Arhaus, Inc. (ARHS) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
We have prepared this Management's Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) as an aid to understanding our financial results. It should be read together with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes. It includes management’s analysis of past financial results and certain potential factors that may affect future results, potential future risks and approaches that may be used to manage those risks. Some of the statements we make in this section are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section in this Report entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” In addition to the discussion of potential risks discussed in MD&A, certain other risk factors may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see the section in this Annual Report entitled “Risk Factors.”
This discussion and analysis addresses 2023 and 2022 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Discussions regarding our financial condition and results of operations for 2022 compared to 2021 not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Revision of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements
This “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” has been amended to give effect to the revision of our consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statements of cash flows, as more fully described in Note 1 – Nature of Business to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Revision of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements
Overview
Arhaus is a rapidly growing lifestyle brand and premium retailer in the U.S. home furnishings market, specializing in livable luxury supported by globally-sourced, heirloom-quality merchandise. We offer a differentiated direct-to-consumer approach to furniture and décor. Our curated assortments are presented across our sales channels in sophisticated, family friendly and unique lifestyle settings. We offer merchandise assortments across a number of categories, including furniture, outdoor, lighting, textiles, and décor. Our products, designed to be used and enjoyed throughout the home, are sourced directly from factories and vendors with no wholesale or dealer markup, allowing us to offer an exclusive assortment at an attractive value. Our direct sourcing network consists of more than 400 vendors, some of whom we have had relationships with since our founding. Our product development teams work alongside our direct sourcing partners to bring to market proprietary merchandise that is a great value to clients, while delivering attractive margins.
We believe in providing a dynamic and welcoming experience in our Showrooms and online with the conviction that retail is theater. Our national omni-channel business positions our retail locations as Showrooms for our brand, while our website acts as a virtual extension of our Showrooms. Our theater-like Showrooms are highly inspirational and function as an invaluable brand awareness vehicle. Our seasoned sales associates and in-home designers provide expert advice and assistance to our client base that drives significant client engagement. Our omni-channel model allows clients to begin or end their shopping journey online, while also experiencing our theater-like Showrooms throughout the shopping journey. As of December 31, 2023, we operated 92 Showrooms in 29 states, consisting of 80 Traditional Showrooms, 8 Design Studios and 4 Outlets.
Factors Affecting Our Business
Our business performance and results of operations have been, and will continue to be, affected by the factors described below. While each of these key factors presents significant opportunities for our business, they also pose challenges that we must successfully address in order to sustain growth, improve our results of operations and achieve and maintain profitability.
Overall Economic Trends. The industry in which we operate is cyclical. Consequently, our net revenue is affected by general economic conditions including conditions that affect the housing market and economic factors including the health and volatility of the stock market. We target consumers of high-end home furnishings. As a result, we believe that our sales are sensitive to a number of macroeconomic factors that influence consumer spending generally, and that our sales are particularly affected by the health of the higher end consumer and demand levels from that consumer demographic. While the overall home furnishings market may be influenced by factors such as employment levels, interest rates, new household formation and the affordability of homes for first time home buyers, the higher end of the housing market may be disproportionately influenced by other factors, including stock market prices, the number of second and third homes being purchased and sold, tax policies, interest rates, and perceived capital appreciation prospects in higher end real estate. Shifts in consumption patterns may continue to have an impact on consumer spending in the U.S. premium home furnishings market. In the past, we have
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experienced volatility in our sales trends related to many of these factors and believe our sales may be impacted by these economic factors in future periods.
Housing Market and Housing Turnover. Our business depends on consumer demand for our products and is therefore sensitive to a number of factors that influence consumer spending, including, among other things, housing prices, new construction, other activity in the housing sector, the state of the mortgage industry and other aspects of consumer credit tied to housing, including the availability and pricing of mortgage refinancing and home equity lines of credit. In particular, periods of increased or decreased home purchases may lead to increased or decreased consumer spending on home furnishings.
Our Strategic Initiatives. We are in the process of implementing a number of business initiatives that have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our results of operations. These initiatives include expanding our Showroom footprint, enhancing our digital marketing capabilities and eCommerce platform, optimizing our product assortment, expanding our supply chain infrastructure and continuing to invest in technology and related enhancements. As a result of the number of current business initiatives we are pursuing, we have experienced in the past, and may experience in the future, significant period-to-period variability in our financial performance and results of operations. While we anticipate that these initiatives will support the growth of our business, costs and timing issues associated with pursuing these initiatives can negatively affect our growth rates in the near term and may amplify fluctuations in our growth rates from quarter to quarter.
Our Ability to Source and Distribute Products Effectively. Our net revenue and gross margin are affected by our ability to purchase merchandise in sufficient quantities at competitive prices. Our level of net revenue has been adversely affected in prior periods by supply chain constraints, including the inability of our vendors to produce or ship sufficient quantities of some merchandise to match market demand from our clients, leading to higher levels of client backlog.
Consumer Preferences and Demand. Our ability to maintain our appeal with existing clients and to attract new clients depends on our ability to design, develop and offer a compelling product assortment responsive to client preferences and design trends. If we misjudge the market for our products or the product lines that we acquire, we may be faced with excess inventories for some products and may be required to become more promotional in our selling activities, which would impact our net revenue and gross margin.
Seasonality in Quarterly Results. Our quarterly results vary depending upon a variety of factors, including changes in our product offerings and the introduction of new merchandise assortments and categories, the opening of new retail locations, shifts in the timing of various events quarter over quarter including holidays and other events such as Showroom closures, catalog releases, promotional events and the extent of our realization of the costs and benefits of our numerous strategic initiatives, among other things. As a result of these factors, our working capital requirements and demands on our distribution and delivery network may fluctuate during the year. Unique factors in any given quarter may affect period-to-period comparisons among the quarters being compared, and the results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that we may achieve for a full year.
For example, our large catalogs in the spring and fall may drive higher demand in the months they are released than in the other months in the year. Variable expenses related to demand will also be higher in those months. Net revenue related to demand is recorded in later months, depending on when the client obtains control of the merchandise.
How We Assess the Performance of Our Business
In addition to U.S. GAAP results, this 10-K contains references to the non-GAAP financial measures below. We use these non-GAAP measures to help assess the performance of our business, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions. In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we believe that providing these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to our investors as they present an informative supplemental view of our results from period-to-period by removing the effect of non-recurring items.
The non-GAAP financial measures presented herein are specific to us and may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies because of differing methods used by other companies in calculating them. These measures are also not intended to be measures of free cash flow for management’s discretionary use, as they do not reflect tax payments, debt service requirements and certain other cash costs that may recur in the future, including, among other things, cash requirements for working capital needs. Management compensates for these limitations by relying on our U.S. GAAP results in addition to using these non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. We consider the following financial and operating measures that affect our results of operations:
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Net Revenue and Demand. Net revenue is recognized when a client obtains control of the merchandise. We also track demand in our business which is a key performance indicator linked to the level of client orders placed. Demand is an operating metric that we use to measure the dollar value of orders (based on purchase price) at the time the order is placed, net of the dollar value of cancellations and returns (based on unpaid purchase price and amount credited to client). These orders are recognized as net revenue when a client obtains control of the merchandise. Because demand is measured net of cancellations, all demand will eventually become net revenue, with appropriate reserves, when delivered to the client.
Comparable Growth. Comparable growth is the year-over-year percentage change of the dollar value of orders delivered (based on purchase price), net of the dollar value of returns (based on amount credited to client), from comparable Showrooms and eCommerce, including through our catalogs and other mailings. This metric is a key performance indicator used by management to evaluate Showroom performance for locations that have been opened for at least 15 consecutive months, which enables management to view the performance of those Showrooms without the dollar value of orders delivered for new Showrooms being included. Comparable Showrooms are defined as permanent Showrooms open for at least 15 consecutive months, including relocations in the same market. Showrooms record demand immediately upon opening, while orders delivered take additional time because product must be delivered to the client. The dollar value of orders delivered for Outlet comparable locations is included.
Demand Comparable Growth. Demand comparable growth is the year-over-year percentage change of demand from our comparable Showrooms and eCommerce, including through our catalogs and other direct mailings. This metric is a key performance indicator used by management to evaluate Showroom demand performance for locations that have been opened for at least 13 consecutive months, which enables management to view the performance of those Showrooms without new Showroom demand included. For demand purposes, comparable Showrooms are defined as permanent Showrooms open for at least 13 consecutive months, including relocations in the same market. Outlet comparable location demand is included.
Demand comparable growth provides insight into business levels in a particular period by comparing the dollar value of orders (based on purchase price) placed in that period to the prior comparable period. Although these orders do not result in net revenue until the order is delivered at a later point in time, management utilizes this metric to evaluate core performance.
Comparable growth is an additional measure that management utilizes to compare the dollar value of orders delivered (based on purchase price) in a period compared to the prior comparable period. Since delivery generally coincides with recognition of net revenue, with appropriate reserves, comparable growth trends will more closely track trends in reported net revenue than demand comparable growth trends. While increases or decreases in demand comparable growth will translate into increases or decreases in comparable growth over time, the trends do not necessarily correlate in any particular period. This is partially due to the general lag in time between when an order is placed and when an order is delivered. When the time gap from order to delivery increases, due to supply chain challenges for example, it may take longer for comparable growth to reflect demand comparable growth. Notwithstanding these limitations, management considers it useful to assess both measures together to get a more complete picture of overall performance trends, and believes these measures can be useful to investors for the same purpose, when viewed together with our reported results and other metrics.
Showroom Data. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we operated the following:
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Showrooms | 80 | 72 | ||
| Design Studios | 8 | 6 | ||
| Outlets | 4 | 3 | ||
| Total Showrooms | 92 | 81 | ||
| Total Square Footage (in thousands) | 1,438 | 1,308 | ||
| Showrooms with in-home designers | 78 | 65 | ||
| States where we operate | 29 | 29 |
Gross Margin. Gross margin is equal to our net revenue less cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes the direct cost of purchased merchandise, inventory shrinkage, inbound freight, all freight costs to get merchandise to our Showrooms, credit card fees, design, buying and allocation costs, our supply chain, such as product development and sourcing, occupancy costs related to Showroom operations, such as rent and common area maintenance for our leases, depreciation and amortization of leasehold improvements, equipment and other assets in our Showrooms. In addition, cost of goods sold includes all logistics
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costs associated with shipping product to our clients, partially offset by delivery fees collected from clients (recorded in net revenue on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income).
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses include all operating costs not included in cost of goods sold. These expenses include payroll and payroll related expenses, Showroom expenses other than occupancy and expenses related to many of our operations at our distribution centers and corporate headquarters, including marketing, information technology, legal, human resources, utilities and depreciation and amortization expense. Payroll includes both fixed compensation and variable compensation. Variable compensation includes Showroom commissions and Showroom bonus compensation related to demand, likely before the client obtains control of the merchandise. Variable compensation is not significant in our eCommerce channel. All new Showroom opening expenses, other than occupancy, are included in SG&A expenses and are expensed as incurred. We expect certain of these expenses to continue to increase as we open new Showrooms, develop new product categories and otherwise pursue our current business initiatives. SG&A expenses as a percentage of net revenue are usually higher in lower-volume quarters and lower in higher-volume quarters because a significant portion of the costs are fixed.
EBITDA. We define EBITDA as consolidated net income before depreciation and amortization, interest expense (income), net and income tax expense.
Adjusted EBITDA. We believe that adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure of operating performance as the adjustments eliminate items that we believe are not reflective of underlying operating performance in a particular period. Adjusted EBITDA facilitates a comparison of our operating performance on a consistent basis from period-to-period and provides for a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business.
Because adjusted EBITDA omits certain non-cash items and items that we believe are not reflective of underlying operating performance in a particular period, we feel that it is less susceptible to variances in actual performance resulting from depreciation, amortization and other non-cash charges and can be more reflective of our operating performance in a particular period. We also use adjusted EBITDA as a method for planning and forecasting overall expected performance and for evaluating, on a quarterly and annual basis, actual results against such expectations.
The following is a reconciliation of our net and comprehensive income to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:
| Year Ended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||
| (In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Net and comprehensive income | $ | 125,239 | $ | 136,634 | ||
| Interest expense (income), net | (3,351) | 3,387 | ||||
| Income tax expense | 43,450 | 45,944 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 29,442 | 24,901 | ||||
| EBITDA | 194,780 | 210,866 | ||||
| Equity based compensation | 7,909 | 4,288 | ||||
| Other expenses(1) | 792 | 7,382 | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 203,481 | $ | 222,536 |
(1) Other expenses represent costs and investments not indicative of ongoing business performance, such as public offering costs, third-party consulting costs, one-time project start-up costs, severance, signing bonuses, recruiting and project-based strategic initiatives. For the year ended December 31, 2023, these other expenses consisted largely of $0.5 million of public offering costs. For the year ended December 31, 2022, these other expenses consisted largely of $5.0 million of costs related to the opening and set-up of our Dallas distribution center and $1.6 million of severance, signing bonuses and recruiting costs.
Factors Affecting the Comparability of our Results of Operations
Our results over the past two years have been affected by the following events, which must be understood in order to assess the comparability of our period-to-period financial performance and condition.
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Showroom Openings and Closings
New Showrooms contribute incremental expense, new Showroom opening expense and net revenue to the Company. From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023, we successfully opened or relocated 18 new Showrooms. Our recent Showroom growth is summarized in the following table:
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showrooms open at beginning of period | 81 | 79 | ||
| Showrooms opened (1) | 14 | 4 | ||
| Showrooms closed for relocations | (3) | (1) | ||
| Showrooms closed permanently | — | (1) | ||
| Showrooms open at end of period | 92 | 81 |
(1) Showrooms opened during the respective periods includes both new and relocated Showrooms.
Results of Operations
The following tables summarize key components of our results of operations for the periods indicated and should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Data:
| Year Ended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||
| (In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Net revenue | $ | 1,287,704 | $ | 1,228,928 | ||
| Cost of goods sold | 747,281 | 703,869 | ||||
| Gross margin | 540,423 | 525,059 | ||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 376,112 | 340,388 | ||||
| Income from operations | 164,311 | 184,671 | ||||
| Interest expense (income), net | (3,351) | 3,387 | ||||
| Other income | (1,027) | (1,294) | ||||
| Income before taxes | 168,689 | 182,578 | ||||
| Income tax expense | 43,450 | 45,944 | ||||
| Net and comprehensive income | $ | 125,239 | $ | 136,634 |
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Other Operational Data:
| Year Ended | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | |||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Net revenue | $ | 1,287,704 | $ | 1,228,928 | |
| Comparable growth | 1.4 | % | 51.6 | % | |
| Demand comparable growth | 7.6 | % | 13.8 | % | |
| Gross margin as a % of net revenue | 42.0 | % | 42.7 | % | |
| Selling, general and administrative expenses as a % of net revenue | 29.2 | % | 27.7 | % | |
| Income from operations as a % of net revenue | 12.8 | % | 15.0 | % | |
| Net and comprehensive income | $ | 125,239 | $ | 136,634 | |
| Net and comprehensive income as a % of net revenue | 9.7 | % | 11.1 | % | |
| Adjusted EBITDA(1) | $ | 203,481 | $ | 222,536 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA as a % of net revenue | 15.8 | % | 18.1 | % | |
| Total Showrooms at end of period | 92 | 81 |
(1) See “How We Assess the Performance of Our Business” for a definition of adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
Net Revenue
Net revenue increased $58.8 million, or 4.8%, to $1,287.7 million in 2023 compared to $1,228.9 million in 2022. The increase was driven primarily by increased demand for our products in both Showrooms and eCommerce channels, as well as elements of our supply chain continuing to catch up with client demand.
Comparable growth was 1.4% in 2023 compared to 51.6% in 2022. Demand comparable growth was 7.6% in 2023 compared to 13.8% in 2022.
Gross Margin
Gross margin increased $15.3 million, or 2.9%, to $540.4 million in 2023 compared to $525.1 million in 2022. The increase was driven by the increase in net revenue, partially offset by increased expense related to the higher net revenue, including $16.1 million of higher product costs, $10.6 million of increased Showroom costs, $9.8 million of increased transportation costs and $3.6 million of higher credit card fees related to higher demand during these time periods.
As a percentage of net revenue, gross margin decreased 70 basis points to 42.0% of net revenue in 2023 compared to 42.7% of net revenue in 2022. The gross margin decrease as a percentage of net revenue was primarily the result of higher Showroom costs, transportation costs and credit card fees, which together increased 100 basis points as a percentage of net revenue. This was partially offset by favorable product costs, contributing 40 basis points as a percentage of net revenue.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
SG&A expenses increased $35.7 million, or 10.5%, to $376.1 million in 2023 compared to $340.4 million in 2022. The increase was primarily driven by a $19.2 million increase in corporate expenses to support the growth of the business, a $15.8 million increase in selling expenses primarily related to new Showrooms and higher demand, the donation to The Nature Conservancy of $10.0 million and a $3.6 million increase in stock based compensation expense. This was partially offset by a $7.5 million decrease in warehouse expenses and the non-recurring costs of $5.0 million related to the opening and set-up of our Dallas distribution center.
As a percentage of net revenue, selling, general and administrative expenses increased 150 basis points to 29.2% of net revenue in 2023 compared to 27.7% of net revenue in 2022.
Interest Expense (Income), net
Interest expense (income), net decreased $6.7 million in 2023 compared 2022. The decrease was driven by interest income earned on money market fund investments and interest-bearing checking accounts of $8.8 million.
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Income Taxes
Income tax expense was $43.5 million in 2023 compared to $45.9 million in 2022. Our effective tax rate was 25.8% in 2023 and 25.2% in 2022.
Net and Comprehensive Income
Net and comprehensive income decreased $11.4 million to $125.2 million in 2023 compared to $136.6 million in 2022. The decrease was driven by the factors described above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity Outlook
Our primary cash needs have historically been for merchandise inventories, payroll, marketing catalogs, Showroom rent, capital expenditures associated with opening new Showrooms and updating existing Showrooms, as well as the development of our infrastructure and information technology. We seek out and evaluate opportunities for effectively managing and deploying capital in ways that improve working capital and support and enhance our business initiatives and strategies. As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $223.1 million.
In 2021, the Company entered into a revolving credit facility (the “2021 Credit Facility”). The 2021 Credit Facility provides for, among other things, (1) a revolving credit facility, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such lender’s commitment, (2) a letter of credit commitment, in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $10.0 million, and (b) the amount of the revolving credit facility as of such date, and (3) a swingline loan, in an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $5.0 million, and (b) the amount of the revolving credit facility as of such date. The aggregate amount of all commitments of all lenders under the 2021 Credit Facility was initially $50.0 million. The 2021 Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants and has certain financial covenants, including a minimum rent-adjusted total leverage ratio and minimum fixed charge ratio. The 2021 Credit Facility bears variable interest rates at the prevailing Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield index rate plus the applicable margin (1.50% at December 31, 2023 and 1.50% at December 31, 2022), whereas the applicable margin is adjusted quarterly based on the Company’s consolidated rent-adjusted total leverage ratio.
On December 9, 2022, the Company amended the 2021 Credit Facility to increase the revolving credit commitment thereunder by $25.0 million. After giving effect to such increase, the aggregate amount of all commitments under the 2021 Credit Facility is $75.0 million. The 2021 Credit Facility expires on November 8, 2026. At December 31, 2023, we had no borrowings on the 2021 Credit Facility.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our principal sources of liquidity were cash flows from operations. We believe our operating cash flows will be sufficient to meet working capital requirements and fulfill other capital needs for at least the next 12 months, although we may enter into borrowing arrangements in the future.
While we do not require debt to fund our operations, our goal continues to be to position the Company to take advantage of the many opportunities that we may identify in connection with our business and operations. We have pursued in the past, and may pursue in the future, additional strategies to generate capital to pursue opportunities and investments, including new debt financing arrangements. In addition to funding the normal operations of our business, we have used our liquidity to fund investments and strategies such as supply chain expansion and growth initiatives. In addition, our needs and uses of capital may change in the future due to changes in our business or new opportunities that we choose to pursue.
Capital Expenditures
Historically, we have invested significant capital expenditures in opening new Showrooms and these capital expenditures have increased in the past and may continue to increase in future periods as we open additional Showrooms. Our capital expenditures include expenditures related to investing activities and outflows of capital related to construction activities to design and build landlord-owned leased assets, net of tenant allowances received. Certain lease arrangements require the landlord to fund a portion of the construction related costs through payments directly to us. New Showrooms may require different levels of capital investment on our part in the future.
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Cash Flow Analysis
The following table provides a summary of our cash provided by operating, investing and financing activities:
| Year Ended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||
| (In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 172,299 | $ | 73,178 | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (96,722) | (51,382) | ||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (1,799) | (177) | ||||
| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | 73,778 | $ | 21,619 |
Net cash provided by operating activities
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
Operating activities consist primarily of net income adjusted for non-cash items including depreciation and amortization, operating lease amortization, deferred income taxes, equity based compensation and the effect of changes in working capital and other activities.
For 2023, net cash provided by operating activities was $172.3 million and consisted of net income of $125.2 million and an increase in non-cash items of $90.9 million, which were partially offset by a change in working capital and other activities of $43.8 million. The use of cash from working capital was primarily driven by a decrease in client deposits of $28.8 million, a decrease in operating lease liabilities of $25.8 million primarily due to payments made under the related lease agreements, an increase in prepaid and other assets of $20.7 million, a decrease in accrued expenses of $1.5 million, which were partially offset by a decrease in merchandise inventory of $32.1 million and an increase in accounts payable of $1.2 million.
For 2022, net cash provided by operating activities was $73.2 million and consisted of net income of $136.6 million, an increase in non-cash items of $80.4 million, which were partially offset by a change in working capital and other activities of $143.8 million. The use of cash from working capital was primarily driven by an increase in merchandise inventory of $78.1 million, a decrease in client deposits of $62.3 million due to improved delivery of our backlog orders and lower demand comparable growth in 2022, a decrease in operating lease liabilities of $33.7 million primarily due to payments made under the related lease agreements, an increase in prepaid and other assets of $6.9 million, which were partially offset by an increase in accrued expenses $27.7 million, an increase in accounts payable of $10.3 million.
Net cash used in investing activities
Investing activities consist primarily of capital expenditures related to investments in retail Showrooms, information technology and systems infrastructure upgrades as well as supply chain investments.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
For 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $96.7 million primarily due to investments in Showrooms, supply chain expansion and information technology and systems infrastructure.
For 2022, net cash used in investing activities was $51.4 million primarily due to investments in supply chain expansion, Showrooms and information technology and systems infrastructure.
Historical capital expenditures are summarized as follows:
| Year Ended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||
| (In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | 96,722 | $ | 51,382 | ||
| Less: Landlord contributions | 21,900 | 16,159 | ||||
| Total capital expenditures, net of landlord contributions | $ | 74,822 | $ | 35,223 |
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Total company funded capital expenditures increased by $39.6 million in 2023 compared to 2022. This increase was primarily related to the opening of new Showrooms.
Net cash used in financing activities
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022
For 2023, net cash used in financing activities was $1.8 million, primarily due to the repurchase of shares for payment of withholding taxes for equity based compensation.
For 2022, net cash used in financing activities was $0.2 million, which represents principal payments under finance leases.
Off-Balance Sheet Transactions
Our liquidity is currently not dependent on the use of off-balance sheet transactions. We had no material off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2023.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States which requires that certain estimates and assumptions be made that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and related notes, as well as the related disclosures. We evaluate our accounting policies, estimates, and judgments on an on-going basis. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions and such differences could be material to the consolidated financial statements. Information on all of our significant accounting policies can be found in Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our consolidated financial statements.
The following critical accounting policy reflects the significant estimates and/or judgments used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Long Lived Assets
The Company evaluates long-lived assets, such as property, furniture and equipment and lease right-of-use assets, or asset groups for impairment whenever events or change in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of those assets may not be recoverable. Circumstances that may indicate impairment include changes in the assets or asset groups expected use, physical condition, market price, cash flow generation, significant adverse legal events, and any asset or asset group specific events. When such events or circumstances are present, we assess the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value will be recovered through the expected undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset. If the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows over the remaining life of the asset are less than the carrying value, the Company will recognize an impairment charge equal to the difference between the carrying value and the fair value, usually determined by the estimated discounted future cash flows associated with the asset.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements regarding the impact or potential impact of recent accounting pronouncements.