PRICESMART INC (PSMT) FY 2022 MD&A

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements concerning PriceSmart, Inc.'s ("PriceSmart", the "Company" or "we") anticipated future revenues and earnings, adequacy of future cash flows, omni-channel initiatives, proposed warehouse club openings, COVID-19 related factors and challenges, and the Company's performance relative to competitors and related matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipated,” “scheduled,” “intend,” and like expressions, and the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to the risks detailed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading Part I. “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” These risks are not the only risks that the Company faces. The Company could also be affected by additional factors that apply to all companies operating globally and in the U.S., as well as other risks that are not presently known to the Company or that the Company currently considers to be immaterial.

Overview

PriceSmart, headquartered in San Diego, California, owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, selling high quality merchandise and services at low prices to our Members. We operate 50 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory (nine in Colombia; eight in Costa Rica; seven in Panama; five in the Dominican Republic and Guatemala; four in Trinidad; three in Honduras; two each in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Jamaica; and one each in Aruba, Barbados and the United States Virgin Islands). The Company also plans to open new warehouse clubs in San Miguel, El Salvador in the spring of 2023 and in Medellín, Colombia in the summer of 2023. Once these two new clubs are open, the Company will operate 52 warehouse clubs. Our corporate headquarters, U.S. buying operations and regional distribution centers are located primarily in the United States. Our operating segments are the United States, Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Mission and Business Strategy

PriceSmart exists to improve the lives and businesses of our Members, our employees and our communities through the responsible delivery of the best quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. Our mission is to serve as a model company, which operates profitably and provides a good return to our investors, by providing Members in emerging and developing markets with exciting, high quality merchandise sourced from around the world and valuable services at compelling prices in safe U.S. style clubs and through PriceSmart.com. We prioritize the well-being and safety of our Members and employees. We provide good jobs, fair wages and benefits and the opportunities for advancement. We strive to treat our suppliers right and empower them when we can. We conduct ourselves in a socially responsible manner as we endeavor to improve the quality of the lives of our Members and their businesses, while respecting the environment and the laws of all the countries in which we operate. The annual membership fee enables us to operate our business with lower margins than traditional retail stores. As we continue to invest in technological capabilities, we are increasing our tools to drive sales and operational efficiencies. We believe we are well positioned to blend the excitement and appeal of our brick-and-mortar business with the convenience and additional benefits of online shopping and services, and meanwhile, enhance Member experience and engagement.

Factors Affecting the Business

We continue to encounter operational challenges directly or indirectly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased supply chain pressures, inflation, and foreign currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar. COVID-19 may continue to affect consumer purchasing behavior as it continues to evolve and may affect our ability to meet unanticipated shifts in consumer demand and could give rise to additional operating costs that could have other potential long-term impacts on our financial condition and results of operations. For additional information, refer to the risk factors discussed in Part I. “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2022.

However, the COVID pandemic also has presented us opportunities to improve how we do business, how we serve our Members and how we treat our employees. In response to the pandemic, we:

Increased our focus on expanding local sourcing and near-shoring of goods that we offer,

Expedited our efforts to engage with Members online, including the launch of PriceSmart.com, and

Highlighted the importance of employee well-being and accelerated our decision to ensure health coverage for all employees in our Company. We also are establishing flexible schedules and hybrid work environments for office employees in order to maximize efficiencies and provide opportunity for balance in our employees’ lives.

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Overall economic trends, foreign currency exchange volatility, and other factors impacting the business

Our sales and profits vary from market to market depending on general economic factors, including GDP growth; consumer preferences; foreign currency exchange rates; political policies and social conditions; local demographic characteristics (such as population growth); the number of years we have operated in a particular market; and the level of retail and wholesale competition in that market. The economies of many of our markets are dependent on foreign trade, tourism, and foreign direct investments. Uncertain economic conditions and slowdown in global economic growth and investment may impact the economies in our markets, causing significant declines in GDP and employment and devaluations of local currencies against the U.S. dollar.

For most of fiscal year 2022, the environment we operated in was characterized by global supply chain disruption, high fuel and freight costs, inflation, significant foreign currency devaluations and less predictable consumer behavior and purchasing patterns due, in part, to the COVID pandemic’s impact on consumer lifestyles. These factors have increased the complexity of managing our inventory flow and business. We saw several factors pressuring supply chains, including raw material shortages, limited manufacturer capacity, factory labor shortages, container shortages, port delays, and truck and driver shortages. However, in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, we saw a gradual improvement in shipping costs and a general improvement in on-time shipments from our Asia vendors. Despite the issues we experienced for most of the year, we had strong sales growth. We are working to hold down and/or mitigate the price increases passed on to our Members while maintaining the right inventory mix to grow sales. One key mitigating factor has been our expanded network of distribution centers, which has facilitated alternative routings of shipments, increased throughput, and provided flexibility to more effectively mitigate these challenges.

In late fiscal year 2021, we made investments in inventory based on anticipated demand and worked with our local vendors to source alternative products in order to reduce out-of-stocks on high demand items that were impacted by these disruptions or that were affected by electronic part shortages. However, rapidly changing consumer preferences, long lead times, and supply chain disruptions led to inventory build up in some of the discretionary non-foods categories in our hardlines segment. We took significantly higher than usual markdowns in the third quarter and approximately forty basis points of margin compression in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year. We are planning to reduce our days on hand of inventory to better adapt to and meet the changing demands of our Members for fiscal year 2023.

Currency fluctuation can be one of the largest variables affecting our overall sales and profit performance, as we have experienced in prior fiscal years, because many of our markets are susceptible to foreign currency exchange rate volatility. During fiscal 2022, approximately 78.0% of our net merchandise sales were in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Of those sales, 48.6% consisted of sales of products we purchased in U.S. dollars.

A devaluation of local currency reduces the value of sales and membership income that is generated in that country when translated to U.S. dollars for our consolidated results. In addition, when local currency experiences devaluation, we may elect to increase the local currency price of imported merchandise to maintain our target margins, which could impact demand for the merchandise affected by the price increase. We may also modify the mix of imported versus local merchandise and/or the source of imported merchandise to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations. Information about the effect of local currency devaluations is discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Net Merchandise Sales and Comparable Sales.”

Our capture of total retail and wholesale sales can vary from market to market due to competition and the availability of other shopping options for our Members. Demographic characteristics within each of our markets can affect both the overall level of sales and future sales growth opportunities. Certain island markets, such as Aruba, Barbados and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer us limited upside for sales growth given their overall market size.

We continue to face the risk of political instability which may have significant effects on our business. For example, civil unrest in Colombia in response to tax reform and austerity measures paralyzed significant portions of the country’s infrastructure as roadblocks and riots disrupted normal economic activity during the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Nicaragua and Honduras experienced anti-government protests in 2019; Costa Rica also had a general strike against tax reform measures that significantly impeded regular economic activity in 2018.

Our operations are subject to volatile weather conditions and natural disasters. In November 2020, Hurricanes Eta and Iota brought severe rainfall, winds, and flooding to a significant portion of Central America, especially Honduras, which caused significant damage to parts of that country’s infrastructure. Although our warehouse clubs were not significantly affected and we were able to manage our supply chain to keep our warehouse clubs stocked with merchandise, these natural disasters could adversely impact our overall sales, costs and profit performance in the future.

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Periodically, we experience a lack of availability of U.S. dollars in certain markets (U.S. dollar illiquidity), particularly in Trinidad. This can and has impeded our ability to convert local currencies obtained through merchandise sales into U.S. dollars to settle the U.S. dollar liabilities associated with our imported products and to otherwise redeploy these funds in our Company. This illiquidity also increases our foreign exchange exposure to any devaluation of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. During fiscal year 2021, we experienced significant limitations on our ability to convert Trinidad dollars to U.S. dollars or other tradeable currencies.

As of August 31, 2022, our Trinidad subsidiary had Trinidad dollar denominated cash and cash equivalents and short and long-term investments measured in U.S. dollars of approximately $25.0 million, a decrease of $27.9 million from August 31, 2021 when these same balances were approximately $52.9 million and a decrease of $75.5 million from the peak of $100.5 million as of November 30, 2020. The Trinidad central bank manages the exchange rate of the Trinidad dollar with the U.S. dollar. While the Trinidad government has publicly stated it has no intention to devalue the Trinidad dollar, it could in the future decide to devalue the currency to improve market liquidity, resulting in a devaluation in the U.S. dollar value of these cash and investments balances.

In March 2022 the International Monetary Fund updated prior calculations and estimated that the Trinidad dollar was over-valued between approximately 11.6% and 20.4%. If, for example, a hypothetical 20% devaluation of the Trinidad dollar were to occur, the value of our Trinidad dollar cash and investments position, measured in U.S. dollars, would decrease by approximately $5.0 million, with a corresponding increase in Accumulated other comprehensive loss reflected on our consolidated balance sheet. Separate from the Trinidad dollar denominated cash and investments balances described above, as of August 31, 2022, we had a U.S. dollar, Euro, and Canadian dollar denominated monetary asset position (net of U.S. dollar, Euro, and Canadian dollar denominated liabilities) of approximately $80.3 million in Trinidad, which would produce a gain from a potential devaluation of Trinidad dollars. If, for example, a hypothetical 20% devaluation of the Trinidad dollar occurred, the net effect on Other income (expense), net on our consolidated statement of operations of revaluing these U.S. dollar denominated net monetary assets would be an approximately $16.1 million gain. While we may pay premiums or enter into financial transactions at a discount from the official government rate to convert our Trinidad dollars into U.S. dollars, we use the official exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago to measure the U.S. dollar equivalent of Trinidad dollar-based revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities and the Trinidad dollar equivalent of U.S. dollar-based monetary assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes, as there are no other reliable references available to translate or remeasure our revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities.

While our balance of Trinidad dollars has been reduced significantly in fiscal 2022, we have not yet converted all of our Trinidad dollars into U.S. dollars. In response to these liquidity challenges in Trinidad, we have been taking multiple actions, including but not limited to: raising sales prices on imported goods in Trinidad due to increased costs of conversion of Trinidad dollars to U.S. dollars and risks associated with continued illiquidity, shifting to local sources of goods where appropriate, and entering into financing arrangements such as the loan we obtained in December 2021 whereby we received $25 million in U.S. dollars and will repay the balance in Trinidad dollars (using a conversion rate fixed upon initial disbursement) over the four-year life of the loan. Additionally, we significantly limited shipments of goods from the U.S. to Trinidad during most of fiscal 2021 due to the illiquidity of the Trinidad dollar and further reduced our shipments in the last quarter of fiscal 2021 because of the government-imposed restrictions on sales of non-essential items during that period driven by the pandemic. We no longer limit our U.S imports; however, we continue to seek sourcing opportunities with local vendors and we are in the process of opening a package manufacturing plant in Trinidad in fiscal year 2023, which we expect will improve our ability to source more tradable foreign currencies by exporting products to our other markets.

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Financial highlights for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 included:

Total revenues increased 12.3% over the comparable prior year period.

Net merchandise sales increased 13.6% over the comparable prior year period. We ended the quarter with 50 warehouse clubs compared to 47 warehouse clubs at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted net merchandise sales negatively by 2.9% versus the same three-month period in the prior year.

Comparable net merchandise sales (that is, sales in the 47 warehouse clubs that have been open for greater than 13 ½ calendar months) for the 14 weeks ended September 4, 2022 increased 9.2%. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted comparable net merchandise sales negatively by 2.7%.

Membership income for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 increased 6.7% to $15.6 million over the comparable prior year period.

Total gross margins (net merchandise sales less associated cost of goods sold) increased 11.1% over the prior-year period, and merchandise gross profits as a percent of net merchandise sales were 15.5%, a decrease of 40 basis points (0.4%) from the same period in the prior year.

Operating income for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 was $39.0 million, an increase of 20.0%, or $6.5 million, compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021.

We recorded a $1.3 million net currency loss from currency transactions in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 compared to a $1.4 million net currency loss in the same period last year.

Our effective tax rate decreased in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 to 34.2% from 35.5% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021. The decrease in the effective tax rate is primarily related to the favorable impact from changes in income tax liabilities from uncertain tax positions.

Net income attributable to PriceSmart for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 was $23.3 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, compared to $19.5 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021.

Financial highlights for fiscal year 2022 included:

Total revenues increased 12.3% over the prior year.

Net merchandise sales increased 13.8% over the prior year. We ended the year with 50 warehouse clubs compared to 47 warehouse clubs at the end of fiscal year 2021. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted net merchandise sales negatively by 2.3%.

Comparable net merchandise sales (that is, sales in the 47 warehouse clubs that have been open for greater than 13 ½ calendar months) for the 53 weeks ended September 4, 2022 increased 10.4% compared to the 53 weeks ended September 5, 2021. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted comparable net merchandise sales negatively by 2.2%.

Membership income for fiscal year 2022 increased 8.7% to $60.9 million.

Trailing 12 month membership renewal rate was 88.9%.

Total gross margins (net merchandise sales less associated cost of goods sold) increased 9.4% over the prior year, and merchandise gross profits as a percent of net merchandise sales were 15.3%, a decrease of 70 basis points (0.7%) from the prior year.

Operating income for fiscal year 2022 was $167.1 million, an increase of 5.7% or $9.1 million compared to fiscal year 2021.

We recorded a $7.4 million net currency loss from currency transactions in the current year compared to a $5.4 million net loss in the prior year.

The effective tax rate for fiscal year 2022 was 33.2% as compared to the effective tax rate for fiscal year 2021 of 33.3%. The decrease is primarily driven by the effect of the change in foreign currency value and related adjustments.

Net income attributable to PriceSmart for fiscal year 2022 was $104.5 million, or $3.38 per diluted share, compared to $98.0 million, or $3.18 per diluted share, in the prior year.

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Comparison of Fiscal Year 2022 to 2021

The following discussion and analysis compares the results of operations for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2022 and 2021 and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this report. For a comparison of the fiscal years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020, please see Part II. “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on October 21, 2021. Unless otherwise noted, all tables present U.S. dollar amounts in thousands. Certain percentages presented are calculated using actual results prior to rounding. Our operations consist of four reportable segments: Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and the United States. The Company’s reportable segments are based on management’s organization of these locations into operating segments by general geographic location, which are used by management and the Company's chief operating decision maker in setting up management lines of responsibility, providing support services, and making operational decisions and assessments of financial performance. Segment amounts are presented after converting to U.S. dollars and consolidating eliminations. From time to time, we revise the measurement of each segment's operating income, including certain corporate overhead allocations, and other measures as determined by the information regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision maker. When we do so, the previous period amounts and balances are reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation.

Net Merchandise Sales

The following tables indicate the net merchandise club sales in the reportable segments in which we operate and the percentage growth in net merchandise sales by segment during fiscal years 2022 and 2021.

Overall, net merchandise sales grew by 13.8% for fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021, driven by a 10.4% increase in transactions and a 3.1% increase in average ticket. Transactions represent the total number of visits our Members make to our warehouse clubs plus the number of Click & Go™ curbside pickup and delivery service transactions. Average ticket represents the amount our Members spend on each visit or Click & Go™ order. We had 50 clubs in operation as of August 31, 2022 compared to 47 clubs as of August 31, 2021.

Net merchandise sales in our Central America segment increased 13.2% during fiscal year 2022. This increase had a 780 basis point (7.8%) positive impact on total net merchandise sales growth. All markets within this segment showed increased net merchandise sales for the twelve-month period ended August 31, 2022. We added one new club to the segment when compared to the comparable prior-year period. We opened our fifth warehouse club in Guatemala in October 2021.

Net merchandise sales in our Caribbean segment increased 15.3% during fiscal year 2022. This increase had a 440 basis point (4.4%) positive impact on total net merchandise sales growth. All of our markets in this segment had positive net merchandise sales growth. Sales for Trinidad were particularly strong for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022 because sales in the comparable fiscal second and third quarters of 2021 were adversely impacted by COVID-19 closures, government prohibitions on sales of most non-foods and non-essential items, and our decision to reduce imported merchandise due to the U.S. dollar liquidity challenges, which improved in the last three quarters of fiscal 2022. Refer to “Management’s Discussion & Analysis – Factors Affecting Our Business” for more information regarding the impact on us of the illiquidity of the Trinidad dollar. We added one new club to the segment when compared to the comparable prior-year period. We opened our second warehouse club in Jamaica in April 2022.

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Net merchandise sales in our Colombia segment increased 13.7% during fiscal year 2022. This increase had a 160 basis point (1.6%) positive impact on total net merchandise sales growth. The primary driver of the increased sales for the year was due to the additional club added to the segment when compared to the comparable prior year period. We opened our ninth warehouse club in Colombia in November 2021. For the three months ended August 31, 2022, net merchandise sales growth slowed to 7.6% as measured in U.S. dollars compared to the same quarter in the prior year, as currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted sales negatively by 11.3%. Net merchandise sales growth decreased further to 1.8% in September 2022 (fiscal 2023) as measured in U.S. dollars compared to the same month in the prior year, as currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted sales negatively by 14.1% in September of fiscal year 2023 as the Colombia Peso exchange rate with the U.S. dollar has deteriorated significantly during the past several months.

The following table indicates the impact that currency exchange rates had on our net merchandise sales in dollars and as a percentage of net merchandise sales for the year ended August 31, 2022.

Overall, the effects of currency fluctuations within our markets had an approximately $78.6 million, or 230 basis point (2.3%), negative impact on net merchandise sales for the twelve-months ended August 31, 2022.

Currency fluctuations had a $48.1 million, or 230 basis point (2.3%), negative impact on net merchandise sales in our Central America segment for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022. These currency fluctuations contributed approximately 140 basis points (1.4%) of negative impact on total net merchandise sales for fiscal year 2022. The Costa Rica Colón depreciated significantly against the dollar as compared to the same period a year ago, which was a significant contributing factor to the unfavorable currency fluctuations in this segment.

Currency fluctuations had a $6.7 million, or 70 basis point (0.7%), positive impact on net merchandise sales in our Caribbean segment for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022. These currency fluctuations contributed approximately 20 basis points (0.2%) positive impact on total net merchandise sales growth for the current fiscal year period. The Dominican Republic market experienced currency appreciation when compared to the same periods last year.

Currency fluctuations had a $37.2 million, or 900 basis point (9.0%), negative impact on net merchandise sales in our Colombia segment for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022. These currency fluctuations contributed approximately 110 basis points (1.1%) of negative impact on total net merchandise sales for the current fiscal year period.

Net Merchandise Sales by Category

The following table indicates the approximate percentage of net sales accounted for by each major category of items sold during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2022 and 2021.

The mix of sales by major category changed slightly. Foods & Sundries and Hardlines each decreased approximately 1%, while Softlines and Other Business each increased approximately 1% between fiscal year 2022 and 2021. Shifts in consumer preferences and in-club traffic increases as a result of the lessening of COVID-19 restrictions contributed to the changes in category mix.

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Comparable Merchandise Sales

We report comparable warehouse club sales on a “same week” basis with 13 weeks in each quarter beginning on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. The periods are established at the beginning of the fiscal year to provide as close a match as possible to the calendar month and quarter that is used for financial reporting purposes. This approach equalizes the number of weekend days and weekdays in each period for improved sales comparison, as we experience higher warehouse club sales on the weekends. Approximately every five years, the Company uses a 53-week year and a six-week “August” to account for the fact that 52 weeks is only 364 days. For fiscal year 2022, we used a 53-week year and a six-week “August.” Further, each of the warehouse clubs used in the calculations was open for at least 13 1/2 calendar months before its results for the current period were compared with its results for the prior period. As a result, sales related to two of our warehouse clubs opened during calendar year 2021 and one opened in April 2022 will not be used in the calculation of comparable sales until they have been open for at least 13 ½ months. Therefore, comparable net merchandise sales includes 47 warehouse clubs for the fifty-three week period ended September 4, 2022.

The following tables indicate the comparable net merchandise sales in the reportable segments in which we operate and the percentage changes in net merchandise sales by segment during the fifty-three-week period ended September 4, 2022, compared to the same fifty-three-week period of the prior year and the fifty-two-week period August 29, 2021 compared to the fifty-two-week period of the prior year.

Comparable net merchandise sales for those warehouse clubs that were open for at least 13 ½ months for some or all of the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022 increased 10.4%.

Comparable net merchandise sales in our Central America segment increased 10.4% for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022 compared to the 53-week period ended September 5, 2021. This increase contributed approximately 620 basis points (6.2%) of the increase in total comparable net merchandise sales.

For the 53 weeks ended September 4, 2022, strong performance in the relatively smaller markets of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador, along with our second largest market, Panama, contributed approximately 510 basis points (5.1%) of positive impact on the segment’s comparable net merchandise sales. This increase was combined with a 110 basis point (1.1%) positive impact on the segment’s comparable net merchandise sales from our largest market, Costa Rica. During the year, Costa Rica experienced foreign currency exchange headwinds, with the Costa Rica Colón devaluing versus the comparable prior year period.

Comparable net merchandise sales in our Caribbean segment increased 12.7% for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022. This increase contributed approximately 370 basis points (3.7%) of positive impact in total comparable net merchandise sales.

Our Dominican Republic market continued its strong performance in the 53-week period, partially due to foreign currency exchange appreciation, with 19.6% of comparable sales growth. Trinidad also contributed strong comparable net merchandise sales growth, with 12.4% increase for the 53-week period.

Comparable net merchandise sales in our Colombia segment increased 4.5% for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022. This increase contributed approximately 50 basis points (0.5%) of the increase in total comparable net merchandise sales. The year-to-date increase is primarily due to year-over-year improvements in sales growth due to the comparably improved COVID-19 situation.

The following table illustrates the impact that changes in foreign currency exchange rates had on our comparable net merchandise sales in dollars and as a percentage of comparable net merchandise sales for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022.

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Overall, the mix of currency fluctuations within our markets had an approximately $76.2 million, or 220 basis point (2.2%), negative impact on comparable net merchandise sales for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022.

Currency fluctuations within our Central America segment accounted for approximately 140 basis points (1.4%) of the negative impact on total comparable net merchandise sales for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022. This is primarily the result of significant devaluation in the Costa Rica Colón against the U.S. dollar compared to the same period a year ago.

Currency fluctuations within our Caribbean segment accounted for approximately 20 basis points (0.2%) of positive impact on total comparable net merchandise sales for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022. Our Dominican Republic market experienced currency appreciation, while Jamaica market experienced currency devaluation when compared to the same period last year.

Currency fluctuations within our Colombia segment accounted for approximately 100 basis points (1.0%) of negative impact on total comparable net merchandise sales for the 53-week period ended September 4, 2022. This reflects the devaluation of the Colombia peso when compared to the same period a year ago.

Membership Income

Membership income is recognized ratably over the one-year life of the membership.

The number of Member accounts at the end of fiscal 2022 was 5.5% higher than the prior year period. Membership income increased 8.7% compared to the comparable prior-year period.

Membership income increased across all operating segments in the twelve months ended August 31, 2022. The consolidated increase in membership income is due to an increasing membership base since the start of fiscal year 2022. Since August 31, 2021, all segments have increased their membership base. Colombia had the largest increase in membership base in fiscal year 2022 with 6.3% growth, followed by the Caribbean with a 5.6% increase and Central America with a 5.2% increase. In fiscal year 2022, we opened a new club in each of Colombia, the Caribbean, and Central America.

We offer our Platinum Membership program in all locations where PriceSmart operates. The annual fee for a Platinum Membership in most markets is approximately $75. The Platinum Membership program provides Members with a 2% rebate on most items, up to an annual maximum of $500. We record the 2% rebate as a reduction on net merchandise sales at the time of the sales transaction. Platinum Membership accounts were 7.4% of our total membership base as of August 31, 2022, an increase from 6.2% as of August 31, 2021. Platinum Members tend to have higher renewal rates than our Diamond Members.

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Our trailing twelve-month renewal rate was 88.9% and 89.6% for the periods ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively. Approximately 13% and 16% of our membership sign-ups were completed using our online platform for the twelve-month period ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively. Our online platform facilitates capturing data and provides the opportunity for automatic renewal of memberships, as well as improving our digital connection with our Members.

Other Revenue

Other revenue consists primarily of non-merchandise revenue from freight and handling fees generated from the marketplace and casillero operations we sold in October 2021, income from the interest-generating portfolio of our co-branded credit cards, and rental income from operating leases where the Company is the lessor.

Comparison of 2022 to 2021

The primary driver of the decrease in other revenue for the year ended August 31, 2022 was the sale of our Aeropost subsidiary and its marketplace and casillero operations on October 1, 2021. For additional information on the results of the disposition, refer to “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” This decrease was partially offset by an increase from our interest-generating portfolio from our co-branded credit cards for the year ended August 31, 2022.

Results of Operations

Results of Operations Consolidated

(Amounts in thousands, except percentages and number of warehouse clubs)

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(1)The reconciling items reflect the amount eliminated on consolidation of intersegment transactions.

The following table summarizes the selling, general and administrative expense for the periods disclosed.

Total gross margin is derived from our Revenue – Net merchandise sales less our Cost of goods sold – Net merchandise sales and represents our sales and cost of sales generated from the business activities of our warehouse clubs. We express our Total gross margin percentage as a percentage of our Net merchandise sales.

On a consolidated basis, total gross margin for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022, was 15.3%, 70 basis points (0.7%) lower than the comparable prior year period. This decrease was primarily due to increased markdowns versus the prior fiscal year period and a reduction in the premium we applied to our sales prices to offset our COVID-related operating costs. During 2021, while experiencing strong sales and projecting high demand for our long-lead time merchandise, we were also noting increases in costs of merchandise. We proceeded to purchase merchandise at higher-than-normal volumes to secure good pricing and in-stock positions. That, combined with higher-than-normal freight and fuel costs, subsequent COVID-related Asia port closures and other supply-chain disruptions hampered the expected cadence of inventory flow, resulting in, among other things, seasonal merchandise arriving too late for the applicable season. We also did not attain the levels of sales we projected for certain non-food categories. As a result, we took significantly higher than usual markdowns in the third quarter and incurred approximately 40 basis points (0.4%) of margin compression in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year fourth quarter as we continued to sell through pockets of excess merchandise.

Total revenue margin is derived from Total revenues, which includes our Net merchandise sales, Membership income, Export sales, and Other revenue and income less our Cost of goods sold for net merchandise sales, Export sales, and Non-merchandise revenues. We express our Total revenue margin as percentage of Total revenues.

Total revenue margin decreased 100 basis points (1.0%) for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022, compared to the prior-year period, which is primarily the result of the sale on October 1, 2021 of our casillero and marketplace business, which had higher revenue margins than our core operations, along with the lower total gross margin percentage of 70 basis points (0.7%).

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Selling, general, and administrative expenses consist of warehouse club and other operations, general and administrative expenses, pre-opening expenses, and loss on disposal of assets. In total, selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $27.6 million, or 5.7% year-over-year but decreased to 12.6% of total revenues for fiscal year 2022 compared to 13.4% of total revenues for fiscal year 2021.

Warehouse club and other operations expenses decreased to 9.3% of total revenues for fiscal year 2022 compared to 9.9% for fiscal year 2021, primarily due to the elimination for most of fiscal year 2022 of operating expenses associated with our casillero and marketplace business due to the sale of Aeropost on October 1, 2021. The 50 basis point savings resulting from the Aeropost sale was supplemented by reduced warehouse club and other operations expenses as a percentage of revenue in our Costa Rica market, which decreased 10 basis points (0.1%) primarily due to higher sales volumes driving favorable leverage in expenses and the devaluation of the Costa Rica Colón.

General and administrative expenses decreased to 3.3% of total revenues for the current year compared to 3.5% for the prior fiscal year. The 20 basis point (0.2%) decrease is primarily due to a 50 basis point (0.50%) decrease from the reduction in general and administrative expenses due to the sale of Aeropost. This decrease was partially offset by a 30 basis point (0.30%) increase from our continued investments to support our technology development, talent acquisition, and employee development. Given our strategic initiatives, we intend to continue to invest at comparable levels as a percentage of total revenue, or at higher levels under appropriate circumstances, especially in talent and technology, to enhance our competence and support our three drivers of growth.

Operating income in fiscal year 2022 increased to $167.1 million (4.1% of total revenue) compared to $158.0 million (4.4% of total revenue) for the same period last year. This reflects the decrease in total revenue margin of 100 basis points (1.0%), partially offset by an 80 basis point (0.8%) increase due to leveraging of selling, general and administrative expenses over the comparable prior-year period.

Interest Expense

Net interest expense reflects borrowings by PriceSmart, Inc. and our wholly owned foreign subsidiaries to finance new land acquisition and construction for new warehouse clubs, warehouse club expansions and distribution centers, the capital requirements of warehouse club and other operations and ongoing working capital requirements.

Net interest expense increased for the twelve-month period ended August 31, 2022, primarily due to the increase in long-term borrowings in our Trinidad market to facilitate conversion of Trinidad dollars to US dollars and a decrease in capitalized interest from fewer construction projects compared to the prior year.

Other Expense, net

Other expense, net, consists of currency gains or losses, as well as net benefit costs related to our defined benefit plans and other items considered to be non-operating in nature.

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Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the respective entity (primarily U.S. dollars) are revalued to the functional currency using the exchange rate on the balance sheet date. These foreign exchange transaction gains (losses) are recorded as currency gains or losses. Additionally, gains or losses from transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the respective entity also generate currency gains or losses.

For the twelve-months ended August 31, 2022 the primary driver of Other expense, net was higher transaction costs of $7.4 million associated with converting Trinidad dollars into available tradeable currencies, such as euros or Canadian dollars, before converting them to U.S. dollars. These expenses were partially offset by a gain of $2.7 million associated with the sale of our Aeropost subsidiary on October 1, 2021.

Provision for Income Taxes

The tables below summarize the effective tax rate for the periods reported:

For fiscal 2022, the effective tax rate was 33.2% compared to 33.3% for fiscal year 2021. The decrease in the effective rate versus the prior year was primarily attributable to the comparably favorable impact of 0.4% resulting from the effect of the change in foreign currency value and related adjustments.

Other Comprehensive Loss

Other comprehensive loss for fiscal years 2022 and 2021 resulted primarily from foreign currency translation adjustments related to the assets and liabilities and the translation of the statements of income related to revenue, costs and expenses of our subsidiaries whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. When the functional currency in our international subsidiaries is the local currency and not U.S. dollars, the assets and liabilities of such subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate on the balance sheet date, and revenue, costs and expenses are translated at average rates of exchange in effect during the period. The corresponding translation gains and losses are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss. These adjustments will not affect net income until the sale or liquidation of the underlying investment. The reported other comprehensive income or loss reflects the unrealized increase or decrease in the value in U.S. dollars of the net assets of the subsidiaries as of the date of the balance sheet, which will vary from period to period as exchange rates fluctuate.

Our other comprehensive loss of approximately $13.1 million for fiscal 2022 resulted primarily from the comprehensive loss of approximately $19.0 million from foreign currency translation adjustments related to assets and liabilities and the translation of revenue, costs and expenses on the statements of income of our subsidiaries whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. During fiscal 2022, the largest translation adjustments were related to the devaluation of the local currencies against the U.S. dollar for our Colombia and Costa Rica subsidiaries, partially offset by the translation adjustment for the appreciation of the local currency against the U.S. dollar of our Dominican Republic subsidiary. These losses were offset by approximately $6.2 million related to unrealized gains on changes in the value of our derivative obligations.

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Financial Position and Cash Flow

Our operations have historically supplied us with a significant source of liquidity. We generate cash from operations primarily through net merchandise sales and membership fees. Cash used in operations generally consist of payments to our merchandise vendors, warehouse club and distribution center operating costs (including payroll, employee benefits and utilities), as well as payments for income taxes. Our cash flows provided by operating activities, supplemented with our long-term debt and short-term borrowings, have generally been sufficient to fund our operations while allowing us to invest in activities that support the long-term growth of our operations and to pay dividends on our common stock. We evaluate our funding requirements on a regular basis to cover any shortfall in our ability to generate sufficient cash from operations to meet our capital requirements. We may consider funding alternatives to provide additional liquidity if necessary. Refer to Part II. “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 11 - Debt” for additional information regarding our drawdown on our short-term facilities and long-term borrowings.

Repatriation of cash and cash equivalents held by foreign subsidiaries may require us to accrue and pay taxes. We have no plans at this time to repatriate cash through the payment of cash dividends by our foreign subsidiaries to our domestic operations and, therefore, have not accrued taxes that would be due from repatriation.

The following table summarizes the cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, held by our foreign subsidiaries and domestically (in thousands):

The following table summarizes the short-term investments held by our foreign subsidiaries and domestically (in thousands):

As of August 31, 2022, there were no certificates of deposit with a maturity of over a year held by our foreign subsidiaries and domestically, while there were $1.5 million as of August 31, 2021.

From time to time, we have experienced a lack of availability of U.S. dollars in certain markets (U.S. dollar illiquidity). This impedes our ability to convert local currencies obtained through merchandise sales into U.S. dollars to settle the U.S. dollar liabilities associated with our imported products or otherwise fund our operations. Since fiscal 2017, we have experienced this situation in Trinidad and have been unable to source a sufficient level of tradeable currencies. We are working with our banks in Trinidad and government officials to convert all of our Trinidad dollars into tradeable currencies. We have and continue to take additional actions in this respect. Refer to “Management’s Discussion & Analysis – Factors Affecting Our Business” for our quantitative analysis and discussion.

The following table summarizes our significant sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents:

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Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $121.8 million and $127.2 million for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities is primarily the result of net changes in operating assets and liabilities. Specifically, changes in various current and non-current assets and current liabilities resulted in a $13.8 million use of cash for fiscal year 2022 compared to $13.1 million of cash provided by changes in the same accounts in fiscal year 2021. Most of these changes in fiscal year 2022 resulted from increases in deferred tax assets and the year-over-year in accrued payroll during the twelve months ended August 31, 2022 compared to the prior year. The net changes in operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by an increase in net income for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022 over the prior-year period and favorable changes in merchandise inventories and accounts payable. Inventory was $464.4 million as of August 31, 2022, compared with $389.7 million at August 31, 2021. The increase in the inventory balance compared to the prior fiscal year is the result of three additional clubs, carrying higher than normal safety stock as a precaution against supply chain disruption and inflationary pressure on material inputs.

Net cash used in investing activities totaled $74.8 million and $116.7 million, respectively, for the years ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021. The decrease is primarily the result of a decrease in purchases of certificates of deposits compared to the same twelve-month period a year-ago, primarily due to our being able to source more U.S. dollars in Trinidad. Refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis – Factors Affecting Our Business” for additional discussion of the current U.S. dollar illiquidity we are experiencing in that market. The decrease was partially offset by higher property and equipment expenditures compared to the same twelve-month period a year-ago to support growth of our real estate footprint.

Net cash used in financing activities totaled $12.2 million and $95.1 million for the twelve months ended August 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Our cash flows used for financing activities are used primarily to repay long-term and short-term borrowings use to fund our working capital needs, our warehouse club and distribution center acquisitions and expansions, and investments in technology to support our omni-channel initiatives. The $82.9 million decrease in cash used in financing activities is primarily due to lower net repayments of short-term debt compared to the same twelve-month period a year-ago, when we were repaying short-term facilities accessed at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and obtaining additional financing (primarily the $25 million loan in Trinidad to address U.S. dollar liquidity challenges in that market).

The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid during fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020 (amounts are per share):

Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt

Our financing strategy is to ensure liquidity and access to capital markets while minimizing our borrowing costs. The proceeds of these borrowings were or will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, funding for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and repayment of existing debt. Refer to Part II. “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 11 - Debt.” for further discussion.

Repurchase of Equity Securities and Reissuance of Treasury Shares

At the vesting dates for restricted stock awards to our employees, we repurchase a portion of the shares that have vested at the prior day's closing price per share, with the funds used to pay the employees' statutory tax withholding requirements related to the vesting of restricted stock awards. We do not have a stock repurchase program.

Shares of common stock repurchased by us are recorded at cost as treasury stock and result in the reduction of stockholders’ equity in our consolidated balance sheets. We may reissue these treasury shares.

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The following table summarizes the shares repurchased during fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020:

We reissued 8,300 treasury shares as part of our stock-based compensation programs during fiscal 2022, 96,400 treasury shares during fiscal year 2021 and 234,400 treasury shares during fiscal 2020.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP in the United States. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Some of our accounting policies require management to make difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates of matters that are inherently uncertain.

We evaluate our accounting policies and significant estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to business acquisitions, contingencies and litigation, income taxes, value added taxes, and long-lived assets. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the present circumstances. Using different estimates could have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

We believe that the accounting policies described below involve a significant degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, we believe these are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. For further information, refer to Part II. “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.”

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences and carry-forwards are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts expected to be realized.

As of August 31, 2022, we evaluated our deferred tax assets and liabilities and determined that a valuation allowance was necessary for certain deferred tax asset balances, primarily because of the existence of significant negative objective evidence, such as the fact that certain subsidiaries are in a cumulative loss position for the past three years, indicating that certain net operating loss carry-forward periods are not sufficient to realize the related deferred tax assets. We also specifically considered whether foreign tax credit balances could be utilized in the foreseeable future in light of current and future U.S. tax liabilities. We have historically applied foreign tax credits, generated from taxes withheld on certain payments PriceSmart receives from our foreign subsidiaries, to reduce U.S. income tax liabilities. However, as an incidental result of U.S. tax reform, following the reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, we expect foreign tax credits generated to exceed U.S. income tax liability for the foreseeable future. Therefore, for the twelve-month period ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, we have recorded valuation allowances of $11.8 million and $11.4 million against our foreign tax credits, respectively.

We are required to file federal and state income tax returns in the United States and various other tax returns in foreign jurisdictions. The preparation of these tax returns requires us to interpret the applicable tax laws and regulations in effect in such jurisdictions, which could affect the amount of tax paid by us. We, in consultation with our tax advisors, base our tax returns on interpretations that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The tax returns, however, are subject to routine reviews by the various taxing authorities in the jurisdictions in which we file our tax returns. As part of these reviews, a taxing authority may disagree with respect to the interpretations we used to calculate our tax liability and therefore require us to pay additional taxes.

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We accrue an amount for our estimate of probable additional income tax liability. In certain cases, the impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax return must be recognized at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has 50% or less likelihood of being sustained. This requires significant judgment, the use of estimates, and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws. When facts and circumstances change, we reassess these probabilities and record any changes in the consolidated financial statements as appropriate. There were no material changes in our uncertain income tax positions for the period ended on August 31, 2022.

Tax Receivables

We pay Value Added Tax (“VAT”) or similar taxes, income taxes, and other taxes within the normal course of our business in most of the countries in which we operate related to the procurement of merchandise and/or services we acquire and/or on sales and taxable income. VAT is a form of indirect tax applied to the value added at each stage of production (primary, manufacturing, wholesale and retail). This tax is similar to, but operates somewhat differently than, sales tax paid in the United States. We generally collect VAT from our Members upon sale of goods and services and pay VAT to our vendors upon purchase of goods and services. Periodically, we submit VAT reports to governmental agencies and reconcile the VAT paid and VAT received. The net overpaid VAT may be refunded or applied to subsequent returns, and the net underpaid VAT must be remitted to the government.

With respect to income taxes paid, if the estimated income taxes paid or withheld exceed the actual income tax due this creates an income tax receivable. In most countries where we operate, the governments have implemented additional collection procedures, such as requiring credit card processors to remit a portion of sales processed via credit and debit cards directly to the government as advance payments of VAT and/or income tax. This collection mechanism generally leaves us with net VAT and/or income tax receivables, forcing us to process significant refund claims on a recurring basis. These refund or offset processes can take anywhere from several months to several years to complete.

In two countries where the Company operates, there have been changes in the method of computing minimum tax payments, under which the governments have sought to require the Company to pay taxes based on a percentage of sales rather than taxable income. As a result, we have made and may continue to make income tax payments substantially in excess of those we would expect to pay based on taxable income. The Company had income tax receivables of $11.0 million as of August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively, and deferred tax assets of $3.5 million and $3.3 million as of August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively, in these countries. While the rules related to refunds of income tax receivables in these countries are either unclear or complex, the Company has not placed any type of allowance on the recoverability of these tax receivables or deferred tax assets, because the Company believes that it is more likely than not that it will ultimately succeed in its refund requests. Similarly, we have not placed any recoverability allowances on tax receivables that arise from payments we are required to make originating from tax assessments that we are appealing, as we believe it is more likely than not that we will ultimately prevail in the related appeals. There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will be successful in recovering all tax receivables or deferred tax assets.

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Our policy for classification and presentation of VAT receivables, income tax receivables and other tax receivables is as follows:

Short-term VAT and Income tax receivables, recorded as Prepaid expenses and Other current assets: This classification is used for any countries where our subsidiary has generally demonstrated the ability to recover the VAT or income tax receivable within one year. We also classify as short-term any approved refunds or credit notes to the extent that we expect to receive the refund or use the credit notes within one year.

Long-term VAT and Income tax receivables, recorded as Other non-current assets: This classification is used for amounts not approved for refund or credit in countries where our subsidiary has not demonstrated the ability to obtain refunds within one year and/or for amounts which are subject to outstanding disputes. An allowance is provided against VAT and income tax receivable balances in dispute when we do not expect to eventually prevail in our recovery of such balances. We do not currently have any allowances provided against VAT and income tax receivables.

Long-lived Assets

We periodically evaluate our long-lived assets for indicators of impairment. Indicators that an asset may be impaired are:

the asset's inability to continue to generate income from operations and positive cash flow in future periods;

loss of legal ownership or title to the asset;

significant changes in its strategic business objectives and utilization of the asset(s); and

the impact of significant negative industry or economic trends.

Management's judgments are based on market and operational conditions at the time of the evaluation and can include management's best estimate of future business activity, which in turn drives estimates of future cash flows from these assets. These periodic evaluations could cause management to conclude that impairment factors exist, requiring an adjustment of these assets to their then-current fair market value. Future business conditions and/or activity could differ materially from the projections made by management causing the need for additional impairment charges. We did not record any impairment charges during fiscal 2022 related to the loss of legal ownership or title to assets; significant changes in the Company's strategic business objectives or utilization of assets; or the impact of significant negative industry or economic trends. Loss on disposal of assets recorded during the years reported resulted from improvements to operations and normal preventive maintenance.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized, but is evaluated for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the value of a certain asset may be impaired. Generally, this evaluation begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether a quantitative impairment test is necessary. If we determine, after performing an assessment based on the qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, or that a fair value of the reporting unit substantially in excess of the carrying amount cannot be assured, then a quantitative impairment test would be performed. The quantitative test for impairment requires management to make judgments relating to future cash flows, growth rates and economic and market conditions. These evaluations are based on determining the fair value of a reporting unit or asset using a valuation method such as discounted cash flow or a relative, market-based approach. Historically, our reporting units have generated sufficient returns to recover the cost of our goodwill. Because of the nature of the factors used in these tests, if different conditions occur in future periods, future operating results could be materially impacted. For approximately $43.3 million of certain acquired goodwill, the fair value was greater than the carrying value; however, any deterioration in the fair value may result in an impairment charge.

Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations

Historically, our merchandising businesses have experienced holiday retail seasonality in their markets. In addition to seasonal fluctuations, our operating results fluctuate quarter-to-quarter as a result of economic and political events in markets that we serve, the timing of holidays, weather, the timing of shipments, product mix, and currency effects on the cost of U.S.-sourced products which may make these products more or less expensive in local currencies and therefore more or less affordable. Because of such fluctuations, the results of operations of any quarter are not indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year or any future quarter. In addition, there can be no assurance that our future results will be consistent with past results or the projections of securities analysts.

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