What happened
Shares of Fossil Group (FOSL 4.09%) plummeted more than 20% on Wednesday, following the release of the watchmaker's fourth-quarter results and guidance.
So what
Net sales fell 10% year over year, to $712 million, as declines in its Americas and Europe segments more than offset growth in its Asia division. This sales shortfall, combined with inventory writedowns, resulted in a net loss of $6.9 million, or $0.14 per share.
Fossil's wholesale business remains under pressure from the struggles of department stores. The impact of retail store closures and bankruptcies more than offset growth in Fossil's e-commerce business.
CEO Kosta Kartsotis said in a press release, "As we navigate the challenging operating environment, we are taking actions to pivot our business model by deploying greater resources toward the direct-to-consumer channel, accelerating our connected product offerings and building on our success in the Asia region."
Image source: Getty Images.
Now what
Kartsotis is hoping that cost cuts and a renewed focus on smartwatches will help to stabilize its traditional retail business. But Fossil must now contend with a new challenge: potential supply chain and sales disruptions related to the coronavirus outbreak.
In turn, management is guiding for full-year net sales to decline as much as 11.5% in 2020. The company also said it could generate a pre-tax loss of as much as $57 million in the coming year.
