Warm Winter Leads to Disappointing Sales and Forecast
Columbia Sportswear, the Portland-based maker of outdoor apparel and gear, announced disappointing 4th quarter financial results on Thursday, leading to a sharp sell-off of its stock. The company also warned of a challenging year ahead in 2024 and announced layoffs focused on its Oregon headquarters.
The iconic outdoor brand blamed unseasonably warm winter weather across North America and Europe for reduced demand for its cold weather products. Net sales in the fourth quarter totaled $1.17 billion, a 5% increase over the prior year but falling short of Wall Street expectations. Earnings per share of $1.92 also missed analyst forecasts.
CEO Cites Inventory Issues Impacting Sales
In the company’s earnings conference call, Columbia CEO Tim Boyle said the warm weather led retailers to cancel orders and disrupted efforts to manage inventory.
“The unseasonably warm weather resulted in lower retail traffic and contributed to a more promotional environment, elevated cancellations of fall and winter orders and lower at-once reorders,” Boyle told analysts.
Boyle said the company struggled with too much inventory in some areas and not enough in others during the crucial holiday season. He expects these inventory issues to continue affecting results in early 2024.
Job Cuts Announced for Oregon Headquarters
In another sign of trouble ahead, Columbia announced it will cut approximately 80-100 jobs, representing 3-5% of the staff at its Portland headquarters.
The job cuts appear targeted at corporate and administrative roles to reduce costs. Columbia has not detailed which specific jobs will be eliminated. The company had approximately 2,500 employees worldwide as of 2021.
In a statement, the company said “These changes are intended to streamline the organization.” Employees affected by the layoffs will receive severance packages and outplacement assistance.
2024 Forecast Disappoints Investors
Along with the poor 4th quarter results, Columbia Sportswear issued full-year guidance for 2024 that disappointed Wall Street. The company said it expects:
- Net sales to increase 0% to 2%
- Operating income to decline between 4% to 7%
CFO Jim Swanson warned the year will be “unusually challenging from a planning perspective” and cited high inventory levels across the retail industry.
Analysts had been forecasting stronger growth before these announcements. Columbia’s stock plunged over 18% in trading on Friday in reaction to the news.
| Financial Metric | 2023 Actual | 2024 Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Net Sales | $3.48 billion | $3.48 – $3.55 billion |
| Operating Income | $409.6 million | $371 – $393 million |
| Earnings Per Share | $5.39 | $4.05 – $4.45 |
What’s Next For Columbia?
Columbia finds itself navigating difficult consumer spending environment in 2024. High inflation, rising interest rates and the possibility of a recession in the US all cloud the outlook for consumer discretionary stocks like Columbia.
The company will need to carefully manage inventory levels and continue innovating new products to align with customer demand. Cost cuts through layoffs aim to protect profit margins if sales growth stalls.
Longer term, Columbia Sportswear remains well positioned in the active outdoor and sportswear markets under CEO Tim Boyle’s leadership. But the company expects leaner times over at least the first half of 2024 until inventories can rebalance across the supply chain. Investors face ongoing uncertainty until Columbia can regain its momentum.
Conclusion
Columbia Sportswear shocked investors on Thursday by announcing declining sales, layoffs focused on its Oregon headquarters, and a downbeat forecast for 2024. The company clearly feels an urge to get leaner and reduce costs in anticipation of a difficult consumer spending environment ahead.
After over 30 years of steady growth and expansion since its founding, Columbia faces a key test in navigating through industry-wide inventory issues and weak retail demand. The coming year threatens to interrupt the company’s long record of consistency. Investors will watch closely how Columbia fares through this challenging stretch under longtime CEO Tim Boyle.
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