For the nine months ended September 30, wholesale selling and administrative expenses were $40.4 million, or 38% of net sales, in 2020, compared to $44.0 million, or 25% of net sales, in 2019. Year-to-date 2020 expenses included the write-off of $4.4 million in receivables due to two bankruptcies of large customers (JCP and TB) filed during the pandemic, $1.9 million in employee costs related to restructuring and temporary closures, and $0.2 million in other related charges, partially offset by $1.6 million of income from U.S. and Canada government wage subsidies. Additionally, the Company adjusted its advertising spending, which reduced year-to-date selling and administrative expenses by $2.9 million, as compared to the first nine months of 2019.
The wholesale segment’s earnings from operations totaled $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to earnings from operations of $9.5 million in last year’s third quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the wholesale segment had operating losses totaling $4.7 million, down from operating earnings of $16.9 million in the same period of 2019. The decrease for the quarter and year-to-date periods was primarily due to lower sales volumes and higher selling and administrative costs relative to sales, which included the charges taken in the third quarter and to date in 2020, as detailed above.
The Company’s cost of sales does not include distribution costs (e.g., receiving, inspection warehousing, shipping, and handling costs). Wholesale distribution costs were $2.6 million for the third quarter of 2020 and $3.1 million for the third quarter 2019. For the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, wholesale distribution costs were $8.3 million and $9.2 million, respectively. These costs were included in selling and administrative expenses. The Company’s gross earnings may not be comparable to other companies, as some companies may include distribution costs in cost of sales.
North American Retail Segment
Net Sales
Net sales in the Company’s retail segment were $4.4 million in the third quarter of 2020, down 15% compared to $5.2 million in the third quarter of 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, retail net sales declined 21% to $12.8 million in 2020, from $16.1 million in 2019. These decreases in sales were partly due to the permanent closure of three unprofitable retail stores in the third quarter of 2020. Same store sales, which include U.S. e-commerce sales, were down 6% and 14% for the quarter and year-to-date periods, respectively, compared to the same periods one year ago. While U.S. e-commerce sales were up 16% and 4% for the quarter and year-to-date periods, respectively, these increases were more than offset by lower brick-and-mortar same store sales, primarily due to temporary closures and reduced foot traffic as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Earnings (Loss) from Operations
Retail gross earnings were 63.6% of net sales in the third quarter of 2020, compared to 64.9% of net sales in last year’s third quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, retail gross earnings were 63.5% of net sales in 2020, and 65.0% of net sales in 2019.
Selling and administrative expenses for the retail segment include, and are primarily related to, rent and occupancy costs, employee costs, advertising expense and freight. Retail selling and administrative expenses were $5.6 million, or 128% of net sales, in the third quarter of 2020, compared to $3.0 million, or 58% of net sales, in the third quarter 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, retail selling and administrative expenses were $11.9 million, or 93% of net sales, in 2020, up from $9.2 million, or 57% of net sales, in 2019. Third quarter and year-to-date 2020 expenses included $1.5 million in early lease termination charges, $1.0 million for the impairment of retail store fixed assets, and $0.1 million in employee costs related to restructuring and temporary closures.
The retail segment had operating losses totaling $2.8 million for the quarter, down from operating earnings of $365,000 in last year’s third quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, retail loss from operations totaled $3.7 million in 2020, down from earnings from operations of $1.2 million in 2019. The decreases for the quarter and first nine months of 2020 were due to lower sales as a result of the pandemic and higher selling and administrative expenses.
Other
The Company’s other businesses include its wholesale and retail operations of Florsheim Australia and Florsheim Europe. Net sales of the Company’s other businesses were $4.8 million in the third quarter of 2020, down 50% compared to $9.5 million in last year’s third quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, other net sales were $14.6 million, down 47% from $27.6 million in the same period last year. The decreases in 2020 were due to lower net sales at both Florsheim Australia and Florsheim Europe, resulting from retail shutdowns and stay-at-home orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.