Shipping and Handling Costs 

Costs incurred to deliver wholesale merchandise to customers are recorded in selling, general and administrative expense 
and  totaled  $18,402,  $17,511,  and  $18,514  for  fiscal  2019,  2018  and  2017,  respectively.  Costs  incurred  to  deliver  retail 
merchandise  to  customers,  including  the  cost  of  operating  regional  distribution warehouses,  are  also  recorded  in  selling, 
general and administrative expense and totaled $23,710, $20,640, and $19,604 for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

Advertising 

Costs  incurred  for  producing  and  distributing  advertising  and  advertising  materials  are  expensed  when  incurred  and  are 
included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Advertising costs totaled $20,674, $20,922, and $18,834 in fiscal 
2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 

Insurance Reserves 

We have self-funded insurance programs in place to cover workers’ compensation and health insurance. These insurance 
programs are subject to various stop-loss limitations. We accrue estimated losses using historical loss experience. Although 
we believe that the insurance reserves are adequate, the reserve estimates are based on historical experience, which may not 
be indicative of current and future losses. We adjust insurance reserves, as needed, in the event that future loss experience 
differs from historical loss patterns. 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information 

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, we purchased certain fixed assets and inventory with a total purchase price of $2,225, 
of  which  $375  was  paid  for  with  the  issuance  of  24,590  shares  if  our  common  stock.  There  were  no  material  non-cash 
investing or financing activities during fiscal 2018 or 2017. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements  

Recently Adopted Pronouncements 

Effective as of the beginning of fiscal 2019, we adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). 
Refer to the preceding discussion under “Revenue Recognition” for more information regarding the impact of ASC 606 on 
our financial statements. 

Effective  as of  the beginning  of  fiscal 2019,  we  adopted Accounting  Standards Update  No. 2016-15,  Statement  of Cash 
Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. ASU 2016-15 addresses how certain cash 
receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows with the objective of reducing existing 
diversity in practice with respect to these items. Among the types of cash flows addressed are payments for costs related to 
debt prepayments or extinguishments, payments representing accreted interest on discounted debt, payments of contingent 
consideration  after  a  business  combination,  proceeds  from  insurance  claims  and  company-owned  life  insurance,  and 
distributions  from  equity  method  investees,  among  others.  The  amendments  in  ASU  2016-15  are  to  be  adopted 
retrospectively with comparative amounts in prior period cash flow statements reclassified to conform to the current period 
presentation. Accordingly, for the years ended November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017 we have reclassified investments 
in Company-owned life insurance (net of death benefits received) of $1,287 and $857, respectively, from cash flows from 

30 

 
 
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

operating activities to cash flows from investing activities, and we have reclassified $78 and $184, respectively, representing 
the portion of a debt payment attributable to discount accretion from cash flows from financing activities to cash flows from 
operating activities. 

Effective as of the beginning of fiscal 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments 
- Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. ASU 2016-01 
requires that equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in 
consolidation of the investee) are to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. However, 
an  entity  may  choose  to  measure  equity  investments  that  do  not  have  readily  determinable  fair  values  at  cost  minus 
impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical 
or a similar investment of the same issuer. Furthermore, equity investments without readily determinable fair values are to 
be assessed for impairment using a quantitative approach. The amendments in ASU 2016-01 should be applied by means of 
a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption, with other amendments 
related specifically to equity securities without readily determinable fair values applied prospectively. The adoption of this 
guidance did not have a material impact upon our financial condition or results of operations. 

Effective as of the beginning of fiscal 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-01, Business Combinations 
(Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. ASU 2017-01 provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of 
assets  and  activities  (collectively  referred  to  as  a  “set”)  does  not  constitute  a  business.  The  screen  requires  that  when 
substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or 
a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. This screen reduces the number of transactions that need to be 
further evaluated. If the screen is not met, the amendments in ASU 2017-01 (1) require that to be considered a business, a 
set must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to 
create output  and (2)  remove  the  evaluation  of  whether  a market participant  could replace missing  elements. During  the 
fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, we purchased a set of production equipment for $1,966 which, upon application of the screen, 
did not constitute a business and was therefore accounted for as an asset purchase. 

Effective as of the beginning of fiscal 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-09, Compensation – Stock 
Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting. ASU 2017-09 was issued to provide clarity and reduce both 
(1)  diversity  in  practice  and  (2)  cost  and  complexity  when  applying  the  guidance  in  Topic  718,  Compensation—Stock 
Compensation,  to  a  change  to  the  terms  or  conditions of a  share-based payment  award.  The  amendments  in  this Update 
provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply 
modification accounting in Topic 718. Essentially, an entity will not have to account for the effects of a modification if: (1) 
The fair value of the modified award is the same immediately before and after the modification; (2) the vesting conditions of 
the modified award are the same immediately before and after the modification; and (3) the classification of the modified 
award as either an equity instrument or liability instrument is the same immediately before and after the modification. The 
adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact upon our financial condition or results of operations. 

Effective for our annual test for impairment of goodwill as of the beginning of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2019, we have 
adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for 
Goodwill Impairment. ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under Step 2, an entity had to 
perform  procedures  to  determine  the  fair  value  at  the  impairment  testing  date  of  its  assets  and  liabilities  (including 
unrecognized assets and liabilities) following the procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets 
acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Instead, under the amendments in ASU 2017-04, an entity should 
perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying 
amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting 
unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. 
Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the 
reporting  unit  when  measuring  the  goodwill  impairment  loss,  if  applicable.  An  entity  still  has  the  option  to  perform  the 
qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. Refer to the preceding 
discussion under “Goodwill” for additional information regarding the results of our annual impairment test following the 
adoption of ASU 2017-04. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Recent Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted  

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The guidance in ASU 
2016-02 (as subsequently amended by ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2018-20) requires that a lessee 
recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset 
representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is 
permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. 
As with previous guidance, there continues to be a differentiation between finance leases and operating leases, however this 
distinction now primarily relates to differences in the manner of expense recognition over time and in the classification of 
lease payments in the statement of cash flows. Lease assets and liabilities arising from both finance and operating leases will 
be  recognized  in  the  statement  of  financial  position.  ASU  2016-02  leaves  the  accounting  for  leases  by  lessors  largely 
unchanged  from  previous  GAAP.  The  transitional  guidance  for  adopting  the  requirements  of  ASU  2016-02  calls  for  a 
modified retrospective approach that includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. In 
addition, ASU 2018-11 provides for an additional (and optional) transition method by which entities may elect to initially 
apply the transition requirements in Topic 842 at that Topic’s effective date with the effects of initially applying Topic 842 
recognized as a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption and without 
retrospective  application  to  any  comparative  prior  periods  presented.  Also,  ASU  2018-20  provides  certain  narrow-scope 
improvements to Topic 842 as it relates to lessors. We have substantially completed identifying the population of contracts 
that meet the definition of a lease under ASU 2016-02. We are in the final stage of implementing a lease accounting system 
and finalizing our control framework in preparation for the adoption of this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. We 
plan  to  elect  certain  practical  expedients  permitted  under  the  transition  guidance,  including  the  package  of  practical 
expedients, which allows the Company to not reassess whether existing contracts contain leases, the lease classification of 
existing leases, or initial direct costs for existing leases. We also plan to elect not to separate lease and non-lease components 
for certain classes of leased assets and not to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for leases with an initial term 
of twelve months or less. We will adopt the guidance of ASU 2016-02 using the optional transition method as provided by 
ASU 2018-11. On adoption, we will recognize additional operating liabilities, with corresponding right of use assets of the 
same amount adjusted for prepaid/deferred rent, unamortized lease incentives and any impairment of right of use assets based 
on the present value of the remaining minimum rental payments. We expect the adoption of this standard to have a material 
effect on our statement of financial position (refer to Note 16 for information regarding our leases currently classified as 
operating leases under ASC Topic 840). 

In August 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-15 – Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-
Use  Software  (Subtopic  350-40):  Customer's  Accounting  for  Implementation  Costs  Incurred  in  a  Cloud  Computing 
Arrangement  That  Is  a  Service  Contract,  to  help  entities  evaluate  the  accounting  for  fees  paid  by  a  customer  in  a  cloud 
computing  arrangement  (hosting  arrangement)  by  providing  guidance  for  determining  when  the  arrangement  includes  a 
software license. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in 
a  hosting  arrangement  that  is  a  service  contract  with  the  requirements  for  capitalizing  implementation  costs  incurred  to 
develop  or  obtain  internal-use  software  (and  hosting  arrangements  that  include  an  internal  use  software  license).  The 
accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected by the amendments in 
ASU 2018-15. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 will become effective for us as of the beginning of our 2021 fiscal year. 
Early  adoption  is  permitted,  including  adoption  in  any  interim  period.  We  are  currently  evaluating  the  impact  that  this 
guidance will have upon our financial position and results of operations, if any. 

In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2019-12 – Income Taxes (Topic 740) Simplifying 
the Accounting for Income Taxes, as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in the accounting standards. The amendments 
in  ASU 2019-12  eliminate  certain  exceptions  related  to  the approach for  intraperiod tax  allocation, the  methodology for 
calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. ASU 
2019-12 also clarifies and simplifies other aspects of the accounting for income taxes. The amendments in ASU 2019-12 
will become effective for us as of the beginning of our 2022 fiscal year. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in 
any interim period. We are currently evaluating the impact that this guidance will have upon our financial position and results 
of operations, if any. 

Reclassifications 

Certain prior year amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year 
presentation with no effect on previously reported net income or Stockholders’ equity. See “Recently Adopted Accounting 

32 

 
 
  
   
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Pronouncements” above regarding the impact of our adoption of ASU 2016-15 on the statements of cash flows for fiscal 
2018 and 2017. 

3.  Business Combinations 

Acquisition of Lane Venture 

On December 21, 2017, we purchased certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Lane Venture from Heritage Home 
Group, LLC for $15,556 in cash. Lane Venture is a manufacturer and distributor of premium outdoor furniture, and is now 
being operated as a component of our wholesale segment. 

Under the acquisition method of accounting, the fair value of the consideration transferred was allocated to the tangible and 
intangible assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the 
remaining unallocated amount recorded as goodwill. 

The allocation of the fair value of the acquired business was initially based on a preliminary valuation. Our estimates and 
assumptions  were  revised  during  2018  as  we  obtained  additional  information  for  our  estimates  during  the  measurement 
period , which we consider to be closed as of November 24, 2018. During fiscal 2018, we recorded measurement period 
adjustments  resulting  in  a  net  increase  to  the  opening  value  of  various  acquired  assets  and  assumed  liabilities  with  an 
offsetting reduction of recognized goodwill of $76. The final allocation of the $15,556 all-cash purchase price to the acquired 
assets and liabilities of the Lane Venture business, including measurement period adjustments, is as follows: 

Allocation of the fair value of consideration transferred:         
Identifiable assets acquired: 

Accounts receivable, net of reserve (Note 5) 
Inventory, net of reserve (Note 6) 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 
Intangible assets 

Total identifiable assets acquired 

Liabilities assumed: 
Accounts payable 
Other accrued liabilities 

Total liabilities assumed 
Net identifiable assets acquired 
Goodwill 

Total net assets acquired 

  $ 

  $ 

1,507  
3,718  
37  
7,360  
12,622  

(357) 
(852) 
(1,209) 
11,413  
4,143  
15,556  

Goodwill was determined based on the residual difference between the fair value of the consideration transferred and the 
value  assigned  to  the  tangible  and  intangible  assets  and  liabilities  recognized  in  connection  with  the  acquisition  and  is 
deductible for tax purposes. Among the factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill 
are the expected synergies arising from combining the Company’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities with Lane 
Venture’s position in the outdoor furnishings market, a segment of the market not previously served by Bassett. 

A portion of the fair value of the consideration transferred has been assigned to identifiable intangible assets as follows: 

Description: 

   Useful Life        
In Years 

     Fair Value    

Trade name 
Customer relationships 

     Indefinite      $ 
9 

6,848   
512   

Total acquired intangible assets 

    $ 

7,360   

The finite-lived intangible asset is being amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life. The indefinite-lived 
intangible asset and goodwill are not amortized but will be tested for impairment annually or between annual tests if an 
indicator of impairment exists. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

The fair values of consideration transferred and net assets acquired were determined using a combination of Level 2 and 
Level 3 inputs as specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. See Note 4. 

Acquisition costs related to the Lane Venture acquisition totaled $256 during the year ended November 24, 2018, and are 
included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. The acquisition costs 
are primarily related to legal, accounting and valuation services. 

The pro forma impact of the acquisition and the results of operations attributable to Lane Venture since the acquisition have 
not been presented because they are not material to our consolidated results of operations for the three fiscal years ended 
November 24, 2018. 

Licensee Store Acquisition 

During the first quarter of fiscal 2017, we acquired the operations of the Bassett Home Furnishings (“BHF”) store located in 
Columbus, Ohio for a purchase price of $655. The store had been owned and operated by a licensee that had determined that 
continued ownership of a BHF store was no longer consistent with its future business objectives. We believe that Columbus, 
Ohio represents a viable market for a BHF store. 

The purchase price was allocated as follows: 

Inventory 
Goodwill 

  $ 

343   
312   

Purchase price 

  $ 

655   

The inputs into our valuation of the acquired assets reflect our market assumptions and are not observable. Consequently, 
the inputs are considered to be Level 3 inputs as specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements 
and Disclosures. See Note 4. 

The pro forma impact of the acquisition and the results of operations for the Columbus store since the acquisition was not 
material to our consolidated results of operations for the year ended November 25, 2017. 

4.  Financial Instruments, Investments and Fair Value Measurements 

Financial Instruments 

Our  financial  instruments  include  cash  and  cash  equivalents,  short-term  investments  in  certificates  of  deposit,  accounts 
receivable, cost method investments, accounts payable and long-term debt. Because of their short maturities, the carrying 
amounts of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments in certificates of deposit, accounts receivable, and accounts 
payable approximate fair value. 

Investments  

Our short-term investments of $17,436 and $22,643 at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively, consisted 
of certificates of deposit (CDs) with original terms of six to twelve months, bearing interest at rates ranging from 0.85% to 
2.55%. At November 30, 2019, the weighted average remaining time to maturity of the CDs was approximately three months 
and the weighted average yield of the CDs was approximately 2.09%. Each CD is placed with a federally insured financial 
institution and all deposits are within Federal deposit insurance limits. As the CDs mature, we expect to reinvest them in 
CDs of similar maturities of up to one year. Due to the nature of these investments and their relatively short maturities, the 
carrying amount of the short-term investments at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018 approximates their fair value. 

34 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
       
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Fair Value Measurement  

The Company accounts for items measured at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and 
Disclosures. ASC 820’s valuation techniques are based on observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect 
readily  obtainable  data  from  independent  sources,  while  unobservable  inputs  reflect  our  market  assumptions.  ASC  820 
classifies these inputs into the following hierarchy: 

Level 1 Inputs– Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. 

Level 2 Inputs– Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in 
markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are 
observable. 

Level 3 Inputs– Instruments with primarily unobservable value drivers. 

We believe that the carrying amounts of our current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term 
nature of these items. The recurring estimate of the fair value of our notes payable for disclosure purposes (see Note 10) 
involves  Level  3  inputs.  Our  primary  non-recurring  fair  value  estimates  typically  involve  business  acquisitions  (Note  3) 
which involve a combination of Level 2 and Level 3 inputs, goodwill impairment testing (Note 8), which involves Level 3 
inputs, and asset impairments (Note 15) which utilize Level 3 inputs. 

5.  Accounts Receivable 

Accounts receivable consists of the following: 

Gross accounts receivable 
Allowance for doubtful accounts 
Net accounts receivable 

November 30, 
2019 

November 24, 
2018 

  $ 

  $ 

22,193    $ 
(815)     
21,378    $ 

19,809  
(754) 
19,055  

Activity in the allowance for doubtful accounts was as follows: 

2019 

2018 

Balance, beginning of the year 
  $ 
Acquired allowance on accounts receivable (Note 3)      
Additions charged to expense 
Reductions to allowance, net 
Balance, end of the year 

  $ 

754     $ 
-       
61       
-       
815     $ 

617  
50  
339  
(252) 
754  

We believe that the carrying value of our net accounts receivable approximates fair value. The inputs into these fair value 
estimates reflect our market assumptions and are not observable. Consequently, the inputs are considered to be Level 3 as 
specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. See Note 4. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

6. 

Inventories 

Inventories consist of the following: 

November 30, 
2019 

November 24, 
2018 

  $ 

Wholesale finished goods 
Work in process 
Raw materials and supplies 
Retail merchandise 
Total inventories on first-in, first-out method      
LIFO adjustment 
Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory 

  $ 

27,792     $ 
733       
17,293       
31,534       
77,352       
(8,688 )     
(2,362 )     
66,302     $ 

30,750  
432  
15,503  
27,599  
74,284  
(8,326) 
(1,766) 
64,192  

We source a significant amount of our wholesale product from other countries. During 2019, 2018 and 2017, purchases from 
our two largest vendors located in Vietnam and China were $15,221, $24,073 and $21,977 respectively. 

We  estimate  an  inventory  reserve  for  excess  quantities  and  obsolete  items based  on  specific  identification  and historical 
write-offs, taking into account future demand, market conditions and the respective valuations at LIFO. The need for these 
reserves is primarily driven by the normal product life cycle. As products mature and sales volumes decline, we rationalize 
our product offerings to respond to consumer tastes and keep our product lines fresh. If actual demand or market conditions 
in  the  future  are  less  favorable  than  those  estimated,  additional  inventory  write-downs  may  be  required.  In  determining 
reserves, we calculate separate reserves on our wholesale and retail inventories. Our wholesale inventories tend to carry the 
majority  of  the  reserves  for  excess  quantities  and  obsolete  inventory  due  to  the  nature  of  our  distribution  model.  These 
wholesale  reserves  primarily  represent  design  and  style  obsolescence.  Typically,  product  is  not  shipped  to  our  retail 
warehouses until a consumer has ordered and paid a deposit for the product. We do not typically hold retail inventory for 
stock purposes. Consequently, floor sample inventory and inventory for delivery to customers account for the majority of 
our inventory at retail. Retail reserves are based on accessory and clearance floor sample inventory in our stores and any 
inventory that is not associated with a specific customer order in our retail warehouses. 

Activity in the reserves for excess quantities and obsolete inventory by segment are as follows: 

Balance at November 25, 2017 
Acquired reserve on inventory (Note 3) 
Additions charged to expense 
Write-offs 
Balance at November 24, 2018 
Additions charged to expense 
Write-offs 
Balance at November 30, 2019 

  $ 

  $ 

Wholesale 
Segment      

Retail 

1,618    $ 
110      
1,884      
(2,112)     
1,500      
1,881      
(1,327)     
2,054    $ 

Segment       Total 
277    $ 
-      
425      
(436)     
266      
373      
(331)     
308    $ 

1,895  
110  
2,309  
(2,548) 
1,766  
2,254  
(1,658) 
2,362  

Additions charged to expense for our wholesale segment during the year ended November 30, 2019 includes a $390 
inventory valuation charge arising from our decision to exit the juvenile furniture line of business. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

7.  Property and Equipment  

Property and equipment consist of the following: 

Land 
Buildings and leasehold improvements 
Machinery and equipment 

Property and equipment at cost 

Less accumulated depreciation 
Property and equipment, net 

November 30, 
2019 

November 24, 
2018 

  $ 

  $ 

9,478     $ 
126,085       
115,131       
250,694       
(148,970 )     
101,724     $ 

9,908  
124,449  
108,379  
242,736  
(137,873) 
104,863  

The net book value of our property and equipment by reportable segment is a follows: 

Wholesale 
Retail - Company-owned stores 
Logistical Services 

Total property and equipment, net 

November 30, 
2019 

November 24, 
2018 

  $ 

  $ 

28,993     $ 
55,625       
17,106       
101,724     $ 

26,511   
61,380   
16,972   
104,863   

At November 30, 2019 we owned one retail store property located in Gulfport, Mississippi which was under contract to be 
sold. The net book value of the property of $1,569 at November 30, 2019 is classified as held for sale and is included in other 
current  assets  in  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  at  November  30,  2019.  The  sale  of  the  property  was 
completed subsequent to November 30, 2019 for net proceeds of $1,639. 

Depreciation expense associated with the property and equipment shown above was included in income from operations in 
our consolidated statements of operations as follows: 

Cost of goods sold (wholesale segment) 
Selling, general and adminstrative expenses: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

1,402     $ 

1,264     $ 

989   

Wholesale segment 
Retail segment 
Logistical services segment 
Total included in selling, general and adminstrative expenses 
Total depreciation expense included in income from operations    $ 

1,672       
7,479       
3,697       
12,848       
14,250     $ 

1,666       
7,060       
3,747       
12,473       
13,737     $ 

1,531   
7,080   
3,987   
12,598   
13,587   

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

8.  Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 

Goodwill and other intangible assets consisted of the following: 

Intangibles subject to amortization: 

Customer relationships 
Technology - customized applications 

November 30, 2019 

Gross 
Carrying 
Amount  

Accumulated 
Amortization      

Intangible 
Assets, Net    

  $ 

3,550     $ 
834       

(1,088)   $ 
(575)     

2,462   
259   

Total intangible assets subject to amortization 

  $ 

4,384     $ 

(1,663)     

2,721   

Intangibles not subject to amortization: 

Trade names 
Goodwill 

Total goodwill and other intangible assets 

Intangibles subject to amortization: 

Customer relationships 
Technology - customized applications 

9,338   
14,117   

    $ 

26,176   

November 24, 2018 

Gross 
Carrying 
Amount  

Accumulated 
Amortization      

Intangible 
Assets, Net    

  $ 

3,550     $ 
834       

(829)   $ 
(456)     

2,721   
378   

Total intangible assets subject to amortization 

  $ 

4,384     $ 

(1,285)     

3,099   

Intangibles not subject to amortization: 

Trade names 
Goodwill 

Total goodwill and other intangible assets 

9,338   
16,043   

    $ 

28,480   

We performed our annual goodwill impairment test as of September 1, 2019. As a result of this test, we concluded that the 
carrying value of our retail reporting unit exceeded its fair value by an amount in excess of the goodwill previously allocated 
to the reporting unit. Therefore, we recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $1,926. The fair values of the other reporting 
units with material amounts of goodwill substantially exceeded their carrying values as of September 1, 2019. 

The determination of the fair value of our reporting units is based on a combination of a market approach, that considers 
benchmark company market multiples, and an income approach, that utilizes discounted cash flows for each reporting unit 
and other Level 3 inputs as specified in the fair value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure 
(see Note 4). Under the income approach, we determine fair value based on the present value of the most recent cash flow 
projections for each reporting unit as of the date of the analysis and calculate a terminal value utilizing a terminal growth 
rate. The significant assumptions under this approach include, among others: income projections, which are dependent on 
future sales, new product introductions, customer behavior, competitor pricing, operating expenses, the discount rate, and 
the terminal growth rate. The cash flows used to determine fair value are dependent on a number of significant management 
assumptions such as our expectations of future performance and the expected future economic environment, which are partly 
based upon our historical experience. Our estimates are subject to change given the inherent uncertainty in predicting future 
results. Additionally, the discount rate and the terminal growth rate are based on our judgment of the rates that would be 
utilized  by  a  hypothetical  market  participant.  As  part  of  the  goodwill  impairment  testing,  we  also  consider  our  market 
capitalization in assessing the reasonableness of the combined fair values estimated for our reporting units. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill by reportable segment were as follows: 

   Wholesale       Retail  

     Logistics       

Total  

Balance as of November 25, 2017 

  $ 
Goodwill arising from Lane Venture acquisition (Note 3)     

5,045     $ 
4,143       

1,926     $ 
-       

4,929     $ 
-       

11,900  
4,143  

Balance as of November 24, 2018 

Goodwill impairment 

9,188       
-       

1,926       
(1,926 )     

4,929       
-       

16,043  
(1,926) 

Balance as of November 30, 2019 

  $ 

9,188     $ 

-     $ 

4,929     $ 

14,117  

Accumulated  impairment  losses  at  November  30,  2019  were  $1,926.  There  were  no  accumulated  impairment  losses  on 
goodwill as of November 24, 2018 or November 25, 2017. 

The weighted average useful lives of our finite-lived intangible assets and remaining amortization periods as of November 
30, 2019 are as follows: 

Remaining 
Amortization 
Period in 
Years  

Useful Life 

in Years       

Customer relationships 
Technology - customized applications      

14       
7       

10   
2   

Amortization  expense  associated  with  intangible  assets  during  fiscal  2019,  2018  and  2017  was  $379,  $374  and  $322, 
respectively and is included in selling, general and administrative expense in our consolidated statement of operations. All 
expense arising from the amortization of intangible assets is associated with our logistical services segment except for $57 
and $51 in fiscal 2019 and 2018, respectively, associated with our wholesale segment arising from Lane Venture (Note 3). 
Estimated future amortization expense for intangible assets that exist at November 30, 2019 is as follows: 

Fiscal 2020 
Fiscal 2021 
Fiscal 2022 
Fiscal 2023 
Fiscal 2024 
Thereafter 

  $ 

379   
379   
279   
259   
259   
1,166   

Total 

  $ 

2,721   

9.  Unconsolidated Affiliated Companies 

International Market Centers, L.P. 

In connection with the sale of our interest in International Home Furnishings Center, Inc. on May 2, 2011, we acquired a 
minority interest in International Market Centers, L.P. (“IMC”) in exchange for $1,000. Our investment in IMC was included 
in other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet as of November 26, 2016 and was accounted for using the cost 
method as we did not have significant influence over IMC. During fiscal 2017 IMC was sold resulting in the redemption of 
our entire interest for total proceeds of $1,954 resulting in a gain of $954 which is included in gain on sale of investments in 
our consolidated statement of operations. 

Other 

In 1985, we acquired a minority interest in a privately-held, start-up provider of property and casualty insurance for $325. 
We have accounted for this investment on the cost method and it was included in other long-term assets in our consolidated 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

balance sheet as of November 26, 2016. During fiscal 2017 we sold our entire interest for $3,592 in cash, resulting in a gain 
of $3,267 which is included in gain on sale of investments in our consolidated statement of operations. 

10.  Notes Payable and Bank Credit Facility 

Real Estate Notes Payable 

Certain of our retail real estate properties were financed through commercial mortgages with outstanding principal totaling 
$292  at  November  24,  2018,  which  was  included  in  other  current  liabilities  and  accrued  expenses  in  the  accompanying 
condensed consolidated balance sheet. These obligations were paid in full during the third quarter of fiscal 2019. 

Fair Value  

We believe that the carrying amount of our notes payable approximated fair value at November 24, 2018. In estimating the 
fair value, we utilize current market interest rates for similar instruments. The inputs into these fair value calculations reflect 
our market assumptions and are not observable. Consequently, the inputs are considered to be Level 3 as specified in the fair 
value hierarchy in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. See Note 4. 

Bank Credit Facility  

Our credit facility with our bank provides for a line of credit of up to $25,000. This credit facility is unsecured and contains 
covenants requiring us to maintain certain key financial ratios. We are in compliance with all covenants under the agreement 
and expect to remain in compliance for the foreseeable future. The credit facility will mature in December 2021. 

We have  $2,673 outstanding  under  standby  letters of  credit  against  our  line,  leaving  availability  under our  credit  line  of 
$22,327. In addition, we have outstanding standby letters of credit with another bank totaling $325. 

Total interest paid during fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $7, $166 and $322, respectively. 

11.   Post-Employment Benefit Obligations 

Management Savings Plan 

On May 1, 2017, our Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Organization, Compensation and Nominating 
Committee  (the  “Committee”),  adopted  the  Bassett  Furniture  Industries,  Incorporated  Management  Savings  Plan  (the 
“Plan”).The  Plan  is  an  unfunded,  nonqualified  deferred  compensation  plan  maintained  for  the  benefit  of  certain  highly 
compensated or management level employees. 

The Plan is an account-based plan under which (i) participants may defer voluntarily the payment of current compensation 
to future years (“participant deferrals”) and (ii) the Company may make annual awards to participants payable in future years 
(“Company contributions”). The Plan permits each participant to defer up to 75% of base salary and up to 100% of any 
incentive compensation or other bonus, which amounts would be credited to a deferral account established for the participant. 
Such deferrals will be fully vested at the time of the deferral. Participant deferrals will be indexed to one or more deemed 
investment  alternatives  chosen  by  the  participant  from  a  range  of  alternatives  made  available  under  the  Plan.  Each 
participant’s  account  will  be  adjusted  to  reflect  gains  and  losses  based  on  the  performance  of  the  selected  investment 
alternatives. A participant may receive distributions from the Plan: (1) upon separation from service, in either a lump sum or 
annual installment payments over up to a 15 year period, as elected by the participant, (2) upon death or disability, in a lump 
sum, or (3) on a date or dates specified by the participant (“scheduled distributions”) with such scheduled payments made in 
either a lump sum or substantially equal annual installments over a period of up to five years, as elected by the participant. 
Participant contributions commenced during the third quarter of fiscal 2017. Company contributions will vest in full (1) on 
the third anniversary of the date such amounts are credited to the participant’s account, (2) the date that the participant reaches 
age 63 or (3) upon death or disability. Company contributions are subject to the same rules described above regarding the 
crediting of gains or losses from deemed investments and the timing of distributions. Expense associated with the Company 
contribution was $196, $102 and $55 for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our liability for Company contributions 
and participant deferrals at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018 was $894 and $749, respectively, and is included in 
post-employment benefit obligations in our consolidated balance sheets. 

40 

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

On May 2, 2017, we made Long Term Cash Awards (“LTC Awards”) totaling $2,000 under the Plan to certain management 
employees in the amount of $400 each. The LTC Awards vest in full on the first anniversary of the date of the award if the 
participant has reached age 63 by that time, or, if later, on the date the participant reaches age 63, provided in either instance 
that  the  participant  is  still  employed  by  the  Company  at  that  time.  If  not  previously  vested,  the  awards  will  also  vest 
immediately upon the death or disability of the participant prior to the participant’s separation from service. The awards will 
be payable in 10 equal annual installments following the participant’s death, disability or separation from service. We are 
accounting for the LTC Awards as a defined benefit pension plan. 

During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, we invested $627, $900 and $431 in life insurance policies covering all participants in 
the  Plan.  At  November  30,  2019,  these  policies  have  a  net  death  benefit  of  $14,998  for  which  the  Company  is  the  sole 
beneficiary.  These  policies  are  intended  to  provide  a  source  of  funds  to  meet  the  obligations  arising  from  the  deferred 
compensation and LTC Awards under the Plan, and serve as an economic hedge of the financial impact of changes in the 
liabilities. They are held in an irrevocable trust but are subject to claims of creditors in the event of the Company’s insolvency. 

Supplemental Retirement Income Plan 

We have an unfunded Supplemental Retirement Income Plan (the “Supplemental Plan”) that covers one current and certain 
former executives. Upon retirement, the Supplemental Plan provides for lifetime monthly payments in an amount equal to 
65% of the participant’s final average compensation as defined in the Supplemental Plan, which is reduced by certain social 
security benefits to be received and other benefits provided by us. The Supplemental Plan also provides a death benefit that 
is calculated as (a) prior to retirement death, which pays the beneficiary 50% of final average annual compensation for a 
period of 120 months, or (b) post-retirement death, which pays the beneficiary 200% of final average compensation in a 
single payment. We own life insurance policies on these executives with a current net death benefit of $2,273 at November 
30, 2019 and we expect to substantially fund this death benefit through the proceeds received upon the death of the executive. 
Funding for the remaining cash flows is expected to be provided through operations. There are no benefits payable as a result 
of a termination of employment for any reason other than death or retirement, other than a change of control provision which 
provides for the immediate vesting and payment of the retirement benefit under the Supplemental Plan in the event of an 
employment termination resulting from a change of control. 

Aggregated summarized information for the Supplemental Plan and the LTC Awards, measured as of the end of each year 
presented, is as follows: 

Change in Benefit Obligation: 
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year 

Service cost 
Interest cost 
Actuarial gains 
Benefits paid 

Projected benefit obligation at end of year 

Accumulated Benefit Obligation 

Discount rate used to value the ending benefit obligations: 

Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheet: 

Current liabilities 
Noncurrent liabilities 

Total amounts recognized 

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income: 
Prior service cost 
Actuarial loss 
Net amount recognized 

Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and accumulated other 

comprehensive income: 

41 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

11,652  
190  
441  
(1,172)      
(1,021)      
  $ 
10,090  

12,322  
196  
418  
(616) 
(668) 
11,652  

9,998  

  $ 

11,559  

2.75%     

4.00% 

655  
9,435  
10,090  

  $ 

  $ 

606  
1,055  
1,661  

  $ 

  $ 

798  
10,854  
11,652  

806  
2,408  
3,214  

(541)    $ 

(2) 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 
 
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
  
       
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
  
    
  
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
    
    
  
    
  
    
    
  
    
  
    
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

2019 

2018 

2017 

Components of Net Periodic Pension Cost: 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Amortization of transition obligation 
Amortization of prior service cost 
Amortization of other loss 

  $ 

190     $ 
441       
-       
126       
183       

196     $ 
418       
42       
126       
262       

Net periodic pension cost 

  $ 

940     $ 

1,044     $ 

146   
423   
42   
-   
323   

934   

Assumptions used to determine net periodic pension cost: 
Discount rate 
Increase in future compensation levels 

Estimated Future Benefit Payments (with mortality): 

4.00 %     
3.00 %     

3.50 %     
3.00 %     

3.75 % 
3.00 % 

Fiscal 2020 
Fiscal 2021 
Fiscal 2022 
Fiscal 2023 
Fiscal 2024 
Fiscal 2025 through 2029 

655       
622         
821         
779         
734         
2,961         

Of  the  $1,661  recognized  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  at  November  30,  2019,  amounts  expected  to  be 
recognized as components of net periodic pension cost during fiscal 2020 are as follows: 

Prior service cost 
Other loss 

  $ 

Total expected to be amortized to net periodic pension cost in 2020 

  $ 

126   
7   

133   

The components of net periodic pension cost other than the service cost component are included in other loss, net in our 
consolidated statements of operations. 

Deferred Compensation Plan 

We have an unfunded Deferred Compensation Plan that covers one current and certain former executives and provides for 
voluntary  deferral  of  compensation.  This  plan  has  been  frozen  with  no  additional  participants  or  benefits  permitted.  We 
recognized expense of $204, $216, and $216 in fiscal 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, associated with the plan. Our 
liability under this plan was $1,767 and $1,837 as of November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively. The non-
current portion of this obligation is included in post-employment benefit obligations in our consolidated balance sheets, with 
the current portion included in accrued compensation and benefits. 

Defined Contribution Plan 

We have a qualified defined contribution plan (Employee Savings/Retirement Plan) that covers substantially all employees 
who elect to participate and have fulfilled the necessary service requirements. Employee contributions to the Plan are matched 
at the rate of 25% of up to 8% of gross pay, regardless of years of service. Expense for employer matching contributions was 
$1,157, $1,128 and $1,068 during fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

12.  Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss 

The activity in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the fiscal years ended November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, 
which is comprised solely of post-retirement benefit costs related to our SERP and LTC Awards, is as follows: 

Balance at November 25, 2017 
Reclassification of certain tax effects to retained earnings (1) 
Actuarial gains 
Net pension amortization 
reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Tax effects 
Balance at November 24, 2018 
Actuarial gains 
Net pension amortization 
reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Tax effects 
Balance at November 30, 2019 

  $ 

  $ 

(2,570) 
(545) 
616  

430  
(269) 
(2,338) 
1,172  

308  
(378) 
(1,236) 

(1)  In  2018  we  adopted  ASU  2018-02,  Income  Statement  –  Reporting  Comprehensive  Income  (Topic  220): 
Reclassification  of  Certain  Tax  Effects  from  Accumulated  Comprehensive  Income.  ASU  2018-02  addressed  the 
impact  of  the  remeasurement  of  deferred  taxes  on  items  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  due  to  the 
reduction in federal statutory rates arising from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of December 2017 by allowing the transfer 
of certain tax effects carried over from prior years to retained earnings as of the beginning of fiscal 2018. 

13.   Capital Stock and Stock Compensation 

We account for our stock-based employee and director compensation plans in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation – 
Stock Compensation. ASC 718 requires recognition of the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of 
equity instruments in the financial statements over the period the employee is required to perform the services in exchange 
for the award (presumptively the vesting period) which we recognize on a straight-line basis. Compensation expense related 
to restricted stock and stock options included in selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements 
of operations for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 was as follows: 

Stock based compensation expense 

  $  958 

    $  1,133 

    $  1,028 

2019 

2018 

2017 

Incentive Stock Compensation Plans 

On April 14, 2010, our shareholders approved the Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan which 
was amended and restated effective January 13, 2016 (the “2010 Plan”). All present and future non-employee directors, key 
employees  and  outside  consultants  for  the  Company  are  eligible  to  receive  incentive  awards  under  the  2010  Plan.  Our 
Organization, Compensation and Nominating Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) selects eligible key employees 
and outside consultants to receive awards under the 2010 Plan in its discretion. Our Board of Directors or any committee 
designated by the Board of Directors selects eligible non-employee directors to receive awards under the 2010 Plan in its 
discretion. 1,250,000 shares of common stock are reserved for issuance under the 2010 Plan as amended. Participants may 
receive the following types of incentive awards under the 2010 Plan: stock options, stock appreciation rights, payment shares, 
restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance shares. Stock options may be incentive stock options or non-qualified 
stock  options.  Stock  appreciation  rights  may  be  granted  in  tandem  with  stock  options  or  as  a  freestanding  award.  Non-
employee directors and outside consultants are eligible to receive restricted stock and restricted stock units only. We expect 
to issue new common stock upon the exercise of options. 

The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The risk 
free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rate for the expected life at the time of grant, volatility is based on the average long-
term implied volatilities of peer companies, the expected life is based on the estimated average of the life of options using 
the simplified method. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. We utilize the simplified method to determine the expected 
life of our options due to insufficient exercise activity during recent years as a basis from which to estimate future exercise 
patterns. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Stock Options 

There were no new grants of options made in 2019, 2018 or 2017. 

Changes in the outstanding options under our plans during the year ended November 30, 2019 were as follows: 

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 
Per Share    

Number of 
Shares 

8,350    $ 
-      
(3,100)     
-      
5,250      
5,250    $ 

8.02   
-   
8.02   
-   
8.02   
8.02   

Outstanding at November 24, 2018 

Granted 
Exercised 
Forfeited/Expired 

Outstanding at November 30, 2019 
Exercisable at November 30, 2019 

All remaining options outstanding at November 30, 2019 are exercisable at $8.02 per share with a remaining contractual life 
of 1.6 years and an aggregate intrinsic value of $38. There were no non-vested options outstanding under our plans during 
the year ended November 30, 2019. 

Additional information regarding activity in our stock options during fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 is as follows: 

   2019 

     2018 

     2017 

Total intrinsic value of options exercised 
Total cash received from the exercise of options 
Excess tax benefits recognized in income tax expense upon the exercise of options 

  $ 

34     $ 
25       
6       

75     $ 
27       
16       

564   
310   
188   

Restricted Shares 

Changes in the outstanding non-vested restricted shares during the year ended November 30, 2019 were as follows: 

Non-vested restricted shares outstanding at November 24, 2018 

Granted 
Vested 
Forfeited 

Non-vested restricted shares outstanding at November 30, 2019 

Weighted 
Average Grant 
Date Fair 
Value Per 
Share 

Number of 
Shares 

81,036    $ 
18,153      
(6,036)     
(3,000)     
90,153    $ 

32.03   
15.81   
33.07   
20.97   
32.03   

Restricted share awards granted in fiscal 2019 consisted of 9,653 restricted shares granted to our non-employee directors on 
March 6, 2019 which will vest on the first anniversary of the grant, and 5,000 and 3,500 restricted shares granted to employees 
on July 23, 2019 and October 9, 2019, respectively, which will vest on the third anniversary of each grant. 

During fiscal 2019, 6,036 restricted shares were vested and released, all of which had been granted to directors. During fiscal 
2018 and 2017, 19,810 shares and 21,210 shares, respectively, were withheld to cover withholding taxes of $674 and $641, 
respectively, arising from the vesting of restricted shares. During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, excess tax benefits of $0, $207 
and $366, respectively, were recognized within income tax expense upon the release of vested shares. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

Additional information regarding our outstanding non-vested restricted shares at November 30, 2019 is as follows: 

Grant 
Date 

   Restricted 

Shares 

Share Value 
     at Grant Date 

   Outstanding 

Per Share 

     Remaining 
     Restriction 

Period 
(Years) 

January 10, 2017     
January 11, 2018     
March 6, 2019     
July 23, 2019     
October 9, 2019     

36,000     $ 
36,000       
9,653       
5,000       
3,500       
90,153       

29.05       
35.75       
18.13       
12.34       
14.37       

0.1 
1.1 
0.3 
2.6 
2.9 

Unrecognized compensation cost related to these non-vested restricted shares at November 30, 2019 is $594, of which $525 
is expected to be recognized in fiscal 2020 with the remainder to be recognized over the following two fiscal years. 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan 

In March of 2017 we adopted and implemented the 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2017 ESPP”) that allows eligible 
employees to purchase a limited number of shares of our stock at 85% of market value. Under the 2017 ESPP we sold 23,460, 
14,967  and  6,275  shares  to  employees  during  fiscal  2019,  2018  and  2017,  respectively,  which  resulted  in  an  immaterial 
amount of compensation expense. There are 205,298 shares remaining available for sale under the 2017 ESPP at November 
30, 2019. 

14.   Income Taxes  

The components of the income tax provision are as follows: 

Current: 

Federal 
State 

Deferred: 
Increase (decrease) in 

Federal 
State 

Total 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

2,150    $ 
892      

(1,137 )   $ 
462       

7,887  
2,035  

(2,191)     
(663)     
188    $ 

4,747       
(84 )     
3,988     $ 

(200) 
(102) 
9,620  

  $ 

On December 22, 2017, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) was signed into law. The Act reduced the federal statutory 
corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018 for all corporate taxpayers, while most other provisions 
of the Act became effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Therefore, we computed our income tax 
expense for fiscal 2018 using a blended federal statutory rate of 22.2%. The 21% federal statutory rate, as well as certain 
other provisions of the Act including the elimination of the domestic manufacturing deduction and new limitations on certain 
business deductions, applies to our 2019 fiscal year and thereafter. The federal rate reduction had a significant impact on our 
provision for income taxes for fiscal 2018 due to a discrete charge of $1,331 arising from the re-measurement of our deferred 
tax assets. Our accounting for the income tax effects of the Act was complete as of November 24, 2018. 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate, as a percentage of income before 
income taxes, is as follows: 

Statutory federal income tax rate 
Revaluation of deferred tax assets resulting from new enacted rates 
State income tax, net of federal benefit 
Impairment of non-deductible goodwill 
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 
Other 
Effective income tax rate 

2019 

2018 

2017 

21.0%      
-  
(14.0) 
(23.2) 
0.3  
5.1  
(10.8)%     

22.2%     
10.9  
4.6  
-  
(1.5)      
(3.5)      
32.7%     

35.0% 
-  
3.9  
-  
(1.8) 
(2.6) 
34.5% 

Excess tax benefits in the amount of $22, $223 and $554 were recognized as a component of income tax expense during 
fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, resulting from the exercise of stock options and the release of restricted shares. The 
fiscal 2019 adjustment for impairment of non-deductible goodwill reflects the fact that there was no tax basis related to the 
impaired goodwill. 

The income tax effects of temporary differences and carryforwards, which give rise to significant portions of the deferred 
income tax assets and deferred income tax liabilities, are as follows: 

Deferred income tax assets: 
Trade accounts receivable 
Inventories 
Notes receivable 
Post employment benefit obligations 
State net operating loss carryforwards 
Unrealized loss from affiliates 
Net deferred rents 
Other 
Gross deferred income tax assets 

Valuation allowance 

Total deferred income tax assets 

Deferred income tax liabilities: 

Property and equipment 
Intangible assets 
Prepaid expenses and other 

November 30, 
2019 

November 24, 
2018 

  $ 

207     $ 
2,487       
44       
3,241       
193       
81       
3,753       
1,828       
11,834       
-       
11,834       

4,288       
1,114       
688       

192   
1,755   
109   
3,619   
218   
15   
3,199   
1,290   
10,397   
-   
10,397   

5,353   
1,060   
718   

Total deferred income tax liabilities 

6,090       

7,131   

Net deferred income tax assets 

  $ 

5,744     $ 

3,266   

We have state net operating loss carryforwards available to offset future taxable state income of $4,095, which expire in 
varying amounts between 2021 and 2027. Realization is dependent on generating sufficient taxable income prior to expiration 
of the loss carryforwards. 

Income taxes paid, net of refunds received, during 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $1,228, $1,431, and $7,516, respectively. 

We regularly evaluate, assess and adjust our accrued liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits in light of changing facts and 
circumstances, which could cause the effective tax rate to fluctuate from period to period. Our accrued liabilities for uncertain 
tax benefits at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018 were not material. 

Significant judgment is required in evaluating the Company's federal and state tax positions and in the determination of its 
tax provision. Despite our belief that the liability for unrecognized tax benefits is adequate, it is often difficult to predict the 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

final  outcome  or  the  timing  of  the  resolution  of  any  particular  tax  matter.  We  may  adjust  these  liabilities  as  relevant 
circumstances  evolve,  such  as  guidance  from  the  relevant  tax  authority,  or  resolution  of  issues  in  the  courts.  These 
adjustments are recognized as a component of income tax expense in the period in which they are identified. The Company 
also cannot predict when or if any other future tax payments related to these tax positions may occur. 

We remain subject to examination for tax years 2016 through 2019 for all of our major tax jurisdictions. 

15.  Other Gains and Losses 

Gains on Sales of Retail Store Locations  

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended November 24, 2018 includes a gain of $165 resulting from 
the  sale  of  our  retail  store  location  in  Spring,  Texas  for  $2,463  in  cash.  The  store  was  closed  in  October  of  2018  and 
repositioned to a new location serving the Houston market in The Woodlands, Texas, which opened in November of 2018. 

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended November 25, 2017 includes a gain of $1,220 resulting from 
the sale of our retail store location in Las Vegas, Nevada for $4,335 in cash. The store was closed in August of 2017 in 
preparation for its repositioning to a new location serving the Las Vegas market, in Summerlin, Nevada, which opened in 
January of 2018. 

Early Retirement Program 

During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we offered a voluntary early retirement package to certain eligible employees of the 
Company. Twenty-three employees accepted the offer, which expired on February 28, 2019. These employees are to receive 
pay equal to one-half their current salary plus benefits over a period of one year from the final day of each individual’s active 
employment. Accordingly, we recognized a charge of $835 during the year ended November 30, 2019. The unpaid obligation 
of $374 is included in other accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of November 30, 2019. 

Asset Impairment Charges and Lease Exit Costs 

During fiscal 2019, the loss from operations included $4,431 of non-cash impairment charges recognized on the assets of six 
underperforming retail stores. In addition, a $149 charge was accrued for lease exit costs incurred in connection with the 
repositioning of a Company-owned retail store in Palm Beach, Florida to a new location within the same market. 

During fiscal 2018 income from operations included $469 of non-cash asset impairment charges recognized on the assets of 
one underperforming retail location, and a $301 charge for the accrual of lease exit costs incurred in connection with the 
closing of a Company-owned retail store location in San Antonio, Texas. 

There were no asset impairment charges or lease exit costs incurred against income from operations during fiscal 2017. See 
Note 2 regarding non-operating impairment charges incurred in connection with our investments in retail real estate. 

Litigation Expense 

During fiscal 2019 we accrued $700 for the estimated costs to resolve certain wage and hour violation claims that have been 
asserted against the Company. While the ultimate cost of resolving these claims may be substantially higher, the amount 
accrued represents our estimate of the most likely outcome of a mediated settlement. 

16.   Leases and Lease Guarantees  

Leases 

We lease land and buildings that are used in the operation of our Company-owned retail stores as well as in the operation of 
certain of our licensee-owned stores, and we lease land and buildings at various locations throughout the continental United 
States for warehousing and distribution hubs used in our retail and logistical services segments. We also lease tractors and 
trailers used in our logistical services segment and local delivery trucks and service vans used in our retail segment. Our real 
estate lease terms range from one to 15 years and generally have renewal options of between five and 15 years. Some store 
leases contain contingent rental provisions based upon sales volume. Our transportation equipment leases have terms ranging 

47 

 
 
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

from  two  to  seven  years  with  fixed  monthly  rental  payments  plus  variable  charges  based  upon  mileage.  The  following 
schedule shows future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases with terms in excess of one year as 
of November 30, 2019: 

Fiscal 2020 
Fiscal 2021 
Fiscal 2022 
Fiscal 2023 
Fiscal 2024 
Thereafter 

Total future minimum lease payments 

Warehousing 
& 
Distribution 
Centers 

Retail 
Stores 

Transportation 
Equipment 

    All Other      Total 

  $  24,524     $ 
22,596       
20,067       
18,243       
14,385       
46,759       
  $  146,574     $ 

5,745     $ 
5,012       
4,742       
3,302       
1,396       
368       
20,565     $ 

4,938     $ 
3,761       
2,618       
1,311       
1,049       
391       
14,068     $ 

1,824     $  37,031   
32,478   
1,109       
27,929   
502       
22,913   
57       
16,835   
5       
47,518   
-       
3,497     $  184,704   

Lease expense was $41,809, $38,970 and $34,372 for 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. Improvement allowances received 
from lessors at the inception of a lease are deferred and amortized over the term of the lease. The unamortized balance of 
such amounts was $8,050 and $6,716 at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively, with the non-current 
portion of $6,799 and $5,715, respectively, included in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets and the remaining 
current portion included in other accrued liabilities. 

In addition to subleasing certain of these properties, we own retail real estate which we in turn lease to licensee operators of 
BHF  stores.  We  also  own  real  estate  for  closed  stores  which  we  lease  to  non-licensees.  The  following  schedule  shows 
minimum future rental income related to pass-through rental expense on subleased property as well as rental income on real 
estate owned by Bassett. 

Fiscal 2020 
Fiscal 2021 
Fiscal 2022 
Fiscal 2023 
Fiscal 2024 
Thereafter 

  $ 

Total minimum future rental income 

  $ 

1,533   
948   
602   
285   
180   
120   
3,668   

Real estate rental net loss (rental income less lease costs, depreciation, insurance, and taxes), related to licensee stores and 
other investment real estate, was $156, $23 and $48 in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is reflected in other loss, net 
in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. 

Guarantees 

As  part  of  the  strategy  for  our  store  program,  we  have  guaranteed  certain  lease  obligations  of  licensee  operators.  Lease 
guarantees  range  from  one  to  three  years.  We  were  contingently  liable  under  licensee  lease  obligation  guarantees  in  the 
amount of $1,776 and $2,021 at November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, respectively. 

In the event of default by an independent dealer under the guaranteed lease, we believe that the risk of loss is mitigated 
through a combination of options that include, but are not limited to, arranging for a replacement dealer, liquidating the 
collateral, and pursuing payment under the personal guarantees of the independent dealer. The proceeds of the above options 
are estimated to cover the maximum amount of our future payments under the guarantee obligations, net of reserves. The fair 
value of lease guarantees (an estimate of the cost to the Company to perform on these guarantees) at November 30, 2019 and 
November 24, 2018, were not material. 

48 

 
 
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
       
         
         
         
         
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

17.  Contingencies 

We are involved in various claims and actions which arise in the normal course of business. Although the final outcome of 
these matters cannot be determined, based on the facts presently known, it is our opinion that the final resolution of these 
matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or future results of operations. See Note 15 regarding 
litigation arising from certain wage and hour violations which have been asserted against the Company. 

18.  Earnings (Loss) Per Share 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share: 

Numerator: 

Net income (loss) 

Denominator: 

Denominator for basic income per share - weighted average shares 
Effect of dilutive securities 
Denominator for diluted income per share — weighted average shares 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

(1,928)   $ 

8,218     $ 

18,256   

     10,285,511       10,651,351        10,649,225   
82,850   

40,424       

-      

and assumed conversions 

     10,285,511       10,691,775        10,732,075   

Basic income (loss) per share: 

Net income (loss) per share — basic 

Diluted income (loss) per share: 

Net income (loss) per share — diluted 

  $ 

(0.19)   $ 

0.77     $ 

1.71   

  $ 

(0.19)   $ 

0.77     $ 

1.70   

For fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, the following potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the computations as there effect 
was anti-dilutive: 

Unvested restricted shares 
Stock options 

2019 

2018 

2017 

90,153       
5,250       

45,036       
-       

-   
-   

19.  Segment Information 

We have strategically aligned our business into three reportable segments as defined in ASC 280, Segment Reporting, and 
as described below: 

   ●  Wholesale. The wholesale home furnishings segment is involved principally in the design, manufacture, sourcing, 
sale  and  distribution  of  furniture  products  to  a  network  of  Bassett  stores  (Company-owned  and  licensee-owned 
stores retail stores) and independent furniture retailers. Our wholesale segment includes our wood and upholstery 
operations as well as all corporate selling, general and administrative expenses, including those corporate expenses 
related to both Company- and licensee-owned stores. Our wholesale segment also includes our holdings of short-
term investments and retail real estate previously leased as licensee stores. The earnings and costs associated with 
these assets are included in other loss, net, in our consolidated statements of operations. 

   ●  Retail – Company-owned stores. Our retail segment consists of Company-owned stores and includes the revenues, 
expenses, assets and liabilities and capital expenditures directly related to these stores and the Company-owned 
distribution network utilized to deliver products to our retail customers. 

   ●  Logistical services. With our acquisition of Zenith on February 2, 2015, we created the logistical services operating 
segment which reflects the operations of Zenith. In addition to providing shipping and warehousing services for the 
Company, Zenith also provides similar services to other customers, primarily in the furniture industry. Revenue 
from  the  performance  of  these  services  to  other  customers  is  included  in  logistics  revenue  in  our  consolidated 

49 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
       
         
         
  
  
    
         
         
  
    
         
         
  
    
  
    
         
         
  
    
         
         
  
  
    
         
         
  
    
         
         
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

statement of operations. Zenith’s operating costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses and 
total $78,220, $81,468 and $80,068 for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

During  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2018,  we  substantially  completed  transferring  operational  control  of  home  delivery 
services for BHF stores from Zenith to our retail segment, including the transfer of the assets and many of the employees 
used in providing that service. Accordingly, the results for the retail and logistical services segments for all periods prior to 
fiscal  2019  have  been  restated  to  present  the  depreciation  and  amortization,  capital  expenditures  and  identifiable  assets 
associated with home delivery services formerly provided by Zenith to the Bassett retail segment as though they had been 
incurred within the retail segment, and intercompany revenues for those services are no longer included in the logistical 
services segment. The impact of the restatement upon the income (loss) from operations for both the logistical services and 
retail segments was not material. Concurrently with the transfer of home delivery operations to retail, Zenith also ceased 
providing such services to third party customers. Revenues from Zenith’s home delivery services formerly provided to third 
party customers and the associated costs thereof continue to be reported in the logistical services segment. Zenith continues 
to provide other intercompany shipping and warehousing services to Bassett which are eliminated in consolidation. 

Inter-company  sales  elimination  represents  the  elimination  of  wholesale  sales  to  our  Company-owned  stores  and  the 
elimination  of  Zenith  logistics  revenue  from  our  wholesale  segment.  Inter-company  income  elimination  includes  the 
embedded wholesale profit in the Company-owned store inventory that has not been realized. These profits will be recorded 
when merchandise is delivered to the retail consumer. The inter-company income elimination also includes rent paid by our 
retail stores occupying Company-owned real estate, and the elimination of shipping and handling charges from Zenith for 
services provided to our wholesale operations. 

The following table presents segment information for each of the last three fiscal years: 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

Net Sales 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 
Inter-company eliminations: 
Furniture and accessories 
Logistical services 

Consolidated 

Income (loss) from Operations 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 
Inter-company elimination 
Asset impairment charges 
Goodwill impairment charge 
Early retirement program 
Litigation expense 
Lease exit costs 

Consolidated income from operations 

  $ 

Depreciation and Amortization 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 

Consolidated 

Capital Expenditures 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 

Consolidated 

Identifiable Assets 

Wholesale 
Retail 
Logistical services 

Consolidated 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

2019 

2018 

2017 

261,105    $ 
268,693      
80,074      

255,958     $ 
268,883       
82,866       

(125,933)     
(31,852)     
452,087    $ 

(122,372 )     
(28,480 )     
456,855     $ 

249,193   
268,264   
83,030   

(119,360 ) 
(28,624 ) 
452,503   

11,456    $ 
(7,009)     
1,855      
1,144      
(4,431)     
(1,926)     
(835)     
(700)     
(149)     
(595)   $ 

3,178    $ 
6,303      
4,019      
13,500    $ 

5,650    $ 
8,473      
3,627      
17,750    $ 

12,274     $ 
(312 )     
1,398       
1,494       
(469 )     
-       
-       
-       
(301 )     
14,084     $ 

3,038     $ 
6,096       
4,069       
13,203     $ 

4,194     $ 
12,769       
1,338       
18,301     $ 

19,121   
3,490   
2,962   
1,445   
-   
-   
-   
-   
-   
27,018   

2,648   
6,355   
4,309   
13,312   

4,875   
8,108   
2,517   
15,500   

144,392    $ 
91,997      
39,377      
275,766    $ 

144,209     $ 
96,241       
51,191       
291,641     $ 

152,181   
90,186   
51,381   
293,748   

50 

 
 
  
  
   
  
  
  
    
    
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
       
         
         
  
    
    
  
     
  
        
  
        
  
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
     
  
        
  
        
  
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
  
     
  
        
  
        
  
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
  
     
  
        
  
        
  
  
       
         
         
  
    
    
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

A breakdown of wholesale sales by product category for each of the last three fiscal years is provided below: 

2019 

2018 

2017 

Bassett Custom 
Upholstery 
Bassett Leather 
Bassett Custom Wood 
Bassett Casegoods 
Accessories (1) 
Total 

  $ 

  $ 

152,415       
19,220       
46,082       
40,920       
2,468       
261,105       

58.4 %   $ 
7.4 %     
17.6 %     
15.7 %     
0.9 %     
100.0 %   $ 

141,321       
21,589       
46,074       
42,875       
4,099       
255,958       

55.2 %   $ 
8.4 %     
18.0 %     
16.8 %     
1.6 %     
100.0 %   $ 

136,366       
22,528       
43,793       
42,874       
3,632       
249,193       

54.7 % 
9.0 % 
17.6 % 
17.2 % 
1.5 % 
100.0 % 

(1)  Beginning with the third quarter of fiscal 2019, our wholesale segment no longer purchases accessory items for 
resale to our retail segment or to third party customers such as licensees or independent furniture retailers. Our 
retail segment and third party customers now source their accessory items directly from the accessory vendors. 

20.  Quarterly Results of Operations 

First 

Quarter (1)      

Second 
Quarter 

Third 
Quarter  

Fourth 
Quarter (2)    

2019 

Sales revenue: 

Furniture and accessories 
Logistics 

  $ 

Total sales revenue 
Cost of furniture and accessories sold 
Income (loss) from operations 
Net income (loss) 

Basic earnings (loss) per share 
Diluted earnings (loss) per share 

107,357     $ 
13,484       
120,841       
49,177       
949       
608       
0.06       
0.06       

98,369     $ 
11,050       
109,419       
42,246       
3,400       
2,157       
0.21       
0.21       

102,315  
11,322  
113,637  
45,291  
(5,645) 
(5,138) 
(0.50) 
(0.50) 

95,824     $ 
12,366       
108,190       
42,530       
701       
445       
0.04       
0.04       

2018 

First 

Second 

Quarter (3)      

Quarter (4)      

Third 
Quarter 

Fourth 
Quarter (5)    

Sales revenue: 

Furniture and accessories 
Logistics 

  $ 

Total sales revenue 
Cost of furniture and accessories sold 
Income from operations 
Net income 

Basic earnings per share 
Diluted earnings per share 

96,123     $ 
14,149       
110,272       
43,269       
2,050       
(913 )     
(0.09 )     
(0.09 )     

102,675     $ 
14,305       
116,980       
45,660       
5,663       
4,289       
0.40       
0.40       

99,807     $ 
13,149       
112,956       
44,821       
4,324       
2,945       
0.28       
0.28       

103,864   
12,783   
116,647   
45,831   
2,047   
1,897   
0.18   
0.18   

51 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
       
        
  
    
    
    
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
       
         
         
         
  
       
         
         
         
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
       
         
         
         
  
       
         
         
         
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
 
 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued  
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 

The first quarter of fiscal 2019 included 14 weeks. All other quarters shown above for fiscal 2019 and 2018 consist of 13 
week fiscal periods. 

(1)  Income from operations includes a charge of $835 arising from certain eligible employees’ acceptance of voluntary 

early retirement package (see Note 15). 

(2)  Loss from operations includes a charge for the impairment of goodwill of $1,926 (see Note 8) and charges of $4,431, 
$700 and $149 for impairment of long-lived assets, litigation costs and lease termination costs, respectively (see 
Note 15). 

(3)  Net loss includes a $2,157 charge to income tax expense arising from the remeasurement of our deferred tax assets 

due to the reduction in the Federal statutory income tax rate included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (see Note 14). 

(4)  Income from operations includes a gain of $165 from the sale of our Spring, Texas retail store (see Note 15). Net 
income includes a benefit of $155 in income tax expense arising from additional adjustments to the remeasurement 
of our deferred tax assets resulting from the Act (see Note 14). 

(5)  Income from operations includes a $469 asset impairment charge related to our Torrance, California retail store and 
a $301 charge for lease exit costs related to the closing of a store in San Antonio, Texas (see Note 15). Net income 
includes a $704 tax benefit arising from the final adjustment to our interim estimates of the impact of reduced federal 
income tax rates on the valuation of our deferred tax assets (see Note 14). 

52 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

The selected financial data set forth below for the fiscal years indicated were derived from our audited consolidated financial 
statements. The information should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements (including the notes 
thereto) and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere 
in, or incorporated by reference into, this report. 

(In thousands) 

2019 

2018 

2017 

2016 

2015 

Net sales 
Operating income 
Other income (loss), net 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income 
Diluted earnings per share 
Cash dividends declared 
Cash dividends per share 
Total assets 
Long-term debt 
Current ratio 
Book value per share 

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

  $ 

452,087  (1)   $ 
(595) (2)   $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

(1,145)   
(1,740)   
188    
(1,928)   
(0.19)   
5,133    
0.50    
275,766    
-    
1.89 to 1    
17.66    

  $ 

456,855  (1)   $  452,503   (1)   $ 
27,018   (2)   $ 
858   (3)   $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

14,084  (2)   $ 
  $ 
(1,878)   
27,876     
12,206    
  $ 
9,620     
3,988  (5)   $ 
18,256     
  $ 
8,218    
1.70     
  $ 
0.77    
8,266     
  $ 
5,041    
  $ 
0.47    
0.77     
  $  293,748     
291,641    
329     
  $ 
-    
     1.91 to 1     
1.82 to 1    
17.83     
  $ 
18.08    

  $ 

432,038  (1)   $  430,927   (1) 
25,989   (2) 
28,193  (2)   $ 
5,879   (4) 
  $ 
(2,416)   
31,868     
  $ 
25,777    
11,435     
  $ 
9,948    
20,433     
  $ 
15,829    
1.88     
  $ 
1.46    
5,868     
  $ 
7,345    
  $ 
0.68    
0.54     
  $  282,543     
278,267    
8,500     
  $ 
3,821    
     1.84 to 1     
1.83 to 1    
16.25     
  $ 
16.85    

(1)  Fiscal 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 included logistical services revenue from Zenith in the amount of $48,222, 

$54,386, $54,406, $54,842 and $43,522, respectively, since the acquisition of Zenith on February 2, 2015. 

(2)  Fiscal 2019 operating income includes asset impairment charges, a goodwill impairment charge, litigation costs, 
early  retirement  program  charges  and  lease  exit  costs  totaling  $8,041.  Fiscal  2018  operating  income  includes 
restructuring and asset impairment charges and lease exit costs totaling $770. Fiscal 2017 operating income includes 
a gain of $1,220 resulting from the sale of our retail store in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fiscal 2016 operating income 
includes the benefit of a $1,428 award received from the settlement of class action litigation. Fiscal 2015 included 
restructuring  and  asset  impairment  charges  and  lease  exit  costs  totaling  $974.  See  Note  15  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements for additional information related to each of these items. 

(3)  Fiscal 2017 includes $4,221 of gains resulting from the sale of investments (see Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements),  and  an  impairment  charge  of  $1,084  retail  real  estate  held  for  investment  (see  Note  2  to  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements). 

(4)  Fiscal 2015 includes a remeasurement gain of $7,212 arising from our acquisition of Zenith and $240 of income 

received from the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (“CDSOA”). 

(5)  Fiscal 2018 income tax expense includes a charge of $1,331 resulting from the remeasurement of our deferred tax 
assets following the reduction of federal income tax rates with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (see Note 
14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements). 

53 

 
 
  
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
       
    
       
    
       
    
       
    
       
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated 

Schedule II 

Analysis of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 
For the Years Ended November 30, 2019, November 24, 2018 and November 25, 2017 
(amounts in thousands) 

Balance 
Beginning 
of 
Period 

Additions 
Charged 
to 
Cost and 
Expenses      

Deductions 
(1) 

     Other 

Balance 
End 
of Period    

For the Year Ended November 25, 2017: 
Reserve deducted from assets to which it 

applies 

Allowance for doubtful accounts 

  $ 

799     $ 

(59 )   $ 

(123 )   $ 

-     

  $ 

617   

Notes receivable valuation reserves 

  $ 

1,454     $ 

-     $ 

-     $ 

-     

  $ 

1,454   

For the Year Ended November 24, 2018: 
Reserve deducted from assets to which it 

applies 

Allowance for doubtful accounts 

  $ 

617     $ 

339     $ 

(252 )   $ 

50   (2)   $ 

754   

Notes receivable valuation reserves 

  $ 

1,454     $ 

-     $ 

(1,077 )   $ 

-     

  $ 

377   

For the Year Ended November 30, 2019: 
Reserve deducted from assets to which it 

applies 

Allowance for doubtful accounts 

Notes receivable valuation reserves 

  $ 

  $ 

754     $ 

61     $ 

-     $ 

-     

  $ 

815   

377     $ 

-     $ 

(18 )   $ 

-     

  $ 

359   

(1) Deductions are for the purpose for which the reserve was created.  
(2) Represents reserves of acquired business at date of acquisition. 

54 

 
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
       
         
         
         
    
       
  
  
 
 
 
STOCKHOLDER PERFORMANCE GRAPH 

Presented below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total stockholder return on the 
Company’s Common Stock against the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the Company’s peer 
group. The Company’s peer group consists of the following: 

American Woodmark, Inc. 
Culp, Inc.  
The Dixie Group, Inc. 
Ethan Allan Interiors, Inc. 
Flexsteel Industries, Inc.  
Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc.    
Hooker Furniture Corporation  
Kimball International, Inc.   
Kirkland’s, Inc. 
La-Z-Boy Incorporated  
Nautilus, Inc.   
Tile Shop Holdings, Inc.  

This graph assumes that $100 was invested on November 29, 2014 in the Company’s Common Stock, the S&P Index and the 
peer group and that any dividends paid were invested. 

Assumes $100 Invested on November 29, 2014 
Assumes Dividends Reinvested 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Management’s Report of Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

As  of  the  end  of  the  period  covered  by  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,  our  principal  executive  officer  and  principal 
financial  officer  have  evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  our  “disclosure  controls  and  procedures”  (“Disclosure  Controls”). 
Disclosure Controls, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), 
are procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed 
under the Exchange Act, such as this Annual Report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods 
specified  in  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission’s  rules  and  forms.  Disclosure  Controls  are  also  designed  with  the 
objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the CEO and 
CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management, including the CEO and CFO, 
does  not  expect  that  our  Disclosure  Controls  will  prevent  all  error  and  all  fraud.  A  control  system,  no  matter  how  well 
conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are 
met.  Further,  the  design  of  a  control  system  must  reflect  the  fact  that  there  are  resource  constraints,  and  the  benefits  of 
controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation 
of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the company have 
been  detected.  These  inherent  limitations  include  the  realities  that  judgments  in  decision-making  can  be  faulty,  and  that 
breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. The design of any system of controls also 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. 

Based  upon  their  controls  evaluation,  our  CEO  and  CFO  have  concluded  that  our  Disclosure  Controls  are  effective  at  a 
reasonable assurance level. 

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting in accordance with 
Exchange Act Rule 13a-15. With the participation of our CEO and CFO, our management conducted an evaluation of the 
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of November 30, 2019 based on the criteria established in 
Internal  Control  -  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective 
as of November 30, 2019, based on those criteria. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide 
only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations 
in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, 
if any, within the Company have been detected. 

Ernst & Young LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an attestation report on the 
effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. 
Bassett, Virginia 
January 23, 2020  

56 

 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 

Opinion on the Financial Statements  

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Bassett  Furniture  Industries,  Incorporated  and 
Subsidiaries (the Company) as of November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, and the related consolidated statements of 
income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended November 
30, 2019, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to 
as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material 
respects,  the  financial  position  of  the  Company  at  November  30,  2019  and  November  24,  2018,  and  the  results  of  its 
operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended November 30, 2019, in conformity with U.S. 
generally accepted accounting principles. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of November 30, 2019, based on criteria established 
in  Internal  Control-Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated January 23, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on  these  financial  statements  based  on  our  audits.  We  are  a  public  accounting  firm  registered  with  the  PCAOB  and  are 
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable 
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform 
the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether 
due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial 
statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included 
examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also 
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the 
overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002. 
Richmond, Virginia 
January 23, 2020 

57 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

We have audited Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of 
November 30, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the  Treadway Commission  (2013 framework), (the  COSO  criteria). In our opinion,  Bassett 
Furniture  Industries,  Incorporated  and Subsidiaries  (the  Company)  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal 
control over financial reporting as of November 30, 2019, based on the COSO criteria. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of November 30, 2019 and November 24, 2018, and the related 
consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years 
in the period ended November 30, 2019, and the related notes and schedule and our report dated January 23, 2020 expressed 
an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion 

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its 
assessment of the  effectiveness of  internal control  over financial reporting  included  in  the  accompanying Management’s 
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal 
control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are 
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable 
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform 
the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in 
all material respects. 

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material 
weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, 
and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides 
a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures 
that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to 
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and 
expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the 
company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or 
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

Richmond, Virginia 
January 23, 2020 

58 

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

INVESTOR INFORMATION

Internet Site

Corporate Information and Investor Inquiries

Our site on the Internet has been updated recently and is

Our annual report and proxy statement together

filled with information about Bassett Furniture, including

contain much of the information presented in the

this annual report, detailed financial information and

Form 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange

updates, information about our home furnishings

Commission. Individuals who wish to receive the

products, and a dealer locator of Bassett stores and other

Form 10-K or other corporate literature should visit our

stores that feature Bassett products. Visit us at

website at bassettfurniture.com or contact Investor Relations,

bassettfurniture.com.

at 276.629.6000.

Forward Looking Statements

Transfer Agent - Stockholder Inquiries

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements

Stockholders with inquiries relating to stockholder

as defined in the Private Securities Litigation and Reform

records, stock transfers, change of ownership, change of

Act of 1995 and within the meaning of Sections 27A of

address or dividend payments should write to:

the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as

Operations Center https://www.google.com/

amended. When used in this Annual Report the words

“hope,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan” or “planned,” “intend,”

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11219

“anticipate,” “potential” and similar expressions are

Toll free: (800) 937-5449

intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers

Local & International: (718) 921-8124

are cautioned against placing undue reliance on these

Email: info@astfinancial.com

statements. Such statements, including but not limited to

Web site: www.astfinancial.com

those regarding increases in sales, growth in the number

of Bassett stores, improving gross margins, growth in

Annual Meeting

earnings per share, and the operating performance of licensed 

The Bassett Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held 

Bassett stores are based upon management’s beliefs, as well 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 10 a.m. ET at the

as assumptions made by and information currently available to 

Bassett Train Station Event Center in Bassett, VA.

management, and involve various risks and uncertainties, certain 

of which are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s 

Market and Dividend Information

actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any 

Bassett’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ national

forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company.

market system under the symbol “BSET.” We had 3,700 beneficial 

If the Company does not attain its goals, its business and

amounts for the high and low market prices and dividends 

results of operations might be adversely affected. For

declared for the last two fiscal years are listed below:

stockholders as of January 17, 2020. The range of per share 

a discussion of factors that may impair the Company’s

ability to achieve its goals, please see the cautionary

statements in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis

section of this Annual Report.

MARKET PRICES OF
COMMON STOCK

DIVIDENDS
DECLARED

Quarter

2019

2018

2019

2018

  HIGH

  LOW

  HIGH

  LOW

First

$21.95

$18.11

$40.30

$31.30

$0.125

Second

20.04

14.61

34.35

27.48

$0.125

Third

16.23

11.64

30.05

22.45

Fourth

18.24

11.76

23.40

18.86

0.125

0.125

$0.11 

0.11 

0.125 

0.125 

 
 
 
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ROBERT H. SPILMAN, JR.
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc.

JOHN R. BELK
Former President and Chief Operating Officer 
Belk, Inc.
Private Investor

J. WALTER MCDOWELL
Former Chief Executive Officer
Carolinas/Virginia Banking 
Wachovia Corporation 

WILLIAM C. WAMPLER, JR.
Managing Member, WSWRS, LLC
Former Member, Senate of Virginia

WILLIAM C. WARDEN, JR.
Lead Independent Director of Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc.
Former Executive Vice President
Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

KRISTINA K. CASHMAN
Former Chief Financial Officer
Upward Projects, LLC

VIRGINIA W. HAMLET
Founder and Owner
Hamlet Vineyards, LLC

OFFICERS

ROBERT H. SPILMAN, JR.
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

KENA A. COHENOUR
Vice President, Upholstery Merchandising

DAVID C. BAKER
Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer

NICHOLAS C. GEE
Vice President, Corporate Retail Sales

JOHN E. BASSETT, III
Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer

DRURY E. INGRAM
Vice President, Corporate Controller

BRUCE R. COHENOUR
Senior Vice President, Chief Sales Officer

MATTHEW S. JOHNSON
Vice President, Sales

J. MICHAEL DANIEL
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

MIKE R. KREIDLER
Vice President, Upholstery

JACK L. HAWN, JR.
Senior Vice President, Bassett
President, Zenith

KARA KELCHNER-STRONG
Senior Vice President, Customer Experience Officer

STEFANIE J. LUCAS
Senior Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer

JAY R. HERVEY
Vice President, Secretary, General Counsel

EDWIN C. AVERY, JR.
Vice President, Upholstery Product Development

ZACHARY H. BRYANT
President, Lane Venture

BRIAN W. CLASPELL
Vice President, Chief Information Officer

BETH A. LARSON
Vice President, Upholstery Finance & Administration

PETER D. MORRISON
Vice President, Chief Creative Officer

LOUIS C. MOSSOTTI, JR.
Vice President, Corporate Retail – Southeast Region

J. CARTER UNDERWOOD
Vice President, Wood Operations

EDWARD H. WHITE
Vice President, Human Resources

ANN M. ZACCARIA
Vice President, Real Estate and New Store Development 

  
 
 
 
B A S S E T T F U R N I T U R E . C O M
B A S S E T T,   V I R G I N I A

N A S D A Q : B S E T