Bark, Inc. (BARK) FY 2023 MD&A

Overview

We believe that dogs and humans are better together and we aspire to be the world’s favorite dog brand. We are a team of dog-obsessed people committed to delivering personalization at scale by satisfying each dog’s distinct personality, preferences, and needs with the best products and services. Since our founding in 2011, we have happily served millions of dogs and their people.

We are a vertically integrated, omnichannel brand serving dogs across two key categories: toys & accessories and consumables. All of our products are designed, developed, and branded BARK. We leverage an ever-growing collection of first-party data, customer insights, and machine learning to deliver personalized products and experiences tailored to the needs of each and every dog we serve. Our products are sold direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) and through our network of retail partners, which currently spans over 40,000 doors across the U.S.

We began our journey with BarkBox – a monthly-themed subscription of toys and treats, tailored to the needs of each customer based on their dog’s size, play style, allergies, and more. By viewing each dog as an individual, and by creating magical experiences for our customers, we have been able to build lasting relationships with millions of dogs and their parents. Our customer service (“Happy Team”) proactively engages around 200,000 customers each month. We use the valuable data from these customer interactions to inform the design and development of future products, and we leverage it along with machine learning technology to recommend additional products to our customers through cross-selling and Add-to-Box (“ATB”).

More recently, we have entered exciting, and much larger categories in the consumables space, which include kibble, treats, toppers, supplements, and dental products. This expansion has significantly increased our total addressable market and the number of customers we can serve. We believe that our growing first-party dataset, strong brand, and loyal customer base afford us a meaningful advantage and opportunity to win market share in these newer categories.

Factors Affecting Our Performance

We believe that our performance and future success depend on several factors that present significant opportunities for us but also pose risks and challenges, including those discussed below and in the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K titled “Risk Factors.”

Investments in growth

Our ability to increase the number of total orders and cross category purchasing is a key factor in our future growth and will be driven by our marketing and from the development of new products, primarily in the consumables space. As a result, we expect to continue to focus on long-term growth through investments in product offerings and the dog and dog parent experience. We are working to enhance our offerings and expand the breadth of the products and offerings especially in consumables. We expect to make additional investments in marketing to acquire new customers.

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Expansion of new offerings

Another key factor in our future performance is our ability to increase our average order value (“AOV”), which involves introducing new products into our portfolio. We expect to continue to invest in the expansion of our product offerings, particularly in the consumables space, as we seek to attract new customers as well as growing sales with our existing customers. This expansion may require additional financial investments in headcount, marketing, customer acquisition expenses, operational capabilities and inventory. If we are unable to generate sufficient demand for these new offerings, we may not recover the financial investments and revenue may not increase as desired.

Certain global events, conditions and challenges

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to impact our business will depend on future developments related to any resurgence or geographic spread of the disease, any mutations or emergence of new diseases, and the duration and severity of potential outbreaks. In the past, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in travel restrictions, required social distancing, business closures, governmental and business disruptions, and other actions taken by the United States government and the governments of other countries. While conditions appear to have improved, the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, unprecedented and unexpected effects on the global economy, civil society, labor markets, and certain industries. As a result, it is difficult to predict the magnitude or scope of the impact that these effects may have directly, or indirectly, on our business, operating results and financial condition in the future.

In the past, we have experienced increases in inbound freight costs due to the challenges in the import market, as transpacific ships and trade lanes continue to be overburdened with volume and experience a significant shortage of equipment and capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other macroeconomic challenges affecting the global supply chain. Increases in freight costs and supply chain disruptions may continue and could impact our business, in particular as a result of global conditions that are created or driven by market factors or international events, such as increased inflation and the war in the Ukraine.

Although we have no operations in or direct exposure to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, we have experienced limited constraints in availability and increasing costs required to obtain some materials and supplies due, in part, to the negative impact of the war in the Ukraine on the global economy. To date, our business has not been materially impacted by the conflict, however, as the conflict continues or worsens, it may impact our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Macroeconomic events and challenges

To date, various central banks around the world (including the Federal Reserve in the United States) have raised interest rates. While these rate increases have not had a significant adverse impact on our financial condition to date, the impact of such rate increases on the overall financial markets and the economy may adversely impact us in the future. In addition, the global economy has experienced and is continuing to experience high levels of inflation. To date, we do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, however, we continue to monitor these inflation and interest rate factors, as well as the uncertainty resulting from the overall economic environment.

Recently, several regional banks abruptly failed, creating uncertainty in the financial markets and potentially affecting the growth of the US and global economies in the future. Although we did not experience any loss related to these failures, if any of the banking institutions in which we deposit funds ultimately fails, continued stress in the banking system and the financial markets could ultimately have a direct or indirect effect on our business.

We cannot predict the duration or magnitude of the risks and challenges discussed above. Please refer to the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and those factors described under “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Key Performance Indicators

We are introducing the following key performance indicators ("KPIs") to more accurately align with the Company's current business operations and strategic focus. These KPIs include Total Orders and Average Order Value (Direct To Consumer revenue divided by total orders), encompassing all customer orders, including subscription, auto-ship, and one-off orders. This adjustment better aligns with the current and anticipated ordering cadence of our customers.

Historically, our KPIs were derived solely from subscription-based customers, however, as our business evolves from a pure-play subscription company to a brand selling a diverse catalog of products with flexible purchasing options. We use these metrics to assess our operating performance and believe that these metrics more accurately represent the more product-oriented nature of our business. These key financial and operating metrics should be read in conjunction with the following discussion of our results of operations and financial condition together with our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Total Orders

We define Total Orders as the total number of orders shipped in a given period. These include all orders across all of our product categories, regardless of whether they are purchased on a subscription, auto-ship, or one-off basis.

Average Order Value

Average Order Value (“AOV”) is Direct to Consumer revenue for the period divided by Total Orders for the same period. Previously, AOV was calculated as Direct to Consumer revenue for the period divided by Total Subscriptions. However, as the volume of non-subcription based orders increases, the calculation of AOV using Total Orders will be more accurate.

We had previously used the following key financial and operating metrics to evaluate our business and operations, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, project our future performance, and make strategic decisions. Since becoming a public company in 2021, our business has undergone significant changes. We’ve evolved from a pure-play subscription company to a brand selling a diverse catalog of products with

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the flexibility for customers to purchase all of these products on virtually any cadence they choose. As a result, we no longer believe our historical subscription-based metrics are the most relevant drivers for our business.

Subscription Shipments

We define Subscription Shipments as the total number of subscription product shipments shipped in a given period. Subscription Shipments does not include gift subscriptions or one-time subscription shipments.

Active Subscriptions

We define Active Subscriptions as the total number of unique product subscriptions with at least one shipment during the last 12 months. Active Subscriptions does not include gift subscriptions or one-time subscription purchases.

New Subscriptions

We define New Subscriptions as the number of unique subscriptions with their first shipment occurring in a period.

Customer Acquisition Cost

Customer Acquisition Cost (“CAC”) is a measure of the cost to acquire New Subscriptions in our Direct to Consumer business segment. This unit economic metric indicates how effective we are at acquiring each New Subscription. CAC is a monthly measure defined as media spend in our Direct to Consumer business segment in the period indicated, divided by total New Subscriptions in such period. Direct to Consumer media spend is primarily comprised of internet and social media advertising fees.

Lifetime Value

Lifetime Value ("LTV") is the dollar value of each subscription as measured by the cumulative Direct to Consumer Gross Profit for the average life of the subscription.

Average Order Value (Subscription Shipments)

Historically, we calculated Average Order Value (Subscription Shipments) as Direct to Consumer revenue for the period divided by Subscription Shipments for the same period.

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Components of Our Results of Operations

We operate with two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Commerce, to reflect the way our Chief Executive Officer, who is our Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), reviews and assesses the performance of the business.

Revenue

The Company generates revenue through its Direct to Consumer and Commerce segments, each of which participate in the sale of the Company’s Toys & Accessories and Consumables product lines. See below for additional information.

Toys & Accessories (“toys”)—The majority of our revenue in the toys category is derived from BarkBox and Super Chewer, which are subscription products that feature monthly themed boxes of premium-quality BARK toys and treats that are delivered directly to a dog’s home. Customers have the option to subscribe to these products on monthly, six month, or annual basis. Subscription revenue is recognized at a point in time as control is transferred to the subscriber upon delivery of each monthly box. During the life of their subscription, we offer customers incremental products via ATB, which enables us to cross-sell customers into our full portfolio of products, including kibble, treats, toppers, dental and more. ATB revenue is recognized at a point in time as control is transferred to the customer upon delivery of goods to the subscriber. Over the years, we have become increasingly more effective at cross-selling customers. For example, in fiscal 2023, cross-selling revenue was $41 million, up 35% compared to the prior year.

We also sell toys through our Commerce segment which is a network of retail partners and online major market places. Today, the commerce segment accounts for 11.8% of total revenue. This distribution channel allows us to reach new customers and introduce them to the BARK brand. Commerce revenue derived from our retail partners is recognized net of estimates for sales returns, discounts, markdowns and allowances, after the goods are shipped, or when the retail customer picks up the goods directly from one of our distribution points and control of the goods is transferred to the customer. Online marketplaces revenue is recognized upon delivery of goods to the end customer.

Our toys category also includes revenue derived from the sale of other products such as beds, leashes, apparel, and other miscellaneous products.

The Toys & Accessories product category generated approximately $307.0 million of revenue in fiscal 2023, up 4.3% compared to fiscal 2022. The allocation between Toys & Accessories and Consumables includes estimates and was determined utilizing data on stand-alone selling prices that the Company charges for similar offerings, and also reflects historical pricing practices.

Consumables—The majority of our consumables revenue today is derived from the treats and chews that are included in our Barkbox and Super Chewer boxes. Over the past two years, the Company has expanded into new and larger consumables markets such as kibble, toppers, supplements and dental products. To sell these products, the Company recently launched a new consumables website, food.BARK.co, which contains the majority of its consumables portfolio, all of which can be purchased on a recurring, auto-ship, or one-off basis. Revenue related to food.BARK.co is recognized at a point in time, as control is transferred to the customer upon each delivery.

Treats— Includes treats and chews included in our BarkBox and Super Chewer boxes, as well as the sale of treats on our consumables website. Many of our treats feature monthly themes, similar to our toys. Today, BARK is one of the largest treat brands in the U.S. by revenue, even without any current sales of treats in retail. The Company is currently in discussions with its retail partners to begin selling treats through its retail network.

Toppers—Includes meal-enhancing sprinkles, broths and bites that are added to a dog’s food to enhance the flavor of their food. These toppers are often single ingredient proteins that can be easily added to a dog’s existing meal plan. Toppers are particularly beneficial for picky eaters.

Supplements—Includes a variety of dog supplements such as hip and joint support, and skin and coat support. These products are often targeted at specific breeds that are prone to certain ailments.

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Kibble—We sell a variety of kibble, priced to compete with the mass premium category. While our kibble can be purchased on an individual basis, we entered this market with a breed-based approach that recommends meal plans consisting of a mix of kibble, toppers, and supplements based on the characteristics and personalities of various dog breeds. For example,because German Shepherds are prone to hip issues, we recommend hip and joint support supplements with the purchase of their kibble. If that dog is also a picky eater, we will recommend adding one of our toppers. This enhances our average order value and margin profile.

Dental—Also known as BARK Bright, this category includes a variety of chews and toothpastes aimed at improving your dog’s dental health. BARK Bright eliminates the arduous task of brushing a dog’s teeth while still effectively fighting germs and bad breath. Our BARK Bright dental kit provides an innovative regimen for dog dental care.

Overall, we see significant runway in our consumables category long-term, and anticipate the majority of our future growth may be driven by these product categories.

A table detailing our DTC segment by category can be found below.

(1) The allocation between Toys & Accessories and Consumables includes estimates and was determined utilizing data on stand-alone selling prices that the Company charges for similar offerings, and also reflects historical pricing practices.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue primarily consists of the purchase price of inventory sold, inbound freight costs associated with inventory, shipping supply costs, and inventory shrinkage costs.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses consist of general and administrative and advertising and marketing expenses.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consists primarily of compensation and benefit expenses, including stock-based compensation, fulfillment and shipping costs, which represent costs incurred in operating and staffing fulfillment and customer service centers, including costs attributable to receiving, inspecting, picking, packaging and preparing customer orders for shipment, outbound freight costs associated with shipping orders to customers, and responding to inquiries from customers. General and administrative expenses also includes fees charged by third parties that provide payment processing services, office expense, including rent, insurance and professional service fees.

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Advertising and Marketing

Advertising and marketing expense consists primarily of internet advertising, promotional items, agency fees, other marketing costs and compensation and benefits expenses, including stock-based compensation expense, for employees engaged in advertising and marketing.

Interest Income (Expense), Net

Interest income (expense), net, primarily consists of interest incurred under our line of credit, term loan and convertible promissory notes agreements, and amortization of debt issuance costs, net of income earned on our money market funds and interest-bearing checking accounts.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net, primarily consists of changes in the fair value of our warrant liabilities and loss on extinguishment of debt.

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Results of Operations

We operate in two reportable segments to reflect the way our CODM reviews and assesses the performance of the business. See Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Comparison of the Fiscal Years Ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022

Revenue

Direct to Consumer revenue increased by $23.9 million, or 5.3%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily driven by a $2.18 or 7.3% increase in Average Order Value, due to increased shipping fees and cross selling offset by a 1.8% or 0.3 million decrease in Subscription Shipments during the period.

Commerce revenue increased by $4.0 million, or 6.7%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily driven by the addition of new retail partners since March 31, 2022, as well as volume increases amongst existing retail partners during the period.

Gross Profit

Direct to Consumer and Commerce gross profit increased by $25.2 million and $0.8 million, respectively, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, driven by the $27.9 million increase in revenue during the period, lower costs from our suppliers and a decrease in inventory write-down charges.

Gross profit as a percentage of revenue increased to 57.6% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to 55.6% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. The increase in Direct to Consumer gross profit is primarily attributable to higher subscription AOV, lower costs from our suppliers and a decrease in inventory write-down expenditures.

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Operating Expenses

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expense increased by $1.3 million, or 0.4%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. This increase during the period was primarily due to an increase of $2.1 million in right-of-use asset impairment and increased depreciation charges in connection with vacating our prior headquarters, and $1.8 million restructuring costs relating to the cost reduction initiative announced in February 2023. These increases were offset by a decrease in shipping and fulfillment costs which decreased $1.6 million from $158.6 million as of March 31, 2022 to $157.0 million as of March 31, 2023 due to improvements in our distribution network planning, and better shipping rates in addition to a decrease in professional and legal fees attributable to costs incurred in the prior year associated with the Merger.

Advertising and Marketing

Advertising and marketing expense decreased by $5.6 million, or 7.5%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. The decrease during the period is attributable to a lower media spend in connection with acquiring fewer subscribers during the period.

Interest Income (Expense), Net

Interest income (expense), net decreased by $1.1 million, or 20.0%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily due to the interest income of $1.1 million derived from our money market account and interest-bearing checking accounts.

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Other Income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net decreased by $24.7 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. The decrease in other income (expense), net was primarily due to the $27.8 million decrease of income related to the changes in fair value of our warrant liabilities, offset by an increase in other income of $1.1 million. Additionally, in fiscal 2022 the Company incurred $2.0 million of expense related to the loss on extinguishment of debt incurred from conversion of the convertible promissory notes issued in 2019 and 2020 in connection with the Merger during the prior period.

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Comparison of the Fiscal Years Ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021

Revenue

Direct to Consumer revenue increased by $114.1 million, or 34.2%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. This increase was primarily driven by a 3.3 million, or 28.3%, increase in Subscription Shipments, in addition to a 4.6% increase in average order value during the period.

Commerce revenue increased by $14.7 million, or 32.9%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. This increase was driven by an increase in revenue from existing and new retail partners.

Gross Profit

Direct to Consumer and Commerce gross profit increased by $54.2 million and $2.0 million, respectively, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, driven by the $128.8 million increase in revenue during the period.

Gross profit as a percentage of revenue decreased to 55.6% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to 59.7% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. The decrease is primarily due to charges to make certain adjustments to inventory for shrinkage and slow moving items, an inventory write-down made related to a strategic narrowing of focus on products intended to sell, as well as an increase in costs for inbound freight.

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Operating Expenses

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expense increased by $122.4 million, or 68.2%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. This increase during the period was primarily due to increased fulfillment and shipping costs of $60.9 million attributable to the 28.3% increase in Subscription Shipments and increased third-party shipping rates; increased compensation expense of $32.5 million attributable to an increase in employee headcount, including stock-based compensation expense of $10.8 million; increased audit, professional, and legal fees of $13.4 million primarily related to growth of operations and requirements as a new publicly traded company; and an increase in other general and administrative expenses of $6.1 million.

Other general and administrative expense increased by $6.1 million, or 105%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. The increase during the period is primarily attributable to a donation of dog beds in the fourth quarter which resulted in a $2.0 million increase in donation expense. From time to time, we make voluntary contributions of inventory items to dog-centered causes. This is a strategic initiative that supports our mission to make all dogs happy, promotes our corporate social responsibility credentials, and elevates our brand in the process. The increase is further attributable to an increase in insurance expense of $1.8 million related to requirements as a new publicly traded company, increased freight and transfer expense of $1.3 million, increased fees and penalties of $0.6 million related to shipping charges; and increased bad debt expense of $0.3 million related to retail accounts receivable.

Advertising and Marketing

Advertising and marketing expense increased by $7.4 million, or 11.0%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.The increase during the period was primarily due to increased media advertising spend of $3.7 million, increased marketing costs of $0.4 million and increased employment costs of $3.0 million due to headcount growth. The remaining increase was attributable to increased production costs of $0.2 million.

Interest Expense

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Interest expense decreased by $5.5 million, or 50.0%, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. This decrease was primarily attributable to reduced levels of debt in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income increased by $31.2 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. This increase in other income was primarily due to the $33.2 million of income related to the changes in fair value of our warrant liabilities during the period.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We report our financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, management believes that Adjusted Net Loss, Adjusted Net Loss Margin, Adjusted Net Loss Per Common Share, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, and Free Cash Flow, all non-GAAP financial measures (together the “Non-GAAP Measures”), provide investors with additional useful information in evaluating our performance.

We calculate Adjusted Net Loss as net loss, adjusted to exclude: (1) stock-based compensation expense, (2) change in fair value of warrants and derivatives, (3) sales and use tax expense (income), (4) restructuring charges related to reduction in force payments, (5) executive transition costs, (6) duplicate rent expense incurred as a result of relocating our corporate headquarters, (7) asset impairment charges, (8) transaction costs associated with the Merger, (9) demurrage fees related to freight, and (10) other items (as defined below).

We calculate Adjusted Net Loss Margin by dividing Adjusted Net Loss for the period by Revenue for the period.

We calculate Adjusted Net Loss Per Common Share by dividing Adjusted Net Loss for the period by weighted average common shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the period.

We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as net loss, adjusted to exclude: (1) interest expense (2) depreciation and amortization expense, (3) stock-based compensation expense, (4) change in fair value of warrants and derivatives, (5) sales and use tax expense (income), (6) restructuring charges related to reduction in force payment, (7) executive transition costs (8) duplicate rent expense incurred during the relocation of our corporate headquarters, (9) impairment of assets (10) transaction costs (11) demurrage fees related to freight and (11) other items (as defined below).

We calculate Adjusted EBITDA Margin by dividing Adjusted EBITDA for the period by revenue for the period.

We calculate Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures.

The Non-GAAP Measures are financial measures that are not required by, or presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe that the Non-GAAP Measures, when taken together with our financial results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our operating performance and facilitates internal comparisons of our historical operating performance on a more consistent basis by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook. In particular, we believe that the use of the Non-GAAP Measures are helpful to our investors as they are measures used by management in

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assessing the health of our business, determining incentive compensation and evaluating our operating performance, as well as for internal planning and forecasting purposes.

The Non-GAAP Measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only, have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Some of the limitations of the Non-GAAP Measures include that (1) the measures do not properly reflect capital commitments to be paid in the future, (2) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the underlying assets may need to be replaced and Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin do not reflect these capital expenditures, (3) Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin do not consider the impact of stock-based compensation expense, which is an ongoing expense for our company, (4) Adjusted EBITDA, (5) Free cash flow does not represent the total residual cash flow available for discretionary purposes and does not reflect our future contractual commitments. and Adjusted EBITDA Margin do not reflect other non-operating expenses, including interest expense. In addition, our use of the Non-GAAP Measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies because they may not calculate the Non-GAAP Measures in the same manner, limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, when evaluating our performance, you should consider the Non-GAAP Measures alongside other financial measures, including our net income (loss) and other results stated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted net loss to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and the calculation of net loss margin, Adjusted net loss margin and Adjusted net loss per common share for the periods presented:

Adjusted Net Loss

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The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and the calculation of net loss margin and Adjusted EBITDA margin for the periods presented:

Adjusted EBITDA

(1) Sales and use tax expense relates to recording a liability for sales and use tax we did not collect from our customers. Historically, we had collected state or local sales, use, or other similar taxes in certain jurisdictions in which we only had physical presence. On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court decided, in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. that state and local jurisdictions may, at least in certain circumstances, enforce a sales and use tax collection obligation on remote vendors that have no physical presence in such jurisdiction. A number of states have positioned themselves to require sales and use tax collection by remote vendors and/or by online marketplaces. The details and effective dates of these collection requirements vary from state to state and accordingly, we recorded a liability in those periods in which we created economic nexus based on each state’s requirements. Accordingly, we now collect, remit, and report sales tax in all states that impose a sales tax. Subsequently, as certain of these liabilities are waived by tax authorities or the applicable statute of limitations expires, the related accrued liability is reversed.

(2)Transactions costs represent non-recurring consulting and advisory costs with respect to the merger agreement entered into with Northern Star Acquisition Corp. on December 16, 2020.

(3)Demurrage fees are raised when the full container is not moved out of the port/terminal for unpacking within the allowed free days offered by the shipping line. The charge is levied by the shipping line to the importer.

(4)For fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, one-time items is comprised of tax penalties of $0.1 million. For fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, one-time items is comprised of loss on extinguishment of debt of $2.0 million, costs related to unrealized business ventures of $1.8 million, SOX implementation fees of $0.7 million, and loss on exercise of warrants of $0.1 million.

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The following table presents a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, for each of the periods indicated:

Free Cash Flow

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $177.9 million. We expect that our cash and cash equivalents, together with cash provided by our operating activities and proceeds from borrowings (as defined below), will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months. We are required to comply with certain financial and non-financial covenants related to our borrowing agreements, which we are in compliance with as of March 31, 2023 and expect to be in compliance with during the next 12 months.

We have restricted cash of $5.2 million as of March 31, 2023 to secure a letter of credit for four of our leases, which is expected to be maintained as a security deposit for the duration of the lease.

Our material cash requirements include our lease arrangements for corporate offices, warehouses and certain equipment. As of March 31, 2023, we had fixed lease payment obligations of $53.2 million, with $5.6 million payable within 12 months.

2025 Convertible Notes

On November 27, 2020, the Company issued $75.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2025 Convertible Notes (the “2025 Convertible Notes”) to Magnetar Capital, LLC (“Magnetar”) under an indenture, dated as of November 27, 2020, between Legacy BARK and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and collateral agent (the “Indenture”). The Company received net proceeds of approximately $74.7 million from the sale of the 2025 Convertible Notes, after deducting fees and expenses of approximately $0.3 million. The Company recorded the expenses as a discount to the note and will amortize the expenses over the term of the note. The 2025 Convertible Notes will mature on December 1, 2025, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased.

On November 27, 2020, the Company used approximately $27.6 million of the net proceeds from the sale of the 2025 Convertible Notes to repay the previously outstanding term loans with Western Alliance Bank and Pinnacle Ventures, LLC (“Pinnacle”), which included $2.0 million of early repayment fees related to the Pinnacle loan.

The 2025 Convertible Notes are governed by the Indenture. The 2025 Convertible Notes bear interest at the annual rate of 5.50%, payable entirely in payment-in-kind annually on December 1 of each year commencing December 1, 2021, compounded annually. The accrued interest of $4.4 million and $4.2 million was paid-in-kind through an increase of the outstanding principal on the 2025 Convertible Notes on December 1, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

If the 2025 Convertible Notes are not converted into common stock by the maturity date, the Company must repay the outstanding principal amount plus accrued interest.

The 2025 Convertible Notes contain call and put options to be settled in cash contingent upon the occurrence of a change of control and a default interest rate increase of 3.0% applicable upon the occurrence of an event of default

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that when evaluated under the guidance of ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, are embedded derivatives requiring bifurcation at fair value. The fair value calculation includes Level 3 inputs including the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock and assumptions regarding the probability that the contingent call or put will be exercised or an event of default will occur. Management determined that the probability that the contingent events will occur was near zero at inception and has remained near zero as of March 31, 2023. Therefore, the Company did not record a derivative liability related to these features as of March 31, 2023. The Company will assess the probability of occurrence quarterly during the term of the 2025 Convertible Notes.

As of March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, the Company had $83.5 million and $79.2 million, respectively, of outstanding borrowings under the note purchase agreement governing the purchase and sale of the 2025 Convertible Notes agreement.

Western Alliance Bank—Line of Credit and Term Loan

In October 2017, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Western Alliance Agreement”) and issued a warrant to purchase preferred stock (“Initial Western Alliance Warrant”) to Western Alliance Bank (“Western Alliance”), which provided for a secured revolving line of credit (the “Credit Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $35.0 million with a maturity date of October 12, 2020.

On December 7, 2018, the Company amended the Western Alliance Agreement, which included the issuance of a warrant to purchase common stock (“Subsequent Western Alliance Warrant”) to Western Alliance. The modification to the Western Alliance Agreement provided for an additional term loan of $10.0 million at issuance and an incremental seasonal loan of $5.0 million. The seasonal loan matured and was repaid on March 31, 2020. The term loan had a maturity date of December 31, 2021.

On July 31, 2020, the Company amended the Western Alliance Agreement and extended the expiration of the warrants to July 31, 2030. The modification to the Western Alliance Agreement amended the maturity date of the Credit Facility to August 12, 2021.

On November 27, 2020, the Company repaid the outstanding $10.0 million principal of the term loan with Western Alliance Bank, as well as $0.2 million of early repayment fees, using proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Convertible Notes (the “2025 Convertible Notes”). See further discussion of the 2025 Convertible Notes issuance below.

In conjunction with the 2025 Convertible Notes issuance, the Company amended the Western Alliance Agreement to extend the Credit Facility repayment date from August 12, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

On January 22, 2021, the Company amended the Western Alliance Agreement to extend the Credit Facility maturity date to May 31, 2022.

On October 29, 2021, the Company and Western Alliance entered into the eleventh loan and security modification agreement, which increased the sublimit for foreign exchange services and export, import, and standby letters of credit under the Company’s existing loan and security agreement with Western Alliance to $2.7 million.

On May 27, 2022, the Company and Western Alliance entered into the twelfth loan and security modification agreement, which extended the Credit Facility maturity date to June 30, 2022.

On June 30, 2022, the Company and Western Alliance entered into the thirteenth loan and security modification agreement, which extended the Credit Facility maturity date to July 15, 2022.

On August 3, 2022, the Company and Western Alliance entered into the fourteenth loan and security modification agreement, which extended the Credit Facility maturity date to May 31, 2023.

On May 23, 2023, the Company and Western Alliance entered into the fifteenth loan and security modification agreement, which extended the Credit Facility maturity date to August 29, 2023.

As of March 31, 2023, there were no borrowings under the Credit Facility.

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The interest rate for borrowings under the Credit Facility, as amended, is equal to (i) the greater of the prime rate that is published in the Money Rates section of The Wall Street Journal from time to time (the “Prime Rate”) and five and one quarter percent (5.25%), plus (ii) half of one percent (0.50%), per annum.

The Credit Facility has a borrowing base subject to an amount equal to eighty percent (80.00%) of the Company’s trailing three months of subscription revenue and an amount equal to (80.00%) of certain of the Company’s customer accounts receivable when a collateral audit is performed and sixty percent (60.00%) when no such collateral audit is performed. Western Alliance has first perfected security in substantially all of the Company’s assets, including its rights to its intellectual property.

As of March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility. The full amount of the Credit Facility of $35.0 million is available to be borrowed by the Company if or when needed through the termination date of the agreement of August 29, 2023. The Company is currently exploring options for a credit facility upon this expiration.

Under the terms of this Credit Facility, the Company is required to comply with certain financial and non-financial covenants, including covenants to maintain certain liquidity amounts, as defined in the amended Western Alliance Agreement. As of March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, the Company was compliant with its financial covenants.

Cash Flows

Comparison of the Fiscal Years Ended March 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Cash flows provided by (used in) Operating Activities

Net cash flows in operating activities represent the cash receipts and disbursements related to our activities other than investing and financing activities.

Net cash flows used in operating activities is derived by adjusting our net loss for:

•non-cash operating items such as depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and other non-cash income or expenses; and

•changes in operating assets and liabilities reflect timing differences between the receipt and payment of cash associated with transactions.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, net cash provided by operating activities was $4.7 million. The $4.7 million of net cash provided by operating activities consisted of net loss of $61.5 million adjusted for non-cash charges totaling $26.3 million and a net increase of $39.9 million in our net operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of $14.8 million for stock based compensation, $9.4 million for depreciation and amortization, and $4.9 million of right-of-use asset amortization . The increase in our net operating assets and liabilities was driven by a change in inventory of $33.5 million and proceeds from tenant improvement allowances of $7.4 million.

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For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was $172.3 million. The $172.3 million of net cash used in operating activities consisted of net loss of $68.3 million adjusted for non-cash charges totaling $7.6 million and a net decrease of $111.6 million in our net operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of $33.2 million for changes in fair value of warrants, $17.9 million for stock based compensation, $2.0 million loss on extinguishment of debt and $4.4 million for depreciation and amortization. The decrease in our net operating assets and liabilities was driven by the changes in inventory of $82.9 million to support current demand, accounts payable and accrued expenses of $13.5 million related to increased expenditures to support general business growth, as well as the timing of payments, other liabilities of $12.6 million, prepaid expenses and other current assets of $1.1 million, and accounts receivable of $1.1 million. The decrease in our net operating assets and liabilities was partially offset by the change in deferred revenue of $4.4 million.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, net cash used in operating activities was $19.6 million. The $19.6 million of net cash provided by operating activities consisted of net loss of $31.4 million adjusted for non-cash charges totaling $13.4 million and a net increase of $1.6 million in our net operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of $6.5 million for stock-based compensation, $3.5 million for amortization of deferred financing fees and debt discount, $2.4 million for depreciation and amortization and $0.9 million for changes in fair value of warrant and derivative liabilities. The increase in our net operating assets and liabilities was driven by the changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $16.5 million related to increased expenditures to support general business growth, as well as the timing of payments, and other liabilities of $13.3 million, and deferred revenue of $13.9 million, due to growth in our prepaid subscription sales. The increase in our net operating assets and liabilities was partially offset by the change in inventories of $37.8 million, accounts receivable of $5.0 million and prepaid expenses and other current assets of $2.2 million.

Cash flows used in Investing Activities

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $21.1 million, primarily due to capital expenditures for software implementations, new head office leasehold improvements, and warehouse machinery, leasehold improvements and equipment. Additionally, we received $7.4 million in cash for a tenants improvement allowance for our new head office, which is included in net cash from operating activities.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, and 2021, net cash used in investing activities was $21.2 million and $4.8 million, respectively, primarily due to capital expenditures for warehouse machinery, leasehold improvements, equipment, and the capitalization of labor and license costs associated with software development for internal use.

Cash flows provided by (used in) Financing Activities

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, net cash used in financing activities was $2.1 million, primarily due to payments for finance lease obligations.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $355.5 million, primarily due to proceeds of $227.1 million proceeds from the Merger and proceeds from the PIPE of $200.0 million. The increase in cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by the repayments of outstanding borrowings on our line of credit of $34.3 million, payments of transaction costs of $25.2 million, payment of deferred underwriting fees $8.9 million, and repayment of the outstanding Paycheck Protection Program loan of $5.2 million.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, net cash provided by financing activities was $54.5 million, primarily due to proceeds of $75.8 million from the issuance of convertible notes and proceeds of $5.2 million from the loan issued under the PPP. The increase in cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by payments of long-term debt of $25.3 million and payments of transaction costs of $1.3 million.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

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We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, including entities sometimes referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, that were established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

This discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operation is based upon our audited consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimate and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We also make estimates and assumptions on revenue generated and reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods, Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Our critical accounting policies are described in greater details in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Critical accounting estimates are defined as those reflective of significant judgments, estimates and uncertainties, which may result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. We have listed below our critical accounting estimates that we believe to have the greatest potential impact on our audited consolidated financial statements. Historically, our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to our critical accounting estimates have not differed materially from actual results.

Revenue Recognition

Our primary sources of revenue are from sales of toys and accessories and consumables through our Direct to Consumer and Commerce segments. We recognize revenue upon delivery of products and services to our customer, as applicable. The recognition of revenue is determined through application of the following five-step model:

•Identification of the contract(s) with customers, as applicable;

•Identification of the performance obligation(s) in the contract;

•Determination of the transaction price;

•Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligation(s) in the contract; and

•Recognition of revenue when or as the performance obligation(s) is satisfied.

Discounts are considered fixed consideration and represent a fixed reduction to revenue for each performance obligation. The sales returns and chargebacks allowance is considered to be contingent and represents a component of variable consideration. The estimated consideration reflects potential sales returns and chargebacks as a reduction in the transaction price. We have determined that the expected value method will provide the best predictor for a refund liability associated with sales returns and chargebacks. The expected value method estimates variable consideration based on the range of possible outcomes and the probabilities of each outcome and is most appropriate when an entity has a large number of contracts that have similar characteristics. The estimate is recorded in total for sales transactions recorded in the current period and, in effect, represents a reduction in the transaction price at the time of sale.

Our contract liability represents cash collections from our customers prior to delivery of subscription products, which is recorded as deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenue is recognized as revenue upon the delivery of the box or product.

Inventories

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Inventories consist principally of finished goods, and represent products available for sale and are accounted for using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method and valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory costs consist of product and inbound shipping and handling costs. We assess the valuation of inventory and periodically write down the value for estimated excess and obsolete inventory based upon estimates of future demand and market conditions. Inventory valuation requires us to make judgments, based on information available at each reporting period. Inventory valuation losses are recorded as cost of revenues.

We review current business trends and forecasts, and inventory aging to determine adjustments which we estimate will be needed to liquidate existing excess inventories and record inventories at either the lower of cost or net realizable value or the lower of cost or market, as applicable. We believe that all inventory write-downs required at March 31, 2023, have been recorded. Our historical estimates of inventory reserves have not differed materially from actual results. If market conditions were to change, including as a result of the current war in the Ukraine and its broader macroeconomic implications or the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain and logistics disruptions globally, it is possible that the required level of inventory reserves may need to be adjusted.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is disclosed in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our audited consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

JOBS Act Accounting Election

We were an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). However, based on the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates as of September 30, 2021, we became a large accelerated filer and thus ceased to be an emerging growth company on March 31, 2022. As a result, we were required to adopt new or revised accounting standards as required by public companies, including those standards which we had previously deferred pursuant to the JOBS Act. Additionally, we are no longer able to take advantage of the reduced regulatory and reporting requirements of emerging growth companies.

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