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Academy Sports & Outdoors, Inc.

For the period ended Feb 1, 2025. Filed Mar 20, 2025.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2025 · Filed Mar 20, 2025

ASO$67.27-0.8%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-K

Period ended 2024-02-03; filed 2024-03-21.

0001817358-24-000042

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Current report: 10-K

Period ended 2025-02-01; filed 2025-03-20.

0001817358-25-000027

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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 140 previous paragraphs and 142 current paragraphs.

77 unchanged; 43 reworded; 21 added; 20 removed; 0 previous and 1 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 16 previous and 16 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 (21)

Current report

The comparable sales metric for 2024 (52 week fiscal year) compares the fiscal year ending February 1, 2025 to the final 52 weeks of the fiscal year 2023 ended February 3, 2024. Fiscal year 2023 was a 53 week year. Merchandise net sales for the 2023 53rd week were $73.3 million.

Current report

We expect that new stores will be a key driver of growth in our net sales and gross margin in the future as we execute our new store opening growth plans. Our growth strategy encompasses both deepening our presence in existing markets as well as entering new markets, leveraging enhanced brand awareness and operational efficiencies. Our new store model favors off-mall locations within power centers or stand-alone buildings. We utilize comprehensive demographic and trade data to guide our real estate site selection. During the fiscal year 2024, we opened 16 new stores. We plan to open 20 to 25 stores in fiscal year 2025 and we are continuously evaluating available locations that meet our size requirements and market criteria. Our strategic real estate approach, including the 39 stores opened since fiscal year 2021, has positioned us effectively for continued expansion.

Current report

During the fourth quarter of 2024, we closed on a sale-leaseback agreement involving a store property in Cypress, Texas. We determined that the sale-leaseback transaction qualifies as a sale in accordance with ASC 842 (See Note 11). In connection with the sale-leaseback transaction, we recognized a net gain of approximately$7.1 million in Selling, General, and Administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Current report

Net Sales. Net sales decreased $225.8 million, or 3.7%, in fiscal year 2024 (a 52 week year) over fiscal year 2023 (a 53 week year). This is primarily a result of decreased comparable sales, which was partially offset by $88.5 million of net sales, including e-commerce, generated by 16 new stores opened since the end of the 2023 fiscal year. Since re-launching our new store program in 2022, we have opened 39 new stores, 23 of which have been open for at least twelve months. Over the last twelve months, those 23 stores have averaged approximately $13 million in net sales per store, including e-commerce. We believe that performance of new stores in year one is partially affected by the season in which the new store opens and the brand awareness in the region the new store opens.

Current report

Gross Margin. Gross margin decreased $98.8 million, or 4.7%. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin decreased 40 basis points from 34.3% in 2023 to 33.9% in 2024. The decrease of 40 basis points in gross margin was primarily attributable to:

Current report

•30 basis points of unfavorability due to increased supply chain costs associated with our transition to a new warehouse management system at our Georgia distribution center and increased freight costs; and

Current report

•10 basis points of unfavorability in merchandise margin as a result of a higher sales mix of hard goods

Current report

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. SG&A expenses increased $40.5 million, or 2.8%, to $1,472.8 million in 2024 from $1,432.4 million in 2023, primarily as a result of our increased strategic investments of $66.4 million in new stores and technology and deleverage from decreased sales. This was partially offset by an additional week of SG&A expense in the prior year of approximately $17.1 million as fiscal year 2023 was a 53-week year.

Current report

Write off of Deferred Loan Costs. Write off of Deferred Loan Costs increased by $0.4 million for the year-to-date 2024 when compared with the year-to-date 2023, in connection with the amendment in the 2024 first quarter that led to the write off of deferred loan costs on the ABL Facility.

Current report

Under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program, repurchases can be made using a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, block trades, privately negotiated transactions, accelerated share repurchase programs and/or Rule 10b5-1 or other a non-discretionary trading plans, all in compliance with the rules of the SEC and other applicable legal requirements. The timing, manner, price and amount of any common share repurchases under the 2023 Share Repurchase Program are determined by the Company in its discretion and depend on a variety of factors, including legal requirements, price and economic and market conditions. The 2023 Share Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular number of common shares, and the program may be suspended, extended, modified or discontinued at any time.

Current report

•$28.0 million net increase in non-cash charges offset by a $7.1 million gain, net of fees, on a sale-leaseback transaction in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 (see Note 11); and

Current report

•$208.1 million increase in cash flows from accounts payable, due to timing of payments for increased merchandise inventories relative to the prior year period;

Current report

•$40.1 million increase in cash flows from prepaid expenses and other current assets primarily due to an increase of $25 million related to a legal settlement in the fourth quarter of 2024 as well as timing of payments relative to the prior year period; and

Current report

•$38.7 million increase in cash flows from accrued expenses and other current liabilities, partially offset by

Current report

•$204.0 million decrease in cash flows from merchandise inventories, net due to lower sales in the current year period; and

Current report

•$22.9 million decrease in cash flows from income taxes payables, due to timing of payments relative to the prior year period

Current report

•$8.2 million decrease in capital expenditures, primarily driven by decreased spending related to Corporate, e-commerce, and information technology programs in the year-to-date 2024 compared to the year-to-date 2023; and

Current report

•$14.2 million increase in cash inflows from proceeds from a sale-leaseback transaction related to our retail store in Cypress, TX (see Note 11).

Current report

•$12.3 million decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options; partially offset by

Current report

•$100 million decrease in cash outflows due to the prepayment of $100 million on our Term Loan in fiscal year 2023
Removed paragraphs (20)

Previous report

The comparable sales metric for 2023 (53 week fiscal year) compares the 52 weeks ended January 27, 2024, against the 52 weeks ended January 28, 2023 (52 week fiscal year). The 2023 53rd week ended February 3, 2024, is not included in comparable sales for 2023. Merchandise net sales for the 2023 53rd week ended February 3, 2024, were $73.3 million. We have seen significant comparable sales fluctuations in recent years from increases of 16.1% and 18.9% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, followed by decreases of 6.4% and 6.5% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. See the discussion on Net Sales below for some contributing factors to the recent changes.

Previous report

We expect that new stores will be a key driver of growth in our net sales and gross margin in the future as we execute our new store opening growth plans. Our results of operations have been and will continue to be materially affected by the timing and number of new store openings. We are continually assessing the number of locations available that could accommodate our preferred size of stores in markets we would consider, and during 2023 we opened 14 new stores. We believe our real estate strategy has positioned us well for further expansion.

Previous report

During 2021, we began to see increased competition across the industry for resources throughout a constrained supply chain, which resulted in disruptions to the flow of products from our vendors, labor shortages, reduced shipping container availability, and longer delays at the port. As a result, we experienced a period of decreased or delayed supply and high inflation which negatively impacted transportation and inventory costs. Over the past year, we have seen improvement to these constraints, resulting in decreased freight costs.

Previous report

Net Sales. Net sales decreased $235.8 million, or 3.7%, in 2023 over the prior year as a result of decreased comparable sales of 6.5%, which were partially offset by additional net sales generated by new locations. As of the end of 2023, we operated 14 additional stores as compared to the end of 2022, and the full benefit of nine stores opened during 2022. Collectively, these stores accounted for a $113.5 million increase in net sales for 2023, which does not include e-commerce sales fulfilled from these locations. Additionally, merchandise net sales from the 53rd week, which is not included in comparable sales for 2023, increased net sales by $73.3 million in 2023.

Previous report

Gross Margin. Gross margin for 2023 decreased $102.3 million, or 4.6%, when compared to 2022. Our gross margin, as a percentage of net sales, was 34.3% in 2023 compared to 34.6% in 2022, a decrease of 30 basis points. This decrease is primarily due to:

Previous report

•57 basis points of unfavorability in merchandise margin as a result of increased planned promotional activity compared to the prior year;

Previous report

•41 basis points of unfavorability as a result of increased inventory shrink;

Previous report

•21 basis points of unfavorability in inventory overhead expenditures as a result of higher absorption rates from slower inventory turnover; partially offset by

Previous report

•73 basis points of favorability in import and domestic freight due to lower freight costs per unit.

Previous report

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. SG&A expenses increased $66.4 million, or 4.9%, to $1,432.4 million in 2023 from $1,366.0 million in 2022. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses increased 1.9% to 23.3% in 2023 compared to 21.4% in 2022. The increase of 190 basis points is partially attributable to deleverage from decreased sales. SG&A costs also increased $66.4 million primarily as a result of:

Previous report

•Property and facility fees increase of $34.7 million primarily due to investments in long-term growth initiatives, which includes the addition of 14 new stores since the end of the prior year and increased technology expense;

Previous report

•Employee compensation costs increased $22.7 million primarily due to increased wages expense over the prior year, partially attributable to the addition of new stores; and

Previous report

On March 8, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing that the Company entered into an amendment which among other things, extended the maturity of Academy’s asset-based revolving credit facility to March 8, 2029. See Note 17 to the accompanying financial statements.

Previous report

•$201.1 million increase in cash flows from merchandise inventories, net related to a reduction in inventory replenishment to align with 2023 sales patterns when compared to the prior year; partially offset by a

Previous report

•$86.9 million decrease in cash flows from accounts payable, primarily driven by a reduction in inventory replenishment and lower import and domestic freight costs relative to the prior year fourth quarter.

Previous report

•$99.5 million higher capital expenditures, primarily driven by increased investments in new stores in 2023.
Reworded paragraphs (43)

Previous wording

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2024 (this "Annual Report").

Current wording

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended February 1, 2025 (“2024”) and the year ended February 3, 2024 (“2023”) should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025 (this “Annual Report”). Year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 have been omitted from this Annual Report, but may be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 3, 2024.

Previous wording

This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See the section of this Annual Report entitled "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements." When reviewing the discussion below, you should keep in mind the substantial risks and uncertainties that characterize our business. Known material factors that could affect our financial performance and actual results, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements included in this discussion or otherwise made by our management, are described in the "Risk Factors" section of this Annual Report.

Current wording

This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See the section of this Annual Report entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” When reviewing the discussion below, you should keep in mind the substantial risks and uncertainties that characterize our business. Known material factors that could affect our financial performance and actual results, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements included in this discussion or otherwise made by our management, are described in the “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report.

Previous wording

We are a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Our mission is to provide “Fun for All” and we fulfill this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that deeply connect with a broad range of consumers. Our product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoors, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear (representing 28%, 28%, 24% and 20% of our 2023 net sales, respectively) through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands, which go well beyond traditional sporting goods and apparel offerings.

Current wording

We are a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Our mission is to provide “Fun for All” and we fulfill this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that deeply connect with a broad range of consumers. Our product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoors, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear (representing 30%, 27%, 23% and 20% of our 2024 net sales, respectively) through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands, which go well beyond traditional sporting goods and apparel offerings.

Previous wording

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. A significant portion of our net sales and profits is driven by summer holidays, such as Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Independence Day, during the second quarter. Our net sales and profits are also impacted by the November/December holiday selling season, and in part by the sales of cold weather sporting goods and apparel during the fourth quarter.

Current wording

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. A significant portion of our net sales and profits is driven by summer holidays, such as Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Independence Day, during the second quarter. Our net sales and profits are also impacted by the August/September back-to-school selling season during the third quarter, the November/December holiday selling season, and in part by the sales of cold weather sporting goods and apparel during the fourth quarter.

Previous wording

As of February 3, 2024, we operated 282 stores that range in size from approximately 40,000 to 130,000 gross square feet, with an average size of approximately 70,000 gross square feet, throughout 18 contiguous states located primarily in the southern United States. Our stores are supported by approximately 22,000 team members, three distribution centers, and our e-commerce platform, which includes our website at www.academy.com and our mobile app. Additionally, we are deepening our customer relationships, further integrating our e-commerce platform with our stores and driving operating efficiencies by developing our omnichannel capabilities, such as our mobile app, optimizing the website experience and upgrading our fulfillment capabilities.

Current wording

As of February 1, 2025, we operated 298 stores that range in size from approximately 40,000 to 130,000 gross square feet, with an average size of approxima tely 70,000 gross square feet, throughout 19 cont iguous states located primarily in the southern United States. Our stores are supported by approxi mately 22,000 team members, three distribution centers, and our e-commerce platform, which includes our website at www.academy.com and our mobile app. Additionally, we are deepening our customer relationships, further integrating our e-commerce platform with our stores and driving operating efficiencies by developing our omnichannel capabilities, such as our mobile app, optimizing the website experience and upgrading our fulfillment capabilities.

Previous wording

Increases or decreases in e-commerce between periods being compared directly impact the comparable sales results. Various factors affect comparable sales, including consumer preferences, buying trends and overall economic trends; our ability to identify and respond effectively to customer preferences and local and regional trends; our ability to provide an assortment of high quality/value oriented product offerings that generate new and repeat visits to our stores and our website; the customer experience and unique services we provide in our stores; our ability to execute our omnichannel strategy, including the growth of our e-commerce business; changes in product mix and pricing, including promotional activities; the number of items purchased per visit and average order value; a shift in the timing of a holiday between comparable periods; and the number of stores that have been in operation for more than 13 months.

Current wording

Increases or decreases in e-commerce between periods being compared directly impact the comparable sales results. Various other factors affect comparable sales, including consumer preferences, buying trends and overall economic trends; our ability to identify and respond effectively to customer preferences and local and regional trends; our ability to provide an assortment of high quality/value oriented product offerings that generate new and repeat visits to our stores and our website; the customer experience and unique services we provide in our stores; our ability to execute our omnichannel strategy, including the growth of our e-commerce business; changes in product mix and pricing, including promotional activities; the number of items purchased per visit and average order value; a shift in the timing of a holiday between comparable periods; and the number of stores that have been in operation for more than thirteen months.

Previous wording

Transactions and average ticket. We define transactions as the number of customer transactions for stores and e-commerce during a given period on a comparable sales basis. Transactions are influenced by customer traffic, the amount of customers that visited our stores or website, and sales conversion, the percent of those customers that made a purchase. We define average ticket as total comparable sales divided by the number of transactions during a given period, which tells us the average amount the customer is spending on a purchase.

Current wording

Transactions and average ticket. We define transactions as the number of customer transactions for stores and e-commerce during a given period on a comparable sales basis. Transactions are influenced by customer traffic, the amount of customers that visited our stores or website, and sales conversion, the percent of those customers that made a purchase. We define average ticket as total sales divided by the number of transactions during a given period, which tells us the average amount the customer is spending on a purchase.

Previous wording

Our broad assortment gives us an advantage over mass general merchants who typically do not carry the leading national brands sold at Academy. We have also continued to add private label brand products to our assortment of products, which we generally price lower than the national brand products of comparable quality that we also offer. A shift in our sales mix in which we sell more units of our private label brand products and fewer units of the national brand products would generally have a positive impact on our gross margin but an adverse impact on our total net sales. Furthermore, our softgoods merchandise divisions, which consist of apparel and footwear, have higher margins than our hardgoods merchandise divisions, which consist of outdoors and sports and recreation. A shift in sales mix toward softgoods would generally have a positive impact on gross margin and a shift in sales mix towards hardgoods would generally have a negative impact on gross margin. In recent years, we have experienced higher sales related to the outdoors and sports and recreation merchandise divisions, as our customers turned to us for isolated recreation and outdoor and leisure activities during the pandemic. As our business has normalized, we have experienced a shift in our sales mix from the outdoors and sports and recreation merchandise divisions to the footwear and apparel merchandise divisions, which has generally had a positive impact on our gross margin rate.

Current wording

Our broad assortment gives us an advantage over mass general merchants who typically do not carry the leading national brands sold at Academy. We have also continued to add private label brand products to our assortment of products, which we generally price lower than the national brand products of comparable quality that we also offer. A shift in our sales mix in which we sell more units of our private label brand products and fewer units of the national brand products would generally have a positive impact on our gross margin but an adverse impact on our total net sales. Furthermore, our softgoods merchandise divisions, which consist of apparel and footwear, have higher margins than our hardgoods merchandise divisions, which consist of outdoors and sports and recreation. A shift in sales mix toward softgoods would generally have a positive impact on gross margin and a shift in sales mix towards hardgoods would generally have a negative impact on gross margin.

Previous wording

The expansion and enhancement of our omnichannel capabilities has resulted in increased sales in recent years. We continue to invest in initiatives that will increase traffic to our stores and e-commerce platform, which includes our website and mobile app, and drive increased sales conversion. These initiatives include investments in our new customer data platform and the development of strategies, which focus on customer segmentation with the intention of improving customer identification and increasing customer engagement. Additionally, we recently implemented several innovative website features to enhance the customer online shopping experience, including a redesigned home page, additional BOPIS features, and enhanced shipping notifications. Our improved e-commerce platform supports our stores with digital marketing and our BOPIS and ship-to-store programs. These platforms allow us to connect further with our customers for marketing and product education and assists us in introducing customers to the Academy brand by reaching customers outside of our current store footprint. During 2023, stores facilitated approximately 95% of our total sales, including ship-from-store, BOPIS and in-store retail sales. We expect to continue to invest in expanding and enhancing our omnichannel capabilities, including our mobile app, optimizing the web site experience and upgrading our fulfillment capabilities, which will continue to require further investments by us.

Current wording

The expansion and enhancement of our omnichannel capabilities has resulted in increased sales in recent years. We continue to invest in initiatives that will increase traffic to our stores and e-commerce platform, which includes our website and mobile app, and drive increased sales conversion. These initiatives include investments in our new customer data platform and the development of strategies, which focus on customer segmentation with the intention of improving customer identification and increasing customer engagement. Additionally, we continue to implement several innovative website features to enhance the customer online shopping experience, including a redesigned home page, additional BOPIS features, and enhanced shipping notifications. Our improved e-commerce platform supports our stores with digital marketing and our BOPIS and ship-to-store programs. These platforms allow us to connect further with our customers for marketing and product education and assists us in introducing customers to the Academy brand by reaching customers outside of our current store footprint. During 2024, stores facilitated approximately 95% of our total sales, including ship-from-store, BOPIS and in-store retail sales. We expect to continue to invest in expanding and enhancing our omnichannel capabilities, including our mobile app, optimizing the web site experience and upgrading our fulfillment capabilities, which will continue to require further investments by us.

Previous wording

Our gross margin depends on a number of factors, such as net sales increases or decreases, our promotional activities, product mix including private label brand merchandise sales, and our ability to control cost of goods sold, such as inventory and logistics cost management. Our gross margin is also impacted by variables including commodity costs, freight costs, shrinkage (discussed below) and inventory processing costs and e-commerce shipping costs. We track and measure gross margin as a percentage of net sales in order to evaluate our performance against profitability targets.

Current wording

Our gross margin depends on a number of factors, such as net sales increases or decreases, our promotional activities, product mix including private label brand merchandise sales, and our ability to control cost of goods sold, such as inventory and logistics cost management. Our gross margin is also impacted by variables including duties, tariffs, commodity costs, freight costs, shrinkage (discussed below), inventory processing costs, and e-commerce shipping costs. We track and measure gross margin as a percentage of net sales in order to evaluate our performance against profitability targets.

Previous wording

We refer to loss or theft of inventory as "shrinkage" or "shrink". Over recent years, the United States retail industry, including Academy, has experienced a significant increase in inventory shrink, which has resulted in a negative impact to our gross margins. A prolonged period of significant increased shrink could have a material negative impact on our gross margin and results of operations.

Current wording

We refer to loss or theft of inventory as “shrinkage” or “shrink.” A prolonged period of significant increased shrink could have a material negative impact on our gross margin and results of operations.

Previous wording

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses include store and corporate administrative payroll and payroll benefits, store and corporate headquarters occupancy costs, advertising, credit card processing, information technology, pre-opening costs and other store and administrative expenses. These expenses are both variable and fixed in nature. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales increased from 21.4% in 2022 to 23.3% in 2023. The majority of the increase in SG&A from the prior year was driven by investments in our growth initiatives, including costs related to new stores (such as additional property and facility fees, employee compensation costs and advertising costs). We track and measure operating expenses as a percentage of net sales in order to evaluate our performance against profitability targets. Management of SG&A expenses depends on our ability to balance a control of operating costs, such as store and corporate headcount, information technology infrastructure and marketing and advertising expenses, while efficiently and effectively servicing our customers.

Current wording

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses include store and corporate administrative payroll and payroll benefits, store and corporate headquarters occupancy costs, advertising, credit card processing, information technology, pre-opening costs and other store and administrative expenses. These expenses are both variable and fixed in nature. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales increased from 23.3% in 2023 to 24.8% in 2024. The majority of the increase in SG&A from the prior year was driven by investments in our growth initiatives, including costs related to new stores (such as additional property and facility fees, employee compensation costs and advertising costs). We track and measure operating expenses as a percentage of net sales in order to evaluate our performance against profitability targets. Management of SG&A expenses depends on our ability to balance a control of operating costs, such as store and corporate headcount, information technology infrastructure and marketing and advertising expenses, while efficiently and effectively servicing our customers.

Previous wording

Interest Expense. Interest expense includes regular interest payable related to our Term Loan, Notes and ABL Facility (see Note 4 to the accompanying financial statements) and the amortization of our deferred loan costs and original issuance discounts associated with the acquisition of the debt. In May of 2021, we entered into an amendment to our Term Loan which reduced the applicable margin on our LIBOR rate by 1.25%, and paid down $99 million. In December of 2022, we utilized cash on hand to voluntarily prepay $100 million of outstanding borrowings on our Term Loan. However, this prepayment in principal on our Term Loan was largely offset by increases made by the Federal Reserve to the federal funds benchmark rate during 2022 and 2023, resulting in a small decrease in interest expense in 2023 compared to 2022. In February of 2024, we made an additional prepayment of $100 million on our Term Loan, which we anticipate will result in decreased interest expense in fiscal 2024.

Current wording

Interest Expense. Interest expense includes regular interest payable related to our Term Loan, Notes and ABL Facility (see Note 4 to the accompanying financial statements) and the amortization of our deferred loan costs and original issuance discounts associated with the acquisition of the debt. In 2022 and 2023, we utilized cash on hand to voluntarily prepay $100 million of outstanding borrowings on our Term Loan. However, this prepayment in principal on our Term Loan was largely offset by increases made by the Federal Reserve to the federal funds benchmark rate during 2022 and 2023, resulting in a decrease in interest expense in 2024 compared to 2023.

Previous wording

Income Tax Expense. ASO, Inc. is treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal, state, and local income tax purposes and accordingly, a provision for income taxes has been recorded for the anticipated tax consequences of our reported results of operations for federal, state and local income taxes. Recent fluctuations in income tax expense have been primarily as a result of changes in income before income taxes.

Current wording

Income Tax Expense. ASO, Inc. is treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal, state, and local income tax purposes and accordingly, a provision for income taxes has been recorded for the anticipated tax consequences of our reported results of operations for federal, state and local income taxes. Recent fluctuations in income tax expense have been primarily a result of changes in income before income taxes.

Previous wording

The decrease of 6.5% in comparable sales was driven by lower sales across all merchandise divisions as a result of fewer transactions of 7.0%, partially offset by an increase in average ticket of 0.5%. The outdoors merchandise division sales declines were primarily as a result of the hunting category, driven by decreases in firearms and ammunition sales over the prior year. The apparel division sales decreased due to lower sales in athletic and outdoor apparel. The footwear merchandise division sales decreased due to lower sales in the athletic footwear and work footwear categories, partially offset by increased sales in the casual and seasonal footwear categories. The sports and recreation merchandise division decrease was a result of decreased sales in fitness equipment and bikes.

Current wording

Comparable sales decreased 5.1% driven by lower sales across all merchandise divisions as a result of a 6.3% decrease in comparable transactions, partially offset by an increase in average ticket of 1.2%. The decrease of 3.7% in net sales was driven by decreased sales of 6.5% in the sports and recreation merchandise division, 5.8% in the apparel division and 3.9% in the footwear division, partially offset by an increase of 0.7% in the outdoor merchandise division. Fiscal year 2024 was a 52 week year compared to fiscal year 2023, which was a 53 week year. Merchandise net sales for the 53rd week in 2023 were $73.3 million.

Previous wording

E-commerce sales represented 10.7% of merchandise sales for 2023 and 2022.

Current wording

E-commerce sales represented 10.5% of merchandise sales for 2024 compared to 10.7% for 2023.

Previous wording

Loss on early retirement of debt. We utilized cash on hand to voluntarily prepay $100 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan in February of 2024. In December of 2022, we also voluntarily prepaid $100 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan. These prepayments resulted in losses on early retirement of debt of $1.5 million and $2.0 million for 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Current wording

Loss on early retirement of debt. We utilized cash on hand to voluntarily prepay $100 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan in February of 2024, which resulted in a loss on early retirement of debt of $1.5 million for 2023.

Previous wording

Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased $0.4 million, or 0.8%, to $46.1 million in 2023 from $46.4 million in 2022 resulting primarily from higher capitalized interest due to increased construction of new stores and a lower outstanding balance on our long-term debt, driven by a voluntary prepayment of $100.0 million made in December 2022, partially offset by an increase in interest rates on our Term Loan.

Current wording

Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased $9.2 million, or 19.9%, to $36.9 million in 2024 from $46.1 million in 2023 resulting primarily from a lower outstanding balance on our long-term debt, driven by a voluntary prepayment of $100.0 million under the Term Loan made on February 1, 2024.

Previous wording

Other (Income), net. Other income increased $12.7 million in 2023, primarily driven by the recognition of a $15.9 million gain pertaining to the settlement of a credit card company litigation matter, which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2023, and higher interest rates on money market investments in the current year, both of which were partially offset by the receipt of $7.2 million in business interruption insurance proceeds relative to a winter storm in 2022 and $3.7 million in proceeds relative to a sale in which we factored rights to pursue a legal matter pertaining to the overpayment of certain tariffs.

Current wording

Other (Income), net. Other (Income), net, increased $4.0 million in 2024 when compared to 2023, primarily driven by increased money market investments in the current year.

Previous wording

Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense decreased $46.4 million to $144.0 million in 2023 as compared to $190.3 million in 2022, resulting primarily from a decrease in pre-tax income. ASO, Inc.'s effective tax rate for 2023 was 21.7% compared to 23.3% in 2022. The decrease in effective tax rate was largely driven by the inclusion of certain research and development tax credits relative to 2022 and 2023 in the current year results, as well as increased permanent adjustments resulting from the vesting of a higher number of stock compensation awards during 2023.

Current wording

Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense decreased $24.2 million to $119.8 million in 2024 as compared to $144.0 million in 2023, resulting primarily from a decrease in pre-tax income. ASO, Inc.'s effective tax rate for 2024 was 22.3% compared to 21.7% in 2023. The increase in effective tax rate was largely driven by the decrease in pre-tax income in the current year, as well as decreased permanent adjustments related to stock compensation awards during 2024.

Previous wording

Our principal liquidity requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures and cash used to pay our debt obligations and related interest expense. We also use cash to pay dividends and occasionally use cash to repurchase common stock. We may fund our liquidity requirements through cash and cash equivalents, cash generated from operating activities, issuances of debt (such as the Notes) and borrowings under our ABL Facility. On February 3, 2024, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $347.9 million. We believe our cash and cash equivalents, as well as our availability under the ABL Facility, will be sufficient to fund our cash requirements for at least the next 12 months.

Current wording

Our principal liquidity requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures and cash used to pay our debt obligations and related interest expense. We also use cash to pay dividends and use cash to repurchase our common stock. We may fund our liquidity requirements through cash and cash equivalents, cash generated from operating activities, and borrowings under our ABL Facility (as defined below). On February 1, 2025, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $288.9 million. We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations, as well as availability under the ABL Facility, will be sufficient to fund our cash requirements for the foreseeable future.

Previous wording

As of February 3, 2024, the Company's long-term debt and interest rates consists of:

Current wording

As of February 1, 2025, the Company's long-term debt consists of:

Previous wording

•Term Loan - 9.19% variable rate term-loan with $91.8 million in principal outstanding maturing November 6, 2027 and quarterly principal payments of $750 thousand; and

Current wording

•Term Loan - 8.38% variable rate term-loan with $88.8 million in principal outstanding maturing November 6, 2027 and requiring quarterly principal payments of $750 thousand through September 30, 2027; and

Previous wording

Liquidity information related to the ABL Facility is as follows for the periods shown (dollar amounts in thousands):

Current wording

Liquidity information related to the ABL Facility is as follows for the periods shown (amounts in thousands):

Previous wording

We predominantly lease store locations, distribution centers, office space and certain equipment under operating leases expiring between fiscal years 2024 and 2044. Operating lease obligations include future minimum lease payments under all of our non-cancelable operating leases at February 3, 2024. In the fiscal year ended February 3, 2024, we opened 14 new locations. The following table summarizes our operating lease obligations by fiscal year:

Current wording

We predominantly lease store locations, distribution centers, office space and certain equipment under operating leases expiring between fiscal years 2024 and 2044. Operating lease obligations include future minimum lease payments under all of our non-cancelable operating leases at February 1, 2025. In the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025, we opened 16 new locations. The following table summarizes our operating lease obligations by fiscal year:

Previous wording

(1) Minimum lease payments have not been reduced by sublease rentals of $2.3 million due in the future under non-cancelable subleases.

Current wording

(1) Minimum lease payments have not been reduced by sublease rentals of $2.0 million due in the future under non-cancelable subleases.

Previous wording

On June 2, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized a share repurchase program (the "2022 Share Repurchase Program") under which the Company may purchase up to $600 million of its outstanding shares during the three-year period ending June 2, 2025. On November 29, 2023, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program (the "2023 Share Repurchase Program") under which the Company may purchase up to $600 million of its outstanding shares during the three-year period ending November 29, 2026. The 2022 Share Repurchase Program and the 2023 Share Repurchase Program are collectively referred to as the "Share Repurchase Programs". The Share Repurchase Programs do not obligate the Company to acquire any particular number of common shares, and the programs may be suspended, extended, modified or discontinued at any time. As of February 3, 2024, the Company had $696.7 million remaining for share repurchases under the Share Repurchase Programs.

Current wording

On December 4, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program under which the Company is authorized to purchase up to$700 millionof its outstanding shares during the three-year period ending December 4, 2027 (the “2024 Share Repurchase Program”), and which replaces the 2023 Share Repurchase Program. Under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program, repurchases can be made using a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, block trades, accelerated share repurchase programs, privately negotiated transactions and/or Rule 10b5-1 or other non-discretionary trading plans, all in compliance with the rules of the SEC and other applicable legal requirements. The timing, manner, price and amount of any common share repurchases under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program will be determined by the Company in its discretion and will depend on a variety of factors, including legal requirements, price and economic and market conditions. The 2024 Share Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular number of common shares, and the program may be suspended, extended, modified or discontinued at any time.

Previous wording

On March 7, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend with respect to the quarter ended February 3, 2024 of $0.11 per share of common stock, payable on April 18, 2024, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 26, 2024.

Current wording

On March 6, 2025, the Company announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend with respect to the quarter ended February 1, 2025 of $0.13 per share of common stock, payable on April 17, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 25, 2025.

Previous wording

We expect capital expenditures for fiscal year 2024 to be between $225 million and $275 million. The following table summarizes our forecasted allocation of capital expenditures for fiscal year 2024:

Current wording

We expect capital expenditures for fiscal year 2025 to be between $220 million and $250 million. The following table summarizes our forecasted allocation of capital expenditures for fiscal year 2025:

Previous wording

Cash provided by operating activities in 2023 decreased $16.2 million compared to 2022. This decrease is attributable to:

Current wording

Cash provided by operating activities in 2024 decreased $7.7 million compared to 2023. This decrease is attributable to:

Previous wording

•$115.7 million net increase in cash flows provided by operating assets and liabilities.

Current wording

•$71.7 million net increase in cash flows provided by operating assets and liabilities.

Previous wording

Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities increased $97.3 million in 2023 compared to 2022. The increase in cash used in investing activities is primarily related to:

Current wording

Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities decreased $20.0 million in 2024 compared to 2023. The decrease in cash used in investing activities is primarily related to:

Previous wording

Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities decreased $273.2 million in 2023, compared to 2022. The primary driver of the decrease was a:

Current wording

Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities increased $82.1 million in 2024, compared to 2023. The primary drivers of the increase were:

Previous wording

•$286.7 million decrease in cash outflows caused by a reduction in repurchases and retirement of common stock in the current year.

Current wording

•$162.1 million increase in cash outflows primarily caused by an increase in repurchases and simultaneous retirement of common stock in the current year; and

Previous wording

We expect our existing cash balances, internally generated cash flows and available borrowings under our ABL Facility will fulfill anticipated obligations such as capital expenditures, dividends, stock repurchases, working capital needs and scheduled debt maturities over at least the next twelve months. As of February 3, 2024, we had $881.4 million of available capacity under our ABL Facility and $347.9 million of cash and cash equivalents.

Current wording

We expect our existing cash balances, internally generated cash flows and available borrowings under our ABL Facility will be fulfill anticipated obligations such as capital expenditures, dividends, stock repurchases, working capital needs and scheduled debt maturities for the foreseeable future. As of February 1, 2025, we had $955.5 million of available capacity under our ABL Facility and $288.9 million of cash and cash equivalents.

Previous wording

Judgments and Uncertainties: We record an inventory reserve for the estimated shrinkage between physical inventories on a by location basis. We generally perform a full physical inventory count for each store at least once a year, throughout the year, after which our shrinkage accrual rate to sales for each store is updated based on historical results. For vendor allowances based on contractual provisions, we develop accrual rates for receivables as determined by the agreements, which are typically linked to purchase volumes. Other non-contractual vendor allowances received are applied upon receipt. We regularly review inventories and record a valuation adjustment when necessary such as for inventory that has a carrying value in excess of the net realizable value or for slow moving or obsolete inventory.

Current wording

Judgments and Uncertainties: We record an inventory reserve for the estimated shrinkage between physical inventories on a location by location basis. We perform a full physical inventory count for each store at least once a year, throughout the year, after which our shrinkage accrual rate to sales for each store is updated based on historical results. For vendor allowances based on contractual provisions, we develop accrual rates for receivables as determined by the agreements, which are typically linked to purchase volumes. Other non-contractual vendor allowances received are applied upon receipt. We regularly review inventories and record a valuation adjustment when necessary such as for inventory that has a carrying value in excess of the net realizable value or for slow moving or obsolete inventory.

Previous wording

Impact of Assumptions: For inventory shrinkage, our reserves may be inaccurate if our historical physical inventory shrinkage rates, used in our assumptions, differ significantly from actual rates due to consistent misses to our accrual. However, due to the frequency with which we perform full physical inventory counts, our assumptions are regularly updated, and we constantly analyze the physical inventory results to our accruals and, where necessary, adjust our store accruals to compensate for consistent patterns identified. We have not had a history of significant differences to our reserves for vendor allowances, and the assumptions generally do not have a significant impact on reserves since they are typically short-term and contractual in nature. We book a reserve for inventory permanently marked down below the inventory’s historical cost. Additionally, for slow moving or obsolete inventory, we book reserves based on historical margins received for marked down inventory with similarly slow historical sell-through rates. A twenty percent decrease in assumed margins would not have a material impact to our financial statements. We believe our long history of operations has given us sufficient data to enable us to accurately predict these reserves.

Current wording

Impact of Assumptions: For inventory shrinkage, our reserves may be inaccurate if our historical physical inventory shrinkage rates, used in our assumptions, differ significantly from actual rates due to consistent misses to our accrual. However, due to the frequency with which we perform full physical inventory counts, our assumptions are regularly updated, and we constantly analyze the physical inventory results to our accruals and, where necessary, adjust our store accruals to compensate for consistent patterns identified. We have not had a history of significant differences to our reserves for vendor allowances, and the assumptions generally do not have a significant impact on reserves since they are typically short-term and contractual in nature. We book a reserve for inventory permanently marked down below the inventory’s historical cost. Additionally, for slow moving or obsolete inventory, we book reserves based on historical margins received for marked down inventory with similarly slow historical sell-through rates. A 20% decrease in assumed margins would not have a material impact to our financial statements. We believe our long history of operations has given us sufficient data to enable us to accurately predict these reserves.

Previous wording

Our quantitative assessment for determining the fair value of our reporting unit includes using an estimated discounted cash flow model (income approach) and market value approach. The output of this assessment is an estimated fair value for our reporting unit that is compared to its carrying value to determine whether an impairment charge is necessary. The income approach uses a discounted cash flow analysis of our projected long-term future company income, and the market value approach is based on earnings multiples for a comparable set of public companies. These approaches use key input assumptions such as our projected future operating results, the discount rate, the weighting for each valuation approach and the comparable set of companies.

Current wording

Our quantitative assessment for determining the fair value of our reporting unit includes using an estimated discounted cash flow model (income approach) and market value approach. The output of this assessment is an estimated fair value for our reporting unit that is compared to its carrying value to determine whether an impairment charge is necessary. The income approach uses a discounted cash flow analysis of our projected long-term future company income, and the market value approach is based on earnings multiples for a comparable set of public companies as well as guideline transactions. These approaches use key input assumptions such as our projected future operating results, the discount rate, the weighting for each valuation approach and the comparable set of companies and transactions.

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Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

On November 29, 2023, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program (the “2023 Share Repurchase Program”) under which the Company may purchase up to $600 million of its outstanding shares during the three-year period ending November 29, 2026.