Financial Performance - Comparable store sales decreased by 7.9% and 8.4% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, due to lower traffic levels [76]. - Net sales for Q3 2024 decreased by 7.6million,or8.341, a decrease from 1,844inQ32023,reflectingasignificantdeclineinpretaxincome[86].−TotalrevenuesfortheninemonthsendedSeptember30,2024,were267.6 million, down from 292.7millioninthesameperiodof2023[91].−NetsalesfortheninemonthsendedSeptember30,2024,decreasedby25.1 million, or 8.6%, compared to the same period in 2023, with comparable store sales down 8.4% due to reduced store traffic [92]. Cost Management - Gross margin rate improved by 180 basis points to 66.5% in Q3 2024, primarily due to decreases in product costs [77]. - The company anticipates annualized benefits from recent cost-cutting measures to reduce SG&A expenses by 2.8millionto4.1 million [80]. - Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by 0.7million,or1.256.7 million in Q3 2023 to 56.0millioninQ32024[78].−Selling,general,andadministrativeexpensesdecreasedby1.2 million, or 0.7%, primarily due to a reduction in depreciation and variable compensation costs, despite increases in occupancy and IT expenses [94]. Taxation - The effective tax rate increased to 77.0% in Q3 2024 from 22.4% in Q3 2023, primarily due to a decrease in pretax income [90]. - The provision for income taxes decreased by 2.2millionduetolowertaxableincome,withtheeffectivetaxraterisingto27.928.5 million, funding 11.8millionincapitalexpenditures[81].−Netcashprovidedbyoperatingactivitieswas28.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, a decrease from 56.2millioninthesameperiodof2023[111].−Cashandcashequivalentsincreasedby16.4 million from 8.6milliononDecember31,2023,to25.1 million on September 30, 2024 [81]. - Cash and cash equivalents totaled 25.1millionatSeptember30,2024,upfrom8.6 million at December 31, 2023, with working capital increasing to 42.1million[114].−ThecompanyhadnoborrowingsoutstandingonitslineofcreditasofSeptember30,2024,with73.8 million available for borrowing [106]. - The company expects its cash flow from operations, along with existing cash and credit availability, to be sufficient for operations and capital expenditures over the next twelve months [107]. Capital Expenditures - Capital expenditures increased to 11.8millionfortheninemonthsendedSeptember30,2024,comparedto11.0 million in 2023, focusing on store remodels and IT assets [108]. Profitability Metrics - Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, was 19.2million,or7.232.2 million, or 11.0% of sales, in 2023 [101]. - Gross profit for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, decreased by $11.5 million, or 6.1%, while the gross margin rate improved to 66.1% from 64.4% in 2023, attributed to lower product costs and stabilizing international freight costs [93].