Arturo Rodriguez
Analyst · ROTH MKM. Please go ahead
Thank you, Yaniv, and good day, everyone. Here are the financial performance details of our first quarter. For the first quarter of 2023, net revenues declined 16.3% to $34.9 million from $41.7 million in the year ago quarter, primarily due to reduced consumer demand, offset by our strategic initiatives to sell off higher priced inventory and normalized inventory levels. Looking at our first quarter net revenue by phase, the $34.9 million broke down as follows; 28.6 million sustained, $0.2 million in launch and $6.1 million in liquidate and inventory normalization. The year ago quarter net revenue of $41.7 million by phase broke down as follows; $38.0 million in sustained, $0.8 million in launch and $2.9 million in liquidate and inventory normalization. Our sustained net revenue decrease of $9.4 million related to some revenue shifting into liquidation phase and general consumer softness. Our liquidation net revenue increased by $3.2 million from our strategic initiative to sell off higher priced inventory to normalize inventory levels. Our launch revenue in the quarter was slightly lower and the revenues attributed to new valuation of existing products. We are planning new product introductions in 2023, though the timing will be opportunistic. Overall gross margin for the first quarter declined to 54.8% from 56.6% in the year ago quarter, but increased from 37.1% in Q4 2022. Our decrease in margins in the quarter versus year ago quarters primarily attributed to our strategic initiatives to sell off higher priced inventory normalized inventory levels. Our overall Q1 contribution margin as defined in our earnings release was 5.9%, which decreased compared to prior year CM of 9.2%, but increase compared to fourth quarter 2022 of a negative 11.5%. The year-over-year decline is primarily attributable to higher liquidation revenue from our strategic initiative to sell off higher priced inventory and normalized inventory levels. Our Q1 2023 saw our sustained product contribution margin essentially unchanged year-over-year at 12.6% versus 12.5% in Q1 2022. We expect our sustained contribution margin improved sequentially as we progress in the second half of 2023. Looking deeper into our contribution margin for Q1 2023, our variable sales and distribution expense as a percentage of net revenues increased to 48.8%, as compared to 47.5% in the year ago quarter. This increase in sales and distribution expenses is predominantly due to the product mix, an increase in e-commerce platform service provider fulfillment fees and an increase in the last mile shipping costs, specifically for oversize goods. We do expect our sales and distribution expenses as a percentage of net revenues to improve as we progressed in the second half of 2023. Our operating loss for the quarter of $25 million improved by 30% from $36.2 million in the year ago quarter, as we continue to normalize our business from the impacts of supply chain and strengthen our balance sheet. Our first quarter 2023 operating loss includes $2.3 million of non-cash stock compensation, a non-cash loss of intangibles of $16.7 million. Our first quarter 2022 operating loss includes $2.8 million of non-cash stock compensation, a non-cash loss on goodwill of $29 million and a positive change in fair value of contingent earn-out liability of $2.8 million. Our net loss for the quarter of $25.8 million improved by 39% from $42.8 million in the year ago quarter as we continue to normalize our business from the impact of the supply chain strengthen our balance sheet. Our first quarter 2023 net loss includes $2.3 million of non-cash stock compensation, a non-cash loss of intangible of $16.7 million and a gain of $0.4 million of the fair value warrant liabilities. Our first quarter 2022 net loss includes a non-cash loss of goodwill of $29 million, $2.3 million non-cash stock compensation expense, impacts related to the equity issuance and warrants of $7.6 million, $2.0 million from the gain on settlement from seller note and $2.8 million gain on change in fair value of the earn-out. Adjusted EBITDA loss of $4.3 million as defined in our earnings release, improved from a loss of $4.5 million in the first quarter of 2022. Our strategic decision of liquidating higher cost inventory and normalizing our inventory levels impacted our adjusted EBITDA in the period. However, this is a very important effort that puts us on a path to get back to stronger contribution margins and adjusted EBITDA profitability in the second half of 2023 and strengthens our balance sheet. Going to the balance sheet. At March 31st, we had cash of approximately $33.9 million, compared to $43.6 million at the end of December 31, 2022. This decrease in cash, as expected, is predominantly driven by our net loss in the period, $1.6 million in net flows, outflows from working capital and repayments of approximately $2.1 million of our credit facility. We continue to normalize inventory levels in the first quarter of 2023 by liquidating our higher cost inventory and are on track to completing this effort in the second quarter. At March 31st, our inventory level was $40.4 million, down from $43.7 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 and down from $75.4 million in a year ago quarter. Our credit facility balance at the end of the first quarter of 2023 was $19.1 million, down from $21.1 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. As we look at Q2 2023, taking account the impact on inflation and reduction in consumer spend, we believe net revenues will be between $37 million and $44 million. This represents a decrease in the same quarter last year of approximately 30% using the middle of the range. We expect to continue to see similar softness in the remainder of the year. For Q2 2023, we expect adjusted EBITDA loss to be in the range of $5.2 million to $6.2 million, including the estimated restructuring impact of $1 million from our workforce reduction. With our annual -- announced annualized savings of $6 million from our workforce reduction offsetting our continued expectation of softness in consumer spend, we continue to be on the path to reach our target of adjusted EBITDA profitability in the second half of 2023. In closing, we announced difficult decisions, which will impact our workforce. But we will be think of it to many colleagues these impacts will ultimately make Aterian strong. With our continued focus on efficiency, we continue to progress on our path towards adjusted EBITDA profitability in the second half of 2023. The past 12 months, we spent a great amount of time focusing on strengthening our balance sheet to ensure we can navigate the uncertainties ahead. We believe we’ve accomplished this, and today, our balance sheet is strong, with our cash balance, our normalized inventory levels and continued access to our credit facility with midcap, we believe we have the flexibility to navigate the current macroeconomic environment as it continues to unfold and further allows us to be laser-focused on driving our core business. With that, I’ll turn it back to the Operator to open the call up to questions.