News Release

Delivered strong revenue growth and free cash flow generation; Drove organic sales increases in Business Solutions Division; Grew services revenues and expanded the distribution network

Third Quarter 2018 Highlights

• Reported Sales of $2.9 Billion, Up 10%
  
  
  • Business Solutions Division (BSD) Sales Up 6%; Up 1% Organically
  • Service Revenues up 28% in BSD and up 11% in Retail Division⁽¹⁾
  • Retail sales down 6%; down 5% adjusted for new revenue recognition standard
• Operating Income of $105 Million Flat versus Prior Year, despite Disappointing Performance at CompuCom
• Operating Cash Flow of $304 Million; $555 Million Year-to-Date
• Free Cash Flow of $257 Million; $434 Million Year-to-Date
• Ending Cash Balance of $925 Million
• Raising 2018 Guidance and Issuing Guidance for 2019

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2018-- Office Depot, Inc. (“Office Depot,” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading omni-channel provider of business services and supplies, products and technology solutions, today announced results for the third quarter ended September 29, 2018.

“We’re making excellent progress on our strategy and we have again delivered strong top line growth and generated significant free cash flow,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer of Office Depot. “A primary focus during this phase of our transformation is to recapture top-line sales growth and strengthen our core, and I’m pleased to report that our Business Solutions Division delivered their best quarter in over a decade, with sales up 6% in total including recent acquisitions, and most importantly, up 1% organically. The investments that we are making in building our services capabilities are also continuing to pay off as service revenues again grew double digits in both our BSD and Retail divisions. Overall, we are making great progress on our transformation and remain confident that we have the right strategy in place to drive sustainable, profitable growth in the future.”

Consolidated Results

Reported (GAAP) Results

Total reported sales for the third quarter 2018 were $2.9 billion compared to $2.6 billion in the third quarter of 2017, an increase of 10.2%. Product sales in the third quarter were up 1.1%, while service revenues grew 123.7%, driven primarily by the service revenues contributed by the CompuCom acquisition. Service revenue excluding the CompuCom division and revenue recognition impacts, grew 17% in the third quarter. On a reported basis, services revenue represented approximately 15% of total Company sales, up from 7% of total Company sales in the prior year.

In the third quarter 2018, Office Depot reported operating income of $105 million, flat with the prior year period. Net income from continuing operations was $60 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to $98 million and $0.19 per share in the third quarter of 2017. The third quarter 2017 net income results included a benefit from a deferred tax asset positively impacting the prior year periods results. This benefit, along with higher net interest expense associated with the CompuCom acquisition, were the primary drivers of the decrease in net income year-over-year.

For the year-to-date 2018 period, Office Depot reported operating income of $230 million compared to an operating income of $272 million for year-to-date 2017. Net income from continuing operations for year-to-date 2018 was $113 million, or $0.20 per share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $195 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for year-to-date 2017.

Adjusted (non-GAAP) Results⁽⁶⁾

Adjusted results for the third quarter 2018 exclude charges and credits totaling $14 million, which were comprised of $11 million in merger, acquisition and integration-related expenses, and $3 million in restructuring and other charges, as well as the after-tax impact of these items.

• Adjusted EBITDA, a primary measure in which the company measures operating performance, for the third quarter 2018 was $172 million compared to $167 million in the prior year period. Higher depreciation and amortization expense in the current quarter related to acquisitions contributed to the increase.
• Third quarter 2018 adjusted operating income was $120 million compared to an adjusted operating income of $128 million in the third quarter of 2017. These amounts include a negative impact for the recent change in pension accounting standards of $3 million in the third quarter of 2018 compared to the third quarter of 2017.
  
• Third quarter 2018 adjusted net income from continuing operations was $71 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, compared to an adjusted net income from continuing operations of $74 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2017. The aforementioned tax benefit in the prior year period and higher net interest expense associated with the CompuCom acquisition were the primary drivers of the decrease.

Third Quarter Division Results

Business Solutions Division

Business Solutions Division reported sales were $1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2018, up 6% compared to the third quarter of 2017. The year-over-year increase reflects the impact of acquisitions and eCommerce growth. Without the impact of acquisitions, sales were up approximately 1% compared with the prior year. The improvement was primarily driven by growth in adjacency products, core supplies, and services. Product sales in the third quarter 2018 increased 5%, while services revenue increased 28% compared to the prior year period.

Business Solutions Division operating income was $67 million in the third quarter of 2018 compared to $71 million in the third quarter of 2017. The decrease in operating income versus the prior year was primarily driven by higher SG&A expenses partially offset by higher gross margin. The total SG&A dollar amount was higher as a result of recent acquisitions and investments made in demand generation activities and to enhance the eCommerce platform. The acquired companies generally have similar operating margins as compared to our core business, despite slightly higher percentage of SG&A in their business models.

Retail Division

The Retail Division reported sales of $1.3 billion in the third quarter 2018, down 6% versus the prior year period. Planned store closures and an approximately $8 million negative impact to revenue resulting from the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard contributed to the reported decline. Sales were down 5% excluding the change in revenue recognition. Product sales in the quarter declined 7%, while services revenue increased 11% compared to the prior year period, primarily due to fewer transactions in the quarter.

Retail Division operating income was $70 million in the third quarter of 2018, compared to $82 million in the third quarter of 2017. The decrease in operating income versus the prior year was due to deleveraging related to store closures, lower volume sales, and investments in additional service delivery capabilities adversely impacting gross profit and SG&A as a percentage of sales.

During the third quarter of 2018, the Company closed 2 stores and ended the quarter with a total of 1,372 stores in the Retail Division.

CompuCom Division

CompuCom Division results are only included in total Company results for the third quarter of 2018, as this business was not part of Office Depot in the prior year period. However, unaudited adjusted historical results for the third quarter of 2017 have been presented for reference. CompuCom Division reported sales were $268 million in the third quarter of 2018, down 4% versus sales of $280 million in the prior year historical period, primarily related to lower sales from one of the divisions largest customers, which is currently experiencing a significant reorganization of its business. Excluding this customer’s impact, sales were approximately flat to the prior year period.

CompuCom Division operating income was $1 million in the third quarter of 2018 versus historical operating income of $13 million in the third quarter 2017. Operating income was down versus the prior year primarily due to lower sales from a large customer experiencing a significant reorganization of its business, higher expenses associated with onboarding new customers, lower gross margin on product sales mix, and expenses related to growth initiatives. These growth initiatives contributed to a 57% increase in service order wins in the third quarter 2018 versus the same period last year, representing the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year service order increases.

“CompuCom’s unique capabilities are a competitive differentiator allowing us to grow our services business and to attract new customers and distribution partners,” said Gerry Smith. “We are already seeing successes in cross-selling opportunities and we are scaling CompuCom’s capabilities to position us to address the SMB market and further grow our services business. Although we have made significant progress in many key strategic areas, CompuCom’s operating results for the quarter are disappointing and we are taking several actions to improve their profitability. These actions include a completed reorganization to better align with customer needs, streamlining operations and realigning our sales organization under a new sales leader. We expect that these and other actions will have a positive impact on CompuCom’s performance over the next several quarters,” he added.

Corporate and Other

Corporate includes support staff services and certain other expenses that are not allocated to the Company’s operating divisions. Unallocated expenses decreased to $18 million in the third quarter of 2018 compared to $24 million in the third quarter of 2017, primarily due to focused cost reductions and a tax incentive received in the quarter, more than offsetting an increase in incentive-based compensation.

The Company’s “Other” segment, which contains the retained sourcing and trading operations in Asia and the elimination of intersegment revenues, had no material contribution to sales or operating income in the third quarter of 2018.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of September 29, 2018, Office Depot had total available liquidity of $1.9 billion consisting of $925 million in cash and cash equivalents and $990 million available under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement. Total debt was $979 million, excluding $759 million of non-recourse debt related to the credit-enhanced timber installment notes.

For the third quarter 2018, cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations was $304 million, including the impact of $2 million in OfficeMax merger–related costs, $11 million in acquisition and integration-related costs and $5 million in restructuring costs, compared to $293 million in the third quarter of the prior year.

Capital expenditures in the quarter were $47 million versus $37 million in the prior year, reflecting increased investments in our service platform and capabilities. Accordingly, Free Cash Flow from continuing operations was $257 million in the third quarter 2018. For the year-to-date 2018 period, cash provided by operating activities was $555 million with $121 million of capital expenditures for Free Cash Flow from continuing operations of $434 million.

During the third quarter 2018, the Company paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per share on September 14, 2018 for approximately $14 million and made a $18 million scheduled debt repayment on the 2022 Term Loan. In addition, Office Depot repurchased approximately 5 million shares at a total cost of $14 million in the third quarter of 2018. The Company also invested $34 million in the quarter through acquisitions to expand its BSD distribution network and its customer base.

Raising 2018 Guidance⁽⁸⁾

“Throughout the year, we’ve made excellent progress to reverse historic trends and regain traction in sales growth, beating on all key measures versus the original guidance we set at the beginning of the year,” said Smith. “Our incremental top-line revenue growth this year has been driven by organic sales increases in our BSD division and improving sales trends in our retail division. For 2018, we now expect to exceed our guidance for total sales, as well as reaffirm our guidance for adjusted operating income. Also, our operational discipline and focus on working capital initiatives have enabled us to generate $434 million in Free Cash Flow year to date, surpassing our guidance for the year. We now expect to approximate $450 million in Free Cash Flow by year end. We are also providing guidance for 2018 Adjusted EBITDA, an operating metric we watch closely and a measure our investors frequently request,” he added.

2019 Guidance⁽⁸⁾

Consistent with the long-term outlook provided at its Investor Day meeting earlier this year, the company is issuing the following guidance for full year 2019.

This guidance considers improving sales trends in its BSD and Retail divisions, as well as stabilizing sales trends at its CompuCom division. Additionally, this guidance includes targeted initiatives aimed at addressing increased cost pressures, improved operating results at its CompuCom division, and a continued focus on meaningful free cash flow generation.

About Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP) is a leading provider of business services and supplies, products and technology solutions through its fully integrated omni-channel platform of approximately 1,400 stores, online presence, and dedicated sales professionals and technicians to small, medium and enterprise businesses. Through its banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, CompuCom® and Grand&Toy®, the Company offers its customers the tools and resources they need to focus on their passion of starting, growing and running their business. For more information, visit news.officedepot.com and follow @officedepot on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. CompuCom is a trademark of CompuCom Systems, Inc.Grand&Toy is a trademark of Grand & Toy, LLC in Canada. ©2018 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements or disclosures may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations, cash flow or financial condition, or state other information relating to, among other things, Office Depot, based on current beliefs and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “intend,” “may,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “propose” or other similar words, phrases or expressions, or other variations of such words. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Office Depot’s control. There can be no assurances that Office Depot will realize these expectations or that these beliefs will prove correct, and therefore investors and stockholders should not place undue reliance on such statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among other things, the risk that Office Depot is unable to transform the business into a service-driven company or that such a strategy will result in the benefits anticipated; the risk that Office Depot may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of the CompuCom transaction due to unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, expenses, indebtedness and the unanticipated loss of key customers or the inability to achieve expected revenues, synergies, cost savings or financial performance; impact of weather events on Office Depot’s business; unanticipated changes in the markets for Office Depot’s business segments; the inability to realize expected benefits from the disposition of the international operations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; unanticipated downturns in business relationships with customers or terms with the Company’s suppliers; competitive pressures on Office Depot’s sales and pricing; increases in the cost of material, energy and other production costs, or unexpected costs that cannot be recouped in product pricing; the introduction of competing technology products and services; unexpected technical or marketing difficulties; unexpected claims, charges, litigation, dispute resolutions or settlement expenses; new laws, tariffs, policies and governmental regulations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Investors and stockholders should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in Office Depot’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Office Depot does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

OFFICE DEPOT, INC.
GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations
(Unaudited)

We report our results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). We also review certain financial measures excluding impacts of transactions that are not related to our core operations (“non-GAAP”). Management believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures enhances the ability of its investors to analyze trends in its business and provides a means to compare periods that may be affected by various items that might obscure trends or developments in its business. Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP measures to assist in making business decisions and assessing overall performance. Non-GAAP measures help to evaluate programs and activities that are intended to attract and satisfy customers, separate from expenses and credits directly associated with Merger, restructuring, and certain similar items. Certain non-GAAP measures are also used for short and long-term incentive programs.

Our measurement of these non-GAAP financial measures may be different from similarly titled financial measures used by others and therefore may not be comparable. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered superior to the GAAP measures, but only to clarify some information and assist the reader. We have included reconciliations of this information to the most comparable GAAP measures in the tables included within this material.

The Company’s outlook for 2018 and 2019 includes adjusted EBITDA, adjusted operating income, and free cash flow. These measures exclude charges or credits not indicative of our core operations, which may include but not be limited to merger integration expenses, restructuring charges, asset impairments, and other significant items that currently cannot be predicted. The exact amount of these charges or credits are not currently determinable, but may be significant. Accordingly, the company is unable to provide a reconciliation to an equivalent net income, operating income or operating cash flow outlook for 2018 and 2019.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure, which we define as cash flows from operating activities of continuing operations less capital expenditures. We believe that free cash flow is an important indicator that provides additional perspective on our ability to generate cash to fund our strategy and expand our distribution network.

(In millions, except per share amounts)

Amounts may not foot due to rounding

Amounts may not foot due to rounding

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181107005269/en/

Source: Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Tim Perrott, 561-438-4629
Tim.Perrott@officedepot.com
or
Media Relations:
Danny Jovic, 561-438-1594
Danny.Jovic@officedepot.com