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Kirkland's

kirk · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker kirk
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Specialty Retail
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2006 Annual Report · Kirkland's
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2006 Annual Report

l Corporate Headquarters

& Central Distribution Center

 
Directors and Officers

Directors

Officers

R. Wilson Orr, III
Chairman of the
Board of Directors
General Partner, SSM Partners

Carl Kirkland
Founder
Kirkland’s, Inc.

Robert E. Alderson
Chief Executive Officer
Kirkland’s, Inc.

Steven J. Collins
Partner
Advent International Corporation 

Gabriel Gomez
Principal
Advent International Corporation 

David M. Mussafer
Managing Director
Advent International Corporation 

Ralph T. Parks
President
RT Parks, Inc.

Murray M. Spain
President
World Wide Basics, LLC

Robert E. Alderson
Chief Executive Officer 

Catherine A. David
President and Chief Operating Officer 

Andrew P. Gallina
Vice President of Marketing 

Michelle R. Graul
Vice President of Human Resources 

Sharyn M. Hejcl
Vice President of Merchandising and
General Merchandising Manager 

Rob Janes
Vice President of Information Services and Chief

Information Officer 

Roland L. Mackie
Senior Vice President of Real Estate

and Development 

W. Michael Madden
Vice President of Finance and
Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Ostler
Vice President of Operations and Director of Stores

Lowell E. Pugh II
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary 

Todd E. Smith
Vice President of Finance and Controller 

Todd A. Weier
Senior Vice President of Logistics 

Fellow Shareholders, Guests, and Team Members:

Fiscal 2006 was a year of tremendous
challenge during a period of change
at  Kirkland’s. Our  financial  results
suffered  as  the  home  décor  sector
continued  to  encounter  a  difficult
sales environment. Customer traffic
declines persisted and contributed to
lower  comparable  store  sales  and
earnings. We  faced  these  challeng-
ing  conditions  with  a  management
team  in  transition  throughout  the
year, making  it  difficult  to  regain
positive  sales  and  earnings  momen-
tum within fiscal 2006. However, we
did  make  progress  during  the  year.
With key hires made late in the fis-
cal year and early in 2007, we believe
we have assembled the team that will
lead the turnaround of the business.

Improved  merchandising  perform-
ance  is  still  our  number  one  priority
and the key to Kirkland’s returning to
strong financial results. We attract a
value-conscious customer who favors
“traditional” styling  in  home  décor.
During  fiscal  2006, we  recognized
our  merchandise  assortment  was  off
style  and  trend, delivered  less  value,
and was too narrowly-focused in col-
oration  and  style.
In  response, we
established a focus on three “degrees”
of traditional style – formal, updated
and  soft  –  designed  to  broaden  our
appeal to a wider audience including
our  existing  core  customer  base.
This vision provides a framework for
both  our  merchants  and  vendors  to
develop product that is new and dif-
ferent, trend and color right, and pro-
vides  decorating  and  gift-giving
ideas. While each of the three tradi-
tional styles is distinctly different, the
various  elements  work  together  and
allow  our  guests  to  mix  and  match
items  to  fit  their  personal  taste.
These  changes  are  reflected  in  our
stores today within three major mer-

chandise  sets  and  four  secondary
themes. With further refinement, we
are confident that our customers will
embrace  this  trend  and  style-right
product as they shop for home décor
at affordable prices.

During  fiscal  2006, our  struggles  in
merchandising were in execution and
specifically in our key item strategy –
identifying  great  items  unique  to
Kirkland’s  that  we  can  sell  in  large
quantity at great prices. This strate-
gy  helps  to  create  customer  interest
and drive sales while making a pow-
erful visual statement in stores. With
a focus on content and style changes,
we  didn’t  properly  exploit  our  his-
toric value advantage. Value remains
a  focus  for  our  customer, and  she
looks  to  Kirkland’s  for  great  prices.
With our merchandising department
under the leadership of Sharyn Hejcl
and the continued direction of Cathy
David, we  are  optimistic  about  our
ability  to  meet  these  challenges  in
execution and continue the improve-
ment in merchandise content during
fiscal 2007.

In  stores, our  great  opportunity  is
delivering  an  improved  and  exciting
in-store  experience  through  helpful
and  friendly  interaction  with  our
guests, making  them  feel  welcome
and helping them achieve their home
decorating goals. We are committed
to  hiring  team  members  who  better
reflect our brand and providing them
sales-focused  training. To  lead  the
stores  in  this  key  part  of  the  turn-
around effort, we have recently hired
Jeff Ostler as our Director of Stores.

Our shift to off-mall real estate con-
tinues. We are concentrating efforts
to accelerate the closing of mall stores
over the next two years. In doing so,

we  will  prudently  deploy  our  capital
in  opening  stores  in  off-mall  venues
where  our  customers  live  and  shop.
The  first  year  return  on  our  new
stores  remains  strong  despite  the
merchandising  execution  and  sector
challenges we have encountered. Our
off-mall  stores  are  generating  better
sales  volumes  and  have  lower  occu-
pancy costs, resulting in better store-
level  profits. These  stores  are  easier
to  shop  and  operate. Most  impor-
tantly, the  off-mall  venue  is  more
convenient  to  our  customers  and
located with desirable co-tenants for
the  home  décor  shopper. Our  real
estate direction is clear; however, we
are moderating our growth plans for
fiscal 2007 as we focus on improving
execution 
in  merchandising  and
Better  merchandise, an
stores.
improved  guest  experience, and  the
right  venue  will  combine  to  deliver
our long-awaited turnaround.

We believe the tasks are challenging,
but  the  goal  is  very  attainable. As  a
fellow shareholder, I am disappointed
financial  results, but
with  our 
absolutely believe in our opportunity
for  near-term  improvement. We
have  completed  two  of  the  toughest
components—establishing  the  vision
and  assembling  the  team  to  lead  it.
Better execution will lead us to better
results. We look forward to reporting
on our progress in the coming year.

Thank you for you continued support
and  investment  in  Kirkland’s  and  I
hope to see you soon in our stores!

Sincerely,

Robert Alderson
Chief Executive Officer

Corporate Data

Corporate Headquarters
Kirkland’s, Inc.
805 North Parkway
Jackson, Tennessee 38305
731/668-2444
www.kirklands.com

Transfer Agent and Registrar
StockTrans, Inc.
44 West Lancaster Avenue
Ardmore, Pennsylvania  19003
610/649-7300
Shareholders seeking information concerning stock
transfers, change of address, and lost certificates should
contact StockTrans directly.

Independent Auditors
Ernst & Young LLP
Memphis, Tennessee

Corporate Counsel
Pepper Hamilton LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Annual Report on Form 10-K
A copy of the Company’s fiscal 2006 Annual Report on
Form  10-K  as  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  is  available  to  shareholders  by  contacting
the  Investor  Relations  Department  at  the  Company’s
address above.

Safe Harbor
Except  for  historical  information  contained  herein, the
statements in this release are forward-looking and made
pursuant  to  the  safe  harbor  provisions  of  the  Private
Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995. Forward-
looking  statements  involve  known  and  unknown  risks
and  uncertainties, which  may  cause  Kirkland’s  actual
results to differ materially from forecasted results. Those
risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the
competitive environment in the home décor industry in
general and in Kirkland’s specific market areas, inflation,
product  availability  and  growth  opportunities, seasonal
fluctuations, and economic conditions in general. Those
and other risks are more fully described in Kirkland’s fil-
ings  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,
including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed on May 2, 2007. Kirkland’s disclaims any obligation
to update any such factors or to publicly announce results
of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect future events or developments.

Stock Market Information
The  Company’s  common  stock  is  traded  on  the
NASDAQ Globat Market under the symbol KIRK. On
April  6, 2007, there  were  approximately  100  holders  of
record  and  1,600  beneficial  owners  of  the  Company’s
common  stock. The  following  table  sets  forth, for  the
periods  indicated, the  high  and  low  last  sale  prices  of
shares of the common stock as reported by NASDAQ:

Annual Meeting
The  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders  will  be  held  at
1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on June 4, 2007, at the
Crescent  Club, 6075  Poplar  Avenue, 9th  Floor,
Memphis, Tennessee.

Fiscal 2006:
Quarter ended April 29, 2006
Quarter ended July 29, 2006
Quarter ended October 28, 2006
Quarter ended February 3, 2007

High 

Low

$ 7.74
$ 6.88
$ 5.25
$ 5.64

$ 4.95
$ 5.05
$ 4.18
$ 4.40

Fiscal 2005:
Quarter ended April 30, 2005
Quarter ended July 30, 2005
Quarter ended October 29, 2005
Quarter ended January 28, 2006

$ 11.28
$ 9.42
$ 9.93
$ 7.22

$ 9.18
$ 8.17
$ 7.05
$ 5.73

 
Kirkland’s

805 North Parkway

Jackson, TN 38305

731/668-2444

www.kirklands.com