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Nature of Operations, Background, and Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Nature of Operations, Background, and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Nature of Operations, Background, and Basis of Presentation

1. Nature of Operations, Background, and Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 (which has been derived from audited financial statements) and the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a comprehensive presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared following the same policies and procedures used in the preparation of the audited consolidated financial statements and reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Xcel Brands, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or "Xcel"). The results of operations for the interim periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year or for any future interim periods. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on April 17, 2023.

The Company is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, production, marketing, live streaming, wholesale distribution, and direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands.

Currently, the Company’s brand portfolio consists of the LOGO by Lori Goldstein brand (the “Lori Goldstein Brand”), the Halston brands (the "Halston Brand"), the Judith Ripka brands (the "Ripka Brand"), the C Wonder brands (the "C Wonder Brand"), the Longaberger brand (the “Longaberger Brand”), the Isaac Mizrahi brands (the "Isaac Mizrahi Brand"), and other proprietary brands.

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The Lori Goldstein Brand, Halston Brand, Ripka Brand, and C Wonder Brand are wholly owned by the Company.

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The Company manages the Longaberger Brand through its 50% ownership interest in Longaberger Licensing, LLC; the Company consolidates Longaberger Licensing, LLC and recognizes noncontrolling interest for the remaining ownership interest held by a third party.

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The Company wholly owned and managed the Isaac Mizrahi Brand through May 31, 2022. On May 31, 2022, the Company sold to a third party a majority interest in a newly-created subsidiary that was formed to hold the Isaac Mizrahi Brand trademarks, but retained a noncontrolling interest in the brand through a 30% ownership interest in IM Topco, LLC, and continues to contribute to the operations of the brand through a service agreement (see Note 11 for additional details). The Company accounts for its interest in IM Topco, LLC using the equity method of accounting.

The Company designs, produces, markets, and distributes products, licenses its brands to third parties, and generates licensing revenues through contractual arrangements with manufacturers and retailers. The Company and its licensees distribute through an omni-channel retail sales strategy, which includes distribution through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, wholesale, and e-commerce channels to be everywhere its customers shop.

The Company’s wholesale and direct-to-consumer operations are presented as "Net sales" and "Cost of goods sold" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, separately from the Company’s net licensing revenue.

Liquidity and Management’s Plans

The Company incurred a net loss attributable to Company stockholders of approximately $5.1 million and $14.3 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively (which included net non-cash expenses of approximately $2.3 million and $7.1 million, respectively), and had an accumulated deficit of approximately $47.1 million as of September 30, 2023. Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $2.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The Company had working capital (current assets less current liabilities, excluding the current portion of lease obligations and any contingent obligations payable in common stock) of approximately $2.9 million as of September 30, 2023. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were approximately $2.2 million as of September 30, 2023. The aforementioned factors raise uncertainties about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Management has implemented a plan to mitigate an expected shortfall of capital and to support future operations by shifting the business from a wholesale/licensing hybrid model into a “licensing-plus” business model. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company began to restructure its business operations by entering into new licensing agreements and joint venture arrangements with best-in-class business partners. The Company entered into a new interactive television licensing agreement with America’s Collectibles Network, Inc. d/b/a Jewelry Television (“JTV”) for the Ripka Brand, and a separate license with JTV for the Ripka Brand’s e-commerce business. For apparel, similar transactions have been executed. In conjunction with the launch of the C Wonder Brand on HSN, the Company licensed the wholesale operations related to the brand to One Jeanswear Group, LLC (“OJG”); this new license with OJG also includes certain other new celebrity brands that the Company plans to develop and launch in 2023 and beyond. In the second quarter of 2023, the Company entered into a new master license agreement for the Halston Brand, covering men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, fashion accessories, and other product categories, with an industry-leading wholesale apparel company for distribution through department stores, e-commerce, and other retailers (see Note 4). This new master license for the Halston Brand provides for an upfront cash payment and royalties, including certain guaranteed minimum royalties to the Company, includes significant annual minimum net sales requirements, and has a twenty-five-year term (consisting of an initial five-year period, followed by a twenty-year period), subject to the licensee’s right to terminate with at least 120 days’ notice prior to the end of each five-year period during the term.

The transition of these operating businesses was substantially completed by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Management believes that this evolution of the Company’s operating model will provide the Company with significant cost savings and allow the Company to reduce and better manage its exposure to operating risks. As of September 30, 2023, the Company has reduced its payroll costs by approximately $6 million and operating expenses by approximately $7 million, on an annualized basis when compared to the corresponding periods in the prior year.

While there is some level of potential risk with respect to the Company’s contingent obligation related to IM Topco, LLC, which could negatively impact the Company’s future cash flows and liquidity, management has taken steps to address such risk (see Note 12 and Note 13 for additional details).

Further, in October 2023, the Company entered into a new term loan agreement in the amount of $5 million, which provides the Company with approximately $5 million of additional liquidity (see Note 13 for additional details). Also in October 2023, Longaberger Licensing, LLC outsourced the operations and management of the Longaberger Brand’s e-commerce business to a third party (see Note 13 for additional details).

Based on these recent events and changes, management expects that existing cash and future operating cash flows will be adequate to meet the Company’s operating needs, term debt service obligations, and capital expenditure needs, for at least the twelve months subsequent to the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; therefore, such conditions and uncertainties with respect to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as of September 30, 2023, have been alleviated.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The Company adopted the provisions of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" (as amended by ASU No. 2018-19 in November 2018, ASU No. 2019-05 in May 2019, ASU No. 2019-10 and 2019-11 in November 2019, ASU No. 2020-02 in February 2020, and ASU No. 2022-02 in March 2022) effective January 1, 2023. This ASU requires entities to estimate lifetime expected credit losses for financial instruments, including trade and other receivables, which will result in earlier recognition of credit losses. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition.