UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________________________
FORM 10-K
_____________________________________________
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended January 30, 2021
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Transition Period From to
Commission File Number: 001-34918
_____________________________________________
VERA BRADLEY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_____________________________________________
Indiana
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
12420 Stonebridge Road,
Roanoke, Indiana
(Address of principal executive offices)
27-2935063
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
46783
(Zip Code)
(877) 708-8372
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
_____________________________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Common Stock, without par value
Trading Symbol(s)
VRA
Name of each exchange on which registered
NASDAQ Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
_____________________________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of
Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such
files). Yes x No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or
emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
☐
☐
Accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
☒
☐
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new
or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control
over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of August 1, 2020 was $100,358,776.
The registrant had 33,414,490 shares of its common stock outstanding as of March 23, 2021.
_____________________________________________
DOCUMENT INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K. Vera Bradley, Inc. intends to file such proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation
14A not later than 120 days after its fiscal year ended January 30, 2021.
Forward-Looking Statements
This annual report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical or
current fact included in this report are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include references to our current expectations and
projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, strategies, future performance, and business. You can identify
forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “can have,” and “likely” and other words and
terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. For
example, all statements we make relating to our estimated and projected earnings, revenues, costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates, and financial
results, our plans and objectives for future operations, growth, initiatives, or strategies, or the expected outcome or impact of pending or threatened
litigation are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially from those that we expected, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
public health pandemics, including the continued outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and actions to contain the spread of the virus by
governmental or other actors;
possible inability to successfully implement our long-term strategic plans;
possible declines in our comparable sales;
possible inability to maintain and enhance our brands;
possible failure of our multi-channel distribution model;
possible adverse changes in general economic conditions and their impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending, including as may be
related to the continued outbreak of COVID-19;
possible inability to predict and respond in a timely manner to changes in consumer demand;
possible inability to successfully open new stores and/or operate current stores as planned;
possible loss of key management or design associates or inability to attract and retain the talent required for our business;
possible data security or privacy breaches or disruptions in our computer systems or website;
possible disruptions in our supply chain;
possible new or increased tariffs on our products that could lead to increased product costs and lower profit margins; and
possible inability to successfully implement integration strategies related to the Pura Vida business and possible inability to derive expected
benefits from or to successfully integrate any future business acquisition.
We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating plans and forecasts, which are based upon detailed assumptions. While we believe
that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors
that could affect our actual results.
For a discussion of the above described risks and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in our
forward-looking statements, please refer to “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this report.
We caution you that the risks and uncertainties identified by us may not be all of the factors that are important to you. Furthermore, the forward-looking
statements included in this report are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I.
Item 1.
Business
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2.
Properties
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosure
PART II.
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
Item 9B.
Other Information
PART III.
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
PART IV.
Item 15.
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
3
4
4
17
30
30
31
32
33
33
35
50
51
91
91
91
92
92
92
92
93
93
94
94
94
Table of Contents
In this Form 10-K, references to “Vera Bradley, Inc.” or the “Company” refer to Vera Bradley, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Vera Bradley Designs, Inc. and Creative
Genius, LLC. References to “Vera Bradley” relate to the Vera Bradley stand-alone brand and references to “Pura Vida” relate to the Pura Vida stand-alone brand, except
where the context requires otherwise or where otherwise indicated. The Company utilizes a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to January 31. The fiscal
years ended January 30, 2021 (“fiscal 2021”), February 1, 2020 (“fiscal 2020”) and February 2, 2019 (“fiscal 2019”) were each 52-week periods. The fiscal year ending
January 29, 2022 (“fiscal 2022”) will also be a 52-week period.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Our Company
Vera Bradley, Inc. operates two unique lifestyle brands – Vera Bradley and Pura Vida. We believe Vera Bradley and Pura Vida are complementary
businesses, both with devoted, emotionally-connected, and multi-generational female customer bases; alignment as causal, comfortable, affordable, and fun
brands; positioning as “gifting” and socially-connected brands; strong, entrepreneurial cultures; a keen focus on community, charity, and social
consciousness; multi-channel distribution strategies; and talented leadership teams aligned and committed to the long-term success of their brands.
In July 2019, Vera Bradley, Inc. acquired a 75% interest in Creative Genius, Inc., which also operates under the name Pura Vida Bracelets (“Pura Vida”).
Pura Vida results are consolidated within the Company’s financial statements beginning on July 17, 2019, the first full day following the acquisition. Prior
period results have not been recast and are therefore not comparable with the fiscal 2020 period.
Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company has included an additional segment for Pura Vida due to its acquisition. As a result, the
Company now has three reportable segments: Vera Bradley Direct (“VB Direct”), Vera Bradley Indirect (“VB Indirect”), and Pura Vida. For financial
information about our reportable segments, refer to Note 18 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, “Item 8. Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data,” of this report.
Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage and other travel items, fashion and home accessories, and unique gifts. Founded in 1982
by friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the brand is known for its innovative designs, iconic patterns, and brilliant colors that inspire
and connect women. The reportable segments within the Vera Bradley brand are VB Direct and VB Indirect.
VB Direct. The VB Direct business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products through Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores in the United States;
verabradley.com; the Vera Bradley online outlet site; and typically the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As of January 30, 2021, the
Company operated 75 full-line stores and 69 factory outlet stores. The annual outlet sale was cancelled in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
VB Indirect. The VB Indirect business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products to approximately 2,000 specialty retail locations, substantially all of which
are located in the United States; sales to department stores, national accounts, third-party e-commerce sites, and third-party inventory liquidators; and
royalties recognized through licensing agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand.
Pura Vida
Pura Vida, based in La Jolla, California, is a digitally native lifestyle brand that we believe deeply resonates with its loyal consumer following. The Pura
Vida brand has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories. The Pura Vida segment represents revenues
generated through the Pura Vida websites, www.puravidabracelets.com, www.puravidabracelets.eu, and www.puravidabracelets.ca and through the
distribution of Pura Vida-branded products to wholesale retailers, substantially all of which are located in the United States. Refer to Note 15 of the Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” of this report for additional information
regarding the Pura Vida acquisition.
Our History
When they were traveling together, Fort Wayne, Indiana friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia Miller realized there was a lack of stylish travel
accessories in the market. Within weeks, the friends created Vera Bradley, named after Ms. Bradley Baekgaard’s mother, and began manufacturing and
marketing their distinctive products. The founders, together with past and present members of the executive management team, have been instrumental in
our growth and success.
The passion for design and customer service established by our founders has driven our Company for nearly 40 years and remains the cornerstone of Vera
Bradley, Inc. today. Ms. Baekgaard retired from Vera Bradley operations in 2017 but continues
4
Table of Contents
to serve on the Board of Directors and as a brand ambassador. Ms. Miller retired in October 2012 as our National Spokesperson and in August 2019 from
the Board of Directors.
In July 2019, Vera Bradley, Inc. acquired a majority interest in Pura Vida.
Similar to the Vera Bradley brand, Pura Vida was founded by two Southern California friends, Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman. Thall and Goodman, while
traveling through Costa Rica in 2010, crossed paths with two bracelet artisans. Thall and Goodman asked the artisans to make 400 bracelets to take home
with them.
Upon returning to San Diego, Thall and Goodman placed the bracelets in a bowl at a local boutique. Within days, the bracelets sold out and customers were
asking for more. Thall and Goodman quickly recognized the significance of these simple string bracelets. They were more than just ordinary locally-crafted
bracelets; they symbolized a movement valuing the simple things in life. So, Pura Vida, which means “pure life” in Spanish and is a philosophy that
encourages the appreciation of life’s simple treasures, was born.
We believe Pura Vida is a great strategic fit for Vera Bradley and that the two companies have combined to make Vera Bradley, Inc. a unique lifestyle
company.
Vision 20/20 Initiatives and Growth Strategies
In fiscal 2018, we embarked on Vision 20/20 - our aggressive three-year plan to restore the Vera Bradley brand and business to a healthy foundation, and in
fiscal 2021 we completed the first full year of consolidated operations of Pura Vida. Despite challenges related to the pandemic, we strengthened our
infrastructure and better positioned both the Pura Vida and Vera Bradley brands for the future. Some achievements in the product, marketing, and
distribution areas for fiscal 2021 follow.
Vera Bradley
Product. We have identified three key franchise businesses – Youth/Campus, Travel, and Everyday where we can offer our customers thoughtful solutions
that we believe will propel our future growth. We will continue to look for opportunities to expand into relevant new categories that reflect our brands and
signature attributes of comfortable, casual, affordable, and fun. We will also continue to use licenses and strategic partnerships as appropriate to expand our
product categories.
In fiscal 2021:
• We accelerated our robust fabric innovation pipeline to develop new fabric offerings and build on our platform of sustainable fabrics; we expanded
our full-line Performance Twill and recycled ReActive collections, introduced our Ultralight fabrication in our factory stores, and developed our
recycled cotton collection that will launch in spring 2021;
• We quickly reacted to the consumer demand for personal protective equipment, producing and selling millions of cotton face masks, generating
revenue and gross margin dollars for the fiscal year;
• We continued another year of collaborations with several iconic brands, including Crocs, Disney, and Gillette Venus to create and sell limited-
edition product collections; introduced our signature masks and 1982 backpacks in Target stores and on target.com; and launched our collaboration
with Warner Bros. Consumer Products for the creation of our Harry Potter™ + Vera Bradley collection. These collaborations will continue into
fiscal 2022.
Distribution Channels. Vera Bradley products are available through our Direct channel including full-line and factory outlet stores, online through
verabradley.com and our online outlet site, and typically our Vera Bradley annual outlet sale, as well as through the Indirect channel including department
and specialty retail stores, national accounts, third-party e-commerce sites, and third-party inventory liquidators. We continue to focus on tightly integrating
our multi-channel business by strengthening and right-sizing both our Direct and Indirect distribution channels.
We opened six new factory outlet stores in fiscal 2021. We plan to open five new factory outlet stores in fiscal 2022.
We are continuing to improve the profitability of our full-line store portfolio by re-balancing our existing fleet through select closures along with
identifying future market opportunities. We will continue to focus on our highest-potential stores, enhancing the customer experience and further localizing
our assortments. We will continue to develop and test new formats; however, we have currently suspended full-line store growth. In fact, we have closed 39
underperforming full-line stores since the beginning of fiscal 2018 and forecast that we will close additional full-line stores.
Building our digital flagship, verabradley.com, remains a key part of our distribution strategy. During fiscal 2021, we converted our e-commerce platform
to Shopify Plus. This conversion was part of our overall IT project called Project Novus, which also replaced our ERP, POS, Business Intelligence, and
Order Management systems. These changes decreased the complexity of our
5
Table of Contents
systems and provided us with a technology platform to help us make quick, data-based, informed decisions, which we believe will further enhance the
customer experience and help us achieve our growth objectives.
Our Vera Bradley online outlet flash sales allowed us to continue to sell clearance merchandise in a more discreet manner, reducing clearance activity on
verabradley.com and in our full-line stores. In fiscal 2021, we had approximately 66 million visits to our website and our online outlet site.
Our department store relationships allow us to expose our brand to new customers and showcase new product assortments. We are currently in
approximately 276 department store locations. In the department stores, we continue to work on enhancing our brand presentation and profitability.
The specialty retail channel is the heritage of our business and remains important to us. We continue to add select accounts while discontinuing
unproductive accounts. While the specialty retail business is a smaller percentage of our total revenue base, we are working to stabilize it by assisting
retailers with optimizing their businesses.
Marketing. Marketing and brand positioning are both critical elements as we continue to engage new consumers and strengthen our bond with existing
customers.
In fiscal 2021:
• As mentioned, we launched our new verabradley.com Shopify Plus site which we believe allowed us to improve our customer's buying
experience.
• Our investments in customer data science, and business analytics allowed us to collect and analyze data, respond to customer changes, and adjust
marketing spending in an agile way, which helped us to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Data science and analytics will continue to drive our
marketing decisions going forward.
• We believe our digital first strategy, focused on targeted digital efforts, increased brand awareness. Total impressions for the fiscal year more than
doubled to almost 10.0 billion compared to the prior-year period.
• Under the umbrella of VB Cares, we reinforced our position as a total stakeholder-focused and socially-conscious organization and continued to
strengthen our community support and charitable initiatives that are meaningful to our customers and that make a significant impact on those in
need, particularly women and children. Efforts included supporting the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, the Coronavirus Response
Fund for Nurses, New Hope Girls, and our national “Blessings in a Backpack” program. We will continue our VB Cares focus.
Pura Vida
Product. Pura Vida offers products in the accessories category, primarily bracelets, with the balance of products in other jewelry categories such as rings
and necklaces. These products are created with the “pura vida” lifestyle and aesthetic in mind, slowing down and living life to the fullest. During fiscal
2021 Pura Vida further expanded into new product categories. Nearly 50% of our e-commerce business is comprised of jewelry categories other than
traditional string bracelets, such as metal, semi-precious stone charms, charms, and the engravable collection. We believe these product categories highlight
the brand's lifestyle appeal which we believe will continue to be a key driver of growth. Charity bracelets remained popular, reaching over $3.0 million in
lifetime charitable contributions to more than 200 charities.
Distribution Channels. Our Pura Vida products are available on our websites, www.puravidabracelets.com, www.puravidabracelets.eu, and
www.puravidabracelets.ca. Pura Vida is a digitally native brand and continuing to develop our websites and transmit the “pura vida” lifestyle through our
digital storefront is a key distribution strategy. Pura Vida’s website immerses visitors in the brand, its products, and its social mission.
We also distribute Pura Vida products through select wholesale accounts throughout the U.S. and Europe. We will continue to target some larger accounts
for growth which should help build the Pura Vida brand. We expanded our presence with our wholesale partners by introducing larger in-store presentations
in fiscal 2021.
During fiscal 2021, we added Pura Vida shop-in-shops to six Vera Bradley full-line stores. We also plan to open Pura Vida's first retail store in fiscal 2022.
Marketing. We have established what we believe to be a robust digital marketing platform with highly effective consumer engagement across social media
and other online platforms. The Pura Vida digital marketing strategy is anchored in innovative and effective ways to connect with our consumers, including
partnerships with select individuals who we believe encapsulate the brand’s identity and serve as natural extensions of the Pura Vida marketing strategy.
These partnerships translate into authentic, user-generated content that we can repurpose as ads, e-mail campaigns, and our own social media content.
6
Table of Contents
Pura Vida remains one of the most highly-engaged brands in the accessories space, surpassing the 2.0 million mark of followers on Instagram and is
consistently listed as one of the most engaged jewelry brands on Instagram. Instagram followers and Facebook likes rose during fiscal 2021. Pura Vida
continued to rank among the top of the industry for our Net Promoter and Customer Satisfaction Scores.
Over 150,000 micro-influencers have been on-boarded, and reliance on micro-influencers is a key part of Pura Vida’s strategy. Micro-influencers are brand
ambassadors who showcase Pura Vida products on their social media channels in exchange for commission. In fiscal 2021, we entered into an agreement
with TikTok sensation Charli D'Amelio for our collaborative Pura Vida bracelet style pack which launched on March 5, 2021, during our fiscal 2022. We
plan to continue to build upon the influencer program, particularly focusing on individuals with the greatest number of followers.
During fiscal 2021, we doubled our SMS messaging list from fiscal 2020 to over one million active subscribers.
Enterprise Vision and Fiscal 2022 Growth Drivers
For our enterprise's vision to become a purpose-driven, multi-brand, growth-oriented company, we will focus on enhancing our purpose-driven efforts
while seeking out appropriate acquisitions of other comfortable, affordable, purpose-driven, digitally-native brands, similar to our Pura Vida acquisition.
We will also expand our reach by adding adjacent product categories and geographies. For fiscal 2022, we believe the four key growth drivers for the
Company will be:
• Driving our digital-first strategy, by evolving the digital distribution of our products and further refining and utilizing digital experiences to
serve our customers. We will support this initiative by continuously refining our technology, developing business process and technology
platforms to improve agility, data-based decision making, customer centricity, and speed-to-market.
•
•
•
Enhancing our product innovation pipeline, collaborations, and category extensions to attract new customers and increase the share of wallet
with existing customers.
Building our community, through marketing and by creating an impactful, engaging brand movement that deepens brand loyalty.
Evolving our distribution channels, by focusing on future growth opportunities and addressing the drastically changing retail environment and
the consumer marketplace.
Our Product Release Strategy
Vera Bradley. We typically introduce new collections monthly. Each launch typically consists of one to three signature cotton-quilted prints, as well as
other fabrications including Performance Twill, Re-Active, microfiber, or leather some of which are also available in solid colors. These collections of
prints and solids are incorporated into the designs of a wide range of products, including bags, accessories, and travel items. These collections typically
include classic styles, updates to existing designs, and new product introductions.
To keep our assortment current and fresh, and to focus our inventory investments on our best performers, we discontinue prints and fabrications as
necessary. We sell our remaining inventory of retired products primarily through our website (including our online outlet site), factory outlet stores,
typically our annual outlet sale, and third-party liquidators.
Pura Vida. We introduce new Pura Vida products seasonally, approximately three times a year (spring, summer, and fall). Each product launch collection
typically consists of 50 to 100 SKUs. We offer a mix of seasonally inspired designs and certain core designs. In April 2021, we plan to launch our Pura
Vida apparel collection of shirts and hoodies, initially as a limited collection.
7
Table of Contents
Our Products
The following chart presents net revenues generated by each of the Company’s product categories and other revenues as a percentage of our total net
revenues for fiscals 2021, 2020, and 2019.
(1)
Bags
Accessories
Travel
Apparel/Footwear
Home
Other
(2)
Total
(1)
(2)
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
28.2 %
35.1 %
15.3 %
11.1 %
7.3 %
3.0 %
100.0 %
35.9 %
31.3 %
21.9 %
1.2 %
7.2 %
2.5 %
100.0 %
41.1 %
22.3 %
25.8 %
1.2 %
7.1 %
2.5 %
100.0 %
Fiscal 2020 increase in accessories due to the inclusion of Pura Vida beginning July 17, 2019.
Includes primarily stationery, licensing, freight, merchandising, and gift card breakage revenue.
Bags. Bags are a core part of our product offerings and are the primary component of every seasonal assortment. The category consists of classic and new
styles developed by our product development team. Our bag product category includes items such as totes, crossbodies, satchels, clutches, backpacks, baby
bags, and lunch bags. Bags play a prominent role in our visual merchandising, and we showcase the different fabrications, patterns, colors, and features of
each bag.
Accessories. Accessories include Vera Bradley-branded fashion accessories such as wallets, wristlets, eyeglass cases, scarves, various technology
accessories, as well as Pura Vida-branded accessories such as bracelets, rings, and necklaces. We believe our accessories are attractively priced and allow
the consumer to include some color in her wardrobe. Our product development team consistently updates the accessories assortment based on consumer
demand and fashion trends.
Travel. Our travel product category includes rolling luggage, cosmetics, travel and packing accessories, and travel bags which includes our iconic duffel
and weekend bags. The first Vera Bradley product offering included duffel bags, which have consistently been strong performers. We believe their
popularity, as well as the appeal of our other travel items, results from our vibrant designs, functional styles, and lightweight fabrications.
Apparel/Footwear. Our apparel and footwear category includes sleepwear, footwear, cotton face masks, outerwear, socks, and scarves. Cotton face mask
sales began during fiscal 2021 at both Vera Bradley and Pura Vida.
Home. Our home category includes textiles, including throw blankets, beach towels, and comforters, as well as items such as mugs and tumblers.
Product Development
Vera Bradley. We have implemented a fully integrated and cross-functional product development process that aligns design, trend and market research,
merchandising, planning, sales, marketing, and sourcing. We believe product development is a core capability that makes our products unique and that our
designs and aesthetics set our products apart and drive customer loyalty. Our design and product development teams combine an understanding of the
desires of our target customers, with knowledge of upcoming color, material, consumer, and fashion trends to design new collections, as well as new
product categories.
We typically begin the development stage of our products in the Vera Bradley portfolio twelve to eighteen months in advance of their release. The
development of each new pattern includes the design of a primary print and sometimes a secondary coordinating print. All print development is managed
by our internal print design team. Once developed, we generally copyright our patterns as appropriate. We believe that great design is not only central to
our products, but also is a fundamental part of our brand development and growth strategies.
Our design team works to ensure that new collections contain an assortment of products and styles that are in line with both trends and customer desires
and regularly updates classic styles to enhance functionality. Our team monitors fashion trends and customer needs by typically attending major trend and
industry shows in Europe, Asia, and the United States, subscribing to trend monitoring services, and engaging in comparison-shopping.
8
Table of Contents
Our product development team works closely with our marketing and merchandising teams to gather consumer insights through a variety of methodologies,
including seasonal market research, in-store testing, scheduled interviews, and online and in-person surveys conducted by our internal team. Our work is
also informed in part by market data analysis provided through our membership to industry services and organizations. The design and product
development teams work to ensure that we offer products that are constructed to meet our design, function, construction, and quality standards in a cost-
effective manner. We believe that with our cross-functional, collaborative approach, we are able to introduce and market our products in a way that clearly
communicates the Vera Bradley brand.
In addition to products developed in-house, we also pursue brand extensions through strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, and brand
collaborations. We currently have licenses in place for eyewear, collegiate (NCAA), bedding, technology accessories, stationery/drinkware, sleepwear and
loungewear, bath collections, certain footwear, and female shaving products. We also have licensing agreements with Disney Theme Park Merchandise,
Warner Brothers, and certain U.S. Military forces. We will continue to look for the right strategic partners and licensees that can augment the brand and
provide established distribution networks for certain categories of business.
Pura Vida. Pura Vida continues to develop new styles and re-invent existing styles. We have a cross-functional team that aligns product development with
merchandising to strategically manage the design process. Our cross-functional team attends trade shows and performs market research to develop what we
believe will be on-trend products that communicate and emulate the “pura vida” lifestyle.
Marketing
We believe that the growth of our brands and our business is influenced by our ability to introduce and sell our merchandise in a way that clearly conveys
the Vera Bradley and Pura Vida brand personalities. We use marketing as a critical tool in our efforts to promote our brands.
Vera Bradley
Retention Advertising. We communicate with our established customers consistently throughout the year with regular e-mails, social media, and
notifications, as well as seasonal direct mail catalogs and brochures related to the Vera Bradley brand. Our retention advertising is geared to keeping Vera
Bradley top of mind with our customers, rewarding our customers, and providing them with news of our seasonal launches, new product introductions, and
VB Cares initiatives.
New Customer Acquisition Advertising. We primarily employ digital (i.e., display banner, mobile, geo-targeting, and pre-roll video) advertising to increase
overall brand awareness and attract new customers.
Public Relations and Product Placement. Vera Bradley has received considerable editorial exposure in the press, with mentions in O the Oprah Magazine,
WWD, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Better Homes and Gardens. In addition, we have expanded our public relations efforts to reach popular online
influencers and bloggers.
Product placement of Vera Bradley products in feature-length films and on prime-time television shows remains strong with television placements in Call
Me Kat, The Neighbors, Blackish, Superstore, American Housewife, The Conners, Bless This Mess, The Neighborhood, Last Man Standing, and A.P. Bio.
Movie placements include: Pitch Perfect 3, La La Land, Girl's Trip, Baywatch, A Bad Moms Christmas, Den of Thieves, and Bad Boys III.
Partnerships. During fiscal 2021, under the umbrella of VB Cares, we reinforced our position as a total stakeholder-focused and socially-conscious
organization and continued to strengthen our community support and charitable initiatives that are meaningful to our customers and that make a significant
impact on those in need, particularly women and children. Efforts included supporting the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, the Coronavirus
Response Fund for Nurses, our national “Blessings in a Backpack” program, and New Hope Girls, among others.
Social Media and Online Marketing. We use online marketing and social networking sites as tools to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to
verabradley.com and to our Vera Bradley stores.
For Vera Bradley, we have captured approximately 6.4 million active customer e-mail addresses in our online customer file, with many of these customers
providing age, occupation, and location data. This information provides us with deeper insight into the products and categories that are of the highest
interest to our customers, and allows us to better target our customers with appropriate messages. As of January 30, 2021, we had approximately 2.0
million Facebook fans and approximately 80,000 Twitter followers. Our Instagram has grown to approximately 540,000 followers and is our most highly
engaged social medium. In addition, we often partner with brand-right bloggers to promote product.
9
Table of Contents
Direct Mail. Vera Bradley catalogs are a vehicle for promoting the Vera Bradley brand and product portfolio. Each catalog is sent to a targeted customer
mailing list. In addition to distributing the catalog, we produce and distribute a number of other marketing pieces, including postcards and mini-mailers. We
believe our direct mail medium generates excitement and awareness about the Vera Bradley brand and allows us to reach both new and loyal customers in
their homes.
Pura Vida
Retention Advertising. We connect with our established customers with regular emails, affiliate marketing, SMS marketing, and social media marketing.
Our retention advertising focuses on informing Pura Vida customers of new product launches, exclusive offers, inventory restocks of best sellers, upselling
subscription products, and the latest Pura Vida news.
New Customer Acquisition Advertising. Pura Vida focuses on digital advertising through Facebook, Instagram, Google, Snapchat, and Pinterest to acquire
new customers. We are consistently testing new audiences, channels, creative, and promotions to maximize our return on paid media spend.
Ambassador Program. We have a grassroot program of over 150,000 brand ambassadors who drive customers to our website and generate buzz in local
communities, digitally through their social media channels, in person through events, and through word of mouth. This program helps us reach our
customers in a personal fashion. We acquire these brand ambassadors through advertising on Instagram and Snapchat, as well as regular promotion through
our organic channels.
Influencer Marketing. We have tiers of small to large sized influencers across various key markets and demographic profiles. We work with influencers on
product collaborations and campaigns, and foster organic relationships with them through photoshoots, trips, and events which we believe drives organic
growth for the brand.
Charity Collaborations. We actively partner with charities to donate to causes that are important to our customers. To date, we have donated over $3.0
million to various charities around the world.
Events Marketing. We utilize our vintage 1972 airstream that we have converted into a traveling retail store to bring the Pura Vida brand to life for our
customers. We would typically travel nationwide to different music festivals, surf competitions, yoga festivals, as well as local events in San Diego.
However, events marketing has been temporarily suspended since March 2020 as a result of COVID-19.
Seasonality
Because Vera Bradley and Pura Vida products are frequently given as gifts, we have historically realized, and expect to continue to realize, higher sales and
operating income in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year, which includes the holiday months of November and December. In addition, our products are
popular during back-to-school periods of August and September. Fluctuations in sales and operating income in any fiscal quarter are affected by the timing
of seasonal wholesale shipments and other events affecting retail sales.
Channels of Distribution
We distribute our Vera Bradley products through our VB Direct and VB Indirect segments and Pura Vida products through e-commerce and wholesale
retailers. This multi-channel distribution model is designed to enable operational flexibility and maximizes the methods by which we can access potential
customers.
Vera Bradley Direct Segment
Full-Line Stores. We have developed a retail presence through our full-line stores, all located in the United States, which provides us with a format to
showcase our brand and the full array of Vera Bradley products. As of January 30, 2021, we operated 75 full-line stores averaging approximately 1,900
square feet per store. Our sales associates are passionate about our products and customer service, which, we believe, translates into a superior shopping
experience.
Factory Outlet Stores. Our factory outlet stores are a vehicle for selling factory exclusive styles, as well as retired merchandise at discounted prices, while
maintaining brand integrity. At the end of fiscal 2021, over 95% of the merchandise found in our factory outlet stores consisted of factory exclusive styles.
Factory outlet stores are an integral part of our distribution strategy, as this format provides an additional channel of distribution for our products and
enables us to better target value-oriented customers. Our factory outlet stores average approximately 3,400 square feet per store. As of January 30, 2021,
we operated 69 factory outlet stores, all located in the United States.
Store Location Selection Strategy. Our store location decisions for both full-line and factory outlet stores are made based upon our comprehensive retail
strategy that includes actual and planned penetration in both Indirect and Direct segments, as well as
10
Table of Contents
existing e-commerce demand. At this time, we do not believe all geographical markets have been fully penetrated by our distribution channels, although we
have temporarily suspended full-line store growth and forecast that we will close additional full-line stores. We believe that long-term expansion of our
store base will increase brand awareness and reinforce our brand image. In addition to analyzing store economics, we pay particular attention to the
location within the shopping center, the size and shape of the space, and co-tenancies. Along with seeking co-tenants that we believe share our target
customer, we seek a balanced mix of moderate and high-end retailers to encourage high levels of traffic.
Store Operations. The focus of our store operations is providing consumers with a comfortable and memorable shopping experience. We strive to make the
experience interactive through special store events, such as showcasing newly launched products or celebrating our namesake’s birthday. Our customer
service philosophy emphasizes friendly service, merchandise knowledge, and passion for the brand. Consequently, an essential requirement for the success
of our stores is our ability to attract, train, and retain talented, highly motivated district managers, store managers, and sales associates.
Store Economics. We expect our full-line stores to average approximately 1,800 square feet per store, and we expect to invest approximately $0.4 million
per new store, consisting of inventory, pre-opening costs, and build-out costs, less tenant-improvement allowances.
We expect our factory outlet stores to average approximately 3,400 square feet per store, and we expect to invest approximately $0.5 million per new store,
consisting of inventory, pre-opening costs, and build-out costs, less tenant-improvement allowances.
E-Commerce. In 2006, we began selling our products through the verabradley.com website. The objective of verabradley.com is to provide both a
mechanism for marketing directly to consumers and a storefront where consumers can find the entire full-line Vera Bradley collection. During fiscal 2021,
we re-platformed our website to Shopify Plus to become more streamlined, nimble, and efficient in our technology platform and business processes. Since
2018, we have also operated an online outlet site to reduce clearance sales from verabradley.com. We had approximately 66 million visits to
verabradley.com and our online outlet site during fiscal 2021.
Annual Outlet Sale. Our annual outlet sale is typically held in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana each
spring. The annual outlet sale is an important tradition for Vera Bradley, has many loyal followers, and is an opportunity for us to sell our retired
merchandise at discounted prices in a brand-right fashion. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cancelled our calendar year 2021 and 2020 annual outlet
sale. Our calendar year 2022 sale is currently planned for April 2022.
Vera Bradley Indirect Segment
As of January 30, 2021, we sold our products in approximately 2,000 specialty retail locations, as well as department stores, national accounts, third-party
e-commerce sites, and third-party inventory liquidators, as well as through licensing agreements. In fiscal 2012, we launched our products in the
department store channel. We are currently in approximately 276 department store locations.
The top 25% of our specialty retailers account for approximately 70% of total specialty retailer revenue. No single Indirect retailer represented more than
10% of consolidated net revenues in fiscal 2021, with the top ten Indirect retailers, representing in the aggregate approximately 50% of total Indirect
segment net revenues. The majority of our Indirect retailers have been customers for over five years.
Indirect Sales Force
We believe that having a combination of an in-house field sales force and a third-party agency, covering certain geographies, results in a more consistent
brand presentation and messaging, enhanced support for our Indirect customers, and a more predictable, scalable, and cost-efficient business model. As of
January 30, 2021, our in-house sales team consisted of approximately 30 full-time sales consultants.
In addition to acquiring new and growing existing accounts, our sales consultants serve as a support center for our Indirect customers by assisting and
educating them in areas such as merchandising and visual presentation, marketing the brand, product selection, and inventory management. Our visual
merchandising program provides our sales consultants with a framework to guide our Indirect customers regarding optimal product placement and display
that is intended to reinforce the message that our brand is distinctive.
11
Table of Contents
Pura Vida Segment
E-Commerce. Pura Vida is a digitally native brand and the e-commerce storefront continues to be the primary source of revenues for the Pura Vida
business. The e-commerce site also includes a monthly bracelet and jewelry subscription club. The subscription club is a mechanism to continue to build
brand loyalty and stimulate higher retention.
Wholesale. The Pura Vida wholesale channel is comprised primarily of specialty stores including Tilly’s, The Buckle, The Paper Store, Ron Jon Surf
Shops, Hallmark stores, and Nordstrom, among others. Pura Vida also has a presence on Amazon through a third-party wholesaler. We have a combination
of in-house and external sales personnel who work with our wholesale retailers regarding order fulfillment and compilation.
Manufacturing and Supply Chain Model
Vera Bradley
Our multi-country manufacturing and supply chain model is designed to achieve efficient, timely, and accurate order fulfillment while maintaining
appropriate levels of inventory.
Our manufacturing and sourcing strategy is part of the larger cross-functional product development process. The overall objective for our sourcing team is
to build and sustain collaborative partnerships throughout our supply chain, with a focus on identifying appropriate countries and partners to manufacture
our products while maintaining and focusing on flexibility. Our sourcing team leverages its expertise in negotiation, relationship management, flexibility,
and change management to maintain a strong global supply chain. Our sourcing team also focuses on achieving the right balance of production sites and
countries of origin to mitigate the risk of concentrated production, including potential incremental tariffs. To continue to assist in this risk mitigation, our
sourcing team reduced our Vera Bradley production in China from approximately 25% in fiscal 2020 to less than 15% in fiscal 2021 (which excludes mask
production). With exception to China-centric production categories, we have an ongoing strategy that continues to reduce our China exposure in both
finished goods and raw materials.
We strive to maintain the appropriate balance of inventory to enable us to provide a high level of service to our customers, including prompt and accurate
delivery of our products at a reasonable cost. We believe that we have an active and nimble sales and operations planning process that helps us balance the
supply and demand issues that we encounter in our business, optimize our inventory levels, and anticipate inventory needs. We have also integrated our
Vera Bradley planning, forecasting, and segmentation processes under one function called Merchandise Planning and Allocation.
We have started to experience delays as a result of port congestion for imported products, which may result in longer lead times or increased inbound
freight costs. While we are working to mitigate the impact of these delays through various actions, there is a risk that these delays could adversely impact
our sales during fiscal 2022.
Approximately half of Vera Bradley product sales are cotton-based. Our other fabrics include primarily nylon, polyester, microfiber, and leather. We source
our raw materials from various suppliers in Asia, with the majority coming from China and South Korea. Our global sourcing team works with select
suppliers enabling us to optimize the mix of cost, lead time, quality, and reliability within our global supply network. We actively mitigate raw materials
price increases through purchasing at advantageous times and periods. All of our suppliers must comply with our quality standards, and we use only a
limited number of pre-approved suppliers who have demonstrated a commitment to delivering the highest quality products. In April 2016, we opened an
office in Hong Kong to lead the global supply chain in Asia, including the oversight of sourcing and procurement.
The majority of our Vera Bradley finished goods, not sourced through licenses or strategic partners, are manufactured by a variety of global manufacturers
located primarily in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, and China. With the oversight of our office in Hong Kong and our independent contractors,
we believe these financial benefits have been realized without sacrificing the level of quality inherent in our products or service to our customers.
Pura Vida
Pura Vida products are sourced primarily from El Salvador, as well as China, Guatemala, and India. We have begun an active supply chain diversification
process to ensure a focus on maintaining flexibility and to help mitigate the risk of concentrated production, similar to the Vera Bradley supply chain.
When determining the size of orders placed with our manufacturers, we take into account forward-looking demand, lead times for specific products, current
inventory levels, and minimum order quantity requirements. Overseas production has resulted in substantial cost savings and a reduction of capital
investment.
12
Table of Contents
Distribution Centers
Vera Bradley owns a 428,500 square-foot distribution center in Roanoke, Indiana. This automated, computerized facility allows Vera Bradley employees to
receive information directly from the order-collection center and quickly identify the products and quantities necessary to fulfill a particular order. The
facility’s technology enables us to accurately process and pack orders, as well as track shipments and inventory. We believe that our systems for the
processing and shipment of orders from our distribution center have enabled us to improve our overall customer service through enhanced order accuracy
and reduced turnaround time; however, we continue to make technology and automation enhancements to our distribution center processes to promote
optimal output.
Vera Bradley products are shipped primarily via third-party common carriers to our stores, our Indirect retailers, and directly to our customers who
purchase through our website. We believe we are positioned well to support the order fulfillment requirements of our business, including business
generated through our website.
Pura Vida products for the U.S. e-commerce site and wholesale accounts are distributed primarily through a third-party provider in Tijuana, Mexico. Pura
Vida also distributes product through a third-party provider in the Netherlands and Canada, which supports European and Canadian e-commerce
operations, respectively. To support international e-commerce sales, we are exploring a potential provider in Asia in the future.
Management Information Systems
We believe that high levels of automation and technology are essential to maintain our competitive position. We maintain computer hardware, applications,
and networks to enhance and accelerate the design process, to support the sale and distribution of our products to our customers, and to improve the
integration and efficiency of our operations. Our information systems are designed to provide, among other things, comprehensive order processing,
production, accounting, and management information and analytics for the product development, retail, sales, marketing, distribution, finance, and human
resources functions of our business. In fiscal 2021 at Vera Bradley, we migrated our ERP, POS, Business Intelligence, and Order Management systems to
cloud-based Microsoft D365 streamlining and simplifying our work and providing for additional capabilities such as mobile POS. Our ERP integration is
planned for the fall of fiscal 2022 for Pura Vida. When complete, our entire enterprise will be on a unified technology platform. We continue to assess our
on premise and cloud-based technology solutions in an effort to ensure we have the optimal solutions for our business.
Competition
For both Vera Bradley and Pura Vida, we face strong competition in each of the product lines and markets in which we compete. We believe that all of our
products are in similar competitive positions with respect to the number of competitors they face and the level of competition within each product line. Due
to the number of different products we offer, it is not practicable for us to quantify the number of competitors we face. Our products compete with other
branded products within their product categories and with private label products sold by retailers. Moreover, the general availability of contract
manufacturing allows new entrants to relatively easily access the markets in which we compete, which may increase the number of competitors and
adversely affect our competitive position and our business. We compete against other independent retailers, department stores, catalog retailers, gift
retailers, and Internet businesses that engage in the retail sale of similar products.
The market for handbags and accessories, in particular, is highly competitive. Our competitors include not only established companies that are expanding
their production and marketing of handbags and accessories, but also frequent new entrants to the market. We directly compete with wholesalers and direct
sellers of branded handbags and accessories.
In varying degrees, depending on the product category involved, we compete on the basis of design (aesthetic appeal), quality (construction), function,
price point, distribution, and brand positioning. We believe that our primary competitive advantages are consumer recognition of our brands, customer
loyalty and engagement, product development expertise, and our widespread presence through our multi-channel distribution model. Some of our
competitors have achieved significant recognition for their brand names or have substantially greater financial, distribution, marketing, and other resources
than we do. Further, we may face new competitors and increased competition from existing competitors as we expand into new markets and increase our
presence in existing markets.
Copyrights and Trademarks
For Vera Bradley, the development of new patterns includes the design of primary and secondary prints. Once developed, we generally copyright our
patterns as appropriate. We currently have approximately 1,000 copyrights related to the Vera Bradley business.
13
Table of Contents
We also own the material trademark rights used in connection with the production, marketing, and distribution of all of our products, both in the United
States and in the other countries in which our products are principally sold. Our trademarks include “Vera Bradley” and “Pura Vida.” We aggressively
police our trademarks and copyrights and pursue infringers and counterfeiters both domestically and internationally. Our trademarks will remain in
existence for as long as we continue to use and renew them in advance of their expiration dates. We have no material patents.
Human Capital
Equal employment opportunities are available to all persons at Vera Bradley, Inc. without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity,
gender expression, marital status, age, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information,
military or veteran status or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We put this standard into practice through our hiring,
training, and an annual affirmative action program.
As of January 30, 2021, we had approximately 2,450 employees. Of the total, approximately 1,800 were engaged in Vera Bradley retail selling positions;
approximately 285 were engaged in Vera Bradley distribution, sourcing and quality functions; approximately 60 were engaged in Vera Bradley product
design; approximately 35 were involved in the Pura Vida business; and approximately 270 were engaged in corporate support and administrative functions.
None of our employees are represented by a union. We believe that our relations with our employees are good, and we have never encountered a significant
work stoppage other than as related to temporary stoppages necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project Quilt. In fiscal 2021, we launched our Company-wide diversity and inclusion initiative, Project Quilt, to continue to enhance diversity, equality, and
inclusion, focusing on three key areas – the Associate Experience, the Customer Experience, and the Community Experience.
Engagement. Vera Bradley believes it is critical to engage its different stakeholders in order to understand their views, values, and ideas and to design a
more responsible environment for all involved. This stakeholder group includes associates. The Company engages its associates through surveys, town
halls, and focus groups. Collectively, the Company's success is based upon the unique value of each person's contributions. Our long term success depends
on talented and engaged associates.
Every year, we conduct an associate engagement survey in order to better understand our associates’ insights into our Company’s strengths and
opportunities. In 2020, we once again had outstanding participation, with 85% of our associates sharing their candid feedback. Our 2020 overall
engagement score was once again in the upper quartile compared to peer companies, which was exceptional and best in class, particularly in light of the
pandemic and difficult work circumstances for many. The feedback gave us insight into improvement opportunities and was instrumental in decisions we
made to shape, strengthen, and improve our Company. As a result of the survey feedback, over the last several years we have made meaningful
improvements to benefits, career development, compensation, wellness programs, and our facilities. We believe listening to our associates’ feedback
provided through the annual Engagement Surveys continually strengthens our corporate culture.
Pay and Benefits. The Company offers competitive pay packages that include market-competitive base and hourly compensation, healthcare, a 401(k)
savings plan that typically includes a Company contribution match, paid time off (including for volunteer work), paid family leave, matching gifts program,
and an Employee Assistance Program.
Leadership Programs. Our associates are our biggest asset and when they win, we all win. We recognize everyone in the Company has the ability to lead
by example and influence others in a positive way that ultimately provides meaningful value and will make us stronger. Our long-term initiative, Leaders
by Design, encourages our associates to grow as leaders through
new associate orientation and onboarding, formal training programs, mentorship programs, job shadowing and career-pathing programs and development,
including THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE®, a globally recognized, research-based leadership development program designed to enhance leadership
effectiveness.
Associate Safety. Associate safety and well-being is of paramount importance to our Company. We have a comprehensive Safety Manual that emphasizes
our high standard of safety throughout all operations of the organization. The Safety Manual
addresses a variety of topics including reporting injuries, OSHA compliance and emergency procedures (related to workplace violence, active shooters,
severe weather and blood-borne pathogens, among others). Policies are routinely communicated and training is provided to associates as appropriate.
Government Regulation
Many of our imported products are subject to existing or potential duties or tariffs that may limit the quantity of products that we may import into the
United States and other countries or impact the cost of such products. Customs duties have not comprised a material portion of the total cost of a majority
of our products. In addition, we are subject to foreign governmental regulation and trade restrictions, including U.S. retaliation against prohibited foreign
practices, with respect to our product sourcing and international sales operations.
14
Table of Contents
We are subject to federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations governing environmental matters, including the handling, transportation, and
disposal of our products and our non-hazardous and hazardous substances and wastes, as well as emissions and discharges into the environment, including
discharges to air, surface water, and groundwater. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in costs for corrective action, penalties, or
the imposition of other liabilities. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations has not had a material effect upon our earnings or financial
position. If we violate any laws or regulations, however, it could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial performance.
Information About Our Executive Officers
The following table sets forth certain information concerning each of our executive officers:
Name
Robert Wallstrom
John Enwright
Mark C. Dely
Daren Hull
Kevin Korney
Beatrice Mac Cabe
Stephanie Scheele
Mary Beth Trypus
Paul Goodman
Griffin Thall
Age
55
48
45
47
51
42
44
55
32
34
Position(s)
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Vera Bradley, Inc.
Chief Financial Officer, Vera Bradley, Inc.
Chief Administrative & Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Vera Bradley, Inc.
Brand President, Vera Bradley
Chief Merchandising Officer, Vera Bradley
Chief Creative Officer, Vera Bradley
Chief Marketing Officer, Vera Bradley
Chief Revenue Officer, Vera Bradley
Co-founder, Pura Vida
Co-founder, Pura Vida
Robert Wallstrom has served as our Chief Executive Officer, President and Director since November 2013. Prior to joining Vera Bradley, Mr. Wallstrom
served as President of Saks Fifth Avenue’s OFF 5TH division from 2007 until November 2013. Previously, he was Group Senior Vice President and
General Manager of Saks’ flagship New York store from 2002 to 2007, where he articulated a vision to return the store to its luxury heritage and
dramatically improve merchandising, service, and the in-store experience.
John Enwright joined the Company in May 2014 as our Senior Director of Financial, Planning and Analysis and was soon promoted to Vice President,
Financial, Planning and Analysis. Mr. Enwright was named Chief Financial Officer in April 2017. Prior to joining Vera Bradley, Mr. Enwright spent 15
years with Tiffany & Co. in various financial roles of increasing responsibility, including most recently as Director of Financial, Planning and Analysis.
Mark C. Dely joined the Company in August 2016 as our Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary and was promoted to also serve as
the Chief Administrative Officer in September 2017. Between January 2013 and August 2016, Mr. Dely served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal
Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of Fred’s, Inc., a publicly-traded retailer and pharmacy with locations throughout the Southeast. From July 2007 to
December 2012, Mr. Dely was Vice President and Divisional General Counsel of the Franchise Services Group for The ServiceMaster Company, where he
managed the legal function for the Company's global franchise businesses. Mr. Dely’s additional experience includes being the first in-house counsel for
NYSE-listed seed and agricultural-biotech company, Delta & Pine Land Company. Mr. Dely began his legal career at New York law firm Fried Frank, LLP.
Daren Hull was promoted to Vera Bradley Brand President in February 2021 where he will focus on building customer engagement and expanding revenue
while cultivating the ethos of the Vera Bradley brand. Prior to this, Mr. Hull served as our Chief Customer Officer since July 2018 where he was
responsible for all sales, marketing, and digital initiatives. Prior to joining Vera Bradley, Mr. Hull served as Senior Vice President, Stores and West Elm
Digital for Williams-Sonoma, a consumer retailer of cookware and tools, electrics, entertainment-related, and other products, where he evolved the
technology and customer experience from November 2016 until July 2018. Between November 2015 and September 2016, he served as Chief Operating
Officer of Outdoor Voices where, among other things, he developed the team, process, programs, and infrastructure to drive revenue growth. Between July
2015 and November 2015 he served as SVP Global eCommerce, Head of Disruptive Innovation at PepsiCo and between January 2012 and April 2015, he
served as General Manager for MyHabitat at Amazon. Mr. Hull gained additional experience with L'Oreal and Guthy-Renker.
Kevin Korney has served as our Chief Merchandising Officer since January 2018. Prior to joining Vera Bradley, Mr. Korney served as Vice President,
Global Merchandising for Converse, a shoe, apparel and accessories manufacturer and distributor, where he introduced the Global Merchandising function
in June 2015. Between November 2012 and June 2015, he served as
15
Table of Contents
Senior Divisional Merchandise Manager for Fossil. From July 2011 to November 2012, he served as the General Merchandise Manager for Dallas
Cowboys Merchandising and from September 2006 to March 2009, he served as Global Vice President within various Merchandising and Creative
functions at The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Korney gained prior experience with Nautica, Ralph Lauren, and Gap.
Beatrice Mac Cabe joined the Company in January 2016 as our Vice President – Design and was promoted to her current post as Chief Creative Officer in
September 2017. From 2013 until joining Vera Bradley, Ms. Mac Cabe served as Vice President, Chief Creative Director at Fossil where she directed the
design process from initial concept for lifestyle categories. From 2012 to 2013 she was Design and Merchandising Director, Private Brand Accessories for
JC Penney and from 2011 to 2012 she was Creative Director, Handbags for Vince Camuto. Ms. Mac Cabe gained prior design and brand development
experience at other fashion brands including Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano in Paris, and Marni in Milan.
Stephanie Scheele was named Chief Marketing Officer in April 2018 and before that served as our Vice President – Marketing Strategy and Operations
since 2015, leading the insights and customer database programs and overseeing the marketing strategy team. Ms. Scheele has spent over 15 years with
Vera Bradley in various roles of increasing responsibility.
Mary Beth Trypus joined the Company in May 2016 as our Vice President – Global Wholesale Sales and was promoted to Chief Sales Officer in March
2018 and then to Chief Revenue Officer in March 2021. In her current role, she is responsible for all revenue channels including retail, wholesale, and e-
commerce, as well as customer service. From September 2015 to May 2016, Ms. Trypus consulted for accessories start-ups and non-profit businesses
where she developed brand architecture, defined the financial structure, and engineered sales and customer acquisition strategy. From August 2014 to
August 2015, she was Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing for Bulova Corporation where she drove marketing strategy and revenue growth
across a multi-brand watch portfolio in the wholesale and e-commerce channels. From March 2011 to July 2014, Ms. Trypus was Senior Vice President
Sales and Planning at Nine West Group in the handbag division and held prior leadership positions at Liz Claiborne, Inc. and May Department Stores.
Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall co-founded Pura Vida and continue to lead the Pura Vida operations from its corporate headquarters in La Jolla,
California. The have each been with Pura Vida since its founding in 2010.
Available Information
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to these reports filed or furnished
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge on our website, www.verabradley.com, as soon as
reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). No information contained on our website
is intended to be included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
16
Table of Contents
Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should carefully consider all of the information in this report, including the following factors, which could materially affect our business, financial
condition, and results of operations in future periods. The risks described below are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks not currently known to
us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations in future
periods.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), or events related thereto, may continue to cause significant disruptions in our revenue streams,
operations, global supply chain and other facets of our business, which may continue to adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition,
and share price.
Our operations are currently subject to significant disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in travel restrictions both
domestically and internationally, community and self-quarantines, certain factory closures or reduced operations, as well as mall closures and reduced mall
operating hours. We temporarily closed our retail stores on March 19, 2020. On May 5, 2020, we began to reopen our retail stores in a phased approach,
with all stores open as of the end of fiscal 2021. Despite the reopening of our retail stores, we have experienced, and may continue to experience,
significantly reduced traffic, demand, and sales. Further, evolving guidance and mandates from governments and public health officials, may necessitate
additional closures to some, or all, of our retail stores, the stores of our Indirect segment partners and Pura Vida wholesale retailers, or otherwise
detrimentally impact aspects of our operations. The pandemic has also and may continue to reduce consumers' willingness and ability to travel to major
cities and vacation destinations in which some of our stores are located.
Although not material as of the date of this filing, COVID-19 has led to temporary factory closures and production and logistics constraints due to
workforce availability primarily in China, among other impacts. Although we continue to reduce our reliance on production from China, China accounted
for approximately 15% of production (excluding mask production) during fiscal 2021. As a result of the aforementioned restrictions, or other related
factors, we may experience delayed shipments and increased shipping costs for some of our fiscal 2022 merchandise. We may also be adversely impacted
should the pandemic compromise operations at our corporate headquarters and distribution center located in Roanoke, Indiana.
The extent of the pandemic’s continued impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and share price will likely depend on future developments
including, but not limited to, the duration of the spread of the outbreak, including the potential for spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases in future
periods, including as may be related to the spread of new virus variants; mitigation activities undertaken by governments and the general public; the overall
economic impacts of quarantines and business closures; and current, and potentially long-term, changes in consumer behavior.
As a result of the above-mentioned factors, the Company’s liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition have been, and are likely to continue to
be, adversely impacted.
Beginning in mid-March 2020, we began taking several actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, protect our financial position, maximize our liquidity,
and to position the Company for a strong reopening and future. In addition to the aforementioned store closures, these actions included: temporarily
furloughing approximately 80% of our workforce during the first quarter; temporarily reducing compensation for remaining salaried associates based on a
graduated scale; temporarily suspending cash compensation to our board of directors; temporarily suspending our share repurchase program; drawing $60.0
million of our $75.0 million Credit Agreement; temporarily eliminating the Company 401(k) and associate charitable contribution matches; tightly
managing inventory levels through the cancellation of purchase orders, delay of receipts, or seeking price concessions where possible; actively working
with landlords on addressing rent abatements, payments terms, accelerating store closures, and delaying or cancelling certain planned new store openings;
reducing non-payroll operating expenses; and extending vendor payment terms. During the second quarter of fiscal 2021, we brought back the majority of
associates from furlough; began to reinstate portions of the base compensation reductions; and paid back $30.0 million of our $60.0 million borrowing
under our Credit Agreement. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we reinstated the remaining base compensation adjustments and board of director
reductions, paid back the remaining $30.0 million of borrowings under our Credit Agreement, and reinstated the Company 401(k) contribution match. As
of the end of fiscal 2021, substantially all of our associates have returned from furlough.
Measures to mitigate COVID-19 impacts to our business may result in additional risk exposure or prove ineffectual. For example, we have and may
continue to incur additional interest costs associated with borrowings under our Credit Agreement.
Our management team continues to focus on mitigating the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic. This may result in less time to concentrate on other areas of
the business, including operations, than prior to the pandemic and may cause increased risks of our ability to effectively manage our business operations if
conditions related to the pandemic were to continue or worsen.
17
Table of Contents
Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry
If we are unable to successfully implement our long-term strategic plans and growth strategies, our future operating results could suffer.
The success of our long-term strategic plan and growth strategies, alone or collectively, will depend on various factors, including the appeal of our product
designs, retail presentation to consumers, effectiveness of our marketing initiatives, expense saving initiatives, competitive conditions, and economic
conditions. There is no assurance that we will be able to successfully implement our strategic plan and growth strategies. If we are unsuccessful in
implementing some or all of our strategies or initiatives, our future operating results could be adversely impacted.
Changes in general economic conditions, and their impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending, could adversely impact our results of
operations.
Our performance is subject to general economic conditions and their impact on levels of consumer confidence and consumer spending. Consumer
confidence and consumer spending may be influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating interest rates and credit availability, changing fuel
and other energy costs, fluctuating commodity prices, levels of unemployment and consumer debt levels, changes in net worth based on market conditions,
general uncertainty regarding the overall future economic environment, political turmoil, and weather and weather-related phenomena. Consumer
purchases of discretionary items, including our merchandise, generally decline during periods when disposable income is adversely affected or there is
economic uncertainty, and these occurrences could adversely impact our results of operations. In the event that the U.S. economy worsens, or if there is a
decline in consumer-spending levels or other unfavorable conditions, including inflation, we could experience lower than expected net revenues, which
could force us to delay or slow the implementation of our growth strategies and adversely impact our results of operations.
Our inability to predict and respond in a timely manner to changes in consumer demand could adversely affect our net revenues and results of
operations.
Our success depends on our ability to gauge the fashion tastes of our customers and to provide merchandise that satisfies consumer demand in a timely
manner. Our products must appeal to a broad range of consumers whose preferences cannot be predicted with certainty and are subject to rapid change. We
cannot assure you that we will be able to develop appealing patterns, styles, and collections or meet changing consumer demands in the future. If we
misjudge the market for our products, we may be faced with significant excess inventories for some products and missed opportunities for other products.
In addition, changes to our product assortment and to our available fabrications, as well as the availability and breadth of pattern assortment may not gain
consumer acceptance. Merchandise misjudgments could adversely impact our net revenues and results of operations.
We may experience declines in comparable sales and there can be no guarantee that the strategic initiatives we are implementing to improve our results
will be successful.
We may not be able to regain the levels of comparable sales that we have experienced in the past, and comparable sales may also further deteriorate. If our
future comparable sales fail to meet market expectations, then the price of our common stock could decline. Also, the aggregate results of operations of our
stores have fluctuated in the past and will fluctuate in the future. Numerous factors influence comparable sales, including fashion trends, competition,
national and regional economic conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, pricing, inflation, the timing of the release of new merchandise and promotional
events, changes in our merchandise mix, marketing programs, changes in consumer shopping trends, site selection strategy, and weather conditions. These
factors may cause our comparable sales results to be lower in the future than in recent periods or lower than expectations, either of which could result in a
decline in the price of our common stock.
If our multi-channel distribution model is not successful, our business and results of operations may suffer.
We currently sell our Vera Bradley-branded products into two segments: Direct to consumers through Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores in the
United States, verabradley.com, the Vera Bradley online outlet site, and typically the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and through
our Vera Bradley Indirect wholesale business which consists of sales to specialty retail locations, department stores, national accounts, third-party e-
commerce sites, third-party inventory liquidators, as well as royalties recognized through licensing agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand. We
currently sell our Pura Vida-branded products direct to consumers through our e-commerce websites, puravidabracelets.com, puravidabracelets.eu, and
puravidabracelets.ca and through wholesale retailers. These channels are sometimes in direct competition and sales through these channels may not be
incremental to total sales.
18
Table of Contents
We may not be able to successfully open new stores and/or operate new and current stores as planned, which could adversely impact our results of
operations.
Our long-term future growth prospects include our ability to successfully open new stores and operate new and current Vera Bradley stores. In recent years,
however, Vera Bradley comparable store sales have declined. Consequently, the rate in which we have opened new stores has slowed and we do not
currently plan to open any new full-line stores during fiscal 2022. We have closed a total of 39 underperforming full-line stores and one underperforming
factory outlet store since the beginning of fiscal 2018 and forecast that we will close additional full-line stores. We plan to open five new Vera Bradley
factory outlet stores and our first Pura Vida retail store during fiscal 2022. We will continue to evaluate our plans for store openings in future years in light
of demand and store performance.
Our ability to successfully open and operate stores depends on many factors, including our ability to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
identify suitable store locations, the availability of which may be uncertain;
negotiate acceptable lease terms, including desired tenant improvement allowances;
hire, train, and retain store personnel and management;
assimilate new store personnel and management into our corporate culture;
source and manufacture inventory; and
successfully integrate new stores into our existing operations and information technology systems.
The success of new store openings may also be affected by our ability to initiate marketing efforts in advance of opening our first store in a particular
region. Additionally, we will incur pre-opening costs and we may encounter initial losses while new stores commence operations, which could strain our
resources and adversely impact our results of operations.
Our business depends on strong brands. If we are unable to execute our marketing strategies, intended to enhance our brands, then revenues and our
results of operations could be adversely impacted.
We believe that the brand images that we have developed have contributed significantly to the success of our business. We also believe that enhancing the
Vera Bradley and Pura Vida brands through our marketing strategies is critical to maintaining and expanding our customer base. Enhancing our brands and
implementing our marketing strategies may require us to make substantial investments in areas such as product design, store operations, store design,
community relations, and marketing. These investments might not succeed. If we are unable to successfully execute our brand strategies, our results of
operations could be adversely impacted.
Closing stores could result in significant costs to us.
Since December 2014, we have closed 43 underperforming Vera Bradley stores. We have closed a total of 39 underperforming full-line stores and one
underperforming factory outlet store since the beginning of fiscal 2018 and forecast that we will close additional full-line stores. We could, in the future,
decide to close additional stores beyond those currently forecasted that are producing losses or that are not as profitable as we expect. If we decide to close
any stores before the expiration of their lease terms, we may incur payments to landlords to terminate or “buy out” the remaining term of the lease. We also
may incur costs related to the employees at such stores, whether or not we terminate the leases early. Upon any such closure, the closing costs, including
fixed assets and inventory write-downs, could adversely affect our results and could adversely affect our cash on hand.
Our ability to attract customers to our stores depends heavily on the success of the shopping centers in which many of our stores are located.
Substantially all of our Vera Bradley Direct stores are located in regional mall shopping centers, and many of our Vera Bradley Indirect customers are also
located in regional mall shopping centers. Factors beyond our control impact mall traffic, including public health pandemics such as COVID-19, general
economic conditions, and consumer spending levels. Consumer spending and mall traffic have been depressed in recent years. As a result, mall operators
have faced increasing operational and financial difficulties. The increasing inability of mall “anchor” tenants and other area attractions to generate
consumer traffic around our stores, the increasing inability of mall operators to attract “anchor” tenants and maintain viable operations, and the increasing
departures of existing “anchor” and other mall tenants due to declines in the sales volume and in the popularity of certain malls as shopping destinations,
have reduced and may continue to reduce our sales volume and, consequently, adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash
flows.
19
Table of Contents
We are subject to risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space, including future increases in occupancy costs.
We lease all of our store locations. We typically occupy our stores under operating leases with terms of ten years. We have been able to negotiate favorable
rental rates in recent years due in part to the state of the economy and high vacancy rates within some shopping centers, but there is no assurance that we
will be able to continue to negotiate such favorable terms. Some of our leases have early cancellation clauses, which permit the lease to be terminated by us
or the landlord if certain sales levels are not met in specific periods or if the shopping center does not meet specified occupancy standards. In addition to
requiring future minimum lease payments, some of our store leases provide for the payment of common area maintenance charges, real property insurance,
and real estate taxes. Many of our lease agreements have escalating rent provisions over the initial term and any extensions. If we expand our store base,
our lease expense and our cash outlays for rent under lease agreements will increase. Our substantial operating lease obligations could have significant
negative consequences, including:
•
•
•
•
requiring that a substantial portion of our available cash be applied to pay our rental obligations, thus reducing cash available for other purposes;
increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business or industry; and
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing.
Any of these consequences could place us at a disadvantage with respect to our competitors. We depend on cash flow from operating activities to pay our
lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities to fund these expenses and
needs, we may not be able to service our lease expenses, grow our business, respond to competitive challenges, or fund our other liquidity and capital
needs, which would harm our business.
Additional sites that we lease may be subject to long-term non-cancelable leases if we are unable to negotiate our current standard lease terms. If an
existing or future store is not profitable, and we decide to close it, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease,
including paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term. Moreover, even if a lease has an early cancellation clause, we may not satisfy the
contractual requirements for early cancellation under the lease. Our inability to enter new leases or renew existing leases on acceptable terms or be released
from our obligations under leases for stores that we close would, in any such case, affect us adversely.
Our failure to effectively compete with other retailers for sales could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations,
and cash flows.
The market for bags, accessories, travel items and our other products is increasingly competitive. Our competitive challenges include:
•
•
•
attracting customer traffic;
sourcing and manufacturing merchandise efficiently;
competitively pricing our products and achieving customer perception of value;
• maintaining favorable brand recognition and effectively marketing our products to consumers in diverse market segments;
•
•
•
•
developing designs that appeal to a broad range of demographic and age segments;
developing high-quality products;
offering attractive promotional incentives while maintaining profit margins; and
establishing and maintaining good working relationships with our wholesale retailers.
In our Vera Bradley Indirect business and Pura Vida wholesale business, we compete with numerous manufacturers, importers, and distributors of
handbags, accessories, and other products for the limited space available for the display of such products to the consumer. In our Vera Bradley Direct
business and Pura Vida e-commerce business, we compete against other gift and specialty retailers, department stores, catalog retailers, and Internet
businesses that engage in the retail sale of similar products. Moreover, the general availability of contract manufacturing allows new entrants easy access to
the markets in which we compete, which may increase the number of competitors and adversely affect our competitive position and our business.
In addition, in light of a continued difficult consumer environment, pricing is a significant driver of consumer choice in our industry and we regularly
engage in price competition, particularly through our promotional programs, which impacts our margins. To the extent that we decrease our promotional
activity, our ability to maintain sales levels may be impacted.
20
Table of Contents
Our wholesale business could suffer as a result of decisions by our wholesale retailers to decrease or eliminate the amount of merchandise purchased
from us.
We do not enter into long-term agreements with any of our wholesale retailers. Instead, we enter into a number of purchase order commitments with our
customers for each of our lines every season. A decision by a significant number of wholesale retailers, whether motivated by competitive conditions,
operational or financial difficulties, reduced access to capital, or otherwise, to decrease or eliminate the amount of merchandise purchased from us or to
change their manner of doing business with us could adversely impact our results of operations. Although we recommend retail sale prices for our products
to our wholesale retailers, we typically do not provide dealer allowances or other economic incentives to support those prices. Possible promotional pricing
or discounting by wholesale retailers in response to softening retail demand could have a negative effect on our brand image and prestige, which might be
difficult to counteract.
Bankruptcies or other operational or financial difficulties of our wholesale retailers could adversely impact our business.
We sell our wholesale merchandise primarily to specialty retail and department stores across the United States and extend trade credit based on an
evaluation of each wholesale retailer’s financial condition, usually without requiring collateral. Perceived or actual financial difficulties of a customer could
cause us to curtail or eliminate business with that customer or could decrease demand for our products by that customer. Pending the resolution of a
relationship with a financially troubled wholesale retailer, we might assume credit risk that we would otherwise avoid relating to our receivables from that
customer. Inability to collect on accounts receivable from our wholesale retailers would adversely impact our results of operations.
Risks Related to Global Sourcing and Distribution
We rely on various contract manufacturers to produce all of our products and generally do not have long-term contracts with our manufacturers.
Our various contract manufacturers produce all of our products. We generally do not enter into long-term formal written agreements with our
manufacturers and instead transact business with each of them on an order-by-order basis. In the event of a disruption in our contract manufacturers’
systems, we may be unable to locate alternative manufacturers of comparable quality at an acceptable price, or at all. Identifying a suitable manufacturer is
an involved process that requires us to become satisfied with the prospective manufacturer’s quality control, responsiveness and service, financial stability,
labor practices, and environmental compliance. Any delay, interruption, or increased cost in the manufactured products that might occur for any reason,
such as the lack of long-term contracts or regulatory requirements and the loss of certifications, power interruptions, fires, hurricanes, war, health
pandemics such as COVID-19, or threats of terrorism, could affect our ability to meet customer demand for our products, adversely affect our net revenues,
increase our cost of sales, and hurt our results of operations. In addition, manufacturing disruption could injure our reputation and customer relationships,
thereby harming our business.
We rely on various suppliers to supply a significant majority of our raw materials.
We generally do not enter into long-term formal written agreements with our suppliers and typically transact business with each of them on an order-by-
order basis. In the event of a significant disruption in the supply of fabrics or raw materials from our current sources, we may not be able to locate
alternative suppliers of materials of comparable quality at an acceptable price, or at all. In such a case, we could have difficulty meeting consumer demand
and net revenues could be adversely impacted.
We rely on a limited number of distribution facilities for the products we sell.
Distribution operations for Vera Bradley-branded products are currently concentrated in a single, company-owned distribution center in Roanoke, Indiana.
Pura Vida-branded products are primarily distributed from one third-party distribution center in Tijuana, Mexico.
Any significant disruption in the operation of these facilities due to natural disaster or severe weather, or events such as fire, accidents, power outages,
system failures, or other unforeseen causes, could devalue or damage a significant portion of our inventory and could adversely affect our product
distribution and sales until such time as we could secure alternative facilities. In addition to the aforementioned events, the COVID-19 pandemic could
cause disruptions in our distribution operations if we were to temporarily suspend operations. If we encounter difficulties with our distribution facilities or
other problems or disasters arise, we cannot ensure that critical systems and operations will be restored in a timely manner or at all, and this would have a
material adverse effect on our business. In addition, growth could require us to further expand our current facilities, which could affect us adversely in ways
that we cannot predict.
21
Table of Contents
The cost of raw materials could increase our cost of sales and cause our results of operations to suffer.
Fluctuations in the price, availability, and quality of fabrics or other raw materials used to manufacture our products, as well as the price for labor,
marketing, and transportation, could have adverse impacts on our cost of sales and our ability to meet our customers’ demands. In particular, fluctuations in
the price of cotton, our primary raw material, could have an adverse impact on our cost of sales. In addition, because a key component of our products is
petroleum-based, the cost of oil affects the cost of our products. Upward movement in the price of oil in the global oil markets would also likely result in
rising fuel and freight prices, which could increase our shipping costs. In the future, we may not be able to pass all or a portion of higher costs on to our
customers.
Our business is subject to the risks inherent in global sourcing and manufacturing activities.
We source our Vera Bradley fabrics primarily from manufacturers in China and South Korea and outsource the production of a significant majority of our
products to companies in Asia. We source our Pura Vida components primarily from Asia and outsource the production of products primarily to El
Salvador. We are subject to the risks inherent in global sourcing and manufacturing, including, but not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
exchange rate fluctuations and trends;
availability of raw materials;
compliance with labor laws and other foreign governmental regulations;
compliance with U.S. import and export laws and regulations;
disruption or delays in shipments;
loss or impairment of key manufacturing sites;
product quality issues;
political unrest;
natural disasters, acts of war and terrorism, changing macroeconomic trends, public health emergencies (such as COVID-19), and other external
factors over which we have no control; and
quotas, duties, tariffs, or other trade restrictions or regulations.
Significant disruption of manufacturing for any of the above reasons, including the current political unrest in Myanmar, could interrupt product supply and,
if not remedied in a timely manner, could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Additionally, we do not have complete oversight over our
contract manufacturers. Violation of labor or other laws by those manufacturers, or the divergence of a contract manufacturer’s labor or other practices
from those generally accepted as ethical in the United States or in other markets in which we may in the future do business, could also draw negative
publicity for us and our brands, diminishing the value of our brands and reducing demand for our products.
Our ability to source our products at favorable prices, or at all, could be harmed, with adverse effects on our results of operations, if new trade
restrictions are imposed or if existing trade restrictions become more burdensome.
A significant majority of our Vera Bradley and Pura Vida products are currently manufactured for us in Asia and Central America, respectively. The United
States and the countries in which our products are produced have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs, or other restrictions or
regulations or may adversely adjust prevailing quotas, duties, or tariffs. Countries impose, modify, and remove tariffs and other trade restrictions in
response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future
developments regarding tariffs and other trade restrictions. Trade restrictions, which include embargoes, safeguards, and customs restrictions, could
increase the cost or reduce the supply of products available to us or could require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business
practices, any of which could harm our results of operations.
We rely on independent transportation providers for substantially all of our product shipments.
We currently rely on independent transportation service providers for substantially all of our product shipments. Our utilization of these delivery services,
or those of any other shipping companies that we may elect to use, is subject to risks, including increases in fuel prices, which would increase our shipping
costs, employee strikes and inclement weather, which may impact the shipping company’s ability to provide delivery services sufficient to meet our
shipping needs.
If for any reason we were to change shipping companies, we could face logistical difficulties that might adversely affect deliveries, and we would incur
costs and expend resources in the course of making the change. Moreover, we might not be able to obtain terms as favorable as those received from the
service providers that we currently use, which in turn would increase our
22
Table of Contents
costs. We also would face shipping and distribution risks and uncertainties associated with any expansion of our distribution facilities and related systems.
Risks Related to the Acquisition of Pura Vida
The Pura Vida acquisition may not be successful in achieving intended benefits and may disrupt current operations.
We acquired a majority interest in Creative Genius, Inc. or “Pura Vida,” on July 16, 2019. This acquisition poses a number of potential integration risks that
may result in negative consequences to our business, financial condition, and results of operations. These risks include, but are not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
failure of the business to perform as planned following the acquisition to achieve anticipated revenue or profitability targets;
the assimilation and retention of employees, including key employees;
higher than expected costs and/or a need to allocate resources to manage unexpected operating difficulties;
diversion of the attention and resources of management or other disruptions to current operations;
retaining key customers and suppliers;
retaining required regulatory approvals, licenses, and permits;
the assumption of liabilities of the acquired business not identified during due diligence; and
other unanticipated issues, expenses, and liabilities.
Prior to its acquisition, Pura Vida was a privately-held company and its new obligations from being part of a public company may require significant
additional resources and management consideration.
Upon the completion of the Pura Vida acquisition, Pura Vida became a subsidiary of our consolidated Company and must comply with U.S. Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”), the Dodd-Frank Act and the rules and regulations subsequently
implemented by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. We must ensure that Pura Vida maintains effective disclosure controls as
well as internal controls and procedures for financial reporting under U.S. GAAP, and such compliance efforts may be costly and may divert the attention
of management.
Because a significant portion of Pura Vida’s total assets are represented by goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and definite-lived intangible
assets, we could be required to write off some or all of this goodwill and other intangibles, which may adversely affect the company’s financial
condition and results of operations.
We are using the purchase method of accounting to account for the acquisition of a majority interest in Pura Vida consummated on July 16, 2019. A portion
of the purchase price for this business is allocated to identifiable tangible and intangible assets and assumed liabilities based on estimated fair values at the
date of acquisition. Goodwill is measured indirectly as the excess of the sum of (1) the consideration transferred (including contingent consideration, if any)
and (2) the fair value of any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree over the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The purchase price allocation
resulted in a goodwill value of $44.3 million and a value of $61.7 million related to other intangible assets. The carrying value of these assets as of January
30, 2021, was $44.3 million and $47.3 million, respectively. Refer to Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II,
“Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” of this report. for additional information regarding the purchase price allocation. When the
Company performs impairment tests, it is possible that the carrying value of goodwill or other intangible assets could exceed their implied fair value and
therefore would require adjustment. Such adjustment would result in a charge to operating income in that period. Once adjusted, there can be no assurance
that there will not be further adjustments for impairment in future periods.
The Put/Call Agreement between the Company, certain of its subsidiaries, and Creative Genius, Inc. may require us to purchase the remaining 25%
interest in the Pura Vida business.
On July 16, 2019, as contemplated by the Interest Purchase Agreement, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries and the owners of the remaining
twenty-five percent (25%) ownership interest in Pura Vida (the “Sellers”) which was not acquired by the Company (the “Remaining Pura Vida Interest”)
entered into a Put/Call Agreement (the “Put/Call Agreement”). Pursuant to the Put/Call Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions thereof, the
Sellers have the right to sell all of the Remaining Pura Vida Interest to the Company, and the Company has the right to purchase all of the Remaining Pura
Vida Interests from Sellers, in each case generally at any time following the fifth anniversary of the closing date of the transaction until the tenth
anniversary thereof. In the event of a change in control of the Company, the parties may exercise a portion of their put and call rights prior to the fifth
anniversary of the closing date (as defined in the Put/Call Agreement).
The execution of the Sellers right to require us to purchase the Remaining Pura Vida Interest may represent a significant financial obligation that could
have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition.
23
Table of Contents
Risks Related to Information Technology and Security
A data security or privacy breach could damage our reputation and our relationships with our customers, expose us to litigation risk and adversely
affect our business.
We remain dependent on information technology systems and networks, including the Internet, for a significant portion of our sales, primarily through our
e-commerce operations and credit card transaction authorization and processing. We are also responsible for storing data relating to our customers and
employees and rely on third parties for the operation of our e-commerce websites and for the various social media tools and websites we use as part of our
marketing strategy. As part of our normal course of business, we often collect, retain, and transmit certain sensitive and confidential customer information,
including the transmission of credit card information, over public networks. There is a significant concern by consumers and employees over the security of
personal information transmitted over the Internet, consumer identity theft and user privacy. Despite the security measures we currently have in place, our
facilities and systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced
or lost data, programming and/or human errors, or other similar events. Any electronic or physical security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or
other unauthorized disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information, including penetration of our network security, whether by us or by a
third-party, could disrupt our business, severely damage our reputation and our relationships with our customers, expose us to risks of litigation and liability
and adversely affect our business and results of operations. We do not control third-party service providers and cannot guarantee that electronic or physical
computer break-ins and security breaches will not occur in the future. Any perceived or actual unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable
information regarding our customers or website visitors could harm our reputation and credibility, reduce our e-commerce net sales, impair our ability to
attract website visitors, and reduce our ability to attract and retain customers. We may also incur significant costs in complying with the various applicable
state, federal, and foreign laws regarding unauthorized disclosure of personal information.
Our business could suffer if our computer systems and websites are disrupted or cease to operate effectively.
We are dependent on our computer systems to record and process transactions and manage and operate our business, including in designing, marketing,
manufacturing, importing, tracking and distributing our products, processing payments, and accounting for and reporting results. We also utilize an
automated replenishment system to facilitate the processing of basic replenishment orders, the movement of goods through distribution channels, and the
collection of information for planning and forecasting. In addition, we have e-commerce websites in the U.S. and Europe. Given the complexity of our
business and the significant number of transactions that we engage in, it is imperative that we maintain constant operation of our computer hardware and
software systems. Despite our preventive efforts, including back-up systems, our systems are vulnerable from time to time to damage or interruption from,
among other things, security breaches, computer viruses or power outages. Any material disruptions in our information technology systems could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
During the second quarter of fiscal 2020, we began a two-year process of re-platforming our enterprise resource planning and other key information
systems to become more streamlined, nimble, and efficient in our technology platform and business processes. We continue to assess our on premise and
cloud-based technology solutions in an effort to ensure we have the optimal solutions for our business. However, there are risks and uncertainties related to
this re-platforming that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are exposed to business risks as a result of our e-commerce operations.
We operate e-commerce stores at www.verabradley.com, which includes an online outlet site we created in fiscal 2018, www.puravidabracelets.com,
www.puravidabracelets.eu, and www.puravidabracelets.ca. Expanding our e-commerce business is one of the key objectives of our business strategy. Our
e-commerce operations are subject to numerous risks, including unanticipated operating problems, reliance on third-party computer hardware and software
providers, system failures and the need to invest in additional computer systems. Specific risks include: (i) diversion of sales from our stores; (ii) rapid
technological change; (iii) liability for e-commerce content; and (iv) risks related to the failure of the computer systems that operate the websites and their
related support systems, including from computer viruses, telecommunication failures and electronic break-ins and similar disruptions. Internet operations
involve risks which may be beyond our control that could have a direct material adverse effect on our operating results, including: (i) price competition
involving the items we intend to sell; (ii) the entry of our vendors into the Internet business in direct competition with us; (iii) the level of merchandise
returns experienced by us; (iv) governmental regulation; (v) e-commerce security breaches involving unauthorized access to our and/or customer
information; (vi) credit card fraud; and (vii) competition and general economic conditions specific to the Internet, e-commerce, and the accessories
industry. Our inability to effectively address these risks and any other risks that we face in
24
Table of Contents
connection with our Internet operations could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and/or cash flows.
Risks Related to Tax and Valuation Matters
Fluctuations in our tax obligations and effective tax rate may result in volatility of our operating results and stock price.
We are subject to income taxes in many U.S. and certain foreign jurisdictions. We record tax expense based on our estimates of future payments, which
includes reserves for uncertain tax positions in multiple tax jurisdictions. At any one time, many tax years are subject to audit by various taxing
jurisdictions. Further, possible changes in federal, state, local, and non-U.S. tax laws bearing upon our revenues, income, property, or other aspects of our
operations or business would, if enacted, affect our results of operations in ways and to a degree that we cannot currently predict.
We have recorded asset impairment charges in the past and we may record material asset impairment charges in the future.
Quarterly, we assess whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that indicate the carrying value of long-lived asset groups may not be
recoverable. If we determine that the carrying value of long-lived asset groups are not recoverable, we will be required to record impairment charges
relating to those assets. For example, our assessments during fiscal 2021 indicated that operating losses or insufficient operating income existed at certain
retail stores, with a projection that the operating losses or insufficient operating income for those locations would continue. As such, we recorded non-cash
charges of $7.4 million during fiscal 2021 within selling, general, and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations to write down
the carrying values of these stores' long-lived asset groups to their estimated fair values.
Our quarterly evaluation of store assets includes consideration of current and historical performance and projections of future profitability. The profitability
projections rely upon estimates made by us, including store-level sales, gross margins, and direct expenses, and, by their nature, include judgments about
how current strategic initiatives will impact future performance. If we are not able to achieve projected key financial metrics for any reason, including if
any of the strategic initiatives we implement do not result in significant improvements in our current financial performance trend, this would indicate that
the value of our long-lived assets was not recoverable and we would incur additional impairment of assets in the future.
In the event we record additional impairment charges, this could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to Legal Matters
There are claims made against us from time to time that can result in litigation or regulatory proceedings, which could distract management from our
business activities and result in significant liability or damage to the images associated with our brands.
We increasingly face the risk of litigation and other claims against us. Litigation and other claims may arise in the ordinary course of our business and
include employee claims, custom and duty claims, commercial disputes, intellectual property issues, product-oriented allegations, and slip and fall claims.
Often these cases raise complex factual and legal issues, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and which could require significant management time.
Litigation and other claims against us could result in unexpected expenses and liability, as well as materially adversely affect our operations and our
reputation.
Our inability or failure to protect our intellectual property or our infringement of other’s intellectual property could have a negative impact on our
operating results.
We believe that our registered copyrights, registered and common law trademarks, and other proprietary rights have significant value and are critical to our
ability to create and sustain demand for our products. The actions taken by us to establish and protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to prevent
imitation of our products or infringement of our rights by others. The legal regimes of some foreign countries, particularly China, may not protect
proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and it may be more difficult for us to successfully challenge the use of our proprietary
rights by others in these countries. The inability to protect our copyrights, trademarks, and other proprietary rights could adversely impact our results of
operations. Any litigation regarding our proprietary rights could be time consuming and costly.
We are also subject to the risk that claims will be brought against us for infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties, seeking to block the
sale of our products claimed to violate their intellectual property rights or to receive payment of monetary amounts related thereto. Although we have not
been inhibited from selling our products in connection with intellectual property disputes, intellectual property-related obstacles may arise as we expand
our product lines and extend our brands as well as the geographic scope of our sales and marketing. In particular, we may be subject to copyright
infringement claims for which we may not be entitled to indemnification from our suppliers. In addition, in recent years, companies in the
25
Table of Contents
retail industry, including us, have been subject to patent infringement claims from non-practicing entities, or “patent trolls.” Any infringement or other
intellectual property claim made against us, whether or not it has merit, could be time-consuming and result in costly litigation. As a result, any such claim,
or the combination of multiple claims, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. If we are required to stop using any of our registered or
nonregistered trademarks, our sales could decline and, consequently, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
General Risk Factors
Our results of operations could suffer if we lose key management or design associates or are unable to attract and retain the talent required for our
business.
Our performance depends largely on the efforts and abilities of our senior management and product development teams. These executives and design
associates have substantial experience in our business and have made significant contributions to our growth and success. Although we have entered into an
employment agreement with our Chief Executive Officer, we may not be able to retain his services or those of other key individuals in the future. The
unexpected loss of services of key employees could have adverse impacts on our business and results of operations. We may also need to attract and retain
additional qualified employees and develop, train, and manage an increasing number of management-level, sales, and other employees. Competition for
qualified employees is intense. We may not be able to attract and retain employees as needed in the future.
Our results of operations are subject to quarterly fluctuations, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate significantly as a result of a variety of factors, including, among other things:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
timing of new store openings and store closings;
net revenues and profits contributed by new stores;
increases or decreases in store traffic and comparable sales;
shifts in the timing of holidays, particularly in the United States and China;
changes in our merchandise mix;
timing of marketing campaigns or promotions;
timing of sales to Vera Bradley and Pura Vida wholesale retailers; and
timing of new pattern and collection releases and new product introductions.
Any quarterly fluctuations that we report in the future may not match the expectations of market analysts and investors. This could cause the trading price
of our common stock to fluctuate significantly.
We may be subject to unionization, work stoppages, slowdowns, or increased labor costs.
Currently, none of our employees are represented by a union. Nevertheless, our employees have the right at any time under the National Labor Relations
Act to organize or affiliate with a union. If some or all of our workforce were to become unionized, our business could be exposed to work stoppages and
slowdowns as a unionized business. In addition, if the terms of the collective bargaining agreement were significantly more favorable to union workers than
our current pay-and-benefits arrangements, our costs would increase and our results of operations would suffer.
We may suffer negative publicity and our business may be harmed if we need to recall any products we sell.
We have in the past needed to, and may in the future need to, recall products that we determine may present safety issues. If products we sell have safety
problems of which we are not aware, or if we or the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall a product sold in our stores, we may suffer negative
publicity and, potentially, product liability lawsuits, which could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, financial condition and results of
operations or cash flows.
The phaseout of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), or the replacement of LIBOR with a different reference rate, may adversely affect
interest rates.
On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced that it would phaseout LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is
unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021, or if alternative rates or benchmarks will
be adopted. Changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative rate or benchmark, may adversely affect
interest rates and result in higher borrowing
26
Table of Contents
costs. This development could materially and adversely affect the Company's results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. We cannot predict the effect of
the potential changes to LIBOR or the establishment and use of alternative rates or benchmarks. We may need to renegotiate our revolving credit facility or
incur other indebtedness and changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the use of an alternative rate or benchmark, may negatively impact the terms
of such indebtedness. If changes are made to the method of calculating LIBOR or LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to amend certain contracts and
cannot predict what alternative rate or benchmark would be negotiated. This may result in an increase to our interest expense.
Risks Related to the Securities Markets and Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell shares at or above the price
at which you purchase them.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, most of which we cannot control, including:
•
•
the continued outbreak of COVID-19 and its adverse impact on the capital markets;
actions by other shopping mall or lifestyle center tenants;
• weather conditions, particularly during the holiday shopping period;
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
unexpected departures of key executives;
financial projections that we may choose to provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure for any reason to meet these
projections;
the public’s response to press releases or other public announcements by us or others, including our filings with the SEC and announcements
relating to litigation and other matters;
speculation about our business in the press or the investment community;
future sales of our common stock by our significant shareholders, officers, and directors;
our entry into new markets;
changes in laws or regulations that impact the retail industry;
strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings; and
changes in accounting principles.
These and other factors may result in a lower market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
In addition, the stock markets, including The NASDAQ Global Select Market, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected
and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many retail companies. In the past, stockholders have instituted securities class action
litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were involved in securities litigation, we could incur substantial costs and our resources and the
attention of management could be diverted from our business.
Our business could be negatively affected as a result of the actions of activist stockholders.
Over the last few years, proxy contests and other forms of stockholder activism have been directed against numerous public companies in retail businesses.
We could become engaged in a consent solicitation, or proxy contest, or experience other stockholder activism, in the future. Activist shareholders may
advocate for certain governance and strategic changes at our company. In the event of stockholder activism, particularly with respect to matters which our
Board of Directors (“Board”), in exercising their fiduciary duties, disagree with or have determined not to pursue, our business could be adversely affected
because responding to actions by activist stockholders can be costly and time-consuming, disrupting our operations and diverting the attention of
management, and perceived uncertainties as to our future direction may result in the loss of potential business opportunities and may make it more difficult
to attract and retain qualified personnel, business partners, and customers.
In addition, if faced with a consent solicitation or proxy contest, we may not be able to respond successfully to the contest or dispute, which would be
disruptive to our business. If individuals are elected to our Board with a differing agenda, our ability to effectively and timely implement our strategic plans
and create additional value for our stockholders may be adversely affected.
27
Table of Contents
A limited number of shareholders control a large percentage of the voting power of our common stock, and therefore investors may have limited ability
to determine the outcome of shareholder votes.
Robert Hall, Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Joan Hall (Mr. Hall’s wife and Ms. Bradley Baekgaard’s daughter), Patricia R. Miller, and P. Michael Miller,
directly or indirectly, beneficially own and have the ability to exercise voting control over, in the aggregate, 23.4% of our outstanding shares of common
stock as of January 30, 2021. As a result, these shareholders are able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval,
including the election of directors, any amendments to our second amended and restated articles of incorporation, and significant corporate transactions.
This concentrated ownership of outstanding common stock may limit an investor's ability to influence corporate matters, and the interests of these
shareholders may not coincide with our interests or interests of investors. As a result, we may take actions that investors do not believe to be in our interests
or their interests and that could depress our stock price. In addition, this significant concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the trading price
of our common stock should investors perceive disadvantages in owning shares of common stock in a company that has such concentrated ownership.
Our actual operating results may differ significantly from our guidance, which could cause incongruous fluctuation in our stock price.
From time to time, we provide guidance regarding our future performance that represents our management’s estimates as of the date of release. This
guidance, which consists of forward-looking statements, is prepared by our management and is qualified by, and subject to, the assumptions and the other
information contained or referred to in the release. Our guidance is not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and neither our independent registered public accounting firm nor any other independent expert or outside party
compiles or examines the guidance and, accordingly, no such person expresses any opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto.
Guidance is based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to significant
business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control and are based upon specific assumptions with
respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. We generally state possible outcomes as high and low ranges which are intended to
provide a sensitivity analysis as variables are changed, but are not intended to represent that actual results could not fall outside of the suggested ranges.
The principal reason that we release this data is to provide a basis for our management to discuss our business outlook with analysts and investors. We do
not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by any such persons.
Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the guidance furnished by us will not materialize
or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, our guidance is only an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date of
release. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. Investors should also recognize that the reliability of any forecasted
financial data diminishes the further into the future that the data are forecast. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic could cause a material adverse impact to the
Company’s liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition that cannot be predicted.
In light of the foregoing, if investors, analysts, and others fail to review our guidance within the proper context or place undue reliance on our guidance,
deviations from such guidance may result in incongruous fluctuation in our stock price.
Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents and Indiana law may discourage or prevent a change in control, even if a sale of the
Company would be beneficial to our shareholders, which could cause our stock price to decline and prevent attempts by shareholders to replace or
remove our current management.
Our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may delay or prevent a change in
control, discourage bids at a premium over the market price of our common stock, harm the market price of our common stock, and diminish the voting and
other rights of the holders of our common stock. These provisions include:
•
•
•
•
•
authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and additional shares of our common stock without shareholder approval;
prohibiting shareholder action by written consent;
prohibiting our shareholders from calling a special meeting of shareholders;
prohibiting our shareholders from amending our amended and restated bylaws; and
requiring advance notice for raising business matters or nominating directors at shareholders’ meetings.
28
Table of Contents
As permitted by our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, our board of directors also has the ability,
should they so determine, to adopt a shareholder rights agreement, sometimes called a “poison pill,” providing for the issuance of a new series of preferred
stock to holders of common stock. In the event of a takeover attempt, this preferred stock would give rights to holders of common stock (other than the
potential acquirer) to buy additional shares of our common stock at a discount, leading to the dilution of the potential acquirer’s stake. The adoption of a
poison pill, or the board’s ability to do so, can have negative effects such as those described above.
As an Indiana corporation, we are governed by the Indiana Business Corporation Law (as amended from time to time, the “IBCL”). Under specified
circumstances, certain provisions of the IBCL related to control share acquisitions, business combinations, and constituent interests may delay, prevent, or
make more difficult unsolicited acquisitions or changes of control of us. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our
management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that shareholders might deem to be in their best
interest.
29
Table of Contents
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
The following table sets forth the location, use, and size of our distribution, corporate facilities, and showrooms as of January 30, 2021. The leases on the
leased properties expire at various times through 2030, subject to renewal options.
Location
Roanoke, Indiana
Roanoke, Indiana
New York, New York
Hong Kong
Atlanta, Georgia
Dallas, Texas
La Jolla, California
Primary Use
Approximate Square Footage
Leased/Owned
Vera Bradley corporate headquarters,
design center, and showroom
Vera Bradley warehouse and distribution
Vera Bradley office and showroom
Vera Bradley Asia sourcing office
Vera Bradley showroom
Vera Bradley showroom
Pura Vida corporate headquarters
188,000
428,500
3,700
5,100
5,600
1,800
7,400
Owned
Owned
Leased
Leased
Leased
Leased
Leased
As of January 30, 2021, we also leased 145 store locations in the United States, including one store location opened in fiscal 2022. See below for more
information regarding the locations of our open stores as of January 30, 2021.
We consider these properties to be in good condition generally and believe that our facilities are adequate for our operations and provide sufficient capacity
to meet our anticipated requirements. The Vera Bradley properties in the above table are used by both the Vera Bradley Direct segment and Vera Bradley
Indirect segment, excluding the two standalone showrooms which are used exclusively by the Vera Bradley Indirect segment.
30
Table of Contents
Store Locations
Our full-line stores are located primarily in high-traffic regional malls, lifestyle centers, and mixed-use shopping centers across the United States. The
following table shows the number of full-line and factory outlet stores we operated in each state as of January 30, 2021:
State
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Total Number of
Full-Line Stores
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
1
1
4
2
1
1
1
1
4
1
5
Total Number of
Factory Outlet Stores
State
1 Minnesota
1 Mississippi
— Missouri
1 Nebraska
1 Nevada
1 New Hampshire
8 New Jersey
3 New York
1 North Carolina
1 Ohio
2 Oklahoma
1 Pennsylvania
— South Carolina
1 Tennessee
1 Texas
— Utah
1 Virginia
2 Wisconsin
Totals
Total Number of
Full-Line Stores
1
—
1
—
—
—
7
5
—
4
2
5
—
3
12
—
2
1
75
Total Number of
Factory Outlet Stores
1
2
2
1
1
1
3
4
6
1
1
3
3
2
7
1
3
1
69
We lease all of our stores. Lease terms for our retail stores are generally ten years with options to renew for varying terms. The leases generally provide for
a fixed minimum rental plus contingent rent, which is determined as a percentage of sales in excess of specified levels.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We may be involved from time to time, as a plaintiff or a defendant, in various routine legal proceedings incidental to the ordinary course of our business.
In the ordinary course, we are involved in the policing of our intellectual property rights. As part of our policing program, from time to time we file
lawsuits in the United States and abroad, alleging acts of trademark counterfeiting, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and ancillary and pendent
state and foreign law claims. These actions often result in seizure of counterfeit merchandise and negotiated settlements with defendants. Defendants
sometimes raise as affirmative defenses, or as counterclaims, the purported invalidity or unenforceability of our proprietary rights.
In August of 2019, Vesi Incorporated (“Vesi”) filed suit against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio related to the
Company’s licensing business and alleging breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, defamation, and tortious interference with prospective business
relationships. The complaint seeks damages in an amount not less than $10.0 million for punitive damages, attorney fees, prejudgment interest, and any
other additional relief. The Company has denied any liability and intends to vigorously defend itself in the case. In November 2019, the Company filed a
counterclaim against the principals of Vesi as personal guarantors for monies owed to the Company by Vesi. The cases are currently in discovery. At this
time, we are not able to estimate a possible loss or range of loss that may result from this matter or to determine whether such loss, if any, would have a
material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations due to the fact that the Company is vigorously defending itself and management
believes that the Company has a number of meritorious legal defenses.
In April of 2020, Chidimma Igboakaeze filed suit seeking class certification for all current and former hourly-paid employees who worked for the
Company within the state of California during the four years preceding the filing until final judgement. The complaint alleges various violations of the
California Labor Code related to wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, non-compliant wage statements and records and other similar allegations related to
employment. The Plaintiff has also filed a
31
Table of Contents
Private Attorney General Act claim with the state of California regarding the same allegations. The Company denies all liability and intends to vigorously
defend itself in the case. The case is currently in discovery. At this time, we are not able to estimate a possible loss or range of loss that may result from this
matter or to determine whether such loss, if any, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations due to the fact that
the Company is vigorously defending itself and management believes that the Company has a number of meritorious legal defenses.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not Applicable
32
Table of Contents
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “VRA”.
As of March 27, 2021, we had approximately 25 registered shareholders of record. The number of shareholders of record is based upon the actual number
of shareholders registered at such date and does not include holders of shares in “street name” or persons, partnerships, associations, corporations, or other
entities identified in security position listings maintained by depositories.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
There was no activity under the 2018 Share Repurchase Program during the thirteen weeks ended January 30, 2021. To conserve cash as a result of
COVID-19, the Company temporarily suspended the 2018 Share Repurchase Program. Refer to Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial
Statements as set forth in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding our share repurchase programs.
Period
Total Number of Shares
Purchased
Average Price Paid per
Share
Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced Plans
or Programs
Maximum Approximate
Dollar Value of Shares that
May Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs
November 1, 2020 - November 28, 2020
November 29, 2020 - January 2, 2021
January 3, 2021 - January 30, 2021
Dividends
— $
—
—
— $
—
—
—
—
— $
—
—
—
32,939,607
32,939,607
32,939,607
Our common stock began trading on October 21, 2010, following our initial public offering. Since that time, we have not declared any cash dividends, and
we do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
33
Table of Contents
Stock Performance Graph
The graph set forth below compares the cumulative shareholder return on our common stock between January 30, 2016, and January 30, 2021, to the
cumulative return of (i) the S&P 500 Index and (ii) the S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories, and Luxury Goods Index over the same period. This graph assumes
an initial investment of $100 on January 30, 2016, in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories, and Luxury Goods
Index and assumes the reinvestment of dividends, if any.
The comparisons shown in the graph below are based on historical data. We caution that the stock price performance presented in the graph below is not
necessarily indicative of, nor is it intended to forecast, the potential future performance of our common stock. Information used in the graph was obtained
from The NASDAQ Stock Market website. As such, although we believe the information to be accurate, we cannot assure you of its accuracy.
Company/Market/Peer Group
Vera Bradley, Inc.
S&P 500 Index
S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories, and Luxury Goods Index
1/30/2016
1/28/2017
2/3/2018
2/2/2019
2/1/2020
1/30/2021
$
$
$
100.00 $
100.00 $
100.00 $
78.48 $
120.87 $
85.20 $
63.13 $
148.47 $
108.75 $
59.94 $
148.38 $
101.36 $
64.82 $
180.37 $
93.38 $
57.17
211.48
91.33
34
Table of Contents
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and the information contained
in other sections of this report, particularly under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Selected Financial Data” and “Business.” This discussion and analysis
is based on the beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. The statements in this
discussion and analysis concerning expectations regarding our future performance, liquidity, and capital resources, as well as other non-historical
statements in this discussion and analysis, are forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements.” These forward-looking statements are
subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described under “Risk Factors.” Our actual results could differ materially from those
suggested or implied by any forward-looking statements.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in travel restrictions both domestically and internationally, community and self-quarantines, certain factory closures or
reduced operations, as well as mall closures and reduced mall operating hours during fiscal 2021. Although e-commerce operations remained open for both
of our brands, the aforementioned items had a material adverse impact on overall consumer demand, traffic, and sales. We cannot currently predict the
extent that COVID-19 will impact our future liquidity, operating results, and financial condition, but it could have a significant adverse effect on these
metrics. Beginning in mid-March 2020, we began taking several actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, protect our financial position, maximize our
liquidity, and to position the Company for a strong reopening and future. These actions included:
•
•
•
•
•
Temporarily closing all Vera Bradley store locations on March 19;
Temporarily furloughing approximately 80% of our workforce mid first quarter;
Temporarily reducing base compensation for remaining salaried associates, with reductions on a graduated scale ranging from 15% to 30%, and
75% for our Chief Executive Officer;
Temporarily suspending cash compensation to our Board of Directors;
Temporarily suspending our share repurchase program;
• Drawing $60.0 million of our $75.0 million Credit Agreement;
•
•
Temporarily eliminating the Company 401(k) and associate charitable contribution matches;
Tightly managing inventory levels through the cancellation of purchase orders, delay of receipts, or seeking price concessions where possible;
• Actively working with landlords on addressing rent abatement, payment terms, accelerating store closures, and delaying or cancelling certain
planned new store openings;
•
•
Reducing non-payroll operating expenses, including but not limited to, marketing and travel; and
Extending vendor payment terms.
Update on COVID-19 Actions as of January 30, 2021
On May 5, 2020, we began to open our Vera Bradley retail stores in a phased approach. All factory and full line stores were opened as of the end of the
fiscal year, although with reduced hours, lower staffing levels, reduced foot traffic, and greatly enhanced safety protocols.
The sales of cotton face masks, coupled with a full year of Pura Vida operations, helped to offset sales declines otherwise associated with Vera Bradley. Net
revenues from masks represented approximately 10% of consolidated net revenues for fiscal 2021.
We have brought back substantially all of our associates from furlough; reinstated the base compensation reductions; reinstated the cash compensation to
our Board of Directors; paid back $60.0 million of borrowings under our Credit Agreement, leaving us with no debt as of the end of the fiscal year; and
reinstated the 401(k) match in January 2021. We continued to manage operating expenses and inventory levels, and work with landlords on rent abatement
and payment terms, which helped in the achievement of expense leverage.
In addition, the Company is leveraging elements of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act tax provisions
include retention credits, the deferral of the employer portion of certain payroll taxes, and tax benefits related to a net operating loss carryback.
35
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
As more fully described herein, fiscal 2021 was the final year of our Vision 20/20 strategic plan, which we began implementing in the third quarter of fiscal
2018. Despite the COVID-19 situation, we strengthened our infrastructure and better positioned both the Pura Vida and Vera Bradley brands for the future.
Strategic Progress Highlights
•
In the Information Technology area:
• We completed Project Novus, our information technology platform conversion, migrating our e-commerce site to cloud-based Shopify Plus
and replacing our existing ERP, POS, Business Intelligence, and Order Management systems with cloud-based Microsoft D365. This
conversion not only decreased the complexity of our IT systems but has provided us with a more efficient technology platform enabling our
entire enterprise to make quick, data-based, informed decisions in order to further enhance our customer experience and achieve our long-
term growth objectives.
•
In the Vera Bradley product area:
• We quickly reacted to the consumer demand for personal protective equipment, producing and selling millions of cotton face masks,
generating meaningful revenue and gross margin dollars for the fiscal year.
• We continued another year of collaborations with several iconic brands, including Crocs, Disney, and Gillette Venus to create and sell
limited-edition product collections; introduced our signature masks and 1982 backpacks in Target stores and on target.com; and launched
our collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products for the creation of our Harry Potter™ + Vera Bradley collection.
•
In the Vera Bradley distribution area:
• We continued to strengthen and rationalize our store base. We opened six new factory stores and closed 13 underperforming full-line stores,
ending the fiscal year with 75 full-line and 69 factory locations.
• We expanded and strengthened our partnerships with key online retailers such as Amazon.
•
In the Vera Bradley marketing area:
• We successfully launched our new verabradley.com site which allowed us to improve our customer’s online buying experience. We added a
number of key site capabilities to support customers who shifted to online purchasing during the pandemic.
• Our investments in customer data science and business analytics positioned us to navigate through the pandemic, allowing us to collect and
analyze data and respond to customer changes and adjust marketing spend in an agile way.
• We reinforced our commitment to be an ESG-driven organization.
• We continued to strengthen our community support and charitable efforts under the umbrellas of VB Cares, particularly through
organizations that can profoundly improve the lives of women and children, including raising and donating $1.4 million to the Vera Bradley
Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research, over $630,000 to the Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses, and donations to New Hope
Girls, Blessings in a Backpack, and other causes.
• As another aspect of VB Cares focused on caring for our associates, we paid over $800,000 in bonuses to those serving on the front lines
during the pandemic. Our associate engagement scores also continued to be best in class, underscoring the engagement and commitment
from our talented teams.
•
For Pura Vida:
• Using Vera Bradley’s global sourcing expertise, we significantly strengthened Pura Vida’s supply chain, diversifying raw material sourcing,
and adding three additional production facilities in countries outside of El Salvador.
• We re-examined promotional activity and eliminated deep discounting, particularly around Black Friday, which led to gross margin rate
improvement.
•
In the Pura Vida Product area:
•
Pura Vida continued to show strength as a lifestyle brand by successfully expanding into new product categories. Nearly 50% of our e-
commerce business is now comprised of jewelry categories other than traditional string bracelets, such as metal, semi-precious stones,
charms, and the engravable collection,
36
Table of Contents
underscoring the brand’s lifestyle appeal. We believe this lifestyle appeal will continue to be a key driver of growth.
•
Charity bracelets remained an important element of the Pura Vida lifestyle and an important draw for our cause-minded customers. Since
inception, Pura Vida has donated over $3.0 million to more than 200 charities.
•
In the Pura Vida Distribution area:
•
Pura Vida expanded on the distribution front by launching fulfillment capabilities in Canada and entering into a third-party agreement for
the wholesale distribution of our products in Europe to complement our existing e-commerce business and third-party operations there.
• We added Pura Vida shop-in-shops to six full-line Vera Bradley stores and expanded our presence in wholesale partners with larger in-store
presentations.
•
In the Pura Vida Marketing area:
• Our brands in the accessories space remained one of the most highly-engaged brands in terms of social media engagement, with over 2.0
million Instagram followers. We are consistently listed as one of the most, if not the most, engaged jewelry brands on Instagram. TikTok
exposure also increased with over 200,000 followers, a team of Brand Ambassadors, and close to 150,000 micro influencers who
collectively are an active part of the brand and a key part of our marketing strategy.
Financial Summary
Refer to "The COVID-19 Pandemic" for additional information regarding the impacts of the pandemic on fiscal 2021 financial results. Fiscal 2020
results (our prior fiscal year) included Pura Vida operations as of July 17, 2019, the first full-day following the acquisition.
• Net revenues were $468.3 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $495.2 million in fiscal 2020.
• Vera Bradley Direct (“VB Direct”) segment sales were $289.3 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $347.5 million in fiscal 2020.
• Vera Bradley Indirect (“VB Indirect”) segment sales were $66.5 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $81.8 million in fiscal 2020.
•
Pura Vida segment sales were $112.5 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $65.9 million for the partial period since the acquisition.
• Gross profit was $265.5 million (56.7% of net revenue) in fiscal 2021 compared to $271.8 million (54.9% of net revenue) in fiscal 2020.
COVID-19-related purchase order cancellations totaled $1.3 million (0.3% of net revenue) during fiscal 2021. Inventory step-up amortization
related to the Pura Vida acquisition totaled $8.3 million (1.7% of net revenue) during fiscal 2020.
•
SG&A expenses were $252.6 million (53.9% of net revenue) in fiscal 2021 compared to $253.4 million (51.2% of net revenue) in fiscal 2020.
• During fiscal 2021, SG&A expenses included $9.2 million of Pura Vida purchase-related charges; $7.4 million of store asset impairment
charges; $2.7 million of charges related to Project Novus; and $0.2 million of COVID-19-related charges.
• During fiscal 2020, SG&A expenses included $8.0 million of Pura Vida purchase-related charges and $3.0 million of charges related to
Project Novus.
• Operating income was $13.1 million (2.8% of net revenue) in fiscal 2021 compared to $19.5 million (3.9% of net revenue) in fiscal 2020.
• During fiscal 2021, operating income was negatively impacted by $9.2 million of Pura Vida purchase-related charges; $7.4 million of store
asset impairment charges; $2.7 million of charges related to Project Novus; and $1.5 million of COVID-19-related charges.
• During fiscal 2020, operating income was negatively impacted by Pura Vida purchase-related charges of $16.3 million and charges of $3.0
million related to Project Novus.
• Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. was $8.7 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $16.0 million in fiscal 2020.
37
Table of Contents
• During fiscal 2021, net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. was negatively impacted by $4.5 million of store asset impairment charges;
$5.0 million of Pura Vida purchase-related charges; $2.1 million of charges related to Project Novus; and $1.1 million of COVID-19-related
charges.
• During fiscal 2020, net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. was negatively impacted by Pura Vida purchase-related charges of $9.7
million and charges of $2.4 million related to Project Novus.
• Diluted net income per share was $0.26 in fiscal 2021 compared to $0.47 in fiscal 2020. The aforementioned charges negatively impacted net
income per share by $0.38 and $0.35 in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•
•
•
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments were $65.5 million at January 30, 2021 compared to $73.8 million at February 1, 2020. The Company
provided cash consideration of $76.0 million during fiscal 2020 for the Pura Vida acquisition.
Capital expenditures for fiscal 2021 totaled $5.7 million compared to $13.3 million for fiscal 2020.
Repurchases of common stock for fiscal 2021 totaled $2.9 million, or 0.4 million shares, compared to $11.3 million, or 1.1 million shares, in
fiscal 2020.
How We Assess the Performance of Our Business
In assessing the performance of our business, we consider a variety of performance and financial measures.
Net Revenues
Net revenues reflect sales of our merchandise and revenue from distribution and shipping and handling fees, less returns and discounts. Revenues for the
VB Direct segment reflect sales through Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores; verabradley.com; our Vera Bradley online outlet site; and our Vera
Bradley annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Revenues for the VB Indirect segment reflect sales of Vera Bradley-branded products to specialty retail
partners; department stores; national accounts; third-party e-commerce sites; third-party inventory liquidators; and royalties recognized through licensing
agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand. Revenues for the Pura Vida segment reflect revenues generated through the Pura Vida websites,
www.puravidabracelets.com, www.puravidabracelets.eu, and www.puravidabracelets.ca, and through the distribution of Pura Vida-branded products to
wholesale retailers.
Comparable Sales
Typically, comparable sales are calculated based upon our stores that have been open for at least 12 full fiscal months and net revenues from our Vera
Bradley e-commerce operations. Pura Vida e-commerce operations are included within the Company's comparable sales beginning with the fiscal 2021
third quarter. Pura Vida e-commerce operations include sales from the subscription club. Comparable store sales are calculated based solely upon stores
that have been open for at least 12 full fiscal months. Remodeled stores are included in both comparable sales and comparable store sales unless the store
was closed for more than one week of the current or comparable prior period, in which case the non-comparable temporary closure periods are not
included, or the remodel resulted in a significant change in square footage. Some of our competitors and other retailers calculate comparable or “same
store” sales differently than we do. As a result, data in this report regarding our comparable sales and comparable store sales may not be comparable to
similar data made available by other companies. Non-comparable sales include sales from stores not included in comparable sales or comparable store
sales.
As a result of the temporary closure of all Vera Bradley stores due to COVID-19 during portions of the first and second quarters, the Company's fiscal 2021
comparable store sales and comparable sales calculations are not meaningful and therefore are not provided.
Typically, measuring the change in year-over-year comparable sales allows us and our investors to evaluate how our store base and e-commerce operations
are performing. Various factors affect our comparable sales, including:
• Overall economic trends;
•
•
•
•
•
Consumer preferences and fashion trends;
Competition;
The timing of our releases of new patterns and collections;
Changes in our product mix;
Pricing and level of promotions;
• Amount of store, mall, and e-commerce traffic;
•
The level of customer service that we provide in stores and to our on-line customers;
38
Table of Contents
• Our ability to source and distribute products efficiently;
•
•
The number of stores we open and close in any period; and
The timing and success of promotional and marketing efforts.
Gross Profit
Gross profit is equal to our net revenues less our cost of sales. Cost of sales includes the direct cost of purchased merchandise, distribution center costs,
operations overhead, duty, and all inbound freight costs incurred. The components of our reported cost of sales may not be comparable to those of other
retail and wholesale companies.
Gross profit can be impacted by changes in volume; fluctuations in sales price; operational efficiencies, such as leveraging of fixed costs; promotional
activities, including free shipping; commodity prices, such as for cotton; tariffs; and labor costs.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses (“SG&A”)
SG&A expenses include selling; advertising, marketing, and product development; and administrative expenses. Selling expenses include:
• VB Direct business expenses, such as store expenses, employee compensation, and store occupancy and supply costs;
• VB Indirect business expenses consisting primarily of employee compensation and other expenses associated with sales to Indirect retailers; and
•
Pura Vida business expenses primarily related to employee compensation.
Advertising, marketing, and product development expenses include employee compensation, media costs, creative production expenses, marketing agency
fees, new product design costs, public relations expenses, and market research expenses. A portion of our advertising expenses may be reimbursed by
Indirect retailers, and such amount is classified as other income. Administrative expenses include employee compensation for corporate functions,
corporate headquarters occupancy costs, consulting and software expenses, and charitable donations.
Other Income
Other income includes certain legal settlements, proceeds from the sales of tickets to our annual outlet sale (for fiscals 2020 and 2019), and sales tax credits
received for timely filings. In addition, we support many of our Indirect retailers’ marketing efforts by distributing certain catalogs and promotional mailers
to current and prospective customers. Our Vera Bradley Indirect retailers reimburse us for a portion of the cost to produce these materials. Reimbursement
received is recorded as other income. The related cost to design, produce, and distribute the catalogs and mailers is recorded as SG&A expense.
Operating Income
Operating income is equal to gross profit less SG&A expenses plus other income. Operating income excludes interest income, interest expense, and income
taxes.
Income Before Income Taxes
Income before income taxes is equal to operating income plus interest income less interest expense.
Net Income
Net income is equal to income before income taxes less income tax expense.
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest represents the operating results of Pura Vida that are not attributable to Vera Bradley,
Inc.
Net Income Attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. is equal to net income less net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest.
39
Table of Contents
Pura Vida Acquisition
On July 16, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of a seventy-five percent (75%) ownership interest in Creative Genius, Inc. or Pura Vida (the
“Transaction”) in exchange for total cash consideration of approximately $75.0 million. During the third quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company provided
additional cash consideration of approximately $3.0 million for a working capital adjustment. The Company also received a working capital reimbursement
of $1.0 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Additional measurement period adjustments were recorded for conditions that existed as of the
acquisition date. Pura Vida, based in La Jolla, California, is a growing, digitally native, and highly engaging lifestyle brand that deeply resonates with its
loyal consumer following. The Pura Vida brand has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories. The
Company believes that the acquisition strengthened the Company by providing increased product diversification and future growth opportunities partially
as a result of resource and knowledge-sharing.
In accordance with the Interest Purchase Agreement, the Company also agreed to a contingent payment of up to $22.5 million payable during the first
quarter of calendar year 2020 based on calendar year 2019 adjusted EBITDA of Pura Vida, as defined in the Interest Purchase Agreement. This contingent
payment was made during the first quarter of fiscal 2021 totaling $18.7 million. The Company’s existing available cash, cash equivalents, and investments
funded the purchase price due at the closing of the Transaction and subsequent to the closing. There were no transaction costs during fiscal 2021. Pre-tax
transaction costs totaled $2.7 million for fiscal 2020. These costs are recorded within selling, general, and administrative expenses in the Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations and within corporate unallocated expenses.
Pura Vida has been fully consolidated within our financial statements beginning on July 17, 2019, the first full day following the acquisition. Pura Vida was
also added as a reportable segment as a result of the acquisition. Refer to Note 15 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein for
additional information regarding the Pura Vida acquisition.
Impairment Charges
Property, plant, and equipment and lease right-of-use assets (the "asset group" for store-related assets) are reviewed for impairment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset group may not be recoverable. The reviews are conducted at the lowest identifiable
level of cash flows. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows related to the asset group are less than the carrying value, we recognize a loss equal to
the difference between the carrying value and the fair value, as further defined in Note 2 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein.
Impairment charges of $7.4 million were recognized in the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 for property, plant, and equipment assets and lease right-of-
use assets related to underperforming stores and are included in SG&A expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and in impairment charges
in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The impairment charges are included in the VB Direct segment. There were no impairment charges
recorded during the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020 or February 2, 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic, including the temporary closure of Vera Bradley
retail stores beginning in mid-March, significantly impacted the Company's operations and cash flows which was the main driver of the impairment
charges. We are unable to predict the extent of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our operations, the economy, or other factors;
therefore, it is possible additional impairments could be identified in future periods, and such amounts could be material.
40
Table of Contents
Results of Operations
The following tables summarize key components of our consolidated results of operations for the last three fiscal years, both in dollars and as a percentage
of our net revenues. Fiscal 2020 includes Pura Vida operations beginning on July 17, 2019, the first full business day following the acquisition. Fiscal 2019
has not been recast to include the results of Pura Vida. Refer to Note 15 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements herein for additional
information.
($ in thousands)
Statement of Income Data:
Net revenues
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Selling, general, and administrative expenses
Other income
(2)
Operating income
Interest expense (income), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
(3)
Net income
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Percentage of Net Revenues:
Net revenues
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Selling, general, and administrative expenses
Other income
Operating income
Interest expense (income), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Net income
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
41
$
$
January 30,
2021
(1)
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
468,272
202,754
265,518
252,588
135
13,065
1,203
11,862
1,173
10,689
2,008
8,681
$
$
100.0 %
43.3 %
56.7 %
53.9 %
— %
2.8 %
0.3 %
2.5 %
0.3 %
2.3 %
0.4 %
1.9 %
495,212
223,411
271,801
253,425
1,098
19,474
(1,085)
20,559
5,315
15,244
(803)
16,047
$
$
100.0 %
45.1 %
54.9 %
51.2 %
0.2 %
3.9 %
(0.2)%
4.2 %
1.1 %
3.1 %
(0.2)%
3.2 %
416,097
177,510
238,587
211,984
498
27,101
(1,125)
28,226
7,469
20,757
—
20,757
100.0 %
42.7 %
57.3 %
50.9 %
0.1 %
6.5 %
(0.3)%
6.8 %
1.8 %
5.0 %
— %
5.0 %
Table of Contents
The following tables present net revenues by operating segment, both in dollars and as a percentage of our net revenues, and Vera Bradley full-line and
factory outlet store data for the last three fiscal years:
($ in thousands, except as otherwise indicated)
Net Revenues by Segment:
VB Direct
VB Indirect
Pura Vida
Total
Percentage of Net Revenues by Segment:
VB Direct
VB Indirect
Pura Vida
Total
(4)
:
Vera Bradley Store Data
Total stores opened during period
Total stores closed during period
Total stores open at end of period
Comparable sales (including e-commerce) increase (decrease)
Total gross square footage at end of period
Average net revenues per gross square foot
(6)
(5)
January 30,
2021
(1)
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
$
289,274
66,517
112,481
468,272
$
$
347,484
81,811
65,917
495,212
$
$
61.8 %
14.2 %
24.0 %
100.0 %
70.2 %
16.5 %
13.3 %
100.0 %
328,034
88,063
—
416,097
78.8 %
21.2 %
— %
100.0 %
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
6
(13)
144
NM
380,100
NM $
6
(11)
151
3.4 %
6
(10)
156
(10.3)%
386,028
652
$
379,792
635
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
The Company utilizes a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to January 31. Fiscal years 2021, 2020, and 2019 consisted of 52
weeks.
Impairment charges, related to underperforming stores, totaled $7.4 million during the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021. There were no
impairment charges recorded during the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019.
Includes a $2.8 million tax benefit related to the net operating loss carryback provisions of the CARES Act in fiscal 2021.
Includes Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores.
Comparable sales are calculated based upon stores that have been open for at least 12 full fiscal months and net revenues from e-commerce
operations. Increase (decrease) is reported as a percentage of the comparable sales for the same period in the prior fiscal year. Remodeled stores are
included in comparable sales unless the store was closed for a portion of the current or comparable prior period, in which case the non-comparable
temporary closure periods are not included, or the remodel resulted in a significant change in square footage. As a result of Vera Bradley retail
stores being temporarily closed for approximately half of the first and second quarters of fiscal 2021, comparable sales were not meaningful and
were therefore not provided.
Dollars not in thousands. Average net revenues per gross square foot are calculated by dividing total net revenues for our stores that have been open
at least 12 full fiscal months as of the end of the period by total gross square footage for those stores. Remodeled stores are included in average net
revenues per gross square foot unless the store was closed for a portion of the period. As a result of Vera Bradley retail stores being temporarily
closed for approximately half of the first and second quarters of fiscal 2021, average net revenues per gross square foot were not meaningful and
were therefore not provided.
Fiscal 2021 Compared to Fiscal 2020
Net Revenues
For fiscal 2021, net revenues decreased $26.9 million, or 5.4%, to $468.3 million, from $495.2 million for fiscal 2020.
VB Direct. For fiscal 2021, net revenues decreased $58.2 million, or 16.8%, to $289.3 million, from $347.5 million for fiscal 2020. The decline primarily
resulted from the Company’s stores that were temporarily closed as a result of COVID-19 and lower traffic and sales as they reopened with reduced
staffing, hours, and capacity, as well as the COVID-19-related
42
Table of Contents
cancellation of our annual outlet sale which typically occurs in April. This decline was partially offset by current-year period Vera Bradley e-commerce
sales which increased 49.0% over the comparable period in the prior-year.
VB Indirect. For fiscal 2021, net revenues decreased $15.3 million, or 18.7%, to $66.5 million, from $81.8 million for fiscal 2020. The decline was
primarily due to a reduction in orders from specialty, department stores and other key accounts, largely related to COVID-19, as well as a reduction in the
number of specialty and department store accounts.
Pura Vida. For fiscal 2021, net revenues were $112.5 million compared to $65.9 million in the partial period of the prior-year. E-commerce revenues
increased 6.5% during the comparable six-month periods of fiscals 2021 and 2020. Refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein for
additional information regarding the Pura Vida acquisition.
Gross Profit
For fiscal 2021, gross profit decreased $6.3 million, or 2.3%, to $265.5 million, from $271.8 million for fiscal 2020. As a percentage of net revenues, gross
profit increased to 56.7% for fiscal 2021, from 54.9% for fiscal 2020. Charges for the cancellation of certain purchase orders due to COVID-19 in the
current-year totaled $1.3 million and negatively impacted gross margin as a percentage of net revenues by 0.3%. The prior-year period included $8.3
million of inventory step-up amortization related to the Pura Vida acquisition that negatively impacted gross margin as a percentage of net revenues by
1.7%. The remaining increase as a percentage of net revenues was primarily due to mask sales, product collaborations, and inventory management.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses (“SG&A”)
For fiscal 2021, SG&A expenses decreased $0.8 million, or 0.3%, to $252.6 million, from $253.4 million for fiscal 2020. As a percentage of net revenues,
SG&A expenses were 53.9% and 51.2% for fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, respectively. SG&A expenses related to Vera Bradley and corporate unallocated
were $194.7 million compared to $219.9 million in the comparable prior-year period. SG&A expenses related to Pura Vida were $57.9 million compared to
$33.5 million in the partial period of the prior-year. The decrease in consolidated SG&A expenses for fiscal 2021 was primarily due to:
• Vera Bradley initiatives to reduce expenses in light of COVID-19 including the temporary furlough of certain associates; temporarily reducing the
base compensation for all other salaried associates; certain expense reductions associated with the CARES Act retention credit; and reducing other
non-payroll expenses including marketing, professional fees, and travel;
•
•
•
a reduction of approximately $6.3 million in lease expense primarily as a result of lower contingent rent, lease right-of-use asset impairments
recorded in the first quarter of the current-year, 13 full-line store closures during the last 12 months, and COVID-19-related rent abatements;
a reduction of $4.5 million in depreciation expense primarily as a result of legacy software depreciation in the prior-year period that did not recur
in the current-year period and savings as a result of property, plant, and equipment impairments recorded in the first quarter of the current-year;
and
$2.7 million of Pura Vida acquisition-related transaction costs that were incurred in the prior-year period that did not recur in the current-year.
These expense savings were partially offset by incremental Pura Vida operating expenses of $20.7 million; store impairment charges of $7.4 million; $3.7
million for incremental intangible asset amortization; and an adjustment to reduce the earn-out liability related to the Pura Vida acquisition of $1.6 million
in the prior-year period that did not recur in the current-year period. SG&A expenses as a percentage of net revenues increased primarily due to the
aforementioned items, as well as SG&A expense de-leverage associated with decreased sales.
Other Income
For fiscal 2021, other income decreased $1.0 million, or 87.7%, to $0.1 million, from $1.1 million for fiscal 2020, primarily due to a legal settlement
received in the prior-year period that did not recur in the current-year period, as well as outlet sale ticket sales not received in the current-year period due to
the cancellation of our 2020 annual outlet sale as a result of COVID-19.
Operating Income
For fiscal 2021, operating income decreased $6.4 million, or 32.9%, to $13.1 million from $19.5 million for fiscal 2020. As a percentage of net revenues,
operating income was 2.8% and 3.9% for fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, respectively. Operating income decreased due to the factors described above.
The following table provides additional information about our operating income (in thousands).
43
Table of Contents
Operating Income (Loss):
VB Direct
VB Indirect
Pura Vida
Less: Unallocated corporate expenses
Operating income
Fiscal Year Ended
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
$
Change
%
Change
$
$
48,524 $
24,502
8,031
(67,992)
13,065 $
68,505 $
31,077
(3,179)
(76,929)
19,474 $
(19,981)
(6,575)
11,210
8,937
(6,409)
(29.2)%
(21.2)%
352.6 %
(11.6)%
(32.9)%
VB Direct. For fiscal 2021, operating income decreased $20.0 million, or 29.2%. As a percentage of VB Direct segment net revenues, operating income in
the VB Direct segment was 16.8% and 19.7% for fiscals 2021 and 2020, respectively. The decrease in operating income as a percentage of VB Direct
segment net revenues was primarily due to store impairment charges, legacy software depreciation in the prior-year period that did not recur in the current-
year period, and an allocation of charges for the cancellation of certain purchase orders related to COVID-19. These decreases were partially offset by an
increase in gross margin as a percentage of net revenues and COVID-19-related expense savings, as described above.
VB Indirect. For fiscal 2021, operating income decreased $6.6 million, or 21.2%. As a percentage of VB Indirect segment net revenues, operating income
in the VB Indirect segment was 36.8% and 38.0% for fiscals 2021 and 2020, respectively. The decrease in operating income as a percentage of VB Indirect
segment net revenues was primarily due to SG&A expense de-leverage associated with lower sales and an increase in the bad debt provision, partially
offset by an increase in gross margin as a percentage of net revenues as described above.
Pura Vida. For fiscal 2021, operating income in the Pura Vida segment was $8.0 million, or 7.1% of Pura Vida segment net revenues, compared to an
operating loss of $(3.2) million, or (4.8)% of Pura Vida segment net revenues, in the partial prior-year period. The current-year operating results included
$9.0 million of intangible asset amortization expense. The prior-year period included $8.3 million of inventory step-up amortization and $5.4 million of
intangible asset amortization. Refer to Note 15 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements herein for additional information regarding the Pura Vida
acquisition.
Corporate Unallocated. For fiscal 2021, unallocated expenses decreased $8.9 million, or 11.6% to $68.0 million from $76.9 million in the prior-year
period. The decrease in unallocated expenses was primarily due to COVID-19-related expense savings, Pura Vida acquisition-related transaction costs of
$2.7 million in the prior-year period, as well as a reduction in depreciation expense primarily as a result of legacy software depreciation in the prior-year
period that did not recur in the current-year period. These decreases were partially offset by a $1.6 million adjustment to reduce the earn-out liability in the
prior-year period.
Interest Expense (Income), Net
For fiscal 2021, interest expense totaled $1.2 million compared to interest income of $1.1 million in fiscal 2020. Interest expense increased primarily due to
borrowings under the Company's credit agreement during the current-year period.
Income Tax Expense
For fiscal 2021, we recorded income tax expense of $1.2 million at an effective tax rate of 9.9%, compared to income tax expense of $5.3 million at an
effective tax rate of 25.9% for fiscal 2020. The effective tax rate decreased primarily due to the relative impact of a $2.8 million tax benefit related to the
net operating loss carryback provisions of the CARES Act, partially offset by the impact of non-deductible executive compensation and tax shortfalls
related to stock-based compensation.
Net Income
For fiscal 2021, net income decreased $4.5 million, or 29.9%, to $10.7 million from $15.2 million in fiscal 2020 due to the factors described above.
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
For fiscal 2021, net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest was $2.0 million compared to a net loss of $0.8 million in the prior-year
period. This represents the allocation of the Pura Vida net income (loss) to the noncontrolling interest. The net income (loss) was due to the factors
described above in the Pura Vida operating segment.
44
Table of Contents
Net Income Attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
For fiscal 2021, net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. decreased $7.3 million to $8.7 million from $16.0 million in fiscal 2020 due to the factors
described above.
Fiscal 2020 Compared to Fiscal 2019
Refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2020, for a comparison of fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2019 operating
results.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
General
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand and cash equivalents, investments, and cash flow from operations. We also have access to additional
liquidity, if needed, through borrowings under our $75.0 million asset-based revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) which was entered into
on September 7, 2018. There were $60.0 million of borrowings under the Credit Agreement during the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 which were
repaid by the end of the fiscal year, and there was no debt outstanding as of January 30, 2021. Historically, our primary cash needs have been for
merchandise inventories; payroll; store rent; capital expenditures associated with operational equipment, buildings, information technology, and opening
new stores; and share repurchases. The most significant components of our working capital are cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments,
merchandise inventories, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other current liabilities.
We believe that cash on hand and cash equivalents, investments, cash flows from operating activities, and the availability of borrowings under our Credit
Agreement or other financing arrangements will be sufficient to meet working capital requirements and anticipated capital expenditures, and other strategic
uses of cash, if any, for the foreseeable future.
Investments
Cash Equivalents. Investments classified as cash equivalents relate to highly-liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less from the date of
purchase. As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, these investments consisted of a money market fund. The balance as of February 1, 2020 also
included commercial paper.
Short-Term Investments. As of January 30, 2021, short-term investments consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities with a maturity within
one year of the balance sheet date. As of February 1, 2020, short-term investments consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities, commercial
paper, municipal securities, and U.S. asset-backed securities.
Long-Term Investments. As of February 1, 2020, these investments consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities, U.S. and non-U.S. asset-
backed securities, and other foreign securities with a maturity greater than one year from the balance sheet date. There were no long-term investments as of
January 30, 2021.
Refer to Note 14 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements herein for additional information regarding our investments.
Cash Flow Analysis
A summary of operating, investing, and financing activities is shown in the following table (in thousands):
Net cash provided by operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
Net cash used in financing activities
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
20,702 $
17,680
(24,146)
20,624 $
(69,966)
(14,285)
43,564
17,955
(16,771)
Net cash provided by operating activities consists primarily of net income adjusted for non-cash items, including depreciation, amortization, impairment
charges, deferred taxes, and stock-based compensation, the effect of changes in assets and liabilities, and tenant-improvement allowances received from
landlords under our store leases.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $20.7 million during fiscal 2021, as compared to $20.6 million during fiscal 2020. Cash provided by
operating activities was substantially similar to the prior-year period. The net income adjusted for non-
45
Table of Contents
cash items in the current-year benefited by the full-year of Pura Vida operations compared to six months of operations in the prior-year period. Additional
inventory payments primarily related to incremental Pura Vida inventory purchases which included inventory for the Charli D'Amelio launch in March
2021 and the acceleration of inventory purchases for Vera Bradley to mitigate industry-wide port and shipping delays. There were also additional payments
related to Project Novus expenditures. These purchases were offset by timing of payments, including for income taxes (which included a benefit associated
with the net operating loss carryback provisions of the CARES Act); deferrals of certain payments associated with the CARES Act; and accrued expenses,
as well as timing; deferrals; rent abatements; and store closures associated with operating leases.
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Investing activities consisted primarily of investments and capital expenditures related to new store openings, buildings, operational equipment, and
information technology investments, as well as the Pura Vida acquisition.
Net cash provided by investing activities was $17.7 million in fiscal 2021, compared to net cash used in investing activities of $70.0 million in fiscal 2020.
The increase in cash provided by investing activities was a result of the decreased spending related to property, plant, and equipment and net investment
activity in the current year, as well as the July 2019 acquisition of Pura Vida that occurred in the prior-year period.
Capital expenditures for fiscal 2022 are expected to be approximately $8.0 million to $10.0 million.
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities was $24.1 million in fiscal 2021 compared to $14.3 million in fiscal 2020. The increase in cash used in financing
activities was primarily due to the $18.7 million payment of contingent consideration associated with the July 2019 acquisition of Pura Vida, partially offset
by a decline of $8.3 million in repurchases of common stock.
Refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2020, for a comparison of fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2019 cash flow
activity.
Credit Agreement
On September 7, 2018, Vera Bradley Designs, Inc. (“VBD”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an asset-based revolving Credit
Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among VBD, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto.
The Credit Agreement provides for certain credit facilities to VBD in an aggregate principal amount not to initially exceed the lesser of $75.0 million or the
amount of borrowing availability determined in accordance with a borrowing base of certain assets. Any proceeds of the credit facilities will be used to
finance general corporate purposes of VBD and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Vera Bradley International, LLC and Vera Bradley Sales, LLC
(collectively, the “Named Subsidiaries”). The Credit Agreement also contains an option for VBD to arrange with lenders to increase the aggregate principal
amount by up to $25.0 million.
Amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a per annum rate equal to either (i) for CBFR borrowings (including swingline loans), the
CB Floating Rate, where the CB Floating Rate is the prime rate which shall never be less than the adjusted one month LIBOR rate on such day, plus the
Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage spread ranging from -1.00% to -1.50% or (ii) for each eurodollar borrowing, the Adjusted
LIBO Rate, where the Adjusted LIBO Rate is the LIBO rate for such interest period multiplied by the statutory reserve rate, for the interest period in effect
for such borrowing, plus the Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage ranging from 1.00% to 1.30%. The applicable CB Floating Rate,
Adjusted LIBO Rate, or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the administrative agent. The Credit Agreement also requires VBD to pay a commitment fee for
the unused portion of the revolving facility of up to 0.20% per annum.
VBD’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company and the Named Subsidiaries. The obligations of VBD under the Credit
Agreement are secured by substantially all of the respective assets of VBD, the Company, and the Named Subsidiaries and are further secured by the equity
interests in VBD and the Named Subsidiaries.
The Credit Agreement contains various affirmative and negative covenants, including restrictions on the Company's ability to incur debt or liens; engage in
mergers or consolidations; make certain investments, acquisitions, loans, and advances; sell assets; enter into certain swap agreements; pay dividends or
make distributions or make other restricted payments; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; and amend, modify, or waive any of its rights related to
subordinated indebtedness and certain charter and other organizational, governing, and material agreements. The Company may avoid certain of such
restrictions by meeting payment conditions defined in the Credit Agreement. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of January 30,
2021.
46
Table of Contents
The Credit Agreement also requires the loan parties, as defined in the Credit Agreement, to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.00 to 1.00
during periods when borrowing availability is less than the greater of (A) $7.5 million, and (B) 10% of the lesser of (i) the aggregate revolving
commitment, and (ii) the borrowing base. The fixed charge coverage ratio, availability, aggregate revolving commitment, and the borrowing base are
further defined in the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including, among other things: (i) the failure to pay any principal, interest, or other fees under
the Credit Agreement; (ii) the making of any materially incorrect representation or warranty; (iii) the failure to observe or perform any covenant, condition,
or agreement in the Credit Agreement or related agreements; (iv) a cross default with respect to other material indebtedness; (v) bankruptcy and insolvency
events; (vi) unsatisfied material final judgments; (vii) Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) events that could reasonably be
expected to have a material adverse effect; and (viii) a change in control (as defined in the Credit Agreement).
Any commitments made under the Credit Agreement mature on September 7, 2023.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet financing or unconsolidated special purpose entities.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management
to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, as well as the disclosures relating to
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. We evaluate our accounting policies, estimates, and judgments on an
on-going basis. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the
circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.
We evaluate the development and selection of our critical accounting policies and estimates and believe that the following policies and estimates involve a
higher degree of judgment or complexity and are most significant to reporting our results of operations and financial position, and are therefore discussed
as critical. The following critical accounting policies reflect the significant estimates and judgments used in the preparation of our consolidated financial
statements. With respect to critical accounting policies, even a relatively minor variance between actual and expected experience can potentially have a
materially favorable or unfavorable impact on subsequent results of operations. Our historical results for the periods presented in the consolidated financial
statements, however, have not been materially impacted by such variances. More information on all of our significant accounting policies can be found in
Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” to the consolidated financial statements.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Appropriate consideration
is given to obsolescence, excess quantities, and other factors, including the popularity of a pattern or product, in evaluating net realizable value. We record
valuation adjustments to our inventories, which are reflected in cost of sales, if the cost of specific inventory items on hand exceeds the amount we expect
to realize from the ultimate sale or disposal of the inventory. This adjustment calculation requires us to make assumptions and estimates, which are based
on factors such as merchandise seasonality, historical trends, and estimated sales and inventory levels, including sell-through of remaining units. In
addition, as part of inventory adjustments, we provide for inventory shrinkage based on historical trends from our physical inventory counts. We perform
physical inventory counts throughout the year and adjust the shrinkage provision accordingly.
The balance of inventory adjustments was $0.7 million for these matters as of the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, and February 1, 2020. The balance
related primarily to certain collections being discontinued or currently discontinued by Vera Bradley and retired patterns. We have the ability to move
retired finished goods through a number of channels, including the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale, our Vera Bradley website and online outlet site, factory
outlet stores, and through third-party liquidators as needed.
47
Table of Contents
Valuation of Long-lived Assets
Property, plant, and equipment and operating right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the
carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. In evaluating an asset group for recoverability, we estimate the future cash flows expected to
result from the use of the asset group at the store level, the lowest identifiable level of cash flow, if applicable. If the sum of the estimated undiscounted
future cash flows related to the asset group is less than the carrying value, we recognize a loss equal to the difference between the carrying value and the
fair value, usually determined by an estimated discounted cash flow analysis of the asset. Factors used in the valuation of long-lived assets include, but are
not limited to, our plans for future operations, brand initiatives, recent operating results, and projected future cash flows. With respect to our stores, we
analyze store economics, location within the shopping center, the size and shape of the space, and desirable co-tenancies in our selection process.
Impairment charges are classified in SG&A expenses and were $7.4 million for the period ended January 30, 2021. There were no impairment charges
recorded for the periods ended February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019.
The discounted cash flow models used to estimate the applicable fair values involve numerous estimates and assumptions that are highly subjective.
Changes to these estimates and assumptions could materially impact the fair value estimates. The estimates and assumptions critical to the overall fair value
estimates include: (1) estimated future cash flow generated at the store level; (2) discount rates used to derive the present value factors used in determining
the fair values; and (3) market rentals at the retail store. These and other estimates and assumptions are impacted by economic conditions and our
expectations and may change in the future based on period-specific facts and circumstances. If economic conditions were to deteriorate, future impairment
charges may be required.
Business Combinations
The Company acquired a majority interest in Pura Vida on July 16, 2019. In connection with a business combination, the Company records the identifiable
assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contingent consideration liabilities, if any, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at their acquisition-date fair
values. Goodwill is measured indirectly as the excess of the sum of (1) the consideration transferred (including contingent consideration, if any) and (2) the
fair value of any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree over the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed.
These fair value assessments require management judgment and include the use of significant estimates and assumptions including future cash flows,
discount and other market rates, and asset lives, among other items. The details of these assessments for the Pura Vida acquisition are as follows:
•
•
•
•
Inventories were valued using the cost approach. The significant assumptions used for the valuation include inventory balances, projected gross
and operating margins, and cost and time to dispose (sell) inventory on hand.
The Pura Vida brand intangible asset was valued using the relief-from-royalty method. The significant assumptions used for the valuation include
the royalty rate, estimated projected revenues, long-term growth rate, and the discount rate.
Customer relationships were valued using the multi-period excess earnings method. Significant assumptions used for the valuation include
projected cash flows, the discount rate, and customer attrition rate.
Contingent consideration related to the earn-out provision was valued using a Monte Carlo simulation in order to forecast the value of the potential
future payment. Significant assumptions used for the valuation include the discount rate, projected cash flows, and calculated volatility.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill may be impaired.
The Company may first use a qualitative analysis to assess whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit (including goodwill) is
less than its carrying value. This qualitative analysis may include, but is not limited to: macroeconomic factors; industry and market considerations; cost
factors that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows; entity specific factors; a change in the composition or carrying amount of the reporting unit’s
net assets; and a sustained decrease in stock price. If it is determined that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is less than the carrying value after
this analysis, a quantitative impairment test is performed.
If we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment for the reporting unit, or if a qualitative assessment indicates it is more likely than not that the estimated
carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Under the quantitative test, the fair value of
the reporting unit is compared with its carrying value (including goodwill). If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment
loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The fair value of the reporting
unit is determined using an income-based approach and a market-based approach.
48
Table of Contents
The income approach estimates fair value of the reporting unit using a discounted cash flow model that involves subjective estimates and assumptions such
as projected revenue growth, operating profit, and the discount rate. Under the market approach, the Company may use the guideline public company
method and/or the guideline transaction method to estimate fair value of the reporting unit. The guideline public company method uses market multiples
derived from market prices of stocks of companies that are engaged in the same or similar lines of business as the reporting unit. The guideline transaction
method employs transaction multiples derived from the acquisition of controlling interests in stocks of companies that are engaged in the same or similar
lines of business as the reporting unit.
As of January 30, 2021, the Company had recorded $44.3 million of goodwill which was allocated to the Pura Vida reporting unit. For the annual goodwill
impairment analysis performed during fiscal 2021, we performed a quantitative analysis. No impairment was recorded for goodwill during fiscal 2021.
Our indefinite-lived intangible asset represents the Pura Vida brand. We test the Pura Vida brand for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired. Our annual impairment test may be completed through a qualitative assessment to
determine if the fair value of the Pura Vida brand is more likely than not greater than the carrying amount. If we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment,
or if a qualitative assessment indicates it is more likely than not that the estimated carrying value exceeds the fair value, we test for impairment using a
quantitative process. Our quantitative process includes comparing the carrying value to the fair value of the Pura Vida brand, with any excess recognized as
an impairment loss. Fair value is estimated using a relief-from-royalty method. The estimates and assumptions used in the determination of the fair value of
the Pura Vida brand include the projected revenue growth, long-term growth rate, the royalty rate, and discount rate.
As of January 30, 2021, the carrying value of the Pura Vida brand was $36.7 million. For the annual impairment analysis performed during fiscal 2021, we
performed a quantitative analysis. No impairment was recorded for the Pura Vida brand during fiscal 2021.
The estimated fair values of our Pura Vida reporting unit and the Pura Vida brand are subject to change as a result of many factors including changing
economic conditions. Should actual cash flows and our future estimates deteriorate from the estimates we used, impairment charges may be necessary in
future years.
Transactions with Related Parties
See Item 13, “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence,” of this report for information regarding transactions with
related parties.
49
Table of Contents
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
We are subject to interest rate risk in connection with borrowings under our asset-based revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit
Agreement allows for a revolving credit commitment of $75.0 million, bearing interest at a variable rate, based on a per annum rate equal to either (i) for
CBFR borrowings (including swingline loans), the CB Floating Rate, where the CB Floating Rate is the prime rate which shall never be less than the
adjusted one month LIBOR rate on such day, plus the Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage spread ranging from -1.00% to -1.50% or
(ii) for each eurodollar borrowing, the Adjusted LIBO Rate, where the Adjusted LIBO Rate is the LIBO rate for such interest period multiplied by the
statutory reserve rate, for the interest period in effect for such borrowing, plus the Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage ranging from
1.00% to 1.30%. The applicable CB Floating Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate, or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the administrative agent. Assuming
borrowings available under the Credit Agreement are fully extended at $75.0 million, each quarter point increase or decrease in the interest rate would
change our annual interest expense by approximately $0.2 million.
In addition, LIBOR is expected to be discontinued after 2021. If LIBOR is discontinued, we may need to re-negotiate certain agreements and we cannot
predict what alternative index would be negotiated with our lenders or the resulting impact on our interest expense.
Foreign Exchange Rate Risk
We source a majority of our finished goods from various suppliers primarily in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, and China. Substantially all
purchases and sales involving foreign persons are denominated in U.S. dollars, and therefore we do not hedge using any derivative instruments.
Historically, we have not been impacted materially by changes in exchange rates.
50
Table of Contents
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 30, 2021, and February 1, 2020
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2,
2019
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
52
55
56
57
58
59
61
51
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Vera Bradley, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Vera Bradley, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of January 30, 2021 and
February 1, 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years
in the period ended January 30, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended January 30, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America.
We have also 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 January 30, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 30, 2021, expressed an unqualified opinion on the
Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, effective February 3, 2019, the Company adopted FASB Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases,
using a modified retrospective approach.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's 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.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or
required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2)
involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion
on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical
audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets – Refer to Notes 2 and 17 to the financial statements
Critical Audit Matter Description
The Company’s quantitative analysis of goodwill and the indefinite-lived Pura Vida brand for impairment involves the comparison of the fair value of the
reporting unit or asset to its carrying value. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using an income-based approach and a market-based
approach, which required management to make significant estimates and assumptions including the projected revenue growth, operating profit and discount
rate. The Company used the relief-from-royalty method to estimate the fair value of the Pura Vida brand, which required management to make significant
estimates and assumptions related to the projected revenue growth, long-term growth rate, royalty rate and discount rate. The goodwill balance was $44.3
million as of January 30, 2021, all of which related to the Pura Vida reporting unit. The carrying value of the Pura Vida brand was $36.7 million as of
January 30, 2021. The fair values of the Pura Vida reporting unit and the Pura Vida brand exceeded their carrying values as of the measurement date and,
therefore, no impairment was recognized during fiscal 2021.
We identified the impairment analysis of goodwill and the Pura Vida brand as a critical audit matter because of the significant judgments made by
management to estimate the fair value of these indefinite-lived assets. This required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort,
including the need to involve our fair value specialists, when performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimates and
assumptions particularly related to the projected revenue growth and discount rate for the goodwill impairment analysis and the projected revenue growth,
royalty rate, and discount rate for the Pura Vida brand impairment analysis.
52
Table of Contents
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures related to the projected revenue growth and discount rates for goodwill and Pura Vida brand as well as the royalty rate for the Pura
Vida brand included the following, among others:
• We tested the effectiveness of controls over management’s goodwill and Pura Vida brand impairment analyses, including those over the
determination of the fair value, such as controls related to management’s forecasts of projected revenue growth, selection of royalty rate and
discount rates.
• We evaluated management’s ability to accurately forecast by comparing actual results to management’s historical forecasts.
• We evaluated the reasonableness of management’s projected revenue growth by comparing the forecasts to (1) historical revenue, (2) internal
communications to management and the Board of Directors, and (3) forecasted information included in industry reports.
• With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluated the reasonableness of the discount rates and royalty rate assumptions, including
testing the underlying source information and the mathematical accuracy of the calculations, and developing a range of independent estimates and
comparing those to the discount rates and royalty rate selected by management.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 30, 2021
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2016.
53
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Vera Bradley, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Vera Bradley, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of January 30, 2021, based on
criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 30,
2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated
financial statements as of and for the year ended January 30, 2021, of the Company and our report dated March 30, 2021, expressed an unqualified opinion
on those financial statements.
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.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 30, 2021
54
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
Table of Contents
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments
Accounts receivable, net
Inventories
Income taxes receivable
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Operating right-of-use assets
Property, plant, and equipment, net
Intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Long-term investments
Deferred income taxes
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, and Shareholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued employment costs
Short-term operating lease liabilities
Earn-out liability
Other accrued liabilities
Income taxes payable
Total current liabilities
Long-term operating lease liabilities
Other long-term liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred stock; 5,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding
Common stock, without par value; 200,000 shares authorized, 41,808 and 41,515 shares issued and 33,414
and 33,503 outstanding, respectively
Additional paid-in capital
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income
Treasury stock
Total shareholders’ equity of Vera Bradley, Inc.
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, and shareholders’ equity
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
64,175 $
1,295
27,543
141,416
7,372
17,882
259,683
88,730
63,952
47,296
44,254
—
3,530
6,342
513,787 $
27,093 $
13,648
22,321
—
14,043
321
77,426
91,536
109
169,071
49,917
8,977
24,290
123,606
1,043
10,956
218,789
114,790
73,027
56,305
44,254
14,912
7,656
5,328
535,061
20,235
11,412
21,347
18,448
13,850
2,113
87,405
113,775
62
201,242
29,809
30,049
—
—
—
105,433
316,526
8
(107,060)
314,907
513,787 $
—
100,357
307,414
158
(104,159)
303,770
535,061
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
55
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)
Net revenues
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Selling, general, and administrative expenses
Other income
Operating income
Interest expense (income), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Net income
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic net income per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. common shareholders
Diluted net income per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. common shareholders
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
$
$
$
468,272 $
202,754
265,518
252,588
135
13,065
1,203
11,862
1,173
10,689
2,008
8,681 $
495,212 $
223,411
271,801
253,425
1,098
19,474
(1,085)
20,559
5,315
15,244
(803)
16,047 $
33,390
33,914
33,983
34,288
0.26 $
0.26 $
0.47 $
0.47 $
416,097
177,510
238,587
211,984
498
27,101
(1,125)
28,226
7,469
20,757
—
20,757
35,222
35,467
0.59
0.59
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
56
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(in thousands)
Net income
Unrealized (loss) gain on available for sale debt investments
Cumulative translation adjustment
Comprehensive income, net of tax
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Comprehensive income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
$
10,689 $
(172)
22
10,539
2,008
8,531 $
15,244 $
131
51
15,426
(803)
16,229 $
20,757
96
(6)
20,847
—
20,847
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
57
Table of Contents
Balance at February 3, 2018
Net income
Translation adjustments
Unrealized gain on available for sale
investments
Restricted shares vested, net of repurchase for
taxes
Stock-based compensation
Treasury stock purchased
Cumulative adjustment for ASC 606 adoption
Balance at February 2, 2019
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Translation adjustments
Unrealized gain on available for sale
investments
Restricted shares vested, net of repurchase for
taxes
Stock-based compensation
Treasury stock purchased
Cumulative adjustment for ASC 842 adoption
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
redemption value adjustment
Balance at February 1, 2020
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Translation adjustments
Unrealized loss on available for sale
investments
Restricted shares vested, net of repurchase for
taxes
Stock-based compensation
Treasury stock purchased
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
redemption value adjustment
Balance at January 30, 2021
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity
($ in thousands, except share data)
Number of Shares
Common
Stock
35,459,025
Treasury
Stock
5,642,485 $
—
—
181,533
—
(1,293,138)
—
34,347,420
—
—
—
231,578
—
(1,075,749)
—
—
33,503,249
—
—
—
293,076
—
(381,835)
—
—
—
—
—
1,293,138
—
6,935,623 $
—
—
—
—
—
1,075,749
—
—
8,011,372 $
—
—
—
—
—
381,835
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Retained
Earnings
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
Treasury
Stock
Total
Shareholders’
Equity of Vera
Bradley, Inc.
91,192 $
—
—
270,783 $
20,757
—
(114) $
—
(6)
(76,578) $
—
—
285,283
20,757
(6)
—
—
96
—
96
(547)
4,927
—
—
95,572 $
—
—
—
(1,155)
5,940
—
—
—
—
—
454
291,994 $
16,047
—
—
—
—
—
(196)
—
100,357 $
—
—
(431)
307,414 $
8,681
—
—
(575)
5,651
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(24) $
—
51
131
—
—
—
—
—
158 $
—
22
(172)
—
—
—
—
—
(16,261)
—
(92,839) $
—
—
(547)
4,927
(16,261)
454
294,703
16,047
51
—
131
—
—
(11,320)
—
—
(104,159) $
—
—
—
—
—
(2,901)
—
(107,060) $
(1,155)
5,940
(11,320)
(196)
(431)
303,770
8,681
22
(172)
(575)
5,651
(2,901)
431
314,907
—
33,414,490
—
8,393,207 $
—
105,433 $
431
316,526 $
—
8 $
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
58
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
10,689 $
15,244 $
20,757
Depreciation of property, plant, and equipment
Impairment charges
Amortization of operating right-of-use assets
Amortization of intangible assets
Provision for doubtful accounts
Stock-based compensation
Deferred income taxes
Loss (gain) on investments
Adjustment of earn-out liability
Amortization of step-up in inventory basis
Other non-cash (gain) charges, net
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
Inventories
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Accounts payable
Income taxes
Operating lease liabilities, net
Accrued and other liabilities
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment
Purchases of investments
Proceeds from maturities and sales of investments
Cash received (paid) for business acquisition, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant, and equipment
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Tax withholdings for equity compensation
Repurchase of common stock
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Payments of debt-issuance costs
Borrowings under asset-based revolving credit agreement
Repayment of borrowings under asset-based revolving credit agreement
Payment of contingent consideration for business acquisition
Net cash used in financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
13,483
7,446
21,128
9,009
1,333
5,651
4,126
13
229
—
(1)
(5,579)
(17,810)
(7,940)
7,353
(8,121)
(22,680)
2,373
20,702
(5,743)
(851)
23,281
993
—
17,680
18,447
—
21,969
5,359
160
5,940
(864)
(188)
(1,650)
8,274
202
(1,013)
(12,645)
(4,477)
(615)
(284)
(25,302)
(7,933)
20,624
(13,317)
(18,950)
38,333
(76,032)
—
(69,966)
(575)
(3,077)
(1,817)
—
60,000
(60,000)
(18,677)
(24,146)
22
14,258
49,917
64,175 $
(1,155)
(11,341)
(1,789)
—
—
—
—
(14,285)
51
(63,576)
113,493
49,917 $
$
16,540
—
—
—
184
4,927
(1,497)
32
—
—
512
438
(3,994)
(100)
738
4,933
—
94
43,564
(8,148)
(59,461)
85,559
—
5
17,955
(547)
(16,064)
—
(160)
—
—
—
(16,771)
(6)
44,742
68,751
113,493
59
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
(continued)
Supplemental disclosure of cash-flow information
Cash paid for income taxes, net
Cash paid for interest
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activity
Non-cash operating, investing, and financing activities
Repurchase of common stock incurred but not yet paid
As of January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019
As of February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment incurred but not yet paid
As of January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019
As of February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018
Contingent consideration related to business acquisition
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
5,079 $
1,133 $
6,490 $
119 $
4,035
169
— $
176 $
343 $
559 $
— $
176 $
197 $
559 $
1,065 $
20,098 $
197
—
1,065
1,183
—
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Refer to Note 4 herein for supplemental cash flow information regarding the Company’s leases.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
60
Table of Contents
1. Description of the Company
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The term “Company” refers to Vera Bradley, Inc. and its wholly and majority owned subsidiaries, except where the context requires otherwise or
where otherwise indicated.
Vera Bradley, Inc. operates two unique lifestyle brands – Vera Bradley and Pura Vida. We believe Vera Bradley and Pura Vida are complementary
businesses, both with devoted, emotionally-connected, and multi-generational female customer bases; alignment as causal, comfortable, affordable,
and fun brands; positioning as “gifting” and socially-connected brands; strong, entrepreneurial cultures; a keen focus on community, charity, and social
consciousness; multi-channel distribution strategies; and talented leadership teams aligned and committed to the long-term success of their brands.
Vera Bradley is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage and travel items, fashion and home accessories, and unique gifts. Founded in 1982
by friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the brand’s innovative designs, iconic patterns, and brilliant colors continue to inspire
and connect women.
In July 2019, Vera Bradley, Inc. acquired a 75% interest in Creative Genius, Inc., which also operates under the name Pura Vida Bracelets (“Pura
Vida”). Pura Vida, based in La Jolla, California, is a digitally native lifestyle brand that we believe deeply resonates with its loyal consumer following.
The Pura Vida brand has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories.
Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company has included an additional segment for Pura Vida due to its acquisition. As a result, the
Company now has three reportable segments: Vera Bradley Direct (“VB Direct”), Vera Bradley Indirect (“VB Indirect”), and Pura Vida.
•
•
•
The VB Direct business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products through Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores in the United
States; verabradley.com; the Vera Bradley online outlet site; and the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As of January 30,
2021, the Company operated 75 full-line stores and 69 factory outlet stores. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company cancelled its
2020 annual outlet sale.
The VB Indirect business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products to approximately 2,000 specialty retail locations, substantially all of
which are located in the United States, as well as department stores, national accounts, third-party e-commerce sites, third-party inventory
liquidators, and royalties recognized through licensing agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand.
The Pura Vida segment represents revenues generated through the Pura Vida websites, www.puravidabracelets.com,
www.puravidabracelets.eu, www.puravidabracelets.ca, and through the distribution of Pura Vida-branded products to wholesale retailers,
substantially all of which are located in the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in travel restrictions both domestically and internationally, community and self-quarantines, certain factory closures
or reduced operations, as well as mall closures and reduced mall operating hours during fiscal 2021. Although e-commerce operations remained open
for both of our brands, the aforementioned items had a material adverse impact on overall consumer demand, traffic, and sales. Beginning in mid-
March 2020, the Company began taking several actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, protect its financial position, maximize its liquidity, and
to position the Company for a strong reopening and future. These actions included:
•
•
•
•
•
Temporarily closing all Vera Bradley store locations on March 19;
Temporarily furloughing approximately 80% of its workforce mid first quarter;
Temporarily reducing base compensation for remaining salaried associates, with reductions on a graduated scale ranging from 15% to 30%,
and 75% for our Chief Executive Officer;
Temporarily suspending cash compensation to the Company's Board of Directors;
Temporarily suspending the share repurchase program;
• Drawing $60.0 million of our $75.0 million Credit Agreement;
•
•
Temporarily eliminating the Company 401(k) and associate charitable contribution matches;
Tightly managing inventory levels through the cancellation of purchase orders, delay of receipts, or seeking price concessions where possible;
61
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
• Actively working with landlords on addressing rent abatement, payment terms, accelerating store closures, and delaying or cancelling certain
planned new store openings;
Reducing non-payroll operating expenses, including but not limited to, marketing and travel; and
Extending vendor payment terms.
•
•
On May 5, 2020, the Company began to open its Vera Bradley retail stores in a phased approach. All factory and full line stores were opened as of the
end of the fiscal year, although with reduced hours, lower staffing levels, reduced foot traffic, and greatly enhanced safety protocols.
The Company has brought back substantially all associates from furlough; reinstated the base compensation reductions; reinstated the cash
compensation to the Board of Directors; paid back $60.0 million of borrowings under its Credit Agreement; and reinstated the 401(k) match in January
2021. The Company continued to manage operating expenses and inventory levels, and work with landlords on rent abatement and payment terms.
In addition, the Company is leveraging elements of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act tax provisions
include retention credits, the deferral of the employer portion of certain payroll taxes, and tax benefits related to a net operating loss carryback.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and its majority owned subsidiary, Pura
Vida beginning on July 17, 2019. The Company has eliminated intercompany balances and transactions in consolidation.
Fiscal Periods
The Company utilizes a 52-53 week fiscal year ended on the Saturday closest to January 31. As such, fiscal years 2021, 2020, and 2019, ending on
January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019 respectively, each reflected a 52-week period.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Significant Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”)
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the Company’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses,
as well as the disclosures relating to contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. Significant areas requiring the
use of management estimates include the valuation of inventories, valuation of long-lived assets, including operating right-of-use assets, valuation of
goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, accounts receivable valuation allowances, sales return allowances, and the useful lives of assets for
depreciation or amortization. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The Company revises its estimates and assumptions as new information
becomes available.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents represent cash on hand, deposits with financial institutions, and investments with an original maturity of three months or
less.
Investments
Short-term investments consist of investments with a maturity within one year of the balance sheet date. As of January 30, 2021, these investments
consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities. As of February 1, 2020, these investments consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt
securities, commercial paper, municipal securities, and U.S. asset-backed securities. Long-term investments consist of investments with a maturity of
greater than one year from the balance sheet date. There were no long-term investments as of January 30, 2021. As of February 1, 2020, these
investments consisted of U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities, U.S. and non-U.S. asset-backed securities, and other foreign securities. The
Company’s objective with respect to these investments is to earn a higher rate of return, relative to deposit accounts, on funds that are otherwise not
anticipated to be required to meet liquidity needs in the near-term while maintaining a low level of investment risk. These debt securities are classified
as available-for-sale; therefore, unrealized
62
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
gains and losses are recorded within other comprehensive income. Interest income earned is recorded within interest expense (income), net, in the
Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Refer to Note 14 herein for additional information regarding the Company's investments.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Appropriate
consideration is given to obsolescence, excess quantities, and other factors, including the popularity of a pattern or product, in evaluating net realizable
value.
The components of inventories were as follows:
Raw materials
Finished goods
(1)
Total inventories
(1) Relates solely to Pura Vida operations.
Property, Plant, and Equipment
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
$
$
59 $
141,357
141,416 $
1,056
122,550
123,606
Property, plant, and equipment are carried at cost and depreciated or amortized over the following estimated useful lives using the straight-line method:
Buildings and building improvements ..............................................
Land improvements ...........................................................................
Furniture and fixtures, and leasehold improvements ........................
Equipment .........................................................................................
Vehicles .............................................................................................
Computer equipment and software ...................................................
39.5 years
5 – 15 years
3 – 10 years
7 years
5 years
3 – 5 years
The Company recognizes depreciation and amortization expense within cost of sales for expenditures related to distribution center, sourcing, and other
related functions and selling, general, and administrative expenses for all other expenditures. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter
of the life of the asset or the lease term. Lease terms typically range from three to ten years.
When a decision is made to abandon property, plant, and equipment prior to the end of the previously estimated useful life, depreciation or
amortization estimates are revised to reflect the use of the asset over the shortened estimated useful life. At the time of disposal, the cost of assets sold
or retired and the related accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the accounts and any resulting loss is included in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Property, plant, and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset
groups may not be recoverable. The reviews are conducted at the lowest identifiable level of cash flows, which is at the retail store level for store-
related assets. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows related to the property, plant, and equipment and operating right-of-use assets are less
than the carrying value, the Company recognizes a loss equal to the difference between the carrying value and the fair value, as further defined below
in “Fair Value of Financial Instruments.”
Routine maintenance and repair costs are expensed as incurred.
The Company capitalizes certain costs incurred in connection with acquiring, modifying, and installing internal-use software. Capitalized costs are
included in property, plant, and equipment and are amortized over three to five years. Software costs that do not meet capitalization criteria are
expensed as incurred.
63
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Revenue Recognition and Accounts Receivable
Vera Bradley and Pura Vida product sales to customers, including amounts billed to customers for shipping fees, as well as royalties from licensing
arrangements related to the Vera Bradley brand, are included in net revenues. Costs related to shipping of product are classified in cost of sales in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company has elected to treat shipping and handling activities that occur after the customer has obtained
control of a good as an activity to fulfill the promise to transfer the product rather than as an additional promised service. Net revenues exclude sales
taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities from the transaction price.
Revenue from the sale of the Company’s products is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers, in the
amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Revenue is recognized using the
five-step model. These steps are: (i) identify the contract with the customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations; (iii) determine the transaction
price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation; and (v) recognize revenue as the performance obligations are satisfied.
The Company collects payment at the point of sale for Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet store transactions, upon shipment for Vera Bradley e-
commerce transactions, and upon purchase for Pura Vida e-commerce transactions. The Company generally collects payment in arrears in accordance
with established payment terms for each customer within the VB Indirect segment and for Pura Vida wholesale retailers.
Historical experience provides the Company the ability to reasonably estimate the amount of product sales that customers will return. Product returns
are often resalable through multiple channels. Additionally, the Company reserves for customer allowances for certain VB Indirect retailers based upon
various contract terms and other potential product credits granted to VB Indirect retailers.
The returns and credits reserve and the related activity for each fiscal year presented were as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal year ended January 30, 2021
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2020
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2019
Balance at
Beginning of Year
Provision
Charged to
Net Revenues
Allowances
Taken / Written Off
Balance at End
of Year
$
1,362 $
1,911
2,695
14,284 $
15,467
17,946
(13,932) $
(16,016)
(18,730)
1,714
1,362
1,911
The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical experience and customer-specific identification and believes that
collections of receivables, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts, are reasonably assured. The allowance for doubtful accounts was approximately
$1.1 million and $0.5 million as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. The provision for doubtful accounts is based upon the
likelihood of default expected during the life of the receivable.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales includes material and labor costs, freight, inventory shrinkage, operating lease costs, duty, and other operating expenses, including
depreciation of the Vera Bradley distribution center and equipment. Costs and related expenses to purchase and distribute the products are recorded as
cost of sales when the related revenues are recognized.
Operating Leases
The Company recognizes lease liabilities at the lease commencement date based upon the present value of the remaining lease payments. Operating
right-of-use assets are based on the lease liability adjusted for prepaid rent, deferred rent, and tenant allowances received from certain of the
Company’s landlords, primarily for its retail store locations.
Operating lease liabilities are amortized based upon the effective interest method. Operating right-of-use assets are amortized based upon the straight-
line lease expense less interest on the lease liability. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Variable rent
expense is recognized in the period incurred.
Operating right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets
may not be recoverable. The reviews are conducted at the lowest identifiable level of cash
64
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
flows, which is at the retail store level for store-related assets. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows related to the operating right-of-use
assets are less than the carrying value, the Company recognizes a loss equal to the difference between the carrying value and the fair value, as further
defined below in “Fair Value of Financial Instruments.”
Refer to Note 4 herein for additional information regarding the Company's leases.
Store Pre-Opening, Occupancy, and Operating Costs
The Company charges costs associated with the opening of new stores to selling, general, and administrative expenses as incurred. Selling, general,
and administrative expenses also include store operating costs, store employee compensation, and store occupancy and supply costs.
Business Combination
The Company acquired a majority interest in Pura Vida on July 16, 2019. In connection with a business combination, the Company records the
identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contingent consideration liabilities, if any, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at their
acquisition-date fair values. Goodwill is measured indirectly as the excess of the sum of (1) the consideration transferred (including contingent
consideration, if any) and (2) the fair value of any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree over the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Refer to
Note 15 herein for additional information.
These fair value assessments require management judgment and include the use of significant estimates and assumptions including future cash flows,
discount and other market rates, and asset lives, among other items.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Upon an acquisition, the Company records the fair value of goodwill and the identifiable intangible assets. As of January 30, 2021 and February 1,
2020, the identifiable intangible assets consisted of the Pura Vida brand, customer relationships, and non-competition agreements. Assets that are
determined to have an indefinite life, including goodwill and the Pura Vida brand, are not amortized but are assessed for impairment at least annually
or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the goodwill may be impaired. Definite-lived intangible assets, including customer relationships and
non-competition agreements, are amortized over their estimated useful lives and are also subject to impairment testing, similar to the Company’s long-
lived assets.
The Company performs its annual goodwill and Pura Vida brand impairment test generally during the second quarter. The Company may first use a
qualitative analysis to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit (including goodwill) is less than its carrying
value. If it is determined that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is less than the carrying value after this analysis, a quantitative impairment
test is performed. If the Company elects to bypass the qualitative analysis, or if it is determined through the qualitative analysis that it is more-likely-
than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, a quantitative analysis is performed. Under the quantitative test, the fair
value of the reporting unit is compared with its carrying value (including goodwill). If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an
impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the amount of total goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The fair value
of the reporting unit is determined using an income-based approach and a market-based approach. The Company's critical estimates for the goodwill
test include the revenue growth rate, operating profit, and discount rate. The fair value of the Pura Vida brand is estimated using the relief-from-royalty
method. The critical estimates for the Pura Vida brand impairment test include the projected revenue growth, long-term growth rate, the royalty rate,
and the discount rate.
As of January 30, 2021, the carrying value of goodwill and the Pura Vida brand was $44.3 million and $36.7 million, respectively. For the annual
impairment analysis performed during fiscal 2021, we performed a quantitative analysis. There was no impairment recorded for goodwill or the Pura
Vida brand during fiscal 2021.
The estimated fair values of our Pura Vida reporting unit and the Pura Vida brand are subject to change as a result of many factors including changing
economic conditions. Should actual cash flows and our future estimates deteriorate from the estimates we used, impairment charges may be necessary
in future years.
65
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
On July 16, 2019, as contemplated by the Interest Purchase Agreement, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries and the owners of the remaining
twenty-five percent (25%) ownership interest in Pura Vida (the “Sellers”) which was not acquired by the Company (the “Remaining Pura Vida
Interest”) entered into a Put/Call Agreement (the “Put/Call Agreement”). Pursuant to the Put/Call Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions
thereof, the Sellers have the right to sell all of the Remaining Pura Vida Interest to the Company, and the Company has the right to purchase all of the
Remaining Pura Vida Interests from Sellers, in each case generally at any time following the fifth anniversary of the closing date of the transaction
until the tenth anniversary thereof. The purchase price for any Remaining Pura Vida Interest put to, or called by, the Company will be determined
based on the arithmetic average of a multiple of adjusted EBITDA of Pura Vida and a multiple of adjusted EBITDA of the Company, as defined in the
Put/Call Agreement, over the twelve-month period ending on the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an exercise notice is
delivered by a relevant party. In the event of a change in control of the Company, the parties may exercise a portion of their put and call rights prior to
the fifth anniversary of the closing date (as defined in the Put/Call Agreement).
As a result of this redemption feature, the Company recorded the noncontrolling interest as redeemable and classified it in temporary equity within its
Consolidated Balance Sheets initially at its acquisition-date fair value. The noncontrolling interest is adjusted each reporting period for income (or
loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest. A measurement period adjustment, if any, is then made to adjust the noncontrolling interest to the
higher of the redemption value or carrying value each reporting period. These adjustments are recognized through retained earnings and are not
reflected in net income or net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. When calculating earnings per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc., the
Company adjusts net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. for the measurement period adjustment to the extent the redemption value exceeds the
fair value of the noncontrolling interest on a cumulative basis. The fair value of the noncontrolling interest is estimated using a combination of the
income approach, a discounted cash flow analysis, and the market approach, utilizing the guideline company method. The reporting unit’s discounted
cash flow analysis requires significant management judgment with respect to revenue, total direct costs, selling, general, and administrative expenses,
capital expenditures, and the selection and use of an appropriate discount rate. The projected revenue and expense assumptions and capital
expenditures are based on our annual and long-term business plans. Discount rates reflect market-based estimates of the risks associated with the
projected cash flows directly resulting from the use of those assets in operations. Refer to Note 16 herein for additional information regarding the
redeemable noncontrolling interest.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation using the fair-value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Stock Compensation. Under these
provisions, for its awards of restricted stock and restricted-stock units, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense in an amount equal
to the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date of the respective award. The Company recognizes this expense, net of estimated
forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.
Advertising Costs
The Company expenses advertising costs at the time the promotion first appears in media, in stores, or on its websites, and includes those costs in
selling, general, and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Total advertising expense was as follows (in thousands):
(1)
Fiscal year ended January 30, 2021
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2020
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2019
(1) Increase primarily as a result of the inclusion of Pura Vida beginning July 17, 2019. Fiscal 2020 includes approximately six months of Pura
Vida advertising expense whereas fiscal 2021 includes 12 months of expense.
54,571
46,460
27,488
$
(1)
66
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified using the following hierarchy, which is based upon the
transparency of inputs to the valuation as of the measurement date:
•
•
•
Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2 – Inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly;
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the Company’s own assumptions.
The classification of fair value measurements within the hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the measurement.
The carrying amounts reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable as of
January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, approximated their fair values.
The following table details the fair value measurements of the Company’s investments as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020 (in thousands):
(1)
Cash equivalents
Short-term investments:
U.S. corporate debt securities
Commercial paper
Municipal securities
Non-U.S. corporate debt securities
U.S. asset-backed securities
Long-term investments:
U.S. corporate debt securities
U.S. asset-backed securities
Non-U.S. corporate debt securities
Other foreign securities
Non-U.S. asset-backed securities
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
$
1,565 $
27 $
— $
2,198 $
— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
627
—
—
668
—
—
—
—
—
—
3,435
2,489
1,594
1,136
323
5,613
5,498
2,409
810
582
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(1) Cash equivalents include commercial paper and a money market fund that have a maturity of three months or less at the date of
purchase. Due to their short maturity, the Company believes the carrying value approximates fair value.
The Company assesses potential impairments to its long-lived assets, which includes property, plant, and equipment and lease right-of-use assets, on a
quarterly basis or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Store-level assets and right-
of-use assets are grouped at the individual store-level for the purpose of the impairment assessment. Recoverability of an asset group is measured by a
comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to its estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the
carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized as the amount by which
the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group. The fair value of the store assets is determined using the discounted
future cash flow method of anticipated cash flows through the store’s lease-end date using fair value measurement inputs classified as Level 3. The fair
value of right-of-use assets is estimated using market comparative information for similar properties. Level 3 inputs are derived from valuation
techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. The Company recorded $7.4 million in impairment
charges related to store assets including property, plant, and equipment and lease right-of-use assets during the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021.
There were no impairment charges for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019.
67
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Assets recognized or disclosed at fair value on the consolidated financial statements on a nonrecurring basis include items such as property, plant, and
equipment, including leasehold improvements, and operating lease assets, as well as assets related to the Pura Vida acquisition including goodwill and
intangible assets. These assets are measured at fair value if determined to be impaired. Refer to Note 15 herein for additional information on the
methods used in the valuation of acquired intangible assets.
The discounted cash flow models used to estimate the applicable fair values involve numerous estimates and assumptions that are highly subjective.
Changes to these estimates and assumptions could materially impact the fair value estimates. The estimates and assumptions critical to the overall fair
value estimates include: (1) estimated future cash flow generated at the store level; (2) discount rates used to derive the present value factors used in
determining the fair values; and (3) market rentals at the retail store. These and other estimates and assumptions are impacted by economic conditions
and our expectations and may change in the future based on period-specific facts and circumstances. If economic conditions were to deteriorate, future
impairment charges may be required which may be material.
Income Taxes
The Company accrues income taxes payable or refundable and recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the book and
tax bases of assets and liabilities. The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted rates in effect for the years in which the
differences are expected to reverse, and recognizes the effect of a change in enacted rates in the period of enactment.
The Company establishes liabilities for uncertain positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns, using a more-likely-than-not
recognition threshold. The Company includes in income tax expense any interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Cloud Computing Arrangements
The Company capitalizes implementation costs associated with its Cloud Computing Arrangements (“CCA”) consistent with costs capitalized for
internal-use software. The CCA costs are amortized over the term of the related hosting agreement, taking into consideration renewal options, if any.
The renewal period is included in the amortization period if determined that the option is reasonably certain to be exercised. The amortization expense
is recorded in the same line item within the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations as the related hosting fees. The balance of the
unamortized CCA implementation costs totaled $8.1 million and $3.8 million as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. Of this total,
$2.4 million and $0.3 million was recorded within prepaid expenses and other current assets and $5.7 million and $3.5 million was recorded within
other assets on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. The CCA implementation costs
are recorded within operating activities in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases, which
increases transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights
and obligations created by leases and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods
beginning on or after December 15, 2018. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11 for targeted improvements, including the option of allowing
entities to initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date (February 3, 2019 for the Company) and recognize a cumulative-effect
adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The Company adopted the standard using this adoption method on February 3, 2019 (the
beginning of fiscal 2020) and recorded a $0.2 million beginning retained earnings adjustment. In addition, the Company evaluated the usage of
applicable transition relief practical expedients at the adoption date as follows:
68
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Practical Expedient Package
Hindsight
The Company elected the practical expedient package and did not re-assess whether a
contract was or contained a lease; did not re-assess lease classification as an operating or
financing lease for expired or existing leases; and did not re-assess whether a lease contained
initial direct costs for expired or existing leases.
The Company did not elect the hindsight practical expedient, which allows for hindsight
when assessing the lease term and impairment of right-of-use assets.
The Company has operating leases at all of its retail stores; therefore, the adoption of this standard resulted in a material increase of assets and
liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The opening balance of its operating lease liabilities was approximately $149 million and its
operating right-of-use assets were approximately $126 million at transition on February 3, 2019. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows also had
material presentation changes within operating activities upon adoption. The adoption of this standard had no impact on the Company's Consolidated
Statements of Operations.
Refer to Note 4 herein for additional information regarding ASC Topic 842, including details of practical expedients related to policy elections.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements. The
amendments in this update remove, modify, and add certain disclosure requirements to ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. This guidance is effective
for interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2019 (fiscal 2021). Early adoption is permitted, and certain amendments are to be
adopted prospectively for only the most recent annual or interim period presented in the initial year of adoption or retrospectively. The adoption of this
standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This standard replaces the incurred loss
impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that uses a forward-looking approach to recording credit losses for certain financial
instruments including debt securities, trade receivables, and other financial assets. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December
15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years, for SEC filers, which is the Company's fiscal 2021. Early adoption is permitted. The
adoption of this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this
update remove certain exceptions to the general principals in Topic 740, as well as simplify GAAP for certain areas and improve consistency within
the topic. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2020 (fiscal 2022). Early adoption is permitted,
with all amendments required to be adopted in the same period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated
financial statements.
69
Table of Contents
3. Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Disaggregation of Revenue
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The following presents the Company's net revenues disaggregated by product category for the fifty-two weeks ended January 30, 2021, February 1,
2020, and February 2, 2019 (in thousands):
Product categories
Bags
Travel
Accessories
Apparel/Footwear
Home
Other
(6)
Total net revenues
VB Direct Segment
VB Indirect
Segment
Pura Vida Segment
Total
Fifty-Two Weeks Ended
January 30, 2021
$
$
$
105,197
59,606
49,578
36,762
31,819
6,312 (1)
289,274 (4) $
$
26,732
12,191
8,207
13,416
2,253
3,718 (2)
66,517 (5) $
$
—
—
106,547
1,857
—
4,077 (3)
112,481 (4) $
131,929
71,797
164,332
52,035
34,072
14,107
468,272
(1) Primarily includes net revenues from stationery, freight, and gift card breakage.
(2) Primarily includes net revenues from licensing agreements, freight, and merchandising.
(3) Related to freight.
(4) Net revenues were related to product sales recognized at a point in time.
(5) $63.5 million of net revenues related to product sales recognized at a point in time and $3.0 million of net revenues related to sales-based royalties
recognized over time.
(6) Includes mask sales.
(1)
Product categories
Bags
Travel
Accessories
Home
Apparel/Footwear
Other
Total net revenues
VB Direct Segment
VB Indirect
Segment
Pura Vida Segment
Total
Fifty Two Weeks Ended
February 1, 2020
$
$
$
136,509
91,732
75,162
32,987
5,092
6,002 (2)
347,484 (5) $
$
41,206
16,712
15,470
2,703
640
5,080 (3)
81,811 (6) $
$
—
—
64,568
—
—
1,349 (4)
65,917 (5) $
177,715
108,444
155,200
35,690
5,732
12,431
495,212
(1) Other net revenues have been recast to exclude Apparel/Footwear to conform with the current-year presentation.
(2) Primarily includes net revenues from stationery, freight, and gift card breakage.
(3) Primarily includes net revenues from licensing agreements, freight, and merchandising.
(4) Related to freight.
(5) Net revenues were related to product sales recognized at a point in time.
(6) $78.0 million of net revenues related to product sales recognized at a point in time and $3.8 million of net revenues related to sales-based royalties
recognized over time.
70
Table of Contents
(1)
Product categories
Bags
Travel
Accessories
Home
Apparel/Footwear
Other
Total net revenues
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
VB Direct Segment
VB Indirect
Segment
Pura Vida Segment
Total
Fifty Two Weeks Ended
February 2, 2019
$
$
$
128,255
87,746
75,751
26,846
4,050
5,386 (2)
328,034 (4) $
$
42,626
19,767
17,043
2,757
948
4,922 (3)
88,063 (5) $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$
$
170,881
107,513
92,794
29,603
4,998
10,308
416,097
(1) Other net revenues have been recast to exclude Apparel/Footwear to conform with the current-year presentation.
(2) Primarily includes net revenues from stationery, freight, and gift card breakage.
(3) Primarily includes net revenues from licensing agreements, freight, and merchandising.
(4) Net revenues were related to product sales recognized at a point in time.
(5) $84.5 million of net revenues related to product sales recognized at a point in time and $3.6 million of net revenues related to sales-based royalties
recognized over time.
Contract Balances
Contract liabilities as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, consisted of $4.1 million and $3.9 million, respectively. The balance as of January 30,
2021 consisted of unearned revenue related to the monthly bracelet and jewelry clubs of the Pura Vida segment, unredeemed gift cards, Pura Vida
loyalty club points, Pura Vida customer deposits and payments collected before shipment, and an immaterial amount of unearned revenue for pre-
payments of royalties in certain of the Company’s licensing arrangements. The balance as of February 1, 2020 consisted of the monthly bracelet and
jewelry clubs of the Pura Vida segment, unredeemed gift cards, Pura Vida payments collected before shipment, and an immaterial amount of unearned
revenue for pre-payments of royalties in certain of the Company’s licensing arrangements. These contract liabilities are recognized within other
accrued liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Substantially all contract liabilities are recognized within one year. The Company
did not have contract assets as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020.
The balance for accounts receivable from contracts with customers, net of allowances, as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020 was $26.0 million
and $16.3 million, respectively, which is recognized within accounts receivable, net, on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The provision for
doubtful accounts was $1.1 million and $0.5 million as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. The provision for doubtful accounts is
based upon the likelihood of default expected during the life of the receivable.
Performance Obligations
The performance obligations for the VB Direct, VB Indirect, and Pura Vida segments include the promise to transfer distinct goods (or a bundle of
distinct goods). The VB Indirect segment also includes the right to access intellectual property (“IP”) related to the Vera Bradley brand.
Remaining Performance Obligations
The Company does not have remaining performance obligations in excess of one year or contracts that it does not have the right to invoice as of
January 30, 2021.
Significant Judgments
Product Sales
In the Vera Bradley retail stores (recognized within the VB Direct segment), control is transferred and net revenue is recognized at the point of sale.
Product shipments for the Company’s e-commerce channels (recognized within the VB Direct and Pura Vida segments) and shipments to its wholesale
retailers (recognized within the VB Indirect segment and
71
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Pura Vida segment) are generally shipped Free on Board (“FOB”) shipping point typically from its distribution center in Roanoke, Indiana, for Vera
Bradley products and primarily from its third-party fulfillment center in Tijuana, Mexico for Pura Vida products. Net revenue is recognized upon
shipment consistent with when control is transferred to the customer. Upon shipment, the customer has the right to direct the use of, and obtain
substantially all of the benefits from, the product.
Licensing Royalties
The Company grants rights to access its Vera Bradley IP and accounts for any resulting sales-based royalty revenue over time, as the subsequent sales
occur. The Company has contractually guaranteed minimum royalties in certain of its sales-based royalty arrangements which are recognized straight-
line over the remaining license period once determined that the minimum sales level will not be achieved. Licensing royalties are recognized within
VB Indirect segment net revenues.
Transaction Price and Amounts Allocated to Performance Obligations
The transaction price is the amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in a sales transaction. The transaction price is net of
discounts, estimated variable consideration (if any), and any customer allowances offered or estimated, including those offered to certain Indirect
retailers based on various contract terms. The transaction price also is net of allowances for product returns, which the Company is able to reasonably
estimate based upon historical experience. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation in the contract based upon the standalone
selling price.
Contract Costs
Sales commissions are paid to certain employees based upon specific sales achieved during a time period. As the Company’s contracts related to these
sales commissions do not exceed one year, these incentive payments are expensed as incurred.
Other Practical Expedients
Remaining Performance Obligations
The Company does not disclose the remaining performance obligations for contracts with an original expected duration of one year or less or for
contracts which it has the right to invoice.
Significant Financing Components
The Company does not adjust for the time value of money as the majority of its contracts have an original expected duration of one year or less;
contracts that are greater than one year are related to net revenues that are constrained until the subsequent sales occur. The net revenues associated
with these contracts are immaterial, and the Company does not adjust for the time value of money.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Five customers represented approximately 45.0% of the balance of accounts receivable, net as of January 30, 2021.
4. Leases
The Company temporarily closed its full-line and factory outlet stores on March 19, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the end of fiscal
2021, all stores have been reopened. As a result of the temporary closures, certain rent payments have been deferred. An immaterial amount of rent
abatements and deferrals were received as of January 30, 2021.
In April 2020, the FASB issued guidance that allows a company to elect to account for COVID-19-related rent concessions as (1) if they were part of
the enforceable rights and obligations under the existing lease contract or (2) lease modifications. Leases that are eligible under this guidance include
those that do not have a substantial increase of obligations to the lessee.
The Company has elected to treat COVID-19-related rent abatements as a reduction to its operating lease cost in the period the abatements are received
for leases that do not have a substantial change in obligations. Lease abatements received which were coupled with lease extensions of greater than a
month, or a substantial change of future lease payments, were recorded as a lease modification under ASC 842.
The Company also received lease payment deferrals in some cases, extending the due date of the lease payments. The Company did not remeasure the
lease liability and continued to account for the lease following the rights and obligations of the existing lease.
72
Table of Contents
Nature of Leases
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The Company has operating leases at all of its retail stores, as well as for its New York office, the California Pura Vida office, Asia sourcing office, and
showrooms. The Company also has operating leases for certain equipment and storage spaces. The Company does not have residual value guarantees,
restrictions, or covenants imposed by leases.
Determination of Lease Terms
Retail store leases have remaining terms of up to 10 years as of January 30, 2021. These leases generally have early termination rights when certain
sales thresholds are not met for a specified measurement period. The Company's other leases have remaining terms of up to approximately six years as
of January 30, 2021. If the lease contains a renewal period at the Company's option, the renewal period is included in the lease term if determined the
option is reasonably certain to be exercised at lease commencement. The Company's lease options generally do not include termination rights other
than those mentioned. The Company did not have financing leases as of January 30, 2021.
Variable Rental Payments
All of the Company's retail store leases contain variable rental payments when the retail store's sales exceed a specified breakpoint. In addition, certain
of the Company's leases contain real estate taxes, common area maintenance, and similar items that are billed as pass-through charges from its
landlords. These rental payments are not included in the measurement of the lease liability, but are recognized as variable lease cost in the period
incurred.
Certain of the Company's leases also contain lease components with increases based upon an index or rate. These lease components are included on the
Company's balance sheet at the rate as of lease commencement. Future changes in the index or rate will generally be included as variable lease cost.
Significant Judgments and Assumptions
Determination of Whether a Contract Contains a Lease
The Company determines whether a contract is or contains a lease at the inception of the contract. The contract is, or contains, a lease if the contract
conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant, or equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company
generally must also have the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from use of the property, plant, and equipment and have the right
to direct its use.
Discount Rate
The weighted-average discount rate as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, was 4.8% and 5.0%, respectively. The discount rate is not readily
determinable in the lease; therefore, the Company estimated the incremental borrowing rate, at the commencement or remeasurement date of each
lease, which is the rate of interest it would have to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term with similar payments.
Leases Not Yet Commenced
As of January 30, 2021, the Company did not have leases which were executed but did it not have control of the underlying assets.
Practical Expedients (Policy Elections)
The Company has elected the following practical expedients as policy elections upon the adoption of ASC Topic 842.
Short-Term Leases
Not Separating Lease and Nonlease
Components
The Company elected to exclude leases with a term of 12 months or less from recognition on the
balance sheet for all leases.
The Company elected to combine lease and nonlease components and recognize as a single lease
component for all leases.
Refer to Note 2 herein for information regarding transition practical expedients elected.
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements
The following lease expense is recorded within cost of sales for the Asia sourcing office and certain equipment leases and within selling, general, and
administrative expenses for all other leases, including retail store leases, in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years
ended January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020 (in thousands):
73
Table of Contents
Operating lease cost
Variable lease cost
Short-term lease cost
Total lease cost
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Fifty-Two Weeks Ended
January 30, 2021
February 1, 2020
$
$
26,112 $
5,821
445
32,378 $
28,808
9,266
576
38,650
During the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, the Company recognized rental expense for all leases of $34.3 million which included percentage rent
expense of $3.4 million.
The weighted-average remaining lease term as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020 was 5.4 years and 6.0 years, respectively.
Supplemental operating cash flow information was as follows (in thousands):
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities
$
Right-of-use assets increase as a result of new and modified operating lease liabilities, net $
27,180 $
1,268 $
32,702
10,850
Fifty-Two Weeks Ended
January 30, 2021
February 1, 2020
Maturity Analysis of Operating Lease Liabilities
Maturities of the Company's operating lease liabilities (undiscounted) reconciled to its lease liability as of January 30, 2021 were as follows (in
thousands):
Operating Leases
(1)
Fiscal 2022
Fiscal 2023
Fiscal 2024
Fiscal 2025
Fiscal 2026
Thereafter
Total remaining obligations
Less: Interest
$
Present value of lease liabilities
(1) $2.5 million of lease liabilities are recorded within accounts payable on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 30, 2021, and
will be paid in fiscal 2022. These lease liabilities are not included in the table above.
$
27,278
25,315
21,889
19,311
13,676
23,532
131,001
(17,144)
113,857
74
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
5. Property, Plant, and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):
Land and land improvements
Building and building improvements
Furniture, fixtures, leasehold improvements, computer equipment and software
Equipment and vehicles
Construction in progress
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
Property, plant, and equipment, net
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
$
5,981 $
46,233
84,223
27,327
454
164,218
(100,266)
$
63,952 $
5,981
46,233
116,238
21,205
6,002
195,659
(122,632)
73,027
Depreciation and amortization expense associated with property, plant, and equipment, excluding impairment charges (in thousands):
Fiscal year ended January 30, 2021
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2020
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2019
6. Debt
$
13,483
18,447
16,540
As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, the Company had no borrowings outstanding and availability of $75.0 million under its Credit
Agreement.
Credit Agreement
On September 7, 2018, Vera Bradley Designs, Inc. (“VBD”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an asset-based revolving Credit
Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among VBD, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party
thereto. The Credit Agreement provides for certain credit facilities to VBD in an aggregate principal amount not to initially exceed the lesser of $75.0
million or the amount of borrowing availability determined in accordance with a borrowing base of certain assets. Any proceeds of the credit facilities
will be used to finance general corporate purposes of VBD and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Vera Bradley International, LLC and Vera
Bradley Sales, LLC (collectively, the “Named Subsidiaries”). The Credit Agreement also contains an option for VBD to arrange with lenders to
increase the aggregate principal amount by up to $25.0 million.
Amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a per annum rate equal to either (i) for CBFR borrowings (including swingline
loans), the CB Floating Rate, where the CB Floating Rate is the prime rate which shall never be less than the adjusted one month LIBOR rate on such
day, plus the Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage spread ranging from -1.00% to -1.50% or (ii) for each eurodollar borrowing,
the Adjusted LIBO Rate, where the Adjusted LIBO Rate is the LIBO rate for such interest period multiplied by the statutory reserve rate, for the
interest period in effect for such borrowing, plus the Applicable Rate, where the Applicable Rate is a percentage ranging from 1.00% to 1.30%. The
applicable CB Floating Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate, or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the administrative agent. The Credit Agreement also requires
VBD to pay a commitment fee for the unused portion of the revolving facility of up to 0.20% per annum.
VBD’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company and the Named Subsidiaries. The obligations of VBD under the Credit
Agreement are secured by substantially all of the respective assets of VBD, the Company, and the Named Subsidiaries and are further secured by the
equity interests in VBD and the Named Subsidiaries.
The Credit Agreement contains various affirmative and negative covenants, including restrictions on the Company's ability to incur debt or liens;
engage in mergers or consolidations; make certain investments, acquisitions, loans, and advances; sell assets; enter into certain swap agreements; pay
dividends or make distributions or make other restricted payments; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; and amend, modify, or waive any of
its rights related to subordinated
75
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
indebtedness and certain charter and other organizational, governing, and material agreements. The Company may avoid certain of such restrictions by
meeting payment conditions defined in the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement also requires the loan parties, as defined in the Credit Agreement, to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.00 to
1.00 during periods when borrowing availability is less than the greater of (A) $7.5 million, and (B) 10% of the lesser of (i) the aggregate revolving
commitment, and (ii) the borrowing base. The fixed charge coverage ratio, availability, aggregate revolving commitment, and the borrowing base are
further defined in the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including, among other things: (i) the failure to pay any principal, interest, or other fees
under the Credit Agreement; (ii) the making of any materially incorrect representation or warranty; (iii) the failure to observe or perform any covenant,
condition, or agreement in the Credit Agreement or related agreements; (iv) a cross default with respect to other material indebtedness; (v) bankruptcy
and insolvency events; (vi) unsatisfied material final judgments; (vii) Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) events that could
reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect; and (viii) a change in control (as defined in the Credit Agreement).
Any commitments made under the Credit Agreement mature on September 7, 2023. There were no material fees or expenses associated with the Credit
Agreement.
7. Income Taxes
The components of income tax expense were as follows (in thousands):
Current:
Federal
Foreign
State
Deferred:
Federal
State
Total income tax expense
A breakdown of the Company’s income before income taxes is as follows (in thousands):
Domestic
Foreign
Total income before income taxes
76
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
(4,644) $
268
1,423
(2,953)
4,794
(668)
4,126
1,173 $
4,509 $
681
989
6,179
(805)
(59)
(864)
5,315 $
7,020
610
1,336
8,966
(1,663)
166
(1,497)
7,469
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
10,151 $
1,711
11,862 $
16,267 $
4,292
20,559 $
24,426
3,800
28,226
$
$
$
$
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
A reconciliation of income tax expense to the amount computed at the federal statutory rate is as follows (in thousands):
Federal taxes at statutory rate
State and local income taxes, net of federal
benefit
Impact related to redeemable
noncontrolling interest
Shortfall from stock-based compensation
Impact of foreign rate differential
Change in uncertain tax positions
Benefits provided by the CARES Act
Other
Total income tax expense
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
2,491
21.0 % $
4,317
21.0 % $
5,927
21.0 %
598
(419)
597
211
(2)
(2,793)
490
1,173
$
5.0
(3.5)
5.0
1.8
—
(23.5)
4.1
9.9 % $
752
168
63
(210)
(17)
—
242
5,315
3.7
0.8
0.3
(1.0)
(0.1)
—
1.2
25.9 % $
1,203
—
101
(188)
(17)
—
443
7,469
4.3
—
0.4
(0.7)
(0.1)
—
1.6
26.5 %
For the tax year ending January 30, 2021, the effective tax rate reflects the favorable impact of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security
(“CARES”) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020. The Company realized a $2.8 million tax benefit related to the net operating loss carryback provisions of
the CARES Act.
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Significant
components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows (in thousands):
Deferred tax assets:
Operating lease liabilities
Compensation and benefits
Inventories
Other
Subtotal deferred tax assets
Less: valuation allowances
Total deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities:
Operating lease assets
Property, plant, and equipment
Other
Total deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax assets
77
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
$
31,061 $
2,229
1,305
4,778
39,373
(51)
39,322
(23,519)
(8,228)
(4,045)
(35,792)
$
3,530 $
36,209
3,021
1,317
1,890
42,437
—
42,437
(30,620)
(2,656)
(1,505)
(34,781)
7,656
Table of Contents
Uncertain Tax Positions
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits (excluding interest and penalties) is as follows (in thousands):
Beginning balance
Net increases in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of current year activity
Lapse of statute of limitations
Ending balance
$
$
59 $
—
(4)
55 $
83 $
11
(35)
59 $
104
44
(65)
83
January 30,
2021
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
As of January 30, 2021, $0.1 million of total unrecognized tax benefits, net of federal benefit, would, if recognized, favorably affect the effective tax
rate in future periods. Total unrecognized tax benefits are currently not expected to decrease by a significant amount in the next twelve months. The
Company recognized an immaterial amount of interest only, no penalties, related to unrecognized tax benefits in the fiscal years ended February 1,
2020 and February 2, 2019. Unrecognized tax benefits are included within other long-term liabilities in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is subject to U.S.
federal income tax examinations for fiscal years 2018 and forward. With a few exceptions, the Company is subject to audit by various state and foreign
taxing authorities for fiscal 2017 through the current fiscal year.
8. Stock-Based Compensation
The Company’s stock-based compensation consists of awards of restricted stock and restricted stock units. The Company recognized stock-based
compensation expense of $5.7 million, $5.9 million, and $4.9 million in the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2,
2019, respectively.
Awards of Restricted-Stock Units
The Company reserved 3,000,000 shares of common stock for issuance or transfer under the 2020 Equity and Incentive Plan, which allows for grants
of restricted stock units, as well as other equity awards. There were no restricted stock units granted under the 2020 Equity and Incentive Plan during
fiscal 2021. The Company maintains the 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan for awards granted prior to the effectiveness of the 2020 Equity and Incentive
Plan.
During the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021, the Company granted a total of 1,460,130 time-based and performance-based restricted stock units to
certain employees and non-employee directors under the 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan with an aggregate fair value of $6.1 million. The Company
determined the fair value of the units based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date.
The majority of time-based restricted stock units vest and settle in shares of the Company’s common stock, on a one-for-one basis, in equal
installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date. Restricted stock unit awards issued to non-employee directors vest after a one-
year period from the grant date. The Company recognizes the expense relating to these awards, net of estimated forfeitures, on a straight-line basis
over the vesting period.
The majority of performance-based restricted stock units vest upon the completion of a three-year period of time (cliff vesting), subject to the
employee’s continuing employment throughout the three-year performance period and the Company’s achievement of annual earnings per share
targets, or other Company performance targets, during the three-year performance period. The Company recognizes the expense relating to these units,
net of estimated forfeitures and based on the probable outcome of achievement of the financial targets, on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
78
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The following table summarizes information about restricted-stock units as of and for the year ended January 30, 2021 (units in thousands):
Nonvested units outstanding at February 1, 2020
Granted
Change due to performance condition achievement
Vested
Forfeited
Nonvested units outstanding at January 30, 2021
Time-based
Restricted Stock Units
Performance-based
Restricted Stock Units
Weighted-
Average
Grant
Date Fair
Value
(per unit)
Weighted-
Average
Grant
Date Fair
Value
(per unit)
Number of
Units
12.03
4.24
—
11.79
7.32
5.73
671 $
602
(188)
(187)
(2)
896 $
11.08
4.09
7.91
9.31
8.11
8.34
Number of
Units
433 $
858
—
(239)
(3)
1,049 $
As of January 30, 2021, there was $5.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to nonvested restricted
stock units. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.6 years, subject to meeting performance conditions. The total
fair value of restricted stock units for which restrictions lapsed (vested) during fiscal 2021 was $1.7 million.
9. Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is subject to various claims and contingencies arising in the normal course of business, including those relating to product liability, legal
claims, employee benefits, environmental issues, and other matters. Management believes that at this time it is not probable that any of these claims
will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the outcomes of legal
proceedings and claims brought against the Company are subject to uncertainty and future developments could cause these actions or claims,
individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows of a
particular reporting period.
In August of 2019, Vesi Incorporated (“Vesi”) filed suit against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio related to the
Company’s licensing business and alleging breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, defamation, and tortious interference with prospective
business relationships. The complaint seeks damages in an amount not less than $10.0 million for punitive damages, attorney fees, prejudgment
interest, and any other additional relief. The Company has denied any liability and intends to vigorously defend itself in the case. In November 2019,
the Company filed a counterclaim against the principals of Vesi as personal guarantors for monies owed to the Company by Vesi. The cases are
currently in discovery. At this time, we are not able to estimate a possible loss or range of loss that may result from this matter or to determine whether
such loss, if any, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations due to the fact that the Company is vigorously
defending itself and management believes that the Company has a number of meritorious legal defenses.
In April of 2020, Chidimma Igboakaeze filed suit seeking class certification for all current and former hourly-paid employees who worked for the
Company within the state of California during the four years preceding the filing until final judgement. The complaint alleges various violations of the
California Labor Code related to wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, non-compliant wage statements and records and other similar allegations
related to employment. The Plaintiff has also filed a Private Attorney General Act claim with the state of California regarding the same allegations.
The Company denies all liability and intends to vigorously defend itself in the case. The case is currently in discovery. At this time, we are not able to
estimate a possible loss or range of loss that may result from this matter or to determine whether such loss, if any, would have a material adverse effect
on our financial condition or results of operations due to the fact that the Company is vigorously defending itself and management believes that the
Company has a number of meritorious legal defenses.
79
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
10. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust
The Company has a 401(k) profit sharing plan and trust for all qualified employees and provides a 100% match for the first 3% of employee
contributions and a 50% match for the next 2% of employee contributions, for a maximum Company match of 4% of employee contributions, limited
to the annual legal allowable limit. Additionally, the Company has the option of making discretionary profit sharing payments to the plan as approved
by the board of directors. As of January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019, no discretionary profit sharing payments had been
approved. The 401(k) contribution match was temporarily suspended beginning in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in
January 2021. The Company recognizes 401(k) Company contributions within cost of sales for employees related to distribution center, sourcing, and
other related functions and selling, general, and administrative expenses for all other employees. Total Company contributions to the plan were as
follows (in thousands):
Fiscal year ended January 30, 2021
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2020
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2019
11. Related-Party Transactions
$
723
1,732
1,661
Charitable Contributions. During each of the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019 the Company made
charitable contributions of approximately $0.1 million to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer (the “Foundation”). The Foundation was
founded by one of the Company’s directors, who is also on the board of directors of the Foundation. The liability associated with commitments to the
Foundation was approximately $0.2 million and $0.3 million as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. The liability consisted of pass-
through donations from customers and is included in other accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The associated expense for contributions to the Foundation, which is included in selling, general, and administrative expenses, was as follows (in
thousands):
Fiscal year ended January 30, 2021
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2020
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2019
$
53
101
144
Share Repurchases. During the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, the Company repurchased a total of 400,000 shares of common stock from related-
parties as described below. Each transaction was approved by the Company's Audit Committee and effected as part of the 2015 Share Repurchase
Program. Refer to Note 13 herein for details regarding the Company's current and prior share repurchase programs.
On June 26, 2018, the Company agreed to repurchase 200,000 shares of common stock from the Barbara B Baekgaard 2009 Grantor Retained Annuity
Trust (the “Baekgaard Trust”) at a price of $14.43 per share, representing an approximate four percent (4%) discount from the closing price of $15.03
on June 25, 2018. The Baekgaard Trust was established by the Company’s co-founder, Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, and is managed by two of Ms.
Baekgaard’s children, Joan Byrne Hall (who is also the spouse of the Company’s chairman) and James Bradley Byrne.
On September 27, 2018, the Company agreed to repurchase 200,000 shares of common stock from the Patricia R. Miller 2007 Family Trust (the
“Miller Trust”) at a price of $15.04 per share, representing an approximate three and one half percent (3.5%) discount from the closing price of $15.58
on September 26, 2018. P. Michael Miller is the trustee of the Miller Trust and is a director of the Company. P. Michael Miller and Patricia Miller, the
Company's co-founder, are husband and wife.
80
Table of Contents
12. Earnings Per Share
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Basic net income per share is computed based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net
income per share is computed based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares
outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding restricted stock and restricted-
stock units. The components of basic and diluted net income per share are as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
Numerator:
Net income
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Denominator:
Weighted-average number of common shares (basic)
Dilutive effect of stock-based awards
Weighted-average number of common shares (diluted)
Net income per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.:
Basic
Diluted
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
$
$
$
10,689 $
2,008
8,681 $
15,244 $
(803)
16,047 $
33,390
524
33,914
33,983
305
34,288
20,757
—
20,757
35,222
245
35,467
0.26 $
0.26 $
0.47 $
0.47 $
0.59
0.59
As of January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019, there were an immaterial number of additional shares issuable upon the vesting of
restricted stock units that were excluded from the diluted share calculations because they were anti-dilutive. The diluted share calculations include
performance-based restricted stock units for completed performance periods.
13. Common Stock
On December 8, 2015, the Company's board of directors approved a share repurchase program (the “2015 Share Repurchase Program”) authorizing up
to $50.0 million of repurchases of shares of the Company's common stock. On November 30, 2017, the board of directors authorized the Company to
extend the 2015 Share Repurchase Plan to December 31, 2018. The 2015 Share Repurchase program was completed on November 27, 2018. On
November 29, 2018, the Company's board of directors approved a new share repurchase plan (the “2018 Share Repurchase Program”) authorizing up
to $50.0 million of repurchases of shares of the Company's common stock. On December 3, 2020, the 2018 Share Repurchase Program was extended
through December 11, 2021. On March 20, 2020, the Company temporarily suspended the share repurchase program to conserve cash as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The board of directors authorized the resumption of the share repurchase program beginning on March 11, 2021.
During the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021, the Company purchased and held 381,835 shares at an average price of $7.60 per share, excluding
commissions, for an aggregate amount of $2.9 million, under the 2018 Share Repurchase Program.
During the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020, the Company purchased and held 1,075,749 shares at an average price of $10.52 per share, excluding
commissions, for an aggregate amount of $11.3 million, under the 2018 Share Repurchase Program.
During the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, the Company purchased and held 1,293,138 shares at an average price of $12.58 per share, excluding
commissions, for an aggregate amount of $16.3 million. Of these purchases, 320,296 shares at an average price of $8.86 per share, for an aggregate
amount of $2.8 million, were purchased under the 2018 Share Repurchase Plan.
81
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
As of January 30, 2021, there was $32.9 million remaining available to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock under the 2018 Share
Repurchase Program.
As of January 30, 2021, the Company held as treasury shares 8,393,207 shares of its common stock at an average price of $12.76 per share, excluding
commissions, for an aggregate carrying amount of $107.1 million. The Company’s treasury shares may be issued under the 2010 Equity and Incentive
Plan (with respect to outstanding awards under that plan), under the 2020 Equity and Incentive Plan, or for other corporate purposes.
14. Investments
The Company held $1.3 million and $9.0 million in short-term investments as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively. The following
table summarizes the Company’s short-term investments (in thousands):
U.S. corporate debt securities
Commercial paper
Municipal securities
Non-U.S. corporate debt securities
U.S. asset-backed securities
Total short-term investments
January 30, 2021
February 1, 2020
627 $
—
—
668
—
1,295 $
3,435
2,489
1,594
1,136
323
8,977
$
$
The Company held $14.9 million in long-term investments as of February 1, 2020. There were no long-term investments as of January 30, 2021. The
following table summarizes the Company’s long-term investments (in thousands):
U.S. corporate debt securities
U.S. asset-back securities
Non-U.S. corporate debt securities
Other foreign securities
Non-U.S. asset-backed securities
Total long-term investments
January 30, 2021
February 1, 2020
— $
—
—
—
—
— $
5,613
5,498
2,409
810
582
14,912
$
$
There were no material gross unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale debt securities as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020.
15. Acquisition of Pura Vida
On July 16, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of a seventy-five percent (75%) ownership interest in Creative Genius, Inc. or “Pura Vida”
(the “Transaction”) in exchange for cash consideration of approximately $75.0 million. During the third quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company provided
additional cash consideration of approximately $3.0 million for a working capital adjustment. The Company also received a working capital
reimbursement of $1.0 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Additional measurement period adjustments were recorded for conditions that
existed as of the acquisition date. Pura Vida, based in La Jolla, California, is a digitally native lifestyle brand that we believe deeply resonates with its
loyal consumer following. The Pura Vida brand has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories. The
Company believes that the acquisition will strengthen the Company by providing increased product diversification and future growth opportunities
partially as a result of resource and knowledge-sharing.
In accordance with the Interest Purchase Agreement, the Company also agreed to a contingent payment of up to $22.5 million based on calendar year
2019 adjusted EBITDA of Pura Vida, as defined in the Interest Purchase Agreement. This contingent payment was paid in the first quarter of fiscal
2021 and totaled $18.7 million. The Company’s existing available cash, cash equivalents, and investments funded the purchase price due at the closing
of the Transaction and subsequent to the closing. Pre-tax Transaction costs totaled $2.7 million for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020. These costs
are recorded within selling, general, and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and within
82
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
corporate unallocated expenses. There were no Transaction costs for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021 and February 2, 2019.
On July 16, 2019, as contemplated by the Interest Purchase Agreement, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries and the owners of the remaining
twenty-five percent (25%) ownership interest in Pura Vida which was not acquired by the Company entered into a Put/Call Agreement. Refer to Note 2
herein for additional information regarding the Put/Call Agreement.
The following schedule summarizes the consideration paid for Pura Vida, the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, the fair value of
the noncontrolling interest, and the fair value of the contingent consideration related to the earn-out provision.
83
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
in thousands
Cash and cash equivalents
(5)
Accounts receivable, net
(1)
Inventories
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Operating right of use asset
Property, plant, and equipment, net
Goodwill
Pura Vida brand
Other intangible assets
Total assets acquired
(2)
(4)
(3)
Accounts payable
Accrued employment costs
Other accrued liabilities
Operating lease liability
(5)
Total liabilities assumed
Less:
Contingent consideration related to earn-out provision
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
Cash acquired
(6)
Fair Value at Acquisition
Date
$
1,495
7,680
27,654
1,537
1,250
751
44,254
36,668
24,996
146,285
6,818
2,351
6,637
1,637
17,443
(20,098)
(32,210)
(1,495)
Total closing consideration amount, net of cash acquired
(7)
$
75,039
(1) Includes an $8.3 million step-up adjustment which was recognized in cost of sales during the four months following the acquisition. Inventories
were valued using the cost approach. The significant assumptions used for the valuation include inventory balances, projected gross and operating
margins, and cost and time to dispose (sell) inventory on hand.
(2) Refer to Notes 2 and 17 herein for additional information regarding goodwill.
(3) The Pura Vida brand intangible asset was valued using the relief-from-royalty method. The significant assumptions used for the valuation include
the royalty rate, estimated projected revenues, the long-term growth rate, and the discount rate. Refer to Note 17 herein for additional information
regarding intangible assets.
(4) Other intangible assets include customer relationships and non-competition agreements. Customer relationships were valued using the multi-period
excess earnings method. Significant assumptions used for the valuation include projected cash flows, the discount rate, and the customer attrition rate.
The non-competition agreements were valued using the with-or-without method. Significant assumptions used for the valuation include projected cash
flows, probability of competition, impact of competition on business, and the discount rate. Refer to Note 17 herein for additional information
regarding intangible assets.
(5) Includes $4.1 million related to an indemnified liability.
(6) Contingent consideration related to the earn-out provision was valued using a Monte Carlo simulation in order to forecast the value of the potential
future payment. Significant assumptions used for the valuation include the discount rate, projected cash flows, and calculated volatility.
(7) Of the total $75.0 million closing consideration, $1.0 million was refunded to the Company through a working capital adjustment during the first
quarter of fiscal 2021. Cash consideration paid during fiscal 2020 totaled $76.0 million.
The operations of Pura Vida are recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020,
beginning on July 17, 2019, which represents the first full day following the acquisition. As such, the Company’s financial statements are not
comparable with the prior-year period presented. Refer to Note 18 herein for segment-level financial information associated with Pura Vida. The
following unaudited pro forma financial information is
84
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
intended to provide a sense for what the Company's operating results may have been if the Pura Vida acquisition had occurred at the beginning of
fiscal 2019. The pro forma financial information is not indicative of the results that would have been reflected had the transaction actually occurred as
of that date, nor is it necessarily indicative of the Company’s future results. The financial information includes expense related to supplemental officer
wages and fully indemnified state sales tax matters for time periods before the acquisition date. The Company does not expect these items to have a
continuing impact on its consolidated financial statements. The following adjustments have been made:
•
Short-term purchase accounting items, such as the inventory step-up adjustment and earn-out liability adjustment, have been excluded due to their
non-recurring nature;
• Definite-lived intangible amortization that exceeds one year has been reflected as if it occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2019;
•
•
Transaction costs have been excluded; and
Tax expense has been estimated at a statutory rate of 25.0%.
in thousands, except per share data
Pro forma net revenues
Pro forma net income
Pro forma net income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Pro forma basic net income per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Pro forma diluted net income per share attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
16. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Fifty-Two Weeks Ended
February 1,
2020
538,576 $
23,786
22,193
February 2,
2019
484,376
16,708
18,081
0.65 $
0.65 $
0.51
0.51
$
$
$
Redeemable noncontrolling interest represents the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) interest in Pura Vida not acquired by the Company. Refer to
Note 2 herein for additional information.
Changes in redeemable noncontrolling interest for the fifty-two weeks ended January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, were as follows (in
thousands):
Balance at February 2, 2019
Fair value of noncontrolling interest at acquisition
Fair value measurement period adjustment
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Adjustment to redemption value
Balance at February 1, 2020
Net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest
Adjustment to redemption value
Balance at January 30, 2021
85
$
$
$
—
31,786
424
(803)
(1,789)
431
30,049
2,008
(1,817)
(431)
29,809
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
17. Intangible Assets and Goodwill
The following tables detail the carrying value of the Company’s intangible assets other than goodwill related to the acquisition of a majority interest in
Pura Vida.
in thousands
Definite-lived intangible assets
Customer Relationships
Non-competition Agreements
Total definite-lived intangible assets
Indefinite-lived intangible asset
Pura Vida Brand
Total intangible assets, excluding goodwill
(1) Amortization expense is recorded within the Pura Vida segment.
in thousands
Definite-lived intangible assets
Customer Relationships
Non-competition Agreements
Total definite-lived intangible assets
Indefinite-lived intangible asset
Pura Vida Brand
Total intangible assets, excluding goodwill
(1) Amortization expense is recorded within the Pura Vida segment.
The amortization expense for intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal 2022
Fiscal 2023
Fiscal 2024
Fiscal 2025
Total
Gross Basis
January 30, 2021
Accumulated
(1)
Amortization
Carrying Amount
24,208 $
788
24,996
(14,125) $
(243)
(14,368)
10,083
545
10,628
36,668
—
36,668
61,664 $
(14,368) $
47,296
Gross Basis
February 1, 2020
Accumulated
(1)
Amortization
Carrying Amount
24,208 $
788
24,996
(5,274) $
(85)
(5,359)
18,934
703
19,637
36,668
—
36,668
61,664 $
(5,359) $
56,305
$
$
$
$
Amortization Expense
3,073
3,073
3,073
1,409
10,628
$
The total amount of the goodwill as of January 30, 2021, was $44.3 million recorded within the Pura Vida segment upon acquisition. Goodwill is
expected to be deductible for tax purposes, limited to the Company's 75% majority ownership interest. Refer to Note 2 herein for addition information
regarding goodwill. There were no changes in goodwill for the
86
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
fiscal year ended January 30, 2021. Changes in goodwill for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020, were as follows (in thousands):
Balance at February 2, 2019
Goodwill at acquisition
Measurement period adjustment
Balance at February 1, 2020
$
$
—
41,310
2,944
44,254
Future impacts of COVID-19, including but not limited to the duration and magnitude of the pandemic, may have an impact on the triggering event
assessment or future fair value estimate of goodwill, brand intangible asset, and definite-lived intangible assets, which could lead to material
impairment charges. Refer to Note 2 herein for additional information regarding the fair value measurement.
18. Segment Reporting
The Company has three operating segments, which are also its reportable segments: VB Direct, VB Indirect, and Pura Vida. These operating segments
are components of the Company for which separate financial information is available and for which operating results are evaluated on a regular basis
by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing the performance of the segments.
The VB Direct segment includes Vera Bradley full-line and factory outlet stores, the Vera Bradley website, verabradley.com, the Vera Bradley online
outlet site, and the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale. Revenues generated through this segment are driven through the sale of Vera Bradley-branded
products from Vera Bradley to end consumers.
The VB Indirect segment represents revenues generated through the distribution of Company-branded products to specialty retailers representing
approximately 2,000 locations, substantially all of which are located in the United States, as well as select department stores, national accounts, third-
party e-commerce sites, third-party inventory liquidators, and licensing agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand. No customer accounted for 10%
or more of the Company’s net revenues during fiscal years 2021, 2020, and 2019.
The Pura Vida segment represents revenues generated through the Pura Vida websites, www.puravidabracelets.com, www.puravidabracelets.eu, and
www.puravidabracelets.ca, and through the distribution of Pura Vida-branded products to wholesale retailers, substantially all of which are located in
the United States.
Corporate costs represent the Company’s administrative expenses, which include, but are not limited to: human resources, legal, finance, information
technology, design, product development, merchandising, corporate-level marketing and advertising, and various other corporate-level-activity-related
expenses not directly attributable to a reportable segment. All intercompany-related activities are eliminated in consolidation and are excluded from the
segment reporting.
Company management evaluates segment operating results based on several indicators. The primary or key performance indicators for each segment
are net revenues and operating income. The table below represents key financial information for each of the Company’s operating and reportable
segments: VB Direct, VB Indirect, and Pura Vida.
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 2. The Company does not report depreciation or amortization expense,
total assets, or capital expenditures by segment as such information is neither used by management nor accounted for at the segment level.
87
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Net revenues and operating income information for the Company’s reportable segments consisted of the following (in thousands):
Segment net revenues:
VB Direct
VB Indirect
Pura Vida
Total
Segment operating income (loss):
VB Direct
VB Indirect
Pura Vida
Total
Reconciliation:
Segment operating income
Less:
Unallocated corporate expenses
Operating income
January 30,
2021
Fiscal Year Ended
February 1,
2020
February 2,
2019
$
$
$
$
$
$
289,274 $
66,517
112,481
468,272 $
48,524 $
24,502
8,031
81,057 $
347,484 $
81,811
65,917
495,212 $
68,505 $
31,077
(3,179)
96,403 $
328,034
88,063
—
416,097
67,862
34,500
—
102,362
81,057 $
96,403 $
102,362
(67,992)
13,065 $
(76,929)
19,474 $
(75,261)
27,101
Sales outside of the United States were immaterial for all periods presented.
Revenues from external customers for Vera Bradley brand products are attributable to sales of bags, accessories, travel, apparel/footwear, and home
items. Other revenues from Vera Bradley external customers primarily include revenues associated with our stationery, freight, licensing,
merchandising, and gift card breakage.
Revenues from external customers for Pura Vida brand products are attributable to sales of accessories and apparel. Other revenues from Pura Vida
external customers include revenues associated with freight.
Refer to Note 3 herein for disaggregation of net revenues by reportable segment.
As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, substantially all of the Company’s long-lived assets were located in the United States.
88
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
19. Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)
The tables below set forth selected quarterly financial data for each of the last two fiscal years (in thousands, except per share data). Each of the
quarters presented was thirteen weeks in duration.
First
Quarter
(unaudited)
(1)
Fiscal Year Ended January 30, 2021
Second
Quarter
(unaudited)
(2)
Third
Quarter
(unaudited)
(3)
Fourth
Quarter
(unaudited)
(4)
$
Net revenues
Gross profit
Operating (loss) income
Net (loss) income
Net (loss) income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Basic net (loss) income per share available to Vera Bradley, Inc.
common shareholders
Diluted net (loss) income per share available to Vera Bradley, Inc.
common shareholders
69,284 $
34,188
(25,574)
(15,537)
(15,337)
(0.66)
(0.66)
Reconciliation of net (loss) income available to Vera Bradley, Inc. common shareholders
Net (loss) income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
(15,337) $
Excess portion of redeemable noncontrolling interest redemption
value adjustment
(6,800)
$
131,770 $
79,621
17,499
8,327
7,216
0.42
0.42
124,849 $
73,831
12,164
8,974
8,874
0.27
0.26
7,216 $
8,874 $
6,800
—
Net (loss) income available to Vera Bradley, Inc. common
shareholders
$
(22,137) $
14,016 $
8,874 $
142,369
77,878
8,976
8,925
7,928
0.24
0.23
7,928
—
7,928
(1) Includes $3.8 million of store impairment charges, $2.7 million of intangible asset amortization and an adjustment of the Pura Vida purchase-
related earn-out liability, $1.5 million of technology re-platforming charges, $1.3 million for charges related to the cancellation of certain purchase
orders as a result of COVID-19, and $0.2 million of department store exit costs as a result of COVID-19. These adjustments totaled $5.1 million
collectively attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit.
(2) Includes $2.3 million of intangible asset amortization and $1.3 million of technology-related re-platforming charges ($3.7 million collectively
attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit).
(3) Includes $2.3 million of intangible asset amortization ($1.4 million attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc, after the associated tax benefit).
(4) Includes $3.6 million of store impairment charges and $2.0 million of intangible asset amortization ($2.6 million collectively attributable to Vera
Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit).
First
Quarter
(unaudited)
(1)
Fiscal Year Ended February 1, 2020
Second
Quarter
(unaudited)
(2)
Third
Quarter
(unaudited)
(3)
Fourth
Quarter
(unaudited)
(4)
$
Net revenues
Gross profit
Operating (loss) income
Net (loss) income
Net (loss) income attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc.
Basic net (loss) income per share available to Vera Bradley, Inc.
common shareholders
Diluted net (loss) income per share available to Vera Bradley, Inc.
common shareholders
91,003 $
50,468
(3,645)
(2,405)
(2,405)
(0.07)
(0.07)
119,785 $
67,333
7,348
5,718
5,854
0.17
0.17
127,501 $
67,870
(1,476)
(982)
139
0.00
0.00
156,923
86,130
17,247
12,913
12,459
0.37
0.37
(1) Includes $0.8 million ($0.6 million after the associated tax benefit) for Pura Vida transaction costs. Refer to Note 15 herein for additional
information.
(2) Pura Vida operating results included beginning July 17, 2019, the first full business day following the acquisition of a majority interest. Includes
$1.9 million of Pura Vida transaction costs, Pura Vida purchase accounting adjustments of
89
Table of Contents
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
$1.4 million (consisting of inventory step-up amortization and intangible asset amortization), and $0.7 million of technology re-platforming charges
($2.9 million collectively attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit). Refer to Note 15 herein for additional information
regarding the Pura Vida acquisition.
(3) Includes Pura Vida purchase accounting adjustments of $10.5 million (consisting of inventory step-up amortization, intangible asset amortization,
and accretion expense associated with the earn-out liability), and $1.1 million of technology re-platforming charges ($6.8 million collectively
attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit). Refer to Note 15 herein for additional information regarding the Pura Vida
acquisition.
(4) Includes $1.6 million related to incremental stock-based compensation associated with Pura Vida performance and Pura Vida transaction bonuses,
$1.2 million of technology re-platforming charges, and Pura Vida purchase accounting net adjustments of $0.1 million (consisting of intangible
asset amortization and inventory step-up amortization, partially offset by an adjustment to reduce the earn-out liability). The adjustments totaled
$1.9 million collectively attributable to Vera Bradley, Inc. after the associated tax benefit. Refer to Note 15 herein for additional information
regarding the Pura Vida acquisition.
Information in any one quarterly period should not be considered indicative of annual results due to the effect of seasonality of the business. Fiscal
2021 quarterly data was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
90
Table of Contents
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Based on the evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as that term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), each of Robert Wallstrom, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and John Enwright, the Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, has concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of January 30, 2021.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-
15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding
the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. Management, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting using the criteria set forth by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based on the results of that
evaluation, management has concluded that such internal control over financial reporting was effective as of January 30, 2021.
The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 30, 2021, has been audited by Deloitte and Touche LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or that is
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
91
Table of Contents
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
PART III
The information set forth in the Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the headings “Board of Directors Information,”
“Family Relationships,” “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” “Corporate Governance Guidelines, Committee Charters and Code of Ethics,” and
“Committees – Audit Committee” is incorporated herein by reference. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the
end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, the
information set forth under the heading “Item 1: Business – Executive Officers of the Company” in this Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information set forth in the Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the headings “Executive Compensation Discussion
and Analysis,” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” and “Compensation Committee Report” is incorporated herein by
reference. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to
Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information set forth in the Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the heading “Share Ownership by Certain Beneficial
Owners and Management” is incorporated herein by reference. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of the
fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth information regarding equity securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans as of January 30, 2021:
Plan Category
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
Total
Number of
Securities to Be
Issued upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options, Warrants
(1)
and Rights (a)
1,944,625
—
1,944,625
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding
Options, Warrants
and Rights (b) ($)
Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance Under
the Equity
Compensation Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected in Column
(a)) (c)
(2)
—
—
—
3,000,000
—
3,000,000
(1)
(2)
Assumes that target performance requirements will be achieved for performance shares with incomplete performance periods. These securities
represent awards to be issued under the 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan.
Represents securities available for issuance under the 2020 Equity and Incentive Plan.
92
Table of Contents
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information set forth in the Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the headings “Certain Relationships and Related
Party Transactions” and “Board Independence” is incorporated herein by reference. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120
days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to our 2021 Proxy Statement under the caption “Principal Accounting Fees and
Services.” The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to
Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
93
Table of Contents
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(1) Consolidated Financial Statements
PART IV
The following consolidated financial statements of Vera Bradley, Inc. are filed as part of this report under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data:
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 30, 2021, and February 1, 2020
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2,
2019
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, and February 2, 2019
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
52
55
56
57
58
59
61
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
Financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not required or are not applicable or because the information required in those schedules
either is not material or is included in the consolidated financial statements or the accompanying notes.
(3) List of Exhibits
The documents set forth below are filed herewith or incorporated by reference to the location indicated.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
94
Table of Contents
Exhibit No.
Description
EXHIBIT INDEX
3.1
3.2
4.1
4.2
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
10.10
10.11
10.12
10.13
Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registration Statement on Form
S-1, Registration No. 333-167934)
Amended and Restated Bylaws (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 6, 2019)
Specimen Common Stock Certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration
No. 333-167934)
Description of Registrant’s Securities (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended February 1, 2020)
Vera Bradley, Inc. 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1,
Registration No. 333-167934)
Form of Indemnification Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration
No. 333-167934)
Form of Outside Director Restricted Stock Unit Terms and Conditions (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 3, 2014)
Vera Bradley, Inc. 2014 Executive Severance Plan (Amended May 30, 2018) (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 2019)
Credit Agreement dated as of September 7, 2018 among Vera Bradley Designs, Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and the lenders party
thereto (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 4, 2018)
Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of September 7, 2018 among Vera Bradley Designs, Inc., Vera Bradley, Inc., Vera Bradley
International, LLC, Vera Bradley Sales, LLC, and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 4, 2018)
Fiscal 2021 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan (Executives) (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2020)
Employment Agreement for Robert Wallstrom dated November 11, 2013 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report
on Form 8-K filed November 5, 2013)
Second Amendment of Employment Agreement for Robert Wallstrom dated June 17, 2016 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to
the Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 22, 2016)
Form of Performance-Based Award Agreement under the 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to
the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 29, 2017)
Form of Restricted Stock Unit/Performance Unit Terms and Conditions (Revised Fiscal 2019) (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 5, 2018)
Interest Purchase Agreement dated July 16, 2019, among Vera Bradley Holdings, LLC; Creative Genius Holdings, Inc.; Creative Genius,
Inc.; Griffin Thall; and Paul Goodman (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended August 3, 2019, as amended)
Put/Call Agreement dated July 16, 2019, among Vera Bradley Holdings, LLC; Creative Genius Holdings, Inc.; Creative Genius
Investments, Inc.; Griffin Thall; Paul Goodman; Vera Bradley Designs, Inc.; and Vera Bradley, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 3, 2019, as amended)
95
Table of Contents
Exhibit No.
Description
10.14
10.15
10.16
21.1*
23.1*
31.1*
31.2*
32.1*
First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated June 19, 2019, among Vera Bradley Designs, Inc., JP Morgan Chase Bank,
N.A., and the lenders party thereto (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended August 3, 2019, as amended)
Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated July 16, 2019, among Vera Bradley Designs, Inc., JP Morgan Chase
Bank, N.A., and the lenders party thereto (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended August 3, 2019, as amended)
Vera Bradley, Inc. 2020 Equity and Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the registrant’s
Definitive Proxy Statement filed April 30, 2020)
Subsidiaries of Vera Bradley, Inc.
Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer
Section 1350 Certifications
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document (the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL
tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
101.DEF
104
*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
Filed herewith
96
Table of Contents
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 30, 2021.
SIGNATURES
Vera Bradley, Inc.
/s/ John Enwright
John Enwright
Chief Financial Officer
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints John Enwright and Robert
Wallstrom, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and
in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact
and agents and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection
therewith as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of Registrant
and in the capacities indicated on March 30, 2021.
97
Table of Contents
Signature
/s/ Robert Wallstrom
Robert Wallstrom
/s/ John Enwright
John Enwright
/s/ Barbara Bradley Baekgaard
Barbara Bradley Baekgaard
/s/ Kristina Cashman
Kristina Cashman
/s/ Robert J. Hall
Robert J. Hall
/s/ Mary Lou Kelley
Mary Lou Kelley
/s/ John E. Kyees
John E. Kyees
/s/ P. Michael Miller
P. Michael Miller
/s/ Frances P. Philip
Frances P. Philip
/s/ Edward M. Schmults
Edward M. Schmults
/s/ Carrie Tharp
Carrie Tharp
Title
Director and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)
Chief Financial Officer (principal accounting officer)
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
98
Vera Bradley, Inc.
Subsidiaries
Exhibit 21.1
Subsidiary
Vera Bradley Designs, Inc
Vera Bradley International, LLC
Vera Bradley Sales, LLC
Vera Bradley Handbag Design (Dongguan) Co., Ltd.
Vera Bradley Hong Kong Co., Limited
Vera Bradley Holdings, LLC
Creative Genius, LLC
Pura Vida Europe Limited
State of Incorporation
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana
The People's Republic of China
Hong Kong
Delaware
Delaware
United Kingdom
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-249701 and 333-170062 on Form S-8 of our reports dated March 30,
2021, relating to the financial statements of Vera Bradley, Inc. and the effectiveness of Vera Bradley, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting
appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 30, 2021.
Exhibit 23.1
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 30, 2021
Exhibit 31.1
I, Robert Wallstrom, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Vera Bradley, Inc.;
CERTIFICATIONS
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statement made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the period presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-
15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under
our supervision, 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;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;
and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 30, 2021
/s/ Robert Wallstrom
Robert Wallstrom
Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 31.2
I, John Enwright, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Vera Bradley, Inc.;
CERTIFICATIONS
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statement made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the period presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-
15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under
our supervision, 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;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;
and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 30, 2021
/s/ John Enwright
John Enwright
Chief Financial Officer
Certifications Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act of 2002
I, Robert Wallstrom, the Chief Executive Officer of Vera Bradley, Inc., certify that (i) the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
January 30, 2021 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and (ii) the
information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Vera Bradley, Inc. as of the
dates and for the periods set forth therein.
Exhibit 32.1
I, John Enwright, the Chief Financial Officer of Vera Bradley, Inc., certify that (i) the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30,
2021 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and (ii) the information
contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Vera Bradley, Inc. as of the dates and for
the periods set forth therein.
/s/ Robert Wallstrom
Robert Wallstrom
Chief Executive Officer
March 30, 2021
Date
/s/ John Enwright
John Enwright
Chief Financial Officer
March 30, 2021
Date