Brookstone Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2008 Financial Results


MERRIMACK, N.H., February 18, 2009 -- Innovative product development company and specialty lifestyle retailer Brookstone, Inc. today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full Fiscal Year ended January 3, 2009.

For the 14-week period ended January 3, 2009, Brookstone reported total net sales of $220.1 million, a 23.7% decrease from the 13-week period ended December 29, 2007. Same-store sales for the 13-week period ended December 27, 2008 decreased 25.5% as compared to the comparable 13-week period last year.

For the 14-week period ended January 3, 2009, Brookstone reported a loss from operations of $98.2 million, compared to income from operations of $64.6 million for the 13-week period ended December 29, 2007. Excluding certain non-cash impairment charges, of approximately $89.8 million related to goodwill, approximately $24.0 million related to intangible assets and approximately $5.2 million related to underperforming stores, for the 14-week period ended January 3, 2009, Brookstone reported income from operations of $20.8 million, compared to income from operations of $65.5 million (which excludes certain non-cash impairment charges of approximately $0.9 million related to intangible assets) for the 13-week period ended December 29, 2007.

For the 53-week period ended January 3, 2009, Brookstone reported total net sales of $496.7 million, a 11.7% decrease from the 52-week period ended December 29, 2007. Same-store sales for the 52-week period ended December 27, 2008 decreased 14.2% as compared to the comparable 52-week period last year.

For the 53-week period ended January 3, 2009, Brookstone reported a loss from operations of $129.4 million, compared to income from operations of $39.9 million for the 52-week period ended December 29, 2007. Excluding certain non-cash impairment charges, of approximately $89.8 million related to goodwill, approximately $24.0 million related to intangible assets and approximately $5.2 million related to underperforming stores, Brookstone reported a loss from operations of $10.4 million, compared to income from operations of $40.8 million (which excludes certain non-cash impairment charges of approximately $0.9 million related to intangible assets) for the 52-week period ended December 29, 2007.



                                  Brookstone, Inc.
                       Reconciliation of Selected GAAP Measures to
                                    Non-GAAP Measures
                                     (Unaudited)
                                    (in millions)
                  -----------------------------------------------------
                     Fourteen     Thirteen    Fifty-three   Fifty-two
                   weeks ended  weeks ended   weeks ended  weeks ended
                    January 3,  December 29,   January 3,  December 29,
                      2009         2007           2009        2007
                  -----------------------------------------------------

 Total sales         $  220.1     $  288.5      $  496.7     $  562.8
                  =====================================================

 Income (loss)
  from operations
  (GAAP)             $  (98.2)    $   64.6      $ (129.4)    $   39.9

 Non-cash
  impairment
  charges               119.0          0.9         119.0          0.9
                  -----------------------------------------------------
 Income (loss)
  from operations
  (excluding
  non-cash
  impairment
  charges)
  (Non-GAAP)          $  20.8     $   65.5      $  (10.4)    $   40.8
                  =====================================================

Lou Mancini, Brookstone Chief Executive Officer, said: "Our fourth quarter sales were affected by many of the negative factors rippling through the entire economy. We experienced a significant downturn in sales beginning in October that coincided with the unprecedented turmoil in the financial sector. We responded to these events by reducing our forward inventory buys and cutting costs. In addition, we marked down product prices to proactively monetize our inventory and raise cash. While these steps helped us to tightly manage inventory, which ended the year approximately 22.8% below last year, these actions also reduced our gross margin and profitability. We ended the year with approximately $22.5 million in cash, no cash borrowings and approximately $88.1 million of availability under our revolving credit facility, which is in place through October of 2010."

Brookstone, Inc. is an innovative product development and specialty lifestyle retail company that operates 310 Brookstone Brand stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, the stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. The Company also operates a Direct Marketing business that includes the Brookstone catalog and an e-commerce website at http://www.brookstone.com.

Statements in this release which are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's confidence or expectations, earnings, anticipated operations of its e-commerce sites and those of third-party service providers, and other statements about the Company's operational outlook are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("Reform Act") and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks of changing market conditions in the overall economy and the retail industry, consumer demand, the effectiveness of e-commerce technology and marketing efforts, availability of products, availability of adequate transportation of such products, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's annual and other reports posted to the Company's website. Words such as "estimate", "project", "plan", "believe", "feel", "anticipate", "assume", "may", "will", "should" and similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company undertakes no obligations to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.



                          BROOKSTONE, INC.
                CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                           (In thousands)

                                            ------------  ------------
                                             January 3,   December 29,
                                                2009          2007
                                            ------------  ------------
                                             (Unaudited)
 Assets
 ------

 Current assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents                $     22,530  $     70,857
   Receivables, net                                9,839        12,816
   Merchandise inventories                        82,095       106,400
   Deferred income taxes, net                         --         4,166
   Prepaid expenses                               16,379         4,020
                                            ------------  ------------

     Total current assets                        130,843       198,259


 Property, plant and equipment, net               66,456        71,918
 Intangible assets, net                          105,000       129,500
 Goodwill                                         99,735       189,524
 Other assets                                      8,565        11,834
                                            ------------  ------------

     Total assets                           $    410,599  $    601,035
                                            ============  ============

 Liabilities and Shareholder's Equity
 ------------------------------------

 Current liabilities:

   Accounts payable                         $     17,033  $     33,599
   Other current liabilities                      41,179        61,214
                                            ------------  ------------

     Total current liabilities                    58,212        94,813

 Other long-term liabilities                      21,370        21,137
 Long-term debt                                  174,089       174,777
 Deferred income taxes                            38,430        42,999
 Other party interests in consolidated
  entities                                         1,040         1,250

     Total shareholder's equity                  117,458       266,059
                                            ------------  ------------

     Total liabilities and shareholder's
      equity                                $    410,599  $    601,035
                                            ============  ============


                          BROOKSTONE, INC.
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                           (In thousands)
                             (Unaudited)

                                              Fourteen      Thirteen
                                             weeks ended   weeks ended
                                            ------------  ------------
                                             January 3,   December 29,
                                                2009          2007
                                            ------------  ------------

 Net sales                                  $    220,083  $    288,461

 Cost of sales                                   148,093       157,349
                                            ------------  ------------

 Gross profit                                     71,990       131,112

 Selling, general and administrative
  expenses                                        51,254        65,579

 Goodwill impairment                              89,789            --

 Intangible asset impairment                      24,000           938

 Long-lived asset impairment                       5,181            --
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) from operations                   (98,234)       64,595

 Loss on early extinguishment of debt                 --           383

 Interest expense, net                             6,558         6,970
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) before taxes, other party
  interests in consolidated entities and
  discontinued operations                       (104,792)       57,242

 Other party interests in consolidated
  entities                                            39           303
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) before taxes and
  discontinued operations                       (104,831)       56,939

 Income tax provision                             12,656        22,563

 Loss on discontinued operations, net of
  income tax benefit                                  --          (130)
                                            ------------  ------------

 Net income (loss)                          $   (117,487) $     34,246
                                            ============  ============


                          BROOKSTONE, INC.
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                           (In thousands)

                                                Fiscal year ended
                                            --------------------------
                                             January 3,   December 29,
                                                2009          2007
                                            ------------  ------------
                                             (Unaudited)

 Net sales                                  $    496,745  $    562,835

 Cost of sales                                   355,599       360,793
                                            ------------  ------------

 Gross profit                                    141,146       202,042

 Selling, general and administrative
  expenses                                       151,582       161,200

 Goodwill impairment                              89,789            --

 Intangible asset impairment                      24,000           938

 Long-lived asset impairment                       5,181            --
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) from operations                  (129,406)       39,904

 Loss on early extinguishment of debt                 --           506

 Interest expense, net                            24,158        25,711
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) before taxes, other party
  interests in consolidated entities and
  discontinued operations                       (153,564)       13,687

 Other party interests in consolidated
  entities                                           983         1,320
                                            ------------  ------------

 Income (loss) before taxes and
  discontinued operations                       (154,547)       12,367


 Income tax provision (benefit)                   (6,246)        5,610

 Loss on discontinued operations, net of
  income tax benefit                                  --          (337)
                                            ------------  ------------

 Net income (loss)                          $   (148,301) $      6,420
                                            ============  ============


            

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