Core Viewpoint - Tile Shop Holdings, Inc. (TTSH) reported a decline in net sales and profitability for the second quarter of 2025, reflecting challenges in store traffic and pricing pressures, while the stock underperformed compared to the S&P 500 Index [1][2][3]. Financial Performance - TTSH's net sales for Q2 2025 were $88.3 million, a decrease of 3.4% from $91.4 million in the same quarter last year [2]. - Gross profit fell 5.8% year-over-year to $56.8 million, with gross margin contracting 160 basis points to 64.4% due to higher discounting and increased product costs [2]. - Net income dropped to $0.4 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, down from $1.2 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, a year ago [3]. - Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 26.7% to $4.9 million, with a margin decline from 7.4% to 5.6% [3]. Operational Metrics - The operating income margin fell to 0.5% from 2% a year earlier, reflecting sales decline and margin compression [4]. - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $56.4 million, down 3.6% from $58.5 million the previous year, driven by cost savings from prior distribution center closures and reduced marketing spend [4]. - The store count decreased to 141 at the end of the quarter, down from 142 last year [3]. Capital Structure - TTSH maintained a conservative capital structure with no outstanding debt and a cash balance of $27.8 million, up from $20.9 million at the end of 2024 [5]. - Operating cash flow in the first half of 2025 totaled $13.5 million, compared to $23.5 million in the same period last year [5]. - The pretax return on capital employed over the trailing 12 months fell to 0.0% from 6.8% the previous year [5]. Management Insights - CEO Cabell Lolmaugh noted that product assortment refinements, particularly in entry-level and competitively priced products, helped improve unit volumes, although this was offset by increased sales of lower-priced products and heavier discounting [6]. - New product categories introduced include luxury vinyl tile, laminate, engineered wood flooring, and large-format tiles, aimed at capturing additional project scope per customer [6]. Market Challenges - Key challenges included persistently low housing turnover, which reduced customer traffic, and pricing pressure from discounting [7]. - Gross margins faced challenges from lower average selling prices and higher product costs, although a leaner cost structure helped mitigate some impacts [7]. Strategic Guidance - Management indicated a focus on continued expense control, limiting capital expenditures, and identifying operational efficiencies, without providing formal numerical guidance [8]. - TTSH emphasized its diversified sourcing from over 20 countries as a strategic advantage in navigating potential tariff volatility [8]. Recent Developments - The closure of the Spring Valley, WI, distribution center is expected to generate approximately $1 million in annualized SG&A savings [7]. - TTSH has implemented a broader cost-cutting strategy, including the closure of one retail store and significant corporate workforce reductions in response to ongoing demand pressures [9].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Second quarter sales for comparable stores decreased by 3.5% due to lower levels of store traffic [12] - Gross margin rate during the second quarter was 64.4%, representing a 160 basis point decrease compared to the previous year [13] - Operating cash flow generated during the second quarter was $13.5 million, with cash balance growing to $27.8 million at the end of the quarter [14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Unit volume sales showed a modest improvement, but were offset by increased discounting and sales of lower-priced products, impacting average ticket size [6][12] - The company expanded its product assortment, including LVT offerings and large format tiles, contributing to increased square footage volumes [7][8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The housing market remains challenging with historically low turnover levels, impacting the entire industry [6] - The company is not overly reliant on a single country for sourcing, with products sourced from over 20 countries, which helps mitigate tariff risks [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on reducing expenses, limiting capital spending, and identifying efficiencies while navigating the challenging housing market [11][14] - New product lines, such as the Signature line, have been launched to appeal to a broader customer base [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the adverse effects of the extended difficult housing market on profitability and has made tough decisions to curtail spending [10] - The company believes it is well-positioned to handle evolving tariff policies and is actively monitoring changes [9] Other Important Information - The company closed two distribution centers and one store, with plans for further evaluations to reduce expenses [10][11] - SG&A expenses decreased by $2.1 million compared to the previous year, primarily due to reductions in asset impairment and marketing costs [13] Q&A Session Summary - No specific questions or answers were documented in the provided content, indicating that the Q&A session may have been brief or not included in the records [15]