As confidentially submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2021
Registration No. 333-
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Xponential Fitness, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware | 7991 | 84-4395129 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
17877 Von Karman Ave, Suite 100
Irvine, CA, 92614
(949) 346-3000
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrants Principal Executive Offices)
Anthony Geisler
Chief Executive Officer
Xponential Fitness, Inc.
17877 Von Karman Ave, Suite 100
Irvine, CA, 92614
(949) 346-3000
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
Copies to:
Alan F. Denenberg Stephen Salmon Davis
Polk & Wardwell LLP 1600 El Camino Real Menlo Park, California (212) 450-4000 |
Ian D. Schuman Stelios G. Saffos Latham & Watkins LLP 885 Third Avenue New
York, New York 10022 (212) 906-1200 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||||
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||||||
Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee | ||||
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share |
$ | $ | $ | |||||
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(1) |
Includes shares of Class A common stock subject to the underwriters option to purchase additional shares. |
(2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457 under the Securities Act of 1933 |
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Preliminary Prospectus dated , 2021
PROSPECTUS
Shares
Xponential Fitness, Inc.
Class A Common Stock
This is Xponential Fitness, Inc.s initial public offering. We are selling shares of our Class A common stock.
We expect the public offering price to be between $ and $ per share. Currently, no public market exists for the shares. We expect to apply to list the shares of our Class A common stock for trading on the under the symbol XPOF.
Upon the completion of this offering, we will have two classes of common stock. Each of our Class A common stock offered hereby and our Class B common stock will have one vote per share.
We will use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to purchase membership interests (LLC Units) of Xponential Intermediate Holdings, LLC (Xponential Holdings LLC) from certain of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members (as defined herein), and the remaining net proceeds to purchase newly issued membership units in Xponential Holdings LLC. No public market exists for the LLC Units. The purchase price for each LLC Unit will be equal to the initial public offering price of our Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. We intend to cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the net proceeds it receives from us in connection with this offering as described in Use of Proceeds. Xponential Holdings LLC will not receive any proceeds from the sale of LLC Units by any of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members to us.
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.
Following this offering, we will be a controlled company within the meaning of the corporate governance rules of . See Organizational Structure and ManagementControlled Company.
Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks that are described in the Risk Factors section beginning on page 25 of this prospectus.
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Public offering price |
$ | $ | ||||||
Underwriting discount(1) |
$ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | $ |
(1) | See Underwriting for additional information regarding underwriter compensation. |
The underwriters may also exercise their option to purchase up to an additional shares of our Class A Common Stock from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount, for 30 days after the date of this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission 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 shares will be ready for delivery on or about , 2021.
BofA Securities | Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | Jefferies |
The date of this prospectus is , 2021.
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F-1 |
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to we, us, our, the company, Xponential Fitness, Xponential and similar terms refer (i) for periods prior to giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions (as defined under Organizational StructureThe Reorganization Transactions), to Xponential Holdings LLC together with its consolidated subsidiaries and (ii) for periods beginning on the date of and after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, to Xponential Fitness, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries, including Xponential Holdings LLC and Xponential Fitness LLC. Also, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all information in this prospectus gives effect to the Reorganization Transactions. We are a holding company and, upon the completion of this offering, we will hold substantially all of our assets and conduct substantially all of our business through Xponential Fitness LLC, a subsidiary of Xponential Holdings LLC.
We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may provide you. We and the underwriters 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 prospects may have changed since the date set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Until , 2021 (25 days after the commencement of this offering), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our Class A common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
Market and Industry Data
This prospectus includes industry and market data that we obtained from periodic industry publications, third-party studies and surveys, filings of public companies in our industry, third-party analyses and internal company surveys. These sources include government and industry sources. Industry publications and surveys generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Although we believe the industry and market data to be reliable as of the date of this prospectus, this information could prove to be inaccurate. Industry and market data could be wrong because of the method by which sources obtained their data and because information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. In addition, we do not know all of the assumptions regarding general economic conditions or growth that were used in preparing the forecasts from the sources relied upon or cited herein.
The information contained in this prospectus concerning our industry and the market in which we operate, including our general expectations and market position, market opportunity and market size, is based on the information described above, on assumptions that we have made based on that data and similar sources, third-party analyses by Buxton Company and on our knowledge of the markets for our brands. This information involves a number of assumptions and limitations and is inherently imprecise and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. In addition, the industry in which we operate, as well as the projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industry in which we operate, are subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus, that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and other sources.
We commissioned Frost & Sullivan to conduct an independent analysis to assess the total addressable market on the U.S. boutique fitness market. The estimates provided by Frost & Sullivan include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This prospectus contains references to adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow conversion, which are financial measures not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, (GAAP). We use adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow conversion when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance. We believe that adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of our operating performance because it eliminates the impact of expenses that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance. We believe free cash flow conversion to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors in understanding and evaluating our liquidity and future ability to generate cash that can be used for strategic opportunities, including investing in our business and strengthening our balance sheet.
We believe that adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow conversion, viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, our reported GAAP results, provides useful information to investors regarding our performance and overall results of operations because it eliminates the impact of other items that we believe reduce the comparability of our underlying core business performance from period to period and is therefore useful to our investors in comparing the core performance of our business from period to period. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow conversion differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsNon-GAAP Financial Measures for definitions of adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow conversion and a reconciliation to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP.
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Basis of Presentation
Throughout this prospectus, we provide a number of key performance indicators used by management and typically used by our competitors in the franchise industry, including same store sales, system-wide sales and average unit volume (AUV). These are operating measures that include sales by franchisees that are not revenue realized by us in accordance with GAAP. While we do not record sales by franchisees as revenue and such sales are not included in our consolidated financial statements, we believe that these operating measures aid in understanding how we derive our royalty and marketing revenue and are important in evaluating our performance. Same store sales refers to period-over-period sales comparisons for the base of studios (which we define to include studios in North America that have been open for at least 13 calendar months as of the measurement date). System-wide sales represent gross sales by all studios globally, which includes sales by franchisees that are not revenue recognized by us in accordance with GAAP. While we do not record sales by franchisees as revenue, and such sales are not included in our consolidated financial statements, this operating metric relates to our revenue because our royalty and marketing revenue are calculated based on a percentage of franchised studio sales. AUV consists of the average sales for the trailing 12 calendar months for all studios in North America that have been open for at least 13 calendar months as of the measurement date. AUV is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all studios being measured by the number of studios being measured. These and other key performance indicators are discussed in more detail in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsKey Performance Indicators.
The studios open data as of December 31, 2017 provided throughout this prospectus is presented on a pro forma basis to reflect historical data of brands we acquired in 2017, and 2018 and therefore includes time periods during which certain of our brands were operated by our predecessors. We acquired Club Pilates and CycleBar in September 2017, Stretch Lab in November 2017, Row House in December 2017, AKT in March 2018, Yoga Six in July 2018, Pure Barre in October 2018 and Stride in December 2018. The studios open data does not reflect our acquisition of Rumble in March 2021.
References throughout this prospectus to comparisons to industry competitors are as of December 31, 2020.
References throughout this prospectus to North America refer to the United States and Canada and references to international refer to countries other than the United States and Canada.
References throughout this prospectus to the sale or selling of a license refer to the grant of a right to a third party to access our intellectual property and all other services that we provide under our franchise agreements.
References throughout this prospectus to an open studio refer to any studio that has conducted classes and is operational, although such studio may have temporarily suspended in-person classes for a period of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This summary highlights selected information that is presented in greater detail 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 Risk Factors, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus, before deciding whether to invest in our Class A common stock.
Xponential Fitness, Inc.
Xponential Fitness is a curator of leading boutique fitness brands across multiple verticals. Our mission is to make highly specialized workouts in motivating, community-based environments accessible to everyone. We are the largest boutique fitness franchisor in the United States with 1,700 studios operating across nine distinct brands. Our diversified portfolio of brands spans a variety of fitness and wellness verticals, including Pilates, barre, cycling, stretch, rowing, yoga, boxing, dance and running. By leveraging our network of over 1,400 franchisees, we are able to capitalize on popular and proven fitness modalities to rapidly and efficiently expand boutique fitness experiences globally. Collectively, our brands offer consumers engaging experiences that appeal to a broad range of ages, fitness levels and demographics. Across our brands system-wide, consumers completed nearly 20 million in-studio, live stream and virtual workouts in 2020. The foundation of our business is built on strong partnerships with franchisees. We provide franchisees with extensive support to help maximize the performance of their studios and enhance their return on investment. In turn, this partnership accelerates our growth and increases our profitability. We believe our unique combination of a scaled multi-brand offering, resilient franchise model with strong unit economics and integrated platform has enabled us to build our leading market position in the large and growing U.S. boutique fitness industry.
Our Market Leading Brand Portfolio
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◾ Largest Pilates brand, created with the vision to make Pilates more accessible, approachable and welcoming to everyone ◾ 620 studios |
◾ Largest barre brand, offers an effective, low-impact workout for all ages and fitness levels ◾ 580 studios |
◾ Largest indoor cycling brand, offering an inclusive low-impact/high intensity indoor cycling experience for all ages and experience levels ◾ 220 studios
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◾ First to offer 1x1 assisted stretching classes ◾ Highly complementary with our other brands ◾ 99 studios
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◾ Largest rowing brand, offering a full body/low impact workout which has revolutionized the way people view indoor rowing ◾ 86 studios
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◾ Largest franchised yoga brand, dedicated to the evolution and modernization of yoga ◾ 83 studios
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◾ Boxing-based concept offering a 10-round, high energy cardio workout split between boxing drills and resistance training ◾ 13 studios |
◾ Dance-based cardio concept founded by celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser combining dance, intervals and strength training ◾ 18 studios |
◾ Treadmill-based cardio and strength workout, offering coached interval running classes for all fitness levels ◾ 4 open studios |
Note: Studio counts as of December 31, 2020.
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We carefully built the Xponential Fitness brand portfolio through a series of acquisitions, targeting select health and wellness verticals. In curating our portfolio, we identified brands with exceptional programming and a loyal consumer base which we believed would benefit from our operational expertise, franchising experience and scaled platform. With over 25 years of collective franchising experience, our management team is the driving force behind our operational excellence. We have established a proven operational model (the Xponential Playbook) that helps franchisees generate compelling studio economics. This model has allowed us to provide extensive support to franchisees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key pillars of our Xponential Playbook include:
| optimizing the studio prototype and investment cost; |
| thoroughly vetting franchisee candidates; |
| real estate identification, site selection, studio build-out and design assistance; |
| comprehensive pre-opening support, including membership sales, marketing support, employee training and programming development; |
| detailed studio-level operational framework and best practices; |
| intensive instructor and studio-level management training; |
| our robust Video-On-Demand offerings that allow franchisees to generate incremental revenue; |
| data-driven analytical tools to support marketing strategies, member acquisition and retention; |
| sophisticated technology systems, including uniform point-of-sale and reporting systems, to drive studio-level performance; |
| centralized model capable of providing resources to franchisees in the event of exceptional crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, to their business; and |
| ongoing monitoring and support to promote success. |
The Xponential Playbook is designed to help franchisees achieve compelling AUVs, strong operating margins and an attractive return on their invested capital. Studios are generally designed to be between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet in size, depending on the brand. The smaller box format contributed to a relatively low average initial franchisee investment of approximately $350,000 in 2019 and 2020. By utilizing the Xponential Playbook, our model is generally designed to generate, on average, an AUV of $500,000 in year two of operations and studio-level operating margins ranging between 25% and 30%, resulting in an unlevered cash-on-cash return of approximately 40%.
We believe our integrated platform, which supports our nine brands, is a unique competitive advantage in the boutique fitness industry and enables us to accelerate growth and enhance operating margins. Our multi-brand offering results in higher franchisee lead flow and conversion, which lowers franchisee acquisition costs. Existing franchisees also serve as an embedded pipeline for continued expansion across our brands. As a result of our scale, we benefit from greater access to real estate and favorable vendor relationships. Additionally, we leverage shared corporate services across franchise sales, real estate, supply chain, merchandising, information technology, finance, accounting and legal. As an integrated platform, we utilize technology to provide improved functionality, drive efficiency and access compelling data across our brands. Our robust Video-On-Demand
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library, with content spanning all our brands, is an important example of our ability to utilize our integrated platform to enhance our individual brand offerings and member retention. We also benefit from knowledge sharing and best practices across the portfolio. We believe that we are in the early stages of unlocking the power of our platform and driving long-term growth.
As a franchisor, we benefit from multiple highly predictable and recurring revenue streams that enable us to scale our franchised studio base in a capital efficient manner. As of December 31, 2020, franchisees were contractually committed to open an additional 1,561 studios in North America. Converting our current pipeline of licenses sold to open studios in North America would nearly double our existing franchised studio base. Based on our internal and third-party analyses by Buxton Company, we estimate that franchisees could have a total of over 6,200 studios in the United States alone. In addition, we had ten studios operating in four countries internationally and master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 studios in nine countries as of December 31, 2020.
Highlights of our platforms recent financial results and growth include:
| increased the number of open studios in North America from 811 as of December 31, 2017 on a pro forma basis to 1,700 as of December 31, 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28%; |
| increased North American franchise licenses sold from 1,496 as of December 31, 2017 to 3,261 as of December 31, 2020, representing a CAGR of 30%. In addition, we had ten studios open internationally and master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 studios in nine countries, as of December 31, 2020; |
| scaled system-wide sales to $536 million and $434 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively; |
| generated average quarterly same store sales growth of 9% over the eight quarters ended December 31, 2019; and |
| generated annual same store sales growth of (34)% for the year ended December 31, 2020, which reflects the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on studios. |
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Note: The above data is presented for North America on a pro forma basis to reflect historical information of the brands we acquired and therefore includes time periods during which certain of the brands were operated by our predecessors. We acquired Club Pilates and CycleBar in September 2017, Stretch Lab in November 2017, Row House in December 2017, AKT in March 2018, Yoga Six in July 2018, Pure Barre in October 2018 and Stride in December 2018. The studios open data does not include our acquisition of Rumble in March 2021.
Our Industry
We operate in the large and growing boutique fitness segment of the broader health and fitness club industry. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the estimated size of the global health and fitness club industry was $96.7 billion in 2019, with more than 210,000 clubs serving 184 million members. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. health and fitness club industry had grown at a 6% CAGR since 1998, with more than 21 consecutive years of annual growth, to $35.0 billion in 2019.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Expected Recovery.
The health and fitness club industry contracted in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related state and local government-mandated club and studio closures. While these restrictions had an adverse effect on the industry in 2020, we expect that the industry will recover as a result of growing consumer interest in health and wellness post-pandemic. According to IHRSA, as of the end of October 2020, more than 85% of fitness club users indicated their exercise regimen has changed over the past several months, with 50% reporting dissatisfaction with the new routines, stating that it is less consistent, less challenging and/or simply worse. Ninety-four percent of consumers say they will return to the gym in some capacity, and 68% of consumers are prioritizing their health more now than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kentley Insights projections published in January 2021, the U.S. health and fitness club industry revenue is expected to recover to $34.1 billion in revenue in 2021, and grow at a 7.6% CAGR thereafter to $41.3 billion in revenue by 2025.
We believe that we are well-positioned to address these shifts in consumer behavior and that industry growth will be driven by the following tailwinds:
| increased awareness of active lifestyles and the health benefits of exercise; |
| increased fitness participation, particularly amongst Millennials and Generation Z (who accounted for 49% of all health and fitness club membership in 2019); and |
| increased levels of stress stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to elevate mood through exercise and participation in a fitness community. |
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Boutique Fitness Expected to Recover by 2022 and Grow Faster Than the Broader Fitness Club Industry.
Boutique fitness is built around a social, supportive community of coaches, trainers and consumers helping each other achieve their fitness goals. A boutique fitness workout typically offers more customized programming and a more intensive experience complemented by increased levels of personal attention and guidance relative to a traditional health and fitness club. Between 2015 and 2019, boutique studio memberships increased 29%, outpacing memberships in the overall health and fitness club industry, which increased by 16%. An estimated 42% of health and fitness club consumers in the U.S. reported having a boutique fitness membership in 2018, up from 21% in 2013. We commissioned Frost & Sullivan to conduct an independent analysis to assess the total addressable market on the U.S. boutique fitness market. According to this analysis, the total market opportunity was $21.1 billion in 2019 and is expected to recover to $22.2 billion by 2022. The industry is expected to grow at a 24.5% CAGR, from $8.8 billion in 2020 to $26.2 billion by 2025.
Highly Attractive Boutique Fitness Consumer.
We believe boutique fitness consumers represent a highly attractive and loyal consumer group. While the industry appeals to a broad demographic, the Millennial consumer over-indexes to boutique fitness, and approximately 60% of boutique fitness consumers are between the ages of 25 and 44. On average, a boutique fitness studio member spent $90 per month, compared to $51 per month for the average health and fitness club consumer, in 2019. Not only do boutique fitness studio consumers spend more per month than any other category of fitness, they are also some of the most engaged consumers. More than 65% of boutique fitness consumers reported engagement with multiple boutique fitness facilities and 22% reported engagement with at least three boutique fitness facilities in 2018. On average, boutique fitness consumers used their facility 107 times in 2018, with 34% of consumers reporting usages of 150 times or more, which represented the highest percentage of any fitness industry segment.
Resiliency of the Xponential Franchise System and Opportunity to Increase Market Share.
We believe the combination of our scaled multi-brand offering, loyal and engaged consumer base and strong franchisee relationships has enabled us to successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and will allow us to continue to take market share from our competitors. During 2020, we continued to sell licenses and open new studios. As of March 31, 2021, our franchisees recovered to approximately 84% of actively paying members relative to January 31, 2020 membership levels. Although the headwinds generated by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the broader health and fitness club industry, some of our competitors were impacted to a greater degree, resulting in permanent studio closures and bankruptcies. IHRSA estimates that 19% of boutique fitness studios that shut down during the pandemic will remain permanently closed. As the largest franchisor in the boutique fitness industry with a demonstrated track record of resiliency, we believe that we are well-positioned to increase our market share as we move into the post-pandemic period.
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Our Competitive Strengths
Diversified portfolio of leading boutique fitness brands.
Our portfolio of nine diversified brands spans a variety of popular fitness and wellness verticals including Pilates, barre, cycling, stretch, rowing, yoga, boxing, dance and running. We believe that our diversification represents a significant competitive advantage in a fragmented market comprised primarily of single-brand companies focused on an individual fitness or wellness vertical. The complementary nature of our brands allows our franchised studios to be located in close proximity to one another, providing variety and convenience to both consumers and franchisees. Our brands appeal to a broad range of consumers across ages, fitness levels and demographics and are positioned at an accessible price point. The strength of our brands is highlighted by the numerous accolades they have received, with six brands (Club Pilates, Pure Barre, CycleBar, Row House, Stretch Lab and Yoga Six) each being listed among Entrepreneurs 2021 Franchise 500 rankings. We believe that our diversified brand offering expands our total addressable market and translates into increased use occasions for consumers, driving increased share of wallet and enhancing consumer lifetime value across our portfolio.
Market leading position with significant nationwide scale.
We are the largest boutique fitness franchisor in the United States with 1,700 studios operating across nine brands. Our three largest brands have leading market share positions within their respective verticals. These brands, Club Pilates, Pure Barre and CycleBar, were approximately nine, four and two times larger than their next largest competitors, respectively, as of December 31, 2020. As the leaders in these verticals, and as one of few players of scale, we believe that we occupy an advantageous position in an otherwise highly fragmented boutique fitness market.
We are able to leverage the popularity and reputation of existing Xponential studios to support both new studio sales to franchisees and to support franchisees ability to attract new customers to their studios. We believe that the continued expansion of the Xponential platform creates a network effect that reinforces our competitive position, making us increasingly attractive to potential franchisees and making studios increasingly popular with boutique fitness consumers. In conjunction with our scale, we have been able to achieve broad geographic diversification across the United States with studios in 48 states and the District of Columbia as of December 31, 2020. Our geographic reach represents a material competitive advantage, as we have demonstrated success across various markets and we are able to remain competitive nationally when extraordinary events heavily impact specific markets. According to Buxton Company, 60% of the U.S. population (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) lives within 10 miles of an Xponential studio location. With 2020 system-wide sales of $434 million, we have penetrated less than 5% of the U.S. boutique fitness market, and we believe that we are well-positioned to continue our growth.
Passionate, growing and loyal consumer base.
Our franchised studios provide differentiated and accessible boutique fitness experiences that are fun, energetic and deliver a strong sense of community, engendering loyalty and engagement with consumers. Across our brands system-wide, consumers completed nearly 20 million in-studio, live stream and virtual workouts in 2020. As of March 31, 2021, our franchisees recovered to approximately 84% of actively paying members relative to January 31, 2020 membership levels. We believe that we were able to deepen our consumer loyalty during the pandemic through our robust Video-On-Demand offering, as well as the personal efforts of exceptional franchisees to strengthen their studio communities. Our brands serve a broad demographic; our target consumer is typically a female between the ages of 20 and 60 years old, holds at least a bachelors degree and reports household income greater than $75,000 per year. In addition, we continually seek ways to further
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heighten the Xponential consumer experience. For example, we launched a partnership with Apple in March 2021 that features Apple Watch integration across all of our popular fitness and wellness verticals and is designed to increase consumer engagement and retention across our franchised studios. Our franchised studios foster consumer engagement, personal accountability to achieve fitness goals and a strong sense of community, which drive repeat visits and maximize consumer lifetime value.
Xponential Playbook supports system-wide operational excellence.
We strategically partner with franchisees who have been vetted by a thorough selection process. Through the Xponential Playbook, we provide franchisees with significant support from the outset, focused on delivering a superior experience and maximizing studio-level productivity and profitability. Franchisees also benefit from the significant investments we have made in our corporate platform, through which we leverage integrated systems and shared services. While marketing and fitness programming are specific to each brand, nearly all other franchisee support functions are integrated across brands at the corporate level, and franchisees are guided through the key pillars of successful studio operations. We believe the relationships we maintain with franchisees drive tangible results for consumers: well-managed boutique fitness studios; access to technology capabilities; retention of highly qualified instructors; and a consistent, community-based experience across brands and geographies. We believe the extensive level of support we provide to franchisees is a key driver of system-wide operational excellence.
Asset-light franchise model and predictable revenue streams support strong free cash flow conversion.
We believe our asset-light franchise model drives faster system-wide unit growth, compared to a similarly capitalized corporate-owned model. As a franchisor, we have multiple highly predictable revenue streams and low ongoing capital requirements, resulting in the ability to generate strong free cash flow conversion of 57% in 2019 and 81% in 2020, respectively. Capital expenditures were unusually high in 2019 due to technology platform development and headquarter buildout. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsNon-GAAP Financial Measures for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to free cash flow conversion. Upon the granting of access to a license, we receive a one-time, non-refundable upfront payment from franchisees for the right to open a studio in a specific territory. This is followed by a series of contractual payments once a studio is open, many of which are recurring, including royalty fees, technology fees, merchandise sales, marketing fees and instructor and management training revenues. Approximately 67% of our revenue in 2019 and 73% of our revenue in 2020 was considered recurring, and we believe this percentage will increase as franchise royalty fees are expected to account for a greater percentage of our revenue over time.
Highly attractive and predictable studio-level economics.
The Xponential Playbook is designed to help franchisees achieve compelling AUVs, strong operating margins and an attractive return on their invested capital. Studios are generally designed to be between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet in size, depending on the brand, which contributed to a relatively low average initial franchisee investment of approximately $350,000 in 2019 and 2020. Our model is generally designed to generate, on average under normal conditions, an AUV of $500,000 in year two of operations and studio-level operating margins ranging between 25% and 30%, resulting in an unlevered cash-on-cash return of approximately 40%. We believe the continued growth of the franchisee system reflects the attractiveness of our unit economic model. In 2019, 375 new franchisees joined our system, representing a 76% increase year-over-year. In 2020, we were able to attract 131 new franchisees in North America despite the material challenges faced by the overall fitness industry. Additionally, franchisees frequently re-invest into our system, as 39% of new studios in 2019 and 36% of new studios in 2020 were opened by existing franchisees. We believe our strong studio-level economics have contributed to our growth.
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Large and expanding franchisee base with visible organic growth.
Our large number of existing licenses sold represent an embedded pipeline to support the continued growth of our business. As of December 31, 2020, we had 3,261 franchise licenses sold, compared to 2,081 franchise licenses sold as of December 31, 2018, representing a CAGR of 25%. The franchisee network in North America has grown rapidly from 983 franchisees as of December 31, 2018 to 1,419 franchisees as of December 31, 2020, representing a CAGR of 20%. Franchisees in North America are contractually obligated to open studios in their territories after purchasing a franchise license. In the event that franchisees are unable to meet their contractual obligations, we have the ability to resell or reassign their territory license(s) to another franchisee in the system or our franchisee pipeline. Based on our experience as a franchisor, we believe that a significant majority of our licenses sold will convert into operating studios. Accordingly, we have the potential to nearly double our North American studio base through our existing licenses sold, providing us with highly visible unit growth and further increasing our already significant scale within the boutique fitness industry.
Proven and experienced management team with an entrepreneurial culture.
Our strategic vision and entrepreneurial culture are driven by our highly experienced management team, led by our Chief Executive Officer and founder, Anthony Geisler. Mr. Geisler has direct experience scaling franchised fitness brands, having previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of LA Boxing, and has worked with many members of our leadership team for several years. Our Brand Presidents are key members of our leadership team and act as the driving force behind their respective brands. Collectively, our management team fosters an entrepreneurial culture and mentality that resonate with franchisees. The strength of our management team is illustrated by the growth of the business and the recent honors that we and our brands have received, six brands (Club Pilates, Pure Barre, CycleBar, Row House, Stretch Lab and Yoga Six) each being listed among Entrepreneurs 2021 Franchise 500 rankings. Our leadership team has significant experience scaling franchised fitness brands and has created a culture designed to enable our future success.
Our Growth Strategies
We believe we are well-positioned to capitalize on multiple opportunities to drive the long-term growth of our business:
Grow our franchised studio base across all brands in North America.
We have the opportunity to meaningfully expand our franchised studio footprint in North America by leveraging our multiple brands and verticals, as well as our proven portability across regions and demographics.
We have grown our franchised studio footprint in North America from 811 open studios across 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Canada as of December 31, 2017 on a pro forma basis to 1,700 open studios across 48 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Canada as of December 31, 2020, representing a CAGR of 28%. Our track-record of successful expansion demonstrates that the experience and value offered by our brands resonate with consumers across geographies, including urban and suburban markets, ages and income levels. Our small box format and multi-brand model have enabled us to scale rapidly, as franchisees have the ability to open studios from multiple brands adjacent or in close proximity to each other, creating cross-selling opportunities and providing consumers with greater optionality. As we scale, we expect to attract multi-studio franchisees to help us accelerate our pace of growth. Based on our internal and third-party analyses by Buxton Company, we believe that franchisees could have a total of over 6,200 studios in the United States alone.
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Drive system-wide same store sales and grow AUV.
We believe we can help franchisees grow same store sales and AUVs by acquiring new consumers, increasing membership penetration, driving increased spend from consumers and expanding ancillary revenue streams through our franchised studios.
| Acquiring new consumers: We expect to grow our consumer reach through a variety of targeted marketing campaigns at both the brand and franchisee levels in order to increase brand awareness and drive studio traffic. |
| Increasing membership penetration: We expect franchisees to convert new and occasional consumers into committed, long-term members by delivering consistent, effective workout experiences across our franchised studios. We intend to continue to utilize insights from our consumer management dashboard to refine our sales strategy and offer a variety of flexible membership options to attract consumers at different engagement levels and price points, including our existing four, eight and unlimited classes per month recurring membership options. |
| Driving increased spend from consumers: We expect to increase spend from consumers by utilizing dynamic pricing tiers across markets and brands, up-tiering memberships, cross-selling memberships across our brands, driving further digital penetration and enhancing our membership engagement. We work closely with franchisees to optimize membership offerings based on local consumer demand, demographics and other market factors in order to maximize our share of wallet. |
| Utilize XPASS to enhance consumer experience and engagement while more effectively cross-selling across our brands: We are in the process of developing and implementing XPASS, a membership option that will offer our consumers access to all brands across the Xponential portfolio under a single monthly membership. XPASS is currently undergoing a trial period in three markets, allowing us to receive real-time feedback from consumers about their experience with the digital application. We believe that XPASS will enable us to attract and retain consumers that are seeking greater variety in their boutique workouts and that we will be able to leverage XPASS to introduce consumers to new brands and verticals within our platform. |
| Attract and retain consumers through our Video-On-Demand platform: We believe there is an opportunity to further capitalize on growing consumer demand for digital and at-home fitness solutions by enhancing system-wide capabilities that complement our in-studio offerings. Our Video-On-Demand platform consists of a library of branded content that we make available to our consumers across our online and mobile platforms for a monthly fee. In addition to increasing engagement and retention with our existing in-studio members, our Video-On-Demand program enables us and franchisees to reach new consumers and generate incremental revenues without increasing overhead costs. This enables our brands to deliver high-quality fitness content and maintain strong levels of member engagement, even when studios are closed. |
| Expanding additional revenue streams within our franchised studios: We believe we have the opportunity to increase consumer spending at our franchised studios by expanding our offering of branded and third-party retail products across apparel and other health and wellness categories. During government-mandated studio closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, franchisees were able to generate revenue in part through retail sales, including the sale of at-home fitness equipment such as exercise balls and weights. We expect that franchisees will be able to continue to leverage this revenue stream in the future as some consumers may make at-home fitness a permanent component of their health and wellness regimens. |
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Expand operating margins and drive free cash flow conversion.
We have built our franchised boutique fitness platform across verticals through a series of acquisitions, investments in our brands, corporate infrastructure and leadership team. We expect to realize improved operating leverage and increase operating margins over time as we continue to expand our franchised studio base and leverage our shared services and platform. Our business model provides us with highly predictable and recurring revenue streams, attractive margins and minimal capital requirements, resulting in high free cash flow conversion and the ability to invest in future growth initiatives.
Grow our brands and studio footprint internationally.
We believe there is significant opportunity for further international growth in the $97 billion global health and fitness club industry, underscored by our track-record of successful expansion across a diverse array of North American markets and our recent expansion into multiple international markets.
We are focused on expanding into territories with attractive demographics, including household income, level of education and fitness participation. We have developed strong relationships and executed master franchise agreements with master franchisees to propel our international growth. These master franchise agreements obligate master franchisees to arrange the sale of licenses to franchisees in one or more countries outside North America. As of December 31, 2020, we had ten studios open internationally across Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia and South Korea, and master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 studios in nine countries, of which 55 must be sold by the end of 2021.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Related Developments
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) to be a global pandemic. By mid-March, the spread of COVID-19 significantly impacted the global economy as federal, state, local and foreign governments mandated stay-at-home orders, encouraged social distancing measures and implemented travel restrictions and prohibitions on non-essential activities and businesses. In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, comply with public health guidelines and protect franchisees and their consumers, franchisees temporarily closed nearly all Xponential studios, and we temporarily closed our corporate headquarters.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our ability to generate revenue. A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from royalty fees, which were affected by the decline in system-wide sales as almost all of our franchised studios were temporarily closed beginning in mid-March through late May and, to a lesser extent, June and new studio openings were delayed. We also experienced a reduction in sales of new studio licenses and in installation of equipment in new studios.
Despite the fact that studios were closed, franchisees maintained strong member loyalty and experienced low cancellation rates, as the majority of members maintained active accounts or put their memberships on hold, during which time they did not pay membership dues. While studios were closed, we continued to generate revenue from franchise license and royalty payments as customers engaged with our Video-On-Demand services and purchased additional products. We also took action to reduce non-essential selling, general and administrative expenses. Our studios began to reopen throughout 2020 and as of March 31, 2021, substantially all of our franchised studios had resumed operations. Additionally, we have begun to see additional new studio openings and studio license sales to both new and existing franchisees.
During this time, we took significant action to support franchisees. We advised franchisees about opportunities that may be available to them under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the
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CARES Act) and provided guidance to facilitate negotiations with landlords and vendors to support their efforts to manage operating expenses. We also temporarily reduced the amount we collected from franchisees for our brand marketing funds. In addition, we provided franchisees with guidelines throughout the re-opening process to help them adapt their studio operations to new public health guidelines and safety standards. Our franchisee re-opening plan includes recommended instructions on:
| implementing social distancing measures through reductions in class sizes and equipment repositioning; |
| increasing the number of classes offered and changing scheduling to allow for additional deep cleaning between classes and provide additional schedule flexibility for consumers; |
| heightening sanitization and cleaning procedures, including through the use of medical-grade disinfectant, increased focus on high touch areas, usage of personal protective gear and contactless check-in; and |
| leveraging ancillary revenue streams, including at home offerings (including Video-On-Demand and virtual events) and merchandise sales. |
During the COVID-19 pandemic, unlimited memberships included free access to our Video-On-Demand platform. Our other customers and the general public could access the platform for a fee. During the pandemic, we leveraged our Video-On-Demand capabilities to engage with existing members, attract new customers and generate additional revenue from equipment and merchandise sales through the platform. In April 2020, we engaged with a leading provider of premium digital health and wellness content to provide our subscribers with access to audio-guided and structured workouts. We also streamed free workouts on social media networks, including Facebook and Instagram, to attract new customers.
We cannot predict the degree to which, or period over which, we will continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we have implemented measures, including those described above, to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, we expect the pandemic will continue to present difficulties for franchisees, as well as our overall business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. As the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to impact areas in which our studios operate, additional studios may have to close or re-close in the future. For a further discussion of the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, see Risk FactorsOur business and results of operations have been and are expected to continue to be materially adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in Risk Factors. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that you should understand before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully under Risk Factors and include:
| Our business and results of operations have been and are expected to continue to be materially adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Shifts in consumer behavior may materially adversely impact our business. |
| We have incurred operating losses in the past, may incur operating losses in the future and may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future. |
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| We have a limited operating history and our past financial results may not be indicative of our future performance. Further, our revenue growth rate is likely to slow as our business matures. |
| Our financial results are affected by the operating and financial results of, and our relationships with, master franchisees and franchisees. |
| If we fail to successfully implement our growth strategy, which includes the opening of new studios by existing and new franchisees in existing and new markets, our ability to increase our revenue and results of operations could be adversely affected. |
| The number of new studios that actually open in the future may differ materially from the number of studio licenses sold to potential, existing and new franchisees. |
| Our success depends substantially on our ability to maintain the value and reputation of our brands. |
| Our expansion into new markets may present increased risks due to our unfamiliarity with those markets. |
| Our expansion into new international markets exposes us to a number of risks that may differ in each country where we have licensed franchisees. |
| If we or master franchisees fail to identify, recruit and contract with a sufficient number of qualified franchisees, our ability to open new studios and increase our revenue could be materially adversely affected. |
| Franchisees may incur rising costs related to the construction of new studios and maintenance of existing studios, which could adversely affect the attractiveness of our franchise model and, in turn, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. |
| If franchisees are unable to identify and secure suitable sites for new studios, our ability to open new studios and increase our revenue could be materially adversely affected. |
| We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020. |
Organizational Structure
We currently conduct our business through Xponential Fitness LLC and its subsidiaries. Xponential Fitness LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xponential Holdings LLC. Following this offering, Xponential Fitness, Inc. will be a holding company and its sole material asset will be a controlling ownership interest in Xponential Fitness LLC through its ownership interest in Xponential Holdings LLC.
Prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions (as defined below), the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of Xponential Holdings LLC will be amended and restated to, among other things, appoint us as its managing member and reclassify its outstanding limited liability company units (the LLC Units) as non-voting units. We refer to the limited liability company agreement of Xponential Holdings LLC, as in effect at the time of this offering, as the Amended LLC Agreement.
After the Amended LLC Agreement is effective and prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, H&W Franchise Intermediate Holdings LLC (H&W Intermediate), the sole owner of all
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outstanding LLC Units, will merge with and into H&W Franchise Holdings LLC (H&W Franchise Holdings), which will in turn liquidate under local law, distributing the LLC Units to its equity holders in liquidation of their H&W Franchise Holdings interests. After these transactions and prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions and this offering, all of Xponential Holdings LLCs outstanding equity interests will be owned by the following persons, (collectively, the Pre-IPO LLC Members):
| H&W Investco, L.P., which is controlled by Mr. Grabowski, a member of our board of directors; |
| LAG Fit, Inc., which is beneficially owned by Mr. Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder; |
| LCAT Franchise Fitness Holdings, Inc., which is an affiliate of Mr. Magliacano, a member of our board of directors; and |
| Certain other direct or indirect former equity holders in H&W Franchise Holdings. |
In connection with this offering, we intend to enter into the following series of transactions to implement an internal reorganization, which we collectively refer to as the Reorganization Transactions. We refer to the Pre-IPO LLC Members who will retain their equity ownership in Xponential Holdings LLC in the form of LLC Units immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions as Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members.
| Because we will manage and operate the business and control the strategic decisions and day-to-day operations of Xponential Fitness LLC through our ownership of Xponential Holdings LLC and because we will also have a substantial financial interest in Xponential Fitness LLC through our ownership of Xponential Holdings LLC, we will consolidate the financial results of Xponential Fitness LLC and Xponential Holdings LLC, and a portion of our net income will be allocated to the non-controlling interest to reflect the entitlement of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members to a portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs net income. In addition, because Xponential Holdings LLC will be under the common control of the Pre-IPO LLC Members before and after the Reorganization Transactions, we will account for the Reorganization Transactions as a reorganization of entities under common control and will initially measure the interests of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in the assets and liabilities of Xponential Holdings LLC at their carrying amounts as of the date of the completion of the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions. |
| Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of the offering will authorize the issuance of two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock, (collectively, our common stock). Each share of common stock will entitle its holder to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. See Description of Capital Stock. |
| Prior to the completion of this offering, LCAT Franchise Fitness Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Mr. Magliacano, a member of our board of directors, and certain other entities treated as corporations for U.S. tax purposes, each of which directly own LLC Units (the Blocker Companies), will be contributed by their owners to Xponential Fitness, Inc. in exchange for Class A common stock of Xponential Fitness, Inc. Each Blocker Company will thereafter merge with and into Xponential Fitness, Inc. We refer to such transactions as the Mergers. Equity holders of each Blocker Company, referred to as the Reorganization Parties, will receive a number of shares of our Class A common stock equal to the number of LLC Units held by such Blocker Company prior to the Mergers. |
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| Each Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Member will be issued a number of shares of our Class B common stock equal to the number of LLC Units held by such Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Member. |
| Under the Amended LLC Agreement, holders of LLC Units (other than us) will have the right, from and after the completion of this offering (subject to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement), to require Xponential Holdings LLC to redeem all or a portion of their LLC Units for, at our election, newly issued shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or a cash payment equal to the volume-weighted average market price of one share of our Class A common stock for each LLC Unit redeemed (subject to customary adjustments, including for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications) in accordance with the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. Additionally, in the event of a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, we may, at our option, effect a direct exchange of cash or Class A common stock for LLC Units in lieu of such a redemption. Shares of Class B common stock will be cancelled on a one-for-one basis if we, following a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, redeem or exchange LLC Units of such holder pursuant to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsAmended LLC Agreement. Except for transfers to us or to certain permitted transferees pursuant to the Amended LLC Agreement, holders of LLC Units are not permitted to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any LLC Units or shares of Class B common stock. |
| We will issue shares of Class A common stock to the public pursuant to this offering. |
| We will use all of the net proceeds from this offering (including net proceeds received if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) to (i) acquire newly-issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and (ii) acquire LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, in each case at purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, collectively representing % of Xponential Holdings LLCs outstanding LLC Units (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
| We will enter into a tax receivable agreement (TRA) that will obligate us to make payments to the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, the Reorganization Parties and any future party to the TRA in the aggregate generally equal to 85% of the applicable cash savings that we actually realize as a result of certain favorable tax attributes we will acquire from the Blocker Companies in the Mergers or that may result from the purchase or exchange of LLC Units from Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and certain payments made under the TRA. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of these tax savings. |
| We will cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the proceeds from the sale of LLC Units to us (i) to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions, (ii) to potentially repay indebtedness and (iii) for working capital. Xponential Holdings LLC will not receive any proceeds from the purchase by us of LLC Units from any of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members. See Use of Proceeds. |
We will issue shares of Class A common stock to the public pursuant to this offering.
The diagram below depicts our organizational structure immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, the completion of this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price
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range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and assuming no exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock. This chart is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to represent all legal entities within our organizational structure.
Our corporate structure following the completion of this offering, as described above, is commonly referred to as an Up-C structure, which is commonly used by partnerships and limited liability companies when they undertake an initial public offering of their business. Our Up-C structure will allow Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members to continue to realize tax benefits associated with owning interests in an entity that is treated as a partnership, or pass-through entity, for income tax purposes following this offering. One of these benefits is that future taxable income of Xponential Holdings LLC that is allocated to such owners will be taxed on a flow-through basis and, therefore, will not be subject to corporate taxes at the entity level. Additionally, because the LLC Units that Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members will hold are redeemable, at our election, for either newly-issued shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or a cash payment in accordance with the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement, our Up-C structure also provides the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members with potential liquidity that holders of non-publicly traded limited liability companies are not typically afforded. See Organizational Structure and Description of Capital Stock.
We will also hold LLC Units, and therefore receive the same benefits as Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members with respect to its ownership in an entity treated as a partnership, or pass-through entity, for income tax purposes. The acquisition of LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in connection with this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges by holders of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, the Mergers and other transactions described herein are expected to result in favorable tax
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attributes that will be allocated to us. These tax attributes would not be available to us in the absence of those transactions and are expected to reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future. In connection with the Reorganization Transactions, we will enter into a TRA that will obligate us to make payments to the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, the Reorganization Parties and any future party to the TRA in the aggregate generally equal to 85% of the applicable cash savings that we actually realize as a result of these tax attributes and tax attributes resulting from certain payments made under the TRA. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of these tax savings. See Organizational StructureHolding Company Structure and the Tax Receivable Agreement.
Under the Amended LLC Agreement, we will receive a pro rata share of any distributions made by Xponential Holdings LLC to its members. Such tax distributions will be calculated based upon an assumed tax rate, which, under certain circumstances, may cause Xponential Holdings LLC to make tax distributions that, in the aggregate, exceed the amount of taxes that Xponential Holdings LLC would have paid if it were a similarly situated corporate taxpayer. Funds used by Xponential Holdings LLC to satisfy its tax distribution obligations will not be available for reinvestment in our business. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Organizational Structure.
Upon the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, the completion of this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering:
| We will be appointed as the managing member of Xponential Holdings LLC and will hold LLC Units, constituting % of the outstanding economic interests in Xponential Holdings LLC (or LLC Units, constituting % of the outstanding economic interests in Xponential Holdings LLC, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
| The Pre-IPO LLC Members will hold (i) shares of Class A common stock and (ii) LLC Units, which together represent approximately % of the economic interest in Xponential Holdings LLC (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) and (ii) through their ownership of Class A and Class B common stock, approximately % of the combined voting power of our common stock (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
| Investors in this offering will collectively hold (i) shares of our Class A common stock, representing approximately % of the combined voting power of our common stock (or shares and %, respectively, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) and (ii) through our ownership of LLC Units will hold approximately % of the economic interest in Xponential Holdings LLC (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
See Organizational Structure, Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions and Description of Capital Stock for more information on the rights associated with our common stock and the LLC Units.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation from time to time pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC)) in annual gross revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the
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JOBS Act). An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. As an emerging growth company:
| we may present as few as two years of audited financial statements and two years of related management discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations; |
| we are exempt from the requirement to obtain an attestation report from our auditors on managements assessment of our internal control over financial reporting under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), for up to five years or until we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company; |
| we are permitted to provide reduced disclosure regarding our executive compensation arrangements pursuant to the rules applicable to smaller reporting companies, which means we do not have to include a compensation discussion and analysis and certain other disclosures regarding our executive compensation; and |
| we are not required to hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements. |
In addition to the relief described above, the JOBS Act permits us an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies. We have elected to use this extended transition period, which means that our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of public companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards on a non-delayed basis.
In this prospectus we have elected to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements relating to executive compensation, and in the future we may take advantage of any or all of these exemptions for so long as we remain an emerging growth company. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross commissions and fees of $1.07 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time) or more, (ii) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act).
Corporate Information
Xponential Fitness LLC was founded in August 2017 and Xponential Fitness, Inc. was incorporated in the State of Delaware on January 14, 2020. Xponential Fitness LLC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Xponential Holdings LLC on February 24, 2020. Our principal executive offices are located at 17877 Von Karman Ave, Suite 100, Irvine, CA, 92614 and our telephone number is (949) 346-3000. Our website is located at www.xponential.com. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto, or accessible therefrom, is not incorporated into this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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THE OFFERING
Class A common stock offered by us |
shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
Class A common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering |
shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). If all outstanding LLC Units held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members were redeemed or exchanged for newly-issued shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, shares of Class A common stock (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) would be outstanding. |
Class B common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering |
shares. Immediately after this offering, the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members will own 100% of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock. |
Voting power held by holders of Class A common stock after giving effect to this offering |
% (or 100% if all outstanding LLC Units held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members were redeemed or exchanged for a corresponding number of newly issued shares of Class A common stock). |
Voting power held by holders of Class B common stock after giving effect to this offering |
% (or 0% if all outstanding LLC Units held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members were redeemed or exchanged for a corresponding number of newly issued shares of Class A common stock). |
Voting rights after giving effect to this offering |
Each share of common stock will entitle its holder to one vote per share. Investors in this offering will hold approximately % of the combined voting power of our common stock (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
Our Class A common stock and Class B common stock generally vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. See Description of Capital Stock. |
Use of proceeds |
We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full), after deducting underwriting |
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discounts and commissions of approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
We intend to use the net proceeds that we receive from this offering to purchase newly issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, including Anthony Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder, at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price per share of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. |
We will cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the proceeds from the sale of LLC Units to us (i) to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions, (ii) to potentially repay indebtedness and (iii) for working capital. |
Xponential Holdings LLC will not receive any proceeds from the purchase by us of LLC Units from any of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members. |
We estimate that the offering expenses (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be approximately $ million. All of such offering expenses will be paid for by Xponential Holdings LLC. See Use of Proceeds. |
Redemption rights of the holders of LLC Units |
Under the Amended LLC Agreement, holders of LLC Units (other than us) will have the right, from and after the completion of this offering (subject to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement), to require Xponential Holdings LLC to redeem all or a portion of their LLC Units for, at our election, newly issued shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or a cash payment equal to the volume-weighted average market price of one share of our Class A common stock for each LLC Unit redeemed (subject to customary adjustments, including for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications) in accordance with the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. Additionally, in the event of a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, we may, at our option, effect a direct exchange of cash or Class A common stock for LLC Units in lieu of such a redemption. Shares of Class B common stock will be cancelled on a one-for-one basis if we, following a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, redeem or exchange LLC Units of such holder pursuant to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsAmended LLC Agreement. |
Except for transfers to us pursuant to the Amended LLC Agreement or to certain permitted transferees, holders of LLC Units are not |
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permitted to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any LLC Units or shares of Class B common stock. |
Tax receivable agreement |
Upon the completion of this offering, we will be a party to a TRA with the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and the Reorganization Parties. Under the TRA, we generally will be required to pay to the TRA parties in the aggregate 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize as a result of (i) certain tax attributes that are created as a result of the redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, (ii) any existing tax attributes associated with LLC Units we acquire, the benefit of which will be allocable to us as a result of the Mergers and exchanges by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of their LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash (including the portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs existing tax basis in its assets that is allocable to the LLC Units that are redeemed or acquired), (iii) tax benefits related to imputed interest, (iv) net operating losses (NOLs) available to us as a result of the Mergers and (v) tax attributes resulting from payments under the TRA. These payment obligations are our obligations and not obligations of Xponential Holdings LLC. Our obligations under the TRA will also apply with respect to any person who is issued LLC Units in the future and who becomes a party to the TRA. See Organizational StructureHolding Company Structure and the Tax Receivable Agreement. |
Controlled company exemption |
After the completion of this offering, we will be considered a controlled company for the purposes of listing requirements. As a controlled company, we will not be subject to certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that: (i) a majority of our board of directors consists of independent directors, as defined under the rules of ; and (ii) our compensation and nominating and governance committees be composed of entirely independent directors. See ManagementControlled Company. |
Proposed symbol |
XPOF |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus:
| gives effect to the Reorganization Transactions and assumes the effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which we will adopt prior to completion of this offering; |
| assumes an initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus); |
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| assumes the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase up to additional shares of Class A common stock; |
|
excludes shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon the redemption or exchange of LLC Units that will be held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members after the completion of this offering; and |
| excludes up to shares of Class A common stock that may vest depending on the valuation of our Class A shares in connection with the acquisition of Rumble in March 2021. |
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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA
The following sets forth summary consolidated financial and other data of Xponential Fitness LLC, a subsidiary of Xponential Holdings LLC, and Xponential Fitness LLCs consolidated subsidiaries. Xponential Fitness, Inc. was formed as a Delaware corporation on January 14, 2020 and Xponential Holdings LLC was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on February 19, 2020, and neither has, to date, conducted any activities other than those incident to its formation, the Reorganization Transactions and the preparation of this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The summary consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and the summary consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus.
The results indicated below are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in the future and should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified by reference to Capitalization, Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Years Ended December 31, |
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2018(1) | 2019 | 2020 | ||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Consolidated Statement of Operations Data |
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Revenue, net: |
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Franchise revenue |
$ | 19,852 | $ | 47,364 | $ | 48,056 | ||||||
Equipment revenue |
22,646 | 40,012 | 20,642 | |||||||||
Merchandise revenue |
9,575 | 22,215 | 16,648 | |||||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
3,745 | 8,648 | 7,448 | |||||||||
Other service revenue |
3,446 | 10,891 | 13,798 | |||||||||
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Total revenue, net |
59,264 | 129,130 | 106,592 | |||||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
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Costs of product revenue |
22,901 | 41,432 | 25,727 | |||||||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
3,127 | 5,703 | 8,392 | |||||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
44,551 | 80,495 | 60,917 | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
3,513 | 6,386 | 7,651 | |||||||||
Marketing fund expense |
3,285 | 8,217 | 7,101 | |||||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
18,095 | 7,948 | (10,990 | ) | ||||||||
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Total operating costs and expenses |
95,472 | 150,181 | 98,798 | |||||||||
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Operating loss |
(36,208 | ) | (21,051 | ) | 7,794 | |||||||
Other income (expense): |
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Interest income |
56 | 168 | (345 | ) | ||||||||
Interest expense |
(6,253 | ) | (16,087 | ) | 21,410 | |||||||
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Total other expense |
(6,197 | ) | (15,919 | ) | 21,065 | |||||||
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Loss before income taxes |
(42,405 | ) | (36,970 | ) | (13,271 | ) | ||||||
Income taxes |
73 | 164 | 369 | |||||||||
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Net loss |
$ | (42,478 | ) | $ | (37,134 | ) | $ | (13,640 | ) | |||
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As of |
As of |
Pro Forma As Adjusted(2) |
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(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data |
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Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
$ | 9,339 | $ | 11,299 | ||||||||
Total assets |
325,667 | 322,838 | ||||||||||
Total debt(3) |
159,671 | 189,840 | ||||||||||
Total members equity/stockholders equity |
26,678 | 4,749 |
(1) | See Note 3Acquisition of Businesses in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. |
(2) | The pro forma adjustments related to this offering (the Offering Adjustments) are described in the notes to the unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus, and principally include the following: |
| adjustments for the Reorganization Transactions and the entry into the TRA; |
| the issuance of shares of our Class A common stock to the purchasers in this offering in exchange for net proceeds of approximately $ million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions but before offering expenses; |
| the application by us of the net proceeds from this offering and the issuance of shares of Class A common stock (assuming shares of Class A common stock are sold in this offering, and assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock) to acquire newly-issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and acquire LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions; |
| the application by Xponential Holdings LLC of a portion of the proceeds of the sale of LLC Units to us to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions; and |
| the provision for federal and state income taxes of Xponential Fitness, Inc. as a taxable corporation at an effective rate of % for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively (which effective rates were calculated using the U.S. federal income tax rate of 21%). |
(3) | Includes long-term debt, notes payable and present value of amounts due under settlement agreements, but excludes contingent consideration and deferred loan costs. Amounts due under settlement agreements were $4.4 million and $2.0 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. These amounts are recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as accrued expenses of $2.7 million and $2.0 million and contingent consideration from acquisitions $1.7 million and $0 at December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. |
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Years Ended December 31, |
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2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||||||||
(in thousands except per unit data) | ||||||||||||
Key Performance Indicators(1) |
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System-wide sales |
$ | 374,506 | $ | 536,296 | $ | 433,989 | ||||||
Number of new studio openings in North America |
260 | 394 | 240 | |||||||||
Number of studios operating in North America |
1,066 | 1,460 | 1,700 | |||||||||
Number of licenses sold in North America |
2,081 | 2,998 | 3,261 | |||||||||
Number of licenses contractually obligated to be sold internationally |
35 | 489 | 593 | |||||||||
AUV |
$ | 385 | $ | 435 | $ | 283 | ||||||
Same store sales |
8% | 10% | (34)% | |||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA(2) |
$ | (10,565) | $ | 16,642 | $ | 10,152 |
(1) | See Basis of Presentation and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsKey Performance Indicators for the definition of and additional information about these metrics. |
(2) | We define adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (net income/loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in our evaluation of ongoing operating performance. These items include equity-based compensation, acquisition and transaction expenses (including change in fair value of contingent consideration), management fees and expenses (that will be discontinued after this offering), integration and related expenses and litigation expenses (consisting of legal and related fees for specific proceedings that arise outside of the ordinary course of our business) that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance. We believe that adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of operating performance because it eliminates the impact of expenses that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsNon-GAAP Financial Measures. |
The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to adjusted EBITDA, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. |
Years Ended December 31, |
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2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (42,478 | ) | $ | (37,134 | ) | $ | (13,640 | ) | |||
Interest expense |
6,253 | 16,087 | 21,410 | |||||||||
Income taxes |
73 | 164 | 369 | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
3,513 | 6,386 | 7,651 | |||||||||
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EBITDA |
(32,639 | ) | (14,497 | ) | 15,790 | |||||||
Equity-based compensation |
1,969 | 2,064 | 1,751 | |||||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
18,095 | 7,948 | (10,990 | ) | ||||||||
Management fees and expenses |
847 | 557 | 795 | |||||||||
Integration and related expenses |
467 | 15,022 | 386 | |||||||||
Litigation expenses |
696 | 5,548 | 2,420 | |||||||||
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Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | (10,565 | ) | $ | 16,642 | $ | 10,152 | |||||
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An investment 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 our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in our Class A common stock. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could suffer materially, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Our business and results of operations have been and are expected to continue to be materially adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The outbreak of COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, has continued to impact global economic activity. A public health pandemic such as COVID-19 poses the risk that we or our employees, franchisees, suppliers and other partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, due to shutdowns, travel restrictions, social distancing requirements, stay-at-home orders and advisories and other restrictions suggested or mandated by governmental authorities that may be suggested or mandated by governmental authorities. The COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described elsewhere in this report, such as those relating to our growth strategy, international operations, franchisees ability to attract and retain members, supply chain, health and safety risks to members, loss of key employees and changes in consumer preferences, as well as risks related to our significant indebtedness, including our ability to generate sufficient cash and comply with the terms of and restrictions under the agreements governing such indebtedness.
The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains highly uncertain and difficult to predict. However, the continued spread of the virus and the measures taken in response to it have disrupted our operations and have adversely impacted our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, franchisees closed almost all studios system-wide in mid-March 2020, although substantially all of our franchised studios have resumed operations as of March 31, 2021. We and franchisees took other actions, such as temporary rent deferrals and reduced marketing activities, as additional measures to preserve cash and liquidity during closure periods. Temporary rent deferrals have often led to renegotiated rent payment schedules with landlords, some of which remain unresolved and may affect us or franchisees in future periods. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact areas in which our studios operate, certain of our studios have had to re-close or significantly reduce capacity, and additional studios may have to re-close or further reduce capacity, pursuant to local guidelines. As a result of COVID-19, franchisees have also experienced to date, and may continue to experience, a decrease in net membership base. The COVID-19 pandemic and these responses have adversely affected and will continue to adversely affect our and franchisees sales.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our ability to generate revenue. A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from royalty fees and other fees and commissions generated from activities associated with franchisees and equipment sales to franchisees. These revenue streams were affected by the decline in system-wide sales as almost all studios were temporarily closed intermittently beginning in mid-March and throughout 2020 and early 2021, and new studio openings were delayed. We are reliant on the performance of franchisees in successfully operating their studios and paying royalties to us on a timely basis. Disruptions in franchisees operations for a significant amount of time due to studio closures or the COVID-19 pandemic-related social distancing, or other movement restricting policies put in place in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, have adversely impacted and will likely continue to adversely impact royalty payments from franchisees, or result in our providing payment relief or other forms of support to franchisees, and may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also adversely affected franchisees ability to open new studios. Social distancing and stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders and mandates as well as construction restrictions related to
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the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a slowdown in planned openings and in construction related processes such as onsite inspections, permitting, construction completion and installation of equipment in some jurisdictions. We have also been largely unable to conduct in-person marketing and sales meetings and training sessions for franchisees at our headquarters. These changes may adversely affect our ability to grow our business.
If the business interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continue for a substantial period of time, we or franchisees may need to seek other sources of liquidity. The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting the availability of liquidity generally in the credit markets, and there can be no guarantee that additional liquidity, whether through the credit markets or government programs, will be readily available or available on favorable terms, especially the longer the COVID-19 pandemic persists.
The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any significant resurgences on our business and results of operations is unknown and will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, new developments concerning the severity of or potential treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, and any additional preventative and protective actions that governments, or we, may direct, which may result in an extended period of continued business disruption and reduced operations. We expect our business, across all of our geographies, will continue to be impacted, but the significance of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the duration for which it may have an impact cannot be determined at this time.
Moreover, even after social distancing, stay-at-home and other governmental orders and advisories are lifted, consumer demand may remain weak and consumer behavior may shift, including as a result of consumers hesitancy to return to in-person studios. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption of the global economy. A recession, depression or other adverse economic impact resulting from the pandemic could dampen consumer spending generally and demand for fitness classes or boutique fitness specifically. In addition, consumers may be reluctant to participate in in-person fitness classes even after governmental orders and advisories are lifted, and may be particularly reluctant to participate in our brands offerings given the small indoor spaces in which our studios operate. If a COVID-19 outbreak were to occur in any of the in-person studios, our brands reputation may be harmed and consumer demand for indoor classes may decrease further. Decreased consumer demand for any of these reasons would have an adverse impact on our and franchisees business, financial condition and results of operations, and we cannot predict when or if our brands will return to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic active membership and demand levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Risk Factors section, such as those relating to our growth strategy, international operations, our and franchisees ability to attract and retain members, our supply chain, health and safety risks to our members, loss of key employees and changes in consumer preferences, as well as risks related to our significant indebtedness, including our ability to generate sufficient cash and comply with the terms of and restrictions under the agreements governing such indebtedness.
Shifts in consumer behavior may materially adversely impact our business.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers may be reluctant to participate in in-person fitness classes even after governmental orders and advisories are lifted, and may be particularly reluctant to participate in our brands offerings given the small indoor spaces in which our studios operate. Moreover, consumers have been adopting in-home fitness solutions, a trend which accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend may reduce the number of times consumers participate in in-person fitness classes in studios. Decreased consumer demand due to a general shift in consumer behavior would have an adverse impact on our and franchisees business, financial condition and results of operations, and we cannot predict when or if our brands will return to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic active membership and demand levels.
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We have incurred operating losses in the past, may incur operating losses in the future and may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future.
We have incurred operating losses each year since our formation in 2017, including a net loss of $13.6 million for 2020, and may continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. As a result, we had a total accumulated deficit of $107.5 million as of December 31, 2020. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the future as we increase our sales and marketing efforts, expand our operating infrastructure and expand into new geographies. Further, as a public company, we will incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. These efforts and additional expenses may be more costly than we expect, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to increase our revenue to offset our increased operating expenses. Our revenue growth may slow or our revenue may decline for a number of other reasons, including reduced demand for new franchises, reduced demand for the services and products offered by franchisees, increased competition, reduction in openings of new studios, a decrease in the growth or reduction in the size of our overall market or if we cannot capitalize on growth opportunities. If our revenue does not grow at a greater rate than our operating expenses, we will not be able to achieve profitability.
We have a limited operating history and our past financial results may not be indicative of our future performance. Further, our revenue growth rate is likely to slow as our business matures.
Anthony Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder, acquired Club Pilates in March 2015. We were founded in August 2017 and acquired Club Pilates, our first brand, in September 2017. We have a limited history of generating revenue. As a result of our short operating history, we have limited financial data that can be used to evaluate our business. Therefore, our historical revenue growth should not be considered indicative of our future performance. In particular, we have experienced periods of high revenue growth, notably since we acquired Pure Barre in October 2018, that we do not expect to continue as our business matures. Estimates of future revenue growth are subject to many risks and uncertainties and our future revenue may differ materially from our projections. We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, including market acceptance of our and franchisees services and products, the need to increase sales at existing studios, opening new studios, increasing competition and increasing expenses as we expand our business. We cannot be sure that we will be successful in addressing these and other challenges we may face in the future, and our business may be adversely affected if we do not manage these risks.
Our financial results are affected by the operating and financial results of, and our relationships with, master franchisees and franchisees.
A substantial portion of our revenue comes from royalties generated by franchised studios and studios franchised through master franchisees, other fees and commissions generated from activities associated with franchisees and equipment sales and leases to franchisees. As a result, our financial results are largely dependent upon the operational and financial results of franchisees. As of December 31, 2020, we had 1,040 franchisees operating 1,710 open studios. Negative economic conditions, including inflation, increased unemployment levels and the effect of decreased consumer confidence or changes in consumer behavior, or any continued disruptions in franchisees operations for a significant amount of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related social distancing, or other movement restricting policies put in place in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, could materially harm franchisees financial condition, which would cause our royalty and other revenues to decline and, as a result, materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For example, our revenue was negatively affected by the decline in system-wide sales as a majority of our and franchisees studios were closed during mid-March and throughout 2020, and new studio openings were delayed. In addition, if franchisees fail to renew their franchise agreements with us, or otherwise cease operating, our royalty and other revenues may decrease, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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Franchisees are an integral part of our business. We would be unable to successfully implement our growth strategy without the participation of franchisees. The failure of franchisees to focus on the fundamentals of studio operations, such as quality, service and studio appearance, would adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
If we fail to successfully implement our growth strategy, which includes opening new studios by existing and new franchisees in existing and new markets, our ability to increase our revenue and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our growth strategy relies in large part upon new studio development by existing and new franchisees. Franchisees face many challenges in opening new studios, including:
| availability and cost of financing; |
| selection and availability of suitable studio locations; |
| competition for studio sites; |
| negotiation of acceptable lease and financing terms; |
| impact of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| construction and development cost management; |
| selection and availability of suitable general contractors; |
| punctual commencement and progress of construction and development; |
| equipment delivery or installation delays; |
| health, fitness and wellness trends in new geographic regions and acceptance of our and franchisees services and products; |
| employment, training and retention of qualified personnel; |
| competition for consumers and qualified instructors; |
| ability to open new studios during the timeframes we and franchisees expect; |
| securing required domestic or foreign governmental permits and approvals; and |
| general economic and business conditions. |
Our growth strategy also relies on our and master franchisees ability to identify, recruit and enter into agreements with a sufficient number of qualified franchisees. In addition, our and franchisees ability to successfully open and operate studios in new markets may be adversely affected by a lack of awareness or acceptance of our brands and a lack of existing marketing efforts and operational execution in these new markets. To the extent that we and franchisees are unable to implement effective marketing and promotional programs and foster recognition and affinity for our brands in new markets, franchisees studios in these new markets may not perform as expected and our growth may be significantly delayed or impaired. In addition, franchisees of new studios may have difficulty securing adequate financing, particularly in new markets, where there may be a lack of adequate operating history and brand familiarity. New studios may not be successful or same store sales may not increase at historical rates, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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In addition, new studios build their sales volume and customer base over time and, as a result, generally yield lower amounts of revenue for us than more mature studios. New studios may not achieve sustained results consistent with more mature studios on a timely basis, or at all, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, operating results and growth rate.
The majority of new franchisees studio development is funded by franchisee investment and, therefore, our growth strategy is dependent on the ability of franchisees or prospective franchisees to access funds to finance such development. If franchisees (or prospective franchisees) are unable to obtain financing at commercially reasonable rates, or at all, they may be unwilling or unable to invest in the development of new studios, and our future growth could be adversely affected. In particular, our Chief Executive Officer and founder is the owner of Intensive Capital Inc. (ICI), which directly and indirectly has provided financing to a limited number of franchisees. ICI may lessen or discontinue lending to franchisees in the future, and as a result, franchisees may be unable to obtain financing on the same or similar terms or on the same timeline and our future growth could be adversely affected.
To the extent franchisees are unable to open new studios on the timeline we anticipate, we will not realize the revenue growth that we expect. Franchisees failure to add a significant number of new studios would adversely affect our ability to increase our revenue and operating income and could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
The number of new studios that actually open in the future may differ materially from the number of studio licenses sold to potential, existing and new franchisees.
The number of new studios that actually open in the future may differ materially from the number of U.S. licenses sold and international licenses to be sold via master franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2020, we had a total of 3,261 licenses sold in North America and 593 licenses to be sold internationally via master franchise agreements in respect of studios that had not yet opened. Historically, a portion of our licenses sold have not ultimately resulted in new studios. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, we terminated five, three and 38 licenses, respectively. We expect that this percentage may increase over time. Of the franchisees that opened their first studio in 2019, on average it took approximately 12.2 months from signing the franchise agreement to open. Of the franchisees that opened their first studio in 2020, on average it took approximately 14.6 months from signing the franchise agreement to open. The length of time increased during 2020 due to COVID-related opening restrictions. However, the historic conversion rate of signed studio commitments to new studio locations may not be indicative of the conversion rate we will experience in the future, and the total number of new studios that actually open in the future may differ materially from the number of licenses sold that we have at any point in time. In addition, the timing of new studio openings is sometimes delayed for a variety of reasons, and delayed openings would adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our success depends substantially on our ability to maintain the value and reputation of our brands.
Our success is dependent in large part upon our ability to maintain and enhance the value of our brands and the connection of franchisees customers to our brands. Maintaining, protecting and enhancing our brands depends largely on the success of our marketing efforts, ability to provide consistent, high-quality services and our ability to successfully secure, maintain and defend our rights to use trademarks important to our brands. We believe that the importance of our brands will increase as competition within our markets further intensifies and brand promotion activities may require substantial expenditures. Our brands could be harmed if we fail to achieve these objectives or if our public image were to be tarnished by negative publicity. In particular, studios offer services that involve physical interaction, and any claims of inappropriate touching or behavior by franchisees employees or independent contractors, even if unsubstantiated, could harm our and our brands reputations. Unfavorable publicity about us, including our brands, services, products, customer service, personnel, technology and suppliers, could diminish confidence in, and the use of, our services and products. Such negative publicity also could have an adverse effect on the size, engagement and loyalty of franchisees
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customers and result in decreased revenue, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our expansion into new markets may present increased risks due to our unfamiliarity with those markets.
Certain new franchised studios and studios franchised through master franchisees are planned for markets where there may be limited or no market recognition of our brands. Those new markets may have competitive conditions, consumer preferences and discretionary spending patterns that are different from those in our existing markets. As a result, studios in these new markets may be less successful than studios in existing markets. Franchisees may need to build brand awareness in those new markets through greater investments in advertising and promotional activity than franchisees originally planned. Franchisees may find it more difficult in new markets to hire, motivate and retain qualified employees who can project our vision, passion and culture. Studios opened in new markets may also have lower average sales than studios opened in existing markets. Sales at studios opened in new markets may take longer to ramp up and reach expected sales and profit levels, and may never do so, thereby adversely affecting our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our expansion into international markets exposes us to a number of risks that may differ in each country where we have licensed franchisees.
We currently have franchised studios in Canada, signed master franchise agreements governing the development of franchised studios in countries such as Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and Spain, entered into international expansion agreements in the Dominican Republic, Austria and Germany and plan to continue to grow internationally. However, our international operations are in early stages. Expansion into international markets will be affected by local economic and market conditions. Therefore, as we expand internationally, franchisees may not experience the operating margins we expect, and our results of operations and growth may be materially and adversely affected. Our financial condition and results of operations may also be adversely affected if the global markets in which our franchised studios compete are affected by changes in political, economic or other factors. These factors, over which neither we nor franchisees have control, may include:
| impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing and other restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| recessionary or expansive trends in international markets; |
| increases in the taxes we or franchisees pay and other changes in applicable tax laws; |
| legal and regulatory changes, and the burdens and costs of our and franchisees compliance with a variety of foreign laws; |
| changes in inflation rates; |
| changes in exchange rates and the imposition of restrictions on currency conversion or the transfer of funds; |
| difficulty in protecting our brands, reputation and intellectual property; |
| difficulty in collecting royalties; |
| political and economic instability; and |
| other external factors, including actual or perceived threats to public health. |
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If we or master franchisees fail to identify, recruit and contract with a sufficient number of qualified franchisees, our ability to open new studios and increase our revenue could be materially adversely affected.
The opening of new studios depends, in part, upon the availability of prospective franchisees who meet our criteria. We or master franchisees may not be able to identify, recruit or contract with qualified franchisees in our target markets on a timely basis or at all. In addition, franchisees may not ultimately be able to access the financial or management resources that they need to open the studios contemplated by their agreements with us, or they may elect to cease studio development for other reasons. If we or master franchisees are unable to recruit qualified franchisees or if franchisees are unable or unwilling to open new studios as planned, our growth may be slower than anticipated, which could materially adversely affect our ability to increase our revenue and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchisees may incur rising costs related to the construction of new studios and maintenance of existing studios, which could adversely affect the attractiveness of our franchise model and, in turn, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchisees studios require significant upfront and ongoing investment, including periodic remodeling and equipment replacement. Further, studio operating costs have increased in connection with franchisees responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including implementing required and recommended measures designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. If franchisees costs are greater than expected, franchisees may need to outperform their operational plan to achieve their targeted return. In addition, increased costs may result in lower profits to franchisees, which may cause them to cease operations or make it harder for us to attract new franchisees, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In addition, if a franchisee is unwilling or unable to acquire the necessary financing to invest in the maintenance and upkeep of its studios, including periodic remodeling and equipment replacement, the quality of its studios could deteriorate, which may have a negative impact on the image of our brands and franchisees ability to attract and retain customers, which in turn may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
If franchisees are unable to identify and secure suitable sites for new studios, our ability to open new studios and increase our revenue could be materially adversely affected.
To successfully expand our business, franchisees must identify and secure sites for new studios that meet our established criteria. Franchisees face significant competition for such sites and, as a result, franchisees may lose or be forced to pay significantly higher prices for such sites. If franchisees are unable to identify and secure sites for new studios that meet our established criteria, our revenue growth rate and results of operations may be negatively impacted. Additionally, if our or franchisees analysis of the suitability of a new studio site is incorrect, franchisees may not be able to recover their capital investment in developing and building the new studio.
As we increase our number of franchised studios, franchisees may also open studios in higher-cost markets, which could entail, among other expenses, greater lease payments and construction costs. The higher level of invested capital at these studios may require higher operating margins and higher net income per studio to produce the level of return we, franchisees and our potential franchisees expect. Failure to provide this level of return could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Opening new studios in close proximity to existing studios may negatively impact existing studios revenue and profitability.
Franchisees currently operate studios in 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Canada Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, and we plan to continue to seek franchisees to open new studios in the
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future, some of which will be in existing markets. We intend to continue opening new franchised studios in existing markets as part of our growth strategy, some of which may be located in close proximity to studios already in those markets. Opening new studios in close proximity to existing studios may attract some customers away from those existing studios, which may lead to diminished revenue and profitability for us and franchisees rather than increased market share. In addition, as a result of opening new studios in existing markets, and because older studios will represent an increasing proportion of our studio base over time, same store sales may be lower in future periods than they have been historically.
New brands or services that we launch in the future may not be as successful as we anticipate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We acquired Stretch Lab in November 2017, Row House in December 2017, AKT in March 2018, Yoga Six in July 2018, Stride in December 2018 and Rumble in March 2021. We launched Video-On-Demand offerings in 2019. We may launch additional brands, services or products in the future. We cannot assure you that any new brands, services or products we launch will be accepted by consumers, that we will be able to recover the costs incurred in developing new brands, services or products, or that new brands, services or products will be successful. If new brands, services or products are not as successful as we anticipate, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchisees could take actions that harm our business.
Franchisees are contractually obligated to operate their studios in accordance with the operational, safety and health standards set forth in our agreements with them. Franchisees are independent third parties and their actions are outside of our control. In addition, we cannot be certain that franchisees will have the business acumen or financial resources necessary to operate successful franchises, and certain state franchise laws may limit our ability to terminate or modify our franchise agreements with them. Franchisees own, operate and oversee the daily operations of their studios, and their employees and independent contractors are not our employees or independent contractors. As a result, the ultimate success and quality of any studio rests with the franchisee. If franchisees do not operate their studios in a manner consistent with required standards and comply with local laws and regulations, franchise fees and royalties paid to us may be adversely affected and the image of our brands and our reputation could be harmed, which in turn could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Furthermore, we may have disputes with franchisees that could damage the image of our brands, our reputation and our relationships with franchisees.
Franchisees may not successfully execute our suggested best practices, which could harm our business.
Franchisees may not successfully execute our suggested best practices, which include our recommended plan for operating and managing a studio. We believe our suggested best practices provide key principles designed to help franchisees manage and operate a studio efficiently. If a franchisee is unable to manage or operate their studio efficiently, the performance and quality of service of the studio could be adversely affected, which could reduce customer engagement and negatively affect our royalty revenues and brand image. Further, we expect franchisees to follow our suggested best practices, and if a franchisee does not adopt the principles outlined by us, franchisees may not generate the revenue we expect and our forecasts and projections may be inaccurate, which in turn could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We are subject to a variety of additional risks associated with franchisees.
Our franchise model subjects us to a number of risks, any one of which may impact our royalty revenues collected from franchisees, harm the goodwill associated with our brands, and materially and adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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Franchisee bankruptcies. A franchisee bankruptcy could have a substantial negative impact on our ability to collect payments due under our agreements with such franchisee. In the event of a franchisee bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee may reject its franchise agreement or agreements, area development agreement or any other agreements pursuant to Section 365 under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, in which case there would be no further royalty payments or any other payments from such franchisee, and we may not ultimately recover those payments in a bankruptcy proceeding of such franchisee in connection with a damage claim resulting from such rejection.
Franchisee changes in control. Franchisees are independent business owners. Although we have the right to approve franchisees, including any transferee franchisees, it can be difficult to predict in advance whether a particular franchisee will be successful. If an individual franchisee is unable to successfully establish, manage and operate its studio, the performance and quality of service of the studio could be adversely affected, which could reduce sales and negatively affect our royalty revenues, the image of our brands and our reputation. In the event of the death or disability of a franchisee (if a natural person) or a principal of a franchisee entity, the executors and representatives of the franchisee are required to transfer the relevant franchise agreements with us to the franchisees heirs, trust, personal representative or conservator, as applicable. In any transfer situation, the transferee may not be able to perform the former franchisees obligations under such franchise agreements and successfully operate the studio. In such a case, the performance and quality of service of the studio could be adversely affected, which could also reduce sales and negatively affect our royalty revenues, the image of our brands and our reputation.
Franchisee insurance. Franchise agreements require each franchisee to maintain certain insurance types at specified levels. Losses arising from certain extraordinary hazards, however, may not be covered, and insurance may not be available (or may be available only at prohibitively expensive rates) with respect to many other risks. Moreover, any loss incurred could exceed policy limits and policy payments made to franchisees may not be made on a timely basis. Any such loss or delay in payment could have a material adverse effect on a franchisees ability to satisfy its obligations under its franchise agreement with us or other contractual obligations, which could negatively affect our operating and financial results.
Franchisees that are operating entities. Franchisees may be natural persons or legal entities. Franchisees that are operating companies (as opposed to limited purpose entities) are subject to business, credit, financial and other risks, which may be unrelated to the operation of their studios. These unrelated risks could materially and adversely affect a franchisee that is an operating company and its ability to service its customers and maintain studio operations while making royalty payments, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchise agreement termination and nonrenewal. Each of our franchise agreements is subject to termination by us as the franchisor in the event of a default. The default provisions under our franchise agreements are drafted broadly and include, among other things, any failure to meet performance standards.
In addition, each of our franchise agreements has an expiration date. Upon the expiration of a franchise agreement, we or the franchisee may, or may not, elect to renew the franchise agreement. The franchise agreement renewal is contingent on, among other requirements, the franchisees execution of the then-current form of franchise agreement (which may include increased royalty rates, advertising fees and other fees and costs), the satisfaction of certain conditions (including studio renovation and modernization and other requirements) and the payment of a renewal fee. If a franchisee is unable or unwilling to satisfy any of these requirements, the expiring franchise agreement will terminate upon the expiration of its term.
Franchisee litigation and effects of regulatory efforts. We and franchisees are subject to a variety of litigation risks, including, but not limited to, customer claims, personal injury claims, harassment claims, vicarious liability claims, litigation with or involving our relationship with franchisees, litigation alleging that the franchisees are our employees or that we are the co-employer of franchisees employees, landlord/tenant
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disputes, intellectual property claims, gift card claims, employee allegations of improper termination and discrimination, claims related to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (the OSHA) and other employment-related laws. Each of these claims may increase costs, reduce the execution of new franchise agreements and affect the scope and terms of insurance or indemnifications we and franchisees may have. Litigation against a franchisee or its affiliates by third parties or regulatory agencies, whether in the ordinary course of business or otherwise, may also include claims against us by virtue of our relationship with the defendant-franchisee, whether under vicarious liability, joint employer or other theories. In addition to such claims decreasing the ability of a defendant-franchisee to make royalty payments and diverting our management and financial resources, adverse publicity resulting from such allegations may materially and adversely affect us, the image of our brands and our reputation, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or we are liable. Our international operations may be subject to additional risks related to litigation, including difficulties in enforcement of contractual obligations governed by foreign law due to differing interpretations of rights and obligations, compliance with multiple and potentially conflicting laws, new and potentially untested laws and judicial systems, and reduced or diminished protection of intellectual property. A substantial judgment against us or one of our subsidiaries could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
In addition, we, master franchisees, and franchisees are subject to various regulatory efforts, such as efforts to enforce employment laws, which include efforts to categorize franchisors as the co-employers of their franchisees employees, legislation to categorize independent contractors as employees, legislation to categorize individual franchised businesses as large employers for the purposes of various employment benefits, and other legislation or regulations that may have a disproportionate impact on franchisors and/or franchised businesses. These efforts may impose greater costs and regulatory burdens on us and franchisees, and negatively affect our ability to attract and retain franchisees.
We could also become subject to class action or other lawsuits related to the above-described or different matters in the future. In the ordinary course of business, we are also the subject of regulatory actions regarding the enforceability of the non-compete clauses included in our franchise agreements. In particular, certain states have public policies that may call into question the enforceability of non-compete clauses. Regardless, however, of whether any claim brought against us in the future is valid or we are liable, such a claim would be expensive to defend and may divert time, money and other valuable resources away from our operations and, thereby, hurt our business.
Insurance may not be available at all or in sufficient amounts to cover any liabilities with respect to these or other matters. A judgment or other liability in excess of our insurance coverage for any claims, or any adverse publicity resulting from such claims, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchise agreements and franchisee relationships. Franchisees develop and operate their studios under terms set forth in our area development and franchise agreements, respectively. These agreements give rise to long-term relationships that involve a complex set of obligations and cooperation. We have a standard set of agreements that we typically use with franchisees. However, we reserve the right to negotiate terms of our franchise agreements with individual franchisees or groups of franchisees (e.g., a franchisee association). We and franchisees may not always maintain a positive relationship or interpret our agreements in the same way. Our failure to have positive relationships with franchisees could individually or in the aggregate cause us to change or modify our business practices, which may make our franchise model less attractive to franchisees or their customers.
While our franchisee revenues are not concentrated among one or a small number of parties, the success of our business does depend in large part on our ability to maintain contractual relationships with franchisees in profitable studios. A typical franchise agreement has a ten-year term. No franchisee accounted for more than 5% of our total studios. If we fail to maintain or renew our contractual relationships with these significant franchisees
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on acceptable terms, or if one or more of these significant franchisees were to become unable or otherwise unwilling to pay amounts due to us, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Macroeconomic conditions or an economic downturn or uncertainty in our key markets could adversely affect discretionary spending and reduce demand for our and franchisees services and products, which could adversely affect our and franchisees ability to increase sales at existing studios or to open new studios.
Recessionary economic cycles, low consumer confidence, inflation, higher interest rates, higher levels of unemployment, higher consumer debt levels, higher tax rates and other changes in tax laws or other economic factors that may negatively affect our ability to attract franchisees and a decrease in discretionary consumer spending could reduce demand for health, fitness and wellness services and products, which could adversely affect our revenue and operating margins and make opening new studios more difficult. In recent years, the United States and other significant economic markets have experienced cyclical downturns and worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain. As global economic conditions continue to be volatile or economic uncertainty remains, trends in consumer discretionary spending also remain unpredictable and subject to reductions. Unfavorable economic conditions may decrease demand for our franchises. In addition, unfavorable economic conditions may lead consumers to have lower disposable income and reduce the frequency with which they purchase our and franchisees services and products. In addition, disasters or outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as any resulting recession, depression or other long-term economic impact, could negatively impact consumer spending in the impacted regions or depending upon the severity, globally, which could adversely impact our or franchisees operating results. This could result in fewer transactions or limitations on the prices we and franchisees can charge for services and products, either of which could reduce our sales and operating margins. All of these factors could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and growth strategy.
Our future success depends on the continuing efforts of our key employees and franchisees ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel.
Our future success depends, in part, on the services of our senior management team and other key employees at our corporate headquarters, as well as on our and franchisees ability to recruit, retain and motivate key employees. Competition for such employees can be intense, and the inability to identify, attract, develop, integrate and retain the additional qualified employees required to expand our and franchisees activities, or the loss of current key employees, could adversely affect our and franchisees operating efficiency and financial condition. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of Anthony Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder, who is critical to the development of our business, vision and strategic direction. We also heavily rely on the continued service and performance of our senior management team, including each of our brand presidents, who provide leadership, contribute to the core areas of our business and help us to efficiently execute our business. If our senior management team, including any new hires that we make in the future, fails to work together effectively and to execute our plans and strategies on a timely basis, our business and future growth prospects could be harmed.
Additionally, the loss of any key personnel could make it more difficult to manage our operations, reduce our employee retention and revenue and impair our ability to compete. Although we have entered into employment offer letters with certain of our key personnel, including Mr. Geisler, these letters have no specific duration and constitute at-will employment. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees.
Competition for highly skilled personnel is often intense. We and franchisees may not be successful in attracting, integrating or retaining qualified personnel to fulfill our or their needs. We have from time to time experienced, and we expect to continue to experience in the future, difficulty in hiring and retaining highly skilled employees with appropriate qualifications.
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Our investments in underperforming studios may be unsuccessful, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
From time to time, we take ownership of underperforming studios with a view to improving the operating results of the studio and ultimately re-licensing it to a different franchisee. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took ownership of a larger number of studios in 2020 than we have taken in previous years. As of December 31, 2020, we had ownership of 40 studios, compared to 14 and four studios as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in improving the operating results of such a studio or refranchising it. If the costs of operating the studio are greater than expected, the studio is otherwise unattractive due to its location or otherwise or we are required to operate the studio for an extended period of time, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition may be adversely affected. In addition, our operation of studios may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks for us described in this Risk Factors section that are related to the franchisees operation of its studios, such as those relating to our ability to attract and retain members, health and safety risks to our members, loss of key employees and changes in consumer preferences.
From time to time, we also make cash support payments to franchisees of underperforming studios. The support payments are intended to help franchisees improve their studios. The support payments may not be sufficient to help franchisees improve their results, and we may never realize a return on the support payments, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Disruptions in the availability of financing for current or prospective franchisees could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Any decline in the capital markets or limits on credit availability may negatively affect the ability of current or prospective franchisees to access the financial or management resources that they need to open or continue operating the studios contemplated by their agreements with us. Franchisees generally depend upon financing from banks or other financial institutions in order to construct and open new studios and to provide working capital. If there is a decline in the credit environment, financing may become difficult to obtain for some or all of our current and prospective franchisees. If current or prospective franchisees face difficulty obtaining financing, the number of our franchised studios may decrease, franchise fee revenues and royalty revenues could decline and our planned growth may slow, which would negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our Chief Executive Officer and founder owns ICI, which has provided financing to a limited number of franchisees, and ICI may lessen or discontinue lending to franchisees in the future, and as a result, franchisees may be unable to access funds to finance new studios on similar terms or timelines and our ability to have franchisees open new studios and increase our revenue could be materially adversely affected.
Our Chief Executive Officer and founder is the owner of ICI, which directly and indirectly has provided financing to a limited number of franchisees to fund working capital, equipment leases, franchise fees and other related expenses. It is possible that third parties would not provide comparable financing on comparable terms. ICI may lessen or discontinue lending to franchisees in the future and franchisees may be unable to obtain financing on the same or similar terms and our future growth could be adversely affected.
We operate in a highly competitive market and we may be unable to compete successfully against existing and future competitors.
Our services are offered in a highly competitive market. We face significant competition in every aspect of our business, including other fitness studios, personal trainers, health and fitness clubs, at-home fitness equipment, online fitness services and health and wellness apps. We also compete to sell franchises to potential
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franchisees who may choose to purchase franchises in boutique fitness from other operators, or franchises in other industries. Moreover, we expect the competition in our market to intensify in the future as new and existing competitors introduce new or enhanced services and products that compete with ours and as the industry continues to shift towards more online offerings. Franchisees compete with other fitness industry participants, including:
| other national and regional boutique fitness offerings, some of which are franchised and others of which are owned centrally at a corporate level; |
| other fitness centers, including gyms and other recreational facilities; |
| individually owned and operated boutique fitness studios; |
| personal trainers; |
| racquet, tennis and other athletic clubs; |
| online fitness services and health and wellness apps; |
| the home-use fitness equipment industry; and |
| businesses offering similar services. |
Our competitors may develop, or have already developed, services, products, features or technologies that are similar to ours or that achieve greater consumer acceptance, may undertake more successful service and product development efforts, create more compelling employment opportunities, franchise opportunities or marketing campaigns, or may adopt more aggressive pricing policies. Our competitors may develop or acquire, or have already developed or acquired, intellectual property rights that significantly limit or prevent our ability to compete effectively in the public marketplace. In addition, our competitors may have significantly greater resources than us, allowing them to identify and capitalize more efficiently upon opportunities in new markets and consumer preferences and trends, more quickly transition and adapt their services and products, devote greater resources to marketing and advertising, or be better positioned to withstand substantial price competition. If we are unable to compete effectively against our competitors, they may acquire and engage customers or generate revenue at the expense of our efforts, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Franchisees may be unable to attract and retain customers, which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
The success of our business depends on franchisees ability to attract and retain customers. Our and franchisees marketing efforts may not be successful in attracting customers to studios, and customer engagement may materially decline over time, especially at studios in operation for an extended period of time. Customers may cancel their memberships at any time after giving proper advance notice, subject to an initial minimum term applicable to certain memberships. Franchisees may also cancel or suspend memberships if a customer fails to provide payment. In addition, franchised studios experience attrition and must continually engage existing customers and attract new customers in order to maintain membership levels. Some of the factors that could lead to a decline in customer engagement include changing desires and behaviors of consumers or their perception of our brands, changes in discretionary spending trends and general economic conditions, effects of outbreaks, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, including consumer hesitancy to return to in-person indoor studios, social distancing requirements, stay-at-home orders and advisories, other restrictions suggested or mandated by governmental authorities, market maturity or saturation, a decline in our ability to deliver quality service at a competitive price, a decrease in monthly membership dues as a result of direct and indirect competition in our
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industry, a decline in the publics interest in health, fitness and wellness, or a decline in the publics interest in attending in-person fitness classes, among other factors. In order to increase membership levels, we may from time to time allow franchisees to offer promotions or lower monthly dues or annual fees. If we and franchisees are not successful in optimizing price or in increasing membership levels in new and existing studios, growth in monthly membership dues or annual fees may suffer. Any decrease in our average dues or fees or higher membership costs may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
If we are unable to anticipate and satisfy consumer preferences and shifting views of health, fitness and wellness, our business may be adversely affected.
Our success depends on our ability to identify and originate trends, as well as to anticipate and react to changing consumer preferences and demands relating to health, fitness and wellness, in a timely manner. Our business is subject to changing consumer preferences and trends that cannot be predicted with certainty. Developments or shifts in research or public opinion on the types of health, fitness and wellness services our brands provide could negatively impact consumers preferences for such services and negatively impact our business. If we are unable to introduce new or enhanced offerings in a timely manner, or if our new or enhanced offerings are not accepted by consumers, our competitors may introduce similar offerings faster than us, which could negatively affect our rate of growth. Moreover, our new offerings may not receive consumer acceptance as preferences could shift rapidly to different types of health, fitness and wellness offerings or away from these types of offerings altogether, and our future success depends in part on our ability to anticipate and respond to these shifts. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our members have shifted to at-home workouts. We are unable to predict whether our active membership levels will return to the same levels as our franchisees experienced before the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure to anticipate and respond in a timely manner to changing consumer preferences and demands could lead to, among other things, lower revenue at our franchised studios and, therefore, lower revenue from royalties. Even if we are successful in anticipating consumer preferences and demands, our ability to adequately react to and address them will partially depend upon our continued ability to develop and introduce innovative, high-quality offerings. Development of new or enhanced offerings may require significant time and financial investment, which could result in increased costs and a reduction in our operating margins. For example, we have historically incurred higher levels of sales and marketing expenses accompanying the introduction of each brand and service.
Our planned growth could place strains on our management, employees, information systems and internal controls, which may adversely impact our business.
Since our founding in 2017, we have experienced significant growth in our business activities and operations. This expansion has placed, and our planned future expansion may place, significant demands on our administrative, operational, financial and other resources. Any failure to manage growth effectively could seriously harm our business. To be successful, we will need to continue to implement management information systems and improve our operating, administrative, financial and accounting systems and controls. We will also need to train new employees and maintain close coordination among our executive, accounting, finance, legal, human resources, risk management, marketing, technology, sales and operations functions. These processes are time-consuming and expensive, increase management responsibilities and divert management attention, and we may not realize a return on our investment in these processes. In addition, we believe the culture we and franchisees foster at studios is an important contributor to our success. However, as we expand we may have difficulty maintaining our culture or adapting it sufficiently to meet the needs of our operations. These risks may be heightened as our growth accelerates. In 2019, franchisees opened 395 studios, compared to 260 studios in 2018 and 237 studios in 2017 on a pro forma basis. In 2020, franchisees opened 240 studios in North America. Our failure to successfully execute on our planned expansion of studios could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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Our business is subject to various laws and regulations and changes in such laws and regulations, our or franchisees failure to comply with existing or future laws and regulations, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We are subject to a trade regulation rule on franchising, known as the FTC Franchise Rule, promulgated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the FTC), which regulates the offer and sale of franchises in the United States and its territories and requires us to provide to all prospective franchisees certain mandatory disclosure in a franchise disclosure document (FDD). In addition, we are subject to state franchise sales laws in approximately 19 U.S. states that regulate the offer and sale of franchises by requiring us to make a business opportunity exemption or franchise filing or obtain franchise registration prior to making any offer or sale of a franchise in those states and to provide a FDD to prospective franchisees. We are subject to franchise sales laws in six provinces in Canada that regulate the offer and sale of franchises by requiring us to provide a FDD in a prescribed format to prospective franchisees and that further regulate certain aspects of the franchise relationship. Our failure to comply with such franchise sales laws may result in a franchisees right to rescind its franchise agreement and damages and may result in investigations or actions from federal or state franchise authorities, civil fines or penalties, and stop orders, among other remedies. We are also subject to franchise relationship laws in at least 22 U.S. states that regulate many aspects of the franchise relationship, including renewals and terminations of franchise agreements, franchise transfers, the applicable law and venue in which franchise disputes must be resolved, discrimination and franchisees right to associate, among others. Our failure to comply with such franchise relationship laws may result in fines, damages and our inability to enforce franchise agreements where we have violated such laws. In addition, in certain states under certain circumstances, such as allegations of fraud, we may be temporarily prevented from offering or selling franchises until either our annual FDD filing, or any amendment to our FDD filing, is accepted by the relevant regulatory agency. Our non-compliance with franchise sales laws or franchise relationship laws could result in our liability to franchisees and regulatory authorities as described above, our inability to enforce our franchise agreements, inability to sell licenses and a reduction in our anticipated royalty or franchise revenue, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We and franchisees are also subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, and various other laws in the United States and Canada governing such matters as minimum-wage requirements, overtime and other working conditions. A significant number of our and franchisees employees are paid at rates related to the U.S. federal minimum wage. Increases in the U.S. federal minimum wage would increase our and franchisees labor costs, which might result in our and franchisees inadequately staffing studios. Such increases in labor costs and other changes in labor laws could affect studio performance and quality of service, decrease royalty revenues and adversely affect our brands.
Our and franchisees operations and properties are subject to extensive U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations, as well laws and regulations in other countries in which we and franchisees have begun operating, or in the future may operate, including those relating to environmental, building and zoning requirements. Our and franchisees development of properties depends to a significant extent on the selection and acquisition of suitable sites, which are subject to zoning, land use, environmental, traffic and other regulations and requirements. Failure to comply with these legal requirements could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses, administrative enforcement actions, fines and civil and criminal liability, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We and franchisees are responsible at the studios we operate for compliance with state and provincial laws that regulate the relationship between studios and their customers. Many states and provinces have consumer protection regulations that may limit the collection of dues or fees prior to a studio opening, require disclosure of certain pricing information, mandate the maximum length of membership contracts and cooling off periods for customers after the purchase of a membership, set escrow and bond requirements for studios, govern customer rights in the event of a customer relocation or disability, provide for specific customer rights when a studio closes or relocates or preclude automatic membership renewals. Our or franchisees failure to
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comply fully with these rules or requirements may subject us or franchisees to fines, penalties, damages and civil liability, or result in membership contracts being void or voidable. In addition, states may modify these laws and regulations in the future. Any additional costs which may arise in the future as a result of changes to the legislation and regulations or in their interpretation could individually or in the aggregate cause us to change or limit our business practices, which may make our business model less attractive to franchisees or their customers.
We currently are, and may in the future be, subject to legal proceedings, regulatory disputes and governmental inquiries that could cause us to incur significant expenses, divert our managements attention, and materially harm our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
From time to time, we may be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other proceedings involving competition and antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, consumer protection, securities, tax, labor and employment, gift cards, commercial disputes and other matters that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In the ordinary course of business, we are the subject of complaints or litigation, including litigation related to acquisitions, classification of independent contractors, trademark disputes, claims related to misrepresentations in our franchise disclosure documents and claims related to our franchise agreements or employment agreements. For example, suits have been brought against us by founders of brands we have acquired, alleging, among other complaints, breach of contract. If any of these lawsuits are decided adversely against us, it may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Litigation related to laws or regulations, or changes in laws or regulations, governing instructor certifications may also adversely affect our or franchisees businesses. For example, suits have been brought against Stretch Lab franchisees alleging that flexologists must be certified massage therapists. If any of these lawsuits are decided adversely against franchisees, or laws or regulations regarding instructor certifications change, franchisees may face increased labor costs, which could adversely affect the franchisees business and results of operations, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Litigation and regulatory proceedings may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Additionally, our litigation costs could be significant. Adverse outcomes with respect to litigation or any of these legal proceedings may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, penalties and fines, or require us to modify, make temporarily unavailable or stop offering or selling certain services or products, all of which could negatively affect our sales and revenue growth. In particular, any allegations of fraud could temporarily prevent us from offering or selling franchises in certain states for a period of time.
The results of litigation, investigations, claims and regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and determining reserves for pending litigation and other legal and regulatory matters requires significant judgment. There can be no assurance that our expectations will prove correct, and even if these matters are resolved in our favor or without significant cash settlements, these matters, and the time and resources necessary to litigate or resolve them, could harm our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We, master franchisees and franchisees could be subject to claims related to health and safety risks to customers that arise while at our and franchisees studios.
The use of our and franchisees studios poses some potential health and safety risks to customers through, among other things, physical exertion and the physical nature of the services offered. Claims might be asserted against us and franchisees for a customers death or injury sustained while exercising and using the facilities at a studio, for harassment in connection with services offered at a studio, or product liability claims arising from use of equipment in the studio, and we may be named in such a suit even if the products claim relates to the operations or facilities of a franchisee. We may not be able to successfully defend such claims. We also may not be able to maintain our general liability insurance on acceptable terms in the future or maintain a level of insurance that would provide adequate coverage against potential claims. In addition, adverse publicity
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resulting from such allegations may materially and adversely affect us, the image of our brands and our reputation, regardless of whether such allegations are valid or we are liable. Depending upon the outcome, these matters may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We, master franchisees and franchisees rely heavily on information systems provided by a single provider, and any material failure, interruption, weakness or termination with such supplier may prevent us from effectively operating our business and damage our reputation.
We and franchisees in North America increasingly rely on information systems provided by ClubReady, LLC (ClubReady), including the point-of-sale processing systems in our franchised studios and other information systems managed by ClubReady, to interact with franchisees and customers and to collect and maintain customer information or other personally identifiable information, including for the operation of studios, collection of cash, management of our equipment supply chain, accounting, staffing, payment of obligations, Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions, credit and debit card transactions and other processes and procedures. Our and franchisees ability to efficiently and effectively manage studios depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems, and any potential failure of ClubReady to provide quality uninterrupted service is beyond our and their control. Additionally, if ClubReady were to terminate its relationship with us, we could incur substantial delays and expense in finding and integrating an alternative studio management and payment service provider into our operating systems, and the quality and reliability of such alternative service provider may not be comparable.
Franchisees outside of North America also rely on information systems, and any disruption in such information systems could negatively impact such franchisees operations, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Our and franchisees operations depend upon our and their ability, as well as the ability of third-party service providers such as ClubReady, to protect our and their computer equipment and systems against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external security breaches, viruses, denial-of-service attacks and other disruptive problems. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, maintenance problems, upgrading or transitioning to new platforms, expanding our systems as we grow, a breach in security of these systems or other unanticipated problems could result in interruptions to or delays in our business and customer service and reduce efficiency in our operations. In addition, the implementation of technology changes and upgrades to maintain current and integrate new systems, as well as transitions from one service provider to another, may cause service interruptions, operational delays due to the learning curve associated with using a new system, transaction processing errors and system conversion delays and may cause us to fail to comply with applicable laws. If our, franchisees or our third-party service providers information systems fail and the back-up or disaster recovery plans are not adequate to address such failures, our revenue could be reduced and the image of our brands and our reputation could be materially adversely affected. If we need to move to a different third-party system, our operations could be interrupted. In addition, remediation of such problems could result in significant, unplanned operating or capital expenditures.
If we, master franchisees, franchisees or ClubReady fail to properly maintain the confidentiality and integrity of our data, including customer credit, debit card and bank account information and other personally identifiable information, we could incur significant liability or become subject to costly litigation and our reputation and business could be materially and adversely affected.
In the ordinary course of business, we, master franchisees, and franchisees collect, use, transmit, store and otherwise process customer and employee data, including credit and debit card numbers, bank account information, drivers license numbers, dates of birth and other highly sensitive personally identifiable information, in information systems that we, master franchisees, franchisees or our third-party service providers,
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including ClubReady, maintain. Some of this data is sensitive and could be an attractive target of criminal attack by malicious third parties with a wide range of motives and expertise, including organized criminal groups, hackers, hactivists, disgruntled current or former employees, and others. The integrity and protection of that customer and employee data is critical to us.
Despite the security measures we have in place to comply with applicable laws and rules, our, master franchisees, franchisees and our third-party service providers facilities and systems may be vulnerable to both external and internal threats, including security breaches, acts of cyber terrorism or sabotage, vandalism or theft, misuse, unauthorized access, computer viruses, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, misplaced, corrupted or lost data, programming or human errors or other similar events. Certain of our third-party service providers lack sufficient design and implementation of general information technology controls and we lack sufficient controls over information provided by certain third-party service providers, which could expose us to any of the foregoing risks. A number of retailers and other companies have recently experienced serious cyber security breaches of their information technology systems. Furthermore, the size and complexity of our, master franchisees, franchisees and our third-party service providers information systems make such systems potentially vulnerable to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, franchisees or vendors, or from attacks by malicious third parties. Because such attacks are increasing in sophistication and change frequently in nature, we, franchisees, master franchisees and our third-party service providers may be unable to anticipate these attacks or implement adequate preventative measures, and any compromise of our or their systems may not be discovered promptly.
Under certain laws, regulations and contractual obligations, a cybersecurity breach could also require us to notify customers, employees or other groups of the incident. For example, laws in all 50 U.S. states require businesses to provide notice to clients whose personal information has been disclosed as a result of a data breach. These laws are not consistent, and compliance in the event of a widespread data breach is difficult and may be costly. Moreover, states have been frequently amending existing laws, requiring attention to changing regulatory requirements. The forgoing could result in adverse publicity, loss of sales and revenue, or an increase in fees payable to third parties. It could also result in significant fines, penalties orders, sanctions and proceedings or actions against us by governmental bodies and other regulatory authorities, clients or third parties or remediation and other costs that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Any such proceeding or action could damage our reputation, force us to incur significant expenses in defense of these proceedings, distract our management, increase our costs of doing business or result in the imposition of financial liability.
Furthermore, we may be required to disclose personal data pursuant to demands from individuals, privacy advocates, regulators, and government and law enforcement agencies in various jurisdictions with conflicting privacy and security laws. This disclosure or the 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 against us in the same or other jurisdictions, damage to the image of our brands and our reputation, and our inability to provide our services and products to consumers in certain jurisdictions.
A security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of personal, sensitive or confidential information, whether by us, franchisees or our third-party service providers, could have material adverse effects on our and franchisees business, operations, brands, reputation and financial condition, including decreased revenue, material fines and penalties, litigation, increased financial processing fees, compensatory, statutory, punitive or other damages, adverse actions against our licenses to do business and injunctive relief by court or consent order. We maintain cyber risk insurance, but do not require franchisees to do so. In the event of a significant data security breach, our insurance may not cover all our losses that we would be likely to suffer and in addition, franchisees may not have any or adequate coverage.
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Failure by us, master franchisees, franchisees or third-party service providers to comply with existing or future data privacy laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The collection, maintenance, use, disclosure and disposal of personally identifiable information by us, master franchisees and franchisees is regulated by federal, state and provincial governments and by certain industry groups, including the Payment Card Industry organization and the National Automated Clearing House Association. Federal, state, provincial governments and industry groups may also consider and implement from time to time new privacy and security requirements that apply to us and franchisees. Compliance with evolving privacy and security laws, requirements and regulations may result in cost increases due to necessary systems changes, new limitations or constraints on our business models and the development of new administrative processes. They also may impose further restrictions on our collection, disclosure and use of personally identifiable information that is stored in one or more of our, master franchisees, franchisees or our third-party service providers databases.
The U.S. federal government and various states and governmental agencies have adopted or are considering adopting various laws, regulations and standards regarding the collection, use, retention, security, disclosure, transfer and other processing of sensitive and personal information. Certain state laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, with respect to sensitive and personal information than federal, international or other state laws, and such laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (the CCPA), which increases privacy rights for California residents and imposes obligations on companies that process their personal information, came into effect on January 1, 2020. Among other things, the CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers and provide such consumers new data protection and privacy rights, including the ability to opt-out of certain sales of personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information. This private right of action may increase the likelihood of, and risks associated with, data breach litigation. The CCPA was amended in September 2018 and November 2019, and it is possible that further amendments will be enacted, but even in its current format, it remains unclear how various provisions of the CCPA will be interpreted and enforced. Additionally, California voters approved a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (the CPRA), in the November 2020 election. Effective starting on January 1, 2023, the CPRA will significantly modify the CCPA, including by expanding consumers rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. There are many other state-based data privacy and security laws and regulations that may impact our business. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives and projects and could restrict the way services involving data are offered, all of which may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. State laws are changing rapidly and there is discussion in Congress of a new federal data protection and privacy law to which we may be subject.
As we expand internationally, we may become subject to additional data privacy laws and regulations, including the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR), which went into effect in May 2018 and which imposes additional obligations on companies with respect to the processing of personal data and the cross-border transfer of such data. The GDPR imposes onerous accountability obligations requiring data controllers and processors to maintain a record of their data processing and policies. If our ,master franchisees, franchisees or service providers privacy or data security measures fail to comply with the GDPR requirements, we may be subject to litigation, regulatory investigations, enforcement notices requiring us to change the way we use personal data and/or fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, as well as compensation claims by affected individuals, negative publicity, reputational harm and a potential loss of business and goodwill. While we continue to address the implications of the recent changes to European Union data privacy regulations, data privacy remains an evolving landscape at both the domestic and international level, with new regulations coming into effect and continued
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legal challenges, and our efforts to comply with the evolving data protection rules may be unsuccessful. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices. Accordingly, we may be required to devote significant resources to understanding and complying with this changing landscape.
Noncompliance with privacy laws, industry group requirements or a security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of personal, sensitive or confidential information, whether by us, franchisees or our third-party service providers, could have material adverse effects on our and franchisees business, operations, brands, reputation and financial condition, including decreased revenue, material fines and penalties, litigation, increased financial processing fees, compensatory, statutory, punitive or other damages, adverse actions against our licenses to do business and injunctive relief by court or consent order.
Changes in legislation or requirements related to electronic funds transfer, or our or franchisees failure to comply with existing or future regulations, may adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We and franchisees accept payments for our services through electronic funds transfers (EFTs) from customers bank accounts and, therefore, we are subject to federal, state and provincial legislation and certification requirements governing EFTs, including the Electronic Funds Transfer Act. Some states, such as New York and Tennessee, have passed or considered legislation requiring health and fitness clubs to offer a prepaid membership option at all times and/or limit the duration for which memberships can auto-renew through EFTs, if at all. Our business relies heavily on the fact that franchisees customers continue on a month-to-month basis after the completion of any initial term requirements, and compliance with these laws and regulations and similar requirements may be onerous and expensive. In addition, variances and inconsistencies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction may further increase the cost of compliance and doing business. States that have such health and fitness club statutes provide harsh penalties for violations, including membership contracts being void or voidable. Our failure to comply fully with these rules or requirements may subject us to fines, higher transaction fees, penalties, damages and civil liability and may result in the loss of our and franchisees ability to accept EFTs, which would have a material adverse effect on our and franchisees businesses, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, any such costs that may arise in the future as a result of changes to such legislation and regulations or in their interpretation, could individually or in the aggregate cause us to change or limit our business practice, which may make our business model less attractive to franchisees and our and their members.
We and franchisees are subject to a number of risks related to ACH, credit card, debit card and gift card payments we accept.
We and franchisees accept payments through ACH, credit card, debit card and gift card transactions. Acceptance of these payment options subjects us and franchisees to rules, regulations, contractual obligations and compliance requirements, including payment network rules and operating guidelines, data security standards and certification requirements, and rules governing electronic funds transfers. For ACH, credit card and debit card payments, we and franchisees pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time. An increase in those fees would require us to either increase the prices we or franchisees charge for our services and products, which could cause us to lose franchisees or franchisees to lose customers or suffer an increase in operating expenses, either of which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we or any of our processing vendors have problems with our billing software, or the billing software malfunctions, it could have an adverse effect on customer satisfaction and could cause one or more of the major credit card companies to disallow continued use of their payment products. In addition, if our billing software fails to work properly and, as a result, customers credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts are not properly charged on a timely basis or at all, we could lose revenue, which would harm our results of operations. In addition, if we or any of our processing vendors experience a cybersecurity breach affecting data related to
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services provided to us, we could experience reputational damage or incur liability. Further, we and any of our processing vendors must comply with the standards set by the payment card industry (PCI). If we or any of our vendors fail to comply with PCI protocols, we could be subject to fines.
If we fail to adequately control fraudulent ACH, credit card and debit card transactions, we may face civil liability, diminished public perception of our security measures and significantly higher ACH, credit card and debit card related costs, each of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. The termination of our ability to accept payments through ACH, credit or debit card transactions would significantly impair our and franchisees ability to operate our businesses.
In addition, we and franchisees offer gift cards for classes at our and franchisees studios. Certain states include gift cards under their abandoned and unclaimed property laws and require companies to remit to the state cash in an amount equal to all or a designated portion of the unredeemed balance on the gift cards based on certain card attributes and the length of time that the cards are inactive. To date we have not remitted any amounts relating to unredeemed gift cards to states based upon our assessment of applicable laws. The analysis of the potential application of the abandoned and unclaimed property laws to our gift cards is complex, involving an analysis of constitutional, statutory provisions and factual issues. In the event that one or more states change their existing abandoned and unclaimed property laws or successfully challenge our or franchisees positions on the application of its abandoned and unclaimed property laws to gift cards, our or franchisees liabilities with respect to unredeemed gift cards may be material and may negatively affect our and franchisees business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our dependence on a limited number of suppliers for certain equipment, services and products could result in disruptions to our business and could adversely affect our revenue and results of operation.
Certain equipment, services and products used in franchisees studios, including exercise equipment and point-of-sale software and hardware, are sourced from third-party suppliers. The ability of these third-party suppliers to successfully provide reliable and high-quality equipment, services and products is subject to technical and operational uncertainties that are beyond our or franchisees control. Any disruption to our third-party suppliers operations could impact our supply chain and our ability to service existing studios and open new studios on time or at all and thereby generate revenue. If we lose these third-party suppliers or such suppliers encounter financial hardships unrelated to our or franchisees demand for their equipment, services or products, we may be unable to identify or enter into agreements with alternative suppliers on a timely basis on acceptable terms, if at all. Transitioning to new suppliers would be time consuming and expensive and may result in interruptions in our and franchisees operations. If we should encounter delays or difficulties in securing the quantity of equipment, services and products that we or franchisees require to service existing studios and open new studios, our third-party suppliers encounter difficulties meeting our and franchisees demands for equipment, services or products, our or franchisees websites experience delays or become impaired due to errors in the third-party technology or there is a deficiency, lack or poor quality of equipment, services or products provided, our ability to serve franchisees and their customers, as well as to grow our brands, would be interrupted. If any of these events occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our intellectual property rights, including trademarks and trade names, may be infringed, misappropriated or challenged by others.
Our brands and related intellectual property are important to our continued success. If we were to fail to successfully protect our intellectual property rights for any reason, or if any third party misappropriates, dilutes or infringes our intellectual property, the value of our brands may be harmed, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Any damage to the image of our brands or our reputation could cause sales to decline or make it more difficult to attract new franchisees and customers.
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We have been and may in the future be required to initiate litigation to enforce our trademarks, service marks and other intellectual property. Third parties have and may in the future assert that we have infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated their intellectual property rights, which could lead to litigation against us. Litigation is inherently uncertain and could divert the attention of management, result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could negatively affect our sales and results of operations regardless of whether we are able to successfully enforce or defend our rights.
We and franchisees are dependent on certain music licenses to permit franchisees to use music in their studios and to supplement workouts. Any failure to secure such licenses or to comply with the terms and conditions of such licenses may lead to third-party claims or lawsuits against us and/or franchisees and could have an adverse effect on our business.
We obtain, and require franchisees to obtain, certain music licenses in connection with our Video-On-Demand platform, for use during classes and for ambiance in our and our franchisees studios. In some cases, we require franchisees to license rights to music included on specific playlists that we provide. If we or franchisees fail to comply with any of the obligations under such license agreements, we or franchisees may be required to pay damages and the licensor may have the right to terminate the license. Termination by the licensor would cause us and franchisees to lose valuable rights, and could negatively affect our operations. Our business would suffer if any current or future licenses expire or if we or franchisees are unable to enter into necessary licenses on acceptable terms. In addition, the royalties and other fees payable by us and franchisees under these agreements could increase in the future, which could negatively affect our business.
Our quarterly results of operations and other operating metrics may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, which makes these results and metrics difficult to predict.
Our quarterly results of operations and other operating metrics have fluctuated in the past and may continue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Additionally, our limited operating history makes it difficult to forecast our future results. As a result, you should not rely on our past quarterly results of operations as indicators of future performance. You should take into account the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in rapidly evolving markets. Our financial condition and results of operations in any given quarter can be influenced by numerous factors, many of which we are unable to predict or are outside of our control, including:
| franchisees ability to maintain and attract new customers and increase their usage of their studios; |
| delays in opening new studios; |
| the continued market acceptance of, and the growth of the boutique fitness market; |
| our ability to maintain and attract new franchisees; |
| our development and improvement of the quality of the studio experience, including enhancing existing and creating new services and products; |
| strategic actions by us or competitors; |
| additions or departures of our senior management or other key personnel; |
| sales, or anticipated sales, of large blocks of our stock; |
| guidance, if any, that we provide to the public, as well as any changes in this guidance or our failure to meet this guidance; |
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| results of operations that vary from expectations of securities analysis and investors; |
| issuance of new or changed securities analysts reports or recommendations; |
| system failures or breaches of security or privacy; |
| seasonality; |
| constraints on the availability of franchisee financing; |
| our ability to maintain operating margins; |
| the diversification and growth of our revenue sources; |
| our successful expansion into international markets; |
| increases in marketing, sales and other operating expenses that we may incur to grow and expand our operations and to remain competitive; |
| pricing pressure as a result of competition or otherwise; |
| the timing and success of new product, service, feature and content introductions by us or our competitors or any other change in the competitive landscape of our market; |
| the expansion of our Video-On-Demand platform; |
| announcement by us, our competitors or vendors of significant contracts or acquisitions; |
| public response to press releases or other public announcements by us or third parties, including our filings with the SEC; |
| adverse litigation judgments, settlements or other litigation-related costs, including content costs for past use; |
| delays by regulators in accepting our annual FDD filing or amendments to our FDD filing; |
| changes in the legislative or regulatory environment, including with respect to privacy and advertising, or enforcement by government regulators, including fines, orders or consent decrees; |
| fluctuations in currency exchange rates and changes in the proportion of our revenue and expenses denominated in foreign currencies; |
| changes in our effective tax rate; |
| changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles, including changes in fair value measurements or impairment charges; |
| global pandemics, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic; and |
| changes in business or macroeconomic conditions, including lower consumer confidence, recessionary conditions, increased unemployment rates, or stagnant or declining wages. |
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Any one of the factors above or the cumulative effect of some of the factors above may result in significant fluctuations in our results of operations.
The variability and unpredictability of our quarterly results of operations or other operating metrics could result in our failure to meet our expectations or those of analysts that cover us or investors with respect to revenue or other results of operations for a particular period.
You should not rely on past increases in same store sales as an indication of our future results of operations because they may fluctuate significantly.
The level of same store sales is a significant factor affecting our ability to generate revenue. Same store sales reflect the change in period-over-period sales for North America same store base. We define the same store base to include only sales from studios in North America that have been open for at least 13 calendar months.
A number of factors have historically affected, and will continue to affect, our same store sales, including, among other factors:
| competition; |
| overall economic trends, particularly those related to consumer spending; |
| franchisees ability to operate studios effectively and efficiently to meet consumer expectations; |
| changes in the prices franchisees charge for memberships or classes; |
| studio closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; and |
| marketing and promotional efforts. |
Therefore, the increases in historical same store sales growth should not be considered indicative of our future performance. In particular, a number of our brands have a limited number of studios operating, and the limited operating data makes it difficult to forecast results, and as a result, same store sales may differ materially from our projections.
Use of social media may adversely impact our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.
There has been a substantial increase in the use of social media platforms, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communication, which allow individuals access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. Negative commentary about us and our brands may be posted on social media platforms or similar media at any time and may harm the image of our brands and our or franchisees reputations or businesses. Consumers value readily available information about fitness studios and often act on such information without further investigation or regard to its accuracy. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction.
We also use social media platforms as marketing tools. For example, we maintain Facebook and Twitter accounts for us and each of our brands. As laws and regulations rapidly evolve to govern the use of these platforms and media, the failure by us, our employees, franchisees or third parties acting at our direction to abide by applicable laws and regulations in media could adversely impact our and franchisees business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition or subject us to fines or other penalties.
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We may require additional capital to support business growth and objectives, and this capital might not be available to us on attractive terms, if at all, and may result in stockholder dilution.
We expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with our net proceeds from this offering, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for at least the next twelve months. In addition, we intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional capital to fund our business and to respond to competitive challenges, including the need to promote our services and products, develop new services and products, enhance our existing services, products and operating infrastructure and, potentially, to acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. There can be no assurance that such additional funding will be available on terms attractive to us, or at all. Our inability to obtain additional funding when needed could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, holders of our Class A common stock could suffer significant dilution, and any new shares we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of our Class A common stock. Our outstanding credit facility includes a number of covenants that limit our and our subsidiaries ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness or create liens, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could include similar or more restrictive covenants, which may likewise limit our ability to obtain additional capital and pursue business opportunities.
We may engage in merger and acquisition activities, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value and adversely affect our results of operations.
As part of our business strategy, we acquired our first company in 2017, and we have made and may in the future make investments in other companies. We may be unable to find suitable acquisition candidates and to complete acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all, in the future. If we do complete acquisitions, we may not ultimately strengthen our competitive position or achieve our goals and any acquisitions we complete could be viewed negatively by customers or investors. Moreover, an acquisition, investment or business relationship may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, including disrupting our ongoing operations, diverting management from their primary responsibilities, subjecting us to additional liabilities, increasing our expenses and adversely impacting our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Moreover, we may be exposed to unknown liabilities and the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, investment or business relationship may not be realized, if, for example, we fail to successfully integrate such acquisitions, or the technologies associated with such acquisitions, into our company.
To pay for any such acquisitions, we would have to use cash, incur debt or issue equity securities, each of which may affect our financial condition or the value of our capital stock, as well as result in dilution to holders of our Class A common stock. If we incur more debt, it would result in increased fixed obligations and could subject us to covenants or other restrictions that would impede our ability to manage our operations.
If any of our retail products are unacceptable to us or franchisees customers, our business could be harmed.
We have occasionally received, and may in the future continue to receive, shipments of retail products that fail to comply with our technical specifications or that fail to conform to our quality control standards. We have also received, and may in the future continue to receive, products that either meet our technical specifications but that are nonetheless unacceptable to us, or products that are otherwise unacceptable to franchisees customers. Under these circumstances, unless we are able to obtain replacement products in a timely manner, we risk the loss of revenue resulting from the inability to sell those products and related increased administrative and shipping costs. Additionally, if the unacceptability of our products is not discovered until after such products are purchased by franchisees customers, these customers could lose confidence in the quality of our retail products, which could have an adverse effect on the image of our brands, our reputation and our results of operations.
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We may face exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
While we have historically transacted in U.S. dollars, we have transacted in some foreign currencies, such as the Canadian Dollar, and may transact in more foreign currencies in the future. Accordingly, changes in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar can affect our 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.
Failure to comply with anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws associated with our activities outside of the United States, could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We currently have franchised studios in Canada, signed master franchise agreements governing the development of franchised studios in countries such as Australia, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and Spain, entered into international expansion agreements in the Dominican Republic, Austria and Germany and plan to continue to grow internationally. As we operate and expand globally, we may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities. We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the FCPA), the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and other applicable 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, franchisees, 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 have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our employees, contractors, franchisees and agents may take actions in violation of our policies or applicable law. Any such violation could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and prospects.
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 and, in the case of the FCPA, suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracts, any of which could have a materially adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, responding to any enforcement action may result in a significant diversion of managements attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees.
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The 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, we cannot assure you that our business will grow at a similar rate, if at all.
Growth forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. The forecasts in this prospectus relating to the expected growth in the boutique health and fitness market, including estimates based on our internal survey data, may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market experiences the forecasted growth described in this prospectus, we may not grow our business at a similar rate, or at all. Our growth is subject to many factors, including our success in implementing our business strategy, which is subject to many risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, the forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus should not be taken as indicative of our future growth.
Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.
Most members of our management team have limited experience managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage our transition to being a public company subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new obligations and constituents will require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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 GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, as described in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. 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 that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant assumptions and estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements include those related to revenue recognition, merchandise and equipment revenue, other service revenue, contract costs, business combinations, acquisition-related contingent consideration, impairment of long-lived assets, including goodwill and intangible assets and equity-based compensation. 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.
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are a material component of our balance sheet and impairments of these assets could have a significant impact on our results.
We have recorded a significant amount of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, representing our trademarks, on our balance sheet. We test the carrying values of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually and whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. The estimates and assumptions about future results of operations and cash flows made in connection with impairment testing could differ from future actual results of operations and cash flows. While we have concluded that our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not impaired, future events could cause us to conclude that the goodwill associated with a given segment, or one of our indefinite- lived intangible assets, may have become impaired. Any resulting impairment charge, although non-cash, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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Our and franchisees businesses are subject to the risk of earthquakes, fire, power outages, floods and other catastrophic events, and to interruption by manmade problems such as terrorism.
Our and franchisees businesses are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, fires, floods, power losses, terrorist attacks, acts of war, break-ins and similar events. The third-party systems and operations and suppliers we rely on are subject to similar risks. For example, a significant natural disaster, such as an earthquake, fire or flood, could have an adverse effect on our and franchisees business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, and our and franchisees insurance coverage may be insufficient to compensate us and franchisees for losses that may occur. Acts of terrorism, which may be targeted at metropolitan areas that have higher population density than rural areas, could also cause disruptions in our, franchisees or our suppliers businesses or the economy as a whole.
We or franchisees may be unable to obtain forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Plan loans, in whole or in part, in accordance with the provisions of the CARES Act, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In April 2020, we entered into a promissory note (the PPP Loan) with Citizens Business Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act pursuant to which Citizens Business Bank agreed to make a loan to us in the amount of approximately $3.7 million. The PPP Loan matures in April 2022, bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum and requires no payments during the first 16 months from the date of the loan.
The PPP Loan is unsecured and guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (the SBA). Under the terms of the PPP Loan, the principal amount of the loan may be forgiven to the extent it is used for qualifying expenses (such as payroll costs, costs of continuing group healthcare benefits, mortgage and rent payments, utilities and other expenses as described in the CARES Act) and we request forgiveness in accordance with the terms of the PPP Loan and the requirements of the SBA. While we intend to request that the entire principal amount of the PPP Loan be forgiven and we believe we have complied with all corresponding requirements, we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in obtaining forgiveness of all or any part of such principal amount. We will be required to repay any principal amount of the PPP Loan that is not forgiven, together with accrued and unpaid interest, in equal monthly installments prior to the maturity date of the loan, which would restrict our operating and financial flexibility and could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, we believe many franchisees have also secured loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. If any franchisees are unsuccessful in obtaining forgiveness of all or part of the principal amounts of their Paycheck Protection Program loans, such franchisees will be required to repay such unforgiven principal amounts, together with accrued and unpaid interest, in accordance with the terms of those loans. Such repayment obligations could materially restrict franchisees operating and financial flexibility and financial condition, which could in turn adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
As of December 31, 2020, we had total indebtedness of $189.8 million and our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and limit our ability to pursue our growth strategy.
We have a substantial amount of debt, which requires significant interest payments. As of December 31, 2020, we had total indebtedness of $189.8 million.
Our substantial level of indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and increase the possibility that we may be unable to generate cash sufficient to pay, when due, the principal of, interest on or other amounts due in respect of our indebtedness. Our substantial indebtedness, combined with our other existing and any future financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have important consequences. For example, it could:
| make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, and any failure to comply with the obligations under our outstanding credit facility, including restrictive |
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covenants, could result in an event of default under such facility if such obligations are not waived or amended; |
| require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, selling and marketing efforts, research and development and other purposes; |
| increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have proportionately less indebtedness; |
| increase our cost of borrowing and cause us to incur substantial fees from time to time in connection with debt amendments or refinancings; |
| increase our exposure to rising interest rates because a portion of our borrowings is at variable interest rates; |
| limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industries in which we operate; and |
| limit our ability to borrow additional funds, or to dispose of assets to raise funds, if needed, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, selling and marketing efforts, research and development and other corporate purposes. |
By the nature of their relationship to our enterprise, debt holders may have different points of view on the use of company resources as compared to our management. The financial and contractual obligations related to our debt also represent a natural constraint on any intended use of company resources.
If not for an amendment provided by our lenders, we would have defaulted under our outstanding credit facility as a result of studio closures by franchisees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are unable to satisfy certain requirements set forth in the amended credit agreement in the future for any reason, we may default. In the event that we default and are unable to restructure our obligations, our debt with our existing lenders could be accelerated and they could demand repayment, which would severely restrict our ability to operate our business.
In mid-March 2020, franchisees temporarily closed almost all studios system-wide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many studios remained closed throughout 2020. Due to the decreased revenue resulting from the studio closures, we exceeded the maximum total leverage ratio covenant for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020 in our Financing Agreement with Cerberus Business Finance Agency, LLC, as collateral agent and administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the Credit Agreement). In order to avoid breaching the maximum total leverage ratio covenant, we entered into an amendment to the Credit Agreement (the First Amendment, and the Credit Agreement as amended by the First Amendment, the First Amended Credit Agreement, and as amended by the Second Amendment (as defined below), the Amended Credit Agreement) to immediately increase the maximum total leverage ratio for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020 and subsequent fiscal quarters and make certain other amendments to the Credit Agreement.
We cannot predict future business interruptions that may occur, the nature or scope of any such interruptions or the degree to which, or the period over which, franchisees may need to close or re-close studios in the future, and there can be no assurance that in the future we will be able to satisfy the covenants under the First Amended Credit Agreement as a result of a business interruption or otherwise, or obtain any required waiver or amendment. In the event that we breach one or more covenants in the future and such breach is not waived or amended, our lenders may choose to declare an event of default and require that we immediately repay all amounts borrowed, together with accrued interest and other fees, and could also foreclose on the collateral
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granted to them to secure our indebtedness. In such an event, we could lose access to working capital and be unable to operate our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Restrictions imposed by our outstanding indebtedness and any future indebtedness may limit our ability to operate our business and to finance our future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities.
The terms of our outstanding indebtedness restrict us from engaging in specified types of transactions. These covenants restrict our ability, among other things, to:
| create, incur or assume additional indebtedness; |
| encumber or permit additional liens on our assets; |
| change the nature of the business conducted by Xponential Holdings LLC and certain of its subsidiaries; |
| make payments or distributions to our affiliates or equity holders; and |
| enter into certain transactions with our affiliates. |
The covenants in our credit facility impose requirements and restrictions on our ability to take certain actions and, in the event that we breach one or more covenants and such breach is not waived, the lenders may choose to declare an event of default and require that we immediately repay all of our borrowings under the credit facility, plus certain prepayment fees, penalties and interest, and foreclose on the collateral granted to them to secure such indebtedness. Such repayment would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, unless waived, certain of the provisions in our credit facility will restrict our ability to consummate the Reorganization Transactions and this offering.
We will require a significant amount of cash to service our indebtedness. The ability to generate cash or refinance our indebtedness as it becomes due depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control.
We are a holding company and, as such, have no independent operations or material assets other than our ownership of equity interests in our subsidiaries and our subsidiaries contractual arrangements with franchisees, and we will depend on our subsidiaries to distribute funds to us so that we may pay our obligations and expenses. Our ability to make scheduled payments on, or to refinance our respective obligations under, our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures and other corporate expenses will depend on the ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions, dividends or advances to us, which in turn will depend on their future operating performance and on economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors and any legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of distributions and dividends to which they may be subject. Many of these factors are beyond our control. We can provide no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to satisfy our respective obligations under our indebtedness or to fund our other needs. In order for us to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness and fund planned capital expenditures, we must continue to execute our business strategy. If we are unable to do so, we may need to reduce or delay our planned capital expenditures or refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. Significant delays in our planned capital expenditures may materially and adversely affect our future revenue prospects. In addition, we can provide no assurance that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
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Changes in the method for determining, and the potential replacement of, the London Interbank Offer Rate may affect our cost of borrowing.
As a result of concerns about the accuracy of the calculation of the London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR), a number of British Bankers Association (BBA) member banks entered into settlements with certain regulators and law enforcement agencies with respect to the alleged manipulation of LIBOR. Actions by the BBA, regulators or law enforcement agencies as a result of these or future events may result in changes to the manner in which LIBOR is determined or its discontinuation. On July 27, 2017, the Chief Executive of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (the FCA), which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of the LIBOR benchmark after 2021. This announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021, and it appears likely that LIBOR will be discontinued or modified by 2021.
The interest rate payable on our borrowings under our outstanding credit facility is determined by reference to LIBOR. Potential changes or uncertainty related to such potential changes or discontinuation may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have a significant impact on the interest we are required to pay. Furthermore, although the terms of our credit facility contemplate the replacement of LIBOR with another reference rate in the event LIBOR comes into disuse, uncertainty related to such discontinuation and potential substitutes could make it difficult for us and our lenders to reach agreement on a reference rate, and any substitute reference rate could increase our cost of borrowing, any of which results could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Failure to obtain and maintain required licenses and permits or to comply with health and fitness regulations could lead to delays in opening studios, interruptions in services or the closure of studios, thereby harming our business.
The health and fitness market is subject to various federal, state and local government regulations, including those relating to required domestic or foreign governmental permits and approvals. Such regulations are subject to change from time to time. Our or franchisees failure to obtain and maintain any required licenses permits or approvals could adversely affect our or franchisees operating results. Difficulties or failure to maintain or obtain the required licenses, permits and approvals could adversely affect existing franchisees and delay or cancel the opening of new studios, which would adversely affect our results of operations.
Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and Canada, and our domestic and foreign tax liabilities will be subject to the allocation of expenses in differing jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:
| changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities; |
| expected timing and amount of the release of any tax valuation allowances; |
| tax effects of stock-based compensation; |
| costs related to intercompany restructurings; |
| changes in tax laws, regulations or interpretations thereof; |
| lower than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory tax rates; or |
| higher than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory tax rates. |
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In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal and state and foreign authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure
We are a holding company and our principal asset after the completion of this offering will be our % ownership interest in Xponential Holdings LLC, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions from Xponential Holdings LLC to pay dividends, if any, and taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and pay other expenses.
We are a holding company and, upon completion of the Reorganization Transactions and this offering, our principal asset will be our direct and indirect ownership of % of the outstanding LLC Units. See Organizational Structure. We have no independent means of generating revenue. Xponential Holdings LLC will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the taxable income of Xponential Holdings LLC will be allocated to holders of LLC Units, including us. Accordingly, we will incur income taxes on our allocable share of any net taxable income of Xponential Holdings LLC. We will also incur expenses related to our operations, and will have obligations to make payments under the TRA. As the managing member of Xponential Holdings LLC, we intend to cause Xponential Holdings LLC to make distributions to the holders of LLC Units and us, or, in the case of certain expenses, payments to us, in amounts sufficient to (i) permit us to pay all applicable taxes payable by us and the holders of LLC Units, (ii) allow us to make any payments required under the TRA we intend to enter into as part of the Reorganization Transactions, (iii) fund dividends to our stockholders in accordance with our dividend policy, to the extent that our board of directors declares such dividends and (iv) pay our expenses.
Deterioration in the financial conditions, earnings or cash flow of Xponential Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries for any reason could limit or impair their ability to pay such distributions. Additionally, to the extent that we need funds and Xponential Holdings LLC is restricted from making such distributions to us under applicable law or regulation, as a result of covenants in its debt agreements or otherwise, we may not be able to obtain such funds on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and, as a result, could suffer a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
In certain circumstances, Xponential Holdings LLC will be required to make distributions to us and the other holders of LLC Units, and the distributions that Xponential Holdings LLC will be required to make may be substantial.
Under the Amended LLC Agreement, Xponential Holdings LLC will generally be required from time to time to make pro rata distributions in cash to us and the other holders of LLC Units at certain assumed tax rates in amounts that are intended to be sufficient to cover the taxes on our and the other LLC Unit holders respective allocable shares of the taxable income of Xponential Holdings LLC. As a result of (i) potential differences in the amount of net taxable income allocable to us and the other LLC Unit holders, (ii) the lower tax rate applicable to corporations than individuals and (iii) the use of an assumed tax rate, based on the tax rate applicable to individuals, in calculating Xponential Holdings LLCs distribution obligations, we may receive distributions significantly in excess of our tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the TRA. Our board of directors will determine the appropriate uses for any excess cash so accumulated, which may include, among other uses, dividends, repurchases of our Class A common stock, the payment of obligations under the TRA and the payment of other expenses. We will have no obligation to distribute such cash (or other available cash other than any declared dividend) to our stockholders. No adjustments to the redemption or exchange ratio of LLC Units for shares of Class A common stock will be made as a result of either (i) any cash distribution by us or (ii) any cash that we retain and do not distribute to our stockholders. To the extent that we do not distribute such excess cash as dividends on our Class A common stock and instead, for example, hold such cash balances or lend them to Xponential Holdings LLC, holders of LLC Units would benefit from any value attributable to such cash
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balances as a result of their ownership of Class A common stock following a redemption or exchange of their LLC Units.
We are controlled by the Pre-IPO LLC Members whose interests in our business may be different than yours.
Immediately following the completion of, and the application of the net proceeds from, this offering, our Pre-IPO LLC Members will control approximately % of the combined voting power of our Class A and Class B common stock.
Because the Pre-IPO LLC Members hold a majority of their economic interests in our business through Xponential Holdings LLC rather than through Xponential Fitness, Inc., they may have conflicting interests with holders of shares of our Class A common stock. For example, the Pre-IPO LLC Members may have a different tax position from us, which could influence their decisions regarding whether and when we should dispose of assets or incur new or refinance existing indebtedness, especially in light of the existence of the TRA that we will enter into in connection with this offering, and whether and when we should undergo certain changes of control for purposes of the TRA or terminate the TRA. In addition, the structuring of future transactions may take into consideration these tax or other considerations even where no similar benefit would accrue to us. Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, if the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, makes audit adjustments to Xponential Holdings LLCs federal income tax returns, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from Xponential Holdings LLC. If, as a result of any such audit adjustment, Xponential Holdings LLC is required to make payments of taxes, penalties and interest, Xponential Holdings LLCs cash available for distributions to us may be substantially reduced. These rules are not applicable to Xponential Holdings LLC for tax years beginning on or prior to December 31, 2017. In addition, the Pre-IPO LLC Members significant ownership in us and resulting ability to effectively control us may discourage someone from making a significant equity investment in us, or could discourage transactions involving a change in control, including transactions in which you as a holder of shares of our Class A common stock might otherwise receive a premium for your shares over the then-current market price.
We will be required to pay the Pre-IPO LLC Members and any other persons that become parties to the TRA for certain tax benefits we may receive, and the amounts we may pay could be significant.
As described under Organizational Structure, we will acquire certain favorable tax attributes from the Blocker Companies in the Mergers. In addition, acquisitions by Xponential Fitness, Inc. of LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in connection with this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, and other transactions described herein are expected to result in favorable tax attributes for us. These tax attributes would not be available to us in the absence of those transactions and are expected to reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future.
Upon the completion of this offering, we will be a party to a TRA with the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and the Reorganization Parties. Under the TRA, we generally will be required to pay to the TRA parties in the aggregate 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize as a result of (i) certain tax attributes that are created as a result of the redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, (ii) any existing tax attributes associated with LLC Units we acquire, the benefit of which will be allocable to us as a result of the Mergers and exchanges by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of their LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash (including the portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs existing tax basis in its assets that is allocable to the LLC Units that are acquired), (iii) tax benefits related to imputed interest, (iv) NOLs available to us as a result of the Mergers and (v) tax attributes resulting from payments under the TRA. These payment obligations are obligations of Xponential Fitness, Inc. and not of Xponential Holdings LLC.
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The payment obligations under the TRA are our obligations, and we expect that the payments we will be required to make under the TRA will be substantial. Assuming no material changes in relevant tax law and that we earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the TRA, we expect that the tax savings associated with (1) the Mergers and (2) future redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units as described
above would aggregate to approximately $ over 15 years from the date of the completion of this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of our Class A common stock, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and assuming all future redemptions or exchanges would occur within one year of the completion of this offering. Under this scenario we would be required to pay the other parties to the TRA approximately 85% of such amount, or $ , over the 15-year period from the date of the completion of this offering. The actual amounts we will be required to pay may materially differ from these hypothetical amounts, because potential future tax savings that we will be deemed to realize, and TRA payments by us, will be calculated based in part on the market value of our Class A common stock at the time of each redemption or exchange of an LLC Unit for a share of Class A common stock and the prevailing applicable federal tax rate (plus the assumed combined state and local tax rate) applicable to us over the life of the TRA and will depend on our generating sufficient future taxable income to realize the tax benefits that are subject to the TRA. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement. Payments under the TRA are not conditioned on our existing owners continued ownership of us after this offering.
Payments under the TRA will be based on the tax reporting positions we determine, and the IRS or another tax authority may challenge all or a part of the existing tax basis, tax basis increases, NOLs or other tax attributes subject to the TRA, and a court could sustain such challenge. The TRA parties will not reimburse us for any payments previously made if such tax basis, NOLs or other tax benefits are subsequently challenged by a tax authority and are ultimately disallowed, except that any excess payments made to a TRA party will be netted against future payments otherwise to be made to such TRA party under the TRA, if any, after our determination of such excess. In addition, the actual state or local tax savings we may realize may be different than the amount of such tax savings we are deemed to realize under the TRA, which will be based on an assumed combined state and local tax rate applied to our reduction in taxable income as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the tax attributes subject to the TRA. In both such circumstances, we could make payments under the TRA that are greater than our actual cash tax savings and we may not be able to recoup those payments, which could negatively impact our liquidity. The TRA provides that (1) in the event that we materially breach any of our material obligations under the TRA or (2) if, at any time, we elect an early termination of the TRA, our obligations under the TRA (with respect to all LLC Units, whether or not LLC Units have been exchanged or acquired before or after such transaction) would accelerate and become payable in a lump sum amount equal to the present value of the anticipated future tax benefits calculated based on certain assumptions, including that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the deductions arising from the tax deductions, tax basis and other tax attributes subject to the TRA. The TRA also provides that, upon certain mergers, asset sales or other forms of business combination, or certain other changes of control, our or our successors obligations with respect to tax benefits would be based on certain assumptions, including that we or our successor would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the increased tax deductions and tax basis and other benefits covered by the TRA. As a result, upon a change of control, we could be required to make payments under the TRA that are greater than the specified percentage of our actual cash tax savings, which could negatively impact our liquidity. The change of control provisions in the TRA may result in situations where the Pre-IPO LLC Members have interests that differ from or are in addition to those of our other stockholders.
Finally, because we are a holding company with no operations of our own, our ability to make payments under the TRA depends on the ability of Xponential Holdings LLC to make distributions to us. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the TRA for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid, which could negatively impact our results of operations and could also affect our liquidity in periods in which such payments are made.
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Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock and this Offering
Some provisions of Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering may deter third parties from acquiring us and diminish the value of our Class A common stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering will provide for, among other things:
| a classified board of directors with staggered three year terms; |
| the ability of our board of directors to issue one or more series of preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could have the effect of impeding the success of an attempt to acquire us or otherwise effect a change in control; |
| advance notice for nominations of directors by stockholders and for stockholders to include matters to be considered at stockholder meetings; |
| certain limitations on convening special stockholder meetings; and |
| certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws that may be amended only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of all outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class. |
In addition, while we have opted out of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the (DGCL), our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain similar provisions providing that we may not engage in certain business combinations with any interested stockholder for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
| prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; |
| upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the votes of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or |
| at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the votes of our outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an interested stockholder is a person who, together with that persons affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 15% or more of the votes of our outstanding voting stock. For purposes of this provision, voting stock means any class or series of stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that H&W Franchise Holdings, their respective affiliates and any of their respective direct or indirect designated transferees (other than in certain market transfers and gifts) and any group of which such persons are a party do not constitute interested stockholders for purposes of this provision.
Under certain circumstances, this provision will make it more difficult for a person who would be an interested stockholder to effect various business combinations with our company for a three-year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors
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because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our board of directors and may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
These provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company that is in the best interest of our minority stockholders. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our Class A common stock if they are viewed as discouraging future takeover attempts. These provisions could also make it more difficult for stockholders to nominate directors for election to our board of directors and take other corporate actions.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States as the sole and exclusive forums for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees, agents or trustees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee of ours arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee of ours that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the federal securities laws of the United States. However, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such a forum selection provision as written in connection with claims arising under the Securities Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of, and consented to, the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described in the preceding sentences.
These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholders ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and such persons. If any court of competent jurisdiction were to find either exclusive-forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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We are a controlled company within the meaning of the listing standards and, as a result, will qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. We are controlled by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members whose interests in our business may be different than yours, and certain statutory provisions typically afforded to stockholders are not applicable to us.
Upon the completion of this offering, our existing owners will continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our Class A and Class B common stock. As a result, we are a controlled company within the meaning of the listing standards. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a controlled company and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements of the , including (i) the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (ii) the requirement that we have a nominating and governance committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committees purpose and responsibilities and (iii) the requirement that we have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committees purpose and responsibilities. Following this offering, we intend to rely on some or all of these exemptions. As a result, we will not have a majority of independent directors and our compensation and nominating and governance committees will not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the .
Further, this concentration of ownership and voting power allows the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members to be able to control our decisions, including matters requiring approval by our stockholders (such as the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other extraordinary transactions), regardless of whether or not other stockholders believe that the transaction is in their own best interests. Such concentration of voting power could also have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change of control or other business combination that might otherwise be beneficial to our stockholders, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of our company and might ultimately affect the market price of our common stock.
The Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members interests may not be fully aligned with yours, which could lead to actions that are not in your best interests. Because the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members hold a majority of their economic interests in our business through Xponential Holdings LLC rather than through the public company, they may have conflicting interests with holders of shares of our Class A common stock. For example, the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members may have a different tax position from us, which could influence their decisions regarding whether and when we should dispose of assets or incur new or refinance existing indebtedness, especially in light of the existence of the TRA that we will enter into in connection with this offering, and whether and when we should undergo certain changes of control within the meaning of the TRA or terminate the TRA. In addition, the structuring of future transactions may take into consideration these tax or other considerations even where no similar benefit would accrue to us. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement. In addition, the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members significant ownership in us and resulting ability to effectively control us may discourage someone from making a significant equity investment in us, or could discourage transactions involving a change in control, including transactions in which you as a holder of shares of our Class A common stock might otherwise receive a premium for your shares over the then-current market price.
We are an emerging growth company and we cannot be certain if the reduced 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 JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding
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executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict whether investors will find our Class A common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. 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 Class A common stock price may be more volatile.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage our business, particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company.
Following the completion of this offering, we will be required to comply with various regulatory and reporting requirements, including those required by the SEC. Complying with these reporting and other regulatory requirements will be time-consuming and will result in increased costs to us and could have a negative effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business.
As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we implement and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. To implement, maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, we will need to commit significant resources, hire additional staff and provide additional management oversight. We will be implementing additional procedures and processes for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. Sustaining our growth also will require us to commit additional management, operational and financial resources to identify new professionals to join our firm and to maintain appropriate operational and financial systems to adequately support expansion. These activities may divert managements attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business.
As an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain temporary exemptions from various reporting requirements including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We may also delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, as permitted by the JOBS Act.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the later of our second annual report or the first annual report required to be filed with the Commission following the date we are no longer an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act. We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020 and cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controls in the future.
When these exemptions cease to apply, we expect to incur additional expenses and devote increased management effort toward ensuring compliance with them. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.
Prior to the completion of this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel to adequately execute our accounting processes and other supervisory resources with which to address
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our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the preparation of our financial statements, we identified certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended
December 31, 2020, including certain material weaknesses that were identified as material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and remained unremediated as of December 31, 2020. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weaknesses that we identified in 2019 related to inadequate or missing (i) anti-fraud programs and controls, (ii) controls for the review of financial information and related disclosures in our annual reports, (iii) competent accounting resources and formalized policies to timely identify and correct misstatements related to improper application of GAAP, (iv) controls over data provided by finance and operations personnel, (v) controls over account reconciliation processes that resulted in certain restatements of prior period results, (vi) account analysis and transaction level controls and (vii) general information technology controls and controls over information provided by third-party service providers.
Through 2020, we added additional resources, formalized processes and implemented new controls to remediate certain material weaknesses. We formalized the review of financial information and related disclosures in our annual reports, added additional competent accounting resources and formalized policies to timely identify and correct misstatements related to improper application of GAAP, added controls to validate and review data provided by finance and operations personnel, added and formalized controls over account reconciliation processes and implemented additional account analysis and transaction level controls.
The material weaknesses that we identified and remain unremediated related to inadequate or missing (i) anti-fraud programs and controls, and (ii) general information technology controls and controls over information provided by third-party service providers.
We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, and are continuing to implement, will be sufficient to remediate the material weakness we have identified or avoid potential future material weaknesses. If the steps we take do not correct the material weakness in a timely manner, we will be unable to conclude that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, there could continue to be a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
If we fail to remediate our existing material weaknesses or identify new material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, if we are unable to conclude that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting when we are no longer an emerging growth company, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected. As a result of such failures, we could also become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, and become subject to litigation from investors and stockholders, which could harm our reputation and financial condition or divert financial and management resources from our regular business activities.
If you purchase shares of Class A common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of your investment.
The initial public offering price of our Class A common stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book deficit per share of our common stock. Therefore, if you purchase shares of our Class A common stock in this offering, you will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds our net tangible book deficit per
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share after this offering. You will experience immediate dilution of $ per share, representing the difference between our pro forma net tangible book deficit per share after giving effect to this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of our Class A common stock (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus). In addition, purchasers of Class A common stock in this offering will have contributed % of the aggregate price paid by all purchasers of our stock but will own only approximately % of our common stock outstanding after this offering. See Dilution for more detail.
Your percentage ownership in us may be diluted by future issuances of capital stock, which could reduce your influence over matters on which stockholders vote.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors has the authority, without action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or any part of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock, including shares issuable upon the exercise of options, or shares of our authorized but unissued preferred stock. Issuances of Class A common stock or voting preferred stock would reduce your influence over matters on which
our stockholders vote and, in the case of issuances of preferred stock, would likely result in your interest in us being subject to the prior rights of holders of that preferred stock.
An active, liquid trading market for our Class A common stock may not develop, which may limit your ability to sell your shares.
Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our Class A common stock. Although we intend to list shares of our Class A common stock on the under the symbol XPOF, an active trading market for our Class A common stock may never develop or be sustained following this offering. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations among us, and the underwriters and may not be indicative of market prices of our Class A common stock that will prevail in the open market after this offering. A public trading market having the desirable characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers at any given time, such existence being dependent upon the individual decisions of buyers and sellers over which neither we nor any market maker has control. The failure of an active and liquid trading market to develop and continue would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of our Class A common stock. The market price of our Class A common stock may decline below the initial public offering price, and you may not be able to sell your shares of our Class A common stock at or above the price you paid in this offering, or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. This could cause the market price of our Class A common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Class A common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our Class A common stock. After this offering, we will have outstanding shares of Class A common stock based on the number of shares outstanding immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions. This includes shares of Class A common stock that we are selling in this offering. Substantially all of the shares of Class A common stock that are not being sold in this offering will be subject to a 180-day lock-up period provided under agreements executed in connection with this offering. These shares will, however, be able to be resold after the expiration of the lock-up agreements as described in Shares Eligible for Future Sale. We also intend to file a Registration Statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register all shares of Class A common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. In addition, the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members will have certain demand registration
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rights that could require us in the future to file registration statements in connection with sales of our stock by them. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsAmended and Restated LLC Agreement. Such sales could be significant. Once we register these shares, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to the lock-up agreements described in Underwriting. As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline if the holders of currently restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our Class A common stock or describe us or our business in a negative manner, the price of our Class A common stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the price or trading volume of our Class A common stock to decline. In addition, if we fail to meet the expectations and forecasts for our business provided by securities analysts, the price of our Class A common stock could decline.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We have made statements under Prospectus Summary, Risk Factors, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Business and other sections of this prospectus that are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as may, might, will, should, expects, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, potential or continue, the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance, our anticipated growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed under Risk Factors. You should specifically consider the numerous risks outlined under Risk Factors.
Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements in this prospectus are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations.
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Structure Prior to the Reorganization Transactions
We currently conduct our business through Xponential Fitness LLC and its subsidiaries. Xponential Fitness LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xponential Holdings LLC. Following this offering, we will be a holding company and our sole material asset will be a controlling ownership interest in Xponential Fitness LLC through our ownership interest in Xponential Holdings LLC.
Xponential Fitness, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on January 14, 2020 to serve as the issuer of the Class A common stock offered hereby.
The following diagram depicts our organizational structure immediately prior to the Reorganization Transactions. This diagram is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to represent all legal entities within our organizational structure.
Prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of Xponential Holdings LLC will be amended and restated to, among other things, appoint us as managing member and reclassify its outstanding limited liability company units (the LLC Units)
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as non-voting units. We refer to the limited liability company agreement of Xponential Holdings LLC, as in effect at the time of this offering, as the Amended LLC Agreement.
After the Amended LLC Agreement is effective and prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, H&W Intermediate, the sole owner of all outstanding LLC Units, will merge with and into H&W Franchise Holdings, which will in turn liquidate under local law, distributing the LLC Units to its equity holders in liquidation of their H&W Franchise Holdings LLC interests. After these transactions and prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions and the completion of this offering, all of Xponential Holdings LLCs outstanding equity interests will be owned by the following persons (collectively, the Pre-IPO LLC Members):
| H&W Investco, L.P., which is controlled by Mr. Grabowski, a member of our board of directors; |
| LAG Fit, Inc., which is beneficially owned by Mr. Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder; |
| LCAT Franchise Fitness Holdings, Inc., which is an affiliate of Mr. Magliacano, a member of our board of directors; |
| Certain other direct or indirect former equity holders in H&W Franchise Holdings. |
The Reorganization Transactions
In connection with this offering, we intend to enter into the following series of transactions, which we collectively refer to as the Reorganization Transactions. We refer to the Pre-IPO LLC Members who will retain their equity ownership in Xponential Holdings LLC in the form of LLC Units immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions as Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members.
Because we will manage and operate the business and control the strategic decisions and day-to-day operations of Xponential Fitness LLC through our ownership of Xponential Holdings LLC and because we will also have a substantial financial interest in Xponential Fitness LLC through our ownership of Xponential Holdings LLC, we will consolidate the financial results of Xponential Fitness LLC and Xponential Holdings LLC, and a portion of our net income will be allocated to the noncontrolling interest to reflect the entitlement of the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members to a portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs net income. In addition, because Xponential Holdings LLC will be under the common control of the Pre-IPO LLC Members before and after the Reorganization Transactions, we will account for the Reorganization Transactions as a reorganization of entities under common control and will initially measure the interests of the Pre-IPO LLC Members in the assets and liabilities of Xponential Holdings LLC at their carrying amounts as of the date of the completion of the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering will authorize the issuance of two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. Each share of common stock will entitle its holder to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. See Description of Capital Stock.
Prior to the completion of this offering, LCAT Franchise Fitness Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Mr. Magliacano, a member of our board of directors, and certain other entities treated as corporations for U.S. tax purposes, each of which directly own LLC Units (the Blocker Companies), will be contributed by their owners to Xponential Fitness, Inc. in exchange for Class A common stock of Xponential Fitness, Inc. Each Blocker Company will thereafter merge with and into Xponential Fitness, Inc. We refer to such transactions as the Mergers. Equity holders of each Blocker Company, referred to as the Reorganization Parties, will receive a number of shares of our Class A common stock equal to the number of LLC Units held by such Blocker Company prior to the Mergers.
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Each Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Member will be issued a number of shares of our Class B common stock in an amount equal to the number of LLC Units held by such Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Member.
Under the Amended LLC Agreement, holders of LLC Units (other than us), including the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, will have the right, from and after the completion of this offering (subject to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement), to require Xponential Holdings LLC to redeem all or a portion of their LLC Units for, at our election, newly-issued shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or a cash payment equal to the volume-weighted average market price of one share of our Class A common stock for each LLC Unit redeemed (subject to customary adjustments, including for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications) in accordance with the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. Additionally, in the event of a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, we may, at our option, effect a direct exchange of cash or Class A common stock for LLC Units in lieu of such a redemption. Shares of Class B common stock will be cancelled on a one-for-one basis if we, following a redemption request from a holder of LLC Units, redeem or exchange LLC Units of such holder pursuant to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsAmended LLC Agreement. Except for transfers to us or to certain permitted transferees pursuant to the Amended LLC Agreement, the holders of LLC Units are not permitted to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any LLC Units or shares of Class B common stock.
We will issue shares of Class A common stock to the public pursuant to this offering.
We will use all of the net proceeds from this offering (including net proceeds received if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) to (i) acquire newly-issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and (ii) acquire LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price of Class A common stock, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions collectively representing % of Xponential Holdings LLCs outstanding LLC Units (or %, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full).
We will enter into a TRA, that will obligate us to make payments to the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, the Reorganization Parties and any future party to the TRA in the aggregate generally equal to 85% of the applicable cash savings that we actually realize as a result of certain favorable tax attributes we will acquire from the Blocker Companies in the Mergers or that may result from the purchase or exchange of LLC Units from Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and certain payments made under the TRA. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of these tax savings.
We will cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the proceeds from the sale of LLC Units to us (i) to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions, (ii) to potentially repay indebtedness and (iii) for working capital. Xponential Holdings LLC will not receive any proceeds from the purchase by us of LLC Units from any Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members. See Use of Proceeds.
Effect of the Reorganization Transactions and this Offering
The Reorganization Transactions are intended to create a holding company that will facilitate public ownership of, and investment in, the Company and are structured in a tax-efficient manner for the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members. The Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members desire that their investment in the Company maintain its existing tax treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, will continue to hold their ownership interests in Xponential Holdings LLC until such time in the future as they may elect to cause us to redeem or exchange their LLC Units for a corresponding number of shares of our Class A common stock or cash.
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We estimate that the offering expenses (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) will be approximately $ . All of such offering expenses will be paid for by Xponential Holdings LLC. See Use of Proceeds.
The diagram on the following page depicts our organizational structure immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, the completion of this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of Class A common stock (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock. This chart is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to represent all legal entities within our organizational structure.
Upon completion of the transactions described above, this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering:
| Xponential Fitness, Inc. will be appointed as the managing member of Xponential Holdings LLC and will hold LLC Units, constituting % of the outstanding economic interests in Xponential Holdings LLC (or LLC Units, constituting % of the outstanding economic interests in Xponential Holdings LLC if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
| The Pre-IPO LLC Members will hold (i) shares of Class A common stock and (ii) LLC Units, which together represent approximately % of the economic interest in Xponential Holdings LLC (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of |
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Class A common stock in full) and (ii) through their ownership of Class A and Class B common stock, approximately % of the combined voting power of our common stock (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
| Investors in this offering will collectively beneficially own (i) shares of our Class A common stock, representing approximately % of the combined voting power of our common stock (or shares and %, respectively, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) and (ii) through our ownership of LLC Units will hold approximately % of the economic interest in Xponential Holdings LLC (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). |
Holding Company Structure and the Tax Receivable Agreement
We are a holding company, and immediately after the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions and this offering our sole material asset will be our ownership interests in Xponential Holdings LLC. The number of LLC Units that we will own in the aggregate at any time will equal the aggregate number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock. The economic interest represented by each LLC Unit that we own will correspond to one share of our Class A common stock, and the total number of LLC Units owned by us and the holders of our Class B common stock at any given time will equal the sum of the outstanding shares of all classes of our common stock.
We do not intend to list our Class B common stock on any stock exchange.
We will acquire certain favorable tax attributes from the Blocker Companies in the Mergers. In addition, acquisitions by us of LLC Units from Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in connection with this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, and other transactions described herein are expected to result in favorable tax attributes that will be allocated to us. These tax attributes would not be available to us in the absence of those transactions and are expected to reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future.
We intend to enter into a TRA with the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and the Reorganization Parties. Under the TRA, we generally will be required to pay to the TRA parties in the aggregate 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize as a result of (i) certain tax attributes that are created as a result of the redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, (ii) any existing tax attributes associated with LLC Units that we acquire, the benefit of which will be allocable to us as a result of the Mergers and exchanges of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash (including the portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs existing tax basis in its assets that is allocable to the LLC Units that are acquired), (iii) tax benefits related to imputed interest, (iv) NOLs available to us as a result of the Mergers and (v) tax attributes resulting from payments under the TRA.
Payments under the TRA will be based on the tax reporting positions we determine, and the IRS or another tax authority may challenge all or part of the existing tax basis, tax basis increases, NOLs or other tax attributes subject to the TRA, and a court could sustain such challenge. The TRA parties will not reimburse us for any payments previously made if such tax basis, NOLs or other tax benefits are subsequently challenged by a tax authority and are ultimately disallowed, except that any excess payments made to a TRA party will be netted against future payments otherwise to be made to such TRA party under the TRA, if any, after our determination of such excess. As a result, in such circumstances we could make future payments under the TRA that are greater than our actual cash tax savings and may not be able to recoup those payments, which could negatively impact our liquidity. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Organizational StructureWe will be required to pay the
71
Pre-IPO LLC Members and any other persons that become parties to the TRA for certain tax benefits we may receive, and the amounts we may pay could be significant.
Our obligations under the TRA will also apply with respect to any person who is issued LLC Units in the future and who becomes a party to the TRA.
72
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $ million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and assuming no exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full, we estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $ million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus).
We estimate that the offering expenses (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be approximately $ million. All of such offering expenses will be paid for by Xponential Holdings LLC.
We will use all of the net proceeds from this offering (including net proceeds received if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full) to acquire newly issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, including Anthony Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder, in each case at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, collectively representing % of Xponential Holdings LLCs outstanding LLC Units (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full).
We will cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the proceeds from the sale of LLC Units to us (i) to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions, (ii) to potentially repay indebtedness and (iii) for working capital.
Xponential Holdings LLC will not receive any proceeds from the purchase by us of LLC Units from any Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members.
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full, we estimate that our additional net proceeds will be approximately $ million. We will use these additional net proceeds to purchase additional LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC to maintain the one-to-one ratio between the number of shares of Class A common stock issued by us and the number of LLC Units owned by us. We intend to cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use such additional proceeds it receives for general corporate purposes.
A $ increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share would increase (decrease) the amount of proceeds to us from this offering available by approximately $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
Each 1,000,000 share increase (decrease) in the number of shares offered in this offering would increase (decrease) the amount of proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming that the price per share for the offering remains at $ (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
73
Following this offering and subject to funds being legally available, we intend to cause Xponential Holdings LLC to make pro rata distributions to the holders of LLC Units and us in an amount at least sufficient to allow us and the holders of LLC Units to pay all applicable taxes, to make payments under the TRA we will enter into with the Pre-IPO LLC Members and to pay our corporate and other overhead expenses. The declaration and payment of any dividends by us will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors, which may change our dividend policy at any time. Our board of directors will take into account:
| general economic and business conditions; |
| our financial condition and operating results; |
| our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs; |
| our capital requirements; |
| contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions and implications on the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries (including Xponential Holdings LLC) to us; and |
| such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. |
Following this offering, we will be a holding company and will have no material assets other than our ownership of LLC Units in Xponential Holdings LLC. As a consequence, our ability to declare and pay dividends to the holders of our Class A common stock will be subject to the ability of Xponential Holdings LLC to provide distributions to us. If Xponential Holdings LLC makes such distributions, the holders of LLC Units will be entitled to receive equivalent distributions from Xponential Holdings LLC. However, because we must pay taxes, make payments under the TRA and pay our expenses, amounts ultimately distributed as dividends to holders of our Class A common stock are expected to be less than the amounts distributed by Xponential Holdings LLC to holders of our LLC Units on a per share basis. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement.
Assuming Xponential Holdings LLC makes distributions to its members in any given year, the determination to pay dividends, if any, to our Class A common stockholders out of the portion, if any, of such distributions remaining after our payment of taxes, TRA payments and expenses (any such portion, an excess distribution) will be made by our board of directors. Because our board of directors may determine to pay or not pay dividends to our Class A common stockholders, our Class A common stockholders may not necessarily receive dividend distributions relating to excess distributions, even if Xponential Holdings LLC makes such distributions to us.
74
The following table sets forth our cash, cash equivalents and capitalization as of December 31, 2020:
| on an actual basis for Xponential Fitness LLC; |
| on a pro forma basis to reflect the Reorganization Transactions; and |
| on a pro forma as adjusted basis to reflect the sale by us of shares of Class A common stock in this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering as described in Use of Proceeds and based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus). |
This table should be read in conjunction with Organizational Structure, Use of Proceeds, Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Description of Capital Stock and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus.
As of December 31, 2020 |
||||||||||||
Actual |
Pro forma |
Pro forma |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents(1)(2)(3) |
$ | 10,300 | $ | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Long-term debt |
$ | 176,002 | (4) | $ | ||||||||
Members equity/stockholders equity: |
||||||||||||
Members equity |
||||||||||||
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, no shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted |
| |||||||||||
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, no shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted |
| |||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
| |||||||||||
Total stockholders equity |
$ | 4,749 | $ | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total capitalization |
$ | 180,751 | $ | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | Excludes restricted cash of $999 as of December 31, 2020. |
(2) | Each $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase or decrease each of cash and cash equivalents, members equity/stockholders equity and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $ million, assuming the number of shares offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
(3) | Each 1,000,000 share increase or decrease in the number of shares offered in this offering would increase or decrease each of cash and cash equivalents, members equity/stockholders equity and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $ million, assuming that the price per share for the offering remains at $ (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this |
75
prospectus), and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
(4) | Includes long-term debt and line of credit. Net of current portion and issuance cost. |
76
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The unaudited pro forma consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 gives effect to the Offering Adjustments, as defined below, as if this offering had occurred on January 1, 2020.
The unaudited pro forma balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 gives effect to the Offering Adjustments, as if this offering had occurred on December 31, 2020. See Capitalization.
The unaudited pro forma financial information has been prepared by our management and is based on (i) Xponential Fitness LLCs consolidated historical financial statements and (ii) the assumptions and adjustments described in the notes thereto. The presentation of the unaudited pro forma financial information has been prepared in conformity with Article 11 of Regulation S-X and are based on currently available information and certain estimates and assumptions. Therefore, the actual adjustments may differ from the pro forma adjustments. Assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments are described in the accompanying notes, which should be read in connection with the unaudited pro forma financial information. The unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information is not necessarily indicative of financial results that would have been attained had the described transactions occurred on the dates indicated above or that could be achieved in the future. However, management believes that the assumptions provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects of the transactions as contemplated and that the pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions and are properly applied in the unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information.
Our historical financial information for the year ended December 31, 2020 has been derived from Xponential Fitness LLCs consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
For purposes of the unaudited pro forma financial information, we have assumed that shares of Class A common stock will be issued by us at a price per share equal to the midpoint of the estimated initial offering price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, and as a result, immediately following the completion of this offering, the ownership percentage represented by LLC Units not held by us will be %, and the net loss attributable to LLC Units not held by us will accordingly represent % of our net loss. If the underwriters option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, the ownership percentage represented by LLC Units not held by us will be % and the net loss attributable to LLC Units not held by us will accordingly represent % of our net loss. The higher percentage of net loss attributable to LLC Units not held by us over the ownership percentage of LLC Units not held by us is due to the recognition of additional current income tax expense after giving effect to the adjustments for the Reorganization Transactions and this offering that is entirely attributable to our interest.
We based the pro forma adjustments on available information and on assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances in order to reflect, on a pro forma basis, the impact of the relevant transactions on the historical financial information of Xponential Fitness LLC. See the notes to unaudited pro forma financial information below for a discussion of assumptions made.
The unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information and related notes are included for informational purposes only and do not purport to reflect the financial position or results of operations of us that would have occurred had we been in existence or operated as a public company or otherwise during the periods presented. If this offering and other transactions contemplated herein had occurred in the past, our operating results might have been materially different from those presented in the unaudited consolidated pro forma financial statements. The unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information should not be relied upon as being indicative of our financial position or results of operations had the described transactions occurred on the dates assumed. The unaudited consolidated financial information also does not project our financial position or results of operations for any future period or date. Future results may vary significantly from the results reflected
77
in the unaudited pro forma consolidated statements of operations and should not be relied on as an indication of our results after the consummation of this offering and the other transactions contemplated by such unaudited pro forma consolidated financial statements.
The unaudited pro forma financial information should be read together with Capitalization, Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus.
The pro forma adjustments related to this offering (the Offering Adjustments) are described in the notes to the unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information, and principally include the following:
| adjustments for the Reorganization Transactions and the entry into the TRA; |
| the issuance of shares of our Class A common stock to the purchasers in this offering in exchange for net proceeds of approximately $ million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions but before offering expenses; |
| the application by us of the net proceeds from this offering and the issuance of shares of Class A common stock (assuming shares of Class A common stock are sold in this offering, and assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock) to acquire newly-issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and acquire LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions; |
| the application by Xponential Holdings LLC of a portion of the proceeds of the sale of LLC Units to us to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions; and |
| the provision for federal and state income taxes of Xponential Fitness, Inc. as a taxable corporation at an effective rate of % for the year ended December 31, 2020 (which effective rate was calculated using the new U.S. federal income tax rate of 21%). |
78
As a public company, we will be implementing additional procedures and processes for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. We expect to incur additional annual expenses related to these steps and, among other things, additional directors and officers liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC and the exchange, transfer agent fees, hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses. We have not included any pro forma adjustments relating to these costs.
Year Ended December 31, 2020 |
||||||||||||
Xponential Fitness LLC (1) |
Offering Adjustments |
Pro Forma Xponential Fitness, Inc. |
||||||||||
(in thousands, except per share data) |
||||||||||||
Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Statement of Operations |
||||||||||||
Revenue, net: |
||||||||||||
Franchise revenue |
$ | 48,056 | ||||||||||
Equipment revenue |
20,642 | |||||||||||
Merchandise revenue |
16,648 | |||||||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
7,448 | |||||||||||
Other service revenue |
13,798 | |||||||||||
Total revenue, net |
106,592 | |||||||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||
Costs of product revenue |
25,727 | |||||||||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
8,392 | |||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
60,917 | |||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
7,651 | |||||||||||
Marketing fund expense |
7,101 | |||||||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
(10,990 | ) | ||||||||||
Total operating costs and expenses |
98,798 | |||||||||||
Operating income |
7,794 | |||||||||||
Other (income) expense: |
||||||||||||
Interest income |
(345 | ) | ||||||||||
Interest expense |
21,410 | |||||||||||
Total other expense |
21,065 | |||||||||||
Loss before income taxes |
(13,271 | ) | ||||||||||
Income taxes |
369 | (2) | ||||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (13,640 | ) | |||||||||
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest |
(3) | |||||||||||
Net loss attributable to controlling interests |
||||||||||||
Class A common stock outstanding |
||||||||||||
Pro forma weighted average shares of common stock outstanding: |
||||||||||||
Basic |
||||||||||||
Diluted |
||||||||||||
Pro forma net loss available to common stock per share: |
||||||||||||
Basic |
||||||||||||
Diluted |
(1) | Xponential Fitness, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on January 14, 2020 and Xponential Holdings LLC was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on February 19, 2020. Xponential Fitness, Inc. will have no material assets or results of operations until the completion of the Reorganization Transactions and Xponential Holdings LLCs sole material asset is its ownership of Xponential Fitness LLC, and therefore, Xponential Fitness, Inc. and Xponential Holdings LLCs historical financial positions are not shown in a separate column in this unaudited pro forma consolidated statement of operations. This column represents the historical consolidated financial statements of Xponential Fitness LLC, the predecessor for accounting purposes. |
(2) | Before the Reorganization Transactions, Xponential Fitness LLC was a flow-through entity, and after the Reorganization Transactions will be treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes. After the Reorganization Transactions, Xponential Holdings LLC, which will wholly own Xponential Fitness LLC, will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes. As such, income generated by Xponential Holdings LLC will flow through to its partners, including us, and is generally not subject to tax at the Xponential Holdings LLC level. Following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions and the |
79
completion of this offering, we will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, in addition to state and local income taxes with respect to our share of any taxable income of Xponential Holdings LLC. As a result, the unaudited pro forma consolidated statement of operations reflects adjustments to our income tax expense to reflect an effective income tax rate of %, which was calculated assuming the U.S. federal rates currently in effect and the highest statutory rates apportioned to each applicable state and local jurisdiction. |
(3) | Upon completion of the Reorganization Transactions, we will become the managing member of Xponential Holdings LLC. As a result, we will consolidate the financial results of Xponential Holdings LLC and will report a non-controlling interest related to the LLC Units held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members on our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Following this offering, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock, we will own % of the economic interest of Xponential Holdings LLC and the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members will own the remaining % of the economic interest of Xponential Holdings LLC. Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests will represent % of loss before income taxes of Xponential Holdings LLC. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full, we will own % of the economic interest of Xponential Holdings LLC and the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members will own the remaining % of the economic interest of Xponential Holdings LLC and net loss attributable to non-controlling interests would represent % of loss before income taxes of Xponential Holdings LLC. |
As of December 31, 2020 |
||||||||||||
Xponential |
Offering |
Pro Forma |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Balance Sheet |
||||||||||||
Assets |
||||||||||||
Current Assets: |
||||||||||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
$ | 11,299 | (3) | |||||||||
Accounts receivable, net |
5,196 | |||||||||||
Inventories |
6,161 | |||||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
5,480 | |||||||||||
Deferred costs, current portion |
3,281 | |||||||||||
Notes receivable from franchisees, net |
1,288 | |||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
Total current assets |
32,705 | |||||||||||
Property and equipment, net |
13,694 | |||||||||||
Goodwill |
139,680 | |||||||||||
Intangible assets, net |
98,124 | |||||||||||
Deferred costs, net of current portion |
35,445 | |||||||||||
Note receivable from franchisees, net of current portion |
2,576 | |||||||||||
Other assets |
614 | |||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
Total assets |
$ | 322,838 | ||||||||||
Liabilities and Members Equity |
||||||||||||
Current Liabilities: |
||||||||||||
Accounts payable |
$ | 18,339 | ||||||||||
Accrued expenses |
13,764 | |||||||||||
Deferred revenue, current portion |
14,247 | |||||||||||
Notes payable |
970 | |||||||||||
Current portion of long-term debt |
5,795 | |||||||||||
Other current liabilities |
1,804 | |||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
Total current liabilities |
54,919 | |||||||||||
Deferred revenue, net of current portion |
74,361 | |||||||||||
Contingent consideration from acquisitions |
8,399 |
80
As of December 31, 2020 |
||||||||||||
Xponential |
Offering |
Pro Forma |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Payable to related parties pursuant to tax receivable agreement |
| (4) | ||||||||||
Long-term debt, net of current portion and issuance costs |
176,002 | |||||||||||
Other liabilities |
4,408 | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total liabilities |
318,089 | |||||||||||
Commitments and contingencies |
||||||||||||
Members equity: |
||||||||||||
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, no shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted |
| (3) | ||||||||||
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, no shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted |
| (3) | ||||||||||
Members contribution |
113,697 | |||||||||||
Receivable from H&W Intermediate |
(1,456 | ) | ||||||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(107,492 | ) | ||||||||||
Non-controlling interests |
| (5) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total members equity |
4,749 | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total liabilities and members equity |
$ | 322,838 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | Xponential Fitness, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on January 14, 2020 and Xponential Holdings LLC was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on February 19, 2020. Xponential Fitness, Inc. will have no material assets or results of operations until the completion of the Reorganization Transactions and Xponential Holdings LLCs sole material asset is its ownership of Xponential Fitness LLC, and therefore Xponential Fitness, Inc. and Xponential Holdings LLCs historical financial positions are not shown in a separate column in this unaudited pro forma consolidated balance sheet. This column represents the historical consolidated financial statements of Xponential Fitness LLC, the predecessor for accounting purposes. |
(2) | For purposes of the unaudited pro forma financial information, we have assumed that shares of Class A common stock will be issued by us in this offering at an initial public offering price per share equal to $ (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), and as a result, immediately following the completion of this offering, the ownership percentage represented by LLC Units not held by us will be %, and the net loss attributable to LLC Units not held by us will accordingly represent % of our net loss. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full, the ownership percentage represented by LLC Units not held by us will be % and the net income attributable to LLC Units not held by us will accordingly represent % of our net loss. The higher percentage of net loss attributable to LLC Units not held by us over the ownership percentage of LLC Units not held by us is due to the recognition of additional current income tax expense after giving effect to the adjustments for the Reorganization Transactions and this offering that is entirely attributable to our interest. |
(3) | We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common |
81
stock in full), after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full). We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to purchase newly-issued LLC Units from Xponential Holdings LLC and LLC Units from certain Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members, in each case at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price per share of Class A common stock after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. We will cause Xponential Holdings LLC to use the proceeds from the sale of LLC Units to us (i) to pay fees and expenses of approximately $ million in connection with this offering and the Reorganization Transactions, (ii) to potentially repay indebtedness and (iii) for working capital. See Use of Proceeds. |
(4) | Reflects adjustments to give effect to the TRA described in Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement and Organizational Structure, based on the following assumptions: |
| we will record an increase of $ million in deferred tax assets for the estimated income tax effects of certain tax assets acquired or created in connection with the Mergers and our acquisitions of LLC Units from Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members based on enacted federal, state and local tax rates at the date of the transaction. To the extent we estimate that we will not realize the full benefit represented by the deferred tax asset, based on an analysis of expected future earnings, we will reduce the deferred tax asset with a valuation allowance; and |
| we will record approximately 85% of the estimated realizable tax benefit as an increase of $ million payable to related parties pursuant to the TRA and the remaining 15% of the estimated realizable tax benefit, or $ million, as an increase to members interest. |
(5) | As described in Organizational Structure, we will become the managing member of Xponential Holdings LLC and will report a non-controlling interest related to the LLC Units held by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members. |
82
If you invest in our Class A common stock, you will experience dilution to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our Class A common stock and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock. Dilution results from the fact that the per share offering price of our Class A common stock is substantially in excess of the pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to the Pre-IPO LLC Members.
We have presented dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per share of Class A common stock to investors in this offering assuming that all of the holders of LLC Units redeemed or exchanged their LLC Units for a corresponding number of newly-issued shares of Class A common stock (the Assumed Redemption,) in order to more meaningfully present the dilutive impact on the investors in this offering.
Our pro forma net tangible book value as of December 31, 2020 would have been approximately $ million, or $ per share of our Class A common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of total tangible assets less total liabilities, and pro forma net tangible book value per share represents pro forma net tangible book value divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding, in each case after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions and based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), assuming that the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members redeem or exchange all of their LLC Units and shares of Class B common stock for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis (assuming shares of Class A common stock are sold in this offering).
After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, assuming that the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members redeem or exchange all of their LLC Units for newly-issued shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, and after giving further effect to the sale of shares of Class A common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and the use of the net proceeds from this offering, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value would have been approximately $ million, or $ per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to existing equity holders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $ per share to new investors.
The following table illustrates the per share dilution:
Assumed initial public offering price |
$ | |||||||
Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2020 |
$ | |||||||
Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
Pro forma adjusted net tangible book value per share after offering |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
Dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per share to new investors |
$ | |||||||
|
|
Dilution is determined by subtracting pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering from the initial public offering price per share of Class A common stock.
A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share would increase (decrease) the dilution per share to new investors by $ , in each case assuming the number of shares offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same.
To the extent the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock, there will be further dilution to new investors.
The following table illustrates, as of December 31, 2020, after giving effect to the Assumed Redemption and the sale by us of shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering
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price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), the difference between the existing Pre-IPO LLC Members, and the investors purchasing shares of our Class A common stock in this offering with respect to the number of shares of our common stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid or to be paid to us, and the average price per share paid or to be paid to us, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated offering expenses payable by us:
Shares Purchased |
Total Consideration |
Average Price |
||||||||||||||||||
Number |
Percent |
Amount |
Percent |
|||||||||||||||||
Pre-IPO LLC Members |
% | $ | % | $ | ||||||||||||||||
Investors purchasing shares of our Class A common stock in this offering |
$ | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Total |
100 | % | $ | 100 | % |
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors and the total consideration paid by all stockholders by $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions but before estimated offering expenses.
We may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to holders of our Class A common stock.
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MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and the other financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and timing may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
Xponential Fitness is a curator of leading boutique fitness brands across multiple verticals. Our mission is to make highly specialized workouts in motivating, community-based environments accessible to everyone. Our diversified portfolio of brands spans a variety of popular fitness and wellness verticals, including Pilates, barre, cycling, rowing, yoga, running, stretch, dance and boxing. Collectively, our brands offer consumers engaging experiences that appeal to a broad range of ages, fitness levels and demographics. Across our brands system-wide, consumers completed nearly 20 million workouts, including 19.2 million in-studio and live stream workouts and 0.5 million virtual workouts in 2020. The foundation of our business is built on strong partnerships with franchisees. We provide franchisees extensive support to help maximize the performance of their studios, while leveraging our corporate platform to accelerate growth and enhance profitability. We believe our unique combination of a multi-brand offering, resilient franchise model with strong unit economics and integrated platform has enabled us to build our leading market position in the large and growing U.S. boutique fitness industry.
We were formed in 2017 to build a portfolio of leading brands targeting distinct verticals within the fitness and wellness industry. Our brands consist of:
| Club Pilates: acquired in March 2015 by Anthony Geisler, our Chief Executive Officer and founder, and acquired by us in September 2017; |
| CycleBar: acquired in September 2017; |
| Stretch Lab: acquired in November 2017; |
| Row House: acquired in December 2017; |
| AKT: acquired in March 2018; |
| Yoga Six: acquired in July 2018; |
| Pure Barre: acquired in October 2018; |
| Stride: acquired in December 2018; and |
| Rumble: acquired in March 2021. |
As a franchisor, we benefit from multiple highly predictable and recurring revenue streams that enable us to scale our studio base in a capital efficient manner. As of December 31, 2020, 1,700 studios were open and franchisees were contractually committed to open an additional 1,561 new studios in North America. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had ten studios open internationally, and our master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 new studios in nine countries. Converting our
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current pipeline of licenses sold to open studios in North America would nearly double our existing franchised studio base. In 2019 and 2020, we had no material revenue outside of the United States and no franchisee accounted for more than 5% of our revenue. We operate in one segment for financial reporting purposes.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. By mid-March, the spread of COVID-19 significantly impacted the global economy, and prevented or restricted us and our employees, franchisees, members and suppliers from conducting business activities, as federal, state, local and foreign governments mandated stay-at-home orders, encouraged social distancing measures and implemented travel restrictions and prohibitions on non-essential activities and business. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, franchisees temporarily closed almost all studios system-wide in mid-March 2020. These disruptions continued, to varying degrees and studios began to reopen in May 2020, and substantially all studios were open as of March 31, 2021. Certain studios have had to re-close or are operating subject to capacity restrictions, and additional studios may have to re-close or further reduce capacity, pursuant to local guidelines. We also experienced lower license sales and delays in new studios openings due to the pandemic.
Our proven operational model allowed us to provide robust support to franchisees during the pandemic and has led to no units permanently closed under our ownership. Even though studios were temporarily closed, franchisees maintained strong member loyalty, as the majority of members maintained active paying accounts or put their memberships on hold. Members who did not pay membership dues while on hold kept their agreements and maintained the ability to reactivate when studios reopened, mitigating high member cancellation rates. While studios were closed, we continued to generate revenue from franchise license and royalty payments as customers engaged with our Video-On Demand services and purchased merchandise. We took significant action to support franchisees efforts to ensure they had access to resources that guided them on generating revenues and reducing operating costs, including a temporary reduction in marketing fund percentage collected.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also took ownership of a number of studios. We are currently operating these studios while we actively seek to refranchise these studios.
We cannot predict the ultimate degree to which, or period over which, we will continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or any significant resurgence. Although we have implemented measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, we expect the pandemic to continue to adversely affect franchisees, at least through 2021, as well as our overall business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
For a further discussion of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, see Prospectus SummaryImpact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Expected Recovery and Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Business and IndustryOur business and results of operations have been and are expected to continue to be materially adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in Risk Factors. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Reorganization
Xponential Fitness, Inc. was formed for the purpose of, and has engaged to date only in activities in contemplation of this offering. Xponential Fitness, Inc. will be a holding company whose primary asset will be a controlling ownership interest in Xponential Holdings LLC. For more information regarding our reorganization and holding company structure, see Organizational StructureThe Reorganization Transactions. Upon completion of this offering, all of our business will be conducted through Xponential Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, and the financial results of Xponential Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries will be included in the consolidated financial statements of Xponential Fitness, Inc. After the Reorganization
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Transactions, Xponential Holdings LLC will be taxed as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as a result, its members, including Xponential Fitness, Inc. will pay income taxes with respect to their allocable shares of its net taxable income.
We will acquire certain favorable tax attributes from the Blocker Companies in the Mergers. In addition, acquisitions by Xponential Fitness, Inc. of LLC Units from the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members in connection with this offering, future taxable redemptions or exchanges by the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, and other transactions described herein are expected to result in favorable tax attributes that will be allocated to us. These tax attributes would not be available to us in the absence of those transactions and are expected to reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future. The TRA will require Xponential Fitness, Inc. to pay in the aggregate 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize to the Pre-IPO LLC Members and the Reorganization Parties. Furthermore, payments under the TRA may give rise to additional tax benefits and therefore additional payments under the TRA. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement.
Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations
We believe that the most significant factors affecting our results of operations include:
| Licensing new qualified franchisees, selling additional licenses to existing franchisees and opening studios. Our growth depends upon our success in licensing new studios to new and existing franchisees. We believe our success in attracting new franchisees and attracting existing franchisees to invest in additional studios has resulted from our diverse offering of attractive brands, corporate level support, training provided to franchisees and the opportunity to realize attractive returns on their invested capital. We believe our significant investments in centralized systems and infrastructure help support new and existing franchisees. To continue to attract qualified new franchisees, sell additional studios to existing franchisees and assist franchisees in opening their studios, we plan to continue to invest in our brands to enable them to deliver positive consumer experiences and in our integrated services at the brand level to support franchisees. |
| Timing of studio openings. Our revenue growth depends to a significant extent on the number of studios that are open and operating. Many factors affect whether a new studio will be opened on time, if at all, including the availability and cost of financing, selection and availability of suitable studio locations, delays in hiring personnel as well as any delays in equipment delivery or installation. To the extent franchisees are unable to open new studios on the timeline we anticipate, we will not realize the revenue growth that we expect. We believe our investments in centralized systems and infrastructure, including real estate site selection, studio build-out and design assistance help enable franchisees to open studios, and we plan to continue to invest in our systems to continue to provide assistance during the opening process. |
| Increasing same store sales. Our long-term revenue prospects are driven in part by franchisees ability to increase same store sales. Several factors affect our same store sales in any given period, including the number of stores that have been in operation for a significant period of time, growth in total memberships and marketing and promotional efforts. We expect to continue to seek to grow same store sales and AUVs by helping franchisees acquire new members, increase studio utilization and drive increased spend from consumers. We also intend to expand ancillary revenue streams, such as our Video-On-Demand offerings and retail merchandise. |
| International expansion. We continue to invest in increasing the number of franchisees outside of North America. We have developed strong relationships and executed committed development contracts with master franchisees to propel our international growth. We plan to continue to invest |
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in these relationships and seek new relationships and opportunities in countries that we have targeted for expansion. |
| Consumer demand and competition for discretionary income. Our revenue and future success will depend in part on the attractiveness of our brands and the services provided by franchisees relative to other fitness and entertainment options available to consumers. Our franchisees AUVs are dependent upon the performance of studios and may be impacted by reduced capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Macroeconomic factors generally, and economic factors affecting a particular geographic territory, may also impact the returns generated by franchisees and therefore impact our operating results. |
Key Performance Indicators
In addition to our GAAP financial statements, we regularly review the following key metrics to measure performance, identify trends, formulate financial projections, compensate our employees, and monitor our business. While we believe that these metrics are useful in evaluating our business, other companies may not use similar metrics or may not calculate similarly titled metrics in a consistent manner. See Basis of Presentation.
The following table sets forth our key performance indicators for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
||||||||||||
System-wide sales |
$ | 374,506 | $ | 536,296 | $ | 433,989 | ||||||
Number of new studio openings in North America |
260 | 394 | 240 | |||||||||
Number of studios operating in North America |
1,066 | 1,460 | 1,700 | |||||||||
Number of licenses sold in North America |
2,081 | 2,998 | 3,261 | |||||||||
Number of licenses contractually obligated to be sold internationally |
35 | 489 | 593 | |||||||||
AUV |
$ | 385 | $ | 435 | $ | 283 | ||||||
Same store sales |
8% | 10% | (34)% |
System-Wide Sales
System-wide sales represent gross sales by all studios. System-wide sales includes sales by franchisees that are not revenue realized by us in accordance with GAAP. While we do not record sales by franchisees as revenue, and such sales are not included in our consolidated financial statements, this operating metric relates to our revenue because we receive approximately 7% and 2% of the sales by franchisees as royalty revenue and marketing fee revenue, respectively. We believe that this operating measure aids in understanding how we derive our royalty revenue and marketing fee revenue and is important in evaluating our performance. System-wide sales growth is driven by new studio openings and increases in same store sales. Management reviews system-wide sales monthly, which enables us to assess changes in our franchise revenue, overall studio performance, the health of our brands and the strength of our market position relative to competitors.
Number of New Studio Openings
The number of new studio openings reflects the number of studios opened in North America during a particular reporting period. We consider a new studio to be open once the studio begins offering classes. Opening new studios is an important part of our growth strategy. New studios may not generate material revenue in the early period following an opening and their revenue may not follow historical patterns. Management reviews the number of new studio openings in order to help forecast operating results and to monitor studio opening processes.
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Number of Studios Operating
In addition to the number of new studios opened during a period, we track the number of total studios operating in North America at the end of a reporting period. We view this metric on a net basis to take account of any studios that may have closed during the reporting period. While nearly all our franchised studios are licensed to franchisees, from time to time we own and operate a limited number of studios (typically as we take possession of a studio following a franchisee ceasing to operate it and as we prepare it to be licensed to a new franchisee). Management reviews the number of studios operating at a given point in time in order to help forecast system-wide sales, franchise revenue and other revenue streams.
Licenses Sold
The number of licenses sold in North America reflects the number of studios that franchisees have opened or are contractually obligated to open in North America under franchise and area development agreements. The number of licenses contractually obligated to be sold internationally reflects the number of licenses that master franchisees are contractually obligated to sell to franchisees outside of North America under master franchise agreements. The number of licenses sold is a useful indicator of the number of studios that have opened and that are expected to open in the future, which management reviews in order to monitor and forecast our revenue streams. Of the franchisees that opened their first studio in 2019, on average it took approximately 12.2 months from signing the franchise agreement to open. Of the franchisees that opened their first studio in 2020, on average it took approximately 14.6 months from signing the franchise agreement to open. The length of time increased during 2020 due to COVID-related opening restrictions. Management also reviews the number of licenses sold in North America and the number of licenses contractually obligated to be sold internationally in order to help forecast studio growth and system-wide sales.
Average Unit Volume
AUV consists of the average sales for the trailing 12 calendar months for all studios in North America that have been open for at least 13 calendar months as of the measurement date. AUV is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all studios being measured by the number of studios being measured. AUV growth is primarily driven by changes in same store sales and is also influenced by new studio openings. Management reviews AUV to assess studio economics.
Same Store Sales
Same store sales refer to period-over-period sales comparisons for the base of studios. We define the same store sales base to include studios in North America that have been open for at least 13 calendar months as of the measurement date. Any transfer of ownership of a studio does not affect this metric. We measure same store sales based solely upon monthly sales as reported by franchisees. This measure highlights the performance of existing studios, while excluding the impact of new studio openings. Management reviews same store sales to assess the health of the franchised studios.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the following non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance. We use the following non-GAAP financial information to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial information, when taken collectively, is helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance. However, non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly titled non-GAAP measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the
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usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measure as tools for comparison. A reconciliation is provided below for the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures stated in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.
We believe that the non-GAAP financial measures presented below, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook.
Adjusted EBITDA
We define adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (net income/loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in our evaluation of ongoing operating performance. These items include equity-based compensation, acquisition and transaction expenses (income) (including change in contingent consideration), management fees and expenses (that will be discontinued after this offering), integration and related expenses and litigation expenses (consisting of legal and related fees for specific proceedings that arise outside of the ordinary course of our business) that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance and affect comparability. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are also frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry.
We believe that adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of operating performance because it eliminates the impact of expenses that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance.
We believe that adjusted EBITDA, viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, our reported GAAP results, provides useful information to investors regarding our performance and overall results of operations because it eliminates the impact of other items that we believe reduce the comparability of our underlying core business performance from period to period and is therefore useful to our investors in comparing the core performance of our business from period to period.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (42,478 | ) | $ | (37,134 | ) | $ | (13,640 | ) | |||
Interest expense |
6,253 | 16,087 | 21,410 | |||||||||
Income taxes |
73 | 164 | 369 | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
3,513 | 6,386 | 7,651 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
EBITDA |
(32,639 | ) | (14,497 | ) | 15,790 | |||||||
Equity-based compensation |
1,969 | 2,064 | 1,751 | |||||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
18,095 | 7,948 | (10,990 | ) | ||||||||
Management fees and expenses |
847 | 557 | 795 | |||||||||
Integration and related expenses |
467 | 15,022 | 386 | |||||||||
Litigation expenses |
696 | 5,548 | 2,420 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | (10,565 | ) | $ | 16,642 | $ | 10,152 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Free Cash Flow Conversion
Free cash flow conversion is a financial measure that we calculate as adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures as a percentage of adjusted EBITDA. We consider free cash flow conversion to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors in understanding and evaluating our liquidity and future ability to generate cash that can be used for strategic opportunities, including investing in our business and strengthening our balance sheet, but it is not intended to represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures.
We believe that free cash flow conversion, viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, our reported GAAP results, provides useful information to investors regarding our performance and overall results of operations because it eliminates the impact of other items that we believe reduce the comparability of our underlying core business performance from period to period and is therefore useful to our investors in comparing the core performance of our business from period to period.
The table below presents free cash flow conversion for 2019 and 2020:
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2019 |
2020 |
|||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | 16,642 | $ | 10,152 | ||||
Capital expenditure |
(7,226) | (1,880) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Free cash flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$ | 9,416 | $ | 8,272 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Free cash flow conversion |
57% | 81% | ||||||
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures were unusually high in 2019 due to technology platform and headquarter buildout.
Key Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
Our revenue consists of franchise revenue, equipment revenue, merchandise revenue, franchise marketing fund revenue and other service revenue. We consider royalty revenue, marketing fund revenue and certain of our other service revenue items recurring revenue. The following is a brief description of the components of our revenue.
Franchise revenue includes revenue we earn from our franchise agreements and area development agreements. Our performance obligation under the franchise license is granting certain rights to access our intellectual property. Our franchise agreements typically operate under ten-year terms with the option to renew for up to two additional five-year renewal terms. We determined the renewal options are neither qualitatively nor quantitatively material and do not represent a material right. Initial franchise fees are a non-refundable fixed fee, and in the case of franchisees who purchase multiple licenses, there is a pre-established discount applied, which is stated in either the franchise agreement or area development agreement. Initial franchise fees are typically collected upon signing of the franchise agreement or area development agreement. Initial franchise fees are recorded as deferred revenue when received and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the franchise life, which we have determined to be ten years (or five years in the case of a renewal) as we fulfill our promise to grant the franchisee the rights to access and benefit from our intellectual property and to support and maintain the intellectual property. Royalty revenue represents royalties earned from each of the studios in accordance with the franchise disclosure document and the franchise agreement for use of the various brands names, processes and procedures. The royalty rate in the franchise agreement is typically 7% of the gross sales of each location operated by each franchisee. Royalties are billed and recognized as franchisee sales occur. We also earn fees for
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providing access to third party technology solutions to the franchisee for a fixed, monthly fee and for providing coach training services. Transfer fees are paid to us when one franchisee transfers a franchise agreement to a different franchisee. Transfers fees are recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the new or assumed franchise agreement, unless the original franchise agreement for an existing studio is terminated, in which case the transfer fee is recognized immediately.
We also sell authorized equipment to franchisees for use in the studios. Equipment revenue includes equipment revenue for new studios, installation of equipment and replacement equipment for existing studios. Franchisees are required to purchase all studio equipment from us, or vendors approved by us.
Merchandise revenue is generated from the sale of branded and non-branded merchandise to franchisees for retail sales to members at the studios. For certain non-branded merchandise sales, the company earns a commission to facilitate the transaction between franchisee and the supplier.
We also collect a marketing fee of 2% of gross sales from all franchisees. We use the marketing fees for advertising, marketing, market research, product development, public relations programs and related materials.
Other service revenue includes Video-On-Demand revenue earned from subscriptions to our Video-On- Demand web-based classes, commissions earned from certain of franchisees use of preferred vendors and vouchers sold through third parties allowing trial classes at local studios operated by franchisees, all of which we consider recurring revenue. Our strategy is for all our franchised studios to be licensed to franchisees; however, we may own and operate a limited number of studios at any given time and revenue from those studios is included in other service revenue. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took ownership of a larger number of studios in 2020 than we have taken in previous years. As of December 31, 2020, we had ownership of 40 studios, compared to 14 and four studios as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. We also consider revenue from our corporate owned studios to be recurring revenue.
Costs of Revenue
Costs of product revenue primarily consists of cost of equipment and merchandise and related freight charges. Costs of franchise and service revenue primarily includes commissions paid to brokers and sales personnel related to the signing of franchise agreements, travel and personnel expenses related to the on-site training provided to the franchisees, hosting expenses related to our Video-on-Demand revenue and expenses related to the purchase of technology packages and the related monthly fees. Certain of our brokerage contracts were with wholly owned subsidiaries of St. Gregory Holdco, LLC (STG), which was a wholly owned subsidiary of H&W Intermediate, which owned all our outstanding LLC Units before the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions. During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, we recorded $9.3 million and $10.9 million, respectively, of deferred commission costs paid to STG and Montgomery Venture Investments, LLC (MVI), which is being recognized over the initial ten-year franchise agreement term. Effective as of October 1, 2019, we no longer have brokerage contracts with subsidiaries of STG and instead employ a direct salesforce. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsBrokerage Contracts.
Operating Expenses
We primarily incur the following operating expenses: selling, general and administrative expenses; depreciation and amortization; marketing fund expense and acquisition and transaction expenses.
Selling, general and administrative expenses include costs associated with administrative and franchisee support functions related to our existing business, as well as growth and development activities. These costs primarily consist of payroll, professional and legal expenses, occupancy expenses, management fees, travel expenses and convention expenses. Marketing fund expenses include advertising, marketing, market research, product development, public relations programs and materials that benefit the brands. Acquisition and transaction
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expenses primarily include costs directly related to the acquisition of businesses, which include expenditures for advisory, legal, valuation, accounting and similar services, in addition to amounts recorded for changes in contingent consideration.
Following the completion of this offering, we expect to incur additional expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including costs to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to companies listed on a national securities exchange, costs related to compliance and reporting obligations pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and higher expenses for insurance, investor relations and professional services. We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses will increase in absolute dollars as our business grows.
Cash Flows
We generate a significant portion of our cash flows from royalties and various fees related to transactions involving our franchised studios. We collect our royalties and certain other fees through our third- party hosted system-wide point-of-sale system. Royalties, franchise marketing fund fees and certain other fees are deducted on a recurring basis monthly. Franchisees are responsible for maintaining the billing records and collection of dues for their respective studios through the point-of-sale system. Royalties and franchise marketing fund fees are based on monthly billings for the studios without regard to the collections of those billings by franchisees. Merchandise and equipment sales to new and existing studios also generate significant cash flows.
Discussion of Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Revenue, net: |
||||||||||||
Franchise revenue |
$ | 19,852 | $ | 47,364 | $ | 48,056 | ||||||
Equipment revenue |
22,646 | 40,012 | 20,642 | |||||||||
Merchandise revenue |
9,575 | 22,215 | 16,648 | |||||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
3,745 | 8,648 | 7,448 | |||||||||
Other service revenue |
3,446 | 10,891 | 13,798 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total revenue, net |
59,264 | 129,130 | 106,592 | |||||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||
Costs of product revenue |
22,901 | 41,432 | 25,727 | |||||||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
3,127 | 5,703 | 8,392 | |||||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
44,551 | 80,495 | 60,917 | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
3,513 | 6,386 | 7,651 | |||||||||
Marketing fund expense |
3,285 | 8,217 | 7,101 | |||||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
18,095 | 7,948 | (10,990 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total operating costs and expenses |
95,472 | 150,181 | 98,798 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Operating income (loss) |
(36,208 | ) | (21,051 | ) | 7,794 | |||||||
Other (income) expense: |
||||||||||||
Interest income |
(56 | ) | (168 | ) | (345 | ) | ||||||
Interest expense |
6,253 | 16,087 | 21,410 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total other expense |
6,197 | 15,919 | 21,065 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Loss before income taxes |
(42,405 | ) | (36,970 | ) | (13,271 | ) | ||||||
Income taxes |
73 | 164 | 369 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss |
$ | (42,478 | ) | $ | (37,134 | ) | $ | (13,640 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
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The following table presents our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 as a percentage of revenue:
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||||||||||
Revenue: |
||||||||||||
Franchise revenue |
33.5 | % | 36.7 | % | 45.1 | % | ||||||
Equipment revenue |
38.2 | % | 31.0 | % | 19.4 | % | ||||||
Merchandise revenue |
16.2 | % | 17.2 | % | 15.6 | % | ||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
6.3 | % | 6.7 | % | 7.0 | % | ||||||
Other service revenue |
5.8 | % | 8.4 | % | 12.9 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total revenue |
100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||
Costs of product revenue |
38.6 | % | 32.1 | % | 24.1 | % | ||||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
5.3 | % | 4.4 | % | 7.9 | % | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
75.2 | % | 62.3 | % | 57.1 | % | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
5.9 | % | 4.9 | % | 7.2 | % | ||||||
Marketing fund expense |
5.5 | % | 6.4 | % | 6.7 | % | ||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) |
30.5 | % | 6.2 | % | (10.3 | %) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total operating costs and expenses |
161.0 | % | 116.3 | % | 92.7 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Operating income (loss) |
(61.1 | %) | (16.3 | %) | 7.3 | % | ||||||
Other income (expense) |
||||||||||||
Interest income |
0.1 | % | 0.1 | % | 0.3 | % | ||||||
Interest expense |
10.6 | % | 12.5 | % | 20.1 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total other expense |
10.5 | % | 12.4 | % | 19.8 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Loss before income taxes |
71.6 | % | 28.7 | % | 12.5 | % | ||||||
Income taxes |
0.1 | % | 0.1 | % | 0.3 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss |
71.7 | % | 28.8 | % | 12.8 | % | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.
Year Ended December 31, 2019 versus 2020
The following is a discussion of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 versus the year ended December 31, 2020.
Revenue
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2019 | 2020 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Franchise revenue | $47,364 | $48,056 | ||||||
Equipment revenue | 40,012 | 20,642 | ||||||
Merchandise revenue |
22,215 | 16,648 | ||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
8,648 | 7,448 | ||||||
Other service revenue |
10,891 | 13,798 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total revenue |
$ | 129,130 | $ | 106,592 | ||||
|
|
|
|
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Total revenue. Total revenue was $106.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $129.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $22.5 million, or 17.5%.
Franchise revenue. Franchise revenue was $48.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $47.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $0.7 million, or 1.5%. Franchise revenue consisted of franchise royalty fees of $28.5 million, training fees of $5.8 million, franchise territory fees of $9.8 million and technology fees of $4.0 million in 2020, compared to franchise royalty fees of $33.9 million, training fees of $6.6 million, franchise territory fees of $5.4 million and technology fees of $1.5 million in 2019. The decrease in franchise royalty fees was primarily due to a 34% decrease in same store sales due in large part to temporary studio closures, partially offset by 240 new studio openings in 2020, which contributed to the increase in franchise territory fees and technology fees.
Equipment revenue. Equipment revenue was $20.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $40.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $19.4 million, or 48.4%. The decrease was primarily attributable to 240 new studio openings in 2020, compared to 394 new studio openings in 2019. Most of the equipment revenue is recognized in the period that a new studio opens.
Merchandise revenue. Merchandise revenue was $16.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $22.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $5.6 million, or 25.1%. The decrease was due primarily to temporary studio closures in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Franchise marketing fund revenue. Franchise marketing fund revenue was $7.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $8.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $1.2 million, or 13.9%. The decrease was primarily due to a 34% decrease in same store sales, and a temporary reduction in the marketing fund percentage collected as part of our COVID-19 support response, partially offset by 240 new studio openings in 2020.
Other service revenue. Other service revenue was $13.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $10.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $2.9 million, or 26.7%. The increase was primarily due to a $2.2 million increase in Video-On-Demand revenue and a $1.4 million increase in other preferred vendor commission revenue, partially offset by a $0.6 million decrease in revenue from company-owned studios.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2019 | 2020 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Costs of product revenue | $41,432 | $25,727 | ||||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
5,703 | 8,392 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
80,495 | 60,917 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
6,386 | 7,651 | ||||||
Marketing fund expense |
8,217 | 7,101 | ||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) . . . .. |
7,948 | (10,990 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total operating costs and expenses . . . . . . . . . |
$ | 150,181 | $ | 98,798 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Costs of product revenue. Costs of product revenue was $25.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $41.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $15.7 million, or 37.9%. The decrease was consistent with the decrease in equipment and merchandise revenue in 2020.
Costs of franchise and service revenue. Costs of franchise and service revenue was $8.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $5.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of
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$2.7 million, or 47.2%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in amortized franchise territory sales commissions, technology fees and on-demand costs, consistent with related revenue increases.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $60.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $80.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $19.6 million, or 24.3%. The decrease was primarily attributable a reduction in variable expenses in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, including a $5.7 million decrease in variable marketing and promotion, which includes advertising and convention expenses, a $1.3 million decrease in travel expenses, and a $15.5 million decrease in studio support expense, primarily related to a decrease in costs to integrate businesses acquired in 2018, which included updating existing Pure Barre studios for consistency with our standards. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in salaries and wages and occupancy expenses of $1.1 million and $0.8 million, respectively, primarily related to studios acquired in 2020 and a $0.8 million increase in bad debt expense.
Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense was $7.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $6.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $1.3 million, or 19.8%. The increase was due primarily to depreciation expense related to property and equipment placed in service during the year ended December 31, 2020, including our new digital platform and assets related to company-owned studios.
Marketing fund expense. Marketing fund expense was $7.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $8.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $1.1 million, or 13.6%. The decrease was consistent with the decrease in franchise marketing fund revenue.
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income). Acquisition and transaction expenses (income) were ($11.0) million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $7.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, a change of $18.9 million, or 238.3%. These expenses (income) represent the non-cash change in contingent consideration related to 2017 and 2018 business acquisitions.
Other (Income) Expense, net
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2019 | 2020 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Interest income | $(168) | $(345) | ||||||
Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
16,087 | 21,410 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total other expense, net . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$ | 15,919 | $ | 21,065 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Interest income. Interest income primarily consists of interest on notes receivable and was insignificant in each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020.
Interest expense. Interest expense was $21.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $16.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $5.3 million, or 33.1%. Interest expense consists of interest on notes payable and long-term debt, accretion of earn-out liabilities and amortization of deferred loan costs. The increase was due primarily to a $2.6 million increase in amortization of debt issuance costs and a $4.2 million increase in interest on long-term debt due primarily to a higher average outstanding debt balance in 2020, partially offset by a $1.5 million decrease in earn-out accretion.
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Income Taxes
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2019 |
2020 |
|||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Income taxes |
$ | 164 | $ | 369 |
Income taxes. Income taxes were $0.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $0.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019.
Year Ended December 31, 2018 versus 2019
The following is a discussion of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2018 versus the year ended December 31, 2019.
Revenue
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
|||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Franchise revenue |
$ | 19,852 | $47,364 | |||||
Equipment revenue |
22,646 | 40,012 | ||||||
Merchandise revenue |
9,575 | 22,215 | ||||||
Franchise marketing fund revenue |
3,745 | 8,648 | ||||||
Other service revenue |
3,446 | 10,891 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total revenue |
$ | 59,264 | $ | 129,130 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Total revenue. Total revenue was $129.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $59.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $69.8 million, or 117.7%. Total revenue from businesses acquired in 2018 was $6.0 million and $38.4 million in the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Franchise revenue. Franchise revenue was $47.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $19.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $27.5 million, or 138.2%. Franchise revenue consisted of franchise royalty fees of $33.9 million, training fees of $6.6 million, franchise territory fees of $5.4 million and technology fees of $1.5 million in 2019, compared to franchise royalty fees of $14.5 million, training fees of $2.6 million, franchise territory fees of $1.6 million and technology fees of $1.2 million in 2018. The increase was primarily due to 394 new studio openings in 2019, a 10% increase in same store sales and a full year of revenue in 2019 from businesses acquired in 2018.
Equipment revenue. Equipment revenue was $40.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $22.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $17.4 million, or 77.0%. The increase was primarily attributable to 394 new studio openings in 2019, compared to 260 new studio openings in 2018. The majority of equipment revenue is recognized in the period that a new studio opens.
Merchandise revenue. Merchandise revenue was $22.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $9.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $12.6 million, or 131.3%. The increase was due primarily to 394 new studio openings in 2019 and a full year of revenue in 2019 from businesses acquired in 2018.
Franchise marketing fund revenue. Franchise marketing fund revenue was $8.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $4.9
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million, or 132.4%. The increase was primarily due to new studio openings in 2019, a 10% increase in same store sales and a full year of revenue in 2019 from businesses acquired in 2018.
Other service revenue. Other service revenue was $10.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $7.5 million, or 220.6%. The increase was primarily due to a $2.5 million increase in Video-On-Demand revenue, a $1.5 million increase in revenue from company-owned studios and a $3.5 million increase in other preferred vendor commission revenue attributable to new studio openings in 2019.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
|||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Costs of product revenue |
$ | 22,901 | $41,432 | |||||
Costs of franchise and service revenue |
3,127 | 5,703 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
44,551 | 80,495 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
3,513 | 6,386 | ||||||
Marketing fund expense |
3,285 | 8,217 | ||||||
Acquisition and transaction expenses |
18,095 | 7,948 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total operating costs and expenses |
$ | 95,472 | $ | 150,181 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Costs of product revenue. Costs of product revenue was $41.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $22.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $18.5 million, or 80.8%. The increase was consistent with the increase in equipment and merchandise revenue in the year ended December 31, 2019.
Costs of franchise and service revenue. Costs of franchise and service revenue was $5.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $2.6 million, or 83.9%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in amortized franchise territory sales commissions, technology fees and on-demand costs.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $80.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $44.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $35.9 million, or 80.5%. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $14.6 million in costs to integrate businesses acquired in 2018 primarily to update existing Pure Barre studios for consistency with our standards, an increase in salaries and wages of $9.7 million primarily related to acquired businesses and an increase in legal and accounting expense of $7.5 million due primarily to non-recurring litigation expenses in 2019.
Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense was $6.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $2.9 million, or 82.9%. The increase was due primarily to a full year of amortization of intangible assets in 2019 attributable to 2018 business acquisitions and, to a lesser extent, an increase in depreciation expense related to an increase in purchases of property and equipment during the year ended December 31, 2019 to support our growth.
Marketing fund expense. Marketing fund expense was $8.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $4.9 million, or 148.5%. The increase was consistent with the increase in franchise marketing fund revenue.
Acquisition and transaction expenses (income). Acquisition and transaction expenses were $7.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $18.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, a
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decrease of $10.2 million, or 56.4%. The 2019 expenses represent the non-cash change in contingent consideration related to 2017 and 2018 business acquisitions. The 2018 acquisition and transaction expenses include $3.2 million in expenses related to costs incurred in connection with the acquisition of businesses in 2018 and $14.9 million in non-cash change in contingent consideration related to 2017 business acquisitions. The decrease was the result of there being no business acquisitions in 2019 and the decrease in change in contingent consideration from acquisitions, which was primarily attributable to the majority of milestones related to 2017 acquisitions being reached in 2018, and fewer milestones related to 2018 acquisitions.
Other (Income) Expense, net
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
|||||||
(in thousands) |
||||||||
Interest income |
$(56) | $(168) | ||||||
Interest expense |
6,253 | 16,087 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total other expense, net |
$ | 6,197 | $ | 15,919 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Interest income. Interest income primarily consists of interest on notes receivable and was insignificant in each of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019.
Interest expense. Interest expense was $16.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $6.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $9.8 million, or 155.6%. Interest expense consists of interest on notes payable and long-term debt, accretion of earn-out liabilities and amortization of deferred loan costs. The increase was due primarily to a $1.4 million increase in earn-out accretion and an $8.1 million increase in interest on long-term debt due primarily to a higher average outstanding debt balance in 2019.
Income Taxes
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
|||||||
(in thousands) |
||||||||
Income taxes |
$ | 73 | $ | 164 |
Income taxes. Income taxes were $0.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $0.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2018.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020, we had $11.3 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Of this amount $1.0 million is restricted for marketing fund purposes.
We require cash principally to fund day-to-day operations, finance capital investments, service our outstanding debt and address our working capital needs. Based on our current level of operations and anticipated growth, we believe that our available cash balance, the cash generated from our operations, and amounts available under our credit facility will be adequate to meet our anticipated debt service requirements and obligations under our TRA, capital expenditures, payment of tax distributions and working capital needs for at least the next twelve months. Our ability to continue to fund these items and continue to reduce debt could be adversely affected by the occurrence of any of the events described under Risk Factors. There can be no assurance, however, that our business will generate sufficient cash flows from operations or that future borrowings will be available under our credit facility or otherwise to enable us to service our indebtedness, including our credit facility, or to make anticipated capital expenditures. Our future operating performance and our ability to service, extend or refinance the credit facility will be subject to future economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
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Credit Facility
On February 28, 2020, we entered into a Financing Agreement with Cerberus Business Finance Agency, LLC, as collateral agent and administrative agent, and the lenders from time-to-time party thereto, consisting of a $185 million term loan (the Initial Term Loan) and a $10 million revolving credit facility (the Revolver, and together with the Initial Term Loan and Additional Term Loan (as defined below), the Loans). We amended the Credit Agreement on August 4, 2020 and on March 24, 2021. Pursuant to the Second Amendment, we obtained additional term loans of $10.6 million under the Credit Agreement (the Additional Term Loan). Our obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement are guaranteed by Xponential Holdings LLC, certain of our material subsidiaries and certain Sponsor Guarantors, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement, and are secured by substantially all the assets of Xponential Holding LLC and its subsidiaries.
For the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020, we exceeded the maximum total leverage ratio specified in a covenant of the Credit Agreement. In order to avoid a default, on August 4, 2020, we entered into the First Amendment to immediately increase the maximum total leverage ratio we are required to maintain for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2020. Substantially concurrently with the execution of the First Amendment, pursuant to a capital call, certain of our affiliates contributed $15 million to H&W Franchise Holdings in exchange for an aggregate of 31,896.58 of its Class A-5 Units. $10 million of the proceeds of this capital call were then contributed to Xponential Fitness LLC and used to pay down borrowings under our Loans. Substantially concurrently with the execution of the First Amendment, certain of our affiliates also executed limited guaranty agreements guaranteeing an aggregate of $10 million of our obligations under the First Amended Credit Agreement.
On March 24, 2021, H&W Franchise Holdings entered into a contribution agreement with Rumble Holdings, LLC, Rumble Parent LLC and Rumble Fitness LLC (the Selling Parties) to acquire certain assets of Rumble Fitness LLC (the Rumble Acquisition). In connection with the contribution agreement, H&W Franchise Holdings agreed to provide up to $20 million in debt financing to the Selling Parties. On March 24, 2021, the 2020 Facility was amended to provide for additional term loans of $10.6 million, which amount was borrowed and the proceeds distributed to H&W Franchise Holdings to fund a note payable from the Selling Parties. Upon consummation of the Rumble Acquisition, H&W Franchise Holdings contributed the acquired assets to Xponential Intermediate Holdings, LLC, for further contribution to Xponential Fitness LLC, and for further contribution to Rumble Franchise, LLC, a newly formed subsidiary of Xponential Fitness LLC. Substantially concurrently with the execution of the Second Amendment, Rumble Franchise, LLC executed a joinder agreement to the Amended Credit Agreement and became a loan party thereunder. Additionally, one of our affiliates also executed a limited guaranty agreement guaranteeing an aggregate of $10.6 million of our obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement.
Under the Amended Credit Agreement, we are required to make: (i) monthly payments of interest on the Loans; (ii) quarterly principal payments of $925,000 for the Initial Term Loan; and (iii) quarterly principal payments of $53,000 for the Additional Term Loan. Borrowings under the Loans bear interest at a per annum rate of, at our option, either (a) the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement) plus a margin of 6.75%, with step-downs to 6.50% and 6.25% based on the achievement of certain Total Leverage Ratios (as defined in the Credit Agreement), or (b) the Reference Rate (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement) plus a margin of 4.75%, with step-downs to 4.50% and 4.25% based on the achievement of certain Total Leverage Ratios.
The Amended Credit Agreement also contains mandatory prepayments of the Loans with: (i) 50% of Xponential Holding and its subsidiaries Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement), subject to certain exceptions; (ii) 100% of the net proceeds of certain asset sales and insurance/condemnation events, subject to reinvestment rights and certain other exceptions; (iii) 100% of the net proceeds of certain extraordinary receipts, subject to reinvestment rights and certain other exceptions; and (iv) 100% of the net proceeds of any incurrence of debt, excluding certain permitted debt issuances.
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All voluntary prepayments and certain mandatory prepayments of the Initial Term Loan and Additional Term Loan, in each case, made (i) on or prior to the first anniversary of the closing date are subject to a 2.00% premium on the principal amount of such prepayment and (ii) after the first anniversary of the closing date and on or prior to the second anniversary of the closing date are subject to a 1.00% premium. Otherwise, the Loans may be paid without premium or penalty, other than customary breakage costs with respect to LIBOR loans under the Initial Term Loan and Additional Term Loan.
The Amended Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including, among other things: (i) to maintain certain total leverage ratios (as discussed further in the Amended Credit Agreement); (ii) to use the proceeds of borrowings only for certain specified purposes; (iii) to refrain from entering into certain agreements outside of the ordinary course of business, including with respect to consolidation or mergers; (iv) restricting further indebtedness or liens; (v) restricting certain transactions with our affiliates; (vi) restricting investments; (vii) restricting prepayments of subordinated indebtedness; (viii) restricting certain payments, including certain payments to our affiliates or equity holders and distributions to equity holders; and (ix) restricting the issuance of equity.
The Amended Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default, which could result in acceleration of amounts due under the Amended Credit Agreement. Such events of default include, subject to the grace periods specified therein, our failure to pay principal or interest when due, our failure to satisfy or comply with covenants, a change of control, the imposition of certain judgments, the invalidation of liens we have granted and a Sponsor Event of Default, as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement.
As of December 31, 2020, the interest rate under the Amended Credit Agreement was 8.125%. The proceeds of the Initial Term Loan were used to repay borrowings, interest and fees outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement and a $1 million prepayment penalty. In addition, $18.8 million of the proceeds were distributed to H&W Intermediate in March 2020. Principal payments of the Initial Term Loan of $0.9 million are due quarterly. Principal payments of the Additional Term Loan of $0.05 million are due quarterly beginning on June 30, 2021.
PPP Loan
In April 2020, we entered into a promissory note (the PPP Loan) with Citizens Business Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act pursuant to which Citizens Business Bank agreed to make a loan to us in the amount of approximately $3.7 million. The PPP Loan matures in April 2022, bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum and requires no payments during the first 16 months from the date of the loan.
Under the terms of the PPP Loan, the principal amount of the loan may be forgiven to the extent it is used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act and we request forgiveness in accordance with the terms of the PPP Loan and the requirements of the SBA. While we requested that the entire principal amount of the PPP Loan be forgiven, and we believe we have complied with all corresponding requirements, we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in obtaining forgiveness of all or any part of such principal amount. We will be required to repay any principal amount of the PPP Loan that is not forgiven, together with accrued and unpaid interest, in equal monthly installments prior to the maturity date of the loan, which would restrict our operating and financial flexibility and could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Cash Flows
The following table presents summary cash flow information for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020:
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||||||
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
$836 | $1,548 | $ | (728 | ) | |||||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(24,431 | ) | (9,779 | ) | (4,601 | ) | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
31,488 | 6,361 | 7,289 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash |
$ | 7,893 | $ | (1,870 | ) | $1,960 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
In 2020, cash used in operating activities was $0.7 million, compared to cash provided of $1.5 million in 2019, a decrease in cash provided of $2.2 million. Of the change, $7.2 million was due to a lower net loss adjusted for non-cash items. This amount was more than offset by the following changes in cash flows from operating assets and liabilities:
| accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities decreased $6.5 million due to timing of payments; |
| deferred revenue decreased $28.1 million due to a decrease in sales of additional franchises; |
| current assets, excluding deferred costs, increased $8.0 million due primarily to an increase in accounts receivable; and |
| deferred costs increased $17.3 million due to a decrease in sales of additional franchises. |
In 2019, cash provided by operating activities was $1.5 million, compared to $0.8 million in 2018, an increase of $0.7 million. Of the increase, $5.5 million was due to a lower net loss adjusted for non-cash items. This amount was largely offset by the following changes in cash flows from operating assets and liabilities:
| accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities decreased $3.8 million due to timing of payments; |
| deferred revenue increased $8.1 million due to sales of additional franchises; |
| current assets, excluding deferred costs, decreased $4.7 million due primarily to an increase in accounts receivable; and |
| deferred costs decreased $4.3 million due to sales of additional franchises. |
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
In 2020, cash used in investing activities was $4.6 million, compared to $9.8 million in 2019, a decrease of $5.2 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in cash used to purchase property and equipment and to fund notes receivable.
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In 2019, cash used in investing activities was $9.8 million, compared to $24.4 million in 2018, a decrease of $14.6 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $15.2 million decrease in cash used to acquire businesses.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
In 2020, cash provided by financing activities was $7.3 million, compared to $6.4 million in 2019, an increase of $0.9 million. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in net borrowings on our line of credit and long-term debt of $21.0 million, member contributions in 2020 of $27.3 million, net receipts from member and affiliates of $31.0 million partially offset by distributions to member of $73.2 million in 2020 and an increase in payment of debt issuance costs of $5.0 million.
In 2019, cash provided by financing activities was $6.4 million, compared to $31.5 million in 2018, a decrease of $25.1 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in net borrowings on our line of credit and long-term debt of $22.2 million, a decrease in net loans from a related party of $3.2 million and payment of contingent consideration in 2019 of $1.7 million, partially offset by a decrease in payment of debt issuance costs of $1.5 million and a decrease in net advances to member and affiliates of $0.5 million.
Receivables from H&W Intermediate
As described in Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, as of December 31, 2018, we had a receivable from H&W Intermediate related to advances to H&W Intermediate, funds provided to STG for operating expenses and debt service aggregating $31.3 million. No interest income was received or accrued by us related to these receivables.
The amount due from H&W Intermediate also included the STG long-term debt balance of $13.2 million. As described in Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, we and STG were jointly and severally liable for borrowings under the Prior Credit Agreement. During 2018, we began servicing the STG portion of the debt and determined STG did not have the ability to repay its portion of the loan. Therefore, the total outstanding debt was recognized in our consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2018. The aggregate receivable from H&W Intermediate at December 31, 2019 was $31.7 million, which was repaid in February 2020. During 2020, we provided additional net funds to STG of $1.5 million, which is recorded as a reduction to members equity at December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, these receivables from H&W Intermediate are reflected on our consolidated financial statements as a reduction to equity of $31.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, as we determined that H&W Intermediate had no plan to repay these amounts in the foreseeable future. As described in Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, in February 2020 H&W Intermediate contributed $49.4 million to us, of which $32.2 million was in satisfaction of the receivable outstanding at the date of the payment and the remainder was a contribution. Also, in February 2020, we returned $19.4 million of the contribution to H&W Intermediate, which was recorded as a distribution.
Post-Offering Taxation and Expenses
After the Reorganization Transactions, Xponential Holdings LLC will be taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and, as a result, its members, including Xponential Fitness, Inc. will pay income taxes with respect to their allocable shares of its net taxable income. In addition to tax expenses, we also will incur expenses related to our operations, plus we will be required to make payments under the TRA which may be significant. We intend to cause Xponential Holdings LLC to make distributions in an amount sufficient to allow us to pay our tax obligations and operating expenses, including distributions to fund any ordinary course payments due under the TRA. See Organizational StructureAmended and Restated LLC Agreement and Organizational StructureTax Receivable Agreement.
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Tax Receivable Agreement
Under the Amended LLC Agreement, holders of LLC Units (other than us) will have the right, from and after the completion of this offering (subject to the terms of the Amended LLC Agreement), to require Xponential Holdings LLC to redeem or exchange their LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or, at our election, cash. We will succeed to the share of the existing tax basis that Xponential Holdings LLC has in its assets that is allocable to the redeemed or exchanged units, which may reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future. In addition, Xponential Holdings LLC intends to make an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (the Code), effective for each taxable year in which a redemption or exchange of LLC Units for shares of Class A common stock or cash occurs, which is expected to result in increases to the tax basis of the assets of Xponential Holdings LLC at the time of a redemption or exchange of LLC Units. These increases in tax basis may also reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future. We also expect that certain NOLs and other tax attributes will be available to us as a result of the Mergers.
Upon the completion of this offering, we will be a party to the TRA with the Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members and the Reorganization Parties. Under the TRA, we generally will be required to pay to the TRA parties in the aggregate 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize as a result of (i) certain tax attributes that are created as a result of the redemptions or exchanges of LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash, (ii) any existing tax attributes associated with LLC Units we acquire, the benefit of which will be allocable to us as a result of the Mergers and exchanges by Continuing Pre-IPO LLC Members of their LLC Units for shares of our Class A common stock or cash (including the portion of Xponential Holdings LLCs existing tax basis in its assets that is allocable to the LLC Units that are acquired), (iii) tax benefits related to imputed interest, (iv) NOLs available to us as a result of the Mergers and (v) tax attributes resulting from payments under the TRA. These payment obligations are obligations of Xponential Fitness, Inc. and not of Xponential Holdings LLC.
Assuming no material changes in relevant tax law and that we earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the TRA, we expect that the tax savings associated with (1) the Mergers and (2) future exchanges of LLC Units as described above would aggregate to approximately $ over the 15-year period from the date of the completion of this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of our Class A common stock (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and assuming all future exchanges would occur within one year of the completion of this offering. Under this scenario we would be required to pay the other parties to the TRA approximately 85% of such amount, or $ , over the 15-year period from the date of the completion of this offering. The actual amounts we will be required to pay may materially differ from these hypothetical amounts, because potential future tax savings that we will be deemed to realize, and TRA payments by us, will be calculated based in part on the market value of our Class A common stock at the time of each exchange of an LLC Unit for a share of Class A common stock and the prevailing applicable federal tax rate (plus the assumed combined state and local tax rate) applicable to us over the life of the TRA and will depend on our generating sufficient future taxable income to realize the tax benefits that are subject to the TRA. See Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsTax Receivable Agreement. Payments under the TRA are not conditioned on our existing owners continued ownership of us after this offering.
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Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2020:
Contractual Obligations and Commitments |
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Total |
Less than 1 |
1-3 years |
3-5 years |
More than 5 |
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Operating lease obligations(1) |
$ | 46,576 | $ | 6,319 | $ | 11,974 | $ | 11,418 | $ | 16,865 | ||||||||||
Debt, principal(2) |
186,891 | 5,795 | 8,996 | 172,100 | | |||||||||||||||
Debt, interest(3) |
59,652 | 14,845 | 28,637 | 16,170 | | |||||||||||||||
Contingent consideration payments(4) |
11,413 | 3,313 | 8,100 | | | |||||||||||||||
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Total |
$ | 304,532 | $ | 30,272 | $ | 57,707 | $ | 199,688 | $ | 16,865 | ||||||||||
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(1) | We lease our facilities under non-cancelable operating leases. |
(2) | Represents scheduled debt obligation payments. |
(3) | Represents scheduled interest payments. |
(4) | Includes current and noncurrent estimated contingent consideration liabilities at December 31, 2020, based on expected achievement dates for earn-out targets, which includes the following contingent consideration: (i) $2.1 million to be paid to Stretch Lab LLC in quarterly payments of $0.7 million; (ii) $1.0 million payable to Yoga 6 Company, LLC for achievement of certain performance milestones of Yoga Six, payable in 12 monthly installments beginning in January 2021; (iii) up to $0.2 million payable to Studio Tread, Inc. upon the achievement of certain performance milestones for Stride; and (iv) $7.5 million payable to MVI for the achievement of certain performance milestones for CycleBar, as amended in March 2020, including accrued interest of $0.6 million at December 31, 2020. Excludes change of control earn-out amounts for which payment date and amount of payment are not estimable. The recorded liability for change of control earn-outs at December 31, 2020 is $0.3 million. |
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
We are exposed to interest rate risk on our borrowing under our credit facility. We have a LIBOR-based floating rate borrowing under our credit facility, which exposes us to variability in interest payments due to changes in the reference interest rate.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $183.2 million of borrowings outstanding under our credit facility which bears interest on a floating basis tied to LIBOR and therefore subject to changes in the associated interest expense. The effect of an immediate hypothetical 10% change in interest rates would not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
As we expand internationally, our results of operations and cash flows may become increasingly subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Our revenue is denominated primarily in U.S.
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dollars. Our expenses are generally denominated in the currencies in which our operations are located, which are primarily in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, the effect of a 10% adverse change in exchange rates on foreign denominated cash and cash equivalents, receivables and payables would not have been material for the period presented. As our operations in countries outside of the United States grow, our results of operations and cash flows may be subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which could harm our business in the future. To date, we have not entered into any material foreign currency hedging contracts, although we may do so in the future.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on past experience and other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, and we evaluate these estimates on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Our critical accounting policies are those that materially affect our consolidated financial statements including those that involve difficult, subjective or complex judgments by management. A thorough understanding of these critical accounting policies is essential when reviewing our consolidated financial statements. We believe that the critical accounting policies listed below are those that are most important to our results of operations or involve the most difficult management decisions related to the use of significant estimates and assumptions as described above. For a more detailed summary of our significant accounting policies, see the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Revenue Recognition
Our contracts with customers consist of franchise agreements with franchisees. We also enter into agreements to sell merchandise and equipment, training, video-on-demand services and membership to company-owned studios. Our revenue consists of franchise revenue, merchandise revenue and franchise marketing fund revenue which we consider recurring revenue, as well as equipment revenue and other service revenue. In addition, we earn on-demand revenue, service revenue and other revenue.
Each of our primary sources of revenue and their respective revenue policies are discussed further below.
Franchise revenue: We enter into franchise agreements for each studio. Our performance obligation under the franchise license is granting certain rights to access our intellectual property; all other services we provide under the franchise agreement are highly interrelated, not distinct within the contract, and therefore accounted for as a single performance obligation, which is satisfied over the term of each franchise agreement. Those services include initial development, operational training, preopening support and access to our technology throughout the franchise term. Fees generated related to the franchise license include development fees, royalty fees, marketing fees, technology fees and transfer fees which are discussed further below. Variable fees are not estimated at contract inception, and are recognized as revenue when invoiced, which occurs monthly. We have concluded that our agreements do not contain any financing components.
Franchise development fee revenue: Our franchise agreements typically operate under ten-year terms with the option to renew for up to two additional five-year successor terms. We determined the renewal options are neither qualitatively nor quantitatively material and do not represent a material right. Initial franchise fees are non-refundable and are typically collected upon signing of the franchise agreement. Initial franchise fees are recorded as deferred revenue when received and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the franchise life, which we have determined to be ten years (and five years for renewals) as we fulfill our promise to grant the franchisee the rights to access and benefit from our intellectual property and to support and maintain the intellectual property.
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We may enter into an area development agreement with certain franchisees. Area development agreements are for a territory in which a developer has agreed to develop and operate a certain number of franchise locations over a stipulated period of time. The related territory is unavailable to any other party and is no longer marketed to future franchisees by us. Depending on the number of studios purchased, under franchise agreements or area development agreements, the initial franchise fee ranges from $60,000 (single studio), to $350,000 (ten studios) and is paid to us when a franchisee signs the area development agreement. Area development fees are initially recorded as deferred revenue. The development fees are allocated to the number of studios purchased under the development agreement. The revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the franchise life for each studio under the development agreement. Development fees and franchise fees are generally recognized as revenue upon the termination of the development agreement with the franchisee.
We may enter into master franchise agreements with master franchisees, under which the master franchisee sells licenses to franchisees in one or more countries outside of North America. The master franchise agreements generally provide a ten-year period under which the master franchisee may sell licenses. The master franchise agreement term ends on the earlier of the expiration or termination of the last franchise agreement sold by the master franchisee. Initial master franchise fees are recorded as deferred revenue when received and are recognized on a straight-line basis over 20 years.
Franchise royalty fee revenue: Royalty revenue represents royalties earned from each of the franchised studios in accordance with the franchise disclosure document and the franchise agreement for use of the various brands names, processes and procedures. The royalty rate in the franchise agreement is typically 7% of the gross sales of each location operated by each franchisee. Royalties are billed on a monthly basis. The royalties are entirely related to our performance obligation under the franchise agreement and are billed and recognized as franchisee sales occur.
Technology fees: We may provide access to third-party or other proprietary technology solutions to the franchisee for a fee. The technology solution may include various software licenses for statistical tracking, scheduling, allowing club members to record their personal workout statistics, music and technology support. We bill and recognize the technology fee as earned each month as the technology solution service is performed.
Transfer fees: Transfer fees are paid to us when one franchisee transfers a franchise agreement to a different franchisee. Transfer fees are recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the new or assumed franchise agreement, unless the original franchise agreement for an existing studio is terminated, in which case the transfer fee is recognized immediately.
Training revenue: We provide coach training services either through direct training of the coaches who are hired by franchisees or by providing the materials and curriculum directly to the franchisees who utilize the materials to train their hired coaches. Direct training fees are recognized over time as training is provided. Training fees for materials and curriculum are recognized at the point in time of delivery of the materials.
We also offer coach training and final coach certification through online classes. Fees received by us for online class training are recognized as revenue over time for the twelve-month period that we are obligated to provide access to the online training content.
Franchise marketing fund revenue: Franchisees are required to pay marketing fees of 2% of their gross sales. The marketing fees are collected by us monthly and are to be used for the advertising, marketing, market research, product development, public relations programs and materials deemed appropriate to benefit brands. Our promise to provide the marketing services funded through the marketing fund is considered a component of our performance obligation to grant the franchise license. We bill and recognize marketing fund fees as revenue each month as gross sales occur. Marketing fund expenses are recognized as incurred, and any marketing fund expenditures in excess of marketing fund fees are reclassified as selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
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Equipment and Merchandise Revenue
The following revenues are generated as a result of transactions with or related to franchisees.
Equipment revenue: We also sell authorized equipment to franchisees to be used in the franchised studios. Certain franchisees may prepay for equipment, and in that circumstance, the revenue is deferred until delivery. Equipment revenue is recognized when control of the equipment is transferred to the franchisee, which is at the point in time when delivery and installation of the equipment at the studio is complete.
Merchandise revenue: We sell branded and non-branded merchandise to franchisees for retail sales to members at studios. For branded merchandise sales, the performance obligation is satisfied at the point in time of shipment of the ordered branded merchandise to the franchisee. For such branded merchandise sales, we are the principal in the transaction as we control the merchandise prior to it being delivered to the franchisee. We record branded merchandise revenue and related costs upon shipment on a gross basis. Franchisees have the right to return and/or receive credit for defective merchandise. Returns and credit for defective merchandise were not significant for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020.
For certain non-branded merchandise sales, we earn a commission to facilitate the transaction between the franchisee and the supplier. For such non-branded merchandise sales, we are the agent in the transaction, facilitating the transaction between the franchisee and the supplier, as we do not obtain control of the non-branded merchandise during the order fulfillment process. We record non-branded merchandise commissions revenue at the time of shipment.
Other Service Revenue
Service revenue: For company-owned studios, our distinct performance obligation is to provide the fitness classes to the member. Revenue from company-owned studios has been very limited as we typically only own a limited number of studios and only for a short period of time pending the resale of the licenses to a franchisee. The company-owned studios sell memberships by individual class and by class packages. Revenue from the sale of classes and class packages for a specified number of classes are recognized over time as the member attends and utilizes the classes. Revenues from the sale of class packages for an unlimited number of classes are recognized over time on a straight-line basis over the duration of the contract period.
Video on-demand revenue: We grant subscribers access to an online platform, which contains a library of virtual classes that is continually updated, through monthly or annual subscription packages. Revenue is recognized over time on a straight-line basis over the subscription period.
Other revenue: We sold vouchers through third parties allowing up to four trial classes at local studios operated by franchisees. We recognized revenue at the time the vouchers were redeemed, as third parties provided monthly reports detailing purchases and redemptions with submission of funds. We no longer sell vouchers and as of December 31, 2018, we had no vouchers outstanding for which we would continue to recognize revenue.
Additionally, we earn commission income from certain of our franchisees use of certain preferred vendors other than from merchandise and equipment described above. In these arrangements, we are the agent as we are not primarily responsible for fulfilling the orders. Commissions are earned and recognized at the point in time the vendor ships the product to franchisees.
Sales taxes, value added taxes and other taxes that are collected in connection with revenue transactions are withheld and remitted to the respective taxing authorities. As such, these taxes are excluded from revenue. We account for shipping and handling as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer the good. Therefore, shipping and handling fees that are billed to customers, who are primarily franchisees, are recognized in revenue and the associated shipping and handling costs are recognized in cost of product sold as soon as control of the goods transfers to the customer.
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Contract Costs
Contract costs consist of deferred commissions resulting from franchise and area development sales by third-party and affiliate brokers and sales personnel. The total commission charged by the broker is deferred at the point of a franchise sale. The commissions are evenly split among the number of studios purchased under the development agreement and begin to be amortized when a subsequent franchise agreement is executed. The commissions are recognized on a straight-line basis over the initial ten-year franchise agreement term to align with the recognition of the franchise agreement or area development fees.
Business Combinations
We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting, which results in the assets acquired and liabilities assumed being recorded at fair value.
The valuation methodologies used are based upon the nature of the asset or liability. The significant assets and liabilities measured at fair value include intangible assets and deferred revenue. The fair value of trademarks is estimated by following the relief from royalty method. The fair value of franchise agreements and customer relationships is based upon following the excess earnings method. Inputs used in the methodologies primarily included sales forecasts, projected future cash flows, royalty rate and discount rate commensurate with the risk involved.
Amortization of definite-lived trademarks, franchise agreements and customer relationships is recorded over the estimated useful lives of the assets using the straight-line method, which we believe approximates the period during which we expect to receive the related benefits.
Consideration for certain business combinations during the year ended December 31, 2018 included the issuance of H&W Franchise Holdings shares. The shares were valued using factors including recent equity recapitalizations of H&W Franchise Holdings, comparable industry transactions, adjusted EBITDA multiples ranging from 14.1x to 23.6x and the estimated fair value of our reporting units. Assuming there had been a 10% increase in the fair value of the H&W Franchise Holdings shares contributed goodwill would have increased by approximately $4.3 million.
Acquisition-Related Contingent Consideration
Some of the business combinations that we have consummated include contingent consideration to be potentially paid based upon the occurrence of future events, such as the achievement of franchise studio openings and change of control earn-outs. Acquisition-related contingent consideration associated with a business combination is initially recognized at fair value and remeasured each reporting period, with changes in fair value recorded in the consolidated statement of operations. The estimates of fair value involve the use of acceptable valuation methods, such as probability-weighted discounted cash flow analysis, and contain uncertainties as they require assumptions about the likelihood of achieving specified milestone criteria, projections of future financial performance and assumed discount rates. Changes in the fair value of the acquisition-related contingent consideration result from several factors including changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates, changes in probability assumptions with respect to the likelihood of achieving specified milestone criteria and changes in discount rates. A change in any of these assumptions could produce a different fair value, which could have a material impact on our results of operations. Assuming there had been a 10% increase in the fair value of operational or change of control distribution valuations, contingent consideration would have increased by $0.2 million $0.8 million and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Including Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill has been assigned to our reporting units for purposes of impairment testing. Our eight reporting units are each of the brand names under which we sell franchises. We test for impairment of goodwill
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annually or sooner whenever events or circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The annual impairment test is performed as of the first day of our fourth quarter. The annual goodwill test begins with a qualitative assessment, where qualitative factors and their impact on critical inputs are assessed to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If we determine that a reporting unit has an indication of impairment based on the qualitative assessment, we are required to perform a quantitative assessment. We generally determine the estimated fair value using a discounted cash flow approach, giving consideration to the market valuation approach. If the carrying value exceeds the estimate of fair value a write-down is recorded. We calculate impairment as the excess of the carrying value of goodwill over the estimated fair value.
We test for impairment of indefinite-lived trademarks annually or sooner whenever events or circumstances indicate that trademarks might be impaired. We first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the trademarks is less than the carrying amount. In the absence of sufficient qualitative factors, trademark impairment is determined utilizing a two-step analysis. The two-step analysis involves comparing the fair value to the carrying value of the trademarks. We determine the estimated fair value using a relief from royalty approach. If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, we impair the trademarks to their fair value.
We assess potential impairments to our long-lived assets, which include property and equipment and amortizable intangible assets, whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of an asset is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.
There were no impairment charges recorded during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 or 2020. The estimated fair value of the respective reporting units substantially exceeds their carrying value.
Equity-Based Compensation
We have equity-based compensation plans under which we receive services from our employees as consideration for equity instruments, including phantom units and profit interest units on H&W Franchise Holdings. The compensation expense is determined based on the fair value of the award as of the grant date. To value the underlying H&W units, we utilized a discounted cash flow analysis, a market approach of comparable companies in our industry and a comparable acquisitions analysis. The market approach involves companies in our industry that we determine to be comparable. Comparable acquisitions analysis involves analyzing sales of controlling interests in companies that we determine are comparable. In conducting this valuation, we also took into consideration recent valuation reports of third-party valuation specialists prepared for us, as well as any significant internal and external events occurring subsequent to those reports that may have caused the value of the units to increase or decrease since the dates of those reports. Estimates used in our valuation of equity-based compensation are highly complex and subjective. Valuations and estimates of our common stock value will no longer be necessary once we are a publicly traded company, at which point we will rely on market price to determine the market value of our shares.
Compensation expense for time-based units is recognized over the vesting period, which is the period over which all of the specified vesting conditions are satisfied. Compensation expense for performance-based units will be recorded when the performance targets are met.
Emerging Growth Company
Pursuant to the JOBS Act, an emerging growth company is provided the option to adopt new or revised accounting standards that may be issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) or the SEC
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either (i) within the same periods as those otherwise applicable to non-emerging growth companies or (ii) within the same time periods as private companies. We intend to take advantage of the exemption for complying with new or revised accounting standards within the same time periods as private companies. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies.
We also intend to take advantage of some of the reduced regulatory and reporting requirements of emerging growth companies pursuant to the JOBS Act so long as we qualify as an emerging growth company, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and exemptions from the requirements of holding non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation and golden parachute payments.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is disclosed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
In the course of preparing the financial statements that are included in this prospectus, our independent registered public accountants identified certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified related to lack of adequate anti-fraud programs or formalized controls, and the lack of design and implementation of general information technology controls or other controls over information provided by third-party service providers. For more information, see Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Class A Common Stock and this OfferingWe have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.
We are implementing measures designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting to remediate these material weaknesses, including implementing anti-fraud programs and formalized policies and processes. These additional procedures are designed to enable us to broaden the scope and quality of our internal review of underlying information related to financial reporting and to enhance our internal control. With the oversight of senior management, we have begun taking steps to remediate the underlying causes of the material weaknesses, though there can be no assurance that we will be successful in doing so.
In accordance with the provisions of the JOBS Act, we and our independent registered public accounting firm were not required to, and did not, perform an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, nor any period subsequent in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses. Material weaknesses may still exist when we report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act after the completion of this offering.
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Overview
Xponential Fitness is a curator of leading boutique fitness brands across multiple verticals. Our mission is to make highly specialized workouts in motivating, community-based environments accessible to everyone. We are the largest boutique fitness franchisor in the United States with 1,700 studios operating across nine distinct brands. Our diversified portfolio of brands spans a variety of fitness and wellness verticals, including Pilates, barre, cycling, stretch, rowing, yoga, boxing, dance and running. By leveraging our network of over 1,400 franchisees, we are able to capitalize on popular and proven fitness modalities to rapidly and efficiently expand boutique fitness experiences globally. Collectively, our brands offer consumers engaging experiences that appeal to a broad range of ages, fitness levels and demographics. Across our brands system-wide, consumers completed nearly 20 million in-studio, live stream and virtual workouts in 2020.
The foundation of our business is built on strong partnerships with franchisees. We provide franchisees with extensive support to help maximize the performance of their studios and enhance their return on investment. In turn, this partnership accelerates our growth and increases our profitability. We believe our unique combination of a scaled multi-brand offering, resilient franchise model with strong unit economics and integrated platform has enabled us to build our leading market position in the large and growing U.S. boutique fitness industry.
Our Market Leading Brand Portfolio
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◾ Largest Pilates brand, created with the vision to make Pilates more accessible, approachable and welcoming to everyone ◾ 620 studios |
◾ Largest barre brand; offers an effective, low-impact workout for all ages and fitness levels ◾ 580 studios |
◾ Largest indoor cycling brand, offering an inclusive low-impact/high intensity indoor cycling experience for all ages and experience levels ◾ 220 studios
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◾ First to offer 1x1 assisted stretching classes ◾ Highly complementary with our other brands ◾ 99 studios
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◾ Largest rowing brand, offering full body/low impact workout which has revolutionized the way people view indoor rowing ◾ 86 studios
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◾ Largest franchised yoga brand, dedicated to the evolution and modernization of yoga ◾ 83 studios
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◾ Boxing-based concept offering a 10-round, high energy cardio workout split between boxing drills and resistance training ◾ 13 studios |
◾ Dance-based cardio concept founded by celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser combining dance, intervals and strength training ◾ 18 studios |
◾ Treadmill-based cardio and strength workout, offering coached interval running classes for all fitness levels ◾ 4 open studios |
Note: Studio counts as of December 31, 2020.
We carefully built the Xponential Fitness brand portfolio through a series of acquisitions, targeting select health and wellness verticals. In curating our portfolio, we identified brands with exceptional programming and a loyal consumer base which we believed would benefit from our operational expertise, franchising experience and scaled platform. With over 25 years of collective franchising experience, our management team is
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the driving force behind our operational excellence. We have established a proven operational model (the Xponential Playbook) that helps franchisees generate compelling studio economics. This model has allowed us to provide extensive support to franchisees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key pillars of our Xponential Playbook include:
| optimizing the studio prototype and investment cost; |
| thoroughly vetting franchisee candidates; |
| real estate identification, site selection, studio build-out and design assistance; |
| comprehensive pre-opening support, including membership sales, marketing support, employee training and programming development; |
| detailed studio-level operational framework and best practices; |
| intensive instructor and studio-level management training; |
| our robust Video-On-Demand offerings that allow franchisees to generate incremental revenue; |
| data-driven analytical tools to support marketing strategies, member acquisition and retention; |
| sophisticated technology systems, including uniform point-of-sale and reporting systems, to drive studio-level performance; |
| centralized model capable of providing resources to franchisees in the event of exceptional crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, to their business; and |
| ongoing monitoring and support to promote success. |
The Xponential Playbook is designed to help franchisees achieve compelling AUVs, strong operating margins and an attractive return on their invested capital. Studios are generally designed to be between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet in size, depending on the brand. The smaller box format contributed to a relatively low average initial franchisee investment of approximately $350,000 in 2019 and 2020. By utilizing the Xponential Playbook, our model is generally designed to generate, on average, an AUV of $500,000 in year two of operations and studio-level operating margins ranging between 25% and 30%, resulting in an unlevered cash-on-cash return of approximately 40%.
We believe our integrated platform, which supports our nine brands, is a unique competitive advantage in the boutique fitness industry and enables us to accelerate growth and enhance operating margins. Our multi-brand offering results in higher franchisee lead flow and conversion, which lowers franchisee acquisition costs. Existing franchisees also serve as an embedded pipeline for continued expansion across our brands. As a result of our scale, we benefit from greater access to real estate and favorable vendor relationships. Additionally, we leverage shared corporate services across franchise sales, real estate, supply chain, merchandising, information technology, finance, accounting and legal. As an integrated platform, we utilize technology to provide improved functionality, drive efficiency and access compelling data across our brands. Our robust Video-On-Demand library, with content spanning all our brands, is an important example of our ability to utilize our integrated platform to enhance our individual brand offerings and member retention. We also benefit from knowledge sharing and best practices across the portfolio. We believe that we are in the early stages of unlocking the power of our platform and driving long-term growth.
As a franchisor, we benefit from multiple highly predictable and recurring revenue streams that enable us to scale our franchised studio base in a capital efficient manner. As of December 31, 2020, franchisees were
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contractually committed to open an additional 1,561 studios in North America. Converting our current pipeline of licenses sold to open studios in North America would nearly double our existing franchised studio base. Based on our internal and third-party analyses by Buxton Company, we estimate that franchisees could have a total of over 6,200 studios in the United States alone. In addition, we had ten studios operating in four countries internationally and master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 studios in nine countries as of December 31, 2020.
Highlights of our platforms recent financial results and growth include:
| increased the number of open studios in North America from 811 as of December 31, 2017 on a pro forma basis to 1,700 as of December 31, 2020, representing a CAGR of 28%; |
| increased North American franchise licenses sold from 1,496 as of December 31, 2017 to 3,261 as of December 31, 2020, representing a CAGR of 30%. In addition, we had ten studios open internationally and master franchisees were contractually obligated to sell licenses to franchisees to open an additional 593 studios in nine countries, as of December 31, 2020; |
| scaled system-wide sales to $536 million and $434 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively; and |
| generated average quarterly same store sales growth of 9% over the eight quarters ended December 31, 2019. |
Note: The above data is presented for North America on a pro forma basis to reflect historical information of the brands we acquired and therefore includes time periods during which certain of the brands were operated by our predecessors. We acquired Club Pilates and CycleBar in September 2017, Stretch Lab in November 2017, Row House in December 2017, AKT in March 2018, Yoga Six in July 2018, Pure Barre in October 2018 and Stride in December 2018. The above data does not reflect our acquisition of Rumble in March 2021.
Our Industry
We operate in the large and growing boutique fitness segment of the broader health and fitness club industry. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the estimated size
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of the global health and fitness club industry was $96.7 billion in 2019, with more than 210,000 clubs serving 184 million members. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. health and fitness club industry had grown at a 6% CAGR since 1998, with more than 21 consecutive years of annual growth, to
$35.0 billion in 2019.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and expected recovery.
The health and fitness industry contracted in 2020 as a result of state and local government mandated club and studio closures, as well as occupancy restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While these restrictions had an adverse effect on the industry in 2020, we expect that the industry will recover quickly as a result of growing consumer interest in health and wellness postpandemic. According to IHRSA, as of the end of October 2020, more than 85% of fitness club users admitted their exercise regimen has changed over the past several months, with 50% reporting dissatisfaction with the new routines, stating that it is less consistent, less challenging and/or simply worse. Ninety-four percent of consumers say they will return to the gym in some capacity, and 68% of consumers are prioritizing their health more now than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kentley Insights projections published in January 2021, the U.S. health and fitness club industry revenue will recover to $34.1 billion in revenue in 2021, and grow at a 7.6% CAGR thereafter to $41.3 billion in revenue by 2025. We believe that we are well-positioned to address these shifts in consumer behavior due to our hybrid in-studio and Video-on-Demand strategy and that industry growth will be driven by the following tailwinds:
| increased awareness of active lifestyles and the health benefits of exercise; |
| increased fitness participation, particularly amongst Millennials and Generation Z (who accounted for 49% of all health and fitness club membership in 2019); and |
| increased levels of stress stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to elevate mood through exercise and participation in a fitness community |
Boutique fitness expected to recover by 2022 and grow faster than the broader fitness club industry.
Boutique fitness is built around a social, supportive community of coaches, trainers and consumers helping each other achieve their fitness goals. A boutique fitness workout typically offers more customized programming and a more intensive experience complemented by increased levels of personal attention and guidance relative to a traditional health and fitness club. Between 2015 and 2019, boutique studio memberships increased 29%, outpacing memberships in the overall health and fitness club industry, which increased by 16%. An estimated 42% of health and fitness club consumers in the U.S. reported having a boutique fitness membership in 2018, up from 21% in 2013. We commissioned Frost & Sullivan to conduct an independent analysis to assess the total addressable market on the U.S. boutique fitness market. According to this analysis, the total market opportunity was $21.1 billion in 2019 and is expected to recover to $22.2 billion by 2022. The industry is expected to grow at a 24.5% CAGR, from $8.8 billion in 2020 to $26.2 billion by 2025.
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Highly attractive boutique fitness consumer.
We believe boutique fitness consumers represent a highly attractive and loyal consumer group. While the industry appeals to a broad demographic, the Millennial consumer over-indexes to boutique fitness, and approximately 60% of boutique fitness consumers are between the ages of 25 and 44. On average, a boutique fitness studio member spent $90 per month, compared to $51 per month for the average health and fitness club consumer, in 2019. Not only do boutique fitness studio consumers spend more per month than any other category of fitness, they are also some of the most engaged consumers. More than 65% of boutique fitness consumers reported engagement with multiple boutique fitness facilities and 22% reported engagement with at least three boutique fitness facilities in 2018. On average, boutique fitness consumers used their facility 107 times in 2018, with 34% of consumers reporting usages of 150 times or more, which represent