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COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR CO

For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Nov 7, 2024.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Nov 7, 2024

COLM$70.43+1.9%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Risk Factors?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-Q

Period ended 2024-06-30; filed 2024-08-01.

0001050797-24-000129

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Current report: 10-Q

Period ended 2024-09-30; filed 2024-11-07.

0001050797-24-000146

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.

Compared 126 previous paragraphs and 134 current paragraphs.

113 unchanged; 12 reworded; 2 added; 0 removed; 1 previous and 7 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 2 previous and 2 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.

A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.

Added paragraphs (2)

Current report

Proposals to reform U.S. tax laws could significantly impact how we are taxed and could change the U.S. corporate tax rate. Although we cannot predict whether or in what form these proposals will pass, several of the proposals considered, if enacted into law, could have an adverse impact on our effective tax rate, income tax expense and cash flows.

Current report

Table of Contents
Reworded paragraphs (12)

Previous wording

In addition, contract manufacturers may fail to perform as expected. If a contract manufacturer fails to ship orders in a timely manner, we could experience supply disruptions that result in missed delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price or cause us to incur additional freight costs.

Current wording

In addition, contract manufacturers may fail to perform as expected. If a contract manufacturer fails to ship orders in a timely manner (as recently occurred), we could experience supply disruptions that result in missed delivery deadlines, which may cause our customers to cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand a reduction in purchase price or cause us to incur additional freight costs.

Previous wording

We Rely on Information Technology Systems, including Third-Party Cloud-based Solutions, and Any Failure of These Systems May Result in Disruptions or Outages in Our E-Commerce and In-Store Retail Platforms, Loss of Processing Capabilities, and/or Loss of Data, Any of Which May Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Financial Condition, Results of Operations or Cash Flow.

Current wording

We Rely on Information Technology Systems, including Third-Party Cloud-based Solutions, and Any Failure of These Systems or Interruption in Services Provided by the Systems May Result in Disruptions or Outages in Our E-Commerce and In-Store Retail Platforms, Loss of Processing Capabilities, and/or Loss of Data, Any of Which May Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Financial Condition, Results of Operations or Cash Flow.

Previous wording

Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve consumers and customers is dependent upon the reliable performance of our underlying technology infrastructure and external service providers, including third-party cloud-based solutions. These systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption and we have experienced interruptions in the past. We rely on cloud-based solutions furnished by third-parties primarily to allocate resources, pay vendors, collect from customers, manage loyalty programs, process transactions, develop demand and supply plans, manage product design, production, transportation, and distribution, forecast and report operating results, meet regulatory requirements and administer employee payroll and benefits, among other functions. In addition, our DTC operations, both in-store and online, rely on cloud-based solutions to process transactions. We have also designed a significant portion of our software and computer systems to utilize data processing and storage capabilities from third-party cloud solution providers. Both our on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure may be susceptible to outages due to any number of reasons, including human error, fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks and similar events. Despite the implementation of security measures that we believe to be reasonable, both our on-premises and our cloud-based infrastructure may also be vulnerable to hacking, computer viruses, the installation of malware and similar disruptions either by third-parties or employees, which may result in outages. We do not have redundancy for all of our systems and our disaster recovery planning may not account for all eventualities. If we or our existing third-party cloud-based solution providers experience interruptions in service regularly or for a prolonged basis, or other similar issues, our business could be seriously harmed and, in some instances, our consumers and customers may not be able to purchase our products, which could significantly and negatively affect our sales. Additionally, our existing cloud-based solution providers have broad discretion to change and interpret their terms of service and other policies with respect to us, and they may take actions beyond our control that could harm our business. We also may not be able to control the quality of the systems and services we receive from our third-party cloud-based solution providers. Any transition of the cloud-based solutions currently provided to different cloud providers would be difficult to implement and may cause us to incur significant time and expense.

Current wording

We rely on cloud-based solutions furnished by third-parties primarily to allocate resources, pay vendors, collect from customers, manage loyalty programs, process transactions, develop demand and supply plans, manage product design, production, transportation, and distribution, forecast and report operating results, meet regulatory requirements and administer employee payroll and benefits, among other functions. In addition, our DTC operations, both in-store and online, rely on cloud-based solutions to process transactions. We have also designed a significant portion of our software and computer systems to utilize data processing and storage capabilities from third-party cloud solution providers. Our existing cloud-based solution providers have broad discretion to change and interpret their terms of service and other policies with respect to us, and they may take actions beyond our control that could harm our business. We also may not be able to control the quality of the systems and services we receive from our third-party cloud-based solution providers. Some transitions of the cloud-based solutions currently provided to different cloud providers would be difficult to implement and may cause us to incur significant time and expense, or an interruption in services.

Previous wording

We and many of our third-party vendors manage and maintain various types of proprietary information and sensitive and confidential data relating to our business, such as personally identifiable information of our consumers, our customers, our employees, and our business partners, as well as payment information in certain instances. Unauthorized parties may attempt to gain access to these systems or information through fraud or other means of deceiving our employees or third-party service providers. The methods used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems are constantly changing and evolving, and may be difficult to anticipate or detect for long periods of time. The ever-evolving threats mean we and our third-parties must continually evaluate and adapt our systems and processes, and there is no guarantee that these efforts will be adequate to safeguard against all data security breaches or misuses of data. Any breaches of our or our third-parties’ systems could expose us, our customers, our consumers, our suppliers, our employees, or other individuals to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, result in litigation and potential liability for us, damage our reputation, or

Current wording

We and many of our third-party vendors manage and maintain various types of proprietary information and sensitive and confidential data relating to our business, such as personally identifiable information of our consumers, our customers, our employees, and our business partners, as well as payment information in certain instances. Unauthorized parties may attempt to gain access to these systems or information through fraud or other means of deceiving our employees or third-party service providers. The methods used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems are constantly changing and evolving, and may be difficult to anticipate

Previous wording

otherwise harm our business. While we maintain cyber liability insurance policies for coverage in the event of a cybersecurity incident, we cannot be certain that our existing coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available, and in sufficient amount, to cover the potentially significant losses that could result from a cybersecurity incident or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claims.

Current wording

or detect for long periods of time. The ever-evolving threats mean we and our third-parties must continually evaluate and adapt our systems and processes, and there is no guarantee that these efforts will be adequate to safeguard against all data security breaches or misuses of data. Any breaches of our or our third-parties’ systems could expose us, our customers, our consumers, our suppliers, our employees, or other individuals to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, result in litigation and potential liability for us, damage our reputation, or otherwise harm our business. While we maintain cyber liability insurance policies for coverage in the event of a cybersecurity incident, we cannot be certain that our existing coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available, and in sufficient amount, to cover the potentially significant losses that could result from a cybersecurity incident or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claims.

Previous wording

Our legacy product development, retail and other systems, on which we continue to manage a portion of our business activities, rely on the availability of limited internal and external resources with the expertise to maintain the systems. In addition, our legacy systems, including aged systems in our Japanese and Korean businesses, may not support desired functionality for our operations and may inhibit our ability to operate efficiently. As we continue to transition from our legacy systems and implement new systems, certain functionality and information from our legacy systems, including that of third-party systems that interface with our legacy systems, may not be fully compatible with the new systems.

Current wording

Our legacy product development, retail and other systems, on which we continue to manage a portion of our business activities, rely on the availability of limited internal and external resources with the expertise to maintain the systems. In addition, our legacy systems, including aged systems in our Japanese and Korean businesses, may not support desired functionality for our operations and may inhibit our ability to operate efficiently. As we continue to transition from our legacy systems and implement new systems, certain functionality and information from our legacy systems, including that of third-party systems that interface with our legacy systems, may not be fully compatible with the new systems and we could incur an interruption in the services provided by the systems.

Previous wording

We are subject to risks generally associated with doing business internationally. These risks include, but are not limited to, the burden of complying with, and unexpected changes to, foreign and domestic laws and regulations, such as anti-corruption and forced labor regulations and sanctions regimes, sustainability regulations, the effects of fiscal and political crises and political and economic disputes, changes in diverse consumer preferences, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, managing a diverse and widespread workforce, political unrest, terrorist acts, military operations, disruptions or delays in shipments, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and changes in economic conditions in countries in which we contract to manufacture, source raw materials or sell products. Our ability to sell products in certain markets, demand for our products in certain markets, our ability to collect accounts receivable, our contract manufacturers' ability to procure raw materials or manufacture products, distribution and logistics providers' ability to operate, our ability to operate brick and mortar stores, our workforce, and our cost of doing business (including the cost of freight and logistics) may be impacted by these events should they occur and laws and regulations that are enacted in response to such events. Our exposure to these risks is heightened in Vietnam, where a significant portion of our contract manufacturing is located, and in China, where a large portion of the raw materials used in our products is sourced by

Current wording

We are subject to risks generally associated with doing business internationally. These risks include, but are not limited to, the burden of complying with, and unexpected changes to, foreign and domestic laws and regulations, such as anti-corruption and forced labor regulations and sanctions regimes, sustainability regulations, the effects of fiscal and political crises and political and economic disputes, changes in diverse consumer preferences, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, managing a diverse and widespread workforce, political unrest, terrorist acts, military operations, disruptions or delays in shipments, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and changes in economic conditions in countries in which we contract to manufacture, source raw materials or sell products. Our ability to sell products in certain markets, demand for our products in certain markets, our ability to collect accounts receivable, our contract manufacturers' ability to procure

Previous wording

In addition, many of our imported products are subject to duties, tariffs or other import limitations that affect the cost and quantity of various types of goods imported into the United States and other markets, including the punitive tariffs on U.S. products imported from China imposed in 2019. In addition, goods suspected of being manufactured with forced labor could be blocked from importation into the U.S. or other countries, which could materially impact sales.

Current wording

In addition, many of our imported products are subject to duties, tariffs or import limitations that affect the cost and quantity of various types of goods imported into the United States and other markets. Proposals to implement new tariffs or other trade restrictions in the United States could impact the products we import into the U.S. and also result in retaliatory measures in international markets where we sell. Although we cannot predict whether and in what form such measures will be adopted or implemented, these proposals for tariffs or other trade restrictions could have an adverse impact on our cost of sales, gross margin, cash flows; disrupt the U.S. marketplace; and cause an increase in our product prices and potential adverse impacts to resulting net sales in the U.S. In addition, goods suspected of being manufactured with forced labor could be blocked from importation into the U.S. or other countries, which could materially impact sales.

Previous wording

Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also create indirect risk to our business by disrupting the business of independent finished goods manufacturers from which we purchase our products. When their functional currencies weaken in relation to other currencies, the raw materials they purchase on global commodities markets become more expensive and more difficult to finance. Although each manufacturer bears the full risk of fluctuations in the value of its currency against other currencies, our business can be and has been indirectly affected when adverse fluctuations cause a manufacturer to raise the prices of goods it produces for us, disrupt the manufacturer's ability to purchase the necessary raw materials on a timely basis, or disrupt the manufacturer's ability to function as an ongoing business.

Current wording

Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also create indirect risk to our business by disrupting the business of independent finished goods manufacturers from which we purchase our products. When their functional currencies weaken in relation to other currencies, the raw materials they purchase on global commodities markets become more expensive and more difficult to finance. Although each manufacturer bears the full risk of fluctuations in the value of its currency against other currencies, our business can be and has been indirectly affected

Previous wording

From time to time, we may pursue growth through strategic acquisitions of assets or companies. Acquisitions are subject to many risks, including potential loss of significant customers or key personnel of the acquired business as a result of the change in ownership, difficulty integrating the operations of the acquired business or achieving targeted efficiencies, the incurrence of substantial costs and expenses related to the acquisition effort, and diversion of management's attention from other aspects of our business operations.

Current wording

From time to time, we may pursue growth through strategic acquisitions of assets or companies. Acquisitions are subject to many risks, including potential loss of significant customers or key personnel of the acquired business as a result of the change in ownership, difficulty

Previous wording

As of June 30, 2024, three related shareholders, Timothy P. Boyle, Joseph P. Boyle, and Molly E. Boyle, controlled just under 50% of our common stock outstanding. As a result, if acting together, Timothy P. Boyle, Joseph P. Boyle, and Molly E. Boyle are able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval. These holdings could be significantly diminished (and with them the related effective control percentage) to satisfy any applicable estate or unrealized gains tax obligations of the holders.

Current wording

As of September 30, 2024, three related shareholders, Timothy P. Boyle, Joseph P. Boyle, and Molly E. Boyle, controlled just over 50% of our common stock outstanding. As a result, if acting together, Timothy P. Boyle, Joseph P. Boyle, and Molly E. Boyle are able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval. These holdings could be significantly diminished (and with them the related effective control percentage) to satisfy any applicable estate or unrealized gains tax obligations of the holders.

Previous wording

Since the inception of our share repurchase program in 2004 through June 30, 2024, our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of$2.0 billion of our common stock, excluding excise tax. Shares of our common stock may be purchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions, and generally settle subsequent to the trade date. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any specific number of shares or to acquire shares over any specified period of time. Under this program as of June 30, 2024, we had repurchased 35.5 million shares at an aggregate purchase price of $1,765.4 million, and had $234.6 million remaining available, excluding excise tax.

Current wording

Since the inception of our share repurchase program in 2004 through September 30, 2024, our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of$2.0 billion of our common stock, excluding excise tax. Shares of our common stock may be purchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions, and generally settle subsequent to the trade date. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any specific number of shares or to acquire shares over any specified period of time. Under this program as of September 30, 2024, we had repurchased 37.0 million shares at an aggregate purchase price of $1,885.5 million, and had $114.5 million remaining available, excluding excise tax.
Rearranged current paragraphs (7)

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve consumers and customers is dependent upon the reliable performance of our underlying technology infrastructure and external service providers, including third-party cloud-based solutions. The services these systems provide are vulnerable to interruption, in particular during a period of transition of systems, and we have experienced interruptions in the past.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

Both our on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure may be susceptible to outages due to any number of reasons, including human error, fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks and similar events. Despite the implementation of security measures that we believe to be reasonable, both our on-premises and our cloud-based infrastructure may also be vulnerable to hacking, computer viruses, the installation of malware and similar disruptions either by third-parties or employees, which may result in outages. We do not have redundancy for all of our systems and our disaster recovery planning may not account for all eventualities.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

If we or our existing third-party cloud-based solution providers experience interruptions in service regularly or for a prolonged basis, or other similar issues, our business could be seriously harmed and, in some instances, our consumers and customers may not be able to purchase our products, which could significantly and negatively affect our sales.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

raw materials or manufacture products, distribution and logistics providers' ability to operate, our ability to operate brick and mortar stores, our workforce, and our cost of doing business (including the cost of freight and logistics) may be impacted by these events should they occur and laws and regulations that are enacted in response to such events. Our exposure to these risks is heightened in Vietnam, where a significant portion of our contract manufacturing is located, and in China, where a large portion of the raw materials used in our products is sourced by our contract manufacturers. Should certain of these events occur in Vietnam or China, they could cause a substantial disruption to our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

when adverse fluctuations cause a manufacturer to raise the prices of goods it produces for us, disrupt the manufacturer's ability to purchase the necessary raw materials on a timely basis, or disrupt the manufacturer's ability to function as an ongoing business.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

integrating the operations of the acquired business or achieving targeted efficiencies, the incurrence of substantial costs and expenses related to the acquisition effort, and diversion of management's attention from other aspects of our business operations.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

In October 2024, the Company's Board of Directors approved a $600.0 million increase to the Company's share repurchase authorization, which does not obligate the Company to acquire any specific number of shares or to acquire shares over any specified period of time.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (1)

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

our contract manufacturers. Should certain of these events occur in Vietnam or China, they could cause a substantial disruption to our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.