DULUTH HOLDINGS INC.

Previous wording

Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, in addition to other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and related notes. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our Class B common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.

Current wording

Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, in addition to other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and related notes. These risk factors reflect the Company’s beliefs and opinions as to factors that could materially and adversely affect the Company and its securities in the future. References to past events are provided by way of example only and are not intended to be a complete listing or a representation as to whether or not such factors have occurred in the past or their likelihood of occurring in the future. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our Class B common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.

Previous wording

Customer complaints or negative reactions to, or unfavorable publicity about, our product quality or product features, our storytelling or irreverent advertising, the shopping experience on our website or in our retail stores, product delivery times, customer data privacy and security practices or customer support, especially on blogs, social media, other third-party websites and our website, could rapidly and severely diminish consumer use of our website and catalogs, visits to our retail stores and consumer confidence in us and result in harm to our brand. Furthermore, these factors could cause our customers to no longer feel a personal connection with the Duluth Trading brand, which could result in the loss of customers and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

Current wording

Customer complaints or negative reactions to, or unfavorable publicity about, our product quality or product features, our storytelling or irreverent advertising, the shopping experience on our website or in our retail stores, product delivery times, customer data privacy and security practices or customer support, especially on blogs, social media, other third-party websites and our website, could rapidly and severely diminish consumer use of our website and direct mail, visits to our retail stores and consumer confidence in us and result in harm to our brand. Furthermore, these factors could cause our customers to no longer feel a personal connection with the Duluth Trading brand, which could result in the loss of customers and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

Previous wording

The success of our direct-to-consumer channel depends on customers’ use of our digital platform, including our website, and response to digital marketing; if our overall marketing strategies are not successful, including our maintenance of a robust customer list and ability to effectively customize our marketing efforts based on understanding customers preferences, our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Current wording

The success of our direct-to-consumer channel depends on customers’ use of our digital platform, including our website, and response to digital marketing; if our overall marketing strategies are not successful, including in connection with our ability to commit adequate resources to support our marketing strategy, maintain a robust customer list and effectively customize our marketing efforts based on understanding customers preferences, our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Previous wording

Customer response to our digital marketing is substantially dependent on merchandise assortment, merchandise availability and creative presentation, as well as the selection of customers to whom our digital marketing is directed and our catalogs are sent. Our maintenance of a robust customer list, which we believe includes desirable demographic characteristics for the products we offer, has also been a key component of our overall strategy. If the performance of our website and email declines, or if our overall marketing strategy is not successful, our business, results of operations and stock price could be adversely affected.

Current wording

Customer response to our digital marketing is substantially dependent on merchandise assortment, merchandise availability and creative presentation, as well as the selection of customers to whom our digital marketing is directed and our direct mail is sent. Our maintenance of a robust customer list, which we believe includes desirable demographic characteristics for the products we offer, has also been a key component of our overall strategy. If the performance of our website and email declines, or if our overall marketing strategy is not successful, our business, results of operations and stock price could be adversely affected. In addition, the success of our marketing strategy would be negatively impacted if we are unable to commit adequate resources to support our marketing strategy.

Previous wording

If we fail to acquire new customers, or fail to do so in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to increase net revenue or profit per active customer.

Current wording

If we fail to retain current customers or acquire new customers, or fail to do so in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to increase net revenue or profit per active customer.

Previous wording

Our success depends on our ability to acquire customers in a cost-effective manner. In order to expand our customer base, we must appeal to and acquire customers who identify with the Duluth Trading brand. We have made significant investments related to customer acquisition and expect to continue to spend significant amounts to acquire additional customers. For example, our national television advertising campaigns are expensive and may not result in the cost-effective acquisition of customers. Furthermore, as our brand has become more widely known in the market, our marketing campaigns have not resulted in acquisition of new customers at the same rate as past campaigns, and this trend may continue in the future.

Current wording

Our success depends on our ability to retain and acquire customers in a cost-effective and efficient manner. In order to retain and expand our customer base, we must appeal to current customers and acquire customers who identify with the Duluth Trading brand through the proper marketing channels. We have made significant investments related to customer retention and acquisition and expect to continue to spend significant amounts to do so. For example, our national television advertising campaigns are expensive and may not result in the cost-effective acquisition of customers. Furthermore, as our brand has become more widely known in the market, our marketing campaigns have not resulted in acquisition of new customers at the same rate as past campaigns, and this trend may continue in the future.

Previous wording

We also use other paid and non-paid advertising. Our paid advertising includes search engine marketing, display advertising and paid social media. Our non-paid advertising efforts include search engine optimization, non-paid social media and email. We obtain a significant amount of traffic via search engines and, therefore, rely on search engines such as Google. Search engines frequently update and change the logic that determines the placement and display of results of a user’s search, such that the purchased or algorithmic placement of links to our sites can be negatively affected. Moreover, a search engine could, for competitive or other purposes, alter its search algorithms or results, causing our sites to place lower in search query results. A major search engine could change its algorithms in a manner that negatively affects our paid or non-paid search ranking, and competitive dynamics could impact the effectiveness of search engine marketing or search engine optimization. We also obtain a significant amount of traffic via social networking websites or other channels used by our current and prospective customers. As e-commerce and social networking continue to rapidly evolve, we must continue to establish relationships with these channels and may be unable to develop or maintain these relationships on acceptable terms. Additionally, digital advertising costs may continue to rise and as our usage of these channels expands, such costs may impact our ability to acquire new customers in a cost-effective manner. As usage of these channels by our customer base has not grown as expected, we have suffered a decline in customer growth and net sales. A continued decrease in the level of usage or customer growth may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Current wording

We also use other paid and non-paid advertising. Our paid advertising includes search engine marketing, display advertising and paid social media. In connection with our use of paid social media, damage to the reputations of individuals or companies with which we partnered could negatively impact our reputation and that of our brands. Our non-paid advertising efforts include search engine optimization, non-paid social media and email. We obtain a significant amount of traffic via search engines and, therefore, rely on search engines such as Google. Search engines frequently update and change the logic that determines the placement and display of results of a user’s search, such that the purchased or algorithmic placement of links to our sites can be negatively affected. Moreover, a search engine could, for competitive or other purposes, alter its search algorithms or results, causing our sites to place lower in search query results. A major search engine could change its algorithms in a manner that negatively affects our paid or non-paid search ranking, and competitive dynamics could impact the effectiveness of search engine marketing or search engine optimization. We also obtain a significant amount of traffic via social networking websites or other channels used by our current and prospective customers. As e-commerce and social networking continue to rapidly evolve, we must continue to establish relationships with these channels and may be unable to develop or maintain these relationships on acceptable terms. Additionally, digital advertising costs may continue to rise and as our usage of these channels expands, such costs may impact our ability to acquire new customers in a cost-effective manner. As usage of these channels by our customer base has not grown as expected, we have suffered a decline in customer growth and net sales. A continued decrease in the level of usage or customer growth may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Previous wording

We cannot assure you that the net profit from new customers we acquire will ultimately exceed the cost of acquiring those customers. If we fail to deliver an outstanding customer experience, or if consumers do not perceive the products we offer to be manufactured with high quality craftsmanship, we may not be able to acquire new customers. If we are unable to acquire new customers, our growth prospects may be materially adversely affected.

Current wording

We cannot assure you that the net profit from new customers we acquire or customers we retain will ultimately exceed the cost of acquiring or retaining those customers. If we fail to deliver an outstanding customer experience, or if consumers do not perceive the products we offer to be manufactured with high quality craftsmanship, we may not be able to retain customers and acquire new customers. If we are unable to retain customers and acquire new customers, our business, results of operations and growth prospects may be materially adversely affected

Previous wording

The apparel, footwear and accessories industry is highly competitive. We compete with a diverse group of direct-to-consumer companies and retailers, including men’s and women’s specialty apparel chains, outdoor specialty stores, apparel catalog businesses and online apparel businesses that sell competing lines of merchandise. Our competitors may be able to adopt more aggressive pricing policies, adapt to changes in customers’ needs and preferences more quickly, devote greater resources to the design, sourcing, distribution, marketing and sale of their products or generate greater national brand recognition than us. In addition, as our business continues to expand, our competitors may seek to increase efforts to imitate our product designs, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. An inability to overcome these potential competitive disadvantages or effectively market our products relative to our competitors could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Current wording

The apparel, footwear and accessories industry is highly competitive. We compete with a diverse group of direct-to-consumer companies and retailers, including men’s and women’s specialty apparel chains, outdoor specialty stores, apparel direct mail businesses and online apparel businesses that sell competing lines of merchandise. Our competitors may be able to adopt more aggressive pricing policies, adapt to changes in customers’ needs and preferences more quickly, devote greater resources to the design, sourcing, distribution, marketing and sale of their products or generate greater national brand recognition than us. Competitive pressures in the retail industry may require us to increase promotional markdowns, lowering our gross margin. In addition, as our business continues to expand, our competitors may seek to increase efforts to imitate our product designs, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. An inability to overcome these potential competitive disadvantages or effectively market our products relative to our competitors could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

We rely on sources for merchandise located in foreign markets, and our business may therefore be adversely affected by legal, regulatory, economic and political risks associated with international trade and those markets.

Current wording

We rely on sources for merchandise located in foreign markets, and our business has been and may continue to be adversely affected by legal, regulatory, economic and political risks associated with international trade and those markets.

Previous wording

The occurrence of one or more of these events could result in disruptions to our operations, which in turn could increase our cost of goods sold, decrease our gross profit, or impact our ability to deliver to our customers.

Current wording

The occurrence of one or more of these events could result in disruptions to our operations, which in turn could increase our cost of goods sold, decrease our gross profit, or impact our ability to deliver to our customers. In particular, U.S. laws affecting the importation and taxation of goods have recently been subject to significant change and uncertainty. For example, in February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated global tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). While this ruling creates a potential opportunity to recover previously paid duties, the refund process involves significant administrative complexity, ongoing litigation, and potential delays. There can be no assurance as to the timing or amount of any refunds we may ultimately realize, if any. Furthermore, the U.S. government has subsequently invoked alternative statutory authorities, such as Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, to impose replacement tariffs, and other existing duties remain in effect. Consequently, tariffs and trade restrictions, along with the retaliatory responses they may prompt, have increased and could further increase the cost of products purchased from suppliers in such countries in which we do business.

Previous wording

New initiatives have been and may be proposed in the United States that may have an impact on the trading status of certain countries and may include retaliatory duties or other trade sanctions that, if enacted, would increase the cost of products purchased from suppliers in such countries with which we do business. Any inability on our part to rely on our foreign sources of production due to any of the factors listed above could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

Any inability on our part to rely on our foreign sources of production due to any of the factors listed above could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities and therefore depend upon independent third-party suppliers for the manufacture of our merchandise. We cannot control all of the various factors that might affect timely and effective procurement of supplies of product from our third-party suppliers and delivery of merchandise to our customers. A majority of the products that we purchase must be shipped to our fulfillment centers in Wisconsin, Georgia and Utah. While our reliance on a limited number of fulfillment centers provides certain efficiencies, it also makes us more vulnerable to natural disasters, weather-related disruptions, accidents, system failures, public health pandemics, or other unforeseen causes that could delay or impair our ability to fulfill customer orders and/or ship merchandise to our stores, which could adversely affect sales. Our ability to mitigate the adverse impacts of these events depends in part upon the effectiveness of our disaster preparedness and response planning, as well as our business continuity planning. Our use of imports also makes us vulnerable to risks associated with products manufactured abroad, including, among other things, risks of damage, destruction or confiscation of products while in transit to a fulfillment center or at points of export or import, organized labor strikes and work stoppages, transportation and other delays in shipments, including as a result of heightened security screening and inspection processes or other port-of-entry limitations or restrictions in the United States, unexpected or significant port congestion, lack of freight availability and freight cost increases. In addition, as has happened in the past, if we experience a shortage of a popular item, we may be required to arrange for additional quantities of the item, if available, to be delivered through airfreight, which is significantly more expensive than standard shipping by sea. We may not be able to obtain sufficient freight capacity on a timely basis or at favorable shipping rates and, therefore, may not be able to receive merchandise from suppliers or deliver products to customers in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Current wording

We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities and therefore depend upon independent third-party suppliers for the manufacture of our merchandise. We cannot control all of the various factors that might affect timely and effective procurement of supplies of product from our third-party suppliers and delivery of merchandise to our customers. A majority of the products that we purchase must be shipped to our fulfillment centers in Wisconsin and Georgia. While our reliance on a limited number of fulfillment centers provides certain efficiencies, it also makes us more vulnerable to natural disasters, weather-related disruptions, accidents, system failures, public health pandemics, or other unforeseen causes that could delay or impair our ability to fulfill customer orders and/or ship merchandise to our stores, which could adversely affect sales. Our ability to mitigate the adverse impacts of these events depends in part upon the effectiveness of our disaster preparedness and response planning, as well as our business continuity planning. Our use of imports also makes us vulnerable to risks associated with products manufactured abroad, including, among other things, risks of damage, destruction or confiscation of products while in transit to a fulfillment center or at points of export or import, organized labor strikes and work stoppages, transportation and other delays in shipments, including as a result of heightened security screening and inspection processes or other port-of-entry limitations or restrictions in the United States, unexpected or significant port congestion, lack of freight availability and freight cost increases. In addition, as has happened in the past, if we experience a shortage of a popular item, we may be required to arrange for additional quantities of the item, if available, to be delivered through airfreight, which is significantly more expensive than standard shipping by sea. We may not be able to obtain sufficient freight capacity on a timely basis or at favorable shipping rates and, therefore, may not be able to receive merchandise from suppliers or deliver products to customers in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Previous wording

Our results of operations and financial condition are dependent on maintaining our e-commerce business and expanding our e-commerce business is an important part of our growth strategy. Dependence on our e-commerce business and its continued growth subjects us to certain risks, including:

Current wording

Our results of operations and financial condition are dependent on maintaining our e-commerce business and expanding our e-commerce business is an important part of our business strategy. Dependence on our e-commerce business and its continued growth subjects us to certain risks, including:

Previous wording

Our growth strategy is influenced by the willingness and ability of our suppliers to efficiently manufacture our products in a manner that is consistent with our standards for quality and value. If we cannot obtain a sufficient amount and variety of quality products at acceptable prices, it could have a negative impact on our competitive position. This could result in lower revenue and decreased customer interest in our product offerings, which, in turn, could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Our arrangements with our suppliers are generally not exclusive. As a result, our suppliers might be able to sell similar or identical products to certain of our competitors, some of which purchase products in significantly greater volume. Our competitors may enter into arrangements with suppliers that could impair our ability to obtain our products from those suppliers, including by requiring suppliers to enter into exclusive arrangements, which could limit our access to such arrangements or products.

Current wording

Our business strategy is influenced by the willingness and ability of our suppliers to efficiently manufacture our products in a manner that is consistent with our standards for quality and value. If we cannot obtain a sufficient amount and variety of quality products at acceptable prices, it could have a negative impact on our competitive position. This could result in lower revenue and decreased customer interest in our product offerings, which, in turn, could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Our arrangements with our suppliers are generally not exclusive. As a result, our suppliers might be able to sell similar or identical products to certain of our competitors, some of which purchase products in significantly greater volume. Our competitors may enter into arrangements with suppliers that could impair our ability to obtain our products from those suppliers, including by requiring suppliers to enter into exclusive arrangements, which could limit our access to such arrangements or products.

Previous wording

We have entered into agreements with third parties for logistics services, information technology systems (including hosting our website), operating our call center during certain hours, software development and support, catalog production, select marketing services, processing gift card activity, distribution and packaging and employee benefits. Services provided by any of our third-party suppliers could be interrupted as a result of many factors, such as acts of nature or contract disputes. Any failure by a third party to provide us with services for which we have contracted on a timely basis or within service level expectations and performance standards could result in a disruption of our business and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Current wording

We have entered into agreements with third parties for logistics services, information technology systems (including hosting our website), operating our call center during certain hours, software development and support, print production, select marketing services, processing gift card activity, distribution and packaging and employee benefits. Services provided by any of our third-party suppliers could be interrupted as a result of many factors, such as acts of nature or contract disputes. Any failure by a third party to provide us with services for which we have contracted on a timely basis or within service level expectations and performance standards could result in a disruption of our business and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

In the normal course of business we often collect, retain and transmit customer personal and credit card information, employee personal information, and other sensitive and confidential information. The protection of customer and employee information, and the Company’s intellectual property, from potential threats is vitally important to the Company. Consumers and employees continue to have significant concerns about the security of personal information, especially when transmitted over the Internet, and the use, retention, disclosure, and privacy of such information. We continually evaluate and upgrade our information systems, security measures, and practices to combat the ever-evolving cyber risks and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, and we provide cybersecurity awareness training around phishing, social engineering, and other cyber risks to our employees, in an effort to elevate our cybersecurity posture and give our workforce the skills to both avoid and report cyber threats. Despite our risk management efforts, vendor due diligence, and security measures, our facilities and systems and those of our third-party service providers, are subject to increasingly complex cyber risks, including cyber extortion, data breaches, unauthorized access, denial of service, vendor or employee misconduct, ransomware and other malicious software, and data exfiltration. We and our employees and customers could suffer significant harm if any personal, financial, or credit card information was accessed or disclosed by an unauthorized third party, or our information technology systems or those of our third party providers were compromised or subject to data loss, exfiltration, corruption, or disruption. Any security incident or data breach could severely damage our reputation and our relationships with customers, business partners and employees, cause us to incur significant costs and expenses to investigate, remediate and notify affected individuals, and expose us to an increased risk of litigation, regulatory enforcement, fines and penalties, and other losses and liabilities. In addition, the media and public scrutiny of information security and privacy has become more intense and the regulatory environment has become more complex and uncertain due to recent high-profile privacy and security incidents and legislative efforts across the globe. As a result, we may incur significant costs to comply with laws regarding the use, retention, disclosure, security, and privacy of personal information.

Current wording

We and our employees and customers could suffer significant harm if any personal, financial, or credit card information was accessed or disclosed by an unauthorized third party, or our information technology systems or those of our third party providers were compromised or subject to data loss, exfiltration, corruption, or disruption. Any security incident or data breach could severely damage our reputation and our relationships with customers, business partners and employees, cause us to incur significant costs and expenses to investigate, remediate and notify affected individuals, and expose us to an increased risk of litigation, regulatory enforcement, fines and penalties, and other losses and liabilities. In addition, the media and public scrutiny of information security and privacy has become more intense and the regulatory environment has become more complex and uncertain due to recent high-profile privacy and security incidents and legislative efforts across the globe. As a result, we may incur significant costs to comply with laws regarding the use, retention, disclosure, security, and privacy of personal information.

Previous wording

We rely significantly on information technology, and any inadequacy, interruption, integration failure or security failure of this technology could harm our ability to effectively operate our business.

Current wording

We rely significantly on information technology, and any inadequacy, interruption, integration failure or security failure of this technology or the lack of safe and timely adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence ("AI") could harm our ability to effectively operate our business.

Previous wording

Our ability to effectively manage and operate our business depends significantly on information technology systems. We rely heavily on information technology to track sales and inventory and manage our supply chain. We are also dependent on information technology, including the Internet, for our direct-to-consumer sales, including our e-commerce and catalog operations and retail business credit card transaction authorization. Despite our preventative efforts, our systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to damage or interruption. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, difficulty in integrating new systems or systems of acquired businesses or a breach of security of these systems has and could adversely impact the operations of our business, including disruption of our ability to accept and fulfill customer orders, effective management of inventory, inefficient ordering and replenishment of products, e-commerce operations, retail business credit card transaction authorization and processing, corporate email communications and our interaction with the public on social media.

Current wording

Our ability to effectively manage and operate our business depends significantly on information technology systems. We rely heavily on information technology to track sales and inventory and manage our supply chain. We are also dependent on information technology, including the Internet, for our direct-to-consumer sales, including our e-commerce and direct mail operations and retail business credit card transaction authorization. Despite our preventative efforts, our systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to damage or interruption. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, difficulty in integrating new systems or systems of acquired businesses or a breach of security of these systems has and could adversely impact the operations of our business, including disruption of our ability to accept and fulfill customer orders, effective management of inventory, inefficient ordering and replenishment of products, e-commerce operations, retail business credit card transaction authorization and processing, corporate email communications and our interaction with the public on social media.

Previous wording

United States. Some of these suppliers often require lengthy advance notice of order requirements in order to be able to manufacture and supply products in the quantities requested. This usually requires us to order our products, and enter into commitments for the purchase of our products, well in advance of the time these products will be offered for sale. As a result, it may be difficult to respond to changes in customer demand. If we do not accurately anticipate the future demand for a particular product or the time it will take to obtain new inventory, inventory levels will not be appropriate and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Current wording

We must maintain sufficient inventory levels and properly allocate inventory throughout our distribution network to operate our business successfully, but we must also avoid accumulating excess inventory, which increases working capital needs. With excess inventory, we may also need to increase promotional markdowns, potentially lowering gross margins. We obtain substantially all of our inventory from suppliers located outside the United States. Some of these suppliers often require lengthy advance notice of order requirements in order to be able to manufacture and supply products in the quantities requested. This usually requires us to order our products, and enter into commitments for the purchase of our products, well in advance of the time these products will be offered for sale. As a result, it may be difficult to respond to changes in customer demand. If we do not accurately anticipate the future demand for a particular product or the time it will take to obtain new inventory, inventory levels will not be appropriate and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Previous wording

We accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit cards, debit cards, Paypal, gift cards and physical bank checks. For existing and future payment methods we offer to our customers, we may become subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements (including obligations to implement enhanced authentication processes that could result in increased costs and reduce the ease of use of certain payment methods), as well as fraud. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time, raising our operating costs and lowering profitability. We rely on third-party service providers for payment processing services, including the processing of credit and debit cards. In each case, it could disrupt our business if these third-party service providers suffer a data breach, or become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us. We are also subject to payment card association operating rules, including data privacy and security rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, or if our systems containing payment information are breached or compromised, we may be liable for card issuing banks’ costs, subject to fines and higher transaction fees and/or lose our ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our customers and process electronic funds transfers or facilitate other types of payments, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

Current wording

We accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit cards, debit cards, Paypal, gift cards and physical bank checks. For existing and future payment methods we offer to our customers, we may become subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements (including obligations to implement enhanced authentication processes that could result in increased costs and reduce the ease of use of certain payment methods). For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time, raising our operating costs and lowering profitability. We rely on third-party service providers for payment processing services, including the processing of credit and debit cards. In each case, it could disrupt our business if these third-party service providers suffer a data breach, or become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us. We are also subject to payment card association operating rules, including data privacy and security rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, or if our systems containing payment information are breached or compromised, we may be liable for card issuing banks’ costs, subject to fines and higher transaction fees and/or lose our ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our customers and process electronic funds transfers or facilitate other types of payments, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected. Accepting payments through these methods have in the past and may in the future also subject us to fraud, especially if the systems we have implemented to detect and prevent fraud do not operate as expected. Depending on the nature of the fraud, we may not have any recourse to recover our costs, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Previous wording

Our failure to comply with restrictive covenants under our revolving credit facility and other debt instruments could trigger prepayment obligations.

Current wording

Our failure to comply with the covenants under our credit agreement could trigger prepayment obligations

Previous wording

Our business requires compliance with many laws and regulations, including labor and employment, customs, truth-in-advertising, data privacy and security, consumer protection and zoning and occupancy laws and ordinances that regulate retailers generally and/or govern the importation, promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of stores and warehouse facilities. Failure to achieve compliance could subject us to lawsuits and other proceedings, and could also lead to damage awards, fines and penalties. We may become involved in a number of legal proceedings and audits including government and agency investigations, and consumer, employment, tort and other litigation. We cannot predict with certainty the outcomes of these legal proceedings and other contingencies. The outcome of some of these legal proceedings, audits and other contingencies could require us to take, or refrain from taking, actions which could negatively affect our operations or require us to pay substantial amounts of money adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, defending against these lawsuits and proceedings may be necessary, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, causing a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that any pending or future legal proceedings and audits will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

Our business requires compliance with many laws and regulations, including labor and employment, customs, truth-in-advertising, data privacy and security, consumer protection and zoning and occupancy laws and ordinances that regulate retailers generally and/or govern the importation, promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of stores, our website and warehouse facilities. Failure to achieve compliance could subject us to lawsuits and other proceedings, and could also lead to damage awards, fines and penalties. We may become involved in a number of legal proceedings and audits including government and agency investigations, and consumer, employment, tort and other litigation. We cannot predict with certainty the outcomes of these legal proceedings and other contingencies. The outcome of some of these legal proceedings, audits and other contingencies could require us to take, or refrain from taking, actions which could negatively affect our operations or require us to pay substantial amounts of money adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, defending against these lawsuits and proceedings may be necessary, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, causing a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that any pending or future legal proceedings and audits will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Mr. Schlecht controls more than 50% of the total voting power of our common stock, and we are considered a controlled company under the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards. As a controlled company, certain exemptions under the

Current wording

Mr. Schlecht controls more than 50% of the total voting power of our common stock, and we are considered a controlled company under the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards. As a controlled company, certain exemptions under the NASDAQ listing standards exempt us from the obligation to comply with certain NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, including the requirements: