THE CATO CORPORATION
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(CONTINUED)
24
same store
sales
varies
across the
retail industry.
As a
result, our
same
store sales
calculation
may
not
be
comparable to similarly titled measures reported by
other companies. E-commerce sales were
less than 5.0%
of
sales
for
the
first
quarter
of
fiscal
2024
and
are
included
in
the
same-store
sales
calculation.
Total
revenues, comprised
of retail sales
and other revenue
(principally finance
charges and late
fees on
customer
accounts
receivable,
shipping
charged
to
customers
for
e-commerce
purchases
and
layaway
fees),
were
$177.1 million for the first quarter ended May 4, 2024, compared to $192.1 million for the first
quarter ended
April 29,
2023. The Company
operated 1,171
stores at May
4, 2024
compared to 1,264
stores at the
end of
last
fiscal
year’s
first
quarter.
For
the
first
three
months
of
fiscal
2024,
the
Company
permanently
closed
seven stores.
The Company currently anticipates closing approximately 75
stores in fiscal 2024.
Credit revenue of $0.7 million represented 0.4% of total revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2024,
compared
to
2023
credit
revenue
of
$0.6
million
or
0.3%
of
total
revenues.
Credit
revenue
is
comprised
of
interest
earned on the Company’s private label credit card portfolio and related fee income.
Related expenses include
principally payroll, postage and
other administrative expenses, and
totaled $0.4 million in
the first quarter of
2024, compared to last year’s
first quarter expenses of $0.4 million.
Other revenue, a component of
total revenues, was $1.8 million for the first
quarter of fiscal 2024, compared
to $1.7
million for the
prior year’s
comparable first
quarter.
The slight increase
was due
to higher
gift card
breakage income and late charges, partially
offset by lower e-commerce shipping revenue
and layaway fees.
Cost of goods
sold was $112.5
million, or 64.2%
of retail sales for
the first quarter of
fiscal 2024, compared
to
$122.1
million,
or
64.2%
of
retail
sales
in
the
first
quarter
of
fiscal
2023.
Cost
of
goods
sold
includes
merchandise costs (net of discounts and
allowances), buying costs, distribution costs, occupancy costs,
freight
and
inventory
shrinkage.
Net
merchandise
costs
and
in-bound
freight
are
capitalized
as
inventory
costs.
Buying
and
distribution
costs
include
payroll,
payroll-related
costs
and
operating
expenses
for
the
buying
departments and distribution center.
Occupancy costs include rent, real estate taxes, insurance, common area
maintenance, utilities and maintenance for stores
and distribution facilities.
Total gross margin dollars (retail
sales
less
cost
of
goods
sold
exclusive
of
depreciation)
decreased
by
8.0%
to
$62.8
million
for
the
first
quarter of fiscal 2024 compared to $68.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
Gross margin as presented
may not be comparable to
those of other entities.
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) primarily include corporate and store payroll, related
payroll taxes and benefits, insurance, supplies, advertising,
and bank and credit card processing fees.
SG&A
expenses were
32.4% of
retail sales for
the first
quarter of
fiscal 2024,
compared to
32.5% of
retail sales
in
the first quarter of fiscal 2023. SG&A expense is lower in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 compared
to the first
quarter of fiscal
2023 primarily due
to lower equity
compensation, advertising and
store expenses, including
payroll, partially offset by an increase
in insurance expense.
Depreciation expense was $2.0 million, or 1.2% of retail sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to
$2.4 million, or
1.2% of retail
sales for the
first quarter of
fiscal 2023. The
decrease in depreciation
expense
was attributable to older stores being
fully depreciated.
Interest
and
other
income
was
$5.8
million,
or
3.3%
of
retail
sales
for
the
first
quarter
of
fiscal
2024,
compared
to
$0.9
million,
or
0.5%
of
retail
sales
for
the
first
quarter
of
fiscal
2023.
The
increase
was
primarily due to a $3.2 million net
gain on sale of land held for
investment.
Income tax expense was 0.6 million or 0.4% of retail sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to
income tax expense of 2.1 million, or 1.1% of retail sales
for the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The effective