Oxford Industries, Inc. (NYSE:OXM) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Then in addition to those types of opportunities where we can grow a big category at a sort of an enhanced rate of growth. I think throughout the company, there are some fill-in opportunities and one that’s not going to be huge overnight and probably even over the long term. I don’t think is an enormous category. But we recently started in Lilly Pulitzer, some enhanced home product. And the concept there is to be the destination of choice for sort of an elevated elegant hostess gift. And we’ve started out with a small assortment of items, some picture frames and things like that. But we’re pleased with the early performance and we think we can do some business in that space. I think we’ve got similar opportunities like that across the company.

Operator: Next question; Paul Lejuez with Citigroup.

Tracy Kogan: It’s Tracy Kogan filling in for Paul. I had 2 questions. The first 1 was on your SG&A. In fourth quarter, I was wondering if you could talk about how much markdown levels or either up or down versus last year? And then what was freight relative to last year? And then for both of those pieces, what’s embedded in your gross margin guidance for 2023? I think you said moderately up, just wondering assuming for markdowns and promotions versus freight? And then I have a follow-up when you’re done with that.

Tom Chubb: Okay. Freight, pretty much return — the freight rates pretty much returned to pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter. And our use of airfreight was down considerably from what it had been earlier maybe a tiny bit elevated from pre-pandemic. So there really wasn’t a lot of freight noise in our fourth quarter. And going into ’23, we’re really not — where freight rates are much better and we think our supply chain, we have accelerated our merchandising calendar. So we’re really expect very little airfreight this year. So I don’t think freight will really be much of a negative factor at all in gross margins in ’23.

Tracy Kogan: And on the markdowns?

Scott Grassmyer: As far as inventory markdowns. Yes, to me, we had — we had in our Emerging Brands group. We did take some inventory markdowns last year. And we do not anticipate anniversary-ing those. Lilly flash sale, we think we’ll be a little bit smaller in ’23 than it was in ’22. And so overall, I think our inventory markdown rates will be a tiny bit less year-over-year. And we think we’ll start with a little bit higher IMU, modestly higher IMU and then we do have the add of the Johnny Was business for the full year which will help. And then wholesale will be a little bit lower piece of mix. So I think we have some mix advantages. They’ll be running through ’23 that will help gross margin some.

Tracy Kogan: Got it. And then I just had a follow-up. I think you said you expect to open 10 or more Johnny Was stores. And I was wondering if you could talk about what you — what the new store model there looks like in terms of the new store investments and your payback period compared to Tommy or Lilly store. And I was wondering how many of those leases you’ve actually signed already for 2023?

Tom Chubb: Yes. I’ll make a quick comment on it and then let Scott follow on. But I think Johnny Was has a slightly different approach to stores than our other brands. They’re a little bit smaller. I think their average square footage of 1,600 or so square feet, so a little smaller than most of the — well really been all of the Tommy stores fundamentally and a little bit smaller than Lilly runs as well. They also go into some, what I would call, somewhat nichier-type location. So in the past, really, even since we bought them, they opened in Santa Fe which is the first store that we have in Santa Fe but we think that’s a great spot for them and we’re excited about that one. Another example would be a tiny little store that I did in Vero Beach, Florida.