RGS

• Financial Foundation: Fiscal 2026 saw consolidated revenue of $224.5 million and adjusted EBITDA of $32.8 million. Unrestricted cash from operations more than doubled to $13.5 million, marking seven consecutive quarters of positive cash flow.
• Strategic Priorities: Management outlined three core priorities for fiscal 2027: strengthen brands (specifically Supercuts), drive growth through traffic via marketing and digital initiatives, and improve salon portfolio health while mitigating closures.
• Supercuts Transformation: This brand is central to growth, delivering 3% same-store sales growth for the full year. Initiatives include a new brand campaign, modernizing the digital experience (loyalty program, online scheduling pilot), and enhancing operational excellence through dedicated training leadership.
• Company-Owned Salons: These salons achieved 4% same-store sales growth, driven by pricing. Management is focusing on improving labor productivity, guest experience, and using these locations as test beds for remodels and marketing strategies like 'second visit' campaigns.
• SmartStyle Strategy: As the second-largest brand, SmartStyle is undergoing a fundamental review to better serve its core Walmart demographic. Plans include optimizing hours, staffing, and introducing express service options.
• Franchise Portfolio Health: The system ended FY2026 with 207 closures and 8 openings, netting -199 units. Closures were predominantly low-volume salons (avg AUV ~$136k). Management believes the remaining base is stronger and expects FY2027 closures to be similar to FY2026 levels.

• Closures: Management expects fiscal 2027 franchise closures to be materially similar to fiscal 2026 levels (~200 closures), though they anticipate fewer closures in company-owned locations.
• Refinancing: The Board and management are actively exploring refinancing alternatives to lower the cost of debt and create shareholder value. No specific timeline or terms have been set; they will proceed when terms offer meaningful value.
• Expense Discipline: Total G&A expense declined in FY2026, and management expects to maintain this discipline in FY2027, despite reallocating certain costs to the company-owned salon segment.

The transcript does not provide a breakdown of revenue contribution percentages by specific product segment. However, it details the adjusted EBITDA performance for the two primary operational segments in the fourth quarter: The Franchise Segment reported adjusted EBITDA of $6.4 million, a decrease of $1.3 million year-over-year, driven by lower royalties and fees due to a decline in salon count. The Company-Owned Salon Segment reported adjusted EBITDA of $2.8 million, an improvement of $800,000 year-over-year, primarily due to decreased rent and salon expenses from closing unprofitable locations.

• Franchise Decline: Continued reduction in franchise salon count negatively impacts royalty and fee revenue, although the closure of lower-volume stores has mitigated the impact on average unit volume.
• Traffic Dependency: While pricing drove recent sales growth, management explicitly identified traffic as a key opportunity and risk area that requires sustained marketing and operational improvements to convert into sustainable growth.
• Lease Costs: Renewal leases continue to see inflationary increases rather than decreases, posing ongoing cost pressures despite some lease liabilities being transferred to franchisees.
• Debt Refinancing Uncertainty: The outcome of the refinancing process is uncertain, and failure to secure favorable terms could impact financial flexibility.

Q: Analyst Ryan Myers asked about the drivers of Supercuts' positive same-store sales growth, specifically whether it was driven by pricing or traffic, and sought updates on broader traffic trends across the portfolio.

A: CEO Susan Lintonsmith clarified that Supercuts growth was primarily driven by an increase in average ticket price rather than traffic volume. However, she noted that traffic did improve slightly, declining only marginally compared to prior periods. For the broader portfolio, management acknowledged that traffic remains a significant opportunity and is a key focus for future growth initiatives, aiming to shift reliance from pricing to actual guest volume.