Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory revenue decreased 2.5%
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Total revenue decreased 2.5 percent to $40.5 million in FY2016, compared with revenue of $41.5 million in the fiscal year ended February 28, 2015 (FY2015).
Same-store pounds of product purchased from Rocky Mountain's factory by franchisees and co-branded licensees decreased 1.5% relative to the previous fiscal year.
Net income attributable to RMCF shareholders increased 12.4 percent to $4,426,000, or $0.75 per basic and $0.73 per diluted share, in FY2016, compared to $3,938,000, or $0.64 per basic and $0.61 per diluted share, in FY2015.
In the fourth quarter of FY2016, Rocky Mountain recorded net income attributable to RMCF shareholders of $2,442,000, or $0.42 per basic and $0.41 per diluted share, versus net income attributable to RMCF shareholders of $1,387,000, or $0.23 per basic and $0.22 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of FY2015.
Adjusted EBITDA decreased 8.8 percent to $8,223,000 in FY2016, versus $9,014,000 in FY2015.
Factory sales increased 1.8 percent in FY2016, primarily due to an 8.1 percent increase in product shipments to customers outside Rocky Mountain's network of franchised retail stores and cafés. Factory gross margin narrowed to 28.9 percent of factory sales in FY2016, from 30.3 percent a year earlier.
This change was due primarily to increased costs of certain materials and a shift in product and customer mix.
Retail sales declined 19.4 percent in FY2016, primarily the result of fewer units in operation, while retail gross margin improved to 65.7 percent of retail sales in FY2016, versus 64.9 percent in FY2015. Same-store sales at Company-owned stores and cafés decreased 0.8 percent in FY2016 when compared with the previous fiscal year.
Royalty and marketing fees decreased 3.1 percent in FY2016, primarily due to an 11.1 percent decrease in the number of franchised locations in operation.
Franchise fees decreased 6.5 percent in FY2016, primarily due to fewer international license fees during FY2016 compared to FY2015.
Operating income decreased 37.8 percent to $3,713,000 in FY2016, compared with operating income of $5,965,000 in the previous fiscal year.
The company's franchisees and licensees opened 5 domestic Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores, 14 international Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory licensed stores, 10 domestic self-serve frozen yogurt cafés, 1 international U-Swirl licensed café, and 10 co-branded Cold Stone Creamery stores during FY2016.
The company repurchased 233,302 shares of its common stock at an average price of $12.99 during FY2016.
On May 18, 2016, Rocky Mountain announced that its 52nd consecutive quarterly cash dividend will be paid on June 17, 2016 in the amount of $0.12 per share.
On February 29, 2016, Rocky Mountain foreclosed on its loan with U-Swirl, Inc., Rocky Mountain's 39% owned subsidiary, due to defaults and non-payment by SWRL. As a result of the foreclosure, U-Swirl International, Inc, which contains all of the franchise and other operating assets of SWRL, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rocky Mountain.
For the three months ended February 29, 2016 (fourth quarter of FY2016), revenue decreased 1.4 percent to approximately $11.0 million, compared with revenue of approximately $11.2 million in the three months ended February 28, 2015 (fourth quarter of FY2015).
The revenue decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in retail sales, compared to the prior-year period.
Same-store sales at Rocky Mountain's domestic franchise locations increased 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of FY2016 when compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
Total factory sales increased 0.6 percent to approximately $7.8 million in the fourth quarter of FY2016, versus approximately $7.7 million a year earlier, primarily due to a 2.9 percent increase in shipments of product to customers outside of Rocky Mountain's network of franchised and licensed retail stores.
Factory gross margin declined by 50 basis points to 28.1 percent of factory sales in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with 28.6 percent a year earlier.
Retail sales decreased 12.2 percent to approximately $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of FY2016, versus approximately $1.3 million in the year-earlier period, due to the closure or sale of certain cafés operated primarily by U-Swirl.
Same-store sales at all Company-owned locations increased 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of FY2016 when compared with the year-earlier quarter.
Royalties and marketing fees decreased 2.1 percent to approximately $2.0 million in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with approximately $2.1 million in the prior-year period, due to a decrease of 9.5 percent in the average number of domestic franchised locations in operation, primarily as a result of domestic store and café closures exceeding domestic store and café openings.
Franchise fees decreased 2.2 percent to approximately $105,000 in the fourth quarter of FY2016, versus approximately $107,000 in the year-earlier period.
A loss from operations of ($647,000) was realized during the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with income from operations of $1,635,000 in the prior-year period. The change in operating income resulted from charges related to the impairment of goodwill, charges related to impairing certain Company-owned café long lived assets and a 1.4 percent decrease in revenue.
During the fourth quarter of FY2016, Rocky Mountain incurred approximately a $2,327,000 charge associated with the impairment of U-Swirl goodwill and an impairment of certain U-Swirl retail assets. In the fourth quarter of FY2016, RMCF performed a test of impairment as a result of the change in ownership and the result of our test indicated a full impairment of the U-Swirl goodwill.
Interest expense, net of interest income, totaled $42,000 in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with net interest expense of $44,000 in the year-earlier period.
A pretax loss of ($689,000) was realized in the fourth quarter of FY2016, versus pretax income of $1,591,000 in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. The company recognized an income tax benefit of $1,548,000 in the fourth quarter, compared with an effective rate of 35.3 percent, an expense of $669,000, in FY2015.
An income tax benefit of approximately $2,149,000 was recognized during the fourth quarter as a result of the company foreclosing upon the interest in U-Swirl and recognizing tax assets reserved for when U-Swirl was a separate tax entity. RMCF will consolidate U-Swirl in the future resulting in realization of U-Swirl tax assets that previously has a full valuation allowance.
Consolidated net income, before adjusting for the net loss attributable to non-controlling interest was $859,000 in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with consolidated net income of $922,000 in the fourth quarter of FY2015.
Net income attributable to RMCF shareholders (after deducting the net loss attributable to non-controlling interest) increased 76.1 percent to $2,442,000, or $0.42 per basic and $0.41 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with net income attributable to RMCF shareholders of $1,387,000, or $0.23 per basic and $0.22 per diluted share, in the year-earlier period.
U-Swirl recorded a net loss of ($2,595,000) in the fourth quarter of FY2016, compared with a net loss of ($763,000) in the fourth quarter of FY2015, primarily the result of the impairment of goodwill and certain café long-lived assets.
Adjusted EBITDA decreased 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of FY2016 to $2,183,000, versus $2,242,000 in the fourth quarter of FY2015.
The board has declared a first quarter cash dividend of $0.12 per common share outstanding. The cash dividend will be payable June 17, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 7, 2016. ■