Healthy Gross Margin and Positive Operating Profit
Q1 gross margin of 59.7% (down 160 bps YoY) remained strong and reflected premium/full-price selling; adjusted operating income was $10 million versus $9 million a year ago, demonstrating continued profitability from the turnaround efforts.
Wholesale and Traditional Watch Strength
Wholesale grew mid-single digits in Q1, with core traditional watch sales up high-single digits in the wholesale channel — marking a notable return to growth in the traditional watch category and improved AUR (average unit retail).
Disciplined Expense Control
SG&A dollars were reduced by 13% year-over-year, exceeding the sales decline and delivering expense leverage; restructuring costs fell to $2 million in Q1 2026 from $16 million a year ago.
Improved Cash and Working Capital Dynamics
Quarter-end cash and equivalents of $81 million with $28 million revolver availability; inventory down 14% YoY to $156 million; cash used in operations reduced by over 50% YoY — signaling stronger working capital management.
Product & Brand Momentum (Big Tic, Collaborations, Campaigns)
Successful creative activations including the Big Tic relaunch (strong press, sell-through and social engagement with Gen Z/millennial audiences), Big Tic World Flags launch, Star Wars Mandalorian + Grogu collection release (May 4), and planned Marvel collaboration in Q3; Mother's Day campaign drove attention to core icons.
India Execution and Expansion
India added more than 70 new wholesale doors in Q1, implemented a new e-commerce platform and CRM integration, increased full-price mix and higher AUR — described as one of the company's strongest, vertically integrated markets.
Operating Model Simplification & AI Readiness
Continued simplification and IT rationalization (analytics platform consolidation) reduced costs and established data architecture for Agentic AI; signed agreement to move South Africa to a distributor model to lower operating expenses and improve gross profit flow-through.
One-Time Tariff Refund Benefit Recognized
Recognized a $5.9 million tariff refund claim in Q1: $4.0 million reduced cost of goods sold, $0.9 million reduced SG&A, and ~$1.0 million reduced inventory — providing a near-term benefit to margins (largely tied to 2025 costs).