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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): June 5, 2023

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
Delaware
 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

0-23071 31-1241495
(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)
   
500 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(201) 558-2400
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
 
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12-b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Title of each class

 

Trading

Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.10 par value PLCE NASDAQ Global Select Market

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.01Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

As previously disclosed, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries are party to an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of May 9, 2019 (as amended from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), with the lenders party thereto.

 

On June 5, 2023, the Company announced that the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a joinder and fifth amendment to its Credit Agreement with the lenders party thereto (the “Fifth Amendment”), which, among other things, (i) added PNC Bank, National Association as a new lender, (ii) increased the aggregate commitments under the Credit Agreement from $350 million to $445 million, (iii) replaced the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as the interest rate benchmark with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) interest rate benchmark, and (iv) updated the pricing grid for applicable margins on borrowings. All other material terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement remain unchanged.

 

Pursuant to the Fifth Amendment, revolving credit borrowings under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at SOFR plus 2.00% or 2.25% per annum, based on the amount of the Company’s average daily excess availability under the facility. In the event the Company achieves a consolidated EBITDA of at least $200,000,000 across four consecutive fiscal quarters, revolving credit borrowings under the Credit Agreement will instead bear interest at SOFR plus 1.375% or 1.625% per annum, based on the amount of the Company’s average daily excess availability under the facility. As a SOFR loan, the term loan under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at SOFR plus 2.75% per annum.

 

The description of the Fifth Amendment set forth herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text thereof, a copy of which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Quartely Report on 10-Q for the quarter ended April 29, 2023. A copy of the press release is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Item 9.01Financial Statement and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits    
       
  Exhibit 99.1   Press Release, dated June 5, 2023, issued by the Company (Exhibit 99.1 is furnished as part of this Current Report on Form 8-K).
       
  Exhibit 104   Cover Page Interactive Data File – the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

 

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Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, contains or may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and results of operations, including adjusted net income (loss) per diluted share. Forward-looking statements typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2023. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by changes in economic conditions (including inflation), the risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business or the economy in general, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk of delays, interruptions, disruptions and higher costs in the Company’s global supply chain, including resulting from COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks, foreign sources of supply in less developed countries, more politically unstable countries, or countries where vendors fail to comply with industry standards or ethical business practices, including the use of forced, indentured or child labor, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, various types of litigation, including class action litigations brought under consumer protection, employment, and privacy and information security laws and regulations, the imposition of regulations affecting the importation of foreign-produced merchandise, including duties and tariffs, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: June 5, 2023

 
  THE CHILDREN’S PLACE, INC.

 

  By: /s/ Jane Elfers
  Name: Jane Elfers
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

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Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE ANNOUNCES THE

EXPANSION OF ITS REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITY

FROM $350 MILLION TO $445 MILLION

 

Secaucus, New Jersey – June 5, 2023 – The Children’s Place, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced the expansion of its revolving credit facility from $350 million to $445 million. The fifth amendment to the Company’s credit agreement also replaces LIBOR as the interest rate benchmark with the SOFR interest rate benchmark, and updates the interest rates to reflect current market terms.

 

Sheamus Toal, Chief Financial Officer, said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome PNC Bank as a new joint lead arranger, who is committing an additional $95 million toward our revolving credit facility and we are grateful for the support provided by our current banking group. This additional credit availability will significantly strengthen our financial position while also supporting our seasonal working capital needs and investments in the Company’s future growth.”

 

Under the amended credit agreement, revolving credit borrowings will bear interest at SOFR plus 2.00% or 2.25% per annum, based on the amount of the Company’s average daily excess availability. These rates are subject to downward adjustment in the event that the Company achieves a certain level of EBITDA and based on the amount of the Company’s average daily excess availability. As a SOFR loan, the term loan under the amended credit agreement will bear interest at SOFR plus 2.75% per annum.

 

Additional information about the fifth amendment to the Company’s credit agreement is contained in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2023.

 

About The Children’s Place

The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells at retail and wholesale, and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise predominantly at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place”, “Place”, “Baby Place”, “Gymboree”, “Sugar & Jade” and “PJ Place” brand names. The Company has online stores at www.childrensplace.com, www.gymboree.com, www.sugarandjade.com and www.pjplace.com and, as of April 29, 2023, the Company had 599 stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico and the Company’s five international franchise partners had 212 international points of distribution in 15 countries. 

 

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements relating to the Company’s strategic initiatives and results of operations, including adjusted net income (loss) per diluted share. Forward-looking statements typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2023. Included among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially are the risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and changing consumer preferences, the risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending patterns, which may be affected by changes in economic conditions (including inflation), the risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business or the economy in general, the risk that the Company’s strategic initiatives to increase sales and margin are delayed or do not result in anticipated improvements, the risk of delays, interruptions, disruptions and higher costs in the Company’s global supply chain, including resulting from COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks, foreign sources of supply in less developed countries, more politically unstable countries, or countries where vendors fail to comply with industry standards or ethical business practices, including the use of forced, indentured or child labor, the risk that the cost of raw materials or energy prices will increase beyond current expectations or that the Company is unable to offset cost increases through value engineering or price increases, various types of litigation, including class action litigations brought under consumer protection, employment, and privacy and information security laws and regulations, the imposition of regulations affecting the importation of foreign-produced merchandise, including duties and tariffs, and the uncertainty of weather patterns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

Contact:  Investor Relations (201) 558-2400 ext. 14500