Corporate Overview     Management     News Releases     Public Filings     Code of Conduct and Ethics

News Releases

Please enter your email address to receive future news release notifications .

E-mail:

Brookstone Announces Fourth Quarter Earnings of $2.63 per Diluted Share and Fiscal 2001 Full Year Earnings

NASHUA, N.H., March 20, 2002 -- Brookstone, Inc. (Nasdaq:BKST) today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended February 2, 2002.

For the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2001, the Company reported a net income of $22.3 million, or $2.63 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $25.2 million or $2.98 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2000. Net sales for the thirteen-week fourth quarter decreased 6.2% to $169.8 million compared to $180.9 million for the fourteen-week fourth quarter of last year. Same store sales for the comparable thirteen-week period decreased 10.7% as compared to last year.

For the fiscal year, total company sales decreased 3.2% to $352.9 million for the fifty-two week period ended February 2, 2002 as compared to $364.5 million for the fifty-three week period last year. Same store sales for the comparable fifty-two week period decreased 8.6%. The Company reported a net income of $5.3 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $14.9 million, or $1.76 per diluted share for the comparable period last year.

Michael Anthony, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "While the past year was one of the most difficult retail years on record, we feel significant achievements and progress were realized by Brookstone. First and foremost, the business model proved to be very resilient as evidenced by our strong financial performance. These results were achieved without price discounting in what was one of the most promotional periods in recent history. This action not only raised product margins for the quarter and year as a whole, but also helped ensure the long-term value of the brand.

Michael Anthony continued, "During the year we introduced over 240 new products. These new products contributed to the improved sales at the end of the fourth quarter as well as enhanced the value of the brand as evidenced by market research that showed improved results in areas such as product quality, innovation, and intent to purchase. In addition, we launched a completely new and improved Internet site at www.Brookstone.com. Finally, we created a new retail store concept in Gardeners Eden, which opened its first two stores. The Gardeners Eden stores met our internal sales projections in the fourth quarter, and we believe that these exciting stores will be an excellent future growth vehicle."

Mr. Anthony added, " We ended the year in a very strong financial position. Inventories were virtually flat to last year on an increase of 27 new stores. We generated in excess of $20 million in EBITDA and ended the year with approximately $29 million in cash."

Michael Anthony further commented, "We remain optimistic for the current fiscal year. For the first quarter we anticipate a loss of $0.80 to $0.85 per share based on a low single digit same store sales decrease and the effect of opening 27 new stores last year, which in our business model generate losses in the first quarter. For the year as a whole, we expect same store sales to increase in the mid single digit range and to open an additional 15 new stores. This in combination with increased product margins should result in full year diluted earnings per share of $1.20 to $1.25."

Brookstone, Inc. is a nationwide specialty retailer that currently operates 248 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, the stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. The Company also operates a direct marketing business that consists of three catalogs, The Brookstone Collection, Hard-to-Find Tools and Gardeners Eden, as well as an e-commerce web site at http://www.Brookstone.com.

Statements in this release which are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's confidence or expectations, earnings, anticipated operations of its e-commerce sites and those of third-party service providers, and other statements about the Company's operational outlook, are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks of changing market conditions in the overall economy and the retail industry, consumer demand, the effectiveness of e-commerce technology and marketing efforts, availability of products, availability of adequate transportation of such products, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's annual and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Words such as "estimate," "project," "plan," "believe," "feel," "anticipate," "assume," "may," "will," "should," and similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company undertakes no obligations to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.


                           (tables follow)

                           Brookstone, Inc.
                   Consolidated Statement of Income
                           ($ in thousands)

                             (Unaudited)
                        Thirteen    Fourteen    Fifty-two  Fifty-three
                         Weeks       Weeks        Weeks       Weeks
                         Ended       Ended        Ended       Ended
                         Feb. 2,     Feb. 3,      Feb. 2,     Feb. 3,
                         2002        2001         2002        2001
                       ----------------------------------------------

 Net sales             $ 169,785   $ 180,948    $ 352,917   $ 364,541
 Cost of sales            90,656      96,044      224,643     224,968
                       ----------------------------------------------
  Gross profit            79,129      84,904      128,274     139,573

 Selling, general
  and administrative
  expenses                42,547      43,737      118,578     114,187
                       ----------------------------------------------
  Income from
   operations             36,582      41,167        9,696      25,386

 Interest expense,
  net                      (412)        (221)      (1,028)       (626)
 Minority interest
  expense                    (25)         --          (25)         --
 Income from Joint
  Venture                     13          --           13          --
                       ----------------------------------------------
  Income before taxes
   and cumulative
   effect of
   accounting change      36,158      40,946        8,656      24,760

  Income tax
   provision              13,885      15,724        3,324       9,508
                       ----------------------------------------------
  Income before
   cumulative effect
   of accounting
   change                 22,273      25,222        5,332      15,252

  Cumulative effect
   of accounting
   change,
   net of tax                 --          --           --        (308)

                       ----------------------------------------------
 Net income            $  22,273   $  25,222    $   5,332   $  14,944
                       ==============================================

 Basic income per
  share:
   Income before
    cumulative effect
    of accounting
    change             $    2.66   $    3.03    $    0.64   $    1.84

   Cumulative effect
    of accounting
    change, net of
    tax                      --           --           --       (0.04)
                       ----------------------------------------------
  Net income           $    2.66   $    3.03    $    0.64   $    1.80
                       ==============================================

 Diluted income per
  share:
   Income before
    cumulative effect
    of accounting
    change             $    2.63   $    2.98    $    0.63   $    1.80

   Cumulative effect
    of accounting
    change, net of
    tax                       --          --           --       (0.04)
                       ----------------------------------------------
   Net income          $    2.63   $    2.98    $    0.63   $    1.76
                       ==============================================



                           Brookstone, Inc.
                      Consolidated Balance Sheet
                           ($ in thousands)

                                          Feb. 2, 2002    Feb. 3, 2001
                                          ------------    ------------
 Current Assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents                 $ 28,928        $ 35,397
  Receivables, net                             8,170           7,477
  Merchandise inventories                     55,629          55,059
  Deferred income taxes, net                   3,447           3,633
  Other current assets                         4,933           4,030

                                          ----------------------------
   Total current assets                      101,107         105,596

  Deferred income taxes, net                   4,536           3,662
  Property and equipment, net                 45,058          41,956
  Intangible assets, net                       4,812           5,359
  Other assets                                 1,592           2,595

                                          ----------------------------
   Total assets                             $157,105        $159,168
                                          ============================

  Liabilities and Shareholders'
   Equity
    Current Liabilities:
    Accounts payable                        $ 11,232        $ 13,522
    Other current liabilities                 22,569          28,966

                                          ----------------------------
   Total current liabilities                  33,801          42,488

  Other long term liabilities                 13,246          11,755
  Long term obligation under
   capital lease                               2,273           2,414

  Commitments and Contingencies

  Total shareholders' equity                 107,785         102,511

                                          ----------------------------
  Total liabilities and
   shareholders' equity                     $157,105        $159,168
                                          ============================

Contacts:
Philip Roizin, Executive Vice President of
 Finance and Administration
(603) 880-9500

Robert Fusco, Investor Relations
(603) 880-9500