EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hudson (NYSE: HUD), a North American travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations, announced today its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

COVID-19-related concerns, event cancellations and business and government-imposed restrictions led to a reduction in passenger travel beginning at the end of the first quarter of 2020 and continuing into the second quarter at an accelerated pace, which has resulted in significantly reduced customer traffic and spending across Hudson’s retail stores in North America.

In order to preserve liquidity, the Company implemented a number of cost savings actions beginning in March, including temporarily closing over 700 stores and furloughing a majority of its workforce, implementing salary and other expense reductions, and pursuing negotiations with landlords to abate or defer rents. Additionally, to ensure the health and safety of its team members and customers, Hudson’s internal Emergency Response Team provided frontline team members with personal protective equipment (“PPE”) required during shifts, implemented temperature check protocol before shifts, developed enhanced store cleaning protocols, expanded ‘Tap to Pay’ capabilities, installed Plexiglas shields, and implemented standardized social distancing decals and guidelines.

Beginning in mid-May, as stay-at-home restrictions were lifted in certain areas, airlines added additional flights, and passenger travel started to gradually increase in airports and commuter hubs, Hudson slowly began reopening stores and bringing back a number of furloughed team members. Working in close partnership with airports and other landlords to best serve the needs of both travelers and airport/commuter hub workers, the Company has reopened over 200 stores as of July 31, 2020, bringing the Company’s total open store count to approximately 450. However, passenger volumes are still significantly below prior year levels, the closure of the U.S./Canada border has been extended, and recent increases in COVID-19 cases across various parts of the U.S. have led to new travel restrictions and quarantines, all resulting in reduced traffic and significant variability in day to day traveler volume. While U.S. passenger levels have increased sequentially in the months of May and June, volumes were still down approximately 75% from prior year levels in the last few weeks of July.

The current state of the overall North American and global travel industry and uncertainty around future developments relating to COVID-19, including a possible “second wave” of infections, has led to the Company’s decision to implement a reduction in workforce. This involves permanent lay-offs of nearly 40% of the Company’s team members consisting of both corporate and field staff across the organization, effective as of July 31, 2020. Alongside the reduction in force, the furlough period for several hundred of our team members was extended, with the expectation that some or all of these individuals will be called back as business recovers. Team members were notified on a one-on-one basis, and the Company is also working closely with its union partners to effect these changes. Hudson believes the workforce reductions, extended furloughs, and other cost saving actions detailed above will better align its cost structure with the conditions of the travel industry today.

The Company recorded a charge of $8.6 million in the second quarter related to this business alignment. Hudson expects the reduction in force to reduce personnel expenses by approximately $140 to $160 million on an annualized basis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on world travel, and a corresponding impact on our travel retail business. While we took proactive and targeted actions beginning in March to significantly reduce expenses across the Company, we determined that more structural and wide-ranging actions were necessary. Our reduction in force is a difficult but essential step in ensuring the long-term success of our business,” stated Roger Fordyce, CEO of Hudson. “I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to those team members impacted by this decision for their service to Hudson. The Company we are today would not be possible without the contributions and dedication of these individuals and they will always be a part of our storied history.”

Hudson believes that based on the actions outlined above, along with its existing cash balances, operating cash flows and long-term financing arrangements with the Dufry AG Group, its controlling shareholder, the Company has adequate funds to support its revised operating plan, make necessary capital expenditures and fulfill debt service requirements for the foreseeable future.

Ongoing Strategic Initiatives

While business recovery is paramount, the Company’s strategy remains intact to serve as the all-encompassing travel partner, focusing on its four key pillars: travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free, and food and beverage.

To adapt to new traveler expectations in the COVID-19 environment, Hudson continues to further evolve its digital footprint with contactless shopping experiences, and provide 24/7 access to health and safety supplies. Below is an update on several recently announced strategic initiatives:

• PPE Vending Machines and Proprietary PPE Line – Hudson has begun to roll out PPE Vending Machines in airports across North America, featuring proprietary health and safety offerings as well as electronic essentials. The “Traveler’s Best” PPE line can also be found in Hudson’s travel convenience stores.
• Sunglass Hut Boutiques – Partnering with Luxottica Group, a leader in premium eyewear, Hudson will begin opening Sunglass Hut shop-in-shops within its travel convenience stores, featuring the Ray-Ban and Oakley brands. The first ten shops will be opened in early August, with a phased opening approach continuing into 2022 for up to 250 shop-in-shops.
• Expanded Grab & Go Offerings – Hudson is expanding its Grab & Go offerings to meet the needs of travelers who have fewer food and beverage options both in airports and on planes.
• Self-Checkout – Hudson is continuing to expand self-checkout capabilities in a number of its stores to minimize contact and speed checkout.

Mr. Fordyce concluded, “Over the past few months, we’ve taken strategic, ongoing actions to prioritize the health and safety of our team members and customers, maximize operational efficiency, and conserve cash, all of which we believe will allow Hudson to successfully navigate the short-term and long-term effects of this pandemic and execute a successful business recovery. In spite of the challenges faced, our Hudson team has continued to be the Traveler’s Best Friend for the travelers and essential personnel still present in our locations, and we are extremely grateful for their service and dedication. While acknowledging the uncertain environment, we believe the strength and experience of our team combined with the resiliency of our business model, position us well for the eventual rebound of travel.”

Second Quarter 2020 Financial Statement Impacts Related to COVID-19

The effects of COVID-19 resulted in the following significant financial statement impacts during the second quarter:

• Recorded $42.6 million of rent waivers as a result of rent payment waivers received from numerous landlords.
• Recorded $8.6 million of restructuring expense related to the reduction in force.
• Recorded $4.5 million in employee retention credits from the U.S. Government (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security “CARES” Act) and subsidies from the Canadian Government (Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy “CEWS” program), both of which offset wage expense for team members impacted by COVID-19 and the Company’s benefit costs for furloughed team members.
• Recorded non-cash impairments of $6.0 million to property, plant and equipment and $3.7 million to right-of-use assets.

Second Quarter 2020 Review (all metrics compared to the 2019 second quarter, unless otherwise noted)

Income Statement

• Turnover decreased by 87.9% to $61.7 million, due to the impact of COVID-19 and the resulting reduction in travel and store closures.
  • Net sales declined by 88.4% to $57.7 million.
  • Organic net sales, which is a combination of like-for-like net sales and net new business and expansions, declined by 88.5% to $57.3 million.
  • Like-for-like sales decreased by 82.0% (81.9% in constant currency) to $53.1 million.
• Gross profit decreased by $289.5 million or 88.4% to $38.0 million, reflecting the reduction in sales. Gross margin decreased to 61.6% from 64.2% in the prior year period, primarily due to higher promotional activity on luxury merchandise.
• Lease expenses decreased by $69.1 million, resulting in lease income for the quarter of $32.2 million, reflecting lower variable rent based on the decline in sales, and rent waivers of $42.6 million received from numerous airports and commuter terminals. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact customer traffic and sales, we continue to negotiate new and extended rent relief with our landlords.
• Personnel expenses decreased by $66.6 million or 61.3% to $42.0 million, primarily driven by the expense reduction actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and $4.5 million in employee retention credits from the U.S. CARES Act and subsidies from the Canadian CEWS program. Personnel expenses also included $8.6 million of restructuring expense due to the reduction in force. Personnel expenses as a percentage of turnover increased to 68.1% from 21.3%, due to the significantly lower sales volume.
• Other expenses decreased by $22.1 million or 52.5% to $20.0 million, primarily related to a reduction in variable selling expenses due to the sales decline and our expense management initiatives. As a percentage of turnover, other expenses were 32.4%, compared to 8.3% in the prior year period, due to the significantly lower sales volume.
• Other income, which had previously been included in Other Expenses, decreased by $1.4 million to $2.0 million. This line item consists of sales related income, franchise and management fee income, and other operational income.
• Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $132.3 million to $(61.7) million.
• Depreciation, amortization and impairment increased by $8.8 million to $98.2 million. The increase was primarily due to a non-cash charge of $9.7 million related to impairments to property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets, reflecting a reduction in forecasted cash flow due to the impact of COVID-19.
• Operating profit (loss) was a loss of $88.0 million compared to a profit of $53.9 million.
• Reported net profit (loss) to equity holders of the parent was a loss of $79.0 million compared to a profit of $12.8 million, and reported diluted earnings per share was a loss per share of $0.85 compared to a profit per share of $0.14.
• Adjusted net profit (loss) attributable to equity holders of the parent was a loss of $59.0 million compared to a profit of $20.6 million, while adjusted diluted loss per share was $0.63 compared to a profit per share of $0.22 in the prior year quarter.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

• Cash flows from operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $13.9 million compared to $274.6 million in the prior year period. The decrease is primarily due to the decline in operating performance related to COVID-19 and the timing of cash payments for accounts payable and other liabilities.
• At June 30, 2020, the Company’s adjusted net debt (total borrowings excluding lease obligations minus cash) was $340.1 million, compared to $315.4 million at March 31, 2020.
• Hudson reduced its cash usage to $21.1 million in the second quarter of 2020 from $92.4 million in the first quarter of 2020, driven by the Company’s cost reduction initiatives and rent deferrals.
• Capital expenditures in the first half of 2020 were $27.2 million compared to $35.2 million in the prior year period.

About Hudson

Hudson, a Dufry Company, is a travel experience company turning the world of travel into a world of opportunity by being the Traveler’s Best Friend in more than 1,000 stores in airport, commuter hub, landmark, and tourist locations. Our team members care for travelers as friends at our travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free and food and beverage destinations. At the intersection of travel and retail, we partner with landlords and vendors, and take innovative, commercial approaches to deliver exceptional value. To learn more about how we can make your location a travel destination, please visit us at hudsongroup.com.