Stamford Advocate

RECORD RESULTS

- By Paul Schott

As people stayed home and redecorate­d during the pandemic, the furniture industry boomed, and Stamford-based Lovesac has been one of the biggest beneficiar­ies.

STAMFORD — A year ago, furniture maker Lovesac had temporaril­y closed its showrooms and announced it would cut most of its workforce in response to the onset of the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Since then, its prospects have improved dramatical­ly as it has benefited from a boom in furniture sales driven by the increased time millions of Americans are spending at home during the pandemic. The Stamford-based company has re-opened its stores and filled many of the positions affected by the downsizing, as it has markedly grown its customer base.

Highlighti­ng its comeback, Lovesac reported Wednesday company-record financial results for its past quarter and fiscal year. Reflecting a surge during the past holiday season, it recorded sales of about $130 million for the quarter ending Jan. 31, up 41 percent year over year. For its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, its sales reached nearly $321 million.

“Despite the challengin­g backdrop, fiscal 2021 was a landmark year for Lovesac,” Shawn Nelson, Lovesac founder and CEO, said in an earnings call with investment analysts. “We could not have achieved this without the grit and determinat­ion of our team. The COVID pandemic illustrate­d even more clearly the strength of our people, brand, business model and operating platform.”

For its past fiscal year, it recorded a profit of nearly $15 million, compared with a loss of about $15 million in its previous fiscal year.

The company was “perhaps more profitable than we would have intended in our long-term plans,” Nelson said. “We intend to continue to growth the business profitably. However, many investment­s in infrastruc­ture and headcount were put off and will be made in fiscal year 2022 to support our outlook for long-term growth.”

Driving the growth, Lovesac’s quarterly internet sales jumped 86

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 ?? Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticu­t Media ?? The Lovesac store in downtown Westport.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticu­t Media The Lovesac store in downtown Westport.

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