Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)
Registration No. 333-259188
PROSPECTUS
20,192,307 Shares
Class A Common Stock
This is an initial public offering of shares of Class A common stock of Allbirds, Inc. We are offering 16,346,154 shares of our Class A common stock, and the selling stockholders identified in this prospectus are offering 3,846,153 shares of our Class A common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A common stock by the selling stockholders.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Class A common stock. The initial public offering price for our Class A common stock is $15.00 per share. Our Class A common stock has been approved for listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “BIRD.”
We have two classes of common stock, Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except voting and conversion rights. Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share. Each share of Class B common stock is entitled to 10 votes per share and is convertible into one share of Class A common stock. The holders of our outstanding shares of Class B common stock will represent approximately 98.4% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock immediately following this offering.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined under the federal securities laws, and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced reporting requirements for this prospectus and may elect to do so in future filings. We elected in February 2016 to be treated as a public benefit corporation under Delaware law. As a public benefit corporation, we are required to balance the financial interests of our stockholders, the best interests of those stakeholders materially affected by our conduct, and the specific public benefit of environmental conservation that is set forth in our certificate of incorporation. Accordingly, our duty to balance a variety of interests may result in actions that do not maximize stockholder value. See the section titled “Prospectus Summary—Public Benefit Corporation Status.”
Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks. See the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 23.
| Per Share | Total | ||||||||||
| Initial public offering price | $ | 15.00 | $ | 302,884,605 | |||||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | $ | 0.9375 | $ | 18,930,288 | |||||||
| Proceeds to us, before expenses | $ | 14.0625 | $ | 229,867,791 | |||||||
| Proceeds to the selling stockholders, before expenses | $ | 14.0625 | $ | 54,086,527 | |||||||
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(1)See the section titled “Underwriters” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters.
At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to 3% of the shares of Class A common stock to be issued by us and offered by this prospectus for sale, at the initial public offering price to certain of our employees, partners and the friends and family members of certain of our employees, directors, and partners. See “Prospectus Summary—The Offering—Directed Share Program” for additional information.
One or more funds affiliated with Franklin Templeton and one or more funds affiliated with TDM Growth Partners have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $70.0 million of our Class A common stock offered in this offering at the initial public offering price. Because these indications of interest are not a binding agreement or commitment to purchase, these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer, or no shares in this offering, or the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer, or no shares to such funds. The underwriters will receive the same discount from any of our shares of Class A common stock purchased by these funds as they will from any other shares of Class A common stock sold to the public in this offering.
The underwriters have an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 3,028,845 shares of Class A common stock from us and the selling stockholders on the same terms as set forth above.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of Class A common stock to purchasers on November 5, 2021.
| Morgan Stanley | J.P. Morgan | BofA Securities | ||||||||||||
| Baird | William Blair | Piper Sandler | Cowen | Guggenheim Securities | KeyBanc Capital Markets | Stifel | Telsey Advisory Group | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| C.L. King & Associates | Drexel Hamilton | Loop Capital Markets | Penserra Securities LLC | Ramirez & Co., Inc. | Siebert Williams Shank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prospectus dated November 2, 2021.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Neither we, the selling stockholders, nor any of the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. Neither we, the selling stockholders, nor any of the underwriters take any responsibility for, or can provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the selling stockholders are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our Class A common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of our Class A common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future growth prospects may have changed since that date.
Through and including November 27, 2021 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.
For investors outside the United States: Neither we, the selling stockholders, nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States and New Zealand. Persons outside of the
United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, this offering of our Class A common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our Class A common stock. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Our fiscal year ends on December 31. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company,” and “Allbirds” refer to Allbirds, Inc. and its subsidiaries, references in this prospectus to the “selling stockholders” refer to the selling stockholders named in this prospectus, and references in this prospectus to our “common stock” refer to our Class A common stock and Class B common stock.
Overview
Mission, Vision, and Purpose
We make better things in a better way, through nature—products that people feel good in and feel good about.
We aim to reverse climate change through better business by empowering people to make better, more conscious decisions for themselves as well as the planet.
Who We Are
Allbirds is a global lifestyle brand that innovates with naturally derived materials to make better footwear and apparel products in a better way, while treading lighter on our planet.
We began our journey in 2015 with three fundamental beliefs about the emerging generation of consumers: first, these consumers recognize that climate change is an existential threat to the human race; second, these consumers connect their purchase decisions with their impact on the planet, demanding more from businesses; and third, these consumers do not want to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good.
When our founders established Allbirds, they set out to create a purpose-native company built upon a system that leverages nature in a responsible way—every aspect of our company is woven together with this mission, fueling a thriving financial business. While many businesses see tension between profit and purpose, we see opportunity. We became a public benefit corporation, or PBC, under Delaware law and earned our B Corporation, or B Corp, certification in 2016, codifying how we take into account the impact our actions have on all of our stakeholders, including the environment, our flock of employees, communities, consumers, and investors. The more sustainable we are, the better we believe our products and business will be. We are proud of the alignment of financial and environmental benefits from our work, and that we are able to serve as a driving force in a new age of sustainable enterprise.
We harness nature to find incredible innovations that create differentiated products so that our customers do not have to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good for the planet. Our strength in development of naturally derived materials serves as a competitive advantage, as we create premium products that are sustainable and that we believe are better than synthetic alternatives across comfort, style, and performance. Our most iconic product, the Wool Runner, which TIME Magazine named the “World’s Most Comfortable Shoe,” features a distinctly simple design showcasing our sustainably-sourced merino wool combined with our innovative SweetFoam sole, made with the world’s first carbon-negative green ethylene-vinyl acetate, or EVA. We continue to innovate our materials with natural sources such as tree fiber, sugarcane, crab shells, and more. Over time, we believe we have become a recognized innovation leader and a partner of choice for launching sustainable innovations, which we believe creates a virtuous cycle of further innovation. The product philosophy that drives our business remains the same: sustainability at the core to fuel performance, comfort, and beautiful design. By focusing on sustainable materials, we have unlocked a broad set of opportunities that the rest of the industry has largely ignored, while creating products our customers love to wear as they tread lighter. We believe our products are not just better, but also better for the planet, with an average pair of Allbirds shoes carrying a carbon footprint that is
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approximately 30% less than our estimated carbon footprint for a standard pair of sneakers, due to our use of renewable, natural materials and responsible manufacturing.
We couple this differentiated performance and impact of our shoes with a unique design language that has become synonymous with our brand. Beginning with the Wool Runners and woven across all of our products, we strip away unnecessary details, sparing our customer from becoming a walking billboard, leaving a touch of Allbirds verve to signify the association with our brand. This design approach “with the right amount of nothing” allows us to make stylish, comfortable, and high-performance products that our customers love.
We have achieved our rapid growth through a digitally-led vertical retail distribution strategy. We market directly to consumers via our localized multilingual digital platform and our physical footprint of 27 stores as of June 30, 2021. Through our robust distribution infrastructure, we are able to reach 35 countries, increasing customer touchpoints and driving brand awareness, all while maintaining a carbon-neutral supply chain since 2019. Our direct distribution model allows us to control our sales channels and build deep relationships with our customers by delivering high-quality products through a seamless and immersive brand experience, whether shopping on our website, on our app, or in one of our Allbirds stores. In 2020, our digital channel represented 89% of our sales, while stores accounted for the other 11% of our sales. Our stores serve as an effective and profitable source of new customer acquisition, increase awareness of our brand, and drive traffic to our digital platform.
By serving consumers directly, we cut out the layers of costs associated with traditional wholesalers, creating a more efficient cost structure and higher gross margin, which we believe allows us to deliver better products and a better experience to customers at a price point competitors would have difficulty matching. We believe our differentiated vertical retail model enables a margin structure that allows us to provide high-quality material and product while pricing lower compared to a traditional wholesale model. We are able to gain deep visibility into what our customers want, from design and development through to purchase. We then close the loop by reinvesting back into product quality and materials science.
Designing and creating innovative, sustainable materials is a challenging process for both our internal R&D teams as well as our supply chain partners. We have invested time and resources to train our manufacturers to use our natural materials, which we believe makes it difficult to replicate our novel manufacturing processes at our product quality.
We believe the following four aspects together have created durable competitive moats and resonate deeply with consumers: (1) an authentic, purpose-driven brand that resonates with our stakeholders; (2) innovative and differentiated products propelled by our status as a partner of choice for launching sustainable innovations; (3) a vertical distribution model that enables higher quality at a lower price compared to a traditional wholesale model; and (4) difficult-to-replicate manufacturing know-how. Our target consumers are a vast and rapidly growing segment of the population, which strives to live a more balanced, sustainable lifestyle through an understanding of the impact of their buying habits. Our purpose and mission, coupled with innovation and a vertically integrated business model, allow us to meet the call of our consumers across the globe.
Today, we are a high-growth company with a loyal and expanding customer base that has earned our brand the permission to expand beyond our casual footwear origins and enter adjacent categories such as performance running shoes and apparel. Our strong brand equity is fueled by our differentiated products created by sustainability-driven innovation. This sets us apart from other lifestyle brands—the unique affinity consumers have for our brand is validated by our high Net Promoter Score, which has consistently been 83 or higher since the first quarter of 2019 and was 86 for the first half of 2021. Approximately 53% of our net sales in 2020 came from repeat customers, which we define as customers who have made a prior purchase with us in any period. Furthermore, of our U.S. customers acquired between 2016 and 2019, the average lifetime spend of the top 25% in each cohort is $446, demonstrating how our most loyal customers have made Allbirds a part of their lifestyle. See the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data” for additional information regarding Net Promoter Score.
Given the size of our market and the broad set of our target consumers, we believe our core strengths will propel us into the future. We will continue to bring to market world-leading product innovations, build a global brand that attracts and inspires a loyal and evangelical customer community, serve that community effectively through a
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digitally-enabled, cross-channel experience, and delight our customers through the delivery of products on time and in a cost-effective manner, all while treading lighter on the planet.
Since our founding in 2015, we have sold more than eight million pairs of shoes to over four million customers globally, including 3.3 million customers in the United States. Our rapid growth validates our value proposition and compelling business model, as evidenced by our business results:
•Grew net revenue from $126.0 million in 2018 to $219.3 million in 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 31.9%;
•Grew our digital revenue from $113.2 million in 2018 to $194.6 million in 2020, representing a CAGR of 31.1%;
•Grew our store footprint from three in 2018 to 22 in 2020;
•Grew our U.S. and international revenue by $52.5 million and $40.7 million, respectively, from 2018 to 2020, representing a CAGR of 20.8% and 112.4%, respectively;
•Increased gross margin by 454 basis points from 46.9% in 2018 to 51.4% in 2020;
•Generated net losses of $14.5 million and $25.9 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively; and
•Generated adjusted EBITDA of $(1.3) million and $(15.4) million in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
These business results support our thesis that the more sustainable we are, the better our products and business perform and the better we can serve our stakeholders. We are proud that our purpose-native company is proving capable of serving the needs of the next generation of consumers while delivering financial results and treading lighter on the planet.
Our Industry
Our Market Opportunity
In 2020, consumers worldwide spent an estimated $1.8 trillion on footwear and apparel, comprised of approximately $1.5 trillion on apparel and a projected $366 billion on footwear, with the U.S. portion of this total spend reaching approximately $342 billion, based on data from Statista. In 2018, the average American consumer spent more than $1,100 on footwear and apparel and bought approximately seven pairs of shoes and 68 pieces of clothing, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association.
We Stand at the Intersection of Changing Industry and Consumer Trends
We believe there are three trends that influence how consumers make their purchase decisions today.
•Brands that are responsible and purpose-driven. An increasing number of consumers want to align with brands that are responsible and purpose-driven. More than ever, people are scrutinizing the products they purchase and what the brands they select represent. Surveys suggest that consumers, and younger generations, including Gen-Z and Millennials in particular, are becoming increasingly focused on product origins and buying from companies that share their values. More than 60% of consumers have stated that environmental impact is an important factor in their purchasing decisions based on a 2020 McKinsey study, and more than 80% of consumers insist that they must be able to “trust the brand to do what is right,” according to a 2019 consumer survey conducted by Edelman. As part of this shift toward conscious consumerism, consumers are looking for brands that are purpose-native and authentically sustainable, as customers demand transparency with respect to the products they buy.
In addition to conscious consumerism, our unique positioning as a global lifestyle brand addresses two of the most important issues for younger generations—(1) health and wellness and (2) sustainability—in a way incumbent brands are unable to do. According to Deloitte’s 2020 Global Millennial Survey, when respondents were asked to choose the top-three most concerning challenges facing society, “health care/
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disease prevention” and “climate change/protecting the environment” were two of the most commonly listed. While incumbent footwear and apparel brands are able to help consumers work toward their health and wellness goals with performance-focused products, these brands must reverse-engineer sustainability into their products to back-solve for this critical consumer requirement. These brands are constrained by synthetic, off-the-shelf materials, entrenched supply chains, and compressed margins via wholesale distribution. We are able to take a fresh approach by building naturally beautiful products from the molecular level up, directly sourcing and innovating through our materials, and offering customers “more shoe for their buck” through our vertical distribution strategy. Our brand’s natural performance products uniquely address both (1) health and wellness and (2) sustainability, enabling consumers to perform their best while also treading lighter on the planet.
•Great products that adapt to the “new normal.” We believe there has been a continued shift to wardrobe casualization, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby the lines have blurred between work, home, gym, and play. This casualization has demanded increasing versatility from consumers’ wardrobes, requiring footwear and apparel that are stylish, comfortable, and functional across a variety of use occasions. Per a survey by Klarna in 2021, nearly half of American employees are planning to wear more comfortable clothes to work than they did before the pandemic. As workplaces continue to move towards a more casual and/or remote environment, we believe consumers will place more value on versatility and comfort.
•A seamless, cross-channel buying experience that delivers value and convenience. Consumers are increasingly looking for the ability to interact with brands both digitally and physically. According to Statista, apparel, footwear, and accessories represented 29.5% of total U.S. eCommerce retail sales in 2020 and are expected to increase to approximately 32.2% by 2024. Additionally, based on a 2021 consumer survey conducted by Appnovation, approximately 80% of consumers expected or hoped that brands would adopt digital solutions to better serve their consumers. Through the use of cross-channel experiences, vertically integrated brands are uniquely positioned to deliver a better and more convenient experience.
Allbirds was founded with and has grown with these consumer trends in mind, and we believe we stand perfectly at their intersection. These trends have moved faster than any of us could have expected, and we believe this positions us to be successful for years to come. Our commitment to doing better things in a better way aligns with the demands of the next generation of consumers. Our sustainable materials innovation and simple, comfortable designs will allow us to continue to build closet share and grow revenue with new and existing customers, and our vertical retail model meets customers where and when they want to shop, all while treading lighter on the planet.
How We and Our Customers are Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Footwear and Apparel Industry
According to Statista, over 24 billion pairs of shoes were produced and 180 billion pieces of clothing were sold in 2019. The global footwear and apparel industry relies on fossil fuels to power factories, produce materials, and ship products. Based on a 2018 analysis by Quantis, roughly 57% of footwear and 64% of apparel is made from synthetic materials, mostly plastic, and as a result, most of what consumers wear is derived from oil. The global fashion industry accounted for approximately 4% of global greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions in 2018, or 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, or CO2e, and over 70% of these emissions were related to upstream activities like materials production, preparation, and processing, according to a 2020 McKinsey and Global Fashion Agenda report.
The 2015 Paris Agreement set the goal to limit global warming to well below 2° Celsius, preferably to 1.5° Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. Under its current trajectory, the fashion industry is expected to fall short of meeting the 1.5° Celsius target by 50%, according to a 2020 McKinsey and Global Fashion Agenda report. The pace of change must accelerate in order for the industry to be compatible with planetary boundaries, and Allbirds offers a blueprint for how to get there.
We estimate that a standard pair of sneakers results in a carbon footprint of 14.1 kg of CO2e. Today, through our use of renewable, natural materials and responsible manufacturing, the average pair of Allbirds shoes has a carbon footprint that is 30% less than our estimated carbon footprint for a standard pair of sneakers, and we offset the
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entirety of the rest to provide our customers with carbon-neutral products. Furthermore, we believe in the power of selective industry collaboration to accelerate progress, as evident by our partnership with adidas to unveil the world’s lowest carbon footprint running shoe at 2.94kg of CO2e in May 2021. This partnership, as well as our decision to open up the carbon-negative, green EVA used to make SweetFoam, and our carbon footprint methodology demonstrates our ability to scale our impact to the broader industry and beyond, while extending our brand’s leadership as a sustainability innovator.
We are inspired by the impact we can have on the planet. By offering footwear that is less carbon-intensive and doing our part to offset the rest of our carbon impact, every product we sell contributes to our success as a business and reduces the impact of our industry. If we assume all 24 billion pairs of shoes produced by the industry in 2019 had a 30% lower carbon footprint relative to our estimate of the carbon footprint of a standard sneaker, the industry would have saved 98 million tonnes of CO2e, which is equivalent to taking 21 million cars off the road in the same timeframe. We intend to drive our emissions down further as described in the section titled “Environmental, Social, and Governance.”
Why We’ve Been Successful So Far
Allbirds has developed five core strengths that have enabled our success and given us a durable, competitive advantage. Using these core strengths outlined below, we created something new: an industry-redefining global lifestyle brand built around sustainability with best-in-class materials innovation capabilities and a unique approach to bringing our products to consumers around the globe.
•Product Innovation Based on Materials R&D and Simple, Purposeful Design
Innovation is built into our culture, and our product innovation platform starts with natural materials. With meticulous attention, we have examined every component that goes into our products to ensure we deliver design, comfort, and performance, all enabled by novel technologies and materials derived from nature. For example, in 2018, with the help of our partner, Braskem S.A., the petrochemical company and a leading biopolymers producer, we pioneered a carbon-negative green EVA made with Brazilian sugarcane, as an alternative to traditional EVA made from petroleum. We used this new carbon-negative green EVA to create SweetFoam, which is now in all of our shoe soles. This is just one example of many from our track record of nature-based innovations, along with materials made from wool, tree, crab shells, and more. As we have scaled and built our commercialization capabilities, our innovation has created a virtuous cycle of research and development. As we have grown our business and consistently launched products relying on materials from nature, we have increasingly become a partner of choice for those in the innovation ecosystem. That translates to partners seeking us out to utilize their novel developments, and allows us to extend our advantage in sourcing and commercializing differentiated materials that reduce our impact on the planet.
With materials at our product platform’s core, we are able to extend into new categories and develop new innovations across the body leveraging our versatile, distinctly simple design, and a focus on performance and comfort. Our emphasis on design that removes unnecessary details to highlight our “Hero” materials allows us to capitalize on existing designs. Between our major materials innovations, we deliver product newness and brand excitement from incremental launches across color, pattern, exclusive partnerships, and additional features. Within our footwear line, we can leverage existing shoe sole tooling by modifying upper designs to create entirely new styles, transforming iconic styles into franchises. We did this with our first performance running product, the Tree Dasher, by extending that revolutionary midsole and outsole unit to the Wool Dasher Mizzle (weather-resistant), Tree Dasher Relay (laceless design), and our Allbirds x Staple collaboration (inside-out design). We believe this approach to reinventing classic silhouettes creates timeless product style that reduces potential fashion risk that other companies fall prey to.
We intentionally launched into the footwear category first given its technical nature, building credibility and trust with consumers before moving up the body into apparel. We believe our foundation in comfort and simple design, coupled with our success in manufacturing high-quality, sustainable footwear gives us a distinct advantage as we expand into adjacent categories.
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•Purpose-Driven Lifestyle Brand with an Inspirational Voice
Our brand inspires consumers to live life in better balance, which creates deep affinity and loyalty with our growing base of customers. For our customers, balance is not having to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good for the planet. Our commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability is built into our DNA as both a PBC under Delaware law and a certified B Corp. Through these efforts, we have been able to cultivate an authentic brand supported by a community that loves our products because they fit perfectly into their everyday lives. Based on our internal studies, we believe our brand is seen as more sustainable, innovative, and having higher quality products compared to other major footwear brands, while also being more sustainable, comfortable, and better designed compared to other direct-to-consumer brands. Furthermore, much of what makes our brand distinctive is the thought leadership and conversations we enable within the broader industry about the impact of the products we make. Our campaigns around labeling each product’s carbon footprint and challenging our competitors to do the same are just some of the examples that exemplify our brand leadership. We also maintain an end-of-life program for products returned to us that cannot be resold by donating them to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes footwear and clothing in developing countries.
•Deep Connection with Our Community of Customers
By making great products and telling the story of an inspirational, purpose-driven brand, we have formed a deep connection with our community of customers. We have sold our products to over four million customers since our founding. As of June 30, 2021, we had more than two million people on our email list and nearly one million followers on social media. Our high Net Promoter Score, which has consistently been 83 or higher since the first quarter of 2019 and was 86 for the first half of 2021, demonstrates our strong following and growing brand advocates who love Allbirds. Approximately 53% of our net sales in 2020 came from repeat customers. This is true globally, as our customers span 35 countries, and 24% of our net revenue in 2020 came from outside the United States. See the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data” for additional information regarding Net Promoter Score.
As a brand with a digitally-led vertical retail distribution strategy, we are able to own the customer experience, which allows us to use data to determine who our customers are, what is important to them, and what products are most relevant and when, allowing us to create a strong connection with our customers. We have learned that our customers live an active and curious lifestyle, care about health and well-being, prioritize quality over price, frequently purchase products online, live in urban center settings, and appreciate socially conscious brands. In addition to communicating more effectively with our customers, these insights allow us to meet customers’ needs through the creation of new products and enhancements to our existing line. Further, to illustrate the importance of engaging our customer base, the average spend by a repeat customer in a given cohort is over 25% more in their second year as compared to what was spent in the first year, and the average spend by a repeat customer continues to increase each subsequent year.
•Global Vertical Retail Distribution Strategy that Melds Digital with Physical
Our digitally-led vertical retail distribution strategy combines our digital offerings with our stores so we can meet consumers where they are, delivering value and convenience. Our direct distribution to customers in 35 countries and across our 27 store locations as of June 30, 2021 enables us to own the customer experience, driving deeper brand engagement and loyalty, and effectively managing inventory, while also realizing better margins. Coupled with our resonant brand and products, our distribution model has enabled us to generate approximately 98% of our gross sales at full price for the entirety of our history. Vertical retail not only allows us to better understand our customers, but also enables us to cut out the layers of costs associated with traditional wholesalers, creating a more efficient cost structure. Ultimately, we believe this provides unmatched value to customers, enabling us to deliver better products and a better experience to customers, one that competitors relying on wholesale distribution cannot afford to deliver at our price point.
Our digital commerce experience is complemented by a thriving retail store fleet. With strong pre-COVID-19 unit economics, our store operations have historically been highly profitable, capital-efficient, and provided strong investment returns. All U.S. stores that were operating in 2019 generated
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approximately $4.3 million in average unit volume, or AUV, in their first 12 months of operation, including the stores that had their first 12 months of sales affected by COVID-19 after March 2020. Based on this pre-COVID performance, we believe our new stores will be highly profitable, have attractive payback periods, serve as good capital investments, and be positioned well to take advantage of physical retail’s recovery from the pandemic. While our store channel already generates strong results on a standalone basis, the real power of our vertical retail strategy is the synergy between the physical and digital sides of our business. This synergy takes the form of increased brand awareness and website traffic in the regions where we open new stores, driving an overall lift in sales. Furthermore, as we continue to grow our store footprint, we believe we will be able to expand our valuable multi-channel customer base. Across all cohorts and through June 30, 2021, our multi-channel repeat customers, who represented 12% of our total repeat customers as of such date, on average spent approximately 1.5 times more than our single-channel repeat customers.
As an example of the benefits of our vertical retail distribution strategy, our Boston Back Bay store achieved standalone payback within eight months. Furthermore, in the three months after our Boston Back Bay store opened in March 2019, the Boston DMA region saw a 15% increase in website traffic, an 83% increase in new customers and, ultimately, a 77% increase in overall net sales, as compared to a comparable control market.
•Unique and Agile Infrastructure with Key Investments in Place to Scale
Our vision from day one has been to be a global lifestyle brand that makes and delivers better products in a better way. Through careful investments and strategic partnerships, we have built a robust infrastructure with key investments in place across several functional areas that will enable our company to profitably scale.
◦Supply chain. Our supply chain infrastructure is advanced compared to other brands of similar age and size. The unique relationships we have with our vendors give us agility to respond to consumer demands, where inventory can go from purchase order to ex-factory in as little as 45 days. Our investments in direct and meaningful relationships with all our partners, from raw materials suppliers to Tier 1 manufacturers and logistics providers, also allowed us to improve gross margin despite a difficult cost climate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our distribution network, comprised of nine distribution centers across eight countries, puts us close to the consumer, allowing us to reach 35 countries in a matter of days with quick, reliable service.
◦Technology. Our current technology infrastructure is nimble and enables us to scale globally at a lower cost than large incumbents. We have married tried-and-true enterprise systems with custom-built technology stacks tailored to our needs. Because we started our business with a modern technology stack, we are able to rely on partners to more effectively scale, in contrast to incumbents who are saddled with legacy systems.
◦Localized teams with market expertise. We have hired on-the-ground teams in China, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom who understand their market’s consumers and are able to localize our approach.
Experienced and Passionate Team Who Believes in Our Vision
Underlying our five core strengths is our unique, purpose-driven culture that starts with the vision of our co-founders and our “flock” of passionate employees. This culture is underpinned by an authentic approach that recognizes the environment as a critical stakeholder, as documented in our certificate of incorporation as a PBC and certified through our B Corp status. We believe great employees stand with brands that have values they can align with, and Allbirds is filled with a diverse group of people who believe in our mission. Our flock’s passion is seen every single day in the ideas they bring to creating new and innovative products and running a sustainable and successful business.
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Why We Will Continue to be Successful
Our intention is to be a high-growth, profitable business that consistently delivers great outcomes for our stakeholders. To do this, we believe it is vital to have a clear long-term growth strategy that translates into near-term growth initiatives.
Our long-term strategy to fulfill this vision has five strategic pillars:
•Make the world’s most comfortable shoes and apparel, powered by world-leading sustainable materials innovation and design;
•Build a global brand that attracts a large, loyal community of customers who love our products;
•Inspire that community of customers to keep coming back and to serve as our biggest advocates;
•Serve that community through a digitally-enabled and seamless cross-channel experience; and
•Deliver the highest quality products on time at a great value to our customers through a low-carbon, technology-enabled, consumer-focused supply chain.
Threading through these five strategic pillars is our commitment to tread lighter and have a positive impact on all stakeholders, including the environment, our flock of employees, communities, consumers, and investors.
In the near term, this strategy will manifest itself in the following five growth initiatives:
•Innovate and Make Great New Products with Natural, Sustainable Materials
Our product platform allows us to consistently deliver new and differentiated products, fulfilling new use cases in new categories to grow our closet share. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, approximately 80% of orders from repeat customers included a different item than was included in their first order. We believe this highlights our opportunity to continue expanding our product portfolio to increase engagement and drive lifetime customer value. We think about our innovation platform in the following ways:
◦New materials. Our successful track record of commercializing and bringing to market new innovations has made us a desirable partner for many outside R&D companies and vendors, allowing us to be first to market with novel materials while accelerating development timelines and reducing costs. A recent example is our collaboration with Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. to commercialize a 100% natural, plant-based leather-alternative. As we continue to build our library of materials, we plan to create new, differentiated products, as well as leverage new materials across our existing product platforms by refreshing our classic silhouettes.
◦Expand footwear. New materials innovations unlock potential for differentiated styles and use occasions, which create opportunities to make new footwear franchises. Our versatile, simple designs with “Hero” materials allow us to expand our core product families. We plan to grow footwear sales by broadening and deepening our assortment across end uses including functional casual occasions and performance athletics, while also introducing new style, fit, and size ranges to give customers more choices.
◦Broaden our apparel offerings. Our foundation in natural materials, comfort, and sustainability translates into the ability to create great products, not just in shoes, but in a number of apparel categories that complement our footwear line. Our expertise with materials allows us to expand in basics and functional casual apparel, and has significant application to natural performance apparel, which we believe will be a complementary offering to our newly established credibility in performance footwear. We have several offerings currently under development which will empower our customers to explore and appreciate the great outdoors, better connecting with nature.
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•Raise Awareness and Grow Our Customer Community
We are still a young brand with aided brand awareness of 10.9% in the United States in the first quarter of 2021, which provides significant whitespace for growth as we introduce ourselves to new consumers. Our recent marketing efforts, including our expansion into TV advertising, collectively drove a significant increase in our aided brand awareness from 8.4% in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 10.9% in the first quarter of 2021, affirming the success of our marketing strategy. See the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data” for additional information regarding aided brand awareness.
We are focused on increasing awareness through the following tactics:
◦Thought leadership moments. We will continue to be leaders in the fight against climate change, from open-sourcing our Carbon Footprint methodology to vocally challenging copycat brands to copy our sustainability practices and not just our designs. This has helped to amplify our voice and introduce us to new customers who connect with the values of our brand.
◦Community. In 2020, we formalized our community marketing efforts by launching the Allgood Collective, a global community of ambassadors who promote the power of collective action as a force for good, embracing the Allbirds brand and products as a vehicle for positive change. The Allgood Collective is how we personify and extend our mission and values into tangible experiences, encouraging meaningful conversations and strengthening our relationship with our existing fans while also allowing us to reach and engage new groups of people.
◦Expanding our brand beacon through physical touchpoints. Our stores are situated in high-traffic, popular locations and serve as billboards while providing an immersive and tactile introduction to the brand. Historically, we have seen significant awareness boosts in store markets and efficient new customer acquisition, and we expect this trend to continue with the rollout of additional locations throughout the world.
◦Full-funnel marketing. We are at a scale now where it is effective to broaden our marketing funnel from emphasizing direct, digital conversion marketing to a full-funnel approach that utilizes TV and other mediums. We anticipate this will result in expanding our consumer reach to a wider population, showcasing a broader array of products, and taking consumers through the entire brand journey, from awareness through consideration to conversion. As we increase awareness, add stores, and broaden our product assortment, we believe this full-funnel approach will increase marketing efficiency.
•Deepen Engagement with Our Community of Customers
As a digitally-native vertical retailer that directly engages with consumers, we have carefully cultivated every aspect of our customer experience. We have the opportunity, taking insights from our data ecosystem, to further unlock customer loyalty and lifetime value through personalized experiences and product innovation. We see an opportunity to increase purchase frequency by providing our customers exactly what they want, where they want it, when they want it.
◦Product. Increased product offerings provide more opportunities to buy, greater breadth to meet wardrobe needs, and more reasons to engage with us.
◦Personalization. Investments in our marketing technology and customer relationships allow us to personalize each customer’s experiences, showing them more of what they want, when they want it.
◦Proximity. Our extensive distribution network, native app, and expanding retail footprint all bring us closer to the customer, increasing access to our brand and product whenever and wherever they want it. Furthermore, we have a significant opportunity to integrate the customer experience across our digital platform and stores by expanding on capabilities such as Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store and Ship-from-Store in the short to medium term.
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By deepening our relationships with our repeat customers, we believe we are well-positioned to capture a greater share of the approximately seven pairs of shoes and 68 pieces of clothing that the average American bought in 2018 and realize substantial growth in our business. We believe there is continued opportunity to grow our closet share as we further expand our brand and product selection, as evidenced by the fact that approximately 80% of orders from repeat customers in the six-month period ended June 30, 2021 included a different item than in their first order and 26% of those orders were for multiple items.
•Expand Vertical Retail Distribution to Meet Our Customers Where They Are
We have seen the early benefits of our vertical retail approach and have the blueprint for making this successful, while continuing to grow our digital channel through personalization.
◦Increase store fleet. We have just scratched the surface of our store potential, particularly in the United States, with 27 stores globally as of June 30, 2021. We are in the early phase of a ramp towards hundreds of potential locations in the future, with strong unit economics. Furthermore, as our store fleet expands, we expect our growth to accelerate, as compared to 2020, through more efficient customer acquisition, while also receiving the benefit of increasing digital traffic as more people learn about our brand through our stores. Based on our stores’ pre-COVID-19 performance, we believe our new stores will also be highly profitable, have attractive payback periods, serve as good capital investments, and be positioned well to take advantage of physical retail’s recovery from the pandemic.
◦Grow within our existing international markets. The early investments in our international operations have given us traction in key markets across Europe, Asia, and Oceania that complement our core North American business and provide us with a global platform to share our product, brand, and values. In 2020, 24% of our net revenue came from outside the United States, signaling a strong foundation from which to scale our business globally. With local teams already on the ground in our largest markets, and an expanding list of offerings to ensure product-market fit, we believe these new regions are positioned to accelerate growth. We intend to continue to make strategic investments in these markets by opening new stores and further localizing the digital experience.
◦Further personalize and grow digital. Complementing our store rollout strategy and growing global footprint, our digital channels should accelerate growth as they are the most accessible ways for new and existing customers to purchase our products. The more we interact with both new and existing customers, the more data and insights we gather about customer behavior, which will feed our personalization efforts. We expect the combination of all these elements to further drive website and mobile app traffic, conversion, and revenue. Furthermore, through our vertical retail strategy, we believe we will be able to continue to expand our valuable multi-channel customer base. Across all cohorts and through June 30, 2021, our multi-channel repeat customers, who represented 12% of our total repeat customers as of such date, on average spent approximately 1.5 times more than our single-channel repeat customers.
•Optimize Infrastructure for Profitable Growth
We have spent the past five years investing in a foundation for materials and product innovation, global reach, and cross-channel distribution. With much of this global infrastructure built, we can now scale our business to use the full capacity of the supply chain and technology in place, including store fleet expansion and international growth, all of which should result in margin expansion, operational leverage, and profitable growth. We believe we have the key investments in place that will enable us to reach our vision of becoming a scaled global brand. We will continue to strategically invest in our business while driving operational excellence.
◦Innovation-focused partner network. We continue to optimize our supply across sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, and fulfillment to reduce carbon emissions, provide flexible production lead times, shorten go-to-market timelines, and maximize product and logistics cost efficiencies.
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◦Technology-led efficiency improvements. We will continue to leverage our modern technology approach to improve efficiency and reduce complexity via improved inventory management and analytics, and a more streamlined go-to-market process. Inventory improvements should enable us to maintain high levels of full-price sell through, while minimizing write-offs and lost sales from stock-outs. Additionally, digital product tools allow us to shorten the development cycle, increase the pace of development, and decrease overall go-to-market timelines so we can deliver what our customers want, faster.
Commitment to Profitable Growth
Our commitment to tread lighter and have a large positive impact on all of our stakeholders requires financial discipline and a focus on profitable growth. Our expectation is that the combination of our strategy and growth initiatives will result in both topline expansion and operational leverage, leading to a strong margin profile and a robust bottom line. If executed as we anticipate, the impact of the growth drivers should manifest in:
•gross margin improvement due to lower costs related to scale and favorable product, channel, and geographic mixes;
•marketing efficiency improvement, as a percentage of sales, due to favorable channel mix, greater awareness, and less reliance on new customer acquisition as a driver of revenue growth; and
•operating expense improvement, as a percentage of sales, due to scale and leveraging historical infrastructure investments as we grow.
Our core strengths work in unison to allow us to make better things in a better way, tread lighter, and help our consumers to live life in better balance. Our core strengths also create a competitive moat that sets us apart from competitors. Starting from our materials science innovation and versatile, distinctly simple designs, we have built a powerful product innovation platform that allows us to continue to create new and differentiated products and grow closet share. Our superior products are backed by a global lifestyle brand and a vertical distribution strategy that offer our repeat customers value, convenience, and peace of mind. Underlying our business are our dedicated employees, supply chain capabilities, and technology that allow us to profitably grow our business and have a positive impact on the world.
Recent Developments
Preliminary Consolidated Financial Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
Set forth in the table below are preliminary estimates of selected unaudited financial and other information for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and actual unaudited financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2020. Our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended September 30, 2021 are not yet available. The following information reflects our preliminary estimates based on currently available information and is subject to change. We have provided ranges, rather than specific amounts, for the preliminary estimates of the financial information described below primarily because our financial closing procedures for the three months ended September 30, 2021 are not yet complete and as a result, our final results upon completion of our closing procedures may vary from the preliminary estimates. In addition, our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that should be expected in the future and our estimated results for the three months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2021 or any other future period.
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Range | |||||||||||||||||
| Actual | Low | High | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, unaudited) | |||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 47,242 | $ | 61,000 | $ | 62,500 | |||||||||||
| Gross profit | 25,003 | 31,500 | 34,000 | ||||||||||||||
Net loss | (6,998) | (18,000) | (15,000) | ||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP Financial Measure — Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | (3,821) | $ | (10,000) | $ | (7,000) | |||||||||||
For the three months ended September 30, 2021:
•We expect net revenue to be between $61.0 million and $62.5 million, representing an estimated increase of approximately 29.2% to 32.4%, as compared to net revenue of $47.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020. This estimated revenue growth was driven primarily by physical retail recovery after temporary closures, reduced operating hours, and restricted guest occupancy levels due to COVID-19, and increases in number of orders and average order value.
•We expect gross profit to be between $31.5 million and $34.0 million, as compared to gross profit of $25.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020. This estimated gross profit growth was driven primarily by an increase in the total number of orders and a reduction in product costs as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2020. This represents estimated gross margin between 51.6% and 54.4% for the three months ended September 30, 2021, compared to gross margin of 52.9% for the three months September 30, 2020.
•We expect net loss to be between $18.0 million and $15.0 million, as compared to net loss of $7.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020. This estimated increase in net loss was primarily due to higher selling, general, and administrative expense and increased other expense.
•We expect adjusted EBITDA to be between $(10.0) million and $(7.0) million, as compared to adjusted EBITDA of $(3.8) million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 for the same reasons as noted in the net loss discussion above.
Adjusted EBITDA is a financial measure not calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. See below for a reconciliation of estimated adjusted EBITDA to estimated net loss for the ranges presented above for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and the actual results for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For further information about the limitations of the use of adjusted EBITDA, see the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Non-GAAP Financial Measure.”
The following table reconciles adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2021 (estimated) and the three months ended September 30, 2020 (actual) to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Range | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Actual | Low | High | ||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (6,998) | $ | (18,000) | $ | (15,000) | ||||||||||||||
| Add (deduct) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation, including common stock warrant expense | 1,725 | 3,200 | 3,200 | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,682 | 2,400 | 2,400 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other expense (income) | 518 | 2,000 | 2,000 | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest Expense | 113 | 100 | 100 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | (863) | 300 | 300 | |||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | (3,821) | $ | (10,000) | $ | (7,000) | ||||||||||||||
The estimates presented above have been prepared by, and are the responsibility of, management. The preliminary results presented reflect management’s estimates based solely upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus and are not a comprehensive statement of our financial results as of and for the three months ended September 30, 2021. Our independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, or Deloitte, has not audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to such preliminary information. Accordingly, Deloitte does not express an opinion and assumes no responsibility for and disclaims any association with such preliminary consolidated financial results. We currently expect that our final results will be consistent with the estimates set forth above, but such estimates are preliminary and our final results could differ from these estimates due to the completion of our financial closing procedures, final adjustments and other developments that may arise between now and the time such unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended September 30, 2021 are issued. For example, during the course of the preparation of the respective financial statements and related notes, additional items that would require adjustments to be made to the preliminary estimated financial information presented above may be identified. There can be no assurance that these estimates will be realized, and estimates are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are not within our control. See the sections titled “Risk Factors,” “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties, including other factors that could cause our preliminary estimates to differ from the actual financial results that we will report for the three months ended September 30, 2021.
Risk Factors Summary
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk because our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, as more fully described in the section titled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this prospectus. You should carefully consider these risks before making an investment. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
•The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may in the future continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business.
•Economic uncertainty in our key markets may affect consumer purchases of discretionary items, which may adversely affect demand for our products.
•If we are unable to maintain and enhance the value and reputation of our brand and/or counter any negative publicity, we may be unable to sell our products, which would harm our business and could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
•We have incurred significant net losses since inception, and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.
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•We operate in a highly competitive market; the size and resources of some of our competitors may allow them to compete more effectively than we can, which could result in a loss of our market share and a decrease in our net revenue and profitability.
•Our focus on using sustainable materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and supply chain practices may increase our cost of revenue and hinder our growth.
•Climate change and increased focus by governments, organizations, customers, and investors on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change and socially responsible activities, may adversely affect our reputation, business, and financial results.
•If we are unable to anticipate product trends and consumer preferences, or we fail in our technical and materials innovation to successfully develop and introduce new high-quality products, we may not be able to maintain or increase our revenue and profits.
•We utilize a range of marketing, advertising, and other initiatives to increase existing customers’ spend and to acquire new customers; if the costs of advertising or marketing increase, or if our initiatives fail to achieve their desired impact, we may be unable to grow the business profitably.
•As a company that operates retail stores, we are subject to various risks, including commercial real estate and labor and employment risks; additionally, we may be unable to successfully open new store locations in existing or new geographies in a timely manner, if at all, which could harm our results of operations.
•Our business depends on our ability to maintain a strong community of engaged customers and Allgood Collective Ambassadors, including through the use of social media. We may be unable to maintain and enhance our brand if we experience negative publicity related to our marketing efforts or use of social media, we fail to maintain and grow our community of Allgood Collective Ambassadors, or our marketing and social media efforts otherwise fail to meet our customers’ expectations.
•We are subject to risks related to our environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, activities and disclosures, and our reputation and brand could be harmed if we fail to meet our public sustainability targets and goals.
•We are subject to risks related to our commitment to certain ESG criteria, which we call the Sustainability Principles and Objectives Framework, or SPO Framework.
•We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations, particularly in newer geographies.
•Our reliance on a limited number of suppliers and manufacturers to provide materials for and to produce our products could cause problems in our supply chain.
•Failure of our contractors or our licensees’ contractors to comply with our supplier code of conduct, contractual obligations, local laws, and other standards could harm our business.
•The fluctuating cost of raw materials could increase our cost of revenue and cause our results of operations and financial condition to suffer.
•We may fail to protect our intellectual property rights, our trademark and other proprietary rights may conflict with the rights of others, and we may not be able to acquire, use, or maintain our marks and domain names, any of which could harm our brand, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
•If the technology-based systems that give our customers the ability to shop with us online do not function effectively, or we fail to comply with government regulations relating to the internet and eCommerce, our results of operations, as well as our ability to grow our eCommerce business globally, could be materially adversely affected.
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•Our international operations expose us to various risks from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, tariffs or global trade wars, trade restrictions, and changing tax laws in the United States and elsewhere, among others.
•We are subject to several unique risks as a result of our status as a Delaware PBC and certified B Corp, including that our board of directors’ duty to balance various interests and our public benefit purpose may result in actions that do not maximize stockholder value.
•The dual class structure of our common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting control with our co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers, Timothy Brown and Joseph Zwillinger, our other executive officers and directors, our principal stockholders, and their respective affiliates, which will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters, including the election of directors and the approval of any change of control transaction.
Public Benefit Corporation Status
As a demonstration of our long-term commitment to environmental conservation, our board of directors and stockholders elected in February 2016 to amend our certificate of incorporation to become a PBC under Delaware law. PBCs are a relatively new class of corporations that are intended to produce a public benefit and to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Under Delaware law, a PBC is required to identify in its certificate of incorporation the public benefit or benefits it will promote, and its directors have a duty to manage the affairs of the corporation in a manner that balances the pecuniary interests of the corporation’s stockholders, the best interests of those materially affected by the corporation’s conduct, and the specific public benefit or benefits identified in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation. A PBC is also required to assess its benefit performance internally and to disclose to its stockholders at least biennially a report detailing the corporation’s success in meeting its public benefit objectives.
As provided in our certificate of incorporation, the public benefit that we promote, and pursuant to which we manage our company, is environmental conservation. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Status as a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation” and “Description of Capital Stock—Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws—Public Benefit Corporation Status.”
We have also been a certified B Corp since 2016. See “Business—Public Benefit Corporation Status.”
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware in May 2015 as Bozz, Inc. In December 2015, we changed our name to Allbirds, Inc., and we became a Delaware PBC in February 2016. Our principal executive offices are located at 730 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94111. Our telephone number is (628) 225-4848.
Our U.S. website address is allbirds.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus.
The Allbirds design logo, “Allbirds,” and our other registered or common law trademarks, service marks or trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of Allbirds, Inc. Other trade names, trademarks, and service marks used in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, we have omitted the ® and ™ designations, as applicable, for the trademarks we name in this prospectus.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in gross revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act, enacted in
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April 2012. An emerging growth company may take advantage of certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
•not being required to comply for a certain period of time with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended;
•reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements, and registration statements; and
•exemptions from the requirements of holding a stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
We may take advantage of these provisions until the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our Class A common stock in this offering. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such five-year period, including if (1) we become a “large accelerated filer” with at least $700 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates, (2) our annual gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion, or (3) we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company prior to the end of such five-year period.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This provision allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of some accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to use the extended transition period under the JOBS Act. Accordingly, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of public companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
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THE OFFERING
| Class A common stock offered by us | 16,346,154 shares | ||||
| Class A common stock offered by the selling stockholders | 3,846,153 shares | ||||
| Option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock offered by us | 504,645 shares | ||||
| Option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock offered by the selling stockholders | 2,524,200 shares | ||||
| Class A common stock to be outstanding after this offering | 20,192,307 shares (or 23,221,152 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full). | ||||
| Class B common stock to be outstanding after this offering | 123,889,046 shares (or 121,364,846 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full). | ||||
| Total Class A and Class B common stock to be outstanding after this offering | 144,081,353 shares (or 144,585,998 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full). | ||||
| Directed share program | At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to 3% of the shares of Class A common stock to be issued by us and offered by this prospectus for sale, at the initial public offering price to certain of our employees, partners, and the friends and family members of certain of our employees, directors, and partners. Shares purchased through the directed share program will not be subject to a lock-up restriction, except in the case of shares purchased by any affiliates of our directors or officers and certain of our employees and existing equity holders. The number of shares of Class A common stock available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent these individuals purchase such reserved shares. Any reserved shares not so purchased will be offered by the underwriters to the general public on the same basis as the other shares of Class A common stock offered by this prospectus. For additional information, see the section titled “Underwriters.” | ||||
| Indications of interest | One or more funds affiliated with Franklin Templeton and one or more funds affiliated with TDM Growth Partners have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $70.0 million of our Class A common stock offered in this offering at the initial public offering price. Because these indications of interest are not a binding agreement or commitment to purchase, these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer, or no shares in this offering, or the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer, or no shares to such funds. The underwriters will receive the same discount from any of our shares of Class A common stock purchased by these funds as they will from any other shares of Class A common stock sold to the public in this offering. | ||||
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| Voting rights | We have two classes of common stock, Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion rights. Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share, and each share of Class B common stock is entitled to 10 votes per share on all matters that are subject to stockholder vote. Each share of Class B common stock may be converted into one share of Class A common stock at the option of the holder thereof, and will be converted into one share of Class A common stock upon transfer thereof, subject to certain exceptions. The holders of our outstanding Class B common stock will hold 98.4% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock following this offering, with our directors, executive officers, and 5% stockholders and their respective affiliates beneficially holding 64.8% of our voting power in the aggregate. These holders will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of our directors and the approval of any change of control transaction. See the section titled “Description of Capital Stock” for additional information. | ||||
| Use of proceeds | We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $223.9 million (or $231.0 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full), at the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering. The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our capitalization and financial flexibility and create a public market for our Class A common stock. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds we receive from this offering. However, we currently intend to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for general corporate purposes, including working capital, operating expenses, and capital expenditures. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products, services, or technologies. However, we do not have agreements or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for additional information. | ||||
| Nasdaq Global Select Market trading symbol | Our Class A common stock has been approved for listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “BIRD.” | ||||
| Risk factors | See the section titled “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our Class A common stock. | ||||
The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on no shares of our Class A common stock and 127,735,199 shares of our Class B common stock (including our convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis and warrants being exercised or exchanged in connection with this offering on an as-exercised or as-exchanged basis, as applicable) outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and excludes:
•17,957,111 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, or 2015 Plan, outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $3.46 per share;
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•830,227 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Plan granted after June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $11.10 per share;
•14,661,162 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases, including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder, and any shares underlying stock awards outstanding under the 2015 Plan that expire or are repurchased, forfeited, canceled, or withheld;
•2,932,232 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases, including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder; and
•188,264 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.27 per share.
Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this prospectus assumes:
•the 5-for-1 stock split of our common stock and convertible preferred stock that was effected on December 13, 2019;
•the reclassification of all outstanding shares of our common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock that was effected on September 21, 2021;
•the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the effectiveness of our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will occur in connection with this offering;
•the automatic conversion immediately prior to the completion of this offering of all 70,990,919 outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021 into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock;
•the automatic exchange of the convertible preferred stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021 for 1,104,560 shares of our Class B common stock in connection with this offering;
•the issuance of an aggregate of 461,018 shares of our Class B common stock in September and October 2021 upon the cash exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.17 per share;
•the issuance of 284,630 shares of our Class B common stock in October 2021 upon the cashless exercise of a common stock warrant outstanding as of June 30, 2021;
•the conversion of 3,846,153 shares of our Class B common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class A common stock in connection with the sale of such shares by the selling stockholders in this offering;
•no exercise of the outstanding options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock or the warrants to purchase an aggregate of 188,264 shares of our Class B common stock described above; and
•no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to an additional 3,028,845 shares of our Class A common stock from us and the selling stockholders in this offering.
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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables summarize our consolidated financial data. The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary consolidated statements of operations data for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2021 and the summary consolidated balance sheet data as of June 30, 2021 have been derived from our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements, and in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly our financial position and results of operations. You should read the following summary consolidated financial data together with the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. The following summary consolidated financial data are not intended to replace, and are qualified in their entirety by, our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our results in any future period.
| Year Ended December 31, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Operations Data: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 193,673 | $ | 219,296 | $ | 92,779 | $ | 117,542 | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | 94,839 | 106,555 | 44,463 | 53,594 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 98,834 | 112,741 | 48,316 | 63,948 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Selling, general, and administrative expense(1)(2) | 63,485 | 86,694 | 41,132 | 52,532 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marketing expense | 44,362 | 55,271 | 19,520 | 26,013 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expense | 107,847 | 141,965 | 60,652 | 78,545 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (9,013) | (29,224) | (12,336) | (14,597) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | (96) | (297) | (216) | (87) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other (expense) income | (1,743) | (452) | 1,651 | (5,980) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss before provision for income taxes | (10,852) | (29,973) | (10,901) | (20,664) | |||||||||||||||||||
Income tax (provision) benefit | (3,675) | 4,113 | 1,392 | (464) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,527) | $ | (25,860) | $ | (9,509) | $ | (21,128) | |||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive (loss) income: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation (loss) gain | (37) | 2,245 | 203 | (330) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total comprehensive loss | $ | (14,564) | $ | (23,615) | $ | (9,306) | $ | (21,458) | |||||||||||||||
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders per share, basic and diluted(3) | $ | (0.28) | $ | (0.49) | $ | (0.18) | $ | (0.39) | |||||||||||||||
| Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted | 51,469,007 | 53,005,424 | 53,184,761 | 54,152,022 | |||||||||||||||||||
Pro forma net loss per share, basic and diluted (unaudited)(4) | $ | (0.22) | $ | (0.12) | |||||||||||||||||||
Weighted-average shares used in computing pro forma net loss per share, basic and diluted (unaudited)(4) | 119,790,292 | 126,993,149 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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(1)Includes stock-based compensation expense of $4.2 million and $6.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $3.2 million and $3.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
(2)Includes depreciation and amortization expense of $3.4 million and $7.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $2.8 million and $4.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
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(3)See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for an explanation of the method used to calculate our basic and diluted net loss per share and the weighted-average number of shares used in the computation of the per share amounts.
(4)The unaudited pro forma net loss used in the calculation of unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was $26.6 million and $15.7 million, respectively, which excluded the effects of the change in fair value of the convertible preferred stock warrant liability of $(0.7) million and $5.4 million, respectively. The unaudited pro forma weighted-average number of shares outstanding used to determine pro forma basic net loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was 119,790,292 and 126,993,149, respectively, and included the impact of (a) the automatic conversion of 70,990,919 shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021 into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock, (b) the automatic exchange of the convertible preferred stock warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021 into 1,104,560 shares of our Class B common stock in connection with this offering, and (c) (i) the issuance of 245,468 shares of our Class B common stock in May 2021 upon the exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.282 per share, (ii) the issuance of an aggregate of 461,018 shares of our Class B common stock in September and October 2021 upon the cash exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.17 per share, and (iii) the issuance of 284,630 shares of our Class B common stock in October 2021 upon the cashless exercise of a common stock warrant outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
| As of June 30, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Actual | Pro Forma(1) | Pro Forma as Adjusted(2)(3) | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 94,862 | $ | 94,942 | $ | 318,810 | |||||||||||
Working capital(4) | 145,486 | 145,566 | 369,434 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 236,701 | 236,781 | 459,807 | ||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock warrant liability | 11,243 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Convertible preferred stock | 204,049 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Common stock | 5 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Class A common stock | — | — | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Class B common stock | — | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 70,588 | 285,953 | 509,819 | ||||||||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 1,626 | 1,626 | 1,626 | ||||||||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (113,144) | (113,144) | (113,144) | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity | (40,925) | 174,447 | 398,315 | ||||||||||||||
_______________
(1)Reflects (a) the reclassification of all outstanding shares of our common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock that was effected on September 21, 2021, (b) the automatic conversion of 70,990,919 shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021 into an equivalent number of shares of Class B common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (c) the reclassification of our convertible preferred stock warrant liability to additional paid-in capital and the automatic exchange of the convertible preferred stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021 for 1,104,560 shares of our Class B common stock in connection with this offering, (d) the issuance of an aggregate of 461,018 shares of our Class B common stock in September and October 2021 upon the cash exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.17 per share, (e) the issuance of 284,630 shares of our Class B common stock in October 2021 upon the cashless exercise of a common stock warrant outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and (f) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering.
(2)Reflects (a) the pro forma items described immediately above and (b) our issuance and sale of 16,346,154 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
(3)We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering.
(4)Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures—Adjusted EBITDA
| Year Ended December 31, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA(1) | $ | (1,317) | $ | (15,430) | $ | (6,284) | $ | (5,774) | |||||||||||||||
________________
(1)Adjusted EBITDA is a measure that is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. See the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for more information about adjusted EBITDA, including the limitations of such measure and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto, before making a decision to invest in our Class A common stock. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business, Brand, Products, and Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may in the future continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions, quarantines, and other related public health measures and actions taken by governments and the private sector have adversely affected global economies, financial markets, and the overall environment for our business, and the extent to which it may continue to impact our results of operations and overall financial performance remains uncertain. The global macroeconomic effects of the pandemic may persist indefinitely, even after the pandemic has subsided.
The pandemic created significant disruptions for our physical stores, with the majority of our stores closed between late March 2020 through July 2020 (with the exception of a limited number of locations in the Asia Pacific region), as well as reduced operating hours and restricted guest occupancy levels. Across all of 2020, our stores were closed for approximately 20% of the total number of days we expected to operate. In addition, our decision to support our employees through the pandemic and store closures created significant strains on our operating margins during the period. The performance of our retail stores in 2020 significantly lagged behind 2019 performance. We began reopening those stores to the public through a phased approach commencing in June 2020 and successfully completed the reopening process over the course of several months, as local conditions and regulations permitted. The re-openings of our stores have improved our retail performance to date, but the possible sustained spread or resurgence of the pandemic, and any government response thereto, increases the uncertainty regarding future economic conditions that will impact our business in the future.
In March 2020, we also closed the majority of our corporate offices and other facilities, including our corporate headquarters in San Francisco, and implemented a work from home policy for many of our corporate employees. This policy may negatively impact productivity and cause other disruptions to our business. We began gradually reopening our closed corporate officers in a phased approach over the course of 2020 and into 2021, and are continuing to evaluate and update our “return to office” policies in light of our concern for the health and safety of our team members and the recommendations of government and health authorities.
COVID-19 and related governmental reactions have had and may continue to have a negative impact on our financial condition, business, and results of operations due to the occurrence of some or all of the following events or circumstances, among others:
•our and our third-party suppliers’, contract manufacturers’, logistics providers’, and other business partners’ inability to operate worksites at full capacity or at all, including manufacturing facilities and shipping and fulfillment centers as well as our retail stores, whether due to employee illness, reluctance to appear at work, or “stay-at-home” regulations;
•our inability to meet consumer demand and delays in the delivery of our products to our customers, resulting in reputational harm and damaged customer relationships;
•inventory shortages caused by a combination of increased demand that has been difficult to predict with accuracy, and longer lead-times and materials shortages in the manufacturing of our products, due to work
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restrictions related to COVID-19, shut-down or disruption of international suppliers, import/export conditions such as port congestion, and local government orders;
•interruptions in manufacturing (including the sourcing of key materials) and shipment and delivery of our products (including due to material delays with the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, and other shipping and delivery providers);
•our inability to manage our business effectively due to employees (including key employees and retail staff) becoming ill;
•limitations preventing our executives and other key personnel from traveling for business purposes;
•disruptions of the operations of our third-party suppliers, which could impact our ability to purchase materials at favorable prices and in sufficient amounts;
•increases in administrative and compliance costs resulting from dynamic and rapidly changing governmental rules, regulations, and guidance regarding workplace health and safety;
•longer wait times and delayed responses to customer support inquiries and requests;
•increased rates of post-purchase order cancellation as a result of longer delivery lead times and delivery reschedules;
•decreased revenue and increased return rates due to a decrease in consumer discretionary spending;
•our commitment to our employees, or our “flock,” which led us to continue employing and paying wages and providing benefits to our retail store employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, even when our retail stores were closed;
•increases in shipping, logistics, freight, labor, and/or storage costs; and
•significant increases to employee health care and benefits costs.
The scope and duration of the pandemic, including resurgences in various regions in the United States and globally, the pace at which government restrictions are lifted, the pace, availability, and effectiveness of vaccinations in various regions in the United States and globally, or whether additional actions may be taken to contain the virus, the impact on our customers and suppliers, the speed and extent to which markets fully recover from the disruptions caused by the pandemic, and the impact of these factors on our business will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. It is possible that changes in economic conditions and steps taken by the federal government and the Federal Reserve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to higher inflation than we had anticipated, which could in turn lead to an increase in our cost of revenue and other operating expenses. In addition, to the extent COVID-19 adversely affects our operations and global economic conditions more generally, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein.
While we believe that the long-term fundamentals of our business are largely unchanged and anticipate that our results of operations in future years will begin to reflect a more normal operating environment, the current economic and public health climate has created a high degree of uncertainty. As such, we continue to closely monitor this global health crisis and will continue to reassess our strategy and operational structure on a regular, ongoing basis as the situation evolves. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Position and Results of Operations” for more details on the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic disruptions, and the actual operational and financial impacts that we have experienced to date.
Economic uncertainty in our key markets may affect consumer purchases of discretionary items, which may adversely affect demand for our products.
Our products may be considered discretionary items for consumers. Factors affecting the level of consumer spending for such discretionary items include general economic conditions and other factors such as consumer
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confidence in future economic conditions, fears of recession and trade wars, the availability and cost of consumer credit, the availability and timing of government stimulus programs, levels of unemployment, and tax rates. As global economic conditions continue to be volatile or economic uncertainty remains, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, trends in consumer discretionary spending also remain unpredictable and subject to reductions as a result of significant increases in employment, financial market instability, and uncertainties about the future. Unfavorable economic conditions may lead consumers to delay or reduce purchases of our products. Consumer demand for our products may decline as a result of store closures, an economic downturn, or economic uncertainty in our key markets, particularly in North America, Europe, and Asia. Our sensitivity to economic cycles and any related fluctuation in consumer demand may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
One factor in our success is the strength of our brand; if we are unable to maintain and enhance the value and reputation of our brand and/or counter any negative publicity, we may be unable to sell our products, which would harm our business and could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
The Allbirds brand is integral to our business strategy and our ability to attract and engage customers. As a result, our success depends on our ability to maintain and enhance the value and reputation of the Allbirds brand. Maintaining, promoting, and positioning our brand will depend largely on the success of our design and marketing efforts, including advertising and consumer campaigns, as well as our product innovation, product quality, and sustainability initiatives. Our commitment to product innovation, quality, and sustainability and our continuing investment in design (including materials) and marketing efforts may not have the desired impact on our brand image and reputation.
We rely on social media, as one of our marketing strategies, to have a positive impact on both our brand value and reputation. Our brand also depends on our ability to maintain a positive consumer perception of our corporate integrity, culture, mission, vision, and values, including our status as a Delaware public benefit corporation, or PBC, and our commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability. Any actions or any public statements or social media posts about Allbirds or our products by our customers, consumers who have not yet bought our products, our current or former employees, current or former Allgood Collective Ambassadors (which is what we call the community of influencers whom we engage to help promote our brand), celebrities or other public figures, whether authorized or not, that are contrary to our values may negatively affect consumer perception of our brand. Any incidents involving our company, our suppliers or manufacturers, our Allgood Collective Ambassadors or others, or the products we sell, could erode the trust and confidence of our customers, and damage the strength of our brand, especially if such incidents result in adverse publicity, governmental investigations, product recalls or litigation.
Our brand and reputation could be adversely affected by any number of factors or events, including if our public image is tarnished by negative publicity due to our actions or those of persons associated with us or formerly associated with us (including employees, Allgood Collective Ambassadors, celebrities, or others who speak publicly or post on social media about our brand or our products, whether authorized or not), if we fail to deliver innovative and high quality products, if we face or mishandle a product recall, or if we are subject to claims of “greenwashing” (e.g., if the carbon footprint of one or more of our products is alleged to be greater than what we claim, or if we fail or are alleged to have failed to achieve our sustainability goals). Our brand and reputation could also be negatively impacted by adverse publicity, whether or not valid, regarding allegations that we, or persons associated with us or formerly associated with us, have violated applicable laws or regulations, including but not limited to those related to product labeling and safety, marketing, employment, discrimination, harassment, whistle-blowing, privacy, corporate citizenship, improper business practices, or cybersecurity. Negative publicity regarding our suppliers or manufacturers could adversely affect our reputation and sales and could force us to identify and engage alternative suppliers or manufacturers. Additionally, while we devote considerable efforts and resources to protecting our intellectual property, if these efforts are not successful, the value of our brand may be harmed. Any harm to our brand and reputation could adversely affect our ability to attract and engage customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, the importance of our brand may increase to the extent we experience increased competition, which could require additional expenditures on our brand promotion activities. Maintaining and enhancing our brand image
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also may require us to make additional investments in areas such as merchandising, marketing, and online operations. These investments may be substantial and may not ultimately be successful.
We have incurred significant net losses since inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.
We incurred net losses of $14.5 million and $25.9 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and we had an accumulated deficit of $113.1 million as of June 30, 2021. We expect to continue to incur significant losses in the future. We will need to generate and sustain increased revenue levels in future periods to achieve profitability, and even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to maintain or increase our level of profitability. We anticipate that our operating expenses will increase substantially for the foreseeable future as we continue to, among other things:
•expand our product and style mix;
•invest in new materials innovation and technology;
•focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in our supply chain (which are often more expensive than traditional alternatives);
•invest in advertising and marketing initiatives to engage existing and new customers, enhance awareness of our brand, and grow market share;
•extend our retail store fleet;
•invest in the overall health and well-being of our employees;
•address increased competition;
•recruit and retain talent; and
•incur significant accounting, legal, and other expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private company.
These expenditures will make it more difficult for us to achieve and maintain profitability. Our efforts to grow our business may be more costly than we expect or may not result in the returns we anticipate, and we may not be able to increase our revenue enough to offset our higher operating expenses. If we are forced to reduce our expenses, it could negatively impact our growth and growth strategy. As a result, we can provide no assurance as to whether or when we will achieve profitability. If we are not able to achieve and maintain profitability, the value of our company and our Class A common stock could decline significantly, and you could lose some or all of your investment.
We operate in a highly competitive market and the size and resources of some of our competitors may allow them to compete more effectively than we can, which could result in a loss of our market share and a decrease in our net revenue and profitability.
The market for footwear and apparel is highly competitive. Our competitors include athletic and leisure footwear companies, as well as athletic and leisure apparel companies. We also compete directly against wholesalers and direct retailers of footwear and apparel, including large, diversified apparel companies with substantial market share and established companies expanding their production and marketing of technical footwear, as well as against retailers specifically focused on footwear. Competition may result in pricing pressures, reduced profit margins, lost market share, or a failure to grow or maintain our market share, any of which could substantially harm our business and results of operations. Many of our competitors are large apparel companies with strong worldwide brand recognition, while others are new market participants with low barriers to entry. Because of the fragmented nature of the industry, we also compete with other apparel sellers, including those specializing in athletic footwear and other casual footwear. Many of our competitors have significant competitive advantages, including longer operating histories, larger and broader customer bases, more established relationships with a broader set of suppliers, greater
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brand recognition, and greater financial, research and development, store development, marketing, distribution, and other resources than we do.
We rely on technical and materials innovation to offer high-quality products.
Technical and materials innovation and quality control in the design and manufacturing process of our footwear and apparel is essential to the commercial success of our products. Research and development play a key role in technical innovation. We rely upon specialists in the fields of materials sciences, sustainability, and related fields. While we strive to produce products that are comfortable and environmentally sustainable, if we fail to introduce technical and materials innovation in our products, then consumer demand for our products could decline and we may be unable to meet our sustainability goals, which could harm our brand and reputation, and if we experience problems with the quality of our products, we may incur substantial expense to remedy the problems.
Our focus on using sustainable materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and supply chain practices may increase our cost of revenue and hinder our growth.
We are dedicated to prioritizing sustainable materials, an environmentally friendly supply chain, and manufacturing processes that collectively limit our carbon footprint. As our business expands, it may be increasingly challenging to cost-effectively secure enough sustainably sourced materials to support our growth and achieve our sustainability goals while also achieving and maintaining profitability. In addition, our ability to expand into new product categories depends in part on our ability to identify new sustainable materials that are suitable for our products. Our inability to source materials that meet our sustainability requirements in sufficient volumes could result in slower growth, increased costs, and/or lower net profits. Additionally, as our business expands, we may not be able to identify suppliers and manufacturers with business practices that reflect our commitment to sustainability, which may harm our ability to expand our supply chain to meet the expected growth of our business. If any of these factors prevent us from meeting our sustainability goals or increase the carbon footprint of any our products, then it could have an adverse effect on our brand, reputation, results of operations, and financial condition.
If we fail to attract new customers, retain existing customers, or maintain or increase sales to customers, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects will be harmed.
Our success depends in large part upon widespread adoption of our products by our customers. In order to attract new customers and continue to expand our customer base, we must appeal to and attract customers who identify with our sustainable footwear and apparel products. If the number of people who are willing to purchase our products does not continue to increase, if we fail to deliver a high quality shopping experience, or if our current or potential future customers are not convinced that our products are superior to alternatives, then our ability to retain existing customers, acquire new customers, and grow our business may be harmed. We have made significant investments in enhancing our brand and attracting new customers, and we expect to continue to make significant investments to promote our products. Such campaigns can be expensive and may not result in new customers or increased sales of our products. Further, as our brand becomes more widely known, we may not attract new customers or increase our net revenue at the same rates as we have in the past. If we are unable to acquire new customers who purchase products in numbers sufficient to grow our business, we may not be able to generate the scale necessary to drive beneficial network effects with our suppliers, our net revenue may decrease, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
In addition, our future success depends in part on our ability to increase sales to our existing customers over time, as a significant portion of our net revenue is generated from sales to existing customers, particularly those existing customers who are highly engaged and make frequent and/or large purchases of the products we offer. If existing customers no longer find our products appealing, are not satisfied with our customer service, or if we are unable to timely update our products to meet current trends and customer demands, our existing customers may not make purchases, or if they do, they may make fewer or smaller purchases in the future.
If we are unable to continue to attract new customers or our existing customers decrease their spending on the products we offer or fail to make repeat purchases of our products, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects will be harmed.
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Climate change and increased focus by governments, organizations, customers, and investors on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change and socially responsible activities, may adversely affect our reputation, business, and financial results.
Climate change is occurring around the world and may impact our business in numerous ways. Such change could lead to an increase in prices of raw materials, commodities, and/or packaging, as well as reduced availability of key manufacturing components. Increased frequency of extreme weather, such as storms, hurricanes, and floods, could cause increased disruption to the production and distribution of our products and have an adverse impact on consumer demand and spending.
Investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, investment funds, other market participants, stockholders, and stakeholders have focused increasingly on the environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, and related sustainability practices of companies. These parties have placed increased importance on the implications of the social cost of their investments. In addition to our status as a PBC and certified B Corporation, or B Corp, we are focused on being an ESG leader in our industry. If our ESG practices do not meet investor or other stakeholder expectations and standards (which are continually evolving and may emphasize different priorities than the ones we choose to focus on), or if our ESG practices do not live up to our own values or ESG- and sustainability-related goals, then our brand, reputation, and employee retention may be negatively impacted. It is possible that stakeholders may not be satisfied with our ESG practices or the speed of their adoption. We could also incur additional costs and require additional resources to monitor, report, and comply with various ESG practices and regulations and to achieve our sustainability goals. Also, our failure, or perceived failure, to manage reputational threats and meet expectations with respect to socially responsible activities and sustainability commitments could negatively impact our brand credibility, employee retention, and the willingness of our customers and suppliers to do business with us.
If we are unable to anticipate product trends and consumer preferences and successfully develop and introduce new products, we may not be able to maintain or increase our revenue and profits.
Our success depends on our ability to identify, originate, and define product trends within the footwear and apparel industry, as well as to anticipate, gauge, and react to changing consumer preferences in a timely manner. However, lead times for many of our products may make it more difficult for us to respond rapidly to new or changing product trends or consumer preferences. For example, our lead times may be longer due to our preference for ocean shipping and other more sustainable supply chain practices to reduce carbon emissions, which may take longer and be more expensive than less sustainable alternatives. If we are unable to introduce new products in a timely manner, or our new products are not accepted by our customers, our competitors may introduce similar products in a more timely fashion, which could hurt our goal to be viewed as a leader in comfortable and sustainable footwear and apparel. All of our products are subject to changing consumer preferences regarding footwear and apparel, generally, and sustainable footwear and apparel, specifically, that cannot be predicted with certainty. Our new products may not receive consumer acceptance as consumer preferences could shift rapidly to different types of styles and our future success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and respond to these changes. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shift of consumer preferences to more casual and informal apparel and footwear as greater numbers of consumers have shifted to working remotely from home. In addition, our experience in anticipating consumer preferences in one category, such as footwear, may not help us predict or anticipate consumer preferences in other new categories, such as apparel. If we fail to anticipate accurately and respond to trends and shifts in consumer preferences, we could experience lower sales, excess inventories, or lower profit margins, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We utilize a range of marketing, advertising, and other initiatives to increase existing customers’ spend and to acquire new customers; if the costs of advertising or marketing increase, or if our initiatives fail to achieve their desired impact, we may be unable to grow the business profitably.
We create differentiated brand marketing content and utilize performance marketing to drive customers from awareness to consideration to conversion, and promoting awareness of our brand and products is important to our ability to grow our business, drive customer engagement, and attract new customers. Our marketing strategy includes brand marketing campaigns across platforms, including email, digital, display, site, direct-mail, streaming
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audio, television, social media, and our Allgood Collective, as well as performance marketing efforts, including retargeting, paid search and product listing advertisements, paid social media advertisements, search engine optimization, personalized emails, and mobile push notifications through our app. In addition, our marketing strategy is global in scale, reaching consumers in the 35 countries where we sell our products.
We seek to engage with our customers and build awareness of our brands through sponsoring unique events and experiences. If our marketing efforts and messaging are not appropriately tailored to and accepted by our target customers, we may fail to attract customers, and our brand and reputation may be harmed. In addition, our marketing initiatives may become increasingly expensive as competition increases, and generating a meaningful return on those initiatives may be difficult. Our future growth and profitability and the success of our brand will depend in part upon the effectiveness and efficiency of these marketing efforts.
We receive a significant amount of visits to our digital platform via social media or other channels used by our existing and prospective customers. As eCommerce and social media continue to rapidly evolve, we must continue to establish relationships with these channels and may be unable to develop or maintain these relationships on acceptable economic and other terms. In addition, we currently receive a significant number of visits to our website and mobile app via search engine results. Search engines frequently change the algorithms that determine the ranking and display of results of a user’s search, which could reduce the number of visits to our website, in turn reducing new customer acquisition and adversely affecting our results of operations. If we are unable to cost-effectively drive traffic to our digital platform, our ability to acquire new customers and our financial condition would suffer. Email marketing efforts are also important to our marketing efforts. If we are unable to successfully deliver emails to our customers or if customers do not engage with our emails, whether out of choice, because those emails are marked as low priority or spam, or for other reasons, our business could be adversely affected. Our marketing initiatives may become increasingly expensive, and generating a meaningful return on those initiatives may be difficult or unpredictable. Even if we successfully increase net revenue as a result of our marketing efforts, it may not offset the additional marketing expenses we incur.
If our marketing efforts are not successful in promoting awareness of our products, driving customer engagement, or attracting new customers, or if we are not able to cost-effectively manage our marketing expenses, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
Failure to accurately forecast consumer demand could lead to excess inventories or inventory shortages, which could result in decreased operating margins, reduced cash flows, and harm to our business.
To meet anticipated demand for our products, we must forecast inventory needs and place orders with our manufacturers based on our estimates of future demand for particular products. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products could be affected by many factors, including an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or for products of our competitors, changing consumer preferences, changing product trends, our failure to accurately forecast consumer acceptance of new products, product introductions by competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, store closures (including, for example, due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. If we fail to accurately forecast consumer demand, we may experience excess inventory levels or a shortage of products available for sale in our stores or for delivery to customers.
Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-offs, donations by us of our unsold products, inventory write-downs, and/or the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, any of which could cause our gross margin to suffer, impair the strength and exclusivity of our brand, and have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. For example, we have in the past donated excess unsold products to third parties and sold certain of our products at discounted prices at our outlet store in Northern California.
Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products and fail to place sufficient orders with our manufacturers in advance, then our manufacturers may not be able to deliver products to meet our requirements and we may experience inventory shortages. Inventory shortages in our stores or third-party distribution centers could result in delayed shipments to customers, lost sales, a negative customer experience, lower brand loyalty, and
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damage to our reputation and customer relationships, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
As a company that operates retail stores, we are subject to various risks, including commercial real estate and labor and employment risks.
As of June 30, 2021, we operated approximately 27 retail store locations across eight countries. We lease our stores under operating leases. We expect to significantly increase the total number of stores we operate over the next few years, domestically and internationally.
Our ability to effectively obtain real estate to open new retail stores, both domestically and internationally, depends on the availability of real estate that meets our criteria for traffic, square footage, co-tenancies, lease economics, demographics, and other factors. We also must be able to effectively renew our existing real estate leases. In addition, from time to time, we seek to downsize, consolidate, reposition, or close some of our real estate locations, which may require modification of an existing lease. We generally cannot cancel these leases at our option. For example, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, across all of 2020, our stores were closed for approximately 20% of the total number of days we expected to operate. During this period, our stores were not generating any revenue, but we were generally required to continue paying rent. Similarly, if an existing or new store is not profitable, and we decide to close it, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term. Similarly, we may be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable leases even if current locations of our stores become unattractive as demographic patterns change. Failure to secure adequate new locations or successfully modify leases for existing locations, or failure to effectively manage the profitability of our existing fleet of retail stores, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, the economic environment may make it difficult to determine the fair market rent of real estate properties domestically and internationally. This could impact the quality of our decisions to exercise lease options at previously negotiated rents and to renew expiring leases at negotiated rents. Any adverse effect on the quality of these decisions could impact our ability to retain real estate locations adequate to meet our targets or efficiently manage the profitability of our existing fleet of stores, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
As of June 30, 2021, we had approximately 275 employees in our retail store operations. As a result, we are subject to costs and risks related to compliance with labor and employment laws and regulations, which could cause our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows to suffer.
We have significant exposure to changes in domestic and foreign laws governing our relationships with our workforce, including wage and hour laws and regulations, fair labor standards, minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, pension contributions, citizenship requirements, and payroll taxes, which could have a direct impact on our operating costs. These laws change frequently, exist at multiple levels with respect to a single physical location (e.g., federal, state, and local) and may be difficult to interpret and apply.
A significant increase in minimum wage or overtime rates in countries where we have employees could have a significant impact on our operating costs and may require that we take steps to mitigate such increases, all of which may cause us to incur additional costs. There is also a risk of potential claims related to discrimination and harassment, health and safety, wage and hour laws, criminal activity, personal injury, and other claims. In addition, if a large portion of our workforce were to become members of labor organizations or parties to collective bargaining agreements, we could be vulnerable to a strike, work stoppage, or other labor action, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Our business operations and financial performance could be adversely affected by changes in our relationship with our workforce or changes to U.S. or foreign labor and employment laws and regulations.
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We may be unable to successfully open new store locations in existing or new geographies in a timely manner, if at all, which could harm our results of operations.
Our growth will largely depend on our ability to successfully open and operate new stores, which depends on many factors, including, among others, our ability to:
•identify suitable store locations, the availability of which is outside of our control and may require expensive and long-term lease obligations;
•gain brand recognition and acceptance, particularly in geographies or regions that are new to us;
•negotiate acceptable lease terms;
•hire, train, and retain store personnel and field management who possess the required customer service and other skills and who share our commitment to sustainability;
•invest sufficient capital in store build-out and opening;
•immerse new store personnel and field management into our corporate culture and shared values;
•source sufficient inventory levels; and
•successfully integrate new stores into our existing operations and information technology systems.
We may be unsuccessful in identifying new markets where our sustainable footwear and apparel products and brand image will be accepted. In addition, we may not be able to open or profitably operate new stores in existing, adjacent, or new locations due to market saturation and/or other macro conditions (e.g., the impact of COVID-19).
Our business depends on our ability to maintain a strong community of engaged customers and Allgood Collective Ambassadors, including through the use of social media. We may be unable to maintain and enhance our brand if we experience negative publicity related to our marketing efforts or use of social media, we fail to maintain and grow our network of Allgood Collective Ambassadors, or otherwise fail to meet our customers’ expectations.
As of June 30, 2021, we partnered with over 80 Ambassadors who were members of our Allgood Collective, which is intended to help raise awareness of our brand and engage with our community. Our ability to maintain relationships with our existing Allgood Collective Ambassadors and to identify new Ambassadors is critical to expanding and maintaining our customer base. As our market becomes increasingly competitive or as we expand internationally, recruiting, and maintaining new Ambassadors to join our Allgood Collective may become increasingly difficult. If we are not able to develop and maintain strong relationships with our Ambassador network, our ability to promote and maintain awareness of our brand may be adversely affected. Further, if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We and our Allgood Collective Ambassadors use third-party social media platforms to raise awareness of our brand and engage with our community. As existing social media platforms evolve and new platforms develop, we and our Allgood Collective Ambassadors must continue to maintain a presence on these platforms and establish a presence on emerging popular social media platforms. If we are unable to cost-effectively use social media platforms as marketing tools, our ability to acquire new customers and our financial condition may suffer. Furthermore, as laws and regulations governing the use of these platforms evolve, any failure by us, our Allgood Collective Ambassadors, or third parties acting at our direction to abide by applicable laws and regulations in the use of these platforms could subject us to regulatory investigations, class action lawsuits, liability, fines, or other penalties and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, an increase in the use of social media for product promotion and marketing may cause an increase in the burden on us to monitor compliance of such content and increase the risk that such content could contain problematic product or marketing claims in violation of applicable regulations.
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Allgood Collective Ambassadors may engage in behavior or use their online presence or personal image in a manner that reflects poorly on our brand or is in violation of applicable regulations or platform terms of service, and that may be attributed to us. Negative commentary regarding us, our products, or Allgood Collective Ambassadors and other third parties who are affiliated with us, whether accurate or not, may be posted on social media platforms at any time and may adversely affect our reputation, brand, and business. The harm may be immediate, without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction, and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, customer complaints or negative publicity related to our website, mobile app, products, product delivery times, customer data handling, marketing efforts, security practices, or customer support, especially on blogs and social media websites, could diminish customer loyalty and community engagement and harm our brand and business.
If we continue to grow at a rapid pace, we may be unable to effectively manage our growth and the increased complexity of our business and, as a result, our brand, business, and financial performance may suffer.
We have expanded our operations rapidly since our inception in 2015, and our net revenue has increased from $126.0 million in 2018 to $193.7 million in 2019 and to $219.3 million in 2020. If our operations continue to grow at a rapid pace, we may experience difficulties in obtaining sufficient raw materials and manufacturing capacity to produce our products, as well as delays in production and shipments, as our products are subject to risks associated with overseas sourcing and manufacturing. We could be required to continue to expand our sales and marketing, product development, and distribution functions, invest in opening and operating a greater number of retail stores in our existing jurisdictions and/or in new jurisdictions, upgrade our management information systems and other processes and technology, and obtain more space for our expanding workforce. This expansion could increase the strain on our resources, expose us to legal and compliance risk across new jurisdictions, and cause us to experience operating difficulties, including difficulties in hiring, training, and managing an increasing number of employees, especially to the extent the growth in our “flock” exposes us to a greater number of jurisdictions’ employment, health, and safety and other regulatory and compliance requirements. Any of these or other difficulties in effectively managing our growth and the increased complexity of our business could result in the erosion of our brand image which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Our financial results may be adversely affected if substantial investments in businesses and operations, including in our retail stores, fail to produce expected returns.
From time to time, we may invest in technology, business infrastructure, new businesses, product offering, and manufacturing innovation and expansion of existing businesses, such as our recent expansion of sales outside of the United States, which require substantial cash investments and management attention. We expect to invest substantially in expanding the number and geographic reach of our retail stores in the short- and mid-term. We believe cost-effective investments are essential to business growth and profitability; however, significant investments are subject to typical risks and uncertainties inherent in developing a new business or expanding an existing business. The failure of any significant investment to provide expected returns or profitability could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and divert management attention from more profitable business operations.
We are subject to risks related to our ESG activities and disclosures, and our reputation and brand could be harmed if we fail to meet our public sustainability targets and goals.
In 2020, we began making our carbon footprint calculations available for our products. In 2021, we announced a highly ambitious sustainability strategy in service of our aim to help to reverse climate change through better business. Our sustainability strategy has three strategic priorities: (1) Regenerative Agriculture, (2) Renewable Materials, and (3) Responsible Energy. These priorities are underpinned by 10 targets, which we intend to achieve by the end of 2025, or the 2025 Targets. In addition, we have announced a goal to reduce our per-unit carbon emissions to less than 1 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2030, or the 2030 Goal. We anticipate continuing to make ESG disclosures and expanding the number of disclosures we make over time.
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While our sustainability strategy and practices and the level of transparency with which we are approaching them are foundational to our business, they expose us to several risks, including:
•that we may fail or be unable to fully achieve one or more of the 2025 Targets or the 2030 Goal due to a range of factors within or beyond our control (including a failure for governments and other third parties to make the investments that are required to make infrastructure improvements, such as greater availability of cleaner energy grids), or that we may adjust or modify our stated goals in light of new information, adjusted projections, or a change in business strategy, any of which could negatively impact our brand, reputation, and business;
•that achieving the 2025 Targets and/or 2030 Goal may require us to expend significant resources, which could divert the attention of our senior management and key personnel, delay the time by which we can achieve profitability, harm us competitively, or otherwise limit our ability to make investments in our growth;
•that our disclosures related to ESG may result in heightened scrutiny from stakeholders or other third parties of our ESG performance, activities, and decisions;
•that a failure to or perception of a failure to disclose metrics and set goals that are rigorous enough or in an acceptable format, a failure to appropriately manage selection of goals, a failure to or perception of a failure to make appropriate disclosures, stakeholder perception of a failure to prioritize the “correct” ESG goals, or an unfavorable ESG-related rating by a third party could negatively impact our brand, reputation, and business;
•that certain metrics we utilize receive limited assurance from and/or verification by third parties, may involve a less rigorous review process than assurance sought in connection with more traditional audits, such a review process may not identify errors and may not protect us from potential liability under the securities laws, and, if we were to seek more extensive assurance or attestation with respect to such ESG metrics, we may be unable to obtain such assurance or attestation or may face increased costs related to obtaining and/or maintaining such assurance or attestation;
•that the third-party data used in our carbon footprint calculations are determined to be wrong or become unavailable to us for whatever reason, which would require us to find a new source of quality third-party data or develop our own, either of which could require significant resources, a temporary suspension of sharing a carbon footprint for each product, or an adjustment to carbon footprint numbers because of variations in the underlying data, and if our stakeholders react unfavorably to any such situation or we fail to adequately manage any transition, it could negatively impact our brand, reputation, and business;
•that the ESG or sustainability standards, norms, or metrics, which are constantly evolving, change in a manner that impacts us negatively or requires us to change the content or manner of our disclosures, and our stakeholders or third parties view such change(s) negatively, we are unable to adequately explain such changes, or we are required to expend significant resources to update our disclosures, any of which could negatively impact our brand, reputation, and business; and
•that our brand, reputation, and business could be negatively impacted if any of our disclosures, including our carbon footprint numbers, reporting to third-party ESG standards, or reporting against our 2025 Targets, 2023 Goal, or other goals, are inaccurate, perceived to be inaccurate, or alleged to be inaccurate.
We are subject to risks related to our commitment to certain ESG criteria, which we call the Sustainability Principles and Objectives Framework, or the SPO Framework.
The SPO Framework, which consists of ESG criteria that we intend to satisfy, is described more fully in the section titled “The Sustainability Principles and Objectives Framework.” This is a new and untested framework, which was not developed solely by disinterested third parties but was developed with input from Allbirds and other partners. There is no basis for investors to, or track record by which investors can, assess the impact of the SPO Framework on our operations, financial condition, and the market price of our Class A common stock. Our
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adherence to the SPO Framework may result in additional costs to us in operating our business, including, for example, costs of the third-party ESG assessment, costs related to meeting the carbon emissions reduction target, etc. We may not meet all of the SPO Framework (or any part thereof) in the future. Further, any or all elements of the SPO Framework may be considered insufficient and/or unsatisfactory and/or the credibility of the SPO Framework may be disregarded entirely. Because we are committing publicly to the SPO Framework, if we fail to make meaningful progress on ESG practices and matters or to continue to report transparently across ESG practices and matters relating to the SPO Framework, our reputation could be harmed. We could also damage our reputation and the value of our brand if we fail to act responsibly in the areas in which we report or fail to demonstrate that our commitment to ESG principles enhances our overall financial performance. Any harm to our reputation resulting from our failure or perceived failure to meet the SPO Framework could also impact employee engagement and retention, the willingness of our supplier or manufacturers to do business with us, or investors’ willingness to purchase or hold shares of our common stock, any of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Please refer to the section titled “The Sustainability Principles and Objectives Framework” in this prospectus for further information related to the SPO Framework.
We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations, particularly in newer geographies.
We were founded in May 2015 and first sold our products in 2016. As a result of our limited operating history, our ability to accurately forecast our future results of operations is limited and subject to a number of uncertainties, including our ability to plan for and model future growth. Our historical revenue growth has been inconsistent, was derived from a more concentrated number of geographies, and should not be considered indicative of our future performance. Further, in future periods, our revenue growth could slow or our revenue could decline for a number of reasons, including a decline in demand for our products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or for other reasons, an increase in competition, a decrease in the growth of our overall market, our entry into new geographies where our prior operating history is less relevant or predictive, or our failure, for any reason, to continue to capitalize on growth opportunities. In addition, we regularly release new products and it is difficult to predict the commercial success of newly released products. We have also encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, such as the risks and uncertainties described herein. If our assumptions regarding these risks and uncertainties (which we use to plan our business) are incorrect or change due to changes in our market or the geographies where we operate and where we sell our products, or if we do not address these risks successfully, our operating and financial results could differ materially from our expectations, and our business could suffer.
Our future success is substantially dependent on the continued service of our co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers, as well as other senior management, and our ability to attract and retain talent.
We depend on the continued services and performance of our senior management and other key personnel, including Timothy Brown and Joseph Zwillinger, our co-founders and Co-Chief Executive Officers. Mr. Brown’s and Mr. Zwillinger’s employment with us is at-will, which means that they may resign or could be terminated for any reason at any time. Should either of them stop working for us for any reason, it is unlikely that the other co-founder would be able to fulfill the responsibilities of the departing co-founder, nor is it likely that we would be able to immediately find a suitable replacement. Our other senior management and key employees are also employed on an at-will basis, with the exception of one member of our senior management team who resides in the United Kingdom and is entitled to standard statutory rights under local law. We currently do not have “key person” insurance on any of our employees. The loss of key personnel, including members of management, supply chain, innovation and sustainability, product development, marketing, and sales personnel, could disrupt our operations and seriously harm our business.
To successfully grow and operate our business and execute our strategic plans, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for executives and highly skilled personnel is often intense, especially in Northern California, where our headquarters is located. As we become a more mature company, we may find our recruiting efforts more challenging. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater
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resources than we have. The incentives to attract, retain, and motivate employees provided by our equity awards or by future arrangements, such as through cash bonuses, may not be as effective as our past incentive or as the current incentives offered by our competitors. We may not be successful in attracting, integrating, or retaining qualified personnel to fulfill our current or future needs. We may experience difficulty in hiring and retaining highly skilled employees with appropriate qualifications. Our recruiting efforts may also be limited or delayed by laws and regulations, such as restrictive immigration laws, and restrictions on travel or availability of visas (particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). For example, as we expand into new geographies, we must navigate the recruiting and employment-related aspects of local rules and requirements in each such jurisdiction as part of our hiring plans. Similarly, our rate of employee attrition could be impacted by the pace and recovery of businesses and the job market once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the general health of the economy, the rate of unemployment, the perceived or actual mobility of our highly skilled employees who may be recruited away by our competitors, or our existing employees’ preferences with respect to remote or “hybrid” working arrangements based on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which preferences may diverge from the nature and conditions of the roles we believe are most appropriate for our business once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. If our employee attrition is higher than expected, we may find it difficult to fill our hiring needs without substantial expense.
Failure to manage our employee base and hiring needs effectively, including successfully recruiting and integrating our new hires, or to retain and motivate our current personnel may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If we cannot maintain our culture and values as we grow, our business could be harmed.
We believe that a critical component of our success has been our corporate culture and values. We have invested substantial time and resources in building our culture, which is rooted in innovation, teamwork, and achieving profit with purpose. Relatedly, we believe that our status as a PBC, our commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability, and our certified B Corp status, all of which are foundational aspects of our culture and values, distinguish us from our competitors and promote a relationship among our customers, partners, and employees founded on trust.
However, as we continue to grow, including geographically expanding our presence outside of our headquarters in San Francisco, California, and developing the infrastructure associated with being a public company, we face a number of challenges that may affect our ability to sustain our corporate culture and shared values, including:
•a need to identify, attract, reward, and retain people in key leadership positions in our organization who share and further our culture, values, mission, and public benefit objective;
•the increasing size and geographic diversity of our workforce, which may limit our ability to promote a uniform and consistent culture and set of shared values across all of our offices and employees globally;
•the wider array of alternative working arrangements we now permit or may in the future permit, including part-time or flexible roles, fully remote roles, or “hybrid” roles (where a mix of in-person and remote work is permitted);
•the costs of our employee health and well-being initiatives and other ESG investments, which are required to maintain our corporate culture and live up to our values, but which may be more expensive than those of our competitors;
•the loss of our certified B Corp status;
•competitive pressures that may divert us from our mission, vision, and values, and may cause us to take actions that are contrary to, or that our workforce views as contrary to, our culture or values;
•our rapidly evolving industry; and
•the increasing need to develop expertise in new areas of business that affect us.
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Any failure to preserve our corporate culture (or localize it authentically) or any failure to live up to our values as a company, particularly those related to environmental conservation and sustainability, could negatively affect our brand and reputation, harm our business, and limit our future success, including our ability to retain and recruit personnel and to effectively focus on and pursue our corporate objectives.
Merchandise returns could harm our business.
We allow customers to return products under a return policy that we believe is more generous than the industry standard. For example, for footwear, we generally accept merchandise returns for full refund or exchange if returned within 30 days of the original purchase date. Our revenue is reported net of returns, discounts, and any taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities. We estimate an allowance for expected product returns based on historical return trends. Revenue is presented net of the sales return allowance, and the expected inventory right of recovery is presented as a reduction of cost of revenue. The introduction of new products, changes in customer confidence or shopping habits or other competitive and general economic conditions could cause actual returns to exceed our estimates. If actual return costs differ from previous estimates, the amount of the liability and corresponding revenue are adjusted in the period in which such costs occur. In addition, from time to time, our products may be damaged in transit, which can also increase return rates. Returned goods may also be damaged in transit as part of the return process which can impede our ability to resell the returned goods. From time to time, customers have abused our return policy by, for example, returning shoes that have been worn repeatedly for all or most of the 30-day return window and cannot be resold. Competitive pressures could cause us to alter our return policies or our shipping policies, which could result in an increase in damaged products and an increase in product returns. If the rate of product returns increases significantly or if product return economics become less efficient, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed.
Counterfeit or “knock-off” products, as well as products that are “inspired-by-Allbirds,” may siphon off demand we have created for sustainable footwear and apparel, and may result in customer confusion, harm to our brand, a loss of our market share, and/or a decrease in our results of operations.
We face competition from counterfeit or “knock-off” products manufactured and sold by third parties in violation of our intellectual property rights, as well as from products that are inspired by our footwear in terms of sustainability, design, and style, including private label offerings by eCommerce retailers. In the past, third parties have established websites to target users on Facebook or other social media platforms with “look alike” websites intended to trick users into believing that they were purchasing Allbirds shoes at a steep discount. Some individuals who actually made purchases from such “look alike” websites believed they had purchased from our actual website and subsequently submitted complaints to us.
These activities of third parties may result in customer confusion, require us to incur additional administrative costs to manage customer complaints related to counterfeit goods, divert customers from us, cause us to miss out on sales opportunities, and result in a loss of our market share. We could also be required to increase our marketing and advertising spend. If consumers are confused by these other products and believe them to be actual Allbirds, we could be forced to deal with dissatisfied customers who mistakenly blame us for poor service or poor-quality goods.
In addressing these or similar issues in the future, we may also be required to incur substantial expense to protect our brand and enforce our intellectual property rights, including through legal action in the United States or in foreign countries, which could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.
These and similar “counterfeit” or “inspired-by-Allbirds” issues could reoccur and could again result in customer confusion, harm to our brand, a loss of our market share, and/or a decrease in our results of operations.
We may seek to grow our business through acquisitions of, or investments in, new or complementary businesses, facilities, technologies, or products, or through strategic alliances; the failure to adequately manage these acquisitions, investments, or alliances, to integrate them with our existing business, or to realize anticipated returns, could adversely affect us.
From time to time, we may consider opportunities to acquire or make investments in new or complementary businesses, facilities, technologies, offerings, or products, or enter into strategic alliances, that may enhance our
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capabilities, expand our outsourcing and supplier network, complement our current products, or expand the breadth of our markets. Acquisitions, investments and other strategic alliances involve numerous risks, including:
•problems integrating the acquired business, facilities, technologies, or products, including issues maintaining uniform standards, procedures, controls, policies, and culture;
•unanticipated costs associated with acquisitions, investments, or strategic alliances;
•diversion of management’s attention from our existing business;
•adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers, outsourced manufacturing partners, and other third parties;
•risks associated with entering new markets in which we may have limited or no experience;
•potential loss of key employees of acquired businesses; and
•increased legal and accounting compliance costs.
We may be unable to identify acquisitions or strategic relationships we deem suitable. Even if we do, we may be unable to successfully complete any such transactions on favorable terms or at all, or to successfully integrate any acquired business, facilities, technologies, or products into our business or retain any key personnel, suppliers, or customers. Furthermore, even if we complete such transactions and effectively integrate the newly acquired business or strategic alliance into our existing operations, we may fail to realize the anticipated returns and/or fail to capture the expected benefits, such as strategic or operational synergies or cost savings. The efforts required to complete and integrate these transactions could be expensive and time-consuming and may disrupt our ongoing business and prevent management from focusing on our operations. If we are unable to identify suitable acquisitions or strategic relationships, or if we are unable to integrate any acquired businesses, facilities, technologies, and products effectively, or if we fail to realize anticipated returns or capture expected benefits, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Certain of our key operating metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and any real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics or the underlying data may cause a loss of investor confidence in such metrics, and the market price of our Class A common stock may decline.
We track certain key operating metrics using internal and/or external data analytics tools, which have certain limitations, including, but not limited to, imperfect data collection (e.g., lack of emails and/or other identifiers for certain customers who purchase via our retail channels and do not supply such information). In addition, we rely on data received from third parties, including third-party platforms, to track certain performance indicators, and we may be limited in our ability to verify such data. In addition, our methodologies for tracking metrics may change over time, which could result in changes to the metrics we report. If we undercount or overcount performance due to the internal data analytics tools we use or issues with the data received from third parties, if our internal data analytics tools contain algorithmic or other technical errors, or if changes in access to third party data or external reporting standards require modifications to how we calculate certain operating metrics, the data we report may not be accurate or comparable with prior periods. In addition, limitations, changes, or errors with respect to how we measure data may affect our understanding of certain details of our business, which could affect our longer-term strategies. If our performance metrics are not, or are not perceived to be, accurate representations of our business, if we discover material inaccuracies in our metrics or the data on which such metrics are based, or if we can no longer calculate any of our key performance metrics with a sufficient degree of accuracy, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of such metrics, which could cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline.
Our business is affected by seasonality.
Our business is affected by the general seasonal trends common to the retail footwear and apparel industry. As a result, historically, we have generated a higher proportion of net revenue, and incurred higher selling and marketing expenses, during the holiday season in the fourth quarter of the year compared to other quarters, and we expect these
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trends to continue. This seasonality may adversely affect our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.
Risks Related to Our Supply Chain
Our reliance on suppliers and manufacturers to provide materials for and to produce our products could cause problems in our supply chain.
We do not manufacture our products or the raw materials for them and rely instead on suppliers. Many of the materials used in our products are developed and manufactured by third parties and may be available, in the short-term, from only one or a very limited number of sources, some of whom have been or may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our contracts with some suppliers and manufacturers may not adequately meet our production requirements, and we compete with other companies for raw materials and production.
We have experienced, and may in the future experience, a significant disruption in the supply of raw materials from current sources and we may be unable to locate alternative materials suppliers of comparable quality at an acceptable price in time, or at all. These issues and risks have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in travel limitations and stay-at-home orders in most or all parts of the world for much of 2020 and the early part of 2021. In addition, if we experience significant increased demand, or if we need to replace an existing supplier or manufacturer, we may be unable to locate additional supplies of raw materials or additional manufacturing capacity on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or we may be unable to locate any supplier or manufacturer with sufficient capacity to meet our requirements or to fill our orders in a timely manner. These issues and risks are increased as a result of our commitments to sustainability, including our use of specific materials and manufacturing processes and the sustainability and ESG-related requirements we impose on our suppliers, which generally limit the number of suppliers who could potentially satisfy our requirements. Identifying a suitable supplier is an involved process that requires us to become satisfied with its quality control, responsiveness and service, financial stability, environmental impact, and labor and other ethical practices. Even if we are able to expand existing or find new manufacturing or materials sources, we may encounter delays in production and added costs as a result of the time it takes to train our suppliers and manufacturers in our methods, products, and quality control standards. Delays related to supplier changes could also arise due to an increase in shipping times if new suppliers are located farther away from our markets or from other participants in our supply chain or if an alternative shipping and transportation route is required, any of which could increase our overall environmental impact and which could also negatively impact our reputation and the carbon footprint scoring of our products. Any delays, interruption, or increased costs in the supply of materials or manufacture of our products could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet customer demand for our products and result in lower net revenue and income from operations both in the short and long term.
Our business is subject to the risk of manufacturer concentration.
We depend significantly on a limited number of third-party contract manufacturers for the sourcing of the vast majority of our products. As a result of this concentration in our supply chain, our business and operations would be negatively affected if any of our key manufacturers were to experience significant disruption affecting the price, quality, availability, or timely delivery of products. The partial or complete loss of these key manufacturers, or a significant adverse change in our relationship with any of these manufacturers, could result in lost sales, added costs, and distribution delays that could harm our business and customer relationships. In addition, as a result of our commitments to sustainability, including our use of specific materials and manufacturing processes and the sustainability and ESG-related requirements we impose on our contract manufacturers, there are generally fewer manufacturers who could potentially satisfy our requirements without substantial lead time or without requiring us to incur much higher costs, so we may be unable to replace a key manufacturer without substantial time and expense.
Failure of our contractors or our licensees’ contractors to comply with our supplier code of conduct, contractual obligations, local laws, and other standards could harm our business.
We work with contractors, most of which are located outside of the United States, to manufacture our products. We require the contractors that directly manufacture our products as well as those that manufacture the materials
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used to manufacture our products to comply with our supplier code of conduct and other social, environmental, health, and safety standards for the benefit of workers. We also require these contractors to comply with applicable standards for product safety. Notwithstanding their contractual obligations to comply with our policies and applicable standards, from time to time, contractors may not comply with such standards or applicable local law or our licensees may fail to enforce such standards or applicable local law on their contractors. Significant or continuing noncompliance with such standards and laws by one or more contractors could harm our reputation or result in a product recall and, as a result, could have an adverse effect on our sales and financial condition. Similarly, agreements that we enter into with these contractors generally do not require blanket exclusivity with us; as a result, some contractors may be permitted to work with parties who could be deemed competitive, which could harm our business.
In addition, failure of one or more contractors to comply with applicable laws and regulations and contractual obligations could lead to litigation against us or require us to initiate litigation to enforce our contracts, resulting in increased legal expenses and costs. Furthermore, the failure of any such contractors to provide safe and humane factory conditions and oversight at their facilities could damage our reputation with customers or result in legal claims against us. Furthermore, any such noncompliance by our contractors, product recalls, or negative publicity regarding production methods, alleged practices, or workplace or related conditions of any of our suppliers, manufacturers, or licensees could adversely affect our brand image, result in lost sales, require us to divert resources to address and remediate these issues, expose us to legal claims, and force us to locate alternative suppliers, manufacturers or licensees, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any of these issues with our contractors could have a greater negative impact on us, due to the importance of ESG and sustainability practices to our brand and business.
Failure of our suppliers or manufacturers to consistently provide high-quality materials and products could adversely affect our brand and reputation and cause our business and results of operations to suffer.
Our success depends on our ability to provide our customers with the sustainable footwear and apparel they seek, which in turn depends on the quantity and quality of the finished products provided by our manufacturing partners, which depends on the quantity and quality of the raw materials they receive from our supply partners. We may be unable to provide customers with the high-quality sustainable footwear and apparel they seek if our supply chain partners do not consistently produce high-quality products for us to sell.
We believe that many of our new customers find us by word of mouth and other non-paid referrals from existing customers. If existing customers are dissatisfied with their product experience due to defects in the materials or manufacturing of our products or other quality related concerns, then they may stop buying our products and may stop referring others to us, and we could experience an increase in the rate of product returns. If we are unable to retain existing customers and attract new customers due to quality issues that we fail to identify and remedy, our growth prospects would be harmed and our business could be adversely affected. If product quality issues are widespread or result in product recalls, our brand and reputation could be harmed, we could incur substantial costs, and our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The fluctuating cost of raw materials could increase our cost of revenue and cause our results of operations and financial condition to suffer.
The raw materials and commodities used by our suppliers and manufacturers include tree fiber, merino wool, sugarcane, castor bean oil, natural rubber, recycled plastic bottles, and paper products. Our suppliers and manufacturers’ costs for raw materials and commodities are affected by, among other things, weather, consumer demand, speculation on the commodities market, the relative valuations and fluctuations of the currencies of producer versus consumer countries, and other factors that are generally unpredictable and beyond our control. In addition, if key suppliers, the footwear and apparel industry, or a group of countries adopt and enforce carbon pricing, then the price of raw materials and commodities could increase. Increases in the cost of raw materials could have a material adverse effect on our cost of revenue, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
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The operations of our suppliers, most of which are located outside of the United States, are subject to additional risks that are beyond our control and that could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Currently, most of our suppliers are located outside of the United States. As a result of our global suppliers, we are subject to risks associated with doing business abroad, including:
•political unrest, terrorism, labor disputes, and economic instability resulting in the disruption of trade from foreign countries in which our products are manufactured, including China;
•the imposition of new laws and regulations, including those relating to labor conditions, quality, and safety standards, imports, duties, taxes, and other charges on imports, as well as trade restrictions and restrictions on currency exchange or the transfer of funds, particularly new or increased tariffs imposed by the United States on imports from countries where our products are manufactured, including, for example, South Korea, Vietnam, China, and Peru;
•greater challenges and increased costs with enforcing and periodically auditing or reviewing our suppliers and manufacturers’ compliance with our supplier code of conduct, including their labor and sustainability practices, given that their facilities are located outside of the United States and, in many cases, far away from our offices and management;
•reduced protection for intellectual property rights, including trademark protection, in some countries, particularly China;
•disruptions in operations due to global, regional, or local public health crises or other emergencies or natural disasters, including, for example, disruptions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic given the emergence of new variants and disparities in availability of vaccines in different parts of the world;
•disruptions or delays in shipments; and
•changes in local economic conditions in countries where our manufacturers, suppliers, or customers are located.
These and other factors beyond our control, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could interrupt our suppliers’ production, influence the ability of our suppliers to export our products cost-effectively or at all, and inhibit our suppliers’ ability to procure certain materials, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Shipping and delivery are critical parts of our business and any changes in, or disruptions to, our shipping and delivery arrangements could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We rely on several ocean, air parcel, and “less than truckload” carriers to deliver the products we sell. If we are not able to negotiate acceptable pricing and other terms with these providers, or if these providers experience performance problems or other difficulties in processing our orders or delivering our products to customers, it could negatively impact our results of operations, financial condition, and our customers’ experience. For example, changes to the terms of our shipping arrangements or the imposition of surcharges or surge pricing may adversely impact our margins and profitability. In addition, our ability to receive inbound inventory efficiently and ship merchandise to customers may be negatively affected by factors beyond our and these providers’ control, including pandemic, weather, fire, flood, power loss, earthquakes, acts of war or terrorism, or other events specifically impacting other shipping partners, such as labor disputes, financial difficulties, system failures, and other disruptions to the operations of the shipping companies on which we rely. We have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, shipping delays for reasons outside of our control. We are also subject to risks of damage or loss during delivery by our shipping vendors. If the products ordered by our customers are not delivered in a timely fashion, including to international customers, or are damaged or lost during the delivery process, our customers could become dissatisfied and cease buying products from us, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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If we do not successfully optimize, operate, and manage our global network of third-party owned and operated logistics and distribution centers, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed.
Our success depends on our global logistics and distribution network. Currently, we rely predominantly on a few third-party logistics providers to store our finished products in, and distribute our products to customers from, their warehouse locations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. Our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales, and achieve objectives for operating efficiencies and growth, particularly in emerging markets, depends on the proper operation of these third parties’ distribution facilities, the development or expansion of additional distribution capabilities, and the timely performance of services by third parties (including those involved in shipping product to and from our distribution facilities). If we continue to add third-party logistics providers, require them to expand their fulfillment, distribution, and warehouse capabilities, including adding additional locations in new countries, add products categories with different fulfillment requirements or change the mix of products that we sell, our global logistics and distribution network will become increasingly complex and operating it will become more challenging for us and our third-party logistics providers. The expansion and growth of our logistics and distribution center network may put pressure on our managerial, financial, operational, and other resources. In addition, we may be required to expand our capacity sooner than we anticipate. If we are unable to secure new or expand existing third-party logistics providers to meet our future needs, our order fulfillment and shipping times may be delayed and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected. The third-party owned and operated logistics and distribution centers we rely on could be interrupted by issues beyond our control, including information technology problems, disasters such as earthquakes or fires, or outbreaks of disease or government actions taken to mitigate their spread. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, several logistics providers we rely on faced staffing shortages, which impacted their businesses and resulted in delayed shipping and delivery times. Any significant failure in our distribution facilities could result in an adverse effect on our business. We maintain business interruption insurance, but it may not adequately protect us from adverse effects caused by significant disruptions in our third-party logistics and distribution centers.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property, Information Technology, and Data Security and Privacy
Our failure or inability to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights could diminish the value of our brand and weaken our competitive position.
We currently rely on a combination of trademark, trade dress, copyright, patent, and unfair competition laws, as well as confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. The steps we take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent infringement of these rights by others. We regularly face the imitation of our products, the manufacture and distribution of “knock-off” and counterfeit products, and the misappropriation of our brand and product names. For instance, we have had to litigate against a third party misappropriating our WOOL RUNNERS trademark and have had to enforce against third parties manufacturing and selling products that violate our design patents.
In addition, intellectual property protection may be unavailable or limited in some foreign countries where laws or law enforcement practices may not protect our intellectual property rights as fully as in the United States, and it may be more difficult for us to successfully challenge the use of our intellectual property rights by other parties in these countries. For instance, some of our trademark or trade dress applications may not be approved by the applicable governmental authorities because they are determined to lack sufficient distinctiveness, and, even if approved, may be challenged by third parties for this same reason. If we fail to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights, the value of our brand could be diminished, and our competitive position may suffer.
Our trademarks and other proprietary rights could potentially conflict with the rights of others, and we may be prevented from selling some of our products.
Our success depends in large part on our brand image. We believe that our trademarks and other proprietary rights have significant value and are important to identifying and differentiating our products from those of our competitors and creating and sustaining demand for our products. We have applied for and obtained some U.S., E.U., and foreign trademark registrations, and will continue to evaluate the registration of additional trademarks as
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appropriate. However, some or all of these pending trademark applications may be refused due to prior conflicting trademarks or for other reasons. We may also encounter “squatters” or bad actors that either apply to register or “squat” on previously acquired trademarks that are identical or related to our trademarks (e.g., ALLBIRDS or ALLBIRDSBROWN). In both scenarios, such third parties hope to use their prior rights as leverage to extract a favorable monetary settlement or acquisition of their rights. For instance, we recently became aware of attempts by third parties to register ALLBIRDS in India and Indonesia and have had to expend both financial and internal resources to address such filings.
Moreover, even if our applications are approved, third parties may seek to oppose, invalidate, or otherwise challenge these registrations for these same reasons, particularly as we expand our business and the number of products we offer. For example, currently, we are defending invalidation actions in China against a number of our granted registrations (e.g., for ALLBIRDS (Stylized)).
Our defense of any claim, regardless of its merit, could be expensive and time consuming and could divert management resources. Successful infringement claims against us could result in significant monetary liability or prevent us from selling some of our products. In addition, resolution of claims may require us to redesign our products, license rights from third parties, or cease using those rights altogether. Any of these events could harm our business and cause our results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition to suffer.
The inability to acquire, use, or maintain our marks and domain names for our websites could substantially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We currently are the registrant of marks for our products in numerous jurisdictions and are the registrant of the internet domain name for the website allbirds.com, as well as various related domain names. However, we have not registered our marks represented by our domain names in all international jurisdictions. Domain names generally are regulated by internet regulatory bodies and may not be generally protectable as trademarks in and of themselves. We have incurred, and as our business grows, may continue to incur material costs in connection with the registration, maintenance, and protection of our marks. If we do not have or cannot obtain on reasonable terms the ability to use our marks in a particular country, or to use or register our domain name, we could be forced either to incur significant additional expenses to market our products within that country, including the development of a new brand and the creation of new promotional materials and packaging, or to elect not to sell products in that country. Either result could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, the regulations governing domain names and laws protecting marks and similar proprietary rights could change in ways that block or interfere with our ability to use relevant domains or the Allbirds brand. Also, we might not be able to prevent third parties from registering, using, or retaining domain names that interfere with our customer communications or infringe or otherwise decrease the value of our marks, domain names, and other proprietary rights. Regulatory bodies also may establish additional generic or country-code top-level domains or may allow modifications of the requirements for registering, holding, or using domain names. As a result, we might not be able to register, use, or maintain the domain names that use the name Allbirds in all of the countries and territories in which we currently or intend to conduct business.
Any material disruption of our information technology systems or unexpected network interruption could disrupt our business and reduce our sales.
We are increasingly dependent on information technology networks and systems, our website, and various third parties to market and sell our products and to manage a variety of business processes and activities and to comply with regulatory, legal, and tax requirements. For example, we depend on information technology systems and third parties to operate our eCommerce websites, process transactions online and in our stores, respond to customer inquiries, manage inventory, purchase, sell, and ship goods on a timely basis, and maintain cost-efficient operations. We also depend on our information technology infrastructure for digital marketing activities and for electronic communications among our personnel, customers, manufacturers, and suppliers around the world. Our website, portions of which are run through Shopify, and information technology systems, some of which are managed by third parties, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions, or shutdowns due to failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases, or components, power outages, hardware failures, computer viruses,
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attacks by computer hackers, cybersecurity incidents caused by supply chain attacks, telecommunication failures, user errors, or catastrophic events. Our website serves as an effective extension of our marketing strategies by exposing potential new customers to our brand, product offerings, and enhanced content. Due to the importance of our website and internet-related operations, we are vulnerable to website downtime and other technical failures, which may be outside of our control. Further, any slow down or material disruption of our systems, or the systems of our third-party service providers, or our website could disrupt our ability to track, record, and analyze the products that we sell and could negatively impact our operations, shipment of goods, ability to process financial information and transactions, and our ability to receive and process customer orders or engage in normal business activities. Our third-party technology providers may also change their policies, terms, or offerings from time to time, may fail to introduce new features and offerings that meet our needs as we expand, or may cease to provide services to us on favorable terms, or at all, which could require us to adjust how we use our information technology systems, including our website, or switch to alternative third-party service providers which could be costly, cause interruptions, and could ultimately adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.
If our website or information technology systems, including those run by or those of our third-party providers, suffer damage, disruption, or shutdown and we or our third-party providers do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected, and we could experience delays in reporting our financial results.
If our computer and communications hardware fail, or if we suffer an interruption or degradation of services, we could lose customer data and miss order fulfillment deadlines, which could harm our business. Our systems and operations are vulnerable to damage or interruption from fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, data loss, acts of war, break-ins, earthquake, and similar events. Any failure or interruption of our website, mobile app, internal business applications, or our technology infrastructure could harm our ability to serve our clients, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We use complex custom-built proprietary software in our technology infrastructure. Our proprietary software may contain undetected errors or vulnerabilities, some of which may only be discovered after the software has been implemented in our production environment or released to end users. In addition, we seek to continually update and improve our software, and we may not always be successful in executing these upgrades and improvements, and the operation of our systems may be subject to failure. We may experience slowdowns or interruptions in our website when we are updating it. For example, in the past we have experienced minor slowdowns and/or impaired functionality while updating our website. Moreover, new technologies or infrastructures may not be fully integrated with existing systems on a timely basis, or at all. Any errors or vulnerabilities discovered in our software after commercial implementation or release could result in damage to our reputation, loss of customers, exploitation by bad actors resulting in data breaches or unauthorized modification of our software, disruption to our digital channels, loss of revenue, or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our growth prospects and our business.
Additionally, if we expand our use of third-party services, including cloud-based services, our technology infrastructure may be subject to increased risk of slowdown or interruption as a result of integration with such services and/or failures by such third parties, which are out of our control. Our net revenue depends on the number of visitors who shop on our website and the volume of orders we can handle. Unavailability of our website or mobile app or reduced order fulfillment performance would reduce the volume of goods sold and could also adversely affect customer perception of our brand. We may experience periodic system interruptions from time to time. In addition, continued growth in our transaction volume, as well as surges in online traffic and orders associated with promotional activities or seasonal trends in our business, place additional demands on our technology platform, and could cause or exacerbate slowdowns or interruptions. If there is a substantial increase in the volume of traffic on our website or the number of orders placed by customers, we will be required to further expand, scale, and upgrade our technology, transaction processing systems, and network infrastructure. There can be no assurance that we will be able to accurately project the rate or timing of increases, if any, in the use of our website or mobile app or expand, scale, and upgrade our technology, systems, and infrastructure to accommodate such increases on a timely basis. In order to remain competitive, we must continue to enhance and improve the responsiveness, functionality, and features of our website, which is particularly challenging given the rapid rate at which new technologies, customer
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preferences and expectations, and industry standards and practices are evolving in the eCommerce industry. Our or our third-party vendors’ inability to continue to update, improve, and scale our website or mobile app and the underlying technology infrastructure could harm our reputation and our ability to acquire, retain, and serve our customers, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Further, we endeavor to continually upgrade existing technologies and business applications, and we may be required to implement new technologies or business applications in the future. The implementation of upgrades and changes requires significant investments. Our results of operations may be affected by the timing, effectiveness, and costs associated with the successful implementation of any upgrades or changes to our systems and infrastructure. In the event that it is more difficult for our customers to buy products from us on their mobile devices, or if our customers choose not to buy products from us on their mobile devices or to use mobile products that do not offer access to our websites, our customer growth could be harmed and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If the technology-based systems that give our customers the ability to shop with us online do not function effectively, our results of operations, as well as our ability to grow our eCommerce business globally, could be materially adversely affected.
Many of our customers shop with us through our eCommerce websites and mobile apps. Increasingly, customers are using tablets and smart phones to shop online with us and with our competitors and to do comparison shopping. We are increasingly using social media to interact with our customers and as a means to enhance their shopping experience. Any failure on our part to provide attractive, effective, reliable, user-friendly eCommerce platforms that offer a wide assortment of merchandise with rapid delivery options and that continually meet the changing expectations of online shoppers could place us at a competitive disadvantage, result in the loss of eCommerce and other sales, harm our reputation with customers, have a material adverse impact on the growth of our eCommerce business globally and could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Risks specific to our eCommerce business also include diversion of sales from our company-operated stores, difficulty in recreating the in-store experience through direct channels and liability for online content. Our failure to successfully respond to these risks might adversely affect sales in our eCommerce business, as well as damage our reputation and brand.
We are subject to risks related to online payment methods.
We currently accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit and cards. As we offer new payment options to consumers, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements, fraud and other risks. For certain payment methods, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and raise our operating costs and lower profitability. We are also subject to payment card association operating rules and certification requirements, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS, and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. Failure to comply with PCI DSS or to meet other payment card standards may result in the imposition of financial penalties or the allocation by the card brands of the costs of fraudulent charges to us.
We must continue to expand and scale our information technology systems, and our failure to do so could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We will need to continue to expand and scale our information technology systems and personnel to support recent and expected future growth. As such, we will continue to invest in and implement modifications and upgrades to our information technology systems and procedures, including replacing legacy systems with successor systems, making changes to legacy systems or acquiring new systems with new functionality, hiring employees with information technology expertise, and building new policies, procedures, training programs, and monitoring tools. These types of activities subject us to inherent costs and risks associated with replacing and changing these systems, including impairment of our ability to fulfill customer orders, potential disruption of our internal control structure, capital expenditures, additional administration, and operating expenses, acquisition, and retention of sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the new systems, demands on management time, the introduction of
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errors or vulnerabilities, and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to or integrating new systems into our current systems. These implementations, modifications, and upgrades may not result in productivity improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. Additionally, difficulties with implementing new technology systems, delays in our timeline for planned improvements, significant system failures or our inability to successfully modify our information systems to respond to changes in our business needs may cause disruptions in our business operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If sensitive information about our customers is disclosed, or if we or our third-party providers are subject to real or perceived cyberattacks or misuse, our customers may curtail use of our website or mobile app, we may be exposed to liability, and our reputation could suffer.
Operating our business and platform involves the collection, storage, and transmission of proprietary and confidential information, as well as the personal information of our employees and customers. Some of our third-party service providers, such as identity verification and payment processing providers, also regularly have access to customer data. In an effort to protect sensitive information, we rely on a variety of security measures, including encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties. However, advances in computer capabilities, increasingly sophisticated tools and methods used by hackers and cyber terrorists, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, or other developments may result in our failure or inability to adequately protect sensitive information.
Like other eCommerce companies, we are also vulnerable to hacking, malware, computer viruses, unauthorized access, phishing or social engineering attacks, ransomware attacks, credential stuffing attacks, denial-of-service attacks, exploitation of software vulnerabilities, and other real or perceived cyberattacks. Additionally, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, certain functional areas of our workforce remain in a remote work environment, which has heightened the risk of these potential vulnerabilities. Any of these incidents could lead to interruptions or shutdowns of our platform, loss or corruption of data or unauthorized access to, or disclosure of personal data or other sensitive information. Cyberattacks could also result in the theft of our intellectual property, damage to our IT systems or disruption of our ability to make financial reports, and other public disclosures required of public companies. We have been subject to attempted cyber, phishing, or social engineering attacks in the past and may continue to be subject to such attacks and other cybersecurity incidents in the future. If we gain greater visibility, we may face a higher risk of being targeted by cyberattacks. Advances in computer capabilities, new technological discoveries, or other developments may result in cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and more difficult to detect. We and our third-party service providers may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent all such cyberattacks. Moreover, techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and may not be known until launched against us or our third-party service providers. Security breaches can also occur as a result of non-technical issues, including intentional or inadvertent actions by our employees, our third-party service providers, or their personnel.
We and our third-party service providers may experience cyberattacks aimed at disrupting our and their services. If we or our third-party service providers experience, or are believed to have experienced, security breaches that result in marketplace performance or availability problems or the loss or corruption of, or unauthorized access to or disclosure of, personal data or confidential information, consumers may become unwilling to provide us the information necessary to make purchases on our website. Existing customers may also decrease or stop their purchases altogether. While we maintain cyber errors and omissions insurance coverage that covers certain aspects of cyber risks, these losses may not be adequately covered by insurance or other contractual rights available to us. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed or are not covered by our insurance coverage or changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, we may be required to disclose personal data pursuant to demands from individuals, privacy advocates, regulators, government agencies, and law enforcement agencies in various jurisdictions with conflicting privacy and security laws. Any disclosure or refusal to disclose personal data may result in a breach of privacy and data protection policies, notices, laws, rules, court orders, and regulations and could result in proceedings or actions
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against us in the same or other jurisdictions, damage to our reputation and brand, and inability to provide our products to customers in certain jurisdictions. Additionally, changes in the laws and regulations that govern our collection, use, and disclosure of customer data could impose additional requirements with respect to the retention and security of customer data, could limit our marketing activities, and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Failure to comply with federal, state, or foreign laws and regulations or our contractual obligations or industry requirements relating to privacy, data protection, and customer protection, or the expansion of current or the enactment of new laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and customer protection, could adversely affect our business and our financial condition.
We collect and maintain significant amounts of data relating to our customers and employees, and we face risks inherent in handling large volumes of data, transferring such data to third parties, processing such data for tracking and marketing purposes (or providing such data to third parties for tracking and marketing purposes), and protecting the security of such data. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with any federal, state, or foreign laws and regulations, or applicable industry standards that govern or apply to our collection, use, retention, sharing, and security of data, or any failure by any of our third party service providers to protect such data that they may maintain on our behalf, could result in enforcement actions that require us to change our business practices in a manner that may negatively impact our revenue, as well as expose ourselves to litigation, fines, civil, and/or criminal penalties and adverse publicity that could cause our customers to lose trust in us, negatively impacting our reputation and business in a manner that harms our financial position. Laws and regulations in the United States and around the world restrict how information about individuals is collected, processed, stored, used, and disclosed, as well as set standards for its security, implement notice requirements regarding privacy practices, and provide individuals with certain rights regarding the use, disclosure, and sale of their protected personal information. These laws and regulations are still being tested in courts, and they are subject to new and differing interpretations by courts and regulatory officials. We are working to comply with the privacy and data protection laws and regulations that apply to us, and we anticipate needing to devote significant additional resources to complying with these laws and regulations. It is possible that these laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction or inconsistent with our current policies and practices.
In the United States, both federal and various state governments have adopted, or are considering, laws, guidelines, or rules for the collection, distribution, use, and storage of information collected from or about consumers or their devices. For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as statutory damages and a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Further, in November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA. The CPRA, which is expected to take effect on January 1, 2023 and to create obligations with respect to certain data relating to consumers as of January 1, 2022, significantly expands the CCPA, including by introducing additional obligations such as data minimization and storage limitations, granting additional rights to consumers, such as correction of personal information and additional opt-out rights, and creates a new entity, the California Privacy Protection Agency, to implement and enforce the law. Personal information we handle may be subject to the CCPA and CPRA, which may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Virginia has similarly enacted a comprehensive privacy law, the Consumer Data Protection Act, which emulates the CCPA and CPRA in many respects and takes effect on January 1, 2023. Other states have considered similar bills, which could be enacted in the future. In addition to fines and penalties that may be imposed for failure to comply with state law, some states also provide for private rights of action to customers for misuse of or unauthorized access to personal information. Our compliance with these changing and increasingly burdensome and sometimes conflicting regulations and requirements may cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, which may impact our financial condition. If we fail to comply with these regulations or requirements, we may be exposed to litigation expenses and possible significant liability, fees or fines. Further, any such claim, proceeding or action could harm our reputation, brand and business, force us to incur significant expenses in defense of such proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business, result in a loss of customers and suppliers or an inability to process credit card
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payments, and may result in the imposition of monetary penalties. We may also be contractually required to indemnify and hold harmless third parties from the costs or consequences of non-compliance with any laws, regulations or other legal obligations relating to privacy or consumer protection or any inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure of data that we store or handle as part of operating our business.
Certain requirements from our third-party technology and platform providers may also cause us to modify our offerings due to privacy concerns or negatively affect our revenue due to reduced availability of information about consumers. For example, Apple iOS 14.5 requires apps in the Apple App Store to opt in to the tracking of users across apps and websites owned by third parties for advertising and measurement purposes. Changes like this may reduce the quality of the data and related metrics that can be collected or used by us and/or our partners. In addition, such changes could significantly inhibit the effectiveness of our targeted advertising and related activities.
In addition to risks posed by new privacy laws, we could be subject to claims alleging violations of long-established federal and state privacy and consumer protection laws, including those related to telephone and email communications with consumers. As an example, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, is a federal law that imposes significant restrictions on the ability to make telephone calls or send text messages to mobile telephone numbers without the prior consent of the person being contacted. The TCPA provides for substantial statutory damages for violations, which has generated extensive class-action litigation. In addition, class-action plaintiffs in the United States are employing novel legal theories to allege that federal and state eavesdropping/wiretapping laws and state constitutions prohibit the use of analytics technologies widely employed by website and mobile app operators to understand how their users interact with their services. Despite our compliance efforts, our use of text messaging communications or similar analytics technologies could expose us to costly litigation, government enforcement actions, damages, and penalties, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Outside of the United States, certain foreign jurisdictions, including the European Economic Area, or EEA, and the United Kingdom, have laws and regulations which are more restrictive in certain respects than those in the United States. For example, the EEA and the United Kingdom have adopted the GDPR, which may apply to our collection, control, use, sharing, disclosure, and other processing of data relating to an identified or identifiable living individual (personal data). The GDPR, and national implementing legislation in EEA member states and the United Kingdom, impose a strict data protection compliance regime including: providing detailed disclosures about how personal data is collected and processed (in a concise, intelligible and easily accessible form); granting new rights for data subjects in regard to their personal data (including the right to be “forgotten” and the right to data portability), as well as enhancing current rights (e.g., data subject access requests); requirements to have data processing agreements in place to govern the processing of personal data on behalf of other organizations; introducing the obligation to notify data protection regulators or supervisory authorities (and in certain cases, affected individuals) of significant data breaches; maintaining a record of data processing; and complying with the principal of accountability and the obligation to demonstrate compliance through policies, procedures, trainings, and audits. In addition, we are subject, or may become subject, to various other data privacy and security laws and regulations of other foreign jurisdictions, including those in China and South Korea.
We also may be subject to European Union rules with respect to cross-border transfers of personal data out of the EEA. Recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers of personal data from the EEA to the United States. Most recently, on July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union, or CJEU, invalidated the European Union-United States Privacy Shield Framework, or Privacy Shield, under which personal data could be transferred from the EEA to U.S. entities who had self-certified under the Privacy Shield scheme. While the CJEU upheld the adequacy of the standard contractual clauses (a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal data transfer mechanism, and potential alternative to the Privacy Shield), it made clear that reliance on them alone may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances. Use of the standard contractual clauses must now be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the legal regime applicable in the destination country, in particular applicable surveillance laws and rights of individuals and additional measures and/or contractual provisions may need to be put in place, however, the nature of these additional measures is currently uncertain. The CJEU went on to state that if a competent supervisory authority believes that the standard contractual clauses cannot be complied with in the
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destination country and the required level of protection cannot be secured by other means, such supervisory authority is under an obligation to suspend or prohibit that transfer.
These recent developments may require us to review and amend the legal mechanisms by which we make and/or receive personal data transfers to/in the United States. As supervisory authorities issue further guidance on personal data export mechanisms, including circumstances where the standard contractual clauses cannot be used and/or start taking enforcement action, we could suffer additional costs, complaints, and/or regulatory investigations or fines, and/or if we are otherwise unable to transfer personal data between and among countries and regions in which we operate, it could affect the manner in which we provide our services, the geographical location or segregation of our relevant systems and operations, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union has created uncertainty with regard to the regulation of data protection in the United Kingdom. The relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union in relation to certain aspects of data protection law remains unclear, for example, how data transfers between E.U. member states and the United Kingdom will be treated. Specifically, the United Kingdom exited the European Union on January 1, 2020, subject to a transition period that ended December 31, 2020. Under the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom and European Union have agreed that transfers of personal data to the United Kingdom from EEA member states will not be treated as ‘restricted transfers’ to a non-EEA country for a period of up to four months from January 1, 2021, plus a potential further two months extension, or the Extended Adequacy Assessment Period. Although the current maximum duration of the Extended Adequacy Assessment Period is six months, it may end sooner, for example, in the event that the European Commission adopts an adequacy decision in respect of the United Kingdom, or the United Kingdom amends the UK GDPR/Data Protection Act 2018, or the U.K. GDPR, and/or makes certain changes regarding data transfers under the U.K. GDPR without the consent of the European Union (unless those amendments or decisions are made simply to keep relevant U.K. laws aligned with the E.U.’s data protection regime). If the European Commission does not adopt an ‘adequacy decision’ in respect of the United Kingdom prior to the expiry of the Extended Adequacy Assessment Period, from that point onwards the United Kingdom will be an ‘inadequate third country’ under the GDPR and transfers of personal data from the EEA to the United Kingdom will require a ‘transfer mechanism’ such as the Standard Contractual Clauses.
We depend on a number of third parties in relation to the operation of our business, a number of which process personal data on our behalf. Any violation of data or security laws by our third-party processors, or their acts or omissions that cause us to violate our legal obligations, could have an adverse effect on our business and result in the fines and penalties outlined below.
Fines for certain breaches of the GDPR are up to the greater of 20 million euros or 4 % of total global annual turnover. In addition to the foregoing, a breach of the GDPR could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders to cease/change our processing of our data, enforcement notices, and/or assessment notices (for a compulsory audit). We may also face civil claims including representative actions and other class action type litigation (where individuals have suffered harm), potentially amounting to significant compensation or damages liabilities, as well as associated costs, diversion of internal resources, and reputational harm.
We are also subject to evolving E.U. privacy laws on cookies and e-marketing. In the European Union, regulators are increasingly focusing on compliance with requirements in the online behavioral advertising ecosystem, and current national laws that implement the ePrivacy Directive will be replaced by an E.U. regulation known as the ePrivacy Regulation which will significantly increase fines for non-compliance. In the European Union, informed consent is required for the placement of a cookie or similar technologies on a user’s device and for direct electronic marketing. The GDPR also imposes conditions on obtaining valid consent, such as a prohibition on pre-checked consents and a requirement to ensure separate consents are sought for each type of cookie or similar technology. While the text of the ePrivacy Regulation is still under development, a recent European court decision and regulators’ recent guidance are driving increased attention to cookies and tracking technologies. If regulators start to enforce the strict approach in recent guidance, this could lead to substantial costs, require significant systems changes, limit the effectiveness of our marketing activities, divert the attention of our technology personnel, adversely affect our margins, increase costs, and subject us to additional liabilities. Regulation of cookies and
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similar technologies, and any decline of cookies or similar online tracking technologies as a means to identify and potentially target individuals, may lead to broader restrictions and impairments on our marketing and personalization activities, and may negatively impact our efforts to understand users.
Furthermore, compliance with legal and contractual obligations requires us to make public statements about our privacy and data security practices, including the statements we make in our online privacy policy. Although we endeavor to comply with these statements, should they prove to be untrue or be perceived as untrue, even through circumstances beyond our reasonable control, we may face litigation, claims, investigations, inquiries, or other proceedings by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and other federal, state, and foreign regulators and private litigants alleging violations of privacy or consumer protection laws.
Any actual or perceived non-compliance with these rapidly changing laws, regulations, or standards or our contractual obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and consumer protection by us or the third-party companies we work with could result in litigation and proceedings against us by governmental entities, consumers, or others, fines and civil or criminal penalties for us or company officials, obligations to cease offerings or to substantially modify our business in a manner that makes it less effective in certain jurisdictions, negative publicity, and harm to our brand and reputation, and reduced overall demand for our products, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Use of social media, emails, push notifications, and text messages in ways that do not comply with applicable laws and regulations, lead to the loss or infringement of intellectual property, or result in unintended disclosure may harm our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.
We use social media, emails, push notifications, and text messages as part of our omni-channel approach to marketing. As laws and regulations evolve to govern the use of these channels, the failure by us, our employees, or third parties acting at our direction to comply with applicable laws and regulations in the use of these channels could adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties. In addition, our employees or third parties acting at our direction may knowingly or inadvertently make use of social media in ways that could lead to the loss or infringement of intellectual property, as well as the public disclosure of proprietary, confidential, or sensitive personal information of our business, employees, learners, partners, or others. Information concerning us or our customers, whether accurate or not, may be posted on social media platforms at any time and may have an adverse impact on our brand, reputation, or business. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
Risks Related to Other Legal, Regulatory and Taxation Matters
Government regulation of the internet and eCommerce is evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by us to comply with these regulations could substantially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the internet and eCommerce. Existing and future regulations and laws could impede the growth of the internet, eCommerce, or mobile commerce, which could in turn adversely affect our growth. These regulations and laws may involve taxes, tariffs, privacy and data security, anti-spam, content protection, electronic contracts and communications, customer protection, and internet neutrality. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, sales, and other taxes and customer privacy apply to the internet as the vast majority of these laws were adopted prior to the advent of the internet and do not contemplate or address the unique issues raised by the internet or eCommerce. It is possible that general business regulations and laws, or those specifically governing the internet or eCommerce, may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. We cannot be sure that our practices comply fully with all such laws and regulations. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with any of these laws or regulations could result in damage to our reputation, a loss in business and proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities, customers, suppliers, or others. Any such proceeding or action could hurt our reputation, force us to spend significant amounts in defense of these proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business,
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decrease the use of our website and mobile app by customers and suppliers and may result in the imposition of monetary liabilities. We may also be contractually liable to indemnify and hold harmless third parties from the costs or consequences of our own non-compliance with any such laws or regulations. As a result, adverse developments with respect to these laws and regulations could substantially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may face exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Certain of our foreign revenue is denominated in currencies of the countries and territories where we sell our products outside of the United States. Similarly, certain of our foreign operating expenses are denominated in the currencies of the countries and territories in which our third-party vendors are located. For example, to acquire the supply of raw materials or commodities such as wool that we expect to require for our business, we may enter into long-term contracts with pricing denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, changes in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar can affect our net revenue and results of operations. As a result of such foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, it could be more difficult to detect underlying trends in our business and results of operations. In addition, to the extent that fluctuations in currency exchange rates cause our results of operations to differ from our expectations or the expectations of our investors, the trading price of our Class A common stock could be lowered. We do not currently maintain a program to hedge transactional exposures in foreign currencies. However, in the future, we may use derivative instruments, such as foreign currency forward and option contracts, to hedge certain exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The use of such hedging activities may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place and may introduce additional risks if we are unable to structure effective hedges with such instruments.
Existing and potential tariffs imposed by the United States or other governments or a global trade war could increase the cost of our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations; new trade restrictions could prevent us from importing or selling our products profitably.
The United States and the countries in which our products are produced or sold have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs, or other restrictions or regulations, or may adversely adjust prevailing quota, duty, or tariff levels. The results of any audits or related disputes regarding these restrictions or regulations (including, for example, regarding the proper import classification code, or HTS code, for a given product) could have an adverse effect on our financial statements for the period or periods for which the applicable final determinations are made. Countries impose, modify, and remove tariffs and other trade restrictions in response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future developments regarding tariffs and other trade restrictions. For example, the U.S. government has in recent years imposed increased tariffs on imports from certain foreign countries, such as China, and any imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries, leading to a global trade war. Any such future tariffs by the United States or other countries could have a significant impact on our business. While we may attempt to renegotiate prices with suppliers or diversify our supply chain in response to tariffs or shift production between manufacturers in different countries, such efforts may not yield immediate results or may be ineffective or not possible in the near-term. For example, starting in 2020, we began shifting production capacity from China to Vietnam, which means that the U.S. government’s tariffs on certain imports from China currently only affect a small portion of our existing production volume. But we may be required to shift production capacity back to China (or other countries for which the U.S. government has imposed higher tariffs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic or lack of manufacturing expertise in relatively lower-tariff countries. We might also consider increasing prices to the end customer; however, this could reduce the competitiveness of our products and adversely affect net revenue.
Trade restrictions, including tariffs, quotas, embargoes, safeguards, and customs restrictions, could increase the cost or reduce the supply of products available to us, could increase shipping times, or may require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business practices, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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We are also dependent on international trade agreements and regulations. The countries in which we produce and sell our products could impose or increase tariffs, duties, or other similar charges that could negatively affect our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.
Adverse changes in, or withdrawal from, trade agreements or political relationships between the United States and China, South Korea, Vietnam, or other countries where we sell or source our products, could negatively impact our results of operations or cash flows.
General geopolitical instability and the responses to it, such as the possibility of sanctions, trade restrictions, and changes in tariffs, including recent sanctions against China, tariffs imposed by the United States and China, and the possibility of additional tariffs or other trade restrictions between the United States and other countries where we currently or might in the future manufacture or sell our products, could adversely impact our business. It is possible that further tariffs may be introduced, or increased. Such changes could adversely impact our business and could increase the costs of sourcing our products that are manufactured in countries other than the United States, or could require us to source more of our products from other countries.
If we fail to anticipate and manage any of these dynamics successfully, gross margin and profitability could be adversely affected.
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets, and our business.
Following a national referendum and enactment of legislation by the government of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union and ratified a trade and cooperation agreement governing its future relationship with the European Union. The agreement, which is being applied provisionally from January 1, 2021 until it is ratified by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, addresses trade, economic arrangements, law enforcement, judicial cooperation and a governance framework including procedures for dispute resolution, among other things. Because the agreement merely sets forth a framework in many respects and will require complex additional bilateral negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union as both parties continue to work on the rules for implementation, significant political and economic uncertainty remains about how the precise terms of the relationship between the parties will differ from the terms before withdrawal.
These developments, or the perception that any related developments could occur, have had and may continue to have an adverse effect on global economic conditions and financial markets, and may significantly reduce global market liquidity, restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets, or restrict our access to capital. Any of these factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations and reduce the price of our Class A common stock.
Any failure to comply with trade, anti-corruption, and other regulations could lead to investigations or actions by government regulators and negative publicity.
The labeling, distribution, importation, marketing, and sale of our products are subject to extensive regulation by various federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, as well as by various other federal, state, provincial, local, and international regulatory authorities in the countries in which our products are currently distributed or sold. If we fail to comply with any of these regulations, we could become subject to enforcement actions or the imposition of significant penalties or claims, which could harm our results of operations or our ability to conduct our business. Legal proceedings or any investigations or inquiries by governmental agencies related to these or any other matters, could result in significant settlement amounts, damages, fines, or other penalties, divert financial and management resources and result in significant legal fees. An unfavorable outcome of any particular proceeding could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing regulations may result in significant compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales and could impair the marketing of our products, resulting in significant loss of net revenue.
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Most of our products are derived from third-party supply and manufacturing partners in foreign countries and territories, including countries and territories perceived to carry an increased risk of corrupt business practices. We also have subsidiaries and/or employees and other agents working in several foreign countries and territories, including, but not limited to, the People’s Republic of China, South Korea, and Hong Kong. We are subject to the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, and possibly other anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which we conduct activities. These laws prohibit companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from corruptly promising, authorizing, offering or providing, directly or indirectly, improper payments or anything of value to foreign government officials, political parties and private-sector recipients for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, directing business to any person or securing any advantage. In addition, U.S. public companies are required to maintain records that accurately and fairly represent their transactions and have an adequate system of internal accounting controls. In many foreign countries, including countries in which we may conduct business, it may be a local custom that businesses engage in practices that are prohibited by the FCPA or other applicable laws and regulations. We face significant risks if we or any of our directors, officers, employees, agents or other partners or representatives fail to comply with these laws, and governmental authorities in the United States and elsewhere could seek to impose substantial civil and/or criminal fines and penalties, which could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition. and results of operations.
If our employees, contractors, and agents, and companies to which we outsource certain of our business operations were to take actions in violation of our policies or applicable law, there could be an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Any violation of the FCPA, other applicable anti-corruption laws or anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, loss of export privileges, severe criminal or civil sanctions, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, responding to any enforcement action may result in a significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees.
Our ability to source and distribute our merchandise profitably or at all could be harmed if new trade restrictions are imposed or existing trade restrictions become more burdensome.
Substantially all of our footwear and apparel products are currently manufactured outside of the United States. The United States and the countries in which our products are produced or sold internationally have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs, or other restrictions or regulations, or may adversely adjust prevailing quota, duty or tariff levels. Countries impose, modify, and remove tariffs and other trade restrictions in response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future developments regarding tariffs and other trade restrictions. Trade restrictions, including tariffs, quotas, export controls, trade sanctions, embargoes, safeguards and customs restrictions, could increase the cost or reduce the supply of products available to us or may require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business practices, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Changes in tax laws may impact our future financial position and results of operation.
New income, sales, use, or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be enacted at any time, or interpreted, changed, modified, or applied adversely to us, any of which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. In particular, presidential and congressional elections in the United States could result in significant changes in, and uncertainty with respect to, tax legislation, regulation and government policy directly affecting our business or indirectly affecting us because of impacts on our customers, suppliers, and manufacturers. For example, the U.S. government may enact significant changes to the taxation of business entities including, among others, a permanent increase in the corporate income tax rate and the imposition of minimum taxes or surtaxes on certain types of income. The likelihood of these changes being enacted or implemented is unclear. We are currently unable to predict whether such changes will occur and, if so, the ultimate impact on our business. To the extent that such changes have a negative impact on us, our suppliers, manufacturers or our customers, including
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as a result of related uncertainty, these changes may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our international operations may subject us to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
The amount of taxes we pay in different jurisdictions depends on the application of the tax laws of various jurisdictions, including the United States, to our international business activities, tax rates, new or revised tax laws or interpretations of tax laws and policies, and our ability to operate our business in a manner consistent with our corporate structure and intercompany arrangements. The taxing authorities of the jurisdictions in which we operate may challenge our methodologies for pricing intercompany transactions pursuant to our intercompany arrangements or disagree with our determinations as to the income and expenses attributable to specific jurisdictions. If such a challenge or disagreement were to occur, and our position was not sustained, we could be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties, which could result in one-time tax charges, higher effective tax rates, reduced cash flows, and lower overall profitability of our operations. Our financial statements could fail to reflect adequate reserves to cover such a contingency. Similarly, a taxing authority could assert that we are subject to tax in a jurisdiction where we believe we have not established a taxable connection, often referred to as a “permanent establishment” under international tax treaties, and such an assertion, if successful, could increase our expected tax liability in one or more jurisdictions.
We could be required to collect additional sales taxes that may increase the costs our customers would have to pay for our products and adversely affect our results of operations.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2018 in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., a state may impose sales tax collection obligations on certain retailers, including eCommerce companies, that lack any physical presence within such state. The Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision has removed a significant impediment to the enactment of laws imposing sales tax collection obligations on out-of-state eCommerce companies, and an increasing number of states have adopted such laws. Although we believe that we currently collect sales taxes in all states that require us to do so, a successful assertion by one or more states requiring us to collect sales taxes where we currently do not collect sales taxes, or to collect additional sales taxes in a state in which we currently collect sales taxes, could result in substantial tax liabilities (including penalties and interest). In addition, the imposition of additional sales tax collection obligations, whether for prior years or prospectively, could create additional administrative burdens for us, put us at a competitive disadvantage if similar obligations are not imposed on our competitors and decrease our future sales, which could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards may be limited.
We have incurred substantial net operating losses during our history. Subject to the limitations described below, unused net operating losses generally may carry forward to offset future taxable income if we achieve profitability in the future, unless such net operating losses expire under applicable tax laws. Under legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the TCJA, as modified in 2020 by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, unused U.S. federal net operating losses generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, will not expire and may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating loss carryforwards in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, is limited to 80% of taxable income. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the TCJA or the CARES Act. Our ability to utilize our federal net operating carryforwards may be limited under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. The limitations apply if we experience an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in the ownership of our equity by certain stockholders or groups of stockholders over a rolling three-year period. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit the use of our state net operating loss carryforwards. We have not yet completed a Section 382 analysis, and therefore, there can be no assurances that any previously experienced ownership changes have not materially limited our utilization of affected net operating loss carryforwards. Future changes in our stock ownership, including as a result of this offering, which may be outside of our control, may trigger an ownership change that materially impacts our ability to utilize pre-change net operating loss carryforwards. In addition, there may be periods during which the use of net operating loss carryforwards is suspended or otherwise limited. For example, in 2020, California generally suspended the use of California net operating loss carryforwards to offset
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taxable income in tax years beginning after 2019 and before 2023. Accordingly, our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards to offset taxable income may be subject to such limitations or special rules that apply at the state level, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Status as a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation
Our status as a public benefit corporation may not result in the benefits that we anticipate.
We are a PBC under Delaware law. As a PBC, we are required to produce a public benefit and to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner, while balancing our stockholders’ pecuniary interests, the best interests of those materially affected by our conduct, and the specific public benefit of environmental conservation that is identified by our certificate of incorporation. While we believe our PBC status is meaningful to customers, brand, employees and other business partners and that our public benefit of environmental conservation is of vital importance to our planet, there is no assurance that we will achieve our public benefit purpose or that the expected positive impact from being a PBC will be realized. Accordingly, being a PBC and complying with our related obligations could negatively impact our ability to provide the highest possible return to our stockholders.
As a PBC, we are required to provide our stockholders with a report at least biennially assessing our overall public benefit performance and our success in achieving our specific public benefit purpose. To the extent we are unable to provide this report in a timely manner, or if the report is not viewed favorably by our stockholders, parties doing business with us, regulators, or others because we are unable to report sufficient progress toward our public benefit or otherwise, our reputation and status as a PBC may be harmed, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If our publicly reported certified B Corp score declines, or if we lose our certified B Corp status, our reputation could be harmed and our business could suffer.
While not required by Delaware law or the terms of our certificate of incorporation, we have elected to have our social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency assessed against the criteria established by an independent non-profit organization, B Lab, Inc., or B Lab. As a result of this assessment, we have been designated as a certified B Corp, which refers to a company that has been certified as meeting certain levels of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The standards set for B Corp certification may change over time. Our continued certification is at the sole discretion of B Lab. We believe that our B Corp status strengthens our credibility and trust among our customers, employees and business partners as well as within our industry. Investors who are focused on ESG- and sustainability-related initiatives may also place importance on our status as a B Corp, as an independent assessment of our social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Any decline in our publicly reported B Corp score or change in our status, whether due to our choice or failure to meet the B Corp certification requirements, could create a perception that we are more focused on financial performance and no longer as committed to the values and standards shared by B Corps. This could harm our reputation and brand among customers, employees or business partners, which could harm our business and results of operations, and cause the stock price of our Class A common stock to decline.
Our directors have a fiduciary duty to consider not only our stockholders’ interests, but also our specific public benefit and the interests of other stakeholders affected by our conduct. If a conflict between such interests arises, there is no guarantee such a conflict would be resolved in favor of our stockholders.
While directors of traditional corporations are required to make decisions they believe to be in the best interests of their stockholders, directors of a PBC have a fiduciary duty to balance the stockholders’ pecuniary interests, the best interests of other stakeholders materially affected by the PBC’s conduct and the company’s specific public benefit. Under Delaware law, directors are shielded from liability for breach of these fiduciary obligations if they make informed and disinterested decisions that serve a rational purpose. Thus, our directors are not merely permitted, but obligated, to consider our specific public benefit and the interests of other stakeholders. In the event of a conflict between the financial interests of our stockholders and the interests of our specific public benefit or our other stakeholders, our directors are obligated to make informed and disinterested decisions that serve a rational purpose; thus, there is no guarantee that such a conflict would be resolved in favor of our stockholders’ financial interests. Accordingly, Delaware law and our PBC status could result in our board of directors making decisions
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which are less financially lucrative for our stockholders in the short- and/or long-term if the public benefit and other stakeholder considerations are significant; this could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
As a public benefit corporation, our focus on a specific public benefit purpose and producing a positive effect for society may negatively influence our financial performance.
As a PBC, our board of directors has a duty to balance (1) the pecuniary interest of our stockholders, (2) the best interests of those materially affected by our conduct and (3) the specific public benefit of environmental conservation identified in our certificate of incorporation. While we believe our public benefit designation and obligations will benefit our stockholders, in balancing these interests our board of directors may authorize and we may take actions that we believe will benefit environmental conservation or some or all of our stakeholders, even if those actions do not maximize our short- or medium-term financial results. While we believe that this designation and obligation will benefit the company given the importance to our long-term success of our commitment to environmental conservation, it could cause our board of directors to make decisions and take actions not in keeping with the short-term or more narrow interests of our stockholders. Any longer-term benefits that are intended by or expected from such decisions or actions may not materialize within the timeframe we expect or at all and such decisions or actions may have an immediate negative effect. For example, we may choose to revise our policies in ways that we believe will further promote environmental conservation and sustainability, even though such changes may be costly; we may take actions, such as building or contracting with suppliers and service providers who have state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facilities with technology and quality control mechanisms that exceed the applicable legal requirements and industry standards, even though these actions may be more costly than other alternatives; we may be influenced to pursue programs and opportunities to demonstrate our commitments to our planet, the environment and the communities in which we live and work; or in responding to a possible proposal to acquire the company, our board of directors may be influenced by the interests of our stakeholders, including our flock, our suppliers, vendors, and manufacturers, and our customers, any or all of whose interests may be different from the interests of our stockholders.
We may be unable or slow to realize the benefits we expect from actions taken to promote environmental conservation, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
As a public benefit corporation, we may be subject to increased derivative litigation concerning our duty to balance stockholder and public benefit interests, the occurrence of which may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
As a PBC, our stockholders (if they, individually or collectively, own at least 2% of our outstanding capital stock or shares having at least $2 million in market value (whichever is less)) are entitled to file a derivative lawsuit claiming that our directors failed to balance stockholder and public benefit interests. Such derivative actions would be subject to the provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requiring that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such lawsuits be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, the federal district court of the State of Delaware. Although traditional corporations are subject to other types of derivative actions brought by stockholders, this type of claim does not exist for traditional corporations. Therefore, we may be subject to the possibility of increased derivative litigation, which would require the attention of management and, as a result, may adversely impact management’s ability to effectively execute our strategy. Any such derivative litigation could be costly and have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
There has been no prior public market for our Class A common stock. An active market may not develop or be sustainable, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.
There has been no public market for our Class A common stock prior to this offering. The initial public offering price for our Class A common stock was determined through negotiations between us and the underwriters, and may vary from the market price of our Class A common stock following the completion of this offering. An active or
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liquid market in our Class A common stock may not develop upon completion of this offering or, if it does develop, it may not be sustainable. In the absence of an active trading market for our Class A common stock, you may not be able to resell any shares you hold at or above the initial public offering price or at all. We cannot predict the prices at which our Class A common stock will trade.
Further, one or more funds affiliated with Franklin Templeton and one or more funds affiliated with TDM Growth Partners have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $70.0 million of our Class A common stock offered in this offering at the initial public offering price. Because these indications of interest are not a binding agreement or commitment to purchase, these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer, or no shares in this offering, or the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer, or no shares to such funds. If funds affiliated with Franklin Templeton or funds affiliated with TDM Growth Partners are allocated all or a portion of the shares in which they have indicated an interest in this offering, and they purchase any such shares, such purchases could reduce the available public float for shares of our Class A common stock if these funds hold shares long term as existing holders of our Class B common stock.
In addition, we currently anticipate that up to 6% of the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby will, at our request, be offered to retail investors through Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Robinhood Financial, LLC, or Robinhood, Futu Inc., or Futu, and Click IPO Securities, LLC, or ClickIPO, via their online brokerage platforms. Robinhood, Futu, and ClickIPO will be selling group members. There may be risks associated with the use of such platforms that we cannot foresee, including risks related to the technology and operation of such platforms, and the publicity and the use of social media by users of such platforms that we cannot control.
The market price of our Class A common stock may decline regardless of our operating performance, resulting in substantial losses for investors purchasing shares in this offering.
The market price of our Class A common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
•actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and results of operations;
•the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections, or our failure to meet these projections;
•failure of securities analysts to initiate or maintain coverage of our company, changes in financial estimates or ratings by any securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
•announcements by us or our competitors of significant technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, results of operations, or capital commitments;
•changes in stock market valuations and operating performance of other footwear and apparel companies generally, or those in our industry in particular;
•the sustainability targets we may provide to the public, any changes in these targets, or our failure to meet them;
•price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;
•changes in our board of directors or management;
•sales of large blocks of our Class A common stock, including sales by our co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers or our other executive officers and directors or by their affiliates;
•lawsuits threatened or filed against us;
•anticipated or actual changes in laws, regulations, or government policies applicable to our business;
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•changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of debt or equity securities;
•short sales, hedging, and other derivative transactions involving our capital stock;
•general economic conditions in the United States and globally;
•other events or factors, including those resulting from war, pandemics (including COVID-19), incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events; and
•the other factors described in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
The stock market has recently experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. The market prices of securities of companies have experienced fluctuations that often have been unrelated or disproportionate to their results of operations. Market fluctuations could result in extreme volatility in the price of shares of our Class A common stock, which could cause a decline in the value of your investment. Price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of shares of our Class A common stock is low. Furthermore, in the past, stockholders have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. Any similar litigation against us could result in substantial costs, divert management’s attention and resources, and harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The dual class structure of our common stock may adversely affect the trading market for our Class A common stock.
We cannot predict whether our dual class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A common stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with dual class or multi-class share structures in certain of their indexes. In July 2017, S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell announced changes to their eligibility criteria for the inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the Russell 2000, the S&P 500, the S&P MidCap 400, and the S&P SmallCap 600, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares of common stock from being added to these indices. As a result, our dual class capital structure would make us ineligible for inclusion in any of these indices, and mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices will not be investing in our stock. Beginning in 2017, MSCI, a leading stock index provider, opened public consultations on their treatment of no-vote and multi-class structures and temporarily barred new multi-class listings from certain of its indices; however, in October 2018, MSCI announced its decision to include equity securities “with unequal voting structures” in its indices and to launch a new index that specifically includes voting rights in its eligibility criteria. These policies are still fairly new, and it remains unclear what effect, if any, they will have on the valuations of publicly traded companies excluded from the indices in the longer term, but it is possible that they may depress these valuations compared to those of other similar companies that are included. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that other stock indices will not take a similar approach to S&P Dow Jones or FTSE Russell in the future. Exclusion from indices could make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors and, as a result, the market price of our Class A common stock could be adversely affected.
Sales, directly or indirectly, of a substantial amount of our Class A common stock in the public markets by our existing security holders may cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Class A common stock into the public market, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers, and principal stockholders, or the perception that these sales might occur, could cause the market price of our Class A common stock to decline. Many of our existing security holders have substantial unrecognized gains on the value of the equity they hold and may take steps to sell their shares or otherwise secure or limit their risk exposure to the value of their unrecognized gains on those shares. We are unable to predict the timing or effect of such sales on the market price of our Class A common stock.
All of the shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, except that any shares held
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by our affiliates, as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, would only be able to be sold in compliance with Rule 144 and any applicable lock-up agreements described below.
We, all of our directors, executive officers, the selling stockholders, and the holders of substantially all of our outstanding securities are subject to lock-up agreements or agreements with market stand-off provisions pursuant to which they have agreed, or will agree, with the underwriters or us to restrictions on our and their ability to sell or transfer shares of our capital stock for a period of up to 180 days following the date of this prospectus, provided that:
•beginning at the commencement of trading of our Class A common stock on the first trading day on which our common stock is listed on Nasdaq and through the seventh consecutive trading day thereafter, any of our current employees (but excluding current executive officers and directors) may sell in the public market up to 25% of the shares of our common stock, including any vested securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock, held by such individual as of September 8, 2021, which we refer to as the first release period;
•following the third trading day after the second window condition (as defined below) is met, (a) any of our stockholders may sell up to 25% of the shares of our common stock, including any vested securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock, held by such individual as of October 18, 2021, plus (b) any of our current employees may sell any remaining shares of our common stock that were eligible to be sold in the first release period that remain unsold; provided that the last reported closing price of our Class A common stock on Nasdaq is at least 33% greater than the initial public offering price per share set forth on the cover page of this prospectus for 10 trading days out of any 15-consecutive full trading day period, or the second window condition, ending on or after the closing of the first full trading day immediately following our public announcement of earnings for the quarter ending September 30, 2021, which we refer to as the second release period; and
•following the earlier of (a) the opening of trading on the second trading day after we publicly announce earnings for the quarter ending December 31, 2021, and (b) 180 calendar days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the lock-up period will terminate with respect to all holders of our common stock and securities exercisable for or convertible into our common stock.
If not otherwise early released, when the applicable market standoff and lock-up periods expire, we and our security holders subject to a lock-up agreement or market standoff agreement will be able to sell our shares freely in the public market, except that any shares held by our affiliates, as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, would only be able to be sold in compliance with Rule 144. Sales of a substantial number of such shares upon expiration of the lock-up and market standoff agreements, or the perception that such sales may occur, or early release of these agreements, could cause our market price to fall or make it more difficult for you to sell your Class A common stock at a time and price that you deem appropriate.
In addition, as of June 30, 2021, we had stock options outstanding that, if fully exercised, would result in the issuance of 17,957,111 shares of Class B common stock. All of the shares of Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options, and the 17,593,394 shares of Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan and 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, will be registered for public resale under the Securities Act. Accordingly, these shares will be able to be freely sold in the public market upon issuance subject to existing lock-up or market standoff agreements and applicable vesting requirements.
Further, based on shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021, holders of up to 119,211,789 shares of our Class B common stock will have rights after the completion of this offering, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements for the public resale of such shares or to include such shares in registration statements that we may file for us or other stockholders.
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The dual class structure of our common stock will have the effect of concentrating voting control with our co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers, Timothy Brown and Joseph Zwillinger, our other executive officers and directors, our principal stockholders, and their respective affiliates, which will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters, including the election of directors and the approval of any change of control transaction.
Our Class B common stock has 10 votes per share and our Class A common stock, which is the stock we are offering in this offering, has one vote per share. Immediately following the completion of this offering, our co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers, Mr. Brown and Mr. Zwillinger, our other executive officers and directors, our principal stockholders, and their respective affiliates will beneficially own approximately 83,265,864 of the 123,889,046 shares of our Class B common stock that are issued and outstanding. Immediately following the completion of this offering, these holders will represent approximately 64.8% of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no purchases of shares of Class A common stock in this offering by any of these holders. For more information, see the section titled “Principal and Selling Stockholders.”
These stockholders will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of our directors and the approval of any change of control transaction. This concentrated control will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring stockholder approval. In addition, this may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our capital stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders.
Future transfers by holders of Class B common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, subject to limited exceptions, such as certain transfers effected for estate planning purposes. The conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock will have the effect, over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those holders of Class B common stock who retain their shares in the long term. See the section titled “Description of Capital Stock—Class A and Class B Common Stock” for additional information.
Purchasers in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of their investment.
The initial public offering price of our Class A common stock of $15.00 per share is substantially higher than the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our outstanding Class A common stock immediately after this offering. Therefore, if you purchase our Class A common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of $12.24 in the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share from the price you paid assuming that stock price. In addition, following this offering, purchasers who bought shares from us in the offering will have contributed 53.9% of the total consideration paid to us by our stockholders to purchase 16,346,154 shares of Class A common stock to be sold by us in this offering, in exchange for acquiring approximately 11.3% of our total outstanding shares as of June 30, 2021, after giving effect to this offering but before accounting for the sales by the selling stockholders in this offering. If we issue any additional stock options or warrants, if any outstanding stock options are exercised, if we issued restricted stock units that are settled into shares of Class A common stock, or if we issue any other securities or convertible debt in the future, investors will experience further dilution.
We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds we receive in this offering and we may not use such proceeds in ways that prove to be effective.
We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds we receive in this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds,” and you will not have the opportunity as part of your investment decision to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use, and it is possible that a substantial portion of the net proceeds will be invested in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. If we do not use the net proceeds that
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we receive in this offering effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed, and the market price for our Class A common stock could decline.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We expect to retain future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends on our capital stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, you must rely on the sale of your Class A common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gain on your investment.
Additional stock issuances could result in significant dilution to our stockholders.
We may issue additional equity securities to raise capital, make acquisitions, or for a variety of other purposes. Additional issuances of our stock may be made pursuant to the exercise or conversion of new or existing convertible debt securities, warrants, stock options, or other equity incentive awards to new and existing service providers. Any such issuances will result in dilution to existing holders of our stock. We rely on equity-based compensation as an important tool in recruiting and retaining employees. The amount of dilution due to equity-based compensation of our employees and other additional issuances could be substantial.
Delaware law, our status as a public benefit corporation, and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and depress the market price of our Class A common stock.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us or tender offer that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Class A common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our Class A common stock.
As a PBC, we may be less attractive as a takeover target than a traditional company and, therefore, your ability to realize a return on your investment through an acquisition of Allbirds may be limited. PBCs may also not be attractive targets for activists or hedge fund investors because new directors would still have to consider and give appropriate weight to the public benefit along with stockholder value, and stockholders can enforce this through derivative suits. Furthermore, by requiring the boards of directors of PBCs to consider additional constituencies other than maximizing stockholder value, Delaware PBC law could potentially make it easier for such a board to reject a hostile bid, even where the takeover would provide the greatest short-term financial yield to investors.
In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management. Because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our stockholders to replace current members of our management team. Among others, these provisions include those that:
•provide for a dual class common stock structure in which holders of our Class B common stock may have the ability to control the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets, even if they own significantly less than a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock;
•restrict the forum for certain litigation against us to Delaware or the federal courts, as applicable;
•provide that our board of directors has the exclusive right to expand the size of our board of directors and to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of our board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on our board of directors;
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•divide our board of directors into three classes, Class I, Class II, and Class III, with each class serving staggered three-year terms, which may delay the ability of stockholders to change the membership of a majority of our board of directors;
•provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the chair of our board of directors, a chief executive officer, or our board of directors, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors;
•prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates;
•provide that our board of directors may alter our amended and restated bylaws without obtaining stockholder approval;
•require the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares of capital stock entitled to vote at an election of directors to adopt, amend, or repeal our amended and restated bylaws or repeal the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation regarding the election and removal of directors;
•require the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares of capital stock entitled to vote at an election of directors to amend or repeal any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation relating to our status as a PBC;
•require the approval of holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares of capital stock entitled to vote at an election of directors to merge or consolidate with or into another entity if, as a result of such merger or consolidation, the capital stock of Allbirds would become, or be converted into or exchanged for the right to receive, shares or other equity interests in a domestic or foreign corporation that is not a public benefit corporation or similar entity and the certificate of incorporation (or similar governing document) of which does not contain a public benefit provision identical to ours;
•require that stockholders must provide advance notice and additional disclosures in order to nominate individuals for election to our board of directors or to propose matters that can be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company; and
•authorize our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock and to determine the terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer.
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, which generally prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters and the U.S. federal district courts will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees, or stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we otherwise consent in writing, (A) (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, other employee or stockholder of Allbirds to us or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and
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restated certificate of incorporation, or our amended and restated bylaws (as either may be amended or restated) or as to which the DGCL confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the law of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, the federal district court of the State of Delaware; and (B) the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision shall not apply to claims seeking to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or Exchange Act. The choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
General Risk Factors
The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.
Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts included in this prospectus, including those we have generated ourselves, are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. The variables that go into the calculation of our market opportunity are subject to change over time, and there is no guarantee that any particular number or percentage of individuals covered by our market opportunity estimates will purchase our products at all or generate any particular level of revenue for us. Even if the market in which we compete meets the size estimates and growth forecasts in this prospectus, our business could fail to grow for a variety of reasons outside of our control, including competition in our industry. If any of these risks materialize, it could harm our business and prospects. For more information regarding the estimates of market opportunity and the forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus, see the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data.”
The requirements of being a public company may increase our costs, strain our resources, divert management’s attention, and affect our ability to attract and retain executive management and qualified board members.
As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems, and resources. Furthermore, several members of our management team do not have prior experience in running a public company. For example, the Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations. As a result of the complexity involved in complying with the rules and regulations applicable to public companies, our management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Although we have already hired additional employees to assist us in complying with these requirements, we may need to hire more employees in the future or engage outside consultants, which will increase our operating expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations, and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs, and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new
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guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest substantial resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from business operations to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations, and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us, and our business may be harmed. We also expect that being a public company that is subject to these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly members who can serve on our audit and compensation and leadership management committees, and qualified executive officers.
As a result of the disclosure obligations required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which may result in an increased risk of threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, would divert the resources of our management and harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
As a result of being a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.
We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting commencing with our second annual report on Form 10-K. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our first annual report required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, following the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” Our compliance with Section 404 will require that we incur substantial expenses and expend significant management efforts. We will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge and compile the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404.
During the evaluation and testing process of our internal controls, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to certify that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from reporting requirements that are applicable to
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other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Pursuant to Section 107 of the JOBS Act, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. As a result, our consolidated financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of issuers who are required to comply with the effective dates for new or revised accounting standards that are applicable to public companies, which may make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors. In addition, if we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will no longer be able to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering; (2) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue is $1.07 billion or more; (3) the date on which we have, during the previous rolling three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (4) the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates.
We cannot predict if investors will find our Class A common stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. For example, if we do not adopt a new or revised accounting standard, our future results of operations may not be comparable to the results of operations of certain other companies in our industry that adopted such standards. If some investors find our Class A common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research, about our business, the price of our Class A common stock and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business, our market and our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts. If few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if industry analysts cease coverage of us, the trading price for our Class A common stock would be negatively affected. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our Class A common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our Class A common stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our Class A common stock could decrease, which might cause our Class A common stock price and trading volume to decline.
We may incur losses from fraud or theft.
We have occasionally in the past incurred and may in the future incur losses from various types of fraud, including stolen credit card numbers, claims that a customer did not authorize a purchase, and merchant fraud. As a general matter, we are liable for fraudulent credit card transactions. Although we have measures in place to detect and reduce the occurrence of fraudulent activity on our digital platform, those measures may not always be effective. In addition to the direct costs of such losses, if the fraud is related to credit card transactions and becomes excessive, it could potentially result in us paying higher fees or affecting our ability to accept credit cards for payment. Our failure to adequately prevent fraudulent transactions could damage our reputation, result in litigation or regulatory action, and lead to expenses that could substantially impact our results of operations.
Additionally, we have occasionally in the past been, and may in the future be, subject to fraudulent purchases by individuals purchasing our products in bulk with the intention of unlawfully reselling such products at a premium. While we have taken steps to detect and prevent such practices, our failure to identify those activities may adversely affect our brand and reputation.
We have occasionally in the past incurred and may in the future incur losses from theft or “leakage” of our products in our stores or in our distribution centers. While we have taken steps to detect and prevent such issues, those steps may not always be effective. In addition to the direct costs of such losses, such theft or “leakage” of our
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products could result in lost revenue and unlawful reselling of our products, which could adversely affect our brand and reputation.
If our estimates or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, as provided in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates.” The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, and equity, and the amount of revenue and expenses. Significant estimates and judgments involve: revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, and the fair value of our common stock. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our results of operations to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our Class A common stock.
We may be subject to periodic claims and litigation that could result in unexpected expenses and could ultimately be resolved against us.
From time to time, we may be involved in litigation and other proceedings, including matters related to product liability claims, stockholder class action and derivative claims, commercial disputes, and copyright infringement, challenging trademarks, and other intellectual property claims, as well as trade, regulatory, employment, and other claims related to our business or our sustainability and ESG practices, statements, and goals. Any of these proceedings could result in significant settlement amounts, damages, fines, or other penalties, divert financial and management resources, and result in significant legal fees. An unfavorable outcome of any particular proceeding could exceed the limits of our insurance policies or the carriers may decline to fund such final settlements and/or judgments and could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, any proceeding could negatively impact our reputation among our customer and our brand image.
Extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, and other catastrophic events, including those caused by climate change, could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.
Extreme weather conditions and volatile changes in weather conditions in the areas in which our offices, retail stores, suppliers, customers, distribution centers, and vendors are located could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, monsoons or wildfires, public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics (including, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic), political crises, such as terrorist attacks, war and other political instability, or other catastrophic events, whether occurring in the United States or abroad, and their related consequences and effects, including energy shortages, could disrupt our operations, the operations of our vendors and other suppliers or result in economic instability that could negatively impact customer spending, any or all of which would negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition. For example, our principal offices are located in Northern California, an area which has a history of earthquakes and wildfires, and are thus vulnerable to damage or disruption. In particular, these types of events could impact our global supply chain, including the ability of vendors to provide raw materials where and when needed, the ability of third parties to manufacture and ship merchandise, and our ability to ship products to customers from or to the impacted region(s).
We may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might be unavailable or might be available only by diluting existing stockholders.
We intend to continue making investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to support this growth. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our rate of revenue growth, the timing and extent of international expansion efforts and other growth initiatives, the expansion of our marketing activities and overall economic conditions. To the extent that current and anticipated future sources of
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liquidity are insufficient to fund our future business activities and requirements, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our Class A common stock. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities. In addition, we may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited, and our business and prospects could fail or be adversely affected.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations, financial condition, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations, such as statements regarding the benefits and timing of the roll-out of new technology, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the following:
•our expectations regarding our net revenue, expenses, gross margin, adjusted EBITDA, payback period, and other results of operations, including our preliminary estimates for the quarter ended September 30, 2021;
•our ability to acquire new customers and successfully retain existing customers;
•our ability to gauge and adapt to fashion trends and changing consumer preferences in products, sustainability, price-points, and in-store and digital shopping experiences;
•anticipated spending patterns of existing and new customer cohorts;
•our ability to achieve or sustain profitability;
•future investments in our business, our anticipated capital expenditures, and our estimates regarding our capital requirements;
•our ability to effectively develop and launch new, innovative, and updated products;
•our ability to effectively manage our inventory and supply chain, including with respect to environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, matters;
•our ability to effectively increase the number of and management our retail locations;
•the costs and success of our sales and marketing efforts, and our ability to promote our brand;
•our reliance on key personnel and our ability to identify, recruit, and retain skilled personnel;
•our ability to achieve the sustainability targets and goals that we have announced;
•our commitments to meeting certain threshold ESG criteria and reporting ESG practices in connection with the Sustainability Principles and Objectives Framework;
•our expectations regarding ESG initiatives;
•our ability to effectively manage our growth, including any international expansion;
•our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and any costs associated therewith;
•our dependence on key suppliers and manufacturers;
•the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health crises;
•our focus on a specific public benefit purpose and potential resulting negative effects on our financial performance;
•our ability to compete effectively with existing competitors and new market entrants; and
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•our total addressable market and the growth rates of the markets in which we compete.
You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks and uncertainties, including the factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus. The results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this prospectus. While we believe that such information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this prospectus to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in or expressed by, and you should not place undue reliance on, our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments.
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MARKET, INDUSTRY, AND OTHER DATA
This prospectus contains statistical data, estimates, forecasts, and other information concerning our business, carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, and our industry, including market position and the size and growth rates of the markets in which we participate, that are based on industry publications and reports. While we believe this information contained in this prospectus is reliable and is based on reasonable assumptions, this information involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and reports. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors.” Among other items, certain of the market research included in this prospectus was published prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and did not anticipate the pandemic or the impact it has had on our industry. We have utilized this pre-pandemic market research in the absence of updated sources. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and reports.
The sources of certain statistical data, estimates, and forecasts contained in this prospectus are the following independent industry publications or reports:
•5W Public Relations, 5WPR 2020 Consumer Culture Report: Insight into the complexities of the modern consumer’s motivations, influences and purchasing habits, published 2020;
•American Apparel and Footwear Association, ApparelStats & ShoeStats 2019, published 2019;
•Appnovation Technologies, Inc., The Digital Consumer: Shifting Expectations and Digital Readiness, published February 2021;
•Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, Inc., 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: In Brands We Trust?, published June 2019;
•Deloitte, Global Millennial Survey 2020, published June 2020;
•Klarna, May 2021 survey;
•McKinsey & Company and Global Fashion Agenda, Fashion on Climate: How the Fashion Industry Can Urgently Act to Reduce Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions, published August 2020;
•McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2021, published December 1, 2020;
•Quantis, Measuring Fashion: Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Footwear Industries Study, published 2018;
•Statista Inc., Apparel, footwear and accessories sales as percentages of total retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2017 to 2024;
•Statista Inc., Apparel revenue United States from 2012 to 2025;
•Statista Inc., Apparel volume worldwide from 2012 to 2025;
•Statista Inc., Fashion eCommerce report 2020, published November 2020;
•Statista Inc., Footwear market size worldwide from 2020 to 2027;
•Statista Inc., Footwear Report 2020, published July 2020;
•Statista Inc., Footwear revenue United States from 2012 to 2025;
•Statista Inc., Global Apparel Market - Statistics & Facts, published January 22, 2021; and
•Statista Inc., Quantity of footwear produced worldwide from 2015 to 2019.
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All references to McKinsey & Company or McKinsey throughout this prospectus refer to the publicly available sources listed above.
This prospectus includes statements about our carbon footprint, CO2e emissions, and carbon neutrality, which we have based on the following methodologies:
•Product carbon footprint: To calculate product carbon footprints, we use a Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, methodology to measure the emissions created across the lifetime of our products, including raw materials production, manufacturing, transportation, product use, and end of life. Our LCA methodology has been built in partnership with external experts, and has been third-party verified to meet ISO 14067 standards, the international standard for quantifying, monitoring, reporting, and validating greenhouse gas emissions. When comparing our products to a “standard sneaker,” it is important to ensure consistent methodology and assumptions, so we developed a set of assumptions for a “standard sneaker” based on a third-party academic LCA of a running shoe.
•Enterprise carbon footprint (greenhouse gas inventory): We measure and report scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions on an absolute basis in accordance with the World Resources Institute’s, or WRI’s, GHG Protocol. Our inventory covers categories 1-7 and 9 of Scope 3 emissions, representing all material Scope 3 emissions, and has been independently verified.
•CO2e (GHG) emissions: Our product carbon footprint methodology calculates the kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e, emitted to make an Allbirds product. That means that in addition to calculating carbon dioxide emissions, other greenhouse gases are accounted for and converted to an equivalent amount of CO2, assuming the global warming potential values provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
•Carbon neutrality: In 2019, Allbirds became a carbon neutral company, meaning that we measure our scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, we make efforts to reduce our emissions, and we purchase credible offsets against 100% of our emissions. We follow standards set by Climate Neutral, a non-profit organization working to decrease global carbon emissions that we are a founding member of.
This prospectus includes references to our Net Promoter Score, which we use to measure our customers’ brand loyalty and satisfaction, and can range from -100 to +100 based on the question: “How likely are you to recommend Allbirds to a friend?” Responses were collected from 0 (Not Likely) to 10 (Very Likely). Our Net Promoter Score is based on approximately 15,000 to 20,000 customer responses each quarter, which are collected in response to an email that is automatically generated 14 days after a purchase of our products and randomly distributed across our markets. Our Net Promoter Score was calculated by using the standard methodology of subtracting the percentage of customers who responded that they are not likely to recommend Allbirds (a score of 6 or lower) from the percentage of customers who responded that they are very likely to recommend Allbirds (a score of 9 or 10) and averaged across all geographic markets. The Net Promoter Score gives no weight to customers who declined to answer the survey question. This method is substantially consistent with how businesses across our industry and other industries typically calculate their Net Promoter Score.
This prospectus includes references to our aided brand awareness, which we measure as the percentage of respondents who express knowledge of Allbirds when asked the open-ended question: “What footwear/apparel brands are you aware of?” and then being prompted with our brand name in response to the question: “Are you aware of any of the following brands?”. We track aided brand awareness through surveys using third-party services and partner panels. These surveys typically consist of 25 questions and sample 1,800 complete responses from individuals in the United States each quarter. The identity of the respondents is confidential, but we collect information about certain respondent demographics on a voluntary basis through non-mandatory survey questions, which confirm that the respondents are representative of the U.S. demographic mix (census balanced). Surveys are sent out every week to about 150 individuals in order to eliminate bias due to timing of the study. We collect the data on a continuous basis and analyze survey results once the quarterly quota of complete responses is reached.
This prospectus includes references to our Customer Satisfaction, or CSAT, rating, which we use to measure the satisfaction of people’s interactions with our customer experience, or CX, team. The CSAT rating is based on
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responses to a survey that is automatically generated 24 hours after a customer or potential customer contacts our CX team through phone, e-mail, chat, or text message. To answer the question “How satisfied are you with the service you received from (Allbirds’ CX employee name) today?”, respondents can select from one to five stars. The CSAT rating is calculated as the percentage of four and five star responses out of the total number of responses. The CSAT rating gives no weight to those who decline to answer the survey questions. Our CSAT rating in 2020 was based on a total of approximately 40,000 responses following interactions of customers and potential customers in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia with our CX team (including seasonal CX team members).We make references throughout this prospectus to the performance of our Boston Back Bay store, for which we conducted a case study. These results may not necessarily be indicative of the performance of our other stores, or stores we may open in the future.
This prospectus includes references to a Corporate ESG Assessment performed by Sustainalytics, a Morningstar company, or Sustainalytics. Allbirds has been provided with an indicative Corporate ESG Assessment, or the Assessment, by Sustainalytics, a globally recognized provider of ESG research, ratings, and data, that provides research based on its independent methodology, and publicly available information from issuers. The Assessment is published on Sustainalytics’ website, however such research is not part of any offering, nor shall it be considered as an offer to buy a security, investment advice, or an assurance letter, and no information provided by Sustainalytics under the Assessment shall be considered as being a statement, representation, warranty, or argument either in favor or against the truthfulness, reliability, or completeness of any facts or statements that Allbirds has made available to Sustainalytics for the purpose of the Assessment, in light of the circumstances under which such facts or statements have been presented. Furthermore, the Assessment provided hereunder shall not constitute nor represent an “expert opinion” or “negative assurance letter” as these terms are defined by any applicable legislation. The Assessment, in particular the images, text, and graphics contained therein, and the layout and company logo of Sustainalytics and/or Morningstar are protected under copyright and trademark law. Any use thereof shall require express prior written consent. Use shall be deemed to refer in particular to the copying or duplication of the Assessment wholly or in part, the distribution of the Assessment, either free of charge or against payment, or the exploitation of the Assessment in any other conceivable manner. The Assessment has not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. While Sustainalytics exercised due care in compiling the Assessment, it makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and assumes no liability with respect to the consequences of relying on this information for investment or other purposes. In particular, the research and scores provided are not intended to constitute an offer, solicitation, or advice to buy or sell securities nor are they intended to solicit votes or proxies.
Certain monetary amounts, percentages, and other figures included elsewhere in this prospectus have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown as totals in certain tables or charts may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them, and figures expressed as percentages in the text may not total 100% or, as applicable, when aggregated may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the percentages that precede them.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $223.9 million (or $231.0 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full), based on the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering.
The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our capitalization and financial flexibility and create a public market for our Class A common stock. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds we receive from this offering. However, we currently intend to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for general corporate purposes, including working capital, operating expenses and capital expenditures. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products, services, or technologies. However, we do not have agreements or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time.
As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty the specific allocations or all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon completion of this offering. The expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our present plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as or plans and business conditions evolve. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application and specific allocations of the net proceeds of this offering. We intend to invest the net proceeds we receive from this offering that are not used as described above in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments or other securities.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, to fund the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Additionally, our credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. contains covenants that restrict our ability to pay dividends, and we may enter into agreements in the future that contain restrictions on the payment of cash dividends. Any future determination regarding the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our financial condition, results of operations, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of June 30, 2021:
•on an actual basis;
•on a pro forma basis, reflecting (1) the reclassification of all outstanding shares of our common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock that was effected on September 21, 2021, (2) the automatic conversion of 70,990,919 shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021 into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (3) the reclassification of our convertible preferred stock warrant liability to additional paid-in capital and the automatic exchange of the convertible preferred stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021 for 1,104,560 shares of our Class B common stock in connection with this offering, (4) the issuance of an aggregate of 461,018 shares of our Class B common stock in September and October 2021 upon the cash exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.17 per share, (5) the issuance of 284,630 shares of our Class B common stock in October 2021 upon the cashless exercise of a common stock warrant outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and (6) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering; and
•on a pro forma as adjusted basis, reflecting (1) the pro forma items described immediately above, (2) our receipt of $223.9 million in net proceeds from our issuance and sale of 16,346,154 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and (3) the conversion of 3,846,153 shares of our Class B common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class A common stock in connection with the sale of such shares by the selling stockholders in this offering. For more information, see the section titled “Principal and Selling Stockholders.” We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering.
The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted information below is illustrative only, and our capitalization following the completion of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read the information set forth below together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto.
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| As of June 30, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Actual | Pro Forma | Pro Forma as Adjusted | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 94,862 | $ | 94,942 | $ | 318,810 | |||||||||||
| Preferred stock warrant liability | 11,243 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Convertible preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share; 75,812,755 shares authorized, 70,990,919 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued, or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted | 204,049 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Stockholders’ (deficit) equity: | |||||||||||||||||
| Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share; 154,379,258 shares authorized, 54,894,072 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted | 5 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, actual; 2,000,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; 2,000,000,000 shares authorized, 20,192,307 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted | — | — | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, actual; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 127,735,199 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 123,889,046 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted | — | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, actual; 20,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 70,588 | 285,953 | 509,819 | ||||||||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income | 1,626 | 1,626 | 1,626 | ||||||||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (113,144) | (113,144) | (113,144) | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity: | (40,925) | 174,447 | 398,315 | ||||||||||||||
| Total capitalization | $ | 174,367 | $ | 174,447 | $ | 398,315 | |||||||||||
The outstanding share information in the table above is based on no shares of our Class A common stock and 127,735,199 shares of our Class B common stock (including our convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis and warrants being exercised or exchanged in connection with this offering on an as-exercised or as-exchanged basis, as applicable) outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and excludes:
•17,957,111 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, or 2015 Plan, outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $3.46 per share;
•830,227 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Plan granted after June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $11.10 per share;
•14,661,162 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases, including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder, and any shares underlying stock awards outstanding under the 2015 Plan that expire or are repurchased, forfeited, canceled or withheld;
•2,932,232 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases,
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including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder; and
•188,264 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.27 per share.
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DILUTION
If you invest in our Class A common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering.
As of June 30, 2021, we had a pro forma net tangible book value of $173.7 million, or $1.36 per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021, after giving effect to (1) the reclassification of all outstanding shares of our common stock into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock that was effected on September 21, 2021, (2) the automatic conversion of 70,990,919 shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021 into an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (3) the reclassification of our convertible preferred stock warrant liability to additional paid-in capital and the automatic exchange of the convertible preferred stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021 for 1,104,560 shares of our Class B common stock in connection with this offering, (4) the issuance of an aggregate of 461,018 shares of our Class B common stock in September and October 2021 upon the cash exercise of common stock warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.17 per share, and (5) the issuance of 284,630 shares of our Class B common stock in October 2021 upon the cashless exercise of a common stock warrant outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and (6) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering.
After giving further effect to our issuance and sale of 16,346,154 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2021 would have been approximately $397.6 million, or approximately $2.76 per share of common stock. This amount represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of $1.40 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of approximately $12.24 per share to new investors purchasing shares of Class A common stock in this offering.
Dilution per share to new investors is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the initial public offering price per share paid by new investors. The following table illustrates this dilution:
| Initial public offering price per share | $ | 15.00 | |||||||||
| Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2021 | $ | 1.36 | |||||||||
| Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering | 1.40 | ||||||||||
| Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering | 2.76 | ||||||||||
| Dilution per share to new investors in this offering | $ | 12.24 | |||||||||
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock in full, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $2.80, and the dilution to investors participating in this offering would be approximately $12.20 per share.
The following table summarizes, on the pro forma as adjusted basis described above, as of June 30, 2021, the differences between the number of shares of Class A and Class B common stock purchased from us by our existing stockholders and Class A common stock purchased from us by new investors purchasing shares in this offering, the total consideration paid to us in cash and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders for shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock issued prior to this offering and the price to be paid by new investors for shares of Class A common stock in this offering. The calculation below is based on the initial public
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offering price of $15.00 per share, before deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
| Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price Per Share | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Existing stockholders | 127,735,199 | 88.7 | % | $ | 209,642,245 | 46.1 | % | $ | 1.64 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| New investors | 16,346,154 | 11.3 | 245,192,310 | 53.9 | 15.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 144,081,353 | 100.0 | % | $ | 454,834,555 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sales by the selling stockholders in this offering will cause the number of shares held by existing stockholders to be reduced to 123,889,046 shares, or 86.0% of the total number of shares of our Class A and Class B common stock outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering, and will increase the number of shares held by new investors to 20,192,307 shares, or 14.0% of the total number of shares of our Class A and Class B common stock outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering.
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares from us and the selling stockholders in full, our existing stockholders would own 83.9%, and new investors purchasing shares of our Class A common stock in this offering would own 16.1%, of the total number of shares of our Class A and Class B common stock outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering.
The outstanding share information in the table above is based on no shares of our Class A common stock and 127,735,199 shares of our Class B common stock (including our convertible preferred stock, on an as-converted basis and warrants being exercised or exchanged in connection with this offering on an as-exercised or as-exchanged basis, as applicable) outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and excludes:
•17,957,111 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, or 2015 Plan, outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $3.46 per share;
•830,227 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our Class B common stock issued under our 2015 Plan granted after June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $11.10 per share;
•14,661,162 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases, including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder, and any shares underlying stock awards outstanding under the 2015 Plan that expire or are repurchased, forfeited, canceled or withheld;
•2,932,232 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as any future increases, including annual automatic evergreen increases, in the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance thereunder; and
•188,264 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.27 per share.
To the extent any outstanding options are exercised, or new stock options are issued, under our equity incentive plans, or we issue additional equity or convertible debt securities in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis together with the section titled “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements.”
Overview
Allbirds is a global lifestyle brand that innovates with naturally derived materials to make better footwear and apparel products in a better way, while treading lighter on our planet.
We began our journey in 2015 with three fundamental beliefs about the emerging generation of consumers: first, these consumers recognize that climate change is an existential threat to the human race; second, these consumers connect their purchase decisions with their impact on the planet, demanding more from businesses; and third, these consumers do not want to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good.
When our founders established Allbirds, they set out to create a purpose-native company built upon a system that leverages nature in a responsible way—every aspect of our company is woven together with this mission, fueling a thriving financial business. While many businesses see tension between profit and purpose, we see opportunity. We became a public benefit corporation, or PBC, under Delaware law and earned our B Corporation, or B Corp, certification in 2016, codifying how we take into account the impact our actions have on all of our stakeholders, including the environment, our flock of employees, communities, consumers, and investors. The more sustainable we are, the better we believe our products and business will be. We are proud of the alignment of financial and environmental benefits from our work, and that we are able to serve as a driving force in a new age of sustainable enterprise.
We harness nature to find incredible innovations that create differentiated products so that our customers do not have to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good for the planet. Our strength in development of naturally derived materials serves as a competitive advantage, as we create premium products that are sustainable and that we believe are better than synthetic alternatives across comfort, style, and performance. Our most iconic product, the Wool Runner, which TIME Magazine named the “World’s Most Comfortable Shoe,” features a distinctly simple design showcasing our sustainably-sourced merino wool combined with our innovative SweetFoam sole, made with the world’s first carbon-negative green ethylene-vinyl acetate. We continue to innovate our materials with natural sources such as tree fiber, sugarcane, crab shells, and more. Over time, we believe we have become a recognized innovation leader and a partner of choice for launching sustainable innovations, which we believe creates a virtuous cycle of further innovation. The product philosophy that drives our business remains the same: sustainability at the core to fuel performance, comfort, and beautiful design. By focusing on sustainable materials, we have unlocked a broad set of opportunities that the rest of the industry has largely ignored, while creating products our customers love to wear as they tread lighter. We believe our products are not just better, but also better for the planet, with an average pair of Allbirds shoes carrying a carbon footprint that is approximately 30% less than our estimated carbon footprint for a standard pair of sneakers, due to our use of renewable, natural materials and responsible manufacturing.
We couple this differentiated performance and impact of our shoes with a unique design language that has become synonymous with our brand. Beginning with the Wool Runners and woven across all of our products, we strip away unnecessary details, sparing our customer from becoming a walking billboard, leaving a touch of Allbirds verve to signify the association with our brand. This design approach “with the right amount of nothing” allows us to make stylish, comfortable, and high-performance products that our customers love.
We have achieved our rapid growth through a digitally-led vertical retail distribution strategy. We market directly to consumers via our localized multilingual digital platform and our physical footprint of 27 stores as of
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June 30, 2021. Through our robust distribution infrastructure, we are able to reach 35 countries, increasing customer touchpoints and driving brand awareness, all while maintaining a carbon-neutral supply chain since 2019. Our direct distribution model allows us to control our sales channels and build deep relationships with our customers by delivering high-quality products through a seamless and immersive brand experience, whether shopping on our website, on our app, or in one of our Allbirds stores. In 2020, our digital channel represented 89% of our sales, while stores accounted for the other 11% of our sales. Our stores serve as an effective and profitable source of new customer acquisition, increase awareness of our brand, and drive traffic to our digital platform.
By serving consumers directly, we cut out the layers of costs associated with traditional wholesalers, creating a more efficient cost structure and higher gross margin, which we believe allows us to deliver better products and a better experience to customers at a price point competitors would have difficulty matching. We believe our differentiated vertical retail model enables a margin structure that allows us to provide high-quality material and product while pricing lower compared to a traditional wholesale model. We are able to gain deep visibility into what our customers want, from design and development through to purchase. We then close the loop by reinvesting back into product quality and materials science.
Designing and creating innovative, sustainable materials is a challenging process for both our internal R&D teams as well as our supply chain partners. We have invested time and resources to train our manufacturers to use our natural materials, which we believe makes it difficult to replicate our novel manufacturing processes at our product quality.
We believe the following four aspects together have created durable competitive moats and resonate deeply with consumers: (1) an authentic, purpose-driven brand that resonates with our stakeholders; (2) innovative and differentiated products propelled by our status as a partner of choice for launching sustainable innovations; (3) a vertical distribution model that enables higher quality at a lower price compared to a traditional wholesale model; and (4) difficult-to-replicate manufacturing know-how. Our target consumers are a vast and rapidly growing segment of the population, which strives to live a more balanced, sustainable lifestyle through an understanding of the impact of their buying habits. Our purpose and mission, coupled with innovation and a vertically integrated business model, allow us to meet the call of our consumers across the globe.
Today, we are a high-growth company with a loyal and expanding customer base that has earned our brand the permission to expand beyond our casual footwear origins and enter adjacent categories such as performance running shoes and apparel. Our strong brand equity is fueled by our differentiated products created by sustainability-driven innovation. This sets us apart from other lifestyle brands—the unique affinity consumers have for our brand is validated by our high Net Promoter Score, which has consistently been 83 or higher since the first quarter of 2019 and was 86 for the first half of 2021. Approximately 53% of our net sales in 2020 came from repeat customers, which we define as customers who have made a prior purchase with us in any period. Furthermore, of our U.S. customers acquired between 2016 and 2019, the average lifetime spend of the top 25% in each cohort is $446, demonstrating how our most loyal customers have made Allbirds a part of their lifestyle. See the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data” for additional information regarding Net Promoter Score.
How We Got Here Today
From day one, our vision has been to become a global lifestyle brand that makes better things in a better way, providing our customers exactly what they want, where they want it, and when they want it, all while treading lighter on the planet. We have proven our thesis that a purpose-driven idea can be scaled into a global business by creating superior products with sustainability as the underlying foundation for everything we do.
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Over time, our business has transformed significantly while staying true to our original purpose. We have built our business around the idea that consumers buy great products, but are also looking for brands that support positive
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change, place comfort and versatility at the forefront of their design, and create a seamless customer experience. We have methodically built the foundation for our business to ensure that our customers do not have to compromise between looking good, feeling good, and doing good for the planet.
Product Innovation Platform
Product innovation is built into our DNA and enables us to create new and beautiful materials from nature and leverage them across a broad range of products and categories—all without compromising comfort, sustainability, and style.
•Our expertise and supplier relationships have allowed us to work with new and innovative materials to complement our simple, versatile product designs.
•Since beginning our journey in 2015, we have built a palette of distinctive “Hero” materials that provide the foundation for our platform of products. We started with merino wool in 2015 before moving into other materials including tree, sugarcane, and crab shells. Over several years, we have carefully constructed a foundation in footwear that has proven our ability to develop high-quality, sustainable products with technical expertise.
Purpose-Driven Brand with an Inspirational Voice
Since establishing our structure as a PBC and earning our B Corp certification status in 2016, we have demonstrated to all of our stakeholders that sustainability is at the core of everything we do. Our global lifestyle brand, with nature as our inspiration, helps consumers to live life in a better balance without compromising on product quality or comfort.
•We have consistently demonstrated our commitment to people and the planet—inspiring with actions, not just words.
◦Our Earth Day campaigns, including our 2019 partnership with the National Audubon Society to release a limited-edition shoe supporting endangered birds, our 2019 announcement of the Allbirds Carbon Fund to go 100% carbon neutral, our carbon footprint labeling initiative that began in 2020, and our release of the Carbon Footprint Calculator in 2021, demonstrate our commitment to supporting sustainability and inspiring others to do the same.
◦Our Healthcare Donation campaign in March 2020, in which we donated $1.3 million dollars of our products to COVID-19 frontline workers, demonstrates our commitment to the communities we live in.
◦Our recent partnership with adidas in May 2021 to create the world’s lowest carbon footprint running shoe at 2.94kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions demonstrates our willingness to push unconventional solutions that prioritize collaboration and put sustainability front and center.
•We also maintain an end-of-life program for products returned to us that cannot be resold by donating them to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes footwear and clothing in developing countries. Since our first sale in 2016, we have donated more than 225,000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls.
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Deep Connections with Our Repeat Customers Around the Globe
We believe consumer demand for purpose-driven brands is massive, and we have built a brand that engages our most loyal customers to spend more with us and spread the message of what our brand represents, both in the United States and abroad.
•Our product innovation engine and unwavering commitment to sustainability have enabled us to build authentic connections with our repeat customers.
◦We have sold our products to over four million customers since our founding. As of June 30, 2021, and we had more than two million people on our email list and nearly one million followers on social media.
◦We have continued to grow our sales from repeat customers, with the percentage of total net sales from repeat customers increasing from 41% in 2018 to 53% in 2020.
◦The average spend by a repeat customer in a given cohort is over 25% more in their second year as compared to what was spent in the first year, and the average spend by a repeat customer continues to increase each subsequent year.
•To build our global brand, we opened stores internationally and hired on-the-ground teams in Asia, Europe, and Oceania to learn more about new markets and localize our interactions.
◦24% of our net revenue in 2020 came from outside the United States.
◦As of June 30, 2021, we had 168 employees outside of the United States.
Vertical Retail Distribution Strategy
Our digitally-led vertical retail distribution strategy combines our digital offerings with our stores so we can meet consumers where they are, delivering value and convenience, with our stores serving as brand beacons.
•Our company was born online—from the outset we developed a direct, convenient digital platform for our customers.
•We opened our first store in the United States in 2017 and have since been expanding our store fleet to reach more consumers. In 2018, we opened our first international store in London. As of June 30, 2021, we had 15 stores in the United States and 12 stores outside of the United States.
◦As of June 30, 2021, we had the ability to reach 35 countries across our multilingual digital platform and 27 retail stores.
Robust Infrastructure Creating a Platform for Scale
Our vision from day one has been to be a global lifestyle brand that makes and delivers better products in a better way. Through careful investments and strategic partnerships, we have built a robust infrastructure with key investments in place across several functional areas that will enable our company to profitably scale.
•With 27 retail stores and nine distribution centers, we have created a global foundation on which we can continue to build.
◦Our supply chain is designed to allow our inventory to go from purchase order to ex-factory in as little as 45 days and our distribution network enables us to reach our consumer footprint in a matter of days.
•Our technology infrastructure combines tried-and-true enterprise systems and custom technology stacks with an in-house data ecosystem designed to allow us to scale our systems and capture data effectively.
◦Our nine localized websites support seven languages.
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◦We are continuing to find new ways to innovate with technology, including our native iOS app launch in late 2020, investments in radio-frequency identification, and personalized email campaigns targeting our over two million customer email list.
Recent Financial Performance
•We grew net revenue at a 32% compound annual growth rate from $126.0 million in 2018 to $219.3 million in 2020:
◦We achieved 13% year-over-year net revenue growth in 2020, recording a year-over-year revenue growth rate of 21% in our digital channel, which was partially offset by a 25% decline in our physical retail channel largely driven by the impact of store closures due to COVID-19; and
◦We achieved 54% year-over-year net revenue growth in 2019, recording a year-over-year revenue growth rate of 42% in our digital channel and 157% year-over-year revenue growth in our physical retail channel as we grew from three to 14 retail locations.
◦We have more than tripled our net revenue from $60.5 million in 2017 (our first full year of selling products to customers) to $193.7 million in 2019.
•We increased gross margin by 454 basis points from 46.9% in 2018 to 51.4% in 2020 due to favorable product and business mix, executing on accretive product innovation, achieving economies of scale with manufacturers and key service providers, and increasing the efficiency of our global supply chain.
•We reported net losses of $14.5 million and $25.9 million and adjusted EBITDA of $(1.3) million and $(15.4) million in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA is a measure that is not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. See the section titled “—Non-GAAP Financial Measure” below for the definition of adjusted EBITDA, as well as a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
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Key Factors Affecting Our Performance
Our financial and operating conditions have been, and will continue to be, affected by a number of factors, including the following:
Ability to Increase Brand Awareness and Drive Efficient Customer Acquisition
The ability to communicate our mission of making better things in a better way is integral to our success in engaging new customers and introducing them to our products and brand. Allbirds is still relatively unknown, with aided brand awareness of 10.9% in the United States in the first quarter of 2021, underscoring a large opportunity to scale our customer base and drive future growth. Our continued focus on elevating our product offerings combined with our differentiated brand approach and authenticity is critical to attracting new customers and increasing closet share. Further, we must continue to emphasize our commitment to people, the planet, and our investors in order to further increase our reach and highlight the integrity of our brand. See the section titled “Market, Industry, and Other Data” for additional information regarding aided brand awareness.
As we continue to scale and build our global brand awareness, our goal is to acquire new customers in a cost-effective way. We will continue to invest in customer acquisition while the underlying customer unit economics indicate the return on investment is strong. We assess our performance by comparing the contribution profit we generate from customers to customer acquisition cost, or CAC. Contribution profit is defined as gross profit, which is burdened by variable costs including shipping and fulfillment fees, less any merchant processing fees. We define CAC as total marketing expense for a given period divided by the new customers acquired during that period. We define new customers acquired based on new personal identifiers provided at the time of purchase. We have consistently achieved contribution profit in excess of CAC within the initial month of purchase for each annual cohort since inception.
As our average order value further expands from a strong level of $124 on a gross basis in 2020, we expect to continue to generate a contribution profit from our customers that exceeds the upfront acquisition cost within the initial month of purchase and continues to grow over time as our customers engage in repeat purchases.
The continued execution of our customer acquisition strategy is key to acquiring more customers and driving growth and profitability for our business. Our ability to acquire more customers depends significantly on a number of factors, including the level and pattern of consumer spending in the product categories in which we operate and our ability to expand our brand awareness.
Continued Growth Within Existing Customer Base and Increasing Closet Share
In addition to seeking to acquire new customers, we continuously seek ways to engage with our large and growing base of over four million existing customers. We aim to grow our closet share within our existing customer base, especially as we expand into new product categories and line extensions. We believe we must continue to innovate with new products in order to drive consumer engagement, increase closet share, and expand beyond the footwear category to move up the body with apparel. At the same time, it is critical that we maintain our long-trusted commitment to offering the most comfortable, high performance, and sustainable products. Our continued growth within our existing customer base will depend in part on our ability to continue to innovate with new products appealing to our existing customers.
Engaging and retaining our customers with new products, experiences, and innovations is key to our profitable growth strategy. Our digitally-native vertical distribution strategy allows us to perform meaningful analysis to aid in
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measuring our success in this area. We have continued to grow our sales from repeat customers, with the percentage of total net sales from repeat customers increasing from 41% in 2018 to 53% in 2020.
We intend to grow our customers’ repeat purchases going forward by continuing to innovate our product offerings, expand our assortment, and deliver a great shopping experience across digital and physical retail channels, and we have continued to engage with customers and grow their loyalty with us over time. Of our U.S. customers acquired between 2016 and 2019, approximately 43% of such customers returned for a second purchase by December 31, 2020. After a second purchase, 50% of those customers purchased again, and after a third purchase, 55% of those customers purchased again.
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Our repeat customers not only continue to repeat purchase with us, but the average spend by a repeat customer in a given cohort is over 25% more in their second year as compared to what was spent in the first year, and the average spend by a repeat customer continues to increase each subsequent year.
Furthermore, of these customers, the average lifetime spend of the top 25% in each cohort is $446, demonstrating how our most loyal customers have made Allbirds a part of their lifestyle. This is driven in part by the continued expansion of our product offerings, as evidenced by the fact that approximately 80% of orders from repeat customers in the six-month period ended June 30, 2021 included a different item than in their first order, and 26% of those orders were for multiple items. Based on how we have historically seen our cohorts perform, we believe our newer cohorts will continue to grow lifetime spend in line with our longer-dated cohorts.
Execution of Our Vertical Retail Distribution Strategy and Continued Growth of Our Store Fleet
Our long-term growth strategy relies on our ability to grow across various channels, including digitally and in our stores. We believe this seamless consumer buying experience is important to meeting the needs of our growing customer base while also growing revenue. Our digital sales in 2020 grew by 21% compared to 2019, while physical retail sales in 2020 fell by 25% compared to 2019 primarily due to the impact of store closures due to COVID-19. In 2020, our retail sales made up 11% of our total net revenue, down from 17% in 2019.
We believe that growing our store footprint in the United States and internationally will help grow brand awareness, allow us to be in closer proximity to new customers, and drive profitable growth. With strong pre-COVID-19 unit economics, our store operations have historically been highly profitable, capital-efficient, and provided strong investment returns. All U.S. stores that were operating in 2019 generated approximately $4.3 million average unit volume, or AUV, in their first 12 months of operation, including the stores that had their first 12 months of sales affected by COVID-19 after March 2020. In 2020, our retail operations were disrupted by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect our stores to rebound to pre-COVID levels over time following the broader reopening of the economy. Based on this pre-COVID performance, we believe our new stores will be highly profitable, have attractive payback periods, serve as good capital investments, and be positioned well to take advantage of physical retail’s recovery from the pandemic. We also expect net revenue and gross margin to benefit from increased sales through our physical retail channel, which benefits from a lower return rate and decreased shipping costs. We have also seen a corresponding increase in digital traffic and digital sales as a result of store builds in new markets. Furthermore, as we grow our store footprint, we believe we will be able to expand our valuable multi-channel customer base. Across all cohorts and through June 30, 2021, our multi-channel repeat customers, who represented 12% of our total repeat customers as of such date, on average spent approximately 1.5 times more than our single-channel repeat customers.
As an example of the benefits of our vertical retail distribution strategy, our Boston Back Bay store achieved standalone payback within eight months. Furthermore, in the three months after our Boston Back Bay store opened in March 2019, the Boston DMA region saw a 15% increase in website traffic, an 83% increase in new customers and, ultimately, a 77% increase in overall net sales, as compared to a comparable control market.
We believe our omni-channel growth strategy will continue to require investment in store build outs, field infrastructure and technology to ensure that our model reaches new customers, runs in a cost-efficient manner, and provides continued innovation in the customer buying experience.
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To summarize our strong customer economics that underpin our first three key factors affecting our performance that we believe will continue to grow our customer value over time:
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Growing Our Product Innovation Platform
Innovation has been core to the Allbirds brand since our inception in 2015. Our future innovation and product pipeline will depend, in part, on our ability to apply our expertise in materials science to source and commercialize materials that are sustainable, durable, and comfortable. Our success in leveraging these materials in our products is partially reliant on the ability of our manufacturing and supply chain partners to produce and distribute these materials at scale. It also takes months of testing before we commercialize new materials and products, which could cause delays in our existing growth plans. In addition, these initiatives may require ongoing investments which may lead to additional expenses that could delay our ability to achieve near-term profitability.
Ability to Scale Infrastructure for Profitable Growth
To grow our business, we intend to continue to improve our operational efficiency and thoughtfully optimize our infrastructure. Our ability to scale relies upon our supply chain infrastructure. Our investments in direct and meaningful relationships with all of our partners, from raw materials suppliers to Tier 1 manufacturers and logistics providers, allowed us to improve gross margin despite a difficult cost climate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to make similar investments in developing partnerships across the full supply chain. Most importantly, we are firmly committed to reducing our carbon footprint and our environmental impact. This commitment may require current and future investments, which may result in higher expenses.
Macroeconomic Trends
Consumers are increasingly becoming more conscious of the products they purchase and are seeking brands that are responsible and purpose-driven. Consumers’ increasing care in the products and brands they trust have contributed to significant demand for our products. Our status as a PBC and a B Corp highlight our commitment to sustainability and our purpose while providing an objective reference point for consumers. As a purpose-native company, we believe we are well-positioned at the intersection of key macro trends impacting our industry. However, changes in macro-level consumer spending trends, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could result in fluctuations in our results of operations.
Seasonality
Our business is affected by general seasonal trends common to the retail footwear and apparel industry, with sales peaking during the end-of-year holiday period that typically falls within our fourth quarter.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused general business disruption worldwide beginning in January 2020. We have remained agile in both strategy and execution throughout this period and our results to date have reflected these efforts, as evidenced below.
Outpaced Growth vs. Category
Despite the challenging backdrop for the footwear category, our 2020 sales increased from 2019. Based on global sales values and estimates reported by Statista, the total footwear category shrunk by approximately 17% from 2019 to 2020. We, on the other hand, were able to maintain 13% topline growth, driven, in part, by the successful launch of our performance running shoe, the Tree Dasher.
Store Closures and Limited Operating Hours
The COVID-19 pandemic created significant disruptions for our physical stores, the majority of which were closed between late March 2020 and July 2020. Across all of 2020, our stores were closed for approximately 20% of the total number of days we expected to operate, and our open stores had reduced operating hours and restricted guest occupancy levels. In addition, our decision to support our retail employees through the pandemic and store closures created significant strains on operating margins during the period. As a digitally-native brand, we were able to avoid massive disruptions to our business performance through the pandemic due to the strength of our digitally-led vertical retail strategy, but the performance of our retail stores in 2020 significantly lagged behind 2019
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performance. Despite re-opening delays, we are now back on track to resume our store rollout strategy in 2021. Store re-openings have improved our retail performance, but 2021 same-store sales as of June 30, 2021 remain below 2019 levels. The possible sustained spread or resurgence of the pandemic, and any government response thereto, increases the uncertainty regarding future economic conditions that will impact our business in the future.
Gross Margin
Despite headwinds in manufacturing, shipping, and logistics, we were able to expand our gross margin by approximately 40 basis points in 2020, driven by favorable product mix shift and an increase in product margins, highlighting our business’ resiliency and flexibility. We believe that as we continue to scale, our upfront investments in materials science and sustainable manufacturing processes will result in greater economies of scale which will ultimately improve our gross profitability.
Product Development
Despite volatile customer demand and sourcing and logistics headwinds, we were able to continue to drive product diversity and innovation through our performance line launch in 2020. All of our planned product launches in 2020 remained on track, and we also debuted our first performance running shoe, the Tree Dasher, in April 2020. With its success, we have demonstrated the strength of our key sustainable materials partners who were instrumental in helping us navigate the supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Our performance line also fits with growing consumer trends towards more comfortable, versatile products as more people continue to work at home following the pandemic.
Components of Results of Operations
Net Revenue
We generate net revenue primarily through sales of our products in our directly owned digital and physical retail channels. The digital channel includes direct sales to consumers through our websites and mobile app, and the physical retail channel includes sales through our owned stores. Substantially all of our sales are through directly owned channels. Net revenue consists of sales of our products and shipping revenue, net of allowances for returns, discounts, and any taxes collected from customers.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue consists primarily of the cost of purchased inventory, inbound and outbound shipping costs, import duties, and distribution center and related equipment costs. Shipping costs to receive products from our suppliers are included in the cost of inventory and recognized as cost of revenue upon sale of products to our customers.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit represents net revenue less cost of revenue. Gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of net revenue. Our gross margin may in the future fluctuate from period to period based on a number of factors, including business outcomes, the mix of products we sell, the channels through which we sell our products, the innovation initiatives we undertake in each product category, cost drivers, such as product promotions, commodity prices and transportation rates, and manufacturing costs, among other factors. Our expectation is that the combination of our strategy and growth initiatives will result in both topline expansion and operational leverage, leading to a strong gross margin profile.
Operating Expense
Selling, general, and administrative expense
Selling, general, and administrative expense consists of salaries, stock-based compensation, benefits, payroll taxes, bonuses, and other related costs, which we refer to as personnel and related expenses (including for store employees), as well as third-party consulting and contractor expenses, including non-employee stock-based
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compensation expense. Selling, general, and administrative expense also includes rent expense and associated utilities for office and retail locations, depreciation and amortization expense, software costs, third-party professional fees, and costs related to other office functions. We anticipate that we will incur additional costs for personnel and related expenses and third-party professional fees related to the preparation to become and operate as a public company and expect our selling, general, and administrative expense to increase in absolute dollars as we continue to grow our business.
Marketing expense
Marketing expense consists of advertising costs incurred to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, and build our brand awareness. We expect marketing expense to continue to increase in absolute dollars as we continue to expand our brand awareness, introduce new product innovations across multiple product categories, and implement new marketing strategies.
Interest Expense
Interest expense primarily consists of interest expense associated with our credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., or the Credit Agreement.
Other Expense
Other expense consists of gain or loss on foreign currency driven by our international operations and changes in the fair value of our preferred stock warrant liability. This relates to mark to market accounting for our preferred stock warrant liabilities, and will fluctuate as the value of the underlying preferred equity increases or decreases.
Income Tax (Provision) Benefit
Our provision for income taxes consists of U.S. federal and state income taxes and income taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct business. We record deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities. The deferred tax assets and liabilities are calculated by applying enacted tax rates and laws to taxable years in which such differences are expected to reverse. Because we are currently in a pre-tax book loss and expect to be in a taxable loss position in the near term, a valuation allowance was maintained against the deferred tax assets in the United States, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea in 2020.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of operations data for each of the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statements of Operations Data: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 193,673 | $ | 219,296 | $ | 92,779 | $ | 117,542 | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | 94,839 | 106,555 | 44,463 | 53,594 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 98,834 | 112,741 | 48,316 | 63,948 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Selling, general, and administrative expense(1)(2) | 63,485 | 86,694 | 41,132 | 52,532 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marketing expense | 44,362 | 55,271 | 19,520 | 26,013 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expense | 107,847 | 141,965 | 60,652 | 78,545 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (9,013) | (29,224) | (12,336) | (14,597) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | (96) | (297) | (216) | (87) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other (expense) income | (1,743) | (452) | 1,651 | (5,980) | |||||||||||||||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes | (10,852) | (29,973) | (10,901) | (20,664) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax (provision) benefit | (3,675) | 4,113 | 1,392 | (464) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,527) | $ | (25,860) | $ | (9,509) | $ | (21,128) | |||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive (loss) income: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation (loss) gain | (37) | 2,245 | 203 | (330) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total comprehensive loss | $ | (14,564) | $ | (23,615) | $ | (9,306) | $ | (21,458) | |||||||||||||||
________________
(1)Includes stock-based compensation expense of $4.2 million and $6.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $3.2 million and $3.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
(2)Includes depreciation and amortization expense of $3.4 million and $7.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $2.8 million and $4.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations as a percentage of net revenue for the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Statements of Operations Data, as a Percentage of Net Revenue: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | 49.0 | % | 48.6 | % | 47.9 | % | 45.6 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 51.0 | % | 51.4 | % | 52.1 | % | 54.4 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expense | 32.8 | % | 39.5 | % | 44.3 | % | 44.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Marketing expense | 22.9 | % | 25.2 | % | 21.0 | % | 22.1 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expense | 55.7 | % | 64.7 | % | 65.4 | % | 66.8 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (4.7) | % | (13.3) | % | (13.3) | % | (12.4) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 0.0 | % | (0.1) | % | (0.2) | % | (0.1) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Other (expense) income | (0.9) | % | (0.2) | % | 1.8 | % | (5.1) | % | |||||||||||||||
Loss before provision for income taxes | (5.6) | % | (13.7) | % | (11.7) | % | (17.6) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Income tax (provision) benefit | (1.9) | % | 1.9 | % | 1.5 | % | (0.4) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | (7.5) | % | (11.8) | % | (10.2) | % | (18.0) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Items of other comprehensive (loss) income: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation (loss) gain | (0.0) | % | 1.0 | % | 0.2 | % | (0.3) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Total comprehensive loss | (7.5) | % | (10.8) | % | (10.0) | % | (18.3) | % | |||||||||||||||
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020
Net Revenue
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 193,673 | $ | 219,296 | 13.2 | % | |||||||||||
Net revenue increased $25.6 million, or 13.2%, for 2020 compared to 2019. Our sales growth year-over-year was primarily driven by increases in average order value and number of orders from our digital channel. This was partially offset by a decrease in retail net revenue driven by temporary closures as a result of COVID-19, as well as reduced operating hours and restricted guest occupancy levels.
Cost of Revenue, Gross Profit, and Gross Margin
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | $ | 94,839 | $ | 106,555 | 12.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Gross profit | 98,834 | 112,741 | 14.1 | % | |||||||||||||
| Gross margin | 51.0 | % | 51.4 | % | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
Cost of revenue increased by $11.7 million, or 12.4%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in the total number of orders in 2020 compared to 2019. Our gross margin improved by approximately 40 basis points in 2020 compared to 2019, primarily due to favorable product mix and improved product margin. This was partially offset by headwinds in manufacturing, shipping, and logistics costs as a result of COVID-19.
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Operating Expenses
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expense | $ | 63,485 | $ | 86,694 | 36.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Marketing expense | 44,362 | 55,271 | 24.6 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total operating expense | $ | 107,847 | $ | 141,965 | 31.6 | % | |||||||||||
Selling, general, and administrative expense
Selling, general, and administrative expense increased $23.2 million, or 36.6%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase was primarily driven by increases in personnel and related expenses of $13.8 million, depreciation and amortization of $3.7 million, and rent expense of $2.5 million, as a result of an increased number of employees and an increased number of retail stores in operation.
Marketing expense
Marketing expense increased $10.9 million, or 24.6%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase was primarily driven by increased digital advertising expenses as a result of the more competitive, higher-media cost environment and the consumer migration to eCommerce due to physical retail restrictions.
Interest Expense
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | (96) | $ | (297) | 209.4 | % | |||||||||||
Interest expense increased $0.2 million, or 209.4%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase was primarily driven by increased interest expense related to our Credit Agreement, partially offset by an increase in interest income.
Other Expense
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Other expense | $ | (1,743) | $ | (452) | (74.1) | % | |||||||||||
Other expense decreased $1.3 million, or 74.1%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The decrease was primarily driven by decreased warrant liability expense of $2.1 million, partially offset by increased losses on foreign currency translation of $0.8 million.
Income Tax (Provision) Benefit
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Income tax (provision) benefit | $ | (3,675) | $ | 4,113 | 211.9 | % | |||||||||||
Income tax (provision) benefit increased by $7.8 million, or 211.9%, in 2020 compared to 2019, resulting in an income tax benefit, primarily due to a decrease in the current tax provision of $4.4 million and a decrease in the deferred tax provision of $3.4 million. In 2019, we established a valuation allowance in the United States and certain
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foreign jurisdictions. This resulted in a negative impact of 50.95% to the effective tax rate, or ETR, and an increase to tax expense of $5.5 million. In 2020, our ETR was impacted by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act. Specifically, we applied the net operating loss carryback provision, resulting in a positive impact of 6.22% to the ETR and a tax benefit of $1.8 million. The CARES Act is nonrecurring, and the valuation allowance could reverse in future periods depending on future positive earnings.
Comparison of the Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2021
Net Revenue
| Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 92,779 | $ | 117,542 | 26.7 | % | |||||||||||
Net revenue increased $24.8 million, or 26.7%, for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2020. Our sales growth was primarily driven by physical retail recovery after temporary closures due to COVID-19 and increases in number of orders and average order value.
Cost of Revenue, Gross Profit, and Gross Margin
| Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | % Change | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | $ | 44,463 | |||||||||||||||