AAP April 2023 StatShot Report: Overall Publishing Industry Up 0.9% Year-To-Date, and Down 7.6% for Month of April

First Quarter Fiscal 2023 - Financial Results: *Net sales of $3.28 billion, down 6% compared to last year, inclusive of an estimated 1-point foreign exchange headwind and 2 percentage points of negative impact from the sale of Gap China. Net sales were in line with the company's expectations for a mid-single digit decline in the quarter. *Reported gross margin was 37.1%. Excluding $4 million in restructuring costs, adjusted gross margin of 37.2% increased 570 basis points versus last year. *Reported operating loss was $10 million; reported operating margin of negative 0.3%.

Since the campaign began in 2010, globally, Two Sides has successfully challenged over 970 organisations that subject their customers to repeated greenwashing messages which are damaging to the paper, print and mailing industry. With huge pressures on the economy; banks, telecom providers, utility companies and even governmental organisations are increasingly focused on switching their customers from paper to digital services to cut costs. All too often their customer communications attempt to mask these cost-saving efforts, justifying the switch with unfounded environmental marketing appeals such as “Go Green – Go Paperless” and “Choose e-billing and help save a tree.” “Not only are these greenwash claims in breach of established environmental marketing rules, but they are hugely damaging to an industry which has a solid and continually improving environmental record,” says Two Sides Europe Managing Director Jonathan Tame. “Far from ‘saving trees,’ a healthy market for forest products such as paper encourages the long-term growth of forests through sustainable forest management. Many of the organisations we engage are surprised to learn that European forests have actually been growing by 1,500 football pitches every day.”

Domestic gross profit rate was 22.8% versus 24.0% last year. The gross profit rate decrease of approximately 120 basis points was primarily driven by higher supply chain costs as a result of the increased mix of online revenue and lower profit-sharing revenue from the company’s private-label and co-branded credit card arrangement. Domestic GAAP SG&A was $1.56 billion, or 17.1% of revenue, versus $1.76 billion, or 19.9% of revenue, last year. On a non-GAAP basis, SG&A was $1.54 billion, or 16.9% of revenue, versus $1.74 billion, or 19.7% of revenue, last year. Both GAAP and non-GAAP SG&A decreased primarily due to: (1) reduced store payroll expense; (2) lower advertising expense; (3) reduced incentive compensation expense, as the company did not pay or accrue short-term incentive expense for second quarter performance; and (4) lower medical claims expense. International revenue of $782 million increased 9.4% versus last year. This increase was primarily driven by comparable salesgrowth of 15.1%, which was partially offset by the impact of approximately 490 basis points of negative foreign currency exchange rates. International SG&A was $142 million, or 18.2% of revenue, versus $166 million, or 23.2% of revenue, last year. SG&A decreased primarily due to lower payroll and benefit expense, primarily in Canada, and the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates.