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Camping World Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results, Total Unit Sales of 32,330 Exceeds 2022, Rigorous Inventory Discipline and Continued Acquisitions Set Stage for Improved 2024

November 1, 2023

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.–Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) (the “Company” or “CWH”), America’s Recreation Dealer, today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Camping World Holdings, Inc. stated, “We are laser focused on the final stages of cleansing our inventory going into 2024. These actions have come with near-term gross margin compression, but we believe now is the moment to put the finishing touches on our industry-leading inventory position and prepare the business for the next up-cycle. In 2024, we expect total company revenue, same store unit sales, total gross margin, and earnings to increase year over year.”

Third Quarter-over-Quarter Operating Highlights

  • Revenue was $1.7 billion for the third quarter, a decrease of $126.1 million, or 6.8%.
  • Used vehicle revenue was a record $590.2 million for the third quarter, an increase of $64.2 million, or 12.2%, and used vehicle unit sales were a record 17,125 units, an increase of 2,665 units, or 18.4%.
  • New vehicle revenue was $679.2 million for the third quarter, a decline of $154.9 million, or 18.6%, and new vehicle unit sales were 15,205 units, a decrease of 2,411 units, or 13.7%.
  • Average selling price of new and used vehicles declined 5.7% and 5.2%, respectively, during the third quarter. As the procurement prices of model year 2024 new vehicles declined compared to model years 2022 and 2023, the Company actively discounted certain used vehicles during the third quarter to reduce inventory levels of aged used vehicles.
  • Products, service and other revenue was $235.6 million for the third quarter, a decline of $33.3 million, or 12.4%. The decrease was driven largely by lower demand and lower stocking levels of lifestyle, activities, design, and home products, as well as declines in our direct to manufacturer RV furniture revenues due to RV manufacturer production slowdowns and discounting related to our Active Sports Restructuring.
  • Same store used vehicle unit sales increased 10.9% for the third quarter, and same store new vehicle unit sales decreased 21.5%.
  • Gross profit was $523.1 million, a decrease of $70.6 million, or 11.9%. Total gross margin was 30.2%, a decrease of 175 basis points. The decrease in gross profit and gross margin was driven largely by the decrease in average selling price of new and used vehicles discussed above. The decrease in finance and insurance, net gross profit was partially offset by improved retention on finance and insurance products, which drove favorable adjustments to reserves in the third quarter of 2023. Good Sam Services and Plans gross profit and gross margin was favorably impacted by finalizing contract negotiations to exit an arrangement with a service partner in the quarter.
  • Selling, general and administrative expenses were $415.3 million, a decrease of $3.8 million, or 0.9%, primarily as a result of our efforts to reduce expenses. In the quarter, the Company closed two underperforming retail stores and one distribution center, whose leases were successfully terminated. These cost reductions were partially offset by additional employee compensation and facility costs resulting from the 8.3% increase in store location count to 209 at September 30, 2023 from 193 at September 30, 2022.
  • Subsequent to September 30, 2023, the Company made the decision to consolidate or close seven underperforming dealership locations in order to redeploy working capital to higher returning investments.
  • Floor plan interest expense was $19.8 million, an increase of $10.3 million, or 108.9%, and other interest expense, net was $35.2 million, an increase of $14.7 million, or 71.7%. These increases were primarily as a result of the rise in interest rates.
  • Net income was $30.9 million, a decrease of $72.1 million, or 70.0%, driven primarily by the pretax $71.7 million decrease in new and used vehicle gross profit, the $14.7 million increase in other interest expense, net, and the $10.3 million increase in floor plan interest, which was partially offset by the $3.8 million decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses and lower income tax expense from net reductions of pretax income.
  • Diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock was $0.32 in 2023 versus diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock of $0.97 in 2022. Adjusted earnings per share – diluted(1) of Class A common stock was $0.39 in 2023 versus adjusted earnings per share – diluted(1) of Class A common stock of $1.07 in 2022.
  • Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $95.0 million, a decrease of $78.4 million, or 45.2%, driven primarily by the $71.7 million decrease in new and used vehicle gross profit and the $10.3 million increase in floor plan interest, which was partially offset by the $3.8 million decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses(2).
________________
(1) Adjusted earnings per share – diluted and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, see the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section later in this press release.
(2) The $3.8 million decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses includes a $1.3 million decrease in equity-based compensation. Equity-based compensation is excluded from the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA (see the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section later in this press release).

Earnings Conference Call and Webcast Information

A conference call to discuss the Company’s third quarter 2023 financial results is scheduled for November 2, 2023, at 7:30 am Central Time. Investors and analysts can participate on the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-9039 (international callers please dial 1-201-689-8470) and using conference ID# 13741006. Interested parties can also listen to a live webcast or replay of the conference call by logging on to the Investor Relations section on the Company’s website at http://investor.campingworld.com. The replay of the conference call webcast will be available on the investor relations website for approximately 90 days.

Presentation

This press release presents historical results for the periods presented for the Company and its subsidiaries, which are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), unless noted as a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) and related reorganization transactions (“Reorganization Transactions”) that occurred on October 6, 2016 resulted in the Company as the sole managing member of CWGS Enterprises, LLC (“CWGS, LLC”), with sole voting power in and control of the management of CWGS, LLC. The Company’s position as sole managing member of CWGS, LLC includes periods where the Company has held a minority economic interest in CWGS, LLC. As of September 30, 2023, the Company owned 52.8% of CWGS, LLC. Accordingly, the Company consolidates the financial results of CWGS, LLC and reports a non-controlling interest in its consolidated financial statements.

About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is America’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy, and our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of associates serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements about cleansing our inventory, macroeconomic and industry trends, dividend payments and capital allocation, our business plans and goals, the Company’s acquisition pipeline and plans, and future financial results, including anticipated gross margin compression and outlook for 2024. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations.

These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: general economic conditions, including inflation and interest rates; the availability of financing to us and our customers; fuel shortages or high prices for fuel; the success of our manufacturers; general economic conditions in our markets; changes in consumer preferences; competition in our industry; risks related to acquisitions, new store openings and expansion into new markets; our failure to maintain the strength and value of our brands; our ability to manage our inventory; fluctuations in our same store sales; the cyclical and seasonal nature of our business; risks related to the cybersecurity incident announced in February 2022; our dependence on the availability of adequate capital and risks related to our debt; risks related to COVID-19; our ability to execute and achieve the expected benefits of our cost cutting or restructuring initiatives; our reliance on our fulfillment and distribution centers; natural disasters, including epidemic outbreaks; our dependence on our relationships with third party suppliers and lending institutions; risks associated with selling goods manufactured abroad; our ability to retain senior executives and attract and retain other qualified employees; risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space; risks associated with our private brand offerings; we may incur asset impairment charges for goodwill, intangible assets or other long-lived assets; tax risks; regulatory risks; data privacy and cybersecurity risks; risks related to our intellectual property; the impact of ongoing or future lawsuits against us and certain of our officers and directors; and risks related to our organizational structure.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K filed for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change, except as required under applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Future declarations of quarterly dividends are subject to the determination and discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors based on its consideration of various factors, including the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, level of indebtedness, anticipated capital requirements, contractual restrictions, restrictions in its debt agreements, restrictions under applicable law, receipt of excess tax distributions from CWGS Enterprises, LLC, its business prospects and other factors that the Company’s Board of Directors may deem relevant.

We intend to use our official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, each at the handle @CampingWorld, as well as the investor page of our website, investor.campingworld.com, as a distribution channel of material information about the Company and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The information we post through these social media channels and on our investor webpage may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should subscribe to these accounts and our investor alerts, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls and webcasts. These social media channels may be updated from time to time.

Camping World Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)
(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)
                         
    Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,   September 30,
    2023   2022   2023   2022
Revenue:                        
Good Sam Services and Plans   $ 49,889     $ 50,352     $ 147,294     $ 144,504  
RV and Outdoor Retail                        
New vehicles     679,207       834,112       2,126,862       2,746,323  
Used vehicles     590,227       525,988       1,657,935       1,484,978  
Products, service and other     235,609       268,940       691,030       761,914  
Finance and insurance, net     163,630       165,136       460,336       513,921  
Good Sam Club     11,051       11,154       33,757       35,070  
Subtotal     1,679,724       1,805,330       4,969,920       5,542,206  
Total revenue     1,729,613       1,855,682       5,117,214       5,686,710  
Costs applicable to revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below):                        
Good Sam Services and Plans     10,021       18,871       43,844       54,532  
RV and Outdoor Retail                        
New vehicles     576,480       675,119       1,811,398       2,171,660  
Used vehicles     478,595       398,882       1,300,961       1,115,876  
Products, service and other     139,976       167,298       422,037       467,680  
Good Sam Club     1,455       1,824       3,766       6,279  
Subtotal     1,196,506       1,243,123       3,538,162       3,761,495  
Total costs applicable to revenue     1,206,527       1,261,994       3,582,006       3,816,027  
                         
Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below):                        
Good Sam Services and Plans     39,868       31,481       103,450       89,972  
RV and Outdoor Retail:                        
New vehicles     102,727       158,993       315,464       574,663  
Used vehicles     111,632       127,106       356,974       369,102  
Products, service and other     95,633       101,642       268,993       294,234  
Finance and insurance, net     163,630       165,136       460,336       513,921  
Good Sam Club     9,596       9,330       29,991       28,791  
Subtotal     483,218       562,207       1,431,758       1,780,711  
Total gross profit     523,086       593,688       1,535,208       1,870,683  
                         
Operating expenses:                        
Selling, general, and administrative     415,288       419,102       1,201,901       1,245,540  
Depreciation and amortization     17,619       18,207       49,462       61,369  
Long-lived asset impairment     1,747       887       9,269       3,505  
Lease termination     375             375       1,122  
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets     131       (40 )     (5,001 )     390  
Total operating expenses     435,160       438,156       1,256,006       1,311,926  
Income from operations     87,926       155,532       279,202       558,757  
Other expense:                        
Floor plan interest expense     (19,816 )     (9,484 )     (61,298 )     (24,483 )
Other interest expense, net     (35,242 )     (20,526 )     (99,873 )     (49,762 )
Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment     1,680             1,680        
Other income (expense), net     24       (177 )     (1,659 )     (472 )
Total other expense     (53,354 )     (30,187 )     (161,150 )     (74,717 )
Income before income taxes     34,572       125,345       118,052       484,040  
Income tax expense     (3,679 )     (22,397 )     (17,533 )     (75,808 )
Net income     30,893       102,948       100,519       408,232  
Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interests     (14,932 )     (61,822 )     (52,686 )     (238,065 )
Net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc.   $ 15,961     $ 41,126     $ 47,833     $ 170,167  
                         
Earnings per share of Class A common stock:                        
Basic   $ 0.36     $ 0.98     $ 1.07     $ 4.01  
Diluted   $ 0.32     $ 0.97     $ 1.03     $ 3.99  
Weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding:                        
Basic     44,666       41,985       44,538       42,419  
Diluted     85,180       42,505       84,917       42,947  
Camping World Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Supplemental Data
                             
    Three Months Ended September 30,   Increase     Percent
    2023   2022   (decrease)     Change
Unit sales                            
New vehicles     15,205       17,616       (2,411 )       (13.7 %)
Used vehicles     17,125       14,460       2,665         18.4 %
Total     32,330       32,076       254         0.8 %
                             
Average selling price                            
New vehicles   $ 44,670     $ 47,350     $ (2,680 )       (5.7 %)
Used vehicles     34,466       36,375       (1,909 )       (5.2 %)
                             
Same store unit sales(1)                            
New vehicles     13,483       17,166       (3,683 )       (21.5 %)
Used vehicles     15,599       14,072       1,527         10.9 %
Total     29,082       31,238       (2,156 )       (6.9 %)
                             
Same store revenue(1) ($ in 000s)                            
New vehicles   $ 602,014     $ 814,326     $ (212,312 )       (26.1 %)
Used vehicles     535,521       514,350       21,171         4.1 %
Products, service and other     180,071       207,032       (26,961 )       (13.0 %)
Finance and insurance, net     146,112       161,332       (15,220 )       (9.4 %)
Total   $ 1,463,718     $ 1,697,040     $ (233,322 )       (13.7 %)
                             
Average gross profit per unit                            
New vehicles   $ 6,756     $ 9,025     $ (2,269 )       (25.1 %)
Used vehicles     6,519       8,790       (2,271 )       (25.8 %)
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle unit     5,061       5,148       (87 )       (1.7 %)
Total vehicle front-end yield(2)     11,692       14,068       (2,376 )       (16.9 %)
                             
Gross margin                            
Good Sam Services and Plans     79.9 %     62.5 %     1,739   bps      
New vehicles     15.1 %     19.1 %     (394 ) bps      
Used vehicles     18.9 %     24.2 %     (525 ) bps      
Products, service and other     40.6 %     37.8 %     280   bps      
Finance and insurance, net     100.0 %     100.0 %     unch.   bps      
Good Sam Club     86.8 %     83.6 %     319   bps      
Subtotal RV and Outdoor Retail     28.8 %     31.1 %     (237 ) bps      
Total gross margin     30.2 %     32.0 %     (175 ) bps      
                             
RV and Outdoor Retail inventories ($ in 000s)                            
New vehicles   $ 1,131,575     $ 1,180,364     $ (48,789 )       (4.1 %)
Used vehicles     534,155       425,824       108,331         25.4 %
Products, parts, accessories and misc.     202,786       293,588       (90,802 )       (30.9 %)
Total RV and Outdoor Retail inventories   $ 1,868,516     $ 1,899,776     $ (31,260 )       (1.6 %)
                             
Vehicle inventory per location ($ in 000s)                            
New vehicle inventory per dealer location   $ 5,520     $ 6,415     $ (895 )       (14.0 %)
Used vehicle inventory per dealer location     2,606       2,314       291         12.6 %
                             
Vehicle inventory turnover(3)                            
New vehicle inventory turnover     1.8       2.0       (0.3 )       (12.9 %)
Used vehicle inventory turnover     3.0       3.5       (0.6 )       (16.2 %)
                             
Retail locations                            
RV dealerships     205       184       21         11.4 %
RV service & retail centers     4       8       (4 )       (50.0 %)
Subtotal     209       192       17         8.9 %
Other retail stores           1       (1 )       (100.0 %)
Total     209       193       16         8.3 %
                             
Other data                            
Active Customers(4)     5,111,478       5,366,558       (255,080 )       (4.8 %)
Good Sam Club members     2,051,768       2,038,826       12,942         0.6 %
Service bays (5)     2,800       2,639       161         6.1 %
Finance and insurance gross profit as a % of total vehicle revenue     12.9 %     12.1 %     75   bps     n/a  
Same store locations     175       n/a       n/a         n/a  

 

                             
    Nine Months Ended September 30,   Increase     Percent
    2023   2022   (decrease)     Change
Unit sales                            
New vehicles     48,014       60,040       (12,026 )       (20.0 %)
Used vehicles     47,331       40,991       6,340         15.5 %
Total     95,345       101,031       (5,686 )       (5.6 %)
                             
Average selling price                            
New vehicles   $ 44,297     $ 45,742     $ (1,445 )       (3.2 %)
Used vehicles     35,029       36,227       (1,198 )       (3.3 %)
                             
Same store unit sales(1)                            
New vehicles     43,989       58,831       (14,842 )       (25.2 %)
Used vehicles     43,916       40,280       3,636         9.0 %
Total     87,905       99,111       (11,206 )       (11.3 %)
                             
Same store revenue(1) ($ in 000s)                            
New vehicles   $ 1,949,145     $ 2,695,945     $ (746,800 )       (27.7 %)
Used vehicles     1,533,574       1,463,333       70,241         4.8 %
Products, service and other     519,211       576,843       (57,632 )       (10.0 %)
Finance and insurance, net     422,725       505,391       (82,666 )       (16.4 %)
Total   $ 4,424,655     $ 5,241,512     $ (816,857 )       (15.6 %)
                             
Average gross profit per unit                            
New vehicles   $ 6,570     $ 9,571     $ (3,001 )       (31.4 %)
Used vehicles     7,542       9,004       (1,462 )       (16.2 %)
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle unit     4,828       5,087       (259 )       (5.1 %)
Total vehicle front-end yield(2)     11,881       14,428       (2,547 )       (17.7 %)
                             
Gross margin                            
Good Sam Services and Plans     70.2 %     62.3 %     797   bps      
New vehicles     14.8 %     20.9 %     (609 ) bps      
Used vehicles     21.5 %     24.9 %     (332 ) bps      
Products, service and other     38.9 %     38.6 %     31   bps      
Finance and insurance, net     100.0 %     100.0 %     unch.   bps      
Good Sam Club     88.8 %     82.1 %     675   bps      
Subtotal RV and Outdoor Retail     28.8 %     32.1 %     (332 ) bps      
Total gross margin     30.0 %     32.9 %     (289 ) bps      
                             
Other data                            
Finance and insurance gross profit as a % of total vehicle revenue     12.2 %     12.1 %     2   bps     n/a  
Same store locations     175       n/a       n/a         n/a  
(1) Our same store revenue and units calculations for a given period include only those stores that were open both at the end of the corresponding period and at the beginning of the preceding fiscal year.
(2) Front end yield is calculated as gross profit from new vehicles, used vehicles and finance and insurance (net), divided by combined new and used vehicle unit sales.
(3) Inventory turnover is calculated as vehicle costs applicable to revenue over the last twelve months divided by the average quarterly ending vehicle inventory over the last twelve months.
(4) An Active Customer is a customer who has transacted with us in any of the eight most recently completed fiscal quarters prior to the date of measurement.
(5) A service bay is a fully-constructed bay dedicated to service, installation, and collision offerings.

 

Camping World Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)
(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)
                   
    September 30,   December 31,   September 30,
    2023   2022   2022
Assets                  
Current assets:                  
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 53,318     $ 130,131     $ 148,235  
Contracts in transit     100,831       50,349       87,487  
Accounts receivable, net     135,832       112,411       117,428  
Inventories     1,869,042       2,123,858       1,900,127  
Prepaid expenses and other assets     38,979       66,913       46,869  
Assets held for sale     4,635              
Total current assets     2,202,637       2,483,662       2,300,146  
                   
Property and equipment, net     841,548       758,281       728,208  
Operating lease assets     736,246       742,306       719,656  
Deferred tax assets, net     142,187       143,226       178,808  
Intangible assets, net     14,444       20,945       21,819  
Goodwill     688,139       622,423       533,217  
Other assets     32,058       29,304       29,532  
Total assets   $ 4,657,259     $ 4,800,147     $ 4,511,386  
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity                  
Current liabilities:                  
Accounts payable   $ 200,433     $ 127,691     $ 187,613  
Accrued liabilities     171,956       147,833       252,644  
Deferred revenues     99,813       95,695       101,917  
Current portion of operating lease liabilities     62,987       61,745       61,001  
Current portion of finance lease liabilities     5,563       10,244       10,397  
Current portion of Tax Receivable Agreement liability     13,999       10,873       11,686  
Current portion of long-term debt     23,257       25,229       15,827  
Notes payable – floor plan, net     1,017,543       1,319,941       899,568  
Other current liabilities     79,381       73,076       83,959  
Liabilities related to assets held for sale     4,022              
Total current liabilities     1,678,954       1,872,327       1,624,612  
                   
Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion     759,952       764,835       743,914  
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion     99,060       94,216       95,496  
Tax Receivable Agreement liability, net of current portion     149,134       159,743       159,790  
Revolving line of credit     20,885       20,885       20,885  
Long-term debt, net of current portion     1,522,495       1,484,416       1,368,380  
Deferred revenues     70,214       70,247       73,294  
Other long-term liabilities     85,710       85,792       87,517  
Total liabilities     4,386,404       4,552,461       4,173,888  
Commitments and contingencies                  
Stockholders’ equity:                  
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share – 20,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding                  
Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share – 250,000 shares authorized; 49,571, 47,571, and 47,855 shares issued, respectively; 44,780, 42,441, and 42,129 shares outstanding, respectively     496       476       476  
Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share – 75,000 shares authorized; 39,466, 41,466, and 69,066 shares issued, respectively; 39,466, 41,466, and 41,466 shares outstanding, respectively     4       4       4  
Class C common stock, par value $0.0001 per share – 0.001 share authorized, issued and outstanding                  
Additional paid-in capital     108,942       106,051       117,151  
Treasury stock, at cost; 4,791, 5,130, and 5,442 shares, respectively     (167,847 )     (179,732 )     (190,658 )
Retained earnings     207,657       221,031       280,772  
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc.     149,252       147,830       207,745  
Non-controlling interests     121,603       99,856       129,753  
Total stockholders’ equity     270,855       247,686       337,498  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 4,657,259     $ 4,800,147     $ 4,511,386  
Camping World Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Summary of Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)
(In Thousands)
             
    Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2023   2022
             
Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 543,273     $ 523,919  
             
Investing activities            
Purchases of property and equipment     (95,641 )     (118,445 )
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment     2,723       1,105  
Purchases of real property     (64,302 )     (41,696 )
Proceeds from the sale of real property     35,603       6,809  
Purchases of businesses, net of cash acquired     (150,475 )     (83,227 )
Purchases of and loans to other investments     (3,444 )     (3,000 )
Purchases of intangible assets     (1,999 )     (851 )
Net cash used in investing activities     (277,535 )     (239,305 )
             
Financing activities            
Proceeds from long-term debt     59,227        
Payments on long-term debt     (26,556 )     (11,869 )
Net payments on notes payable – floor plan, net     (273,478 )     (99,802 )
Proceeds from landlord funded construction on finance leases           6,028  
Payments on finance leases     (4,160 )     (4,541 )
Proceeds from sale-leaseback arrangement           27,951  
Payments on sale-leaseback arrangement     (139 )     (87 )
Payment of debt issuance costs     (881 )      
Dividends on Class A common stock     (61,207 )     (78,866 )
Proceeds from exercise of stock options     319       317  
RSU shares withheld for tax     (4,083 )     (6,474 )
Repurchases of Class A common stock to treasury stock           (79,757 )
Distributions to holders of LLC common units     (31,593 )     (156,611 )
Net cash used in financing activities     (342,551 )     (403,711 )
             
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents     (76,813 )     (119,097 )
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period     130,131       267,332  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period   $ 53,318     $ 148,235  

Comparison of Certain Trends to Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Periods

Beginning in the first quarter of 2021 and continuing through the first quarter of 2023, the Company experienced sequential decreases in new vehicle gross margin, primarily due to the higher cost of new vehicles resulting from the lower industry supply of travel trailers and motorhomes for much of 2021. Additionally, new and used vehicle gross margins have declined for each of the first three quarters of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022. However, third quarter 2023 new vehicle gross margins were slightly higher than a similar range that the Company experienced in the third quarter pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods of 2016 to 2019, which we believe are more typical demand environments than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the third quarter of 2023, as the procurement prices of model year 2024 new vehicles declined compared to model years 2022 and 2023, the Company actively discounted certain used vehicles to reduce inventory levels of aged used vehicles. This discounting had a negative impact on used vehicle gross margins during the third quarter of 2023.

Additionally, the percentage of total unit sales relating to used vehicles was significantly higher in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods of 2016 to 2019. The Company is continuing to execute on its used vehicle strategy, which differentiates it from the competition with proprietary tools, such as the RV Valuator, a focus on the development and retention of its service technician team, and investment in its service bay infrastructure.

The following table presents vehicle gross margin and unit sales mix for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods for the three months ended September 30, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 (unaudited):

                     
    Three Months Ended September 30,
    2023   2019(1)   2018(1)   2017(1)   2016(1)
Gross margin:                    
New vehicles   15.1%   12.0%   12.6%   14.3%   13.9%
Used vehicles   18.9%   21.1%   22.9%   25.3%   23.0%
                     
Unit sales mix:                    
New vehicles   47.0%   64.9%   69.0%   69.1%   64.2%
Used vehicles   53.0%   35.1%   31.0%   30.9%   35.8%
                     
(1) These periods were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share of Class A common stock is computed by dividing net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. by the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock is computed by dividing net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. by the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding adjusted to give effect to potentially dilutive securities.

The following table sets forth reconciliations of the numerators and denominators used to compute basic and diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock (unaudited):

                         
    Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands except per share amounts)   2023   2022   2023   2022
Numerator:                        
Net income   $ 30,893     $ 102,948     $ 100,519     $ 408,232  
Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interests     (14,932 )     (61,822 )     (52,686 )     (238,065 )
Net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. — basic   $ 15,961     $ 41,126       47,833       170,167  
Add: reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the assumed dilutive effect of stock options and RSUs           281             1,019  
Add: reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the assumed redemption of common units of CWGS, LLC for Class A common stock     11,468             40,037        
Net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. — diluted   $ 27,429     $ 41,407     $ 87,870     $ 171,186  
Denominator:                        
Weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding — basic     44,666       41,985       44,538       42,419  
Dilutive options to purchase Class A common stock     35       53       26       62  
Dilutive restricted stock units     434       467       308       466  
Dilutive common units of CWGS, LLC that are convertible into Class A common stock     40,045             40,045        
Weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding — diluted     85,180       42,505       84,917       42,947  
                         
Earnings per share of Class A common stock — basic   $ 0.36     $ 0.98     $ 1.07     $ 4.01  
Earnings per share of Class A common stock — diluted   $ 0.32     $ 0.97     $ 1.03     $ 3.99  
                         
Weighted-average anti-dilutive securities excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock:                        
Restricted stock units     852       1,396       1,353       2,094  
Common units of CWGS, LLC that are convertible into Class A common stock           42,045             42,045  

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), we use the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, trailing twelve-month (“TTM”) Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic, Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Diluted, Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Basic, and Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Diluted (collectively the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”). We believe that these Non-GAAP Financial Measures, when used in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, provide useful information about operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to the key metrics we use in our financial and operational decision making. These Non-GAAP Financial Measures are also frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in the Company’s industry and are used by management to evaluate our operating performance, to evaluate the effectiveness of strategic initiatives and for planning purposes. By providing these Non-GAAP Financial Measures, together with reconciliations, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. In addition, our Senior Secured Credit Facilities use Adjusted EBITDA, as calculated for our subsidiary CWGS Group, LLC, to measure our compliance with covenants such as the consolidated leverage ratio. The Non-GAAP Financial Measures have limitations as analytical tools, and the presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. They should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by any items adjusted for in these Non-GAAP Financial Measures. In evaluating these Non-GAAP Financial Measures, it is reasonable to expect that certain of these items will occur in future periods. However, we believe these adjustments are appropriate because the amounts recognized can vary significantly from period to period, do not directly relate to the ongoing operations of our business and complicate comparisons of our internal operating results and operating results of other companies over time. Each of the normal recurring adjustments and other adjustments described in this section and in the reconciliation tables below help management with a measure of our core operating performance over time by removing items that are not related to day-to-day operations.

For periods beginning after December 31, 2022, we are no longer including the other associated costs category of expenses relating to the 2019 Strategic Shift as restructuring costs for purposes of our Non-GAAP Financial Measures, since these costs are not expected to be significant in future periods.

The Non-GAAP Financial Measures that we use are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies due to different methods of calculation.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

We define “EBITDA” as net income before other interest expense, net (excluding floor plan interest expense), provision for income tax expense and depreciation and amortization. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA further adjusted for the impact of certain noncash and other items that we do not consider in our evaluation of ongoing operating performance. These items include, among other things, long-lived asset impairment, lease termination costs, gains and losses on sale or disposal of assets, net, equity-based compensation, Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment, restructuring costs related to the Active Sports Restructuring and the 2019 Strategic Shift, (gain) loss and impairment on investments in equity securities, and other unusual or one-time items. We define “Adjusted EBITDA Margin” as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue. We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors, because not all companies and analysts calculate EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin in the same manner. We present EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin because we consider them to be important supplemental measures of our performance and believe they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. Management believes that investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these Non-GAAP Financial Measures as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations.

The following table reconciles EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, and TTM Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP financial performance measures (unaudited):

                       
  Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2023   2022   2023   2022
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:                      
Net income $ 30,893     $ 102,948     $ 100,519     $ 408,232  
Other interest expense, net   35,242       20,526       99,873       49,762  
Depreciation and amortization   17,619       18,207       49,462       61,369  
Income tax expense   3,679       22,397       17,533       75,808  
Subtotal EBITDA   87,433       164,078       267,387       595,171  
Long-lived asset impairment (a)   1,747       887       9,269       3,505  
Lease termination (b)   375             375       1,122  
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets, net (c)   131       (40 )     (5,001 )     390  
Equity-based compensation (d)   5,466       6,792       18,316       27,434  
Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment (e)   (1,680 )           (1,680 )      
Restructuring costs (f)   1,549       1,671       4,808       5,548  
(Gain) loss and impairment on investments in equity securities (g)   (23 )           1,660        
Adjusted EBITDA $ 94,998     $ 173,388     $ 295,134     $ 633,170  
                       
                       
  Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,
(as percentage of total revenue) 2023   2022   2023   2022
Adjusted EBITDA margin:                      
Net income margin   1.8 %     5.5 %     2.0 %     7.2 %
Other interest expense, net   2.0 %     1.1 %     2.0 %     0.9 %
Depreciation and amortization   1.0 %     1.0 %     1.0 %     1.1 %
Income tax expense   0.2 %     1.2 %     0.3 %     1.3 %
Subtotal EBITDA margin   5.1 %     8.8 %     5.2 %     10.5 %
Long-lived asset impairment (a)   0.1 %     0.0 %     0.2 %     0.1 %
Lease termination (b)   0.0 %           0.0 %     0.0 %
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets, net (c)   0.0 %     (0.0 %)     (0.1 %)     0.0 %
Equity-based compensation (d)   0.3 %     0.4 %     0.4 %     0.5 %
Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment (e)   (0.1 %)           (0.0 %)      
Restructuring costs (f)   0.1 %     0.1 %     0.1 %     0.1 %
(Gain) loss and impairment on investments in equity securities (g)   (0.0 %)           0.0 %      
Adjusted EBITDA margin   5.5 %     9.3 %     5.8 %     11.1 %

 

                             
  Three Months Ended   TTM Ended
  September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
($ in thousands) 2023   2023   2023   2022   2023
Adjusted EBITDA:                            
Net income (loss) $ 30,893     $ 64,723     $ 4,903     $ (57,201 )   $ 43,318  
Other interest expense, net   35,242       33,518       31,113       25,983       125,856  
Depreciation and amortization   17,619       17,206       14,637       18,935       68,397  
Income tax expense   3,679       13,581       273       23,276       40,809  
Subtotal EBITDA   87,433       129,028       50,926       10,993       278,380  
Long-lived asset impairment (a)   1,747       477       7,045       726       9,995  
Lease termination (b)   375                   492       867  
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets, net (c)   131       (145 )     (4,987 )     232       (4,769 )
Equity-based compensation (d)   5,466       6,492       6,358       6,413       24,729  
Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment (e)   (1,680 )                 (114 )     (1,794 )
Restructuring costs (f)   1,549       3,259             1,478       6,286  
(Gain) loss and impairment on investments in equity securities (g)   (23 )     184       1,499             1,660  
Adjusted EBITDA $ 94,998     $ 139,295     $ 60,841     $ 20,220     $ 315,354  
(a) Represents long-lived asset impairment charges related to the RV and Outdoor Retail segment.
(b) Represents the loss on the termination of operating leases resulting from lease termination fees and the derecognition of the operating lease assets and liabilities.
(c) Represents an adjustment to eliminate the gains and losses on disposals and sales of various assets.
(d) Represents non-cash equity-based compensation expense relating to employees, directors, and consultants of the Company.
(e) Represents an adjustment to eliminate the gains on remeasurement of the Tax Receivable Agreement primarily due to changes in the Company’s blended statutory income tax rate.
(f) Represents restructuring costs relating to the Active Sports Restructuring during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and the 2019 Strategic Shift for periods ended on or before December 31, 2022. These restructuring costs include one-time termination benefits, incremental inventory reserve charges, and other associated costs. These costs exclude lease termination costs, which are presented separately above.
(g) Represents gain and loss and impairment on investments in equity securities and interest income relating to any notes receivables with those investments for periods beginning after December 31, 2022. Amounts relating to periods prior to 2023 were not significant. These amounts are included in other expense, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, this amount included a $1.3 million impairment on an equity method investment.

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. and Adjusted Earnings Per Share

We define “Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic” as net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in our evaluation of ongoing operating performance. These items include, among other things, long-lived asset impairment, lease termination costs, gains and losses on sale or disposal of assets, net, equity-based compensation, Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment, restructuring costs related to the Active Sports Restructuring and the 2019 Strategic Shift, loss and impairment on investments in equity securities, other unusual or one-time items, the income tax expense effect of these adjustments, and the effect of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from these adjustments.

We define “Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Diluted” as Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic adjusted for the reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from stock options and restricted stock units, if dilutive, or the assumed redemption, if dilutive, of all outstanding common units in CWGS, LLC for shares of newly-issued Class A common stock of Camping World Holdings, Inc.

We define “Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Basic” as Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic divided by the weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding. We define “Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Diluted” as Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Diluted divided by the weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding, assuming (i) the redemption of all outstanding common units in CWGS, LLC for newly-issued shares of Class A common stock of Camping World Holdings, Inc., if dilutive, and (ii) the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units, if any. We present Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic, Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Diluted, Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Basic, and Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Diluted because we consider them to be important supplemental measures of our performance and we believe that investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these Non-GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations.

The following table reconciles Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Basic, Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – Diluted, Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Basic, and Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Diluted to the most directly comparable GAAP financial performance measure:

                         
    Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
    September 30,   September 30,
(In thousands except per share amounts)   2023   2022   2023   2022
Numerator:                        
Net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc.   $ 15,961     $ 41,126     $ 47,833     $ 170,167  
Adjustments related to basic calculation:                        
Long-lived asset impairment (a):                        
Gross adjustment     1,747       887       9,269       3,505  
Income tax expense for above adjustment (b)     (231 )           (1,233 )     (99 )
Lease termination (c):                        
Gross adjustment     375             375       1,122  
Income tax expense for above adjustment (b)     (50 )           (50 )      
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets (d):                        
Gross adjustment     131       (40 )     (5,001 )     390  
Income tax (expense) benefit for above adjustment (b)     (17 )     (12 )     667       (15 )
Equity-based compensation (e):                        
Gross adjustment     5,466       6,792       18,316       27,434  
Income tax expense for above adjustment (b)     (730 )     (792 )     (2,459 )     (3,080 )
Tax Receivable Agreement liability adjustment (f):                        
Gross adjustment     (1,680 )           (1,680 )      
Income tax benefit for above adjustment (b)     422             422        
Restructuring costs (g):                        
Gross adjustment     1,549       1,671       4,808       5,548  
Income tax expense for above adjustment (b)     (205 )           (639 )      
(Gain) loss and impairment on investments in equity securities (h):                        
Gross adjustment     (23 )           1,660        
Income tax benefit (expense) for above adjustment (b)     3             (222 )      
Adjustment to net income attributable to non-controlling interests resulting from the above adjustments (i)     (4,364 )     (4,642 )     (13,907 )     (18,866 )
Adjusted net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – basic     18,354       44,990       58,159       186,106  
Adjustments related to diluted calculation:                        
Reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units (j)           409             1,519  
Income tax on reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units (k)           (104 )           (404 )
Reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the dilutive redemption of common units in CWGS, LLC (j)     19,296             66,593        
Income tax on reallocation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests from the dilutive redemption of common units in CWGS, LLC (k)     (4,554 )           (16,140 )      
Adjusted net income attributable to Camping World Holdings, Inc. – diluted