Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter of 2023


Key highlights:

  • Third quarter adjusted EBITDA improved by $0.4 million to $0.9 million, the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year improved adjusted profitability
  • Adjusted EBITDA as a percent of sales improved to 5.1%, from 2.4% in the third quarter of 2022, with adjusted EBITDA per share growing to $0.018, from $0.010 in the same period last year
  • Year-over-year gross margin improved 568 basis points to 28.2%
  • Third quarter revenue declined 13.8% year-over-year to $17.3 million
  • Culmination of executive review of company strategy, resulting in a capital reallocation strategy, which will be discussed in more detail in today’s earnings call

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: IVFH) (“IVFH” or the “Company”), a national seller of gourmet specialty foods to professional chefs and home gourmets, today reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2023.  

“During the third quarter, we continued to focus on profit during our year of stabilization, with gross margins increasing 568 basis points to 28.2%. Overall, our performance in the third quarter drove a $124,987 improvement in net income to $134,733, and a $397,184 improvement to adjusted EBITDA to $887,673, or 5.1% of revenue, compared to 2.4% of revenue in the third quarter of 2022, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year improved adjusted profitability.” stated Bill Bennett, CEO of Innovative Food Holdings.

Mr. Bennett continued, “Our revenue declined by 13.8%, driven primarily by our Specialty Foodservice business sales declining by 16%, as we continued to focus on overcoming the headwinds created by a change in the technology platform used by a key partner, leading to a smaller, though significantly more profitable business for us. We expect this Specialty Foodservice revenue softness to continue at a similar magnitude for the remainder of the year while our new growth plans begin to take shape.  This quarter included the establishment of our new sales team, the opening of several new customers, and the deepening of several existing customer relationships.  The B2B sales cycle is long, but we are optimistic about how today’s efforts will drive results next year.  On the eCommerce business, we continued to restrict marketing spend relative to historical levels as we improve the business model. We have now lapped four consecutive quarters of these marketing cuts, and the current quarter decline of only 0.7% (compared to declines of 20%+ over the last four quarters) indicates that the decline has subsided as we anticipated. That said, the e-commerce business continues to lose money, so we are now evaluating strategic alternatives for the business, with an eye towards eliminating the associated losses.”

“It’s exciting to see the impacts of our plan begin to take shape as we see improvements in our capital structure, margins, expenses, and profit. As we look forward, improving near term profitability and operating cash flow continue to be top priorities. This includes delivering continued improvements to gross margin by enhancing our product mix, building a more strategic pricing and promotional plan with supplier support, and reducing shipping expenses. We also remain committed to establishing a new lower baseline in SG&A expenses as we optimize our corporate structure, and proactively reduce spending on digital marketing programs.”

Mr. Bennett added, “As announced earlier this year, we’ve used the last several months to conduct a full review of the company strategy. As an outcome to that work, we’ve made the decision to reallocate resources and capital from our long-term loss-making businesses, into our consistently profitable businesses, while reducing our debt, and causing zero incremental dilution to our shareholders. These moves will make a significant impact to our P&L as we reduce losses in e-commerce, allocate capital to profitable business growth, and reduce interest expense for the company. We will discuss more details of the strategy in today’s earnings call.

“Over the past eight months as my tenure as CEO has developed, my level of confidence in the opportunity that lies ahead for IVFH continues to increase. We have a solid foundation, a passionate and committed team, and an industry with tremendous long-term potential. We recognize the importance of maintaining a laser focus on our top priorities in a complex economic environment to create a robust, profitable, and sustainable business model. As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of the food industry, we are confident in our ability to adapt, innovate, and capitalize on opportunities that will drive long-term shareholder value,” concluded Mr. Bennett.

Financial Results
Revenues in the 2023 third quarter decreased 13.8% to $17.3 million, compared to $20.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Third-quarter revenue was impacted by a 16% decrease in specialty foodservice revenue. Third-quarter eCommerce revenue was down 0.7% to $1.8 million from $1.8 million for the same period last year, as the Company begins to lap the commencement of marketing cuts in the third quarter of 2022.

The following table sets forth IVFH’s revenue by business category for the months ended September 30, 2023, and September 30, 2022 (unaudited):

 Three Months Ended
 September 30,
2023
 % of Net
Sales

 September 30,
2022
 % of Net
Sales

 %
Change
Specialty Foodservice        14,775,073 85.3% 17,630,515 87.8% -16.2%
E-Commerce        1,825,924 10.6% 1,839,541 9.2% -0.7%
National Brand Management        340,577 2.0% 336,766 1.7% 1.1%
Logistics        358,717 2.1% 253,160 1.3% 41.7%
        Total IVFH        17,300,291 100% 20,059,982 100% -13.8%


For the 2023 third quarter, gross margin as a percentage of sales was 28.2%, compared to 22.5% for the same period last year, primarily due to improved margin and mix management and lower shipping costs.

For the 2023 third quarter, selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $4.5 million, or 25.9% of revenue, compared to $4.3 million, or 21.5% of revenue for the same period last year. The $0.2 million, or 3.8% year-over-year increase in SG&A expense was primarily the result of $272,727 in connection with the quarterly revaluation of stock appreciation rights held by the Company’s Chief Operating Officer.

The Company recorded GAAP net income for the 2023 third quarter of $0.134 million, or $0.003 per share, compared to $0.009 million, or $0.000 per share, in the prior year’s third quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP metric (see tables below), for the 2023 third quarter was $887,673, or $0.018 per share, compared to $490,489, or $0.010 per share, for the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA accounts for the impact of non-core items including an addback for interest, taxes, amortization expense, expense on the extinguishment of debt, and stock related expenses in both 2023 and 2022.  

Conference Call
IVFH will host an investor call on November 9, 2023 at 9:00 am Eastern Time via Zoom and by phone. The purpose of the meeting will be for management to discuss the Company's third fiscal quarter results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, followed by Q&A with investors. The company will also provide additional details on its future strategy.

Investors and other interested participants may attend the call on the web or by phone as follows:

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 834 3349 6652
Passcode: 631890

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About Innovative Food Holdings, Inc.
At IVFH, we help make meals special. We provide access to foods that are hard to find, have a compelling story, or are on the forefront of food trends. Our gourmet foods marketplace connects the world’s best artisan food makers with top professional chefs and passionate home gourmets nationwide. We curate the assortment, experience, and tech enabled tools that help our professional and home chefs create unforgettable experiences for their guests and families. IVFH’s owned online retail brands include www.igourmet.com, www.plantbelly.com and www.mouth.com.   Additional information is available at www.ivfh.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements and information relating to Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) that are based on the current beliefs of the Company’s management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain assumptions, including those described in this release. Should one or more of these underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as “should,” “could,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “might,” “potentially” “targeting” or “expect.” Additional factors that could also cause actual results to differ materially relate to international crises, environmental and economic issues and other risk factors described in our public filings. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. The content of the websites referenced above are not incorporated herein.

Investor and Media contact:
Richard Tang
Chief Financial Officer
Innovative Food Holdings, inc.
investorrelations@ivfh.com 


Innovative Food Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets

  September 30,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
ASSETS (unaudited)     
Current assets        
Cash and cash equivalents $3,711,887  $4,899,398 
Accounts receivable, net  4,969,374   4,969,395 
Inventory  2,986,258   3,053,852 
Other current assets  339,410   289,432 
Total current assets  12,006,929   13,212,077 
         
Property and equipment, net  7,682,896   7,921,561 
Right of use assets, operating leases, net  104,775   152,425 
Right of use assets, finance leases, net  469,883   570,323 
Other amortizable intangible assets, net  -   30,994 
Tradenames and other unamortizable intangible assets  1,532,822   1,532,822 
Total assets $21,797,305  $23,420,202 
         
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY        
Current liabilities        
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $5,228,965   6,853,253 
Accrued separation costs, related parties, current portion  343,144   - 
Accrued interest  91,660   18,104 
Deferred revenue  1,094,322   1,558,155 
Line of Credit  -   2,014,333 
Stock appreciate rights liability  274,755   - 
Notes payable - current portion  139,131   5,711,800 
Lease liability - operating leases, current  66,860   64,987 
Lease liability - finance leases, current  185,226   191,977 
Total current liabilities  7,424,063   16,412,609 
         
Note payable, net of discount  8,861,213   - 
Accrued separation costs, related parties, non-current  874,359   - 
Lease liability - operating leases, non-current  37,915   87,438 
Lease liability - finance leases, non-current  197,077   333,092 
Total liabilities  17,394,627   16,833,139 
         
Commitments & Contingencies (see note 17)        
Stockholders' equity        
Common stock: $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 51,662,238 and 49,427,297 shares issued, and 48,799,067 and 46,589,717 shares outstanding at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively  5,159   4,938 
Additional paid-in capital  42,685,559   42,189,471 
Common stock to be issued, 180,000 and 1,499,940 shares at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively  18   150 
Treasury stock: 2,623,171 and 2,623,171 shares outstanding at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.  (1,141,370)  (1,141,370)
Accumulated deficit  (37,146,688)  (34,466,126)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity  4,402,678   6,587,063 
         
Total stockholders' equity $21,797,305  $23,420,202 


Innovative Food Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited)


  For the Three  For the Three  For the Nine For the Nine 
  Months Ended  Months Ended  Months Ended Months Ended 
  Sep 30,  Sep 30,  Sep 30, Sep 30, 
  2023  2022  2023 2022 
                
Revenue $17,300,291  $20,059,982  $53,128,812  $56,226,249 
Cost of goods sold  12,424,105  $15,546,132   39,373,204   43,537,570 
Gross margin  4,876,186   4,513,850   13,755,608   12,688,679 
                
Selling, general and administrative expenses  4,483,134   4,320,981   13,838,369   15,015,456 
Separation costs - executive officers  -   -   1,945,650   - 
Total operating expenses  4,483,134   4,320,981   15,784,019   15,015,456 
                
Operating income (loss)  393,052   192,869   (2,028,411)  (2,326,777)
                
Other income (expense)               
Gain on interest rate swap  -   -   -   294,000 
Loss on extinguishment of debt  -   -   -   (40,556)
Other leasing income  2,389   785   6,189   8,169 
Interest expense, net  (260,708)  (183,908)  (642,506)  (379,253)
Total other income (expense)  (258,319)  (183,123)  (636,317)  (117,640)
                
Net income (loss) before taxes  134,733   9,746   (2,664,728)  (2,444,417)
                
Income tax expense  -   -   15,834   - 
                
Net income (loss) $134,733  $9,746  $(2,680,562) $(2,444,417)
                
Net income (loss) per share - basic $0.003  $0.000  $(0.055) $(0.052)
                
Net income (loss) per share - diluted $0.003  $0.000  $(0.055) $(0.052)
                
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic  49,193,476   47,390,976   48,909,277   46,838,377 
                
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted  49,193,476   47,390,976   48,909,277   46,838,377 


Innovative Food Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited)

 For the Nine For the Nine
 Months Ended Months Ended
 September 30, September 30,
  2023   2022 
 (unaudited) (unaudited)
Cash flows from operating activities:   
Net loss$(2,680,562) $(2,444,417)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization 429,048   423,844 
Amortization of right of use asset 47,650   50,821 
Amortization of prepaid loan fees -   70,618 
Amortization of discount on notes payable 2,013   - 
Stock based compensation 337,971   520,218 
Loss on valuation of stock appreciation rights 264,961   - 
Loss on extinguishment of debt -   40,556 
Provision (recoveries) for doubtful accounts 108,694   11,493 
    
Changes in assets and liabilities:   
Accounts receivable, net (108,673)  (1,425,374)
Inventory and other current assets, net 17,616   150,643 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (1,489,017)  386,414 
Accrued separation costs - related parties 1,385,503   - 
Deferred revenue (463,833)  (536,757)
Operating lease liability (47,650)  (50,821)
Net cash used in operating activities (2,196,279)  (2,802,762)
    
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Acquisition of property and equipment (58,949)  (107,045)
Net cash used in investing activities (58,949)  (107,045)
    
Cash flows from financing activities:     
Payment of offering costs for stock previously issued -   (50,000)
Cash received from notes payable, net of costs 3,285,588   - 
Principal payments on debt (52,405)  (169,696)
Principal payments financing leases (151,133)  (130,459)
Cost of debt financing -   - 
Principal payments on line of credit (2,014,333)  - 
Cost of debt financing -   (110,305)
Net cash (used in) financing activities 1,067,717   (460,460)
    
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents (1,187,511)  (3,370,267)
    
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 4,899,398   6,122,671 
    
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period$3,711,887  $2,752,404 
    


Innovative Food Holdings, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted EBITDA Calculations

  Three Months Ended
(unaudited)
  September 30,
2023
  September 30,
2022
Adjusted EBITDA & EBITDA per share (1)       
Revenue $17,300291  $20,059,982
Net Income (Loss)  134,733   9,746
Interest, net  260,708   183,908
Taxes  -   -
Depreciation and Amortization (2)  142,179   144,109
EBITDA (3) $537,620  $337,763
Loss on extinguishment of debt  -   -
Stock related expenses (4)  350,053   152,726
Adjusted EBITDA  $887,673  $490,489
Weighted Avg. Shares Outstanding  49,193,476   47,390,976
Adjusted EBITDA per share $0.018  $0.010


(1)Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per share are each a non-GAAP metric. Management believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors because the information may allow investors to better evaluate ongoing business performance and certain components of the Company’s results. In addition, the Company believes that the presentation of these financial measures enhances an investor’s ability to make period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results. This information should be considered in addition to the results presented in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered a substitute for the GAAP results.
(2)Includes non-cash depreciation and amortization charges
(3)Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization
(4)Includes stock and options-based compensation and expenses