1
 
   
   AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 10, 1998
    
                                                      REGISTRATION NO. 333-51517
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549
                            ------------------------
 
   
                                AMENDMENT NO. 2
    
                                       TO
 
                                    FORM S-1
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                            ------------------------
 
                                KIRKLAND'S, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
 

                                                                   
             TENNESSEE                              5990                             62-1287151
  (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF       (PRIMARY STANDARD INDUSTRIAL              (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
  INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)         CLASSIFICATION CODE NUMBER)           IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

 
                       805 N. PARKWAY, JACKSON, TN 38305
                                 (901) 668-2444
              (ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER,
       INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF REGISTRANT'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
 
                               ROBERT E. ALDERSON
                     PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
                                 805 N. PARKWAY
                               JACKSON, TN 38305
                                 (901) 668-2444
           (NAME, ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER,
                   INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)
                            ------------------------
 
                                WITH COPIES TO:
 

                                                   
               BARRY M. ABELSON, ESQ.                                 THOMAS R. BROME, ESQ.
               ROBERT A. FRIEDEL, ESQ.                               CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE
                 PEPPER HAMILTON LLP                                    825 EIGHTH AVENUE
                3000 TWO LOGAN SQUARE                                     NEW YORK, NY
               PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103                                    (212) 474-1000
                   (215) 981-4000

 
                            ------------------------
 
     APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:  As soon
as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
 
     If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on
a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, check the following box.  [ ]
 
     If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering.  [ ]
 
     If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering.  [ ]
 
     If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering.  [ ]
 
     If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box.  [ ]
 
     THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL
FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SECTION 8(a), MAY
DETERMINE.
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2
 
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD NOR MAY
OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES
EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES
IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR
TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.
 
   
                 Subject to Completion, Dated November 10, 1998
    
PROSPECTUS
 
                                                 SHARES
 
                                KIRKLAND'S, INC.
                                  COMMON STOCK
                          ---------------------------
     All of the shares of common stock, no par value (the "Common Stock"), of
Kirkland's, Inc. ("Kirkland's" or the "Company") offered hereby (the "Offering")
are being sold by the Company, except for any shares sold pursuant to the
Underwriters' over-allotment option which will be sold by certain shareholders
of the Company (the "Option Shareholders"). Prior to the Offering, there has
been no public market for the Common Stock. It is currently estimated that the
initial public offering price will be between $          and $          per
share. See "Underwriting" for a list of the factors to be considered in
determining the initial public offering price. At the request of the Company,
the Underwriters have reserved up to 7% of the shares of Common Stock offered
hereby for sale at the initial public offering price to employees of the Company
and other persons associated with the Company. Approximately $18.0 million of
the net proceeds of the Offering will be used to redeem shares of Series C
Preferred Stock held by affiliates of the Company, including Carl Kirkland, the
Company's Chief Executive Officer, Robert E. Alderson, the Company's President,
and Kirkland Holdings LLC, one of the Company's principal shareholders.
 
     The Company has applied to have the Common Stock approved for quotation on
the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "KIRK."
                          ---------------------------
   
    THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OFFERED HEREBY INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK.
                    SEE "RISK FACTORS" BEGINNING ON PAGE 10.
                          ---------------------------
    
  THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
 EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
   AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
                               CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
 


- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                          UNDERWRITING
                                                   PRICE TO              DISCOUNTS AND             PROCEEDS TO
                                                    PUBLIC               COMMISSIONS(1)             COMPANY(2)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    
Per Share.................................             $                       $                        $
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total(3)..................................             $                       $                        $
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
(1) The Company, each of its operating subsidiaries and the Option Shareholders
    have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities,
    including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
    "Securities Act"). See "Underwriting."
 
(2) Before deducting expenses of the Offering payable by the Company, estimated
    at $750,000. The Option Shareholders will not be required to pay any of
    these expenses.
 
(3) The Option Shareholders have granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to
    purchase up to        additional shares of Common Stock solely to cover
    over-allotments, if any. If such option were exercised in full, the total
    Price to Public and Underwriting Discounts and Commissions would be
    $          and $          , respectively, and the Option Shareholders would
    receive $          . No proceeds from the sale of shares pursuant to an
    exercise of the over-allotment option will be received by the Company. See
    "Underwriting."
                          ---------------------------
     The shares of Common Stock offered by this Prospectus are offered by the
Underwriters, subject to prior sale, withdrawal, cancellation or modification of
the offer without notice, to delivery to and acceptance by the Underwriters and
to certain further conditions. It is expected that delivery of certificates
representing the shares of Common Stock will be made at the offices of Lehman
Brothers Inc., New York, New York, on or about               , 1998.
                          ---------------------------
LEHMAN BROTHERS
                      THE ROBINSON-HUMPHREY COMPANY
                                             BANCAMERICA ROBERTSON STEPHENS
                                                   MORGAN KEEGAN & COMPANY, INC.
              , 1998.
   3
 
   
     The Company currently operates 195 permanent stores in 27 states under
either the Kirkland's or Briar Patch name. The Company operates ten temporary
stores in selected markets. The Company's existing stores are located in middle
markets such as Little Rock, Arkansas; Birmingham, Alabama; and Tulsa, Oklahoma
as well as in metropolitan markets such as Atlanta, Dallas and Houston and small
markets such as Paducah, Kentucky; Florence, Alabama; and Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. The following map and store list show the number of permanent
stores that Kirkland's operates in each state and the cities in which the
Company's stores are located.
    
 
   
[In the printed version, a gatefold is included which contains a map indicating
the cities where Kirkland's and Briar Patch stores are located and a group of
photographs depicting various merchandise displays together with the Company's
logo.]
    
 
   

                                                                   
ALABAMA-12        GEORGIA-17       KENTUCKY-6      MISSOURI-4     OHIO-10         TEXAS-22
Auburn            Albany           Bowling Green   St. Louis(2)   Akron           Houston(7)
Birmingham(2)     Athens           Louisville(2)   Springfield    Dayton          Dallas(5)
Decatur           Atlanta(6)       Lexington       Joplin         Cincinnati(3)   Corpus
Gadsden           Augusta          Florence                       Canton          Christi
Huntsville        Columbus         Paducah         NEBRASKA-1     Cleveland       Austin(3)
Montgomery        Macon(2)                         Lincoln        Dublin          Lubbock
Mobile            Rome             LOUISIANA-11                   Youngstown(2)   Amarillo
Dothan            Savannah(3)      Monroe          NEW MEXICO-2                   El Paso
Florence          Valdosta         Baton Rouge(2)  Albuquerque(2) OKLAHOMA-2      Midland
Prattville                         New Orleans(2)                 Tulsa           San Antonio
Tuscaloosa        ILLINOIS-6       Kenner          NEW YORK-1     Oklahoma City   Waco
                  Chicago(4)       Lafayette       West Nyack
ARKANSAS-3        Moline           Lake Charles                   PENNSYLVANIA-3  VIRGINIA-9
Little Rock(2)    St. Louis        Shreveport      NORTH          Altoona         Charlottesville
Fayetteville                       Slidell         CAROLINA-12    Lancaster       Roanoke
                  IOWA-4           Houma           Charlotte(2)   Erie            Richmond(3)
FLORIDA-26        Davenport                        Durham                         Lynchburg
Altamonte         Cedar Rapids     MARYLAND-2      Greensboro     SOUTH           Chesapeake
  Springs         Des Moines       Baltimore       Hickory        CAROLINA-10     Newport
Clearwater        Iowa City        Waldorf         Fayetteville   Anderson        News
Coral Springs                                      Wilmington     Charleston(2)   Winchester
Daytona Beach     INDIANA-6        MICHIGAN-1      Durham         Columbia(3)
Fort Myers        Evansville       Olcemos         Cary           Greenville      WEST
Fort Walton       Ft. Wayne                        Raleigh        Florence        VIRGINIA-2
Gainesville       Indianapolis(2)  MISSISSIPPI-7   Rocky Mount    Myrtle Beach    Charleston
Jacksonville(3)   South Bend       Jackson(2)      High Point     Spartanburg     Barboursville
Lake Wales        Terre Haute      Tupelo
Naples                             Harrisburg                     TENNESSEE-12    WISCONSIN-2
Orlando(3)        KANSAS-2         Biloxi                         Jackson         Appleton
Panama City       Kansas City(2)   Columbus                       Knoxville(2)    Eau Claire
Pembroke                           Meridian                       Memphis(3)
Pensacola                                                         Nashville(4)
Plantation                                                        Chattanooga
Sanford                                                           Johnson City
St. Petersburg
Tallahassee
Tampa(3)
Vero Beach

    
 
     CERTAIN PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN THIS OFFERING MAY ENGAGE IN TRANSACTIONS
THAT STABILIZE, MAINTAIN OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE PRICE OF THE COMMON STOCK. SUCH
TRANSACTIONS MAY INCLUDE THE PURCHASE OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK FOLLOWING THE
PRICING OF THE OFFERING TO COVER A SYNDICATE SHORT POSITION IN THE COMMON STOCK
OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING THE PRICE OF THE COMMON STOCK, AND THE
IMPOSITION OF PENALTY BIDS. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES, SEE
"UNDERWRITING."
                                        2
   4
 
     The "Kirkland's" logo, Cedar Creek(R) private label brand and Now That's
Real Style!(R) are registered trademarks and/or service marks of the Company.
The Company also claims common law trademark rights in the Kirkland
Collection(TM) for which the Company has filed an application for federal
registration in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. All other
trademarks or service marks appearing in this Prospectus are trademarks or
service marks of the companies that utilize them.
 
                                        3
   5
 
                               PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
 
     The following summary is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed
information and the financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere
in this Prospectus. Historically, Kirkland's, Inc. has operated Kirkland's
stores through separate corporations (collectively, the "Kirkland Companies"),
and Kirkland's, Inc. has served as a management company for the Kirkland
Companies. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the
"Company" or "Kirkland's," with respect to any date or period prior to
completion of the Offering, mean Kirkland's, Inc. together with all Kirkland
Companies. The outstanding shares of the Kirkland Companies will be acquired by
Kirkland's, Inc. in connection with the Offering. Unless the context otherwise
requires, all information in this Prospectus (i) gives retroactive effect to (a)
a      -for-one stock split of the Common Stock which will occur immediately
prior to the completion of the Offering, and (b) the contribution to Kirkland's,
Inc. of all of the outstanding common stock of the Kirkland Companies and (ii)
assumes that the Offering is consummated at an initial public offering price of
$     per share on               , 1998. See "Use of Proceeds" and "Certain
Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions."
 
                                  THE COMPANY
 
   
     Kirkland's is a leading specialty retailer of decorative home accessories
and gifts. The Company's stores offer a broad selection of distinctive
merchandise, including framed art, candles, lamps, picture frames, rugs, garden
accessories and artificial plants, as well as an extensive assortment of holiday
merchandise. The Company's stores are designed to provide style-conscious
customers, the majority of whom are women age 25 and older, with a distinctive
shopping experience characterized by a diverse, ever-changing merchandise
selection at surprisingly attractive prices. Management believes that the
Company's exclusive focus on decorative home accessories and gifts has led to
its emergence as a leader in its retail category and a destination store for
many mall shoppers. Kirkland's has generated operating income in each year since
opening its first store in 1966, and although there are many specialty retailers
with higher net sales, the Company currently maintains one of the highest
operating margins among comparable specialty retailers.
    
 
   
     The Company's 195 stores in 27 states average approximately 4,400 square
feet per store and are located primarily in enclosed malls. Although originally
focused in the Southeast, the Company has expanded beyond that region.
Currently, 60 of the Company's stores are located outside the Southeast,
including 11 of the 20 new stores opened during 1997 and two of the eight new
stores opened during the first half of 1998. In addition to operating in many
middle markets, the Company also has stores in major metropolitan markets such
as Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and Dallas, as well as in smaller markets. The
Company has been able to operate stores successfully across a broad range of
demographic and geographic markets.
    
 
     Kirkland's has developed and refined a merchandising strategy that
differentiates it from other retailers of products for the home. The Company's
merchandising strategy is to (i) offer distinctive, high quality home
accessories and gifts at affordable prices, (ii) maintain a breadth of product
categories, (iii) provide a carefully edited selection of the best-selling items
within each category, rather than merchandising complete product collections and
(iv) present merchandise in a visually appealing manner to create an inviting
atmosphere which inspires decorating ideas. The Company believes that this
strategy creates a shopping experience which appeals to the style-conscious as
well as the price-conscious shopper.
 
     The Company's goal is to be the leading specialty retailer of decorative
home accessories and gifts in each of its markets. The following elements of the
Company's business strategy, which have evolved over 32 years of successful
operations, differentiate Kirkland's from its competitors and position the
Company for continued growth:
 
          Distinctive, Item-Focused Merchandising.  While a Kirkland's store
     contains items covering a broad range of complementary product categories,
     the store emphasizes only the best-selling items within each category. The
     Company does not seek to dictate a design theme to its customers, nor does
     it necessarily seek to dominate any particular product category. The
     Company instead takes a disciplined approach to identifying fashionable
     merchandise reflecting the latest trends, selecting and test-marketing
     products
 
                                        4
   6
 
     and monitoring and reacting to individual item sales. No single merchandise
     category accounted for more than 15% of net sales in 1997.
 
          Changing Merchandise Mix.  The merchandise mix in a Kirkland's store
     changes frequently throughout the year, in response to both market and
     sales trends and changes in seasons. The Company's information systems
     permit close tracking of individual item sales, enabling management to
     react quickly to both fast-selling and slow-moving items. In addition, the
     Company strategically increases selling space devoted to gifts and holiday
     merchandise during peak selling seasons such as Christmas and Easter. The
     Company believes that its ever-changing mix of merchandise creates an
     exciting environment for customers, encouraging frequent return visits to
     its stores.
 
          Visually Appealing Store Environment.  Kirkland's distinguishes itself
     through its stores' "interior design" look, achieved by its emphasis on
     visual merchandising. Using multiple types of fixtures, the Company groups
     complementary merchandise creatively throughout the store, rather than
     displaying products strictly by category or product type. This visual
     presentation helps customers to picture the merchandise in their own homes
     and thus inspires decorating ideas. As a result, this strategy provides the
     opportunity for add-on sales and also encourages customers to browse for
     longer periods of time.
 
          Competitive Pricing.  Kirkland's merchandise ranges in price from
     approximately $5 to approximately $250, with most items selling for under
     $30. Kirkland's shoppers regularly experience the satisfaction of paying
     noticeably less for items similar or identical to those sold by other
     retailers or through catalogs. Consequently, the Company does not routinely
     engage in promotions or sales and typically holds only two regular sales
     events each year. Management believes that the Company's competitive
     pricing is an important element in making Kirkland's a destination store
     for many mall shoppers.
 
          Flexible Real Estate Strategy.  The Company's stores are predominantly
     located in enclosed malls in middle, metropolitan and smaller markets. The
     Company believes that its stores' broad appeal makes Kirkland's a desirable
     tenant for community, regional and super-regional malls targeting both
     middle and upper-income customers as well as for selected non-mall venues.
     The flexibility of the Kirkland's concept enables the Company to select the
     most promising real estate opportunities that meet requisite economic and
     demographic criteria within the Company's target markets.
 
     Kirkland's opened its first store in 1966 and expanded steadily thereafter,
focusing primarily on middle markets in the Southeast. The Company accelerated
its expansion beginning in 1990, more than doubling its store base from 50
stores at the end of 1990 to 104 stores at the end of 1995. In June 1996, Advent
International Corporation led a leveraged recapitalization of the Company. See
"Certain Transactions - Recapitalization." Since then, the Company has made
considerable investments in management and infrastructure to support an
increased rate of expansion in the future. The net proceeds from the Offering
will reduce the Company's total indebtedness and position the Company
financially for continued growth.
 
     The Company anticipates that its future expansion will come primarily from
opening new stores, expanding or remodeling existing stores and introducing new
retail formats. The Company intends to open approximately 25 stores in 1998
(eight of which were opened during the first half of 1998) and approximately 30
stores in 1999, and believes that there are currently over 500 additional malls
in the United States that could provide attractive locations for the Kirkland's
concept. The Company is also engaged in a selective expansion and remodeling
program to update store appearance and expand store size. The Company intends to
expand six stores in 1998 (four of which have been expanded during the first
half of 1998) and seven stores in 1999, and to remodel a like number of stores
in each of those years (five of which have been remodeled during the first half
of 1998). In addition, the Company has developed several new retail formats,
including temporary stores, outlet stores, strip center stores and more upscale
stores called "the Kirkland Collection," which it believes have significant
potential to create new channels through which to reach and expand Kirkland's
target customer base.
 
   
     On July 31, 1998, the Company purchased all of the capital stock of The
Briar Patch Management Corporation ("Briar Patch"), a specialty retailer of home
accessories and gifts based in Savannah, Georgia.
    
 
                                        5
   7
 
   
Briar Patch currently operates 35 stores in six southeastern states, primarily
in markets that are smaller than Kirkland's traditional markets. The Company
believes that the acquisition of Briar Patch will enhance the Company's
long-term growth opportunities. See "Business - Growth Strategy."
    
 
     The Company is incorporated in Tennessee, its principal executive offices
are located at 805 N. Parkway, Jackson, Tennessee 38305, and its telephone
number is 901-668-2444. The Company's Internet website address is
http://www.kirklands.com.
 
                                  THE OFFERING
 
Common Shares Offered by the
Company..........................
 
Common Shares Outstanding after
the Offering(1)..................
 
Use of Proceeds..................    To repay indebtedness, including
                                     mandatorily redeemable preferred stock.
 
Proposed Nasdaq Symbol...........    KIRK
- ---------------
(1) Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $    per share. The
    number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to existing shareholders upon
    recapitalization or exchange of their preferred stock will be determined by
    reference to the actual initial public offering price. See "Certain
    Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions." Excludes an aggregate of 23,004
    shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Company's 1996
    Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, 1998 Incentive Plan
    and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Options to purchase 10,154 shares of
    Common Stock have been granted under the Company's 1996 Executive Incentive
    and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, of which options to purchase
    shares will be exercisable upon completion of the Offering.
 
                           PRE-OFFERING TRANSACTIONS
 
   
     The following transactions will occur immediately prior to the completion
of this Offering: (i) a      -for-one stock split of the Common Stock; (ii) the
recapitalization or exchange of all of the outstanding shares of Class A
Preferred Stock ("Class A Preferred Stock") and Class B Preferred Stock ("Class
B Preferred Stock") of Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies into or for
shares of Common Stock (the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued will
equal the aggregate stated value of $41.0 million plus accrued dividends (   
at           ) on the preferred stock, divided by the actual initial
public offering price; assuming an initial public offering price of $       and
a consummation of the Offering on           , 1998,        shares of Common
Stock will be issued to existing stockholders for their preferred stock); and
(iii) the contribution of all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the
Kirkland Companies to Kirkland's, Inc., resulting in the Kirkland Companies
becoming wholly-owned subsidiaries of Kirkland's, Inc. Subsequent to these
transactions, but prior to completion of the Offering, Kirkland's, Inc. and the
Kirkland Companies will issue 11,905 shares of common stock upon the exercise of
outstanding warrants, and such shares of the Kirkland Companies will be
contributed to Kirkland's, Inc. All of these transactions are herein
collectively referred to as the "Pre-Offering Transactions." See "Use of
Proceeds" and "Certain Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions".
    
 
                                        6
   8
 
                        SUMMARY COMBINED FINANCIAL DATA
 
   


                                                                                        SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                               YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                      JUNE 30,
                                  --------------------------------------------------   -------------------
                                   1993      1994       1995       1996       1997       1997       1998
                                  -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
                                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE, PER SHARE AND SELECTED STORE DATA)
                                                                             
STATEMENT OF INCOME DATA:
Net sales.......................  $85,326   $99,901   $112,035   $127,946   $153,584   $ 56,494   $ 63,380
Gross profit....................   33,080    38,088     43,200     47,508     56,586     17,539     20,417
Operating expenses..............   17,177    19,572     24,192     27,915     35,004     15,062     18,247
Severance charge(1).............       --        --         --         --        756         --         --
Recapitalization expenses.......       --        --         --        854         --         --         --
Owners' compensation(2).........   12,314    15,123     13,926         --         --         --         --
Depreciation and amortization...    1,581     1,847      2,362      3,383      4,142      2,027      2,344
                                  -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
Operating income(loss)..........    2,008     1,546      2,720     15,356     16,684        450       (174)
Interest expense, net(3)........      719       814      1,253      6,247     10,099      5,042      4,575
Other income, net...............     (184)     (255)      (221)      (147)      (154)      (110)      (151)
Income tax provision
  (benefit).....................       --        --         --      2,693      2,817     (1,412)    (1,437)
                                  -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
Net income(loss)................    1,473       987      1,688      6,563      3,922     (3,070)    (3,161)
Accretion of redeemable
  preferred stock and dividends
  accrued(4)....................       --        --         --      2,313      3,755      1,877      1,929
                                  -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
Net income (loss) allocable to
  common stock..................  $ 1,473   $   987   $  1,688   $  4,250   $    167   $ (4,947)  $ (5,090)
                                  =======   =======   ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
Earnings (loss) per common share
  Basic.........................  $14,730   $ 9,870   $ 16,880   $  76.18   $   1.67   $ (49.47)  $ (55.08)
  Diluted.......................  $14,730   $ 9,870   $ 16,880   $  65.55   $   1.35   $ (49.47)  $ (55.08)
Weighted average common and
  common equivalent shares
  outstanding
  Basic.........................      100       100        100     55,789    100,000    100,000     92,403
  Diluted.......................      100       100        100     64,838    123,549    100,000     92,403
PRO FORMA DATA(5):
Pro forma net income (loss).....                                            $  7,603              $ (1,229)
                                                                            ========   ========   ========
Pro forma net income (loss) per
  common share:
  Basic.........................                                            $
                                                                            ========   ========   ========
  Diluted.......................                                            $
                                                                            ========   ========   ========
Pro forma weighted average
  number of common shares
  outstanding:
  Basic.........................
                                                                            ========   ========   ========
  Diluted.......................
                                                                            ========   ========   ========
OTHER DATA:
EBITDA(6).......................  $16,087   $18,771   $ 19,229   $ 19,740   $ 21,736   $  2,587   $  2,321
Net cash provided by (used in)
  operating activities..........    3,422     2,040      1,269     11,065      8,669    (11,984)   (15,503)
Net cash provided by (used in)
  investing activities..........    2,818     2,652     (4,130)    (4,205)    (5,479)    (3,142)    (3,677)
Net cash provided by (used in)
  financing activities..........      772     1,320      3,278       (982)    (3,537)     3,898     10,603

    
 
                                        7
   9
 
   


                                                                                        SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                               YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                      JUNE 30,
                                  --------------------------------------------------   -------------------
                                   1993      1994       1995       1996       1997       1997       1998
                                  -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
                                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE, PER SHARE AND SELECTED STORE DATA)
                                                                             
SELECTED STORE DATA:
Comparable store net sales
  increase(7)...................      7.1%      4.4%       0.7%       1.4%       5.2%     8.5%      (0.9%)
Number of stores at end of
  period........................       80        91        104        120        138      127        144
Average net sales per store (in
  thousands)(8).................  $ 1,159   $ 1,159   $  1,145   $  1,147   $  1,178   $  462     $  434
Average gross square footage per
  store(9)......................    3,753     3,821      3,942      4,091      4,186    4,208      4,323

    
 
   


                                                                     JUNE 30, 1998
                                                              ----------------------------
                                                               ACTUAL      AS ADJUSTED(10)
                                                              ---------    ---------------
                                                                     (IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                     
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Working capital.............................................  $   9,753        $10,523
Total assets................................................     55,970         55,970
Total long-term and short-term debt, including mandatorily
  redeemable Class C Preferred Stock........................    103,212         53,913
Redeemable convertible preferred stock (Class A and Class B
  Preferred Stock)..........................................     48,515             --
Shareholders' deficit.......................................   (106,706)        (8,122)

    
 
- ---------------
(1)  The 1997 severance charge represents the total salary continuation payments
     which the Company is required to make to a former management employee who
     resigned in 1997.
 
(2)  Owners' compensation represents distributions to the Company's shareholders
     during the periods when Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies were
     Subchapter S corporations, prior to the Recapitalization. Such
     distributions ceased upon the Recapitalization. See "Certain
     Transactions - Recapitalization."
 
   
(3)  Interest expense includes amounts associated with the Class C Preferred
     Stock of $990,000 and $1.8 million in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and
     $900,000 and $770,000 for the six months ended June 30, 1997 and 1998,
     respectively. Interest expense also includes the accretion to the fair
     value of detachable put warrants to purchase Common Stock, issued by the
     Company in connection with its issuance of subordinated debt, of $190,000
     and $389,000 in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and $194,000 for the six
     months ended June 30, 1997. The holders of these warrants agreed to
     terminate the put as of January 1, 1998.
    
 
(4)  Reflects the accretion of the Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred
     Stock to its redemption value and the accrual of dividends on such
     preferred stock at 8% annually.
 
   
(5)  Assumes the Pre-Offering Transactions (as defined on page 5) were effected
     as of the beginning of the period, at an assumed initial public offering
     price of $      per share. At a different initial public offering price,
     the pro forma number of shares outstanding and pro forma net income (loss)
     per share would be different. See "Certain Transactions - Pre-Offering
     Transactions." Also assumes repayment of $20.0 million of subordinated debt
     and $12.4 million of senior debt and the purchase or redemption of all
     outstanding Class C Preferred Stock (together with amounts classified as
     interest associated with such preferred stock) from the proceeds of the
     sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby. See "Use of Proceeds,"
     "Capitalization," "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Data"
     and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
     Results of Operations."
    
 
(6)  The term EBITDA as used herein represents income before income taxes, net
     interest expense, depreciation and amortization expense, owners'
     compensation and non-recurring charges. While EBITDA should not be
     considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, cash flow from
     operations or any other measure of income or cash flow that is prepared in
     accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or as a measure of
     a company's profitability or liquidity, EBITDA has been presented because
     the Company believes it is commonly used in this or a similar format by
     investors to analyze and compare operating performance as well as to
     provide additional information with respect to the ability of the Company
     to meet its future debt service, capital expenditure and working capital
     requirements. EBITDA may differ in method of calculation from similarly
     titled measures used by other companies. This information should be read in
     conjunction with the Combined Statement of Cash Flows contained in the
     Combined Financial Statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this
     Prospectus.
 
                                        8
   10
 
(7)  For periods ended on or before December 31, 1996, comparable stores were
     defined as those stores opened prior to January 1 of the preceding fiscal
     year. Effective January 1, 1997, in response to increased expansion and
     remodeling activity, the Company modified the way comparable store net
     sales are calculated to more accurately reflect the Company's ongoing
     expansion and remodeling program. Commencing January 1, 1997, the Company
     excluded from comparable store net sales calculations each store that was
     expanded, remodeled or relocated during the applicable period. Each such
     store is returned to the comparable store base on January 1 of the first
     year following the one-year anniversary of the expansion, remodeling or
     relocation.
 
(8)  Calculated using net sales of all stores open at both the beginning and the
     end of the period.
 
(9)  Calculated using gross square footage of all stores open at both the
     beginning and the end of the period. Gross square footage includes the
     storage, receiving and office space that generally occupies approximately
     30% of total store space.
 
(10) Adjusted to give effect to the Pre-Offering Transactions and the sale of
     the shares of Common Stock offered hereby and the application of the
     estimated net proceeds therefrom. See "Use of Proceeds," "Capitalization"
     and "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements."
 
                                        9
   11
 
                                  RISK FACTORS
 
     In addition to the other information contained in this Prospectus, the
following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating an
investment in shares of the Common Stock offered by this Prospectus.
 
AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION STRATEGY; MANAGEMENT OF GROWTH; ACQUISITION OF BRIAR PATCH
 
     The Company intends to pursue an expansion strategy involving opening more
stores than it has in recent years, and its future operating results will depend
to a substantial extent upon its ability to open and operate new stores
successfully. In addition to planned openings of new mall-based stores, the
Company plans to expand by developing new retail formats both in malls and
non-mall venues. The new formats may involve different risks than the Company's
current mall-based activities. The Company also has an ongoing expansion and
remodeling program, and intends to expand and remodel six stores in 1998 (of
which four have been expanded and remodeled during the first half of 1998) and
seven stores in 1999, and to remodel (without expanding) a like number of stores
in each of those years (of which five have been remodeled during the first half
of 1998). The Company will also enter certain new markets in new regions of the
United States which may present competitive and merchandising challenges that
are different from those currently encountered by the Company in its existing
markets. In addition, the Company's ability to open new stores on a timely basis
will depend upon a number of factors, including the ability to properly identify
and enter new markets, locate suitable store sites, negotiate acceptable lease
terms, access adequate inventory, secure capital resources and financing,
construct or refurbish sites, hire, train and retain skilled managers and
personnel, and manage other factors, some of which may be beyond the Company's
control. The failure by the Company to open new stores on a timely basis or
otherwise to achieve its expansion plans could materially adversely affect the
Company's business, results of operations and financial performance. There can
be no assurance that the Company's new stores, when opened, will be profitable
or achieve sales or profitability levels comparable to the Company's existing
stores. Furthermore, the Company believes that its expansion within existing
markets could adversely affect the financial performance of the Company's
existing stores within those markets.
 
   
     The agreement governing the Company's senior credit facility limits the
number of new stores which the Company is permitted to open during any given
year to 25. The credit agreement does not directly limit the number of stores
which may be remodeled or expanded nor does it restrict the Company's planned
introduction of new retail store formats. The Company's existing senior credit
facility limits the Company's capital expenditures to $5.5 million. As a result,
a waiver or amendment of this limitation will be required in order for the
Company to carry out its total planned store openings, remodels and expansions
in 1998. Under the existing limitation on capital expenditures, the Company
estimates that it would be able to open only approximately 20 stores and would
not be able to complete any additional store remodels or expansions. The Company
is in negotiations to obtain a new senior credit facility to replace the
Company's existing senior credit facility upon completion of the Offering which
will, among other things, provide for a level of permitted new store openings
and capital expenditures sufficient for the Company to carry out its 1998 growth
plans in full. There can be no assurance that the new senior credit facility
will be successfully negotiated or that the improved terms sought by the Company
will be obtained. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources."
    
 
     To manage its expansion, the Company will need to continually evaluate the
adequacy of its existing systems and procedures and to adapt accordingly. In
addition, the success of the Company's expansion program will be dependent on
its ability to promote and/or recruit enough qualified district managers, store
managers and sales associates to support the expected growth in the number of
its stores, and there can be no assurance that the training and supervision of a
large number of new managers and associates will not adversely affect the
performance of the Company's stores. In addition, the Company relies upon its
existing management information systems for operating and monitoring all major
aspects of its business, including sales, warehousing, distribution, purchasing,
inventory control, merchandise planning and replenishment, as well as various
financial functions. Any failure by the Company to upgrade such systems or
unexpected difficulties encountered with such systems as its business expands,
or in general any disruption in these systems, could adversely affect the
Company's results of operations and financial performance.
 
                                       10
   12
 
   
     The Company acquired Briar Patch on July 31, 1998. The full benefits of the
acquisition of Briar Patch will require the integration of each company's
administrative, finance, sales and marketing organizations, and the
implementation of appropriate operations, financial and management systems and
controls in order to capture the efficiencies that are expected to result from
the acquisition. However, the integration of Briar Patch into the Company's
operations will involve a number of risks, including the possible diversion of
management's attention from other business concerns, the possible loss of key
employees of Briar Patch, potential difficulties in integrating the operations
of Briar Patch with those of the Company and the potential inability to
replicate successfully the Company's operating efficiencies in Briar Patch's
operations. Consequently, no assurance can be given as to the effect of the
integration of Briar Patch on the Company's business or results of operations.
    
 
   
     The Company believes that cash generated from operations and available
borrowings under revolving credit facilities (including the new revolving credit
facility currently under negotiation) will be sufficient to satisfy its
currently anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements
through the end of 1999. However, in connection with its expansion strategy, the
Company may be required to seek additional funds, and there can be no assurance
that such funds will be available on satisfactory terms. Failure to obtain such
financing could delay or prevent the Company's planned expansion, which could
adversely affect the Company's results of operations and financial performance.
    
 
MERCHANDISING RISKS; INVENTORY
 
     The Company's success depends, in large part, on its ability to anticipate
and respond, in a timely manner, to changing merchandise trends and consumer
demands. Accordingly, any failure by the Company to identify and respond to
emerging trends could adversely affect consumer acceptance of the merchandise in
the Company's stores and the Company's image with its customers, which in turn
could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition
and results of operations. In addition, if the Company miscalculates either the
market for the merchandise in its stores or its customers' purchasing habits, it
may be faced with a significant amount of unsold inventory, which could have a
material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and
results of operations. A major shift in consumer demand away from gift items and
home accessories could also have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, results of operations and financial condition.
 
     The Company purchases its products from approximately 140 vendors with
which it has no long-term purchase commitments or exclusive contracts. None of
the Company's vendors supplied more than 8% of the Company's merchandise
purchases in 1997 or during the first half of 1998. The Company has historically
enjoyed a positive experience with respect to vendor fulfillment and retention
and, except as described below, the Company has generally not experienced
difficulty in obtaining desired merchandise from vendors on acceptable terms. In
March through May 1998, the Company experienced delays in merchandise deliveries
from certain vendors, leading to a decline in inventory on hand in the stores.
Although the Company believes that timeliness of merchandise deliveries has
improved during June and July 1998, there can be no assurances that the Company
will not experience difficulties in obtaining merchandise in a timely manner in
the future. The Company's results of operations could be adversely affected by a
disruption in purchases from any of its key vendors, any of which could
discontinue selling to the Company at any time.
 
FOREIGN-SOURCED MERCHANDISE
 
     Many of the Company's vendors are importers of merchandise manufactured in
the Far East, Mexico and India. While the Company believes that buying from
vendors instead of directly from manufacturers reduces or eliminates the risks
involved with relying on products manufactured abroad, its vendors are subject
to those risks, and it remains subject to those risks to the extent that their
effects are passed through by its vendors to the Company or cause disruptions in
supply. These risks include fluctuations in the value of currencies, increases
in customs duties and related fees resulting from position changes by the United
States Customs Service, import controls and trade barriers (including the
unilateral imposition of import quotas), loss of "most favored nation" ("MFN")
trading status, restrictions on the transfer of funds, work stoppages, economic
uncertainties, changes in foreign government regulations and, in certain parts
of the world, political
                                       11
   13
 
instability causing disruption of trade from the countries in which the
suppliers of the Company's vendors are located.
 
     The Company's ability to obtain merchandise cost-effectively through
importers from manufacturers in China, from which the Company currently
purchases approximately 30% of its merchandise, is subject to retention by China
of its MFN tariff status and its compliance with certain other requirements.
Pursuant to MFN status, products imported for the Company from China currently
receive the lower tariff rates made available to most of the United States'
major trading partners. In the case of China, however, this MFN treatment is
made possible under the Trade Act of 1974 by virtue of certain Presidential
findings that waive restrictions that would otherwise render China ineligible
for MFN treatment. China's MFN status is reviewed annually. Although the
President has waived these restrictions each year since 1979, there can be no
assurance that China will continue to enjoy MFN status in the future. If
products manufactured in China enter the United States without the benefit of
MFN treatment, such products will be subject to significantly higher duty rates,
ranging between 20% and 66% of customs value. Any such increased duties or
tariffs could significantly increase the cost or reduce the supply of products
from China. In addition, the United States Trade Representative is monitoring
China due to concerns regarding the protection of intellectual property rights
and market barriers to United States exports to and investments in China.
China's failure to comply with the terms of agreements entered into with the
United States regarding these matters could result in sanctions against China,
and the imposition of new duties on certain imports from China potentially
including products to be supplied to the Company. Any significant increase in
duties or tariffs on the products imported for the Company from China could have
a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and financial
condition.
 
     Historically, instability in the political and economic environments of the
countries in which the Company's vendors obtain its products has not had a
material adverse effect on the Company's operations. The Company cannot predict,
however, the effect that future changes in economic or political conditions in
such foreign countries could have on operations. Although the Company believes
that it could access alternative sources in the event of disruptions or delays
in supply due to the impact of future changes in economic or political
conditions in foreign countries on its vendors, such disruptions or delays could
adversely affect the Company's results of operations unless and until
alternative supply arrangements could be made. In addition, merchandise
purchased from alternative sources may be of lesser quality or more expensive
than merchandise currently purchased abroad by the Company.
 
     Although the majority of the foreign-sourced products sold by the Company
are not currently subject to quotas, countries in which the Company's vendors
obtain these products may, from time to time, impose new or adjust prevailing
quotas or other restrictions on exported products, and the United States may
impose new duties, tariffs and other restrictions on imported products, any of
which could disrupt the supply of such products to the Company and adversely
affect its operations. Other restrictions on the importation of products
obtained for the Company by vendors are periodically considered by the United
States Congress, and no assurances can be given that tariffs or duties on such
products may not be raised, resulting in higher costs to the Company, or that
import quotas with respect to such products may not be imposed or made more
restrictive.
 
COMPETITION
 
     The business in which the Company is engaged is highly competitive. The
Company competes with a variety of specialty stores, department stores, discount
stores and catalog retailers that carry merchandise in one or more categories
also carried by the Company. One or more of its competitors are present in
substantially all of the malls in which the Company has stores. Many of the
Company's competitors are larger than the Company and have access to
significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than the Company.
The Company believes that its stores compete primarily on the basis of
merchandise quality and selection, price, visual appeal of the merchandise and
the store and convenience of location. There can be no assurance that the
Company will continue to be able to compete successfully against existing or
future competition. Expansion by the Company into the markets served by its
competitors, entry of new competitors
 
                                       12
   14
 
or expansion of existing competitors into the Company's markets could have a
material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and
results of operations.
 
SEASONALITY; VARIATIONS IN QUARTERLY RESULTS
 
     The Company has experienced, and expects to continue to experience,
substantial seasonal fluctuations in its sales and operating results, which are
typical of many mall-based specialty retailers and common to most retailers
generally. Due to the importance of the fall selling season, which includes
Thanksgiving and Christmas, the fourth calendar quarter has historically
contributed, and is expected to continue to contribute, a substantial majority
of the Company's operating income and net income for the entire year. The
Company expects this pattern to continue during the current fiscal year and
anticipates that in subsequent years the fourth quarter will continue to
contribute disproportionately to its operating results, particularly during
November and December. Any factors negatively affecting the Company during the
fourth quarter in any year, including unfavorable economic conditions, could
have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition and results
of operations. The Company's quarterly results of operations may also fluctuate
significantly as a result of a variety of other factors, including, among other
things, the timing of new store openings, pre-opening expenses associated with
new stores, the relative proportion of new stores to mature stores, net sales
contributed by new stores, increases or decreases in comparable store sales,
adverse weather conditions, shifts in the timing of holidays and changes in the
Company's product mix. The market price of the Common Stock may fluctuate
significantly in response to changes in the Company's quarterly results of
operations.
 
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND FLUCTUATIONS IN CONSUMER SPENDING
 
     The Company's sales are also subject to a number of factors relating to
consumer spending, including general economic conditions affecting disposable
consumer income such as employment, business conditions, interest rates, the
level of consumer debt and taxation. The Company's sales could also be adversely
affected by a weak retail environment. No assurances can be given that purchases
of home accessories and gift items will not decline during recessionary periods
or that a prolonged recession will not have a material adverse effect on the
Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition,
economic downturns during the fourth quarter could adversely affect the Company
to a greater extent than if such downturns occurred at other times of the year.
 
COMPARABLE STORE SALES RESULTS
 
     Numerous factors affect comparable store sales results, including among
others, weather conditions, retail trends, the retail sales environment,
economic conditions and the Company's success in executing its business
strategy. The Company's comparable store sales results have experienced
fluctuations in the past. In addition, the Company anticipates that opening new
stores in existing markets may result in decreases in comparable store sales for
existing stores in such markets. There can be no assurance that comparable store
sales for any particular period will not decrease in the future. Variations in
the Company's comparable store sales results could cause the price of the Common
Stock to fluctuate significantly and could have a material adverse effect on the
Company.
 
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INDEBTEDNESS
 
   
     Following the Offering, the Company will continue to have substantial
indebtedness and, as a result, significant debt service obligations. On a pro
forma basis, giving effect to the sale of the shares offered hereby and the
application of the estimated net proceeds therefrom on January 1, 1998, the
Company would have had total outstanding indebtedness as of June 30, 1998 of
approximately $53.9 million, including approximately $41.7 million outstanding
under its senior credit facility, and its total interest expense for the first
half of 1998 would have been $2.0 million. On a pro forma basis, giving effect
to the sale of the shares offered hereby and the application of the estimated
net proceeds therefrom on January 1, 1997, the Company would have had total
outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 1997 of approximately $36.6 million,
including approximately $36.1 million outstanding under its senior credit
facility, and its total interest expense for the year
    
                                       13
   15
 
ended December 31, 1997 would have been $4.3 million. The degree to which the
Company is leveraged could have several material adverse effects, including, but
not limited to, the following: (i) making it more difficult for the Company to
satisfy its obligations; (ii) limiting the Company's ability to obtain
additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures,
acquisitions and other general corporate requirements; (iii) increasing the
Company's vulnerability to a downturn in general economic conditions; (iv)
requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of the Company's cash flow
from operations to the payment of principal of, and interest on, its
indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of such cash flow to fund
working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate
requirements; (v) limiting the Company's flexibility in planning for, or
reacting to, changes in its business and the industry; and (vi) placing the
Company at a competitive disadvantage with respect to less highly leveraged
competitors. The Company's senior credit facility contains financial and
operating covenants including, but not limited to, restrictions on the Company's
ability to incur additional indebtedness and issue preferred stock, pay
dividends or make other distributions, create liens, sell assets and enter into
certain mergers and consolidations.
 
     The Company's inability to service its obligations would have a material
adverse effect on the market value and marketability of the Common Stock. In
addition, failure by the Company to comply with the covenants contained in its
bank credit facility may result in an event of default, which, if not cured or
waived, could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
 
MARKET CONCENTRATION
 
   
     Approximately 125 of the Company's 195 stores are located in the
southeastern region of the United States. The Company's current expansion plans
anticipate that many of its new stores will be located in the states where the
Company currently has operations or in contiguous states. Consequently, the
Company's results of operations are more subject to regional economic
conditions, weather conditions, demographic and population changes and other
factors specific to a particular region than are the operations of more
geographically diversified competitors. In addition, changes in such regional
factors which reduce the appeal of the Company's stores and merchandise to local
consumers could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business,
results of operations and financial condition. The Company expects to open new
stores in certain markets in which it is already operating, which could
adversely affect the financial performance at existing stores within those
markets.
    
 
DEPENDENCE ON CUSTOMER TRAFFIC IN MALLS
 
     Substantially all of the Company's existing stores are located in enclosed
malls. As a result, the Company must rely, in part, on the ability of mall
anchor tenants and other tenants to generate customer traffic in the vicinity of
the Company's stores. The Company's future operating results will also depend on
many other factors that are beyond the Company's control, including the overall
level of mall traffic and general economic conditions affecting consumer
confidence and spending.
 
DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL
 
     The Company believes that it has benefitted substantially from the
leadership and performance of its senior management, especially Carl Kirkland
(Chief Executive Officer) and Robert E. Alderson (President and Chief Operating
Officer). Although the Company maintains key man insurance in the amount of $3
million on each of Messrs. Kirkland and Alderson, the loss of the services of
either of these individuals for any reason could have a material adverse effect
on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. Many
members of the Company's management have substantial experience and expertise in
the Company's business and have made significant contributions to its growth and
success. As the Company continues to grow, it will continue to hire, appoint or
otherwise change senior managers and other key executives. The Company has
employment agreements with Mr. Kirkland, Mr. Alderson and other members of
senior management which expire, in the cases of Mr. Kirkland and Mr. Alderson,
in June 2000. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to retain
its executive officers and key personnel or attract additional qualified members
to its management team beyond the stated terms of these employment agreements or
otherwise in the future.
                                       14
   16
 
VIOLATION OF LEASE TERMS
 
     A substantial number of the Company's store leases contain provisions that
permit the landlord to terminate the lease upon a change in control of the
Company. The Offering and the Pre-Offering Transactions may give rise to a
change in control under certain of the Company's leases. There can be no
assurance that the Company's landlords under leases which contain the above
provisions will not attempt to terminate those leases or to alter the terms
thereunder, and that such actions would not have a material adverse effect on
the Company's business, results of operations or financial condition.
 
HOLDING COMPANY STRUCTURE
 
     Upon completion of the Offering, all of the Kirkland Companies will be
subsidiaries of the Company and the Company will be a holding company that will
derive substantially all of its operating income from its subsidiaries. The
Company expects that distributions from its subsidiaries will be its principal
source of the funds to meet its obligations. The Kirkland Companies are, and any
additional subsidiaries formed following the Offering will be, separate and
distinct legal entities and will have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to
pay any dividend or make any other distribution to the Company, other than for
interest and principal payments on indebtedness owed to the Company, if any. The
ability of the Company's subsidiaries to make payments will be subject to, among
other things, the availability of sufficient cash and restrictive covenants in
the documents governing the Company's senior credit facility which prohibit the
Company's subsidiaries from paying dividends or making other distributions to
the Company, including indebtedness owed to the Company. The Kirkland Companies
are co-borrowers under the senior credit facility, their obligations thereunder
are secured by security interests in the Kirkland Companies' assets and have
been guaranteed by the Company, and the stock of the Kirkland Companies will be
pledged by the Company to the bank as security for its guarantee. The Company's
inability to service its obligations would have a material adverse effect on the
market value and marketability of the Common Stock.
 
IMPACT OF YEAR 2000 ISSUE
 
     An issue exists for all companies that rely on computers as the year 2000
approaches. The "Year 2000" issue is the result of past practice in the computer
industry of using two digits rather than four to identify the applicable year.
This practice will result in incorrect results when computers perform arithmetic
operations, comparisons or data field sorting involving years later than 1999.
Independent of the Year 2000 issue, the Company intends to install a new
point-of-sale ("POS") system throughout its store network in 1998 at a cost of
approximately $1.5 million, which will be Year 2000 compliant. The Company
anticipates that it will be able to test its entire system using its internal
programming staff and outside computer consultants and intends to make the
necessary modifications to prevent disruption to its operations. The Company
does not expect costs in connection with any such modifications to be material.
However, if such modifications are not completed in a timely manner or if costs
are greater than anticipated, the Year 2000 issue may have a material adverse
effect on the operations of the Company. The Company is in the process of
exploring with each of its key vendors the impact the Year 2000 issue will have
on their ability to source products for the Company and process purchase orders
with delivery requirements and terms involving years later than 1999. There can
be no assurance that the systems of vendors on which the Company's systems rely
will be modified in a timely manner to account for the Year 2000 issue, or that
a failure to so modify by a vendor, or a modification that is incompatible with
the Company's systems, will not have a material adverse effect on the operations
of the Company. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations - Year 2000 Issue."
 
NO PRIOR PUBLIC MARKET; VOLATILITY
 
     Prior to this Offering, there has been no public market for the Common
Stock, and there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop
or be sustained. The initial public offering price for the shares of Common
Stock to be sold in this Offering will be determined by agreement among the
Company and the representatives of the Underwriters and may bear no relationship
to the Company's book value, net worth or any other established criteria of
value or the price at which the Common Stock will trade after completion
                                       15
   17
 
of this Offering. The market price of the Common Stock could be subject to
significant fluctuations in response to the Company's operating results, general
trends in prospects for the retail industry, changes in equity analysts'
recommendations regarding the Company and other factors. In addition, the stock
market in recent years has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations
that often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance
of companies. These fluctuations, as well as general economic and market
conditions, may adversely affect the market price of the Common Stock.
 
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
 
     Sales of substantial amounts of Common Stock in the public market following
this Offering could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Common
Stock. The           shares offered hereby by the Company (plus any of the
shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment
option) will be freely tradeable in the public market, except to the extent
purchased by "affiliates" or "underwriters" (as those terms are defined under
the Securities Act) of the Company. As described in "Underwriting," upon the
expiration of certain "lock-up" agreements not to sell such shares until 180
days after the date of this Prospectus, 11,905 shares will be eligible for sale
immediately in the public market without restriction pursuant to Rule 144(k)
under the Securities Act, and 134,778 shares (          shares if the
Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) to be outstanding upon
consummation of this Offering will become eligible for sale in the public
market, subject to compliance with the holding period, volume and manner of sale
requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Holders of such shares of
Common Stock have the right to require the Company to register the shares for
sale under the Securities Act in certain circumstances and have the right to
include those shares in a Company-initiated registration. If the Company is
required to include shares of Common Stock held by these holders pursuant to
these registration rights in a Company-initiated registration, sales made by
such holders may have an adverse effect on the Company's ability to raise needed
capital and on the price of the Common Stock. In addition, if these holders
exercise their demand registration rights and cause a large number of shares to
be registered and sold in the public market, such sales may have an adverse
effect on the market price of the Common Stock. Following this Offering, the
Company also intends to file registration statements with the Securities and
Exchange Commission covering 23,004 shares of Common Stock issued or reserved
for issuance under the Company's 1996 Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified
Stock Option Plan, 1998 Incentive Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Upon
effectiveness of such registration statements, any shares subsequently issued
under such plans will be eligible for sale in the public market, except to the
extent restricted by the lock-up agreements referred to above and subject to
compliance with Rule 144 in the case of affiliates of the Company. Sales of a
large number of shares of Common Stock issued under these plans in the public
market may have an adverse effect on the market price of the Common Stock. See
"Shares Eligible for Future Sale."
 
CHARTER AND BYLAW PROVISIONS; ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECT OF TENNESSEE LAWS
 
     The Company's Amended and Restated Charter (the "Charter") authorizes the
issuance of "blank check" preferred stock with such designations, rights and
preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company's Board of
Directors. Accordingly, the Board is empowered, without shareholder approval, to
issue preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other
rights which could materially adversely affect the voting power or other rights
of the holders of the Common Stock (including those of the purchasers in the
Offering). Holders of the Common Stock will have no preemptive rights to
subscribe for a pro rata portion of any capital stock which may be issued by the
Company. In the event of issuance, such preferred stock could be utilized, under
certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a
change in control of the Company. Although the Company has no present intention
to issue any shares of preferred stock, there can be no assurance that the
Company will not do so in the future.
 
     The Company's Charter and Restated Bylaws (the "Bylaws") contain certain
corporate governance provisions that may deter and inhibit unsolicited changes
in control of the Company. First, the Charter provides for a classified Board of
Directors, with directors (after the expiration of the terms of the initial
classified board of directors in 1999, 2000 and 2001) serving three year terms
from the year of their respective elections and being subject to removal only
for cause and upon the vote of 80% of the voting power of all
 
                                       16
   18
 
outstanding capital stock of the Company entitled to vote (the "Voting Power").
Second, the Charter and the Bylaws do not generally permit shareholders to call,
or to require that the Board of Directors call, a special meeting. The Charter
and Bylaws also limit the business permitted to be conducted at any such special
meeting. In addition, Tennessee law permits action to be taken by the
shareholders by written consent only if the action is consented to by holders of
the number of shares required to authorize shareholder action and if all
shareholders entitled to vote are parties to the written consent. Third, the
Bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for shareholders to nominate
candidates for election as directors or to bring other business before meetings
of shareholders of Kirkland's. Only those shareholder nominees who are nominated
in accordance with this procedure will be eligible for election as directors of
Kirkland's, and only such shareholder proposals may be considered at a meeting
of shareholders as have been presented to Kirkland's in accordance with the
procedure. Finally, the Charter provides that the affirmative vote of at least
80% of the Voting Power is required to amend or repeal the foregoing provisions
of the Charter. In addition, the Bylaws provide that the amendment or repeal by
shareholders of any Bylaws made by the Board of Directors of Kirkland's would
require the affirmative vote of at least 80% of the Voting Power.
 
     Furthermore, the Company is subject to certain provisions of Tennessee law,
including certain Tennessee corporate takeover acts which are, or may be,
applicable to the Company. These acts are the Investor Protection Act, the
Business Combination Act and the Tennessee Greenmail Act, and these acts seek to
limit the parameters in which certain business combinations and share exchanges
occur. The existence of the Charter, Bylaws and Tennessee law provisions could
be expected to have an anti-takeover effect, including possibly discouraging
takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the
Common Stock. See "Description of Capital Stock - Anti-Takeover Effect of
Charter and Bylaw Provisions and Tennessee Laws."
 
CONTROL BY CERTAIN SHAREHOLDERS
 
     The Company's current directors, executive officers, existing shareholders
and their affiliates will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately
     % of the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock after this Offering,
assuming no exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment option. As a result,
these shareholders, acting together, would be able to exercise a controlling
influence over matters requiring approval by the shareholders of the Company,
including the election of directors, and over the business and affairs of the
Company, including determinations with respect to mergers or other business
combinations involving the Company and the acquisition or disposition of assets
by the Company.
 
DILUTION
 
     Investors purchasing Common Stock in the Offering will, on a pro forma
basis, incur immediate and substantial dilution in the amount of $          per
share. To the extent that currently outstanding options to purchase Common Stock
are exercised, there will be further dilution. See "Dilution."
 
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
     This Prospectus contains forward-looking statements relating to future
events or the future financial performance of the Company. Such statements may
relate, but are not limited to, expectations of future operating results or
financial performance, capital expenditures, construction or expansion of
facilities (including new stores), plans for growth and future operations, or
financing, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking
statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which
cannot be predicted or quantified. Such risks include, but are not limited to,
the matters discussed in the foregoing paragraphs under "Risk Factors." Future
events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in,
contemplated by or underlying the forward-looking statements.
 
                                       17
   19
 
                                USE OF PROCEEDS
 
   
     The net proceeds to be received by the Company from the sale of the
          shares offered hereby will be approximately $50.3 million, after
deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering
expenses. The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the Offering as
follows: (i) $20.0 million to repay outstanding subordinated debt; (ii) $17.9
million to purchase or redeem all of the outstanding shares of mandatorily
redeemable Class C Preferred Stock (including approximately $770,000 of amounts
classified as interest associated with the Class C Preferred Stock); and (iii)
$12.4 million to repay outstanding senior indebtedness. Substantially all of the
shares of Class C Preferred Stock are held by affiliates of the Company. The
Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares pursuant to any
exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment option. See "Certain
Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions."
    
 
   
     As of June 30, 1998, the Company's senior indebtedness consisted of $54.1
million outstanding under a senior credit facility which matures in June 2002.
As of June 30, 1998, the weighted average interest rate on the senior
indebtedness expected to be repaid with net proceeds of the Offering was 9.4%.
Immediately following the completion of the Offering, the Company expects to
have remaining outstanding senior indebtedness of approximately $41.7 million.
The Company's subordinated debt consists of $20.0 million of notes bearing
interest at 12.25% until June 13, 1998 and at 12.5% thereafter and maturing on
June 30, 2003. By their terms, the notes are required to be repaid in full with
proceeds of the Offering. The Company's Class C Preferred Stock was issued in
connection with the Recapitalization and had an aggregate stated value of $17.1
million at June 30, 1998. The Company pays an annual amount equal to 9% of the
outstanding balance to the holders which has been reflected as interest expense
in the Company's Combined Financial Statements.
    
 
                                DIVIDEND POLICY
 
     The Company intends to retain future earnings to finance the continued
growth and development of its business, and does not, therefore, anticipate
paying any cash dividends on its Common Stock in the foreseeable future. In
addition, the Company's senior credit facility prohibits the payment of cash
dividends without the prior written consent of two-thirds of the lenders. No
dividends have been paid on the Common Stock subsequent to 1995. Future cash
dividends, if any, will be determined by the Board of Directors, and will be
based upon the Company's earnings, capital requirements, financial condition,
debt covenants and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors.
 
                                       18
   20
 
                                    DILUTION
 
   
     The pro forma net negative tangible book value of the Company as of June
30, 1998, after giving effect to the Pre-Offering Transactions, was $58.2
million, or $          per share of outstanding Common Stock on such date. Pro
forma net negative tangible book value per share is determined by dividing the
pro forma net negative tangible book value of the Company (total tangible assets
less total liabilities) by the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on a
pro forma basis, giving effect to the Pre-Offering Transactions. Without taking
into effect any changes in pro forma net negative tangible book value after June
30, 1998, other than to give effect to the sale by the Company of the
shares of Common Stock offered hereby and the application of the estimated net
proceeds therefrom (after deducting estimated offering expenses and the
underwriting discounts and commissions), the as adjusted pro forma net negative
tangible book value of the Company as of June 30, 1998 would have been $8.1
million, or $          per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro
forma net tangible book value of $          per share to existing shareholders
and an immediate dilution of $          per share to purchasers of Common Stock
in the Offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
    
 
   

                                                                  
Assumed initial public offering price per share.............            $
  Net negative tangible book value per share at June 30,
     1998...................................................  $    ()
  Adjustment(1).............................................
                                                              ------
  Pro forma net negative tangible book value per share
     before the Offering....................................       ()
  Increase attributable to new shareholders.................
                                                              ------
  Adjusted pro forma net negative tangible book value per
     share after the Offering...............................                 ()
                                                                        ------
Dilution per share to new shareholders......................            $
                                                                        ======

    
 
- ---------------
(1) The adjustment gives effect to the Pre-Offering Transactions.
 
   
     The following table sets forth, on a pro forma basis as of June 30, 1998,
giving effect to the Pre- Offering Transactions, the number of shares of Common
Stock purchased from the Company, the total consideration paid to the Company,
the average price per share paid by existing shareholders, and the average price
per share to be paid by purchasers of Common Stock in the Offering:
    
 


                                         SHARES PURCHASED       TOTAL CONSIDERATION
                                       --------------------    ---------------------    AVERAGE PRICE
                                        NUMBER      PERCENT      AMOUNT      PERCENT      PER SHARE
                                       ---------    -------    ----------    -------    -------------
                                                                         
Existing shareholders(1).............                     %    $                   %        $
New investors........................                                                       $
                                       ---------     -----     ----------     -----
     Total...........................                100.0%    $              100.0%
                                       =========     =====     ==========     =====

 
- ---------------
(1) With respect to the Company's executive officers, directors and
    greater-than-10% shareholders, and assuming the exercise of all outstanding
    stock options, the number of shares of Common Stock purchased from the
    Company, the total consideration paid to the Company, and the average price
    per share paid by such persons, are as follows:
 


                                         SHARES PURCHASED       TOTAL CONSIDERATION
                                       --------------------    ---------------------    AVERAGE PRICE
                                        NUMBER      PERCENT      AMOUNT      PERCENT      PER SHARE
                                       ---------    -------    ----------    -------    -------------
                                                                         
                                                          %                        %        $

 
     Except as otherwise indicated, the foregoing tables do not include (i)
10,154 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options at
exercise prices ranging from $0.45 to $285.65 per share, of which      shares
are subject to options which will be exercisable upon completion of the
Offering, or (ii) 12,850 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance
under the Company's 1996 Executive Incentive and Non- Qualified Stock Option
Plan, 1998 Incentive Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. See
"Management - Employee Benefit Plans."
 
                                       19
   21
 
                                 CAPITALIZATION
 
   
     The following table sets forth, as of June 30, 1998, (i) the actual
capitalization of the Company, (ii) the pro forma capitalization of the Company
after giving effect to the Pre-Offering Transactions and (iii) the pro forma as
adjusted capitalization of the Company after giving effect to the Pre-Offering
Transactions and the sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby and the
application of the estimated net proceeds therefrom (after deducting estimated
offering expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions). The information
set forth below should be read in conjunction with the Company's Combined
Financial Statements and notes thereto and "Management's Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" appearing elsewhere in this
Prospectus.
    
 
   


                                                                      JUNE 30, 1998
                                                         ----------------------------------------
                                                                                       PRO FORMA
                                                          ACTUAL      PRO FORMA(1)    AS ADJUSTED
                                                         ---------    ------------    -----------
                                                                             
Short-term debt........................................  $  16,553     $  16,553       $  16,553
Long-term debt:
  Senior credit facility...............................  $  49,489     $  49,489       $  37,098
  Subordinated debt....................................     19,786        19,786              --
  Other indebtedness...................................        262           262             262
  Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock (Class C).....     17,122        17,122              --
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
                                                            86,659        86,659          37,360
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
     Total long-term debt..............................
Common stock warrants..................................
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
  (Class A and Class B Preferred Stock)................     48,515            --              --
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
Shareholders' deficit:
  Common Stock, at stated value, 92,100 shares issued
     and outstanding, actual; 50,000,000 shares
     authorized,           shares issued and
     outstanding pro forma; and 50,000,000 shares
     authorized,           shares issued and
     outstanding, pro forma as adjusted(2).............        203           203             203
  Paid-in capital......................................      1,243        49,758         100,041
  Accumulated deficit..................................   (108,152)     (108,152)       (108,366)
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
     Total shareholders' deficit.......................   (106,706)      (58,191)         (8,122)
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
          Total capitalization.........................  $  28,468     $  28,468       $  29,238
                                                         =========     =========       =========

    
 
- ---------------
(1) See "Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Condensed Financial Statements."
   
(2) Excludes approximately 10,154 shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance
    upon the exercise of options at exercise prices ranging from $0.45 to
    $285.65 per share, outstanding at June 30, 1998, of which     shares were
    subject to options which will be exercisable upon completion of the
    Offering.
    
 
                                       20
   22
 
          UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
     Pursuant to the terms of a Purchase, Contribution and Exchange Agreement
dated April 29, 1998, by and among Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Company's
shareholders and warrantholders, immediately prior to completion of the Offering
as a part of the Pre-Offering Transactions: (i) all of the outstanding shares of
Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and the
Kirkland Companies will be recapitalized into or exchanged for an aggregate of
42,689 shares of Common Stock (at an assumed initial public offering price of
$          per share), and (ii) all of the outstanding shares of common stock of
the Kirkland Companies will be contributed to Kirkland's, Inc., resulting in the
Kirkland Companies becoming wholly-owned subsidiaries of Kirkland's, Inc.
Subsequently, but prior to completion of the Offering, the warrantholders of
Kirkland's, Inc., and the Kirkland Companies will exercise their warrants to
purchase 11,905 shares of common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the
Kirkland Companies, and the Kirkland Companies' common stock issued upon such
exercise will be contributed to Kirkland's, Inc. See "Certain
Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions." Also pursuant to the agreement,
Kirkland's, Inc. will purchase or redeem from current shareholders all of the
outstanding shares of Class C Preferred Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of
the Kirkland Companies that has Class C Preferred Stock outstanding, using a
portion of the net proceeds of the Offering.
 
   
     The pro forma combined condensed balance sheet as of June 30, 1998 and the
pro forma combined condensed statements of operations for the fiscal year 1997
and the six months ended June 30, 1998 which follow give effect to: (i) the
Pre-Offering Transactions, and (ii) the Offering and the application of the
estimated net proceeds therefrom as if such transactions had occurred as of the
beginning of the period.
    
 
     In the opinion of the Company all adjustments necessary to present fairly
such pro forma combined condensed statements of operations have been made. These
unaudited pro forma combined condensed statements of operations are not
necessarily indicative of what actual results would have been had the
transactions occurred at the beginning of the respective periods nor do they
purport to indicate the results of future operations of the Company. These
unaudited pro forma financial statements should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying notes.
 
                                       21
   23
 
              UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET
 
   
                                 JUNE 30, 1998
    
                                 (IN THOUSANDS)
 
   


                                                                  PRE-OFFERING                   OFFERING       PRO FORMA
                                                    HISTORICAL     ADJUSTMENTS    SUBTOTAL      ADJUSTMENTS    AS ADJUSTED
                                                    ----------   ---------------  ---------   ---------------  -----------
                                                                                          
ASSETS
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents.......................  $   2,304                     $   2,304                     $   2,304
  Inventories.....................................     30,913                        30,913                        30,913
  Other current assets............................      4,038                         4,038                         4,038
                                                    ---------                     ---------                     ---------
    Total current assets..........................     37,255                        37,255                        37,255
Property and equipment, net.......................     14,748                        14,748                        14,748
Noncurrent deferred income taxes..................        201                           201                           201
Debt issue costs, net.............................      3,766                         3,766                         3,766
                                                    ---------                     ---------                     ---------
    Total assets..................................     55,970                        55,970                        55,970
                                                    =========                     =========                     =========
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK AND
  SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Current maturities of long-term debt............     16,553                        16,553                        16,553
  Accounts payable and accrued liabilities........     10,949                        10,949        (770)  (d)      10,179
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
    Total current liabilities.....................     27,502           --           27,502        (770)           26,732
Senior credit facility............................     49,489                        49,489     (12,391)  (c)      37,098
Subordinated debt.................................     19,786                        19,786     (19,786)  (b)          --
Other indebtedness................................        262                           262                           262
Class C Preferred Stock...........................     17,122                        17,122     (17,122)  (d)          --
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
    Total liabilities.............................    114,161           --          114,161     (50,069)           64,092
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
Redeemable convertible preferred stock:
  Class A.........................................     35,912      (35,912)  (a)         --                            --
  Class B.........................................     12,603      (12,603)  (a)         --                            --
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
                                                       48,515      (48,515)              --          --                --
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
Shareholders' deficit:
  Common stock....................................        203                           203                           203
  Paid-in capital.................................      1,243                        49,758      50,283   (e)     100,041
                                                                    48,515   (a)
  Accumulated deficit.............................   (108,152)                     (108,152)       (214)  (b)    (108,366)
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
    Total shareholders' deficit...................   (106,706)      48,515          (58,191)     50,069            (8,122)
                                                    ---------     --------        ---------    --------         ---------
    Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock
      and shareholders' deficit...................  $  55,970     $     --        $  55,970    $     --         $  55,970
                                                    =========     ========        =========    ========         =========

    
 
- ---------------
   
(a) Represents the issuance of 42,689 shares of Common Stock upon the
    recapitalization or exchange of all outstanding Class A Preferred Stock and
    Class B Preferred Stock of Kirkland's Inc. and the Kirkland Companies (at an
    assumed initial public offering price of $         per share).
    
 
   
(b) Represents the full repayment of the subordinated debt from the estimated
    net proceeds of the Offering. The accretion of $214,000 of debt discount
    associated with the early extinguishment of the subordinated debt is also
    reflected. See "Use of Proceeds."
    
 
   
(c) Represents the repayment of approximately $12.4 million of senior
    indebtedness from the estimated net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of
    Proceeds."
    
 
   
(d) Represents the purchase or redemption of mandatorily redeemable Class C
    Preferred Stock for $17.9 million (including $770,000 of accrued amounts
    classified as interest associated with such preferred stock) from the
    estimated net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds."
    
 
   
(e) Represents the sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby at an
    assumed initial public offering price of $         per share, less
    underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.
    
 
                                       22
   24
 
           UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED CONDENSED STATEMENT OF INCOME
                (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA)
 
                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 


                                                                      PRE-OFFERING                 OFFERING       PRO FORMA
                                                        HISTORICAL    ADJUSTMENTS     SUBTOTAL    ADJUSTMENTS    AS ADJUSTED
                                                        ----------    ------------    --------    -----------    -----------
                                                                                                  
Net sales.............................................   $153,584                     $153,584                    $153,584
Cost of sales (including store occupancy costs).......     96,998                       96,998                      96,998
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
  Gross profit........................................     56,586                       56,586                      56,586
Operating expenses....................................     35,004                       35,004                      35,004
Severance charge......................................        756                          756                         756
Depreciation and amortization.........................      4,142                        4,142                       4,142
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
  Operating income....................................     16,684                       16,684                      16,684
Interest expense:
  Senior credit facility and other indebtedness.......      5,506                        5,506      $(1,159)(d)      4,347
  Subordinated debt...................................      2,484                        2,484       (2,484)(e)         --
  Class C Preferred Stock.............................      1,800                        1,800       (1,800)(f)         --
  Accretion of common stock warrants..................        389       $  (389)(b)         --                          --
Interest income.......................................        (80)                         (80)                        (80)
Other income, net.....................................       (154)                        (154)                       (154)
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
    Income before income taxes........................      6,739           389          7,128        5,443         12,571
Income tax provision..................................      2,817                        2,817        2,151(g)       4,968
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
    Net income........................................      3,922           389          4,311        3,292          7,603
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock and dividends
  accrued.............................................      3,755        (3,755)(c)         --                          --
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
Net income allocable to common stock(a)...............   $    167       $ 4,144       $  4,311      $ 3,292       $  7,603
                                                         ========       =======       ========      =======       ========
Income per common share(a):
 
  Basic...............................................                                $  27.49                    $
                                                                                      ========                    ========
  Diluted.............................................                                $  23.59                    $
                                                                                      ========                    ========
Weighted average number of common shares
  outstanding(a):
 
  Basic...............................................                                 142,689
                                                                                      ========                    ========
  Diluted.............................................                                 166,238
                                                                                      ========                    ========

 
   
                     FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1998
    
 
   


                                                                      PRE-OFFERING                 OFFERING       PRO FORMA
                                                        HISTORICAL    ADJUSTMENTS     SUBTOTAL    ADJUSTMENTS    AS ADJUSTED
                                                        ----------    ------------    --------    -----------    -----------
                                                                                                  
Net sales.............................................   $ 63,380       $             $ 63,380      $             $ 63,380
Cost of sales (including store occupancy costs).......     42,963                       42,963                      42,963
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
  Gross profit........................................     20,417            --         20,417           --         20,417
Operating expenses....................................     18,247            --         18,247           --         18,247
Depreciation and amortization.........................      2,344                        2,344                       2,344
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
  Operating loss......................................       (174)           --           (174)          --           (174)
Interest expense:
  Senior credit facility and other indebtedness.......      2,693                        2,693         (573)(d)      2,120
  Subordinated debt...................................      1,224                        1,224       (1,224)(e)         --
  Class C Preferred Stock.............................        770                          770         (770)(f)         --
Interest income.......................................       (112)                        (112)                       (112)
Other income, net.....................................       (151)                        (151)                       (151)
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
    Income (loss) before income taxes.................     (4,598)           --         (4,598)       2,567         (2,031)
Income tax provision (benefit)........................     (1,437)                      (1,437)         635(g)        (802)
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
    Net loss..........................................     (3,161)           --         (3,161)       1,932         (1,229)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock and dividends
  accrued.............................................      1,929        (1,929)(c)         --                          --
                                                         --------       -------       --------      -------       --------
Net loss allocable to common stock(a).................   $ (5,090)      $ 1,929       $ (3,161)     $ 1,932       $ (1,229)
                                                         ========       =======       ========      =======       ========
Income (loss) per common share(a):
 
  Basic...............................................                                $ (23.40)
                                                                                      ========                    ========
  Diluted.............................................                                $ (23.40)
                                                                                      ========                    ========
Weighted average number of common shares
  outstanding(a):
 
  Basic...............................................                                 135,092
                                                                                      ========                    ========
  Diluted.............................................                                 135,092
                                                                                      ========                    ========

    
 
- ---------------
(a) Assumes the Pre-Offering Transactions (as defined on page 5) were effected
    as of the beginning of the period, at an assumed initial public offering
    price of $    per share. At a different initial public offering price, the
    pro forma number of shares outstanding and pro forma net income (loss) per
    share would be different. See "Certain Transactions - Pre-Offering
    Transactions."
(b) Represents the reduction in accretion resulting from the exercise of
    detachable put warrants to purchase 11,905 shares of common stock of
    Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland Companies, and the contribution to
    Kirkland's, Inc. of the Kirkland Companies' common stock issued upon such
    exercise. The holders of these warrants agreed to terminate the put as of
    January 1, 1998.
(c) Represents the reduction in accretion and dividends accrued resulting from
    the issuance of 42,689 shares of Common Stock upon the recapitalization or
    exchange of all outstanding Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred
    Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies (at an assumed initial
    public offering price of $      per share).
   
(d) Represents the interest and amortization expense reduction resulting from
    repayment of approximately $12.4 million of senior indebtedness from the
    estimated net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds."
    
   
(e) Represents the interest and amortization expense reduction resulting from
    repayment of approximately $20.0 million of subordinated debt from the
    estimated net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds."
    
(f) Represents the interest expense reduction resulting from repayment of all
    outstanding mandatorily redeemable Class C Preferred Stock and amounts
    classified as interest associated with such preferred stock from the
    estimated net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds."
(g) Represents the tax effect of the foregoing adjustments, resulting in an
    effective statutory tax rate of approximately 39.5%, excluding the accretion
    of common stock warrants for 1997.
 
                                       23
   25
 
                        SELECTED COMBINED FINANCIAL DATA
 
   
     The selected statement of income data for each of the three years in the
period ended December 31, 1997 and the selected balance sheet data as of
December 31, 1996 and 1997 have been derived from the audited combined financial
statements of the Company included elsewhere in this Prospectus. The selected
balance sheet data and the selected statement of income data as of and for the
years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 have been derived from the Company's
financial statements for such periods audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
independent public accountants. The selected statement of income data for the
year ended December 31, 1995 have been derived from the Company's financial
statements for such period audited by KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, independent public
accountants. The selected balance sheet data as of December 31, 1993, 1994 and
1995 and the selected statement of income data for the years ended December 31,
1993 and 1994 have been derived from the audited combined financial statements
of the Company not included in this Prospectus. The selected financial data
presented below as of June 30, 1997 and 1998 and for the six-month periods then
ended have been derived from the unaudited combined financial statements of the
Company, which, in management's opinion, include all adjustments (consisting of
normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the
information set forth therein. The results of operations for the six months
ended June 30, 1998 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for
the entire year. The other data and selected store data for all periods
presented below have been derived from internal records of the Company's
operations. The data set forth below should be read in conjunction with the
Combined Financial Statements and notes thereto, and with "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations"
included elsewhere in this Prospectus.
    
 
   


                                                                                                    SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                                            YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                     JUNE 30,
                                               --------------------------------------------------   -----------------
                                                1993      1994       1995       1996       1997      1997      1998
                                               -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   -------   -------
                                                          (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA)
                                                                                         
STATEMENT OF INCOME DATA:
Net sales....................................  $85,326   $99,901   $112,035   $127,946   $153,584   $56,494   $63,380
Gross profit.................................   33,080    38,088     43,200     47,508     56,586    17,539    20,417
Operating expenses...........................   17,177    19,572     24,192     27,915     35,004    15,062    18,247
Severance charge(1)..........................       --        --         --         --        756        --        --
Recapitalization expenses....................       --        --         --        854         --        --        --
Owners' compensation(2)......................   12,314    15,123     13,926         --         --        --        --
Depreciation and amortization................    1,581     1,847      2,362      3,383      4,142     2,027     2,344
                                               -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   -------   -------
Operating income(loss).......................    2,008     1,546      2,720     15,356     16,684       450      (174)
Interest expense:
  Senior, subordinated and other notes
    payable..................................      777       940      1,415      5,114      7,990     4,062     3,917
  Class C Preferred Stock....................       --        --         --        990      1,800       900       770
  Accretion of common stock warrants(3)......       --        --         --        190        389       194        --
Interest income..............................      (58)     (126)      (162)       (47)       (80)     (114)     (112)
Other income, net............................     (184)     (255)      (221)      (147)      (154)     (110)     (151)
Income tax provision (benefit)...............       --        --         --      2,693      2,817    (1,412)   (1,437)
                                               -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   -------   -------
Net income(loss).............................    1,473       987      1,688      6,563      3,922    (3,070)   (3,161)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock and
  accrual of dividends(4)....................       --        --         --      2,313      3,755     1,877     1,929
                                               -------   -------   --------   --------   --------   -------   -------
Net income (loss) allocable to common
  stock......................................  $ 1,473   $   987   $  1,688   $  4,250   $    167   $(4,947)  $(5,090)
                                               =======   =======   ========   ========   ========   =======   =======
Earnings (loss) per common share
  Basic......................................  $14,730   $ 9,870   $ 16,880   $  76.18   $   1.67   $(49.47)  $(55.08)
  Diluted....................................  $14,730   $ 9,870   $ 16,880   $  65.55   $   1.35   $(49.47)  $(55.08)
Weighted average common and common equivalent
  shares outstanding
  Basic......................................      100       100        100     55,789    100,000   100,000    92,403
  Diluted....................................      100       100        100     62,838    123,549   100,000    92,403

    
 
                                       24
   26
 
   


                                                                                               SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                                        YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                    JUNE 30,
                                            -----------------------------------------------   -------------------
                                             1993      1994      1995      1996      1997       1997       1998
                                            -------   -------   -------   -------   -------   --------   --------
                                                         (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SELECTED STORE DATA)
                                                                                    
OTHER DATA:
EBITDA(5).................................  $16,087   $18,771   $19,229   $19,740   $21,736   $  2,587   $  2,321
Net cash provided by (used in) operating
  activities..............................    3,422     2,040     1,269    11,065     8,669    (11,984)   (15,503)
Net cash (used in) investing activities...    2,818     2,652    (4,130)   (4,205)   (5,479)    (3,142)    (3,677)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing
  activities..............................      772     1,320     3,278      (982)   (3,537)     3,898     10,603
SELECTED STORE DATA:
Comparable store net sales increase(6)....     7.1%      4.4%      0.7%      1.4%      5.2%       8.5%       (0.9%)
Number of stores at end of period.........       80        91       104       120       138        127        144
Average net sales per store (in
  thousands)(7)...........................  $ 1,159   $ 1,159   $ 1,145   $ 1,147   $ 1,178   $    462   $    434     
Average gross square footage per
  store(8)................................    3,753     3,821     3,942     4,091     4,186      4,208      4,323

    
 
   


                                                              DECEMBER 31,
                                            ------------------------------------------------   JUNE 30,
                                             1993     1994     1995      1996        1997        1998
                                            -------  -------  -------  ---------   ---------   ---------
                                                                   (IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                             
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Working capital...........................  $11,147  $12,494  $15,017  $  17,173   $  15,792   $   9,753
Total assets..............................   22,518   25,461   32,584     45,636      49,884      55,970
Total long-term and short-term debt,
  including mandatorily redeemable Class C
  Preferred Stock.........................    9,491   10,479   13,291     92,134      88,597     103,212
Common stock warrants.....................       --       --       --        490         879
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
  (Class A and Class B Preferred Stock)...       --       --       --     46,836      50,591      48,515
Shareholders' equity (deficit)............  $ 8,405  $ 9,724  $11,879  $(102,655)  $(102,488)  $(106,706)

    
 
- ---------------
(1) The 1997 severance charge represents the total salary continuation payments
    which the Company is required to make to a former management employee who
    resigned in 1997.
 
(2) Owners' compensation represents distributions to the Company's shareholders
    during the periods when Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies were
    Subchapter S corporations, prior to the Recapitalization. Such distributions
    ceased upon the Recapitalization. See "Certain
    Transactions - Recapitalization."
 
(3) Reflects accretion to the fair value of detachable put warrants to purchase
    Common Stock, issued by the Company in connection with its issuance of
    subordinated debt. The holders of these warrants agreed to terminate the put
    as of January 1, 1998.
 
(4) Reflects the accretion of the Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred
    Stock to its redemption value and the accrual of dividends on such preferred
    stock at 8% annually.
 
(5) The term EBITDA as used herein represents income before income taxes, net
    interest expense, depreciation and amortization expense, owners'
    compensation and non-recurring charges. While EBITDA should not be
    considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, cash flow from
    operations or any other measure of income or cash flow that is prepared in
    accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or as a measure of
    a company's profitability or liquidity, EBITDA has been presented because
    the Company believes it is commonly used in this or a similar format by
    investors to analyze and compare operating performance as well as to provide
    additional information with respect to the ability of the Company to meet
    its future debt service, capital expenditure and working capital
    requirements. EBITDA may differ in method of calculation from similarly
    titled measures used by other companies. This information should be read in
    conjunction with the Combined Statement of Cash Flows contained in the
    Combined Financial Statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this
    Prospectus.
 
(6) For periods ended on or before December 31, 1996, comparable stores were
    defined as those stores opened prior to January 1 of the preceding fiscal
    year. Effective January 1, 1997, in response to increased expansion and
    remodeling activity, the Company modified the way comparable store net sales
    are calculated to more accurately reflect the Company's ongoing expansion
    and remodeling program. Commencing January 1, 1997, the Company excluded
    from comparable store net sales calculations each store that was expanded,
    remodeled or relocated during the applicable period. Each such store is
    returned to the comparable store base on January 1 of the first year
    following the one-year anniversary of the expansion, remodeling or
    relocation.
 
(7) Calculated using net sales of all stores open at both the beginning and the
    end of the period.
 
(8) Calculated using gross square footage of all stores open at both the
    beginning and the end of the period. Gross square footage includes the
    storage, receiving and office space that generally occupies approximately
    30% of total store space.
 
                                       25
   27
 
                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
                OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
     A number of the matters and subject areas discussed in "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and
"Business" and elsewhere in this Prospectus are not limited to historical or
current facts and deal with potential future circumstances and developments, and
are accordingly "forward-looking statements." Prospective investors are
cautioned that such forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words
such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and
similar expressions, are only predictions and that actual events or results may
differ materially.
 
OVERVIEW
 
     Kirkland's opened its first store in 1966 and has generated operating
income in each year of its operations. The Company has expanded its business
steadily over the years, focusing originally on middle markets in the Southeast,
and more recently opening stores in markets of varying size and geography. The
Company accelerated its expansion beginning in 1990, more than doubling its
store base from 50 stores at the end of 1990 to 104 stores at the end of 1995.
During this same period, which preceded the Recapitalization (as defined below),
the Company's net sales and operating income before owners' compensation grew at
compounded annual rates of 20.3% and 24.3%, respectively. In 1995, the Company's
operating income before owners' compensation as a percentage of net sales was
14.9%.
 
   
     On June 12, 1996, the Company completed a leveraged recapitalization (the
"Recapitalization") which included the following principal components: (i) the
creation of two classes of redeemable convertible preferred stock - Class A
Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock; (ii) the creation of a class of
mandatorily redeemable preferred stock - Class C Preferred Stock; (iii) the
distribution of all of the Class B Preferred Stock and Class C Preferred Stock
to the existing shareholders of the Company; (iv) the sale of newly issued
shares of common stock and all of the Class A Preferred Stock for cash of $30.8
million to a group of new investors led by Advent International Corporation
("Advent"); (v) the issuance of $20.0 million of senior subordinated notes due
June 2003; (vi) the issuance of $52 million of variable rate senior debt under
the Company's senior credit facility, with quarterly principal and interest
payments through June 2002; (vii) the repurchase and cancellation of 68.4% of
the aggregate common stock of the existing shareholders of the Company for cash
of $83.1 million; and (viii) the repayment of existing indebtedness of the
Company totaling $19.2 million. Total transaction - related fees for the
Recapitalization amounted to approximately $6.3 million. Of this amount,
financing costs of approximately $5.9 million associated with the senior
subordinated notes and the senior debt were deferred and are being amortized
over the life of this debt. The Company will apply a portion of the net proceeds
of the Offering to repay the senior subordinated notes and a portion of the
senior debt. See "Use of Proceeds." Moreover, the Company expects to enter into
a new credit facility upon completion of the Offering to refinance the existing
senior credit facility and, in such event, the Company will write off the
remaining unamortized portion of the senior debt financing costs ($3.8 million
at June 30, 1998) in the quarter in which the refinancing occurs.
    
 
     In connection with the Recapitalization, the Company entered into
employment agreements with three key management employees and a consulting
agreement with another individual, all of whom were existing shareholders of the
Company. On January 7, 1998, the Company redeemed and retired the stock of one
of these management employees in connection with his November 1997 resignation.
As a result of his resignation, the Company incurred a severance charge of
$756,000 in 1997, representing the total salary continuation payments which the
Company is required to make to this former management employee through June
2000. See "Certain Transactions - January 1998 Redemption."
 
     Prior to June 12, 1996, the Company elected to be taxed as a Subchapter S
corporation for federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Company recorded
no taxes and shareholders paid tax on their respective shares of taxable income,
even if such income was not distributed. The Company's typical practice was to
pay, on an annual basis, a substantial portion of the Company's income to
shareholders as owners' compensation.
 
     Until the Pre-Offering Transactions, which will take place immediately
prior to completion of the Offering, Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies
will continue to receive certain tax benefits ("surtax exemptions") due to
graduating tax rates applicable to each separate corporate entity. The benefits
derived
 
                                       26
   28
 
from such surtax exemptions amounted to approximately 10% of income before
income taxes in 1996 and 1997. These benefits will no longer be available to the
Company after the Kirkland Companies become wholly-owned subsidiaries of the
Company pursuant to the Pre-Offering Transactions.
 
     As a result of the Recapitalization, the Company has incurred an expense
related to the accretion of common stock warrants based on the increase in their
fair market value through 1997. The fair value of the warrants, subsequent to
issuance, was based on the difference between the exercise price of $.01 and the
fair market value of the Company's Common Stock. As discussed in "Description of
Capital Stock - Warrants," these warrants will be exercised in connection with
the Offering.
 
     The Recapitalization also included the issuance of the Class A Preferred
Stock and Class B Preferred Stock. Approximately $430,000 of issuance costs were
incurred in connection with the Class A Preferred Stock. These costs were
recorded as a reduction in the amount contributed and are being accreted against
income over the expected conversion period of approximately two years. The Class
A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock each carry an 8% annual dividend,
which reduces net income allocable to common stock. The accrual of such
dividends and the related accretion of the preferred stock to its redemption
value will terminate in connection with the conversion or exchange of such
preferred stock into or for Common Stock pursuant to the Pre-Offering
Transactions.
 
     Since the Recapitalization, the Company has continued to expand, opening 17
new stores in 1996, 20 new stores in 1997 and eight new stores in the first half
of 1998. The Company also has made considerable investments in management and
infrastructure to support an increased rate of expansion in the future. These
investments have included management personnel additions within the areas of
finance, real estate and merchandising. Further, in 1997, a new regional
management structure was implemented to augment the Company's existing district
management structure. The Company also made a strategic decision to increase the
number of salaried assistant managers in its stores in order to strengthen
store-level operations as well as to identify and train future store manager
candidates. In addition, in March 1998 the Company commenced an expansion of its
headquarters facility to a total of approximately 40,000 square feet, at an
estimated cost of $2.2 million to be funded from cash flow from operations.
 
     As a result of the growth in the number of stores operated by the Company
over the past several years, increases in the Company's total net sales have
been principally attributable to increases in the number of units sold and, to a
lesser extent, to increases in the prices of the Company's merchandise. In
contrast, changes in comparable store net sales have generally been primarily
due to increases in merchandise prices and, to a lesser extent, to changes in
the number of units sold.
 
     In 1997, the Company had net sales of $153.6 million and its operating
income (before severance charge) as a percentage of net sales was 11.4%, one of
the highest among comparable specialty retailers.
 
                                       27
   29
 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
     The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, combined
statement of income data expressed as a percentage of net sales:
 
   


                                                                          SIX MONTHS
                                                                            ENDED
                                             YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,       JUNE 30,
                                             -----------------------    --------------
                                             1995     1996     1997     1997     1998
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
                                                                  
Net sales..................................  100.0%   100.0%   100.0%   100.0%   100.0%
Cost of sales (including store occupancy
  costs)...................................   61.4     62.9     63.2     69.0     67.8
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
  Gross profit.............................   38.6     37.1     36.8     31.0     32.2
Operating expenses.........................   21.6     21.8     22.8     26.7     28.8
Severance charge(1)........................     --       --      0.5       --       --
Recapitalization expenses..................     --      0.7       --       --       --
Owners' compensation(2)....................   12.4       --       --       --       --
Depreciation and amortization..............    2.1      2.6      2.7      3.6      3.7
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
  Operating income (loss)..................    2.5     12.0     10.8      0.8     (0.3)
Interest expense:
  Senior, subordinated and other notes
     payable...............................    1.3      4.0      5.2      7.2      6.2
  Class C Preferred Stock(3)...............     --      0.8      1.2      1.6      1.2
  Accretion of common stock warrants.......     --      0.1      0.3      0.3       --
Interest income............................   (0.1)      --     (0.1)    (0.2)    (0.2)
Other income, net..........................   (0.2)    (0.1)    (0.1)    (0.2)    (0.2)
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
  Income (loss) before income taxes........    1.5      7.2      4.3     (7.9)    (7.3)
Income tax provision (benefit).............     --      2.1      1.8     (2.5)    (2.3)
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
  Net income (loss)........................    1.5      5.1      2.5     (5.4)    (5.0)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock and
  accrual of dividends (Class A and B
  Preferred Stock).........................     --      1.8      2.4      3.3      3.0
                                             -----    -----    -----    -----    -----
Net income (loss) allocable to common
  stock....................................    1.5      3.3      0.1     (8.8)    (8.0)
                                             =====    =====    =====    =====    =====

    
 
- ---------------
(1) The 1997 severance charge represents the total salary continuation payments
    which the Company is required to make to a former management employee who
    resigned in 1997.
(2) Owners' compensation represents distributions to the Company's shareholders
    during the periods when Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies were
    Subchapter S corporations, prior to the Recapitalization. Such distributions
    ceased upon the Recapitalization.
(3) The mandatorily redeemable Class C Preferred Stock is reflected as debt, and
    the amounts paid by the Company with respect to such preferred stock are
    classified as interest expense, in the Company's Combined Financial
    Statements. See Note 6 of "Notes to Combined Financial Statements."
 
   
  Six Months Ended June 30, 1998 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 1997
    
 
   
     Net sales increased by 12.2% to $63.4 million for the six months ended June
30, 1998 from $56.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 1997. This
increase resulted primarily from the opening of 12 new stores during the final
two quarters of 1997 and eight new stores during the first two quarters of 1998,
offset in part by the closing of two stores in the first quarter of 1997 and two
stores in the first quarter of 1998. In addition, comparable store net sales
declined by 0.9% during the first half of 1998. This decline was attributable
primarily to (i) a difficult comparison to the first six months of 1997, when
comparable store net sales increased 8.5%, and (ii) a decline in average
inventory per store as compared to the prior year. The Company believes that the
decline in average inventory per store resulted primarily from delays in
merchandise delivery from certain vendors during March, April and May 1998. The
timeliness of merchandise deliveries has improved since that time.
    
 
   
     The overall $6.9 million increase was due to $7.3 million from new stores
and stores not in the comparable store net sales calculation, offset by
decreases in comparable store net sales in the amount of $0.4 million. The
decrease in comparable store net sales was due primarily to a decline in the
number of
    
 
                                       28
   30
 
   
transactions, partially offset by a higher average transaction size. The
increase in average transaction size resulted primarily from the Company's
strategy of increasing its average product prices and deemphasizing lower-priced
products.
    
 
   
     Gross profit, equal to net sales less cost of sales, was $20.4 million, or
32.2% of net sales, in the first six months of 1998 as compared to $17.5
million, or 31.0% of net sales, in the first six months of 1997. Cost of sales
includes the cost of inventory and store occupancy costs. The increase in gross
profit as a percentage of net sales resulted from an improvement in product
gross margin (gross profit before store occupancy costs, as a percentage of net
sales) due to strong sell-through, offset in part by an increase in store
occupancy costs as a percentage of net sales. Comparable store gross profit
increased 3.5% during the first six months of 1998.
    
 
   
     Operating expenses were $18.2 million, or 28.8% of net sales, in the first
six months of 1998 as compared to $15.1 million, or 26.7% of net sales, in the
first six months of 1997. This increase as a percentage of net sales was
primarily attributable to an increase in store salary expense, due principally
to the Company's strategic decision in late 1996 to increase the number of
salaried assistant store managers. This decision, which was implemented over the
course of the year in 1997, led to a higher number of salaried assistant store
managers in the first six months of 1998 as compared to the prior year period.
In addition, the increase as a percentage of net sales resulted from an increase
in corporate salary expense, primarily due to the implementation of a new store
operations regional management structure during 1997 in anticipation of future
store growth. To a lesser extent, the percentage increase also resulted from an
increase in the amount of local warehouse space leased by the Company.
    
 
   
     Depreciation and amortization expense was $2.3 million, or 3.7% of net
sales, in the first six months of 1998 as compared to $2.0 million, or 3.6% of
net sales, in the first six months of 1997. The increase resulted primarily from
an increase in depreciable assets due to the Company's new store openings during
1997 and 1998.
    
 
   
     Interest expense on senior, subordinated and other notes payable decreased
slightly to $3.9 million in the first six months of 1998 from $4.1 million in
the first six months of 1997. Average debt balances were lower in the first six
months of 1998 as compared to the prior year period due to principal payments
made during 1997. Interest expense associated with mandatorily redeemable Class
C Preferred Stock issued in connection with the Recapitalization (reflected as
debt on the Company's Combined Financial Statements) decreased to $770,000 in
the first six months of 1998 from $900,000 in the first six months of 1997,
reflecting the redemption in January 1998 of the Class C Preferred Stock of a
former management employee.
    
 
   
     The Company received an income tax benefit of $1.4 million in the first six
months of 1998, equivalent to a benefit of $1.4 million that it received in the
first six months of 1997. The income tax benefit expressed as a percentage of
income before income taxes for the first six months of 1998 and 1997 was 31.3%
and 31.5%, respectively. The effective tax rate was lower than the statutory tax
rate by approximately 8% of income before income taxes due to surtax exemptions
in the first six months of both 1998 and 1997.
    
 
   
     Net loss allocable to common stock increased slightly to $5.1 million in
the first six months of 1998 from $4.9 million in the first six months of 1997,
resulting principally from the above factors.
    
 
  Year Ended December 31, 1997 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 1996
 
     Net sales increased by 20.0% to $153.6 million for the year ended December
31, 1997 from $127.9 million for the year ended December 31, 1996. This increase
resulted primarily from the opening of 20 new Kirkland's stores, including the
Company's first outlet store, and an increase in comparable store net sales of
5.2%, offset in part by the closing of one store in 1996 and two stores in 1997.
Of this $25.7 million increase, new stores and stores not in the comparable
store net sales calculation accounted for $20.4 million. Increases in comparable
store net sales contributed the remaining $5.3 million. The Company's net sales
also benefited from the operation of the Company's first two temporary stores
during the fourth quarter. The increase in comparable store net sales was due
primarily to a higher average transaction size as compared to the prior year. To
a lesser extent, the Company's comparable stores also experienced an increase in
the number of transactions.
 
                                       29
   31
 
     Gross profit was $56.6 million, or 36.8% of net sales, in 1997 as compared
to $47.5 million, or 37.1% of net sales, in 1996. The decline in gross profit as
a percentage of net sales resulted primarily from an increase in store occupancy
costs as a percentage of net sales in 1997.
 
     Operating expenses were $35.0 million, or 22.8% of net sales, in 1997 as
compared to $27.9 million, or 21.8% of net sales, in 1996. This increase as a
percentage of net sales was primarily attributable to an increase in store
salary expense. In particular, the Company made strategic decisions in late 1996
to increase the salary levels of store managers and to increase, over the course
of the year in 1997, the overall number of salaried assistant store managers. To
a lesser extent, the increase as a percentage of net sales also resulted from an
increase in corporate salary expense in anticipation of future store growth.
 
     The Company incurred no recapitalization expenses in 1997, as compared to
$854,000 of such expenses, or 0.7% of net sales, in 1996 in connection with the
Recapitalization. A severance charge of $756,000, or 0.5% of net sales, was
recorded in 1997 representing the remaining obligations of the Company under an
employment agreement with a former management employee who resigned during the
year.
 
     Depreciation and amortization expense was $4.1 million, or 2.7% of net
sales, in 1997 as compared to $3.4 million, or 2.6% of net sales, in 1996. This
increase as a percentage of net sales resulted from a full year of amortization
of debt issuance costs associated with the Recapitalization.
 
     Interest expense on senior, subordinated and other notes payable increased
to $8.0 million in 1997 from $5.1 million in 1996, primarily due to a full year
of interest on the additional debt incurred in connection with the
Recapitalization completed in June 1996. Interest expense associated with
mandatorily redeemable Class C Preferred Stock increased to $1.8 million in 1997
from $1.0 million in 1996, due to a full year on this obligation incurred in
connection with the Recapitalization. Further, expense relating to the accretion
of common stock warrants increased to $389,000 in 1997 from $190,000 in 1996.
The Company had $20.1 million of debt outstanding immediately prior to the
Recapitalization and $94 million of debt outstanding upon completion of the
Recapitalization.
 
     Income tax provision increased to $2.8 million for 1997 from $2.7 million
in 1996. The income tax provision expressed as a percentage of income before
income taxes in 1997 and 1996 was 41.8% and 29.1%, respectively. The Company
received a tax benefit from surtax exemptions which lowered its statutory tax
rate by 10.3% and 10.0% of income before income taxes in 1997 and 1996,
respectively. The 1997 effective tax rate was higher than the 1996 effective tax
rate due to a charge of 10.4% related to a valuation allowance recorded in 1997
regarding the realization of net operating loss carry-forwards that originated
in 1997 on a separate return basis. In addition, the 1996 effective tax rate was
reduced by a one-time benefit of $379,000 in connection with the termination of
Subchapter S corporation status, which took place in connection with the
Recapitalization.
 
     Net income allocable to common stock decreased to $167,000, or 0.1% of net
sales, in 1997 from $4.3 million, or 3.3% of net sales, in 1996. This decrease
resulted from the above factors as well as the increase in accretion of
redeemable convertible Class A and Class B Preferred Stock and dividends accrued
to $3.8 million, or 2.4% of net sales, in 1997 from $2.3 million, or 1.8% of net
sales, in 1996, due to the preferred stock being outstanding for a full year in
1997.
 
  Year Ended December 31, 1996 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 1995
 
     Net sales increased by 14.2% to $127.9 million for the year ended December
31, 1996 from $112.0 million for the year ended December 31, 1995. This increase
resulted primarily from the opening of 17 new Kirkland's stores and an increase
in comparable store net sales of 1.4%, offset in part by the closing of one
Kirkland's store during 1996. Of this $15.9 million increase, new stores and
stores not in the comparable store net sales calculation accounted for $14.5
million. Increases in comparable store net sales contributed the remaining $1.4
million. The increase in comparable store net sales was due primarily to a
higher average transaction size, reflecting higher average unit prices as
compared to the prior year, partially offset by a decline in the number of
transactions.
 
     Gross profit was $47.5 million, or 37.1% of net sales, in 1996 as compared
to $43.2 million, or 38.6% of net sales, in 1995. The decline in gross profit as
a percentage of net sales resulted primarily from an increase in store occupancy
costs as a percentage of net sales and, to a lesser extent, from a decrease in
the Company's
 
                                       30
   32
 
product gross margin. In 1995, product gross margin was particularly high due to
strong sell-through and the attendant lower mark-down rates.
 
     Operating expenses were $27.9 million, or 21.8% of net sales, in 1996 as
compared to $24.2 million, or 21.6% of net sales, in 1995. This increase as a
percentage of net sales was primarily due to the minimum wage increase and an
increase in the amount of local store warehouse space leased by the Company.
 
     The Company incurred recapitalization expenses of $854,000, or 0.7% of net
sales, in 1996 in connection with the Recapitalization. There were no
recapitalization expenses in 1995. The Company incurred no owners' compensation
expenses in 1996, as compared to $13.9 million of such expenses, or 12.4% of net
sales, in 1995.
 
     Depreciation and amortization expense was $3.4 million, or 2.6% of net
sales, in 1996 as compared to $2.4 million, or 2.1% of net sales, in 1995. This
increase as a percentage of net sales resulted primarily from the amortization
of debt issuance costs associated with the Recapitalization, which expense was
not incurred in 1995. In addition, depreciation expense also increased as a
percentage of net sales due to additional depreciable assets from new stores.
 
     Interest expense on senior, subordinated and other notes payable increased
to $5.1 million in 1996 from $1.4 million in 1995, primarily due to interest on
the debt incurred in connection with the Recapitalization. Interest expense
associated with mandatorily redeemable Class C Preferred Stock was $1.0 million
in 1996. No Class C Preferred Stock was outstanding during 1995. Additionally,
the accretion of common stock warrants totaled $190,000 in 1996. No such
accretion was recorded in 1995 as no warrants were outstanding in 1995.
 
     Income tax provision in 1996 was $2.7 million, or 29.1% of income before
income taxes. The Company received a tax benefit from surtax exemptions which
lowered its statutory tax rate by 10.0% in 1996. Prior to the Recapitalization
of June 1996, the Company elected to be taxed as a Subchapter S corporation for
federal income tax purposes. As a result, in 1995 the Company recorded no taxes
and instead shareholders paid tax on their respective shares of taxable income,
even if such income was not distributed. The Company's typical practice was to
pay, on an annual basis, a substantial portion of the Company's income to
shareholders as owners' compensation. This practice ceased with the
Recapitalization, in connection with which the Company's S corporation status
was terminated.
 
   
     Net income allocable to common stock increased to $4.3 million, or 3.3% of
net sales, in 1996 from $1.7 million, or 1.5% of net sales, in 1995. This
increase resulted from the above factors, offset in part by the accretion of
redeemable convertible Class A and Class B Preferred Stock and dividends accrued
of $2.3 million. No preferred stock and no warrants were outstanding in 1995.
    
 
SEASONALITY AND QUARTERLY FLUCTUATIONS
 
     The Company has historically experienced and expects to continue to
experience substantial seasonal fluctuations in its net sales and operating
income. The Company believes this is the general pattern typical of its segment
of the retail industry and, as a result, expects that this pattern will continue
in the future. The Company's quarterly results of operations may also fluctuate
significantly as a result of a variety of other factors, including the timing of
new store openings. Consequently, comparisons between quarters are not
necessarily meaningful and the results for any quarter are not necessarily
indicative of future results.
 
                                       31
   33
 
   
     The following table sets forth certain unaudited financial and operating
data for the Company in each quarter during 1996 and 1997. The unaudited
quarterly information includes all normal recurring adjustments which management
considers necessary for a fair presentation of the information shown.
    
 


                                                                     1996
                                         ------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                         ----------------------------------------------    YEAR ENDED
                                         MARCH 31     JUNE 30     SEPT. 30     DEC. 31      DEC. 31
                                         ---------    --------    ---------    --------    ----------
                                                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT STORE DATA)
                                                                            
Net sales..............................   $21,742     $24,358      $27,635     $54,211      $127,946
Gross profit...........................     6,709       8,386        9,382      23,031        47,508
Operating income(1)....................         3         645        2,085      12,623        15,356
Stores open at period end..............       104         111          113         120           120
Comparable store net sales increase
  (decrease)(3)........................       4.0%        4.0%        (1.1)%       0.3%          1.4%

 
   


                                                                     1997
                                         ------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                         ----------------------------------------------    YEAR ENDED
                                         MARCH 31     JUNE 30     SEPT. 30     DEC. 31      DEC. 31
                                         ---------    --------    ---------    --------    ----------
                                                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT STORE DATA)
                                                                            
Net sales..............................   $26,178     $30,316      $33,120     $63,970      $153,584
Gross profit...........................     7,559       9,980       11,381      27,666        56,586
Operating income (loss)(2).............      (836)      1,286        1,760      14,474        16,684
Stores open at period end..............       120         127          135         138           138
Comparable store net sales
  increase(3)..........................       4.8%       11.3%         6.7%        1.2%          5.2%

    
 
- ---------------
(1) Operating income for the third quarter of 1996 reflects $854,000 of
    recapitalization expenses incurred in connection with the Recapitalization.
 
(2) Operating income for the fourth quarter of 1997 reflects a severance charge
    of $756,000 representing the total salary continuation payments which the
    Company is required to make to a former management employee who resigned in
    1997.
 
(3) For periods ended on or before December 31, 1996, comparable stores were
    defined as those stores opened prior to January 1 of the preceding fiscal
    year. Effective January 1, 1997, in response to increased expansion and
    remodeling activity, the Company modified the way comparable store net sales
    are calculated to more accurately reflect the Company's ongoing expansion
    and remodeling program. Commencing January 1, 1997, the Company excluded
    from comparable store net sales calculations each store that was expanded,
    remodeled or relocated during the applicable period. Each such store is
    returned to the comparable store base on January 1 of the first year
    following the one-year anniversary of the expansion, remodeling or
    relocation.
 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
 
     Most of the Company's capital requirements relate to new store openings and
seasonal working capital. The Company's working capital requirements are for
inventory purchases, which typically reach their peak in the fourth quarter of
the year. Historically, the Company has funded its store expansion program and
met its working capital requirements from internally generated funds and
borrowings under its credit facilities.
 
   
     During 1995, 1996 and 1997, net cash provided by operating activities was
$1.3 million, $11.1 million and $8.7 million, whereas $15.5 million was used in
operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 1998. During 1995, 1996,
1997 and the six months ended June 30, 1998, net cash used in investing
activities was $4.1 million, $4.2 million, $5.5 million and $3.7 million,
respectively, consisting primarily of capital expenditures related to new stores
and expansions or remodels of existing stores. In 1995, financing activities
provided net cash of $3.3 million, due primarily to proceeds from the issuance
of long-term debt. In 1996 and 1997, $1.0 million and $3.5 million,
respectively, was used in financing activities. For the six months ended June
30, 1998, net cash of $10.6 million was provided by financing activities. In
1996, the principal sources of cash from financing activities were proceeds from
the issuance of long-term debt and the Class A Preferred Stock and Common Stock
in connection with the Recapitalization, whereas the principal uses of cash used
in
    
 
                                       32
   34
 
   
financing activities in 1996 were the repurchase of a portion of shareholders'
Common Stock and repayment of long-term debt in connection with the
Recapitalization. In 1997, the cash used in financing activities was for
repayment of long-term debt. For the six months ended June 30, 1998, the
principal sources of cash in financing activities were proceeds from the
revolving line of credit and the issuance of long-term debt, offset by the
payment of $6.9 million for the redemption of stock and $1.2 million of
principal payments on long-term debt. See "Certain Transactions - January 1998
Redemption."
    
 
   
     In addition to the 35 stores added through the acquisition of Briar Patch, 
the Company expects to open approximately 27 new stores during 1998, eight of
which were opened during the first half of 1998. Capital expenditures, including
leasehold improvements and furniture and fixtures, for the 20 new stores opened
during 1997 averaged approximately $185,000 (net of landlord allowances), and
initial gross inventory requirements (which were partially financed by trade
credit) averaged approximately $230,000 per store. Opening inventory
requirements at new stores vary significantly depending upon the time of year
when the store is opened, expected sales volume and store size. The Company's
cash needs for opening new stores in 1998 are expected to total $9.1 million,
$5.0 million of which is budgeted for capital expenditures and $4.1 million of
which is budgeted for initial inventory. During the six months ended June 30,
1998, the Company incurred $1.8 million in capital expenditures for the three
new stores opened during the period and $1.2 million in initial inventory
purchases relating to such new stores.
    
 
     The Company intends to expand six stores in 1998 and to remodel an
additional six stores in 1998. Capital expenditures for the Company's 1998
expansions and remodels are expected to total $2.5 million, of which $300,000
was incurred for the one expansion and the one remodel in the first quarter.
 
   
     The Company's total planned capital expenditures for 1998 are $11.0
million, of which $3.8 million was incurred in the six months ended June 30,
1998. In addition to providing for new stores, expanded stores and remodeled
stores, these planned capital expenditures include $2.2 million for the
Company's planned corporate headquarters expansion and $1.5 million for the
upgrade of the Company's POS computer system. The Company's existing senior
credit facility limits the Company's 1998 new store openings to 25 and limits
capital expenditures to $5.5 million. As a result, a waiver or amendment of this
limitation will be required in order for the Company to carry out its total
growth plans and total planned capital expenditures in 1998. Under the existing
limitation on 1998 capital expenditures, the Company estimates that it would be
able to open a total of only approximately 20 stores and would not be able to
complete any additional store expansions or remodels. In addition, the Company
would not be able to complete the expansion of its corporate headquarters or the
upgrade of its POS computer system in 1998. As discussed below, the Company is
in negotiations to obtain a new senior credit facility to replace the Company's
existing senior credit facility upon completion of the Offering which will,
among other things, provide for a level of permitted capital expenditures
sufficient for the Company to carry out its 1998 growth plans in full.
    
 
   
     The Company's principal sources of capital are internally generated funds
and borrowings under its credit facilities. In accordance with the agreement
governing the Company's senior credit facility, the Company has a $20 million
revolving line of credit. The line of credit has a maturity date of June 30,
2001 and bears interest at the Company's option either at (i) 3.25% plus LIBOR
or (ii) the higher of the prime rate plus 2.25% or the federal funds rate plus
2.75%. The line of credit requires a thirty-day consecutive zero balance between
December 1 and March 1 of each year. In addition, the line of credit restricts
levels of capital expenditures and restricts the incurrence of debt and payments
in respect of capital stock and junior indebtedness. As of June 30, 1998, the
Company had $11,725,000 in outstanding borrowings under the line of credit and
availability to borrow up to $20 million.
    
 
   
     The line of credit also requires the maintenance of various financial
ratios and covenants, which the Company has maintained as required. For the 12
months ended June 30, 1998, the Company was required to maintain (i) a ratio of
total debt to EBITDA of less than 3.5x, (ii) an adjusted net worth of greater
than $70 million, (iii) a ratio of EBITDA to interest expense of greater than
2.4x, and (iv) a fixed charge coverage ratio (EBITDA plus lease expense minus
taxes minus capital expenditures, divided by interest expense plus principal
payments plus lease expense) of 1.0x. For the same period, the levels at which
these ratios and covenants were actually maintained by the Company were (i)
3.4x, (ii) $72.0 million, (iii) $2.8x and (iv) 1.03x, respectively.
    
 
     The Company is in negotiations to obtain a $45 million senior term loan and
a $35 million five-year revolving credit facility which the Company plans to
enter into upon completion of the Offering, to replace its
                                       33
   35
 
existing senior credit facility. The new revolving credit facility is expected
to replace the Company's current line of credit facility. Borrowings under the
new revolving credit facility are expected to be subject to certain customary
conditions and contain customary events of default. There can be no assurance
that the new revolving credit facility will be successfully negotiated.
 
   
     The Company financed the Briar Patch acquisition and related working
capital needs with $6.0 million in additional borrowings under its senior credit
agreement.
    
 
   
     The Company believes that it can adequately fund its planned capital
expenditures and working capital requirements (including the new revolving
credit facility currently under negotiation) through the end of 1999 from net
cash provided by operations and availability under revolving credit facilities.
    
 
INFLATION
 
     The Company does not believe that its operating results have been
materially affected by inflation during the preceding three years. There can be
no assurance, however, that the Company's operating results will not be
adversely affected by inflation in the future.
 
IMPACT OF RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
 
     In June 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FAS 130,
Reporting Comprehensive Income ("SFAS No. 130"). This statement establishes
standards for reporting comprehensive income and its components in a full set of
general-purpose financial statements. SFAS No. 130 requires that all items that
are required to be recognized under accounting standards as components of
comprehensive income be reported in a financial statement that is displayed with
the same prominence as other financial statements. This statement is effective
for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1997. Currently, the Company does
not have any items that are required to be recognized as components of
comprehensive income.
 
     In June 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FAS 131,
Disclosure about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information ("SFAS No.
131"). This statement revises the current requirements for reporting business
segments by redefining such segments as the way management disaggregates the
business for purposes of making operating decisions and allocating internal
resources. SFAS No. 131 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December
15, 1997, and although management believes that SFAS No. 131 will not impact the
Company's presentation, the Company will adopt SFAS No. 131 in fiscal 1998.
 
YEAR 2000 ISSUE
 
     An issue exists for all companies that rely on computers as the year 2000
approaches. The "Year 2000" issue is the result of past practice in the computer
industry of using two digits rather than four to identify the applicable year.
This practice will result in incorrect results when computers perform arithmetic
operations, comparisons or data field sorting involving years later than 1999.
The Company anticipates that it will be able to test its entire system for Year
2000 compliance using its internal programming staff and outside computer
consultants and intends to make the necessary modifications to prevent
disruption to its operations. The Company does not expect costs in connection
with any such modifications to be material. Independent of the Year 2000 issue,
in 1998 the Company intends to install a new POS system which will be Year 2000
compliant at a cost of approximately $1.5 million.
 
     As a fundamental business consideration, the Company depends heavily on its
vendors to meet the purchasing requirements dictated by the Company's business
needs. To that end, the Company is in the process of exploring with each of its
key vendors the impact the Year 2000 issue will have on their ability to source
products for the Company and process purchase orders with delivery requirements
and terms involving years later than 1999. As an ongoing measure, the Company
will continue to address this risk with each new vendor to ensure similar
safeguards.
 
     Finally, the Company recognizes the potential impact the Year 2000 issue
may have on its customers, creditors and other service providers. The Company
has reviewed its exposure to business interruption or substantial loss in these
areas and believes no risk of material adverse consequences presently exists.
                                       34
   36
 
                                    BUSINESS
 
THE COMPANY
 
   
     Kirkland's is a leading specialty retailer of decorative home accessories
and gifts. The Company's stores offer a broad selection of distinctive
merchandise, including framed art, candles, lamps, picture frames, rugs, garden
accessories and artificial plants, as well as an extensive assortment of holiday
merchandise. The Company's stores are designed to provide style-conscious
customers, the majority of whom are women age 25 and older, with a distinctive
shopping experience characterized by a diverse, ever-changing merchandise
selection at surprisingly attractive prices. Management believes that the
Company's exclusive focus on decorative home accessories and gifts has led to
its emergence as a leader in its retail category and a destination store for
many mall shoppers. Kirkland's has generated operating income in each year since
opening its first store in 1966, and although there are many specialty retailers
with higher net sales, the Company currently maintains one of the highest
operating margins among comparable specialty retailers.
    
 
   
     The Company's 195 stores in 27 states average approximately 4,400 square
feet per store and are located primarily in enclosed malls. Although originally
focused in the Southeast, the Company has expanded beyond that region.
Currently, 60 of the Company's stores are located outside the Southeast,
including 11 of the 20 new stores opened during 1997 and two of the eight new
stores opened during the first half of 1998. In addition to operating in many
middle markets, Kirkland's also has stores in major metropolitan markets such as
Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and Dallas, as well as in smaller markets such as
Paducah, Kentucky, Florence, Alabama and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Company
has been able to operate stores successfully across a broad range of demographic
and geographic markets.
    
 
     Kirkland's has developed and refined a merchandising strategy that
differentiates it from other retailers of products for the home. The Company's
merchandising strategy is to (i) offer distinctive, high quality home
accessories and gifts at affordable prices, (ii) maintain a breadth of product
categories, (iii) provide a carefully edited selection of the best-selling items
within each category, rather than merchandising complete product collections,
and (iv) present merchandise in a visually appealing manner to create an
inviting atmosphere which inspires decorating ideas. The Company believes that
this strategy creates a shopping experience which appeals to the style-conscious
as well as the price-conscious shopper.
 
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
 
     Kirkland's competes in the large market for decorative home accessories and
gifts, which encompasses such varied product groups as candles, decorative
pillows and rugs, framed art, pottery and holiday merchandise. The Company
believes that the U.S. retail market for home furnishings, housewares, bedding,
bath and tabletop merchandise exceeded $66 billion in 1996, and that purchases
of gifts, including gifts of decorative home accessories, represented
approximately $36 billion (a portion of which is included in the broader retail
category discussed above). The market for decorative home accessories and gifts
is highly fragmented, with competition coming from a variety of retailers
including department stores, discount stores, other specialty stores and catalog
retailers.
 
     The Company believes that the decorative home accessories and gift markets
are benefitting from certain favorable demographic trends. First, the
"cocooning" trend continues to have a significant impact on the market. As
consumers retreat to their homes to spend time at home with family and friends,
they buy products to enhance their home environment. Second, the U.S. Bureau of
the Census reports that the percentage of the U.S. population represented by
people between the ages of 35 and 64 is currently 38% and is expected to
increase to approximately 40% by 2005. As this percentage increases, the target
customer base for retailers of home accessories and gifts will likewise
increase. Furthermore, people typically realize their peak earnings potential
within this age bracket, which in turn will enable them to spend greater amounts
on purchases for the home.
 
     These demographic patterns, along with the prevailing environment of low
interest rates, have produced a discernible shift in the composition of general
merchandise, apparel and furniture ("GAF") sales away from
 
                                       35
   37
 
apparel to home furnishings. From 1990 to 1996, apparel purchases as a
percentage of GAF declined by approximately 11%, while home furnishings as a
percentage of GAF increased by approximately 10%.
 
     The Company believes that these favorable demographic trends and the shift
in consumer spending patterns toward home furnishings provide a substantial
opportunity for a well-positioned specialty retailer like Kirkland's.
 
BUSINESS STRATEGY
 
     The Company's goal is to be the leading specialty retailer of decorative
home accessories and gifts in each of its markets. The following elements of the
Company's business strategy, which have evolved over 32 years of successful
operations, differentiate Kirkland's from its competitors and position the
Company for continued growth:
 
          Distinctive, Item-Focused Merchandising.  While a Kirkland's store
     contains items covering a broad range of complementary product categories,
     the store emphasizes only the best-selling items within each category. The
     Company does not seek to dictate a design theme to its customers, nor does
     it necessarily seek to dominate any particular product category. The
     Company instead takes a disciplined approach to identifying fashionable
     merchandise reflecting the latest trends, selecting and test-marketing
     products, and monitoring and reacting to individual item sales. No single
     merchandise category accounted for more than 15% of net sales in 1997.
 
          Changing Merchandise Mix.  The merchandise mix in a Kirkland's store
     changes frequently throughout the year, in response to both market and
     sales trends and changes in seasons. The Company's information systems
     permit close tracking of individual item sales, enabling management to
     react quickly to both fast-selling and slow-moving items. In addition, the
     Company strategically increases selling space devoted to gifts and holiday
     merchandise during peak selling seasons such as Christmas and Easter. The
     Company believes that its ever-changing mix of merchandise creates an
     exciting environment for customers, encouraging frequent return visits to
     its stores.
 
          Visually Appealing Store Environment.  Kirkland's distinguishes itself
     through its stores' "interior design" look, achieved by its emphasis on
     visual merchandising. Using multiple types of fixtures, the Company groups
     complementary merchandise creatively throughout the store, rather than
     displaying products strictly by category or product type. This visual
     presentation helps customers to picture the merchandise in their own homes
     and thus inspires decorating ideas. As a result, this strategy provides the
     opportunity for add-on sales and also encourages customers to browse for
     longer periods of time.
 
          Competitive Pricing.  Kirkland's merchandise ranges in price from
     approximately $5 to approximately $250, with most items selling for under
     $30. Kirkland's shoppers regularly experience the satisfaction of paying
     noticeably less for items similar or identical to those sold by other
     retailers or through catalogs. Consequently, the Company does not routinely
     engage in promotions or sales and typically holds only two regular sales
     events each year. Management believes that the Company's competitive
     pricing is an important element in making Kirkland's a destination store
     for many mall shoppers.
 
          Flexible Real Estate Strategy.  The Company's stores are predominantly
     located in enclosed malls in middle, metropolitan and smaller markets. The
     Company believes that its stores' broad appeal makes Kirkland's a desirable
     tenant for community, regional and super-regional malls targeting both
     middle and upper-income customers as well as for selected non-mall venues.
     The flexibility of the Kirkland's concept enables the Company to select the
     most promising real estate opportunities that meet requisite economic and
     demographic criteria within the Company's target markets.
 
GROWTH STRATEGY
 
     The Company's growth strategy includes opening new stores, expanding and
remodeling existing stores and introducing new retail formats. In addition, the
Company has entered into an agreement to acquire Briar Patch, a specialty
retailer of home accessories and gifts based in Savannah, Georgia.
                                       36
   38
 
     Open New Stores.  The Company intends to continue opening new stores both
in existing and new markets, emphasizing mall locations in both middle markets
and metropolitan markets. The broad appeal of the Kirkland's concept has enabled
it to operate successfully in diverse geographic and demographic markets,
thereby increasing the number of potential sites available to the Company. The
Company believes that there are currently more than 500 additional malls in the
United States that could provide attractive locations for the Kirkland's
concept. Of the 20 new stores opened in 1997, 11 were opened outside of the
Southeast and one was located in a state in which the Company previously had no
stores. The Company intends to open approximately 25 stores in 1998 (eight of
which were opened during the first half of 1998), of which two are expected to
be in states in which the Company does not already operate (one of which was
opened during the first half of 1998), and approximately 30 stores in 1999.
During the first quarter of 1998, the Company opened three new stores and signed
leases for an additional 13 stores, including additional locations in Florida,
Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia
as well as locations in two new markets, New York and Wisconsin.
 
     Expand and Remodel Existing Stores.  The Company has an ongoing expansion
and remodeling program which will continue to be an important part of the
Company's strategy. The expansion initiative targets stores with proven high
sales volumes that management believes could operate more effectively and
produce higher sales with more square footage and mall frontage. Depending on
the circumstances, an expansion may take place in a store's existing location or
may accompany a relocation within the same mall. Expanded stores have been among
the Company's best performing stores. Since 1993, the Company has expanded 26
stores from an average size of approximately 3,500 square feet to a larger size
of approximately 5,100 square feet, remodeling them in the process. The average
cost of expanding and remodeling each of these stores was approximately
$210,000. In addition, the Company's 70 new stores opened since 1994 have
averaged approximately 4,600 square feet. The Company intends to expand a total
of six stores in 1998 (four of which have been expanded during the first half of
1998) and seven stores in 1999.
 
     The Company's remodeling initiative improves fixtures and displays, and
strengthens the visual impact of the store, without expanding its square
footage. Since 1993, the Company has remodeled four existing stores without
concurrent increases in store size. The average cost of remodeling each of these
stores was approximately $150,000. The Company intends to remodel (without
expanding) a total of six stores in 1998 (five of which have been remodeled
during the first half of 1998) and seven stores in 1999.
 
   
     The following table provides a history of the Company's store openings and
closings, as well as its expansion and remodeling program for the past five
years and the first two quarters of 1998.
    
 
   


                                                                                        JUNE 30,
                                           1993     1994     1995     1996     1997       1998
                                           -----    -----    -----    -----    -----    --------
                                                                      
Stores open at beginning of period.......     67       80       91      104      120      138
New stores opened(1).....................     13       11       13       17       20        8
Stores closed............................      0        0        0        1        2        2
Stores open at end of period.............     80       91      104      120      138      144
Stores expanded and remodeled............      2        3        5        3        6        4
Stores remodeled.........................      0        0        2        0        2        6
Average gross square footage per
  store(2)...............................  3,753    3,821    3,942    4,091    4,186    4,323

    
 
- ---------------
(1) Excludes two temporary stores opened in 1997 during the holiday season only.
 
(2) Calculated using gross square footage of all stores open at both the
    beginning and the end of the period. Gross square footage includes the
    storage, receiving and office space that generally occupies approximately
    30% of total store space.
 
     Introduce New Retail Formats.  The Company has developed several new retail
formats which it believes have significant potential. These alternative formats
leverage Kirkland's expertise in home accessory and gift merchandising and
create new channels through which to reach and expand Kirkland's target customer
base.
 
          -  Temporary Stores.  During the 1997 Christmas season, the Company
     operated two stores in malls under short-term lease arrangements. This
     strategy enabled the Company to capture incremental sales and profits
     during the peak holiday selling season, while avoiding the expense of
     constructing and
 
                                       37
   39
 
   
     fixturing a permanent store. Due to the success of this initial test, the
     Company is operating ten temporary stores during the 1998 holiday season.
     In addition to providing an incremental profit opportunity, these stores
     will enable the Company to test new markets where it is considering opening
     permanent stores.
    
 
          -  Outlet Stores.  Management believes that the strong price/quality
     relationship in a Kirkland's store makes Kirkland's an attractive tenant
     for certain outlet malls. In November 1997, the Company opened its first
     outlet store in the Grapevine Mills outlet center in Dallas, Texas. The
     store, which contains a mix of core Kirkland's merchandise as well as
     certain merchandise purchased exclusively for the outlet mall customer,
     capitalizes on the Company's ability to recognize and capture special
     purchasing opportunities, such as vendor overstocks or closeouts. Based on
     the initial success of its first outlet store, the Company anticipates
     opening one new outlet store in 1998 and is targeting four new sites for
     additional outlet stores in 1999.
 
   
          -  Strip Center Stores.  Management continues to evaluate the
     attractiveness of opening Kirkland's stores in non-mall, community strip
     and selected power centers. The Company currently operates three stores in
     such strip centers, one in Memphis, Tennessee, one in Kansas City,
     Missouri, and one in a power center in Louisville, Kentucky.
    
 
          -  Upscale "the Kirkland Collection" Stores.  Management has developed
     a more upscale version of the traditional Kirkland's store specifically to
     address the needs of certain more exclusive, high-end malls. The first of
     these stores was opened in Houston, Texas in May 1998, offering an upscale
     mix of certain core Kirkland's merchandise supplemented by selected higher
     end merchandise that will not be found in traditional Kirkland's stores.
 
   
     Acquisition of Briar Patch.  On July 31, 1998, the Company purchased all of
the outstanding capital stock of Briar Patch, a specialty retailer of home
accessories and gifts based in Savannah, Georgia. The purchase price was $5.5
million in cash, subject to adjustment based on an audit of Briar Patch's
working capital at closing. Of the total purchase price, $3.7 million was used
to repay all of the outstanding indebtedness of Briar Patch. The Company
financed the purchase price with additional borrowings under its senior credit
agreement.
    
 
   
     Briar Patch currently operates 35 stores in six southeastern states,
primarily in markets that are smaller than Kirkland's traditional markets. For
the fiscal year ended January 31, 1998, Briar Patch had sales of $21.5 million
and a net loss of $459,000. The Company believes that an opportunity exists to
improve the operating performance of the Briar Patch stores through the
application of Kirkland's resources and experience in merchandising, store
operations, real estate and finance. Accordingly, the Company believes that the
acquisition of Briar Patch will enhance the Company's long-term growth
opportunities.
    
 
MERCHANDISING
 
     Merchandising Strategy.  The Company's merchandising strategy is to (i)
offer distinctive, high quality home accessories and gifts at affordable prices,
(ii) maintain a breadth of product categories, (iii) provide a carefully edited
selection of the best-selling items within each category, rather than
merchandising complete product collections, and (iv) present merchandise in a
visually appealing manner to create an inviting atmosphere which inspires
decorating ideas. The Company believes that this strategy creates a shopping
experience which appeals to the style-conscious as well as the price-conscious
shopper. Kirkland's does not attempt to dictate fashion to its customers.
Rather, the Company identifies and capitalizes on existing or developing trends
when selecting merchandise for sale.
 
     The Company continuously introduces new products to its merchandise
assortment in order to (i) maintain customer interest through the freshness of
its product selections, (ii) enhance Kirkland's reputation as a leader in
identifying high quality, fashionable products and (iii) allow merchandise which
has peaked in sales to be discontinued and replaced by new items. In addition,
the Company strategically increases selling space devoted to gifts and holiday
merchandise during peak selling seasons such as Christmas and Easter. Management
estimates that approximately 10% of the Company's merchandise assortment is
designed
 
                                       38
   40
 
exclusively for Kirkland's. The Company packages some of its merchandise using
its exclusive Cedar Creek private label brand. Management estimates that
approximately 20% of the Company's merchandise assortment is sold under the
Cedar Creek private brand name.
 
     The Company's stores generally carry 1,500 to 3,000 different items of
inventory, or "SKUs," depending on store size. The Company offers an affordable
assortment of the best-selling items within a category as well as new items
which management believes could generate significant consumer interest, rather
than offering complete product collections. As a result, the Company is able to
reduce the accumulation of slow-moving inventory and resulting markdowns.
Regional differences in home decor are addressed by tailoring inventories to
local tastes or market opportunities.
 
     Product Categories.  The Company's major merchandise categories include
framed art, candles, lamps, picture frames, rugs, garden accessories and
artificial plants, as well as an extensive assortment of holiday merchandise. No
single merchandise category accounted for more than 15% of net sales in 1997.
Consistent with the Company's item-focused strategy, a vital part of the product
mix is a wide variety of decorative home accessories and other assorted
merchandise that does not necessarily fit into a designated category. Decorative
accessories consist of such varied products as pillows, sconces and porcelain
items. Other merchandise includes flags, dolls and angels. Christmas holiday
merchandise accounted for approximately 12% of net sales in both 1996 and 1997.
 
     Pricing.  Kirkland's merchandise ranges in price from approximately $5 to
approximately $250, with most items selling for under $30. The average sale at
the Company's stores in 1997 was $17.22, up from $16.74 in 1996 and $16.27 in
1995. The Company's merchandising strategy does not depend on price discounting.
Kirkland's stores typically have only two regular annual sale events, one in
January and one in July.
 
     Visual Merchandising.  Kirkland's distinguishes itself through its stores'
"interior design" look, achieved by its emphasis on visual merchandising. The
Company employs a Director of Visual Merchandising and seven specialists who
support the stores' merchandising efforts. The Visual Merchandising team
provides store managers with recommended display directives such as photographs
and drawings, weekly placement guides and display manuals. In addition, each
store manager has some flexibility to creatively highlight those products that
are expected to have the greatest appeal to local shoppers.
 
THE KIRKLAND'S STORE
 
     Format.  The prototype Kirkland's store is between 4,200 and 5,200 square
feet, of which approximately 70% typically represents selling space. Merchandise
is generally displayed according to display guidelines and directives given to
each store from the Visual Merchandising team with input from purchasing and
operations personnel. This procedure ensures uniform display standards and
efficient allocation of products throughout the Company's stores. Using multiple
types of fixtures, the Company groups complementary merchandise creatively
throughout the store, rather than displaying products strictly by category or
product type. This visual presentation helps customers to picture the
merchandise in their own homes and thus inspires decorating ideas. As a result,
this strategy provides the opportunity for add-on sales and also encourages
customers to browse for longer periods of time. The check-out counter is
generally located towards the center of the store, and virtually all stores
offer complimentary gift wrapping at the rear of the store, a customer service
feature which is not typical in mall-based shops.
 
     Shopping Experience.  Kirkland's stores are designed to provide customers
with a distinctive shopping experience characterized by a diverse, ever-changing
merchandise selection at surprisingly attractive prices. Consistent with its
item-focused merchandising strategy, the Company continually evaluates new
merchandise and assesses the sales trends of items already in the stores. This
active management of the merchandise mix leads to frequent introduction of new
items, which in turn encourages shoppers to visit the stores frequently.
Kirkland's shoppers regularly experience the satisfaction of paying noticeably
less for items similar or identical to those sold by other retailers or through
catalogs. Management believes that Kirkland's exclusive focus on decorative home
accessories and gifts has led to its emergence as a leader in its retail
category and a destination store for many mall shoppers.
 
                                       39
   41
 
     Store Operations.  Kirkland's stores are open seven days a week during mall
hours. The Company's store operations are managed by two Vice Presidents of
Store Operations, five regional managers and 25 district managers who generally
have responsibility for six to 10 stores within a geographic district.
Individual stores are managed by a store manager and one or two assistant store
managers. The store manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the
store, including inventory receipt and merchandise display, personnel functions,
store security and sales. A typical store has one or two full-time sales
associates and six to twelve part-time sales associates, depending on the
season. Additional part-time sales associates are typically hired to assist with
increased traffic and sales volume in the fourth quarter. Kirkland's compensates
its district and store managers with a base salary plus a performance bonus
based on store sales, expense control and loss prevention. Sales associates are
compensated on an hourly basis.
 
     The Company believes that its continued success is dependent in part on its
ability to attract, retain and motivate quality employees. In particular, the
success of the Company's expansion program will be dependent on its ability to
promote and/or recruit qualified district and store managers and maintain
quality sales associates. To date, the majority of the Company's district
managers were previously Kirkland's store managers. Store managers, many of whom
are selected from among the Company's sales associates, currently complete a
formal training program before taking responsibility for a store. Store managers
are responsible for the hiring and training of new sales associates, assisted
where appropriate by two full-time recruiters. The Company is continuing to
develop enhanced training programs for its store managers, assistant managers
and sales associates. The Company constantly looks for motivated and talented
people to promote from within Kirkland's, in addition to recruiting from outside
the Company.
 
     Site Selection.  Kirkland's seeks to locate its stores in malls which are
destinations for large numbers of shoppers and which reinforce the Company's
quality image. To assess potential new mall locations, management reviews
financial and demographic criteria and analyzes the quality of tenants and
competitive factors, square footage availability, frontage space and location
and other relevant criteria to determine the overall acceptability of a mall and
the optimal locations within it. The Company prefers to locate its stores in
regional or super-regional malls with a history of high sales per square foot
and multiple national department stores as anchors, and seeks approximate store
frontage of 35 to 40 feet on average. The Company believes that it is a
desirable tenant to mall developers because of its long and successful operating
history, sales productivity, ability to attract customers and its strong
position in the decorative home accessory and gift categories.
 
PURCHASING, ALLOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION
 
     Purchasing.  Management believes that its disciplined approach to
purchasing, its relationships with its suppliers and its strong buying power
contribute to its successful purchasing strategy. The Company buys inventory on
a centralized basis to take advantage of volume purchase discounts and improve
its ability to control inventory product mix. The Company's 10-person
centralized buying group is responsible for all purchasing decisions and price
negotiations with vendors. Kirkland's purchases merchandise on a product by
product basis, rather than based upon category classifications.
 
     The Company manages its total purchases based upon annual budgets which are
set at the beginning of the year and updated throughout the year. The Company
purchases its products from approximately 140 vendors. In 1997, approximately
55% of the Company's total purchases were from importers of merchandise
manufactured primarily in the Far East, Mexico and India, with the balance
purchased from domestic manufacturers and wholesalers. For its purchases of
merchandise manufactured abroad, the Company believes that buying from importers
instead of directly from foreign manufacturers enables it to maximize
flexibility and minimize risks. Kirkland's believes that its executive
management and buyers are more effective by focusing on managing the retail
business and allowing importers to handle the procurement and shipment of
foreign-manufactured merchandise for its stores. The purchase of approximately
45% of its products from domestic manufacturers and wholesalers enables the
Company to reduce the lead time between ordering products and displaying them in
the Company's stores.
 
                                       40
   42
 
     Allocation and Distribution.  The Company continually strives to improve
its merchandising, distribution, planning and allocation methods to manage its
inventory more efficiently. The Company closely watches inventory levels on a
per store basis to ensure that sufficient merchandise quantities are on hand at
each store location. Each Kirkland's store is internally classified for
merchandising purposes based on certain criteria including store sales, size,
location and historical performance. Although all Kirkland's stores carry
similar merchandise, the variety and depth of products in a given store may vary
depending on the store's rank and classification. Inventory purchases and
allocation are also tailored based on regional or demographic differences
between stores. Information from the Company's POS computer system is regularly
reviewed and analyzed to assist in making merchandise allocation and
distribution decisions.
 
     Historically, Kirkland's has operated a hybrid distribution system
employing both vendor-to-store direct distribution and certain elements of
centralized warehouse distribution in order to maintain a low cost operating
structure. Most of the Company's inventory is shipped directly to the stores by
the Company's suppliers to avoid costly investments in central warehouse
infrastructure and distribution management. This method allows for the quick and
efficient delivery of merchandise to the Company's stores. Merchandise shipped
directly to the stores is inspected and ticketed at the store (other than
approximately 30% of such merchandise which is pre-ticketed by the vendor),
displayed on the store floor by store personnel and later entered into the main
computer system at the Company's headquarters. To accommodate this practice,
each store leases local warehouse facilities on a short-term basis to store
surplus inventory and holiday items.
 
     The Company also operates two leased distribution centers in Jackson,
Tennessee, with over 165,000 square feet of total warehouse space. The Company
also holds options to lease additional space at these facilities if needed.
These facilities are used to receive, process and store inventory for new stores
before they are opened as well as to warehouse and distribute a limited amount
of holiday, private brand and bulk merchandise in advance of the holiday selling
season and certain private brand and bulk merchandise throughout the year. The
storage and handling of certain holiday merchandise at the Jackson distribution
centers allows management to better allocate inventory shipments during the
Christmas season. The Company has achieved operating efficiencies with the
central distribution of Christmas merchandise and is in the process of expanding
this practice for future years. The Company believes that adequate additional
distribution center space will be available in the future on acceptable terms as
may be needed in order to accommodate the Company's expansion plans.
 
     Based on future vendor requirements and Company needs, the Company may in
the future determine to place more emphasis on centralized distribution. In this
regard, the Company may in the future deem it appropriate to purchase or
construct a centralized distribution center.
 
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
 
     The Company historically has placed emphasis on its management information
and inventory control systems. The Company believes that its systems are an
important factor in enabling it to achieve its goals of effective merchandising
and store execution.
 
     The Company's management information systems include automated POS
merchandising and financial applications. Merchandise is bar-coded, enabling the
Company to manage and control inventory. Sales are updated daily in the
merchandise reporting systems by polling sales information from each store's POS
terminals. The Company's POS system consists of registers providing price
look-up and scanning of bar-coded labels on an item basis. Through automated
dial-up electronic communication to each store, sales item information is
uploaded to the main system nightly. Information obtained from such daily
polling is used to implement merchandising decisions and to identify the
required merchandise reorders for each store. Inventory is counted in the stores
through a year-end complete physical count utilizing hand-held scanning
equipment.
 
     The Company's management information and control systems enable the
Company's corporate headquarters to regularly identify sales trends, replenish
depleted store inventories, reprice merchandise, monitor merchandise mix and
determine inventory shrinkage at individual stores and throughout the Company's
store
 
                                       41
   43
 
network. Management believes that these systems provide a number of benefits,
including improved store inventory management, better in-stock availability,
higher operating efficiency and fewer markdowns.
 
     During 1998, the Company intends to install a new POS system which will
include a new, more advanced cash register software system. This system, which
will be Year 2000 compliant and will be compatible with the Company's existing
hardware systems, will allow for future expansion to accommodate the Company's
growth plans. See "Risk Factors - Impact of Year 2000 Issue."
 
ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
 
     Historically, the Company has not engaged in extensive advertising because
it believes that it has benefited from its strategic locations in high-traffic
shopping malls and valuable "word-of-mouth" advertising by its customers. Many
shopping mall leases require some advertising, although an industry shift to
"media funds" has largely been implemented, whereby a retailer contributes at
agreed levels to the shopping mall's advertising fund based on the square
footage of the store. The Company places local newspaper advertisements on
occasion to promote specific items in its stores.
 
     Kirkland's stores have two planned annual sale events, one in January and
one in July. These special events enable the Company both to sell merchandise
that the Company has purchased at particularly advantageous prices and to clear
previously marked-down inventory. In order to boost traffic in typical periods
of weakness for retailers, the Company occasionally holds special promotional
sales for a particular merchandise category, such as framed art.
 
TRADEMARKS
 
     The Company has registered its "Kirkland's" logo with the United States
Patent and Trademark Office on the Principal Register. In addition, the Company
holds several trademark registrations in connection with its Cedar Creek private
label brand as well as a registration for the mark "Now That's Real Style!" The
Company is in the process of applying for a trademark registration of "the
Kirkland Collection." The Company is not aware of any claims of infringement or
other challenges to the Company's right to use its marks in the United States.
 
COMPETITION
 
   
     The retail market for gifts and decorative home accessories is highly
competitive. Accordingly, the Company competes with a variety of specialty
stores, department stores, discount stores and catalog retailers that carry
merchandise in one or more categories also carried by the Company. The Company
believes that its stores compete primarily on the basis of merchandise quality
and selection, price, visual appeal of the merchandise and the store and the
convenience of location. Although the Company faces competition from a broad
range of retailers, the Company believes that few competitors focus exclusively
on decorative home accessories and gifts, primarily in a mall environment.
Specialty retailers tend to have higher prices and a more narrow assortment of
products than Kirkland's. Department stores typically have higher prices than
Kirkland's for similar merchandise. Wholesale clubs may have lower prices than
Kirkland's, but the product assortment is generally more limited. The Company
believes that it competes effectively with other retailers due to its experience
in identifying a broad collection of distinctive merchandise, pricing it to be
appealing to the target Kirkland's customer, and presenting it in a visually
appealing manner.
    
 
     In addition to competing for customers, the Company competes with other
retailers for suitable store locations and qualified management personnel. Many
of the Company's competitors are larger and have substantially greater
financial, marketing and other resources than the Company does. See "Risk
Factors - Competition."
 
PROPERTIES
 
     The Company currently leases all of its store locations and expects that
its policy of leasing rather than owning will continue as the Company grows. The
Company's leases typically provide for 10-year terms, many
 
                                       42
   44
 
with the ability for the Company to terminate the lease in the middle of the
term if sales at the leased premises do not reach a certain annual level. The
leases typically provide for payment of percentage rent (i.e., a percentage of
sales in excess of a specified level) and the rate of increase in ancillary
charges is generally capped.
 
     As current leases expire, the Company believes that it will be able either
to obtain lease renewals if desired for present store locations or to obtain
leases for equivalent or better locations in the same general area. To date, the
Company has not experienced unusual difficulty in either renewing leases for
existing locations or securing leases for suitable locations for new stores. A
majority of the Company's store leases contain provisions that would permit the
landlord to terminate the lease upon a change in control of the Company. The
Offering and the Pre-Offering Transactions may give rise to a change in control
under certain of the Company's leases. Based primarily on the Company's belief
that it maintains good relations with its landlords, that most of its leases are
at market rents and that it has historically been able to secure leases for
suitable locations, management believes that these provisions will not have a
material adverse effect on the business or financial condition of the Company,
although no assurance can be made in this regard.
 
     The Company's corporate headquarters, located in Jackson, Tennessee, is
owned by the Company and currently consists of approximately 18,000 square feet
of office space. The Company has commenced an expansion of its headquarters
facility to a total of approximately 40,000 square feet, at an estimated cost of
$2.2 million to be incurred in 1998, funded from cash flow from operations.
 
EMPLOYEES
 
     The Company employed approximately 500 full-time and approximately 1,300
part-time employees at June 30, 1998. Of these, approximately 75 were corporate
and warehouse center personnel and 1,725 were store employees. The number of
part-time employees fluctuates with seasonal needs. None of the Company's
employees is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The Company believes
that its relationship with its employees is good.
 
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
 
     The Company is involved in various routine legal proceedings incidental to
the conduct of its business. The Company believes that any resulting liability
from existing legal proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will not have
a material adverse effect on its operations or financial condition.
 
                                       43
   45
 
                                   MANAGEMENT
 
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES
 
     The following table and biographies set forth information concerning the
individuals who serve as directors, executive officers and key employees of the
Company:
 
   


                                                                              YEAR OF EXPIRATION
                NAME                   AGE              POSITION              OF TERM AS DIRECTOR
                ----                   ---              --------              -------------------
                                                                     
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS:
  Carl Kirkland......................  57    Chief Executive Officer and             2002
                                             Chairman of the Board of
                                             Directors
  Robert E. Alderson.................  51    President, Chief Operating              2002
                                             Officer and Director
  Reynolds C. Faulkner...............  34    Senior Vice President, Chief            2001
                                             Financial Officer and Director
  Steven J. Collins..................  29    Director of Finance and                  --
                                             Treasurer
  David M. Mussafer(a)(b)............  35    Director                                2002
  R. Wilson Orr, III(a)..............  35    Director                                2001
  John P. Oswald (b).................  38    Director                                2000
  Alexander S. McGrath(a)............  36    Director                                2000
 
KEY EMPLOYEES:
  James W. Harris....................  51    Vice President of Operations             --
                                             and Personnel
  Chris T. LaFont....................  37    Vice President of Merchandise            --
  Janna B. Alford....................  36    Vice President of Operations             --

    
 
- ---------------
(a) Member of Compensation Committee
(b) Member of Audit Committee
 
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
 
     Carl Kirkland has been the Chief Executive Officer since he founded the
Company in 1966, and he served as President from 1966 through November 1997. Mr.
Kirkland has been Chairman of the Board since June 1996. He has over 30 years of
experience in the retail industry. Mr. Kirkland also serves on the board of
directors of Hibbett Sporting Goods, Inc.
 
     Robert E. Alderson has been President and Chief Operating Officer of the
Company since November 1997 and prior to that served as Senior Vice President of
the Company since joining in 1986. He also served as Chief Administrative
Officer from 1986 to 1997. Prior to joining the Company, he was a senior partner
at the law firm of Menzies, Rainey, Kizer & Alderson.
 
     Reynolds C. Faulkner has been a Director of the Company since September
1996 and joined as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in February
1998. Prior to joining the Company, from July 1989 to January 1998, Mr. Faulkner
was an investment banker in the corporate finance department of The Robinson-
Humphrey Company, LLC, most recently serving as a Managing Director and head of
the retail practice group. In this capacity, Mr. Faulkner was involved in
numerous public and private financings and mergers and acquisitions of companies
in the retail industry.
 
     Steven J. Collins joined the Company and has been the Director of Finance
since January 1997. From January 1997 to February 1998, he also served as the
Company's Chief Financial Officer. From 1995 to 1997 he was an associate with
Advent, a private equity investment firm. See "Principal Shareholders." Prior to
that, he worked in the mergers and acquisitions department of Merrill Lynch &
Co. and was an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand.
 
     Alexander S. McGrath has been a director of the Company since June 1996.
Mr. McGrath is currently a general partner of Capital Resource Partners II,
L.P., a mezzanine and private equity investment firm which is the general
partner of Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P., a warrantholder of and
subordinated lender to the Company. He joined Capital Resource Lenders in 1988
as an associate, and has been a general partner of
 
                                       44
   46
 
Capital Resource Partners II, L.P. since 1993. Prior to that, he was an
associate at Investments Orange Nassau Inc., a private equity investment firm.
See "Principal and Selling Shareholders."
 
     David M. Mussafer has been a Director of the Company since June 1996. Mr.
Mussafer is currently a Managing Director of Advent, a private equity investment
firm which beneficially owns Common Stock of the Company through its interests
in certain members of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal
shareholders. Mr. Mussafer joined Advent in 1991 and has been a principal of the
firm since 1993. See "Principal and Selling Shareholders."
 
     R. Wilson Orr, III has been a Director of the Company since June 1996.
Since 1993, Mr. Orr has been a principal of SSM Corporation, a private equity
investment firm and an affiliate of SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. which is
a member of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal
shareholders. He joined SSM Corporation in 1988 as a Vice President and partner.
From 1984 to 1988, he worked in corporate lending at Chemical Bank. See
"Principal and Selling Shareholders."
 
     John P. Oswald has been a Director of the Company since June 1996. Since
1994, Mr. Oswald has been a partner of the Capital Trust Group, a private equity
investment firm and an affiliate of CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P., which is
a member of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal
shareholders. Mr. Oswald is a beneficial owner of Capital Trust Investments,
Ltd., a warrantholder of and subordinated lender to the Company. He is also
President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridge East Capital, a private equity
investment partnership, an affiliate of the Capital Trust Group. Prior to that
he was a partner with the law firm of Lord, Day & Lord from 1986 to 1994 and an
associate with Arthur Andersen LLP from 1984 to 1986. See "Principal and Selling
Shareholders."
 
KEY EMPLOYEES
 
     Chris T. LaFont has been Vice President of Merchandise since September
1997. Mr. LaFont is responsible for all merchandise buying decisions for the
Company. From 1988 to September 1997, he served as Vice President of Visual
Merchandising. Mr. LaFont started his career with Kirkland's in 1981 as a
management trainee.
 
     James W. Harris has been Vice President of Operations and Personnel since
1987. Mr. Harris is responsible for store personnel recruitment and training as
well as general store operations. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Harris was
with Goldsmith's, a division of Federated Department Stores, from 1972 to 1987,
where he held various positions in store operations.
 
     Janna B. Alford has been Vice President of Operations since February 1997.
From April 1995 to February 1997, Ms. Alford held the positions of Director of
Loss Prevention and Director of Store Operations for the Company. Prior to that
she was with County Seat, a retailer of youth-oriented apparel, where she held
positions in loss prevention and operations from 1989 to 1995.
 
CLASSIFIED BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 
     Upon completion of the Offering, the Board of Directors of the Company will
be divided into three classes of directors each containing, as nearly as
possible, an equal number of directors. Directors within each class are elected
to serve three-year terms and approximately one-third of the directors sit for
election at each annual meeting of the Company's shareholders. The year of
expiration of the term of each of the Company's directors is set forth in the
table above under the caption "Directors, Executive Officers and Key Employees."
A classified board of directors may have the effect of deterring or delaying any
attempt by any group to obtain control of the Company by a proxy contest since
such third party would be required to have its nominees elected at two separate
annual meetings of the Board of Directors in order to elect a majority of the
members of the Board of Directors. Directors who are elected to fill a vacancy
(including vacancies created by an increase in the number of directors) must be
confirmed by the shareholders at the next annual meeting of shareholders whether
or not such director's term expires at such annual meeting. See "Risk
Factors - Charter and Bylaw Provisions; Anti-Takeover Effect of Tennessee Laws."
 
                                       45
   47
 
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
 
     To date, directors who are affiliated with the Company or any of the
Company's shareholders have not received separate compensation for their
services in that capacity. The Company intends in the future to compensate its
directors who are not also employees of the Company. The amount of such
compensation has not been determined but will be consistent with amounts paid by
comparable public companies.
 
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
 
     Following completion of this Offering, the Board of Directors will have an
Audit Committee, composed of Messrs. Mussafer and Oswald, and a Compensation
Committee, composed of Messrs. McGrath, Mussafer and Orr. The principal
functions of the Audit Committee will include making recommendations to the
Board regarding the selection of independent public accountants to audit
annually the books and records of the Company, reviewing the proposed scope of
each audit and reviewing the recommendations of the independent public
accountants as a result of their audit of the Company. The Audit Committee will
also periodically review the activities of the Company's accounting staff and
the adequacy of the Company's internal controls. The Compensation Committee will
be responsible for establishing the salaries of the executive officers of the
Company, incentives and other forms of compensation and for administering the
Company's employee benefit plans.
 
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
 
     The Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors will be
formed upon completion of the Offering. Messrs. McGrath, Mussafer and Orr, who
were not at any time officers or employees of the Company, will be the only
members of the Compensation Committee. No executive officer of the Company
serves as a member of the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee of
another entity which has one or more executive officers who serve as a member of
the Company's Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.
 
                                       46
   48
 
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
 
     The following table sets forth certain compensation information with
respect to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and the other executive
officers of the Company whose salary and bonus exceeded $100,000 for the year
ended December 31, 1997 (the "Named Executive Officers"):
 
                           SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
 


                                                                                 LONG-TERM
                                                                                COMPENSATION
                                                                                   AWARDS
                                               ANNUAL COMPENSATION              ------------
                                    -----------------------------------------    SECURITIES     ALL OTHER
                                                               OTHER ANNUAL      UNDERLYING    COMPENSATION
NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION  YEAR   SALARY ($)   BONUS ($)   COMPENSATION ($)   OPTIONS (#)       (1)($)
- ---------------------------  ----   ----------   ---------   ----------------   ------------   ------------
                                                                             
Carl Kirkland...........     1997    275,000      250,000        712,500(3)        2,381          3,472
  Chief Executive
     Officer(2)
 
Robert E. Alderson......     1997    275,000      250,000        149,500(3)        2,381          2,747
  President, Chief
  Operating Officer and
  Chief Administrative
  Officer(4)
 
Bruce Moore.............     1997    275,000           --        259,000(3)        2,381          2,548
  Senior Vice
  President,General
  Merchandise Manager and
  Chief Operating
  Officer(5)
 
Steven J. Collins.......     1997     75,000       35,000             --             230             --
  Chief Financial Officer
  and Director of
  Finance(6)

 
- ---------------
(1) Includes $1,552, $1,552 and $1,552 contributed under the Company's 401(k)
    Plan for the benefit of Messrs. Kirkland, Alderson and Moore, respectively.
    Also includes $1,920, $1,195 and $976 of premiums paid for term life
    insurance for Messrs. Kirkland, Alderson and Moore, respectively.
 
(2) Mr. Kirkland also served as the Company's President until November 1997.
 
(3) Represents amounts classified as interest associated with the Class C
    Preferred Stock held by the executives, which will be redeemed upon the
    completion of the Offering, at which time such payments will terminate.
 
(4) Mr. Alderson became the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer in
    November 1997.
 
(5) Mr. Moore resigned as an executive officer of the Company in November 1997
    and his employment with the Company terminated on January 7, 1998. In
    connection with such termination, all of his options to purchase Common
    Stock were canceled. See "Certain Transactions - January 1998 Redemption."
 
(6) Mr. Collins served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer until February
    1998.
 
                                       47
   49
 
STOCK OPTIONS GRANTED TO CERTAIN EXECUTIVE OFFICERS DURING 1997
 
     The following table sets forth certain information regarding options for
the purchase of Common Stock that were awarded to the Company's Named Executive
Officers during the year ended December 31, 1997:
 
                             OPTION GRANTS IN 1997
 


                                                                                   POTENTIAL REALIZABLE
                                                                                     VALUE AT ASSUMED
                                         PERCENT OF                               ANNUAL RATES OF STOCK
                           NUMBER OF       TOTAL                                          PRICE
                          SECURITIES      OPTIONS                                    APPRECIATION FOR
                          UNDERLYING      GRANTED      EXERCISE OR                   OPTION TERM ($)
                            OPTIONS     TO EMPLOYEES   BASE PRICE    EXPIRATION   ----------------------
          NAME            GRANTED (#)     IN 1997        ($/SH)         DATE         5%           10%
          ----            -----------   ------------   -----------   ----------   ---------    ---------
                                                                             
Carl Kirkland...........       --            --              --            --           --           --
Robert E. Alderson......       --            --              --            --           --           --
Bruce Moore.............       --            --              --            --           --           --
Steven J. Collins(1)....      230           7.4%         $95.00       6/23/07      $154.74      $246.41

 
- ---------------
(1) Granted under the Company's 1996 Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock
    Option Plan. The option vested as to one-half of the underlying shares on
    August 1, 1997 and will vest as to the balance on August 1, 1998.
 
STOCK OPTIONS EXERCISED BY CERTAIN EXECUTIVE OFFICERS DURING 1997 AND YEAR-END
OPTION VALUES.
 
     The following table sets forth certain information regarding options for
the purchase of Common Stock that were exercised and/or held by the Named
Executive Officers during the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
                   AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN YEAR ENDED
                  DECEMBER 31, 1997 AND YEAR-END OPTION VALUES
 
   


                                                                  NUMBER OF SECURITIES    VALUE OF UNEXERCISED
                                                                 UNDERLYING UNEXERCISED       IN-THE-MONEY
                                                                       OPTIONS AT              OPTIONS AT
                                                                   DECEMBER 31, 1997       DECEMBER 31, 1997
                                          SHARES                 ----------------------   --------------------
                                        ACQUIRED ON    VALUE         # EXERCISABLE/          $ EXERCISABLE/
                 NAME                    EXERCISE     REALIZED       UNEXERCISABLE          UNEXERCISABLE(1)
                 ----                   -----------   --------   ----------------------   --------------------
                                                                              
Carl Kirkland(2)......................      --          --              0/2,381                   $      /$
Robert E. Alderson(2).................      --          --              0/2,381                   $      /$
Bruce Moore(3)........................      --          --              0/2,381                   $      /$
Steven J. Collins.....................      --          --                0/230                   $      /$

    
 
- ---------------
(1) Value based on the $         per share assumed initial public offering price
    less the per share exercise price.
 
(2) The options held by Messrs. Kirkland and Alderson will become fully vested
    upon completion of the Offering.
 
(3) Mr. Moore's options were canceled in connection with the redemption of his
    preferred and common stock on January 7, 1998. See "Certain
    Transactions - January 1998 Redemption."
 
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 
  1996 Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan
 
     The Company maintains the Kirkland's, Inc. 1996 Executive Incentive and
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan (as amended, the "Stock Option Plan"). The
Company believes that the Stock Option Plan will promote the long-term growth
and profitability of the Company by providing key employees with incentives to
improve shareholder value and to contribute to the growth and financial success
of the Company. Moreover, the Company believes that the Stock Option Plan will
help the Company to attract, retain and reward quality employees.
 
                                       48
   50
 
     The Stock Option Plan is administered by the Board of Directors or the
Compensation Committee. The plan administrator has exclusive authority to: (i)
grant Awards (as defined below) under the Stock Option Plan, including
determining individuals to whom Awards are granted, the amount of such Awards,
any applicable vesting terms and any other terms of an Award; and (ii) make all
interpretations and determinations affecting the Stock Option Plan.
 
     Participation in the Stock Option Plan is limited to employees of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries (the "Participants"). Awards under the Stock
Option Plan may be in the form of incentive stock options ("ISOs") that meet the
requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), or "non-qualified" stock options ("NQSOs") (collectively,
"Awards"). ISOs may only be granted to individuals who are employees of the
Company at the date of grant. Awards under the Stock Option Plan are not
transferable by the Participants, except upon death.
 
     The Stock Option Plan provides for the grant of stock options to purchase
up to an aggregate of 12,304 shares of Common Stock. In the event of any stock
split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, reclassification
or other similar event, appropriate proportional adjustments may be made to the
number of shares reserved for issuance under the Stock Option Plan and the
number, kind and price of shares covered by outstanding Awards. Stock options
may not be exercised more than 10 years after the date of grant (five years
after the date of grant with respect to an ISO granted to any person who owns
stock of the Company possessing 10% or more of the total voting power of all the
Company's stock at the time of the grant).
 
     The Board has the discretion to award stock options to Participants as
either ISOs or as NQSOs. The exercise price of an ISO must be not less than the
fair market value of the Common Stock on the date the option is granted.
Although the Stock Option Plan permits the exercise price of an NQSO to be less
than the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date the option is
granted, the exercise price of all NQSOs granted under the Stock Option Plan to
date have been equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of
grant.
 
   
     As of the date of this Prospectus, options to purchase 10,154 shares of
Common Stock are outstanding, including options for 2,381 shares held by each of
Carl Kirkland and Robert E. Alderson and an option for 2,283 shares held by
Reynolds C. Faulkner. Options granted with respect to the remaining 3,109 shares
of Common Stock (the "Employee Options") are held by approximately 225 employees
other than executive officers (other than an option for 230 shares which was
granted to Mr. Collins). The Employee Options generally expire upon termination
of employment and become exercisable on July 1, 2000 (except for the option
granted to Mr. Collins, which will become exercisable in November 1998).
Generally, if the holder of an Employee Option terminates employment because of
death or disability, any Award exercisable at the date of such termination may
be exercised for a period of one year from the date of termination or until the
expiration of the stated term of the Award, whichever period is shorter. An
additional 2,150 shares of Common Stock are available for issuance in connection
with future grants under the Stock Option Plan.
    
 
  1998 Incentive Plan
 
     Prior to the completion of the Offering, the Company intends to adopt the
Kirkland's, Inc. 1998 Incentive Plan (the "Incentive Plan"). The Incentive Plan
will provide for the award of up to 8,000 shares of Common Stock to the
Company's employees, directors, consultants and other individuals who perform
services for the Company.
 
     The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors will administer the
Incentive Plan. Under the terms of the Incentive Plan, the Compensation
Committee will be required to be composed of two or more directors. The
Compensation Committee will have the authority to interpret the Incentive Plan
and to determine and designate the persons to whom options or awards are made
and the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to each option or award
(including, but not limited to, the exercise price, any vesting schedule or
provisions for the acceleration thereof and any forfeiture provisions).
 
                                       49
   51
 
     The Incentive Plan contains provisions for granting various stock-based
awards, including ISOs, NQSOs, stock appreciation rights ("SARs") and restricted
stock (all as further described below). The term of the Incentive Plan is ten
years, subject to earlier termination or amendment.
 
     The Compensation Committee will have the power to select award recipients
and their allotments and to determine the price, terms and vesting schedule for
awards granted. While there are no predetermined performance formulas or
measures or other specific criteria used to determine recipients of awards under
the Incentive Plan, awards will be based generally upon consideration of the
grantee's position and responsibilities, the nature of services provided, the
value of the services to the Company, the present and potential contribution of
the grantee to the success of the Company, the anticipated number of years of
service remaining and other factors which the Board or the Compensation
Committee may deem relevant.
 
     Stock Options.  The Incentive Plan provides for the grant of ISOs to
employees of the Company. The Incentive Plan also provides for the grant of
NQSOs to employees of the Company, directors of the Company, and consultants and
other individuals who perform services for the Company but are not employed by
the Company. The exercise price of any ISO granted under the Incentive Plan may
not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the Company's Common Stock on
the date of grant. Options granted under the Incentive Plan may be exercised for
cash or in exchange for shares of Common Stock owned by the option holder having
a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the option exercise price.
The aggregate fair market value, determined on the date of grant, of the shares
with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by an employee
during any calendar year may not exceed $100,000.
 
     Under the Incentive Plan, each option will be exercisable at such time and
to such extent as specified in the pertinent option agreement between the
Company and the option recipient. However, no award shall be exercisable with
respect to any shares of Common Stock later than ten years after the date of
such award. Unless otherwise specified by the Compensation Committee with
respect to a particular option, all options will be non-transferable, except
upon death. The shares subject to expired options or terminated options which
remain unexercised will become available for future grants.
 
     Stock Appreciation Rights.  The Incentive Plan also provides for the grant
of SARs, either alone or in tandem with ISOs or NQSOs. A SAR entitles its holder
to a cash payment of the excess of the fair market value of Common Stock of the
Company on the date of exercise, over the fair market value of the Common Stock
on the date of grant.
 
   
     If an option or SAR recipient ceases to be employed by, or to render
services to, the Company for any reason other than retirement, death or
disability, unless otherwise specified by the Compensation Committee with
respect to a particular option, any option or SAR not exercised prior to the
date of such termination will immediately expire. In the event of termination of
employment or service by reason of retirement, death or disability, unless
otherwise specified by the Compensation Committee with respect to a particular
option or SAR, any option exercisable at the date of such termination generally
may be exercised for a period of one year (in the case of death or disability)
or six months (in the case of retirement) from the date of termination or until
the expiration of the stated term of the option or SAR, whichever period is
shorter.
    
 
     In anticipation of a change of control of the Company, the Compensation
Committee, in its discretion, may: (i) cause all outstanding options and SARs to
become immediately exercisable, (ii) provide for the cancellation of options and
SARs and a cash payment to the holders of such canceled awards or (iii) provide
for the cancellation of options and the substitution of options to purchase
shares in a successor corporation.
 
     Restricted Stock.  "Restricted Stock" are shares of the Company's Common
Stock granted to an employee for no cash consideration, which will be forfeited
to the Company if, during a restriction period specified by the Compensation
Committee at the time of the grant of the Restricted Stock, (i) the grantee
ceases to be an employee of the Company, or (ii) certain individual or corporate
performance goals are not met. In the event of death or disability: (i)
restrictions based on employment will lapse with respect to a percentage of
Restricted Stock held by the grantee equal to the percentage of the restriction
period that had elapsed as of the date of death or commencement of disability,
and (ii) restrictions based on performance will lapse to the extent determined
by the Compensation Committee. In the event of a change of control of the
 
                                       50
   52
 
Company, the Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, cause all
restrictions on shares of Restricted Stock to lapse.
 
     Shares of Common Stock underlying any award that is forfeited under the
Incentive Plan will become available for future grants.
 
  Employee Stock Purchase Plan
 
   
     Prior to the completion of the Offering, the Company intends to adopt an
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Purchase Plan"), which will allow
substantially all full-time employees of the Company who have been employees for
12 consecutive months, subject to certain limitations, to purchase shares of the
Company's Common Stock at a discount from the prevailing market price at the
time of purchase. Such shares will either be issued by the Company from its
authorized and unissued Common Stock or purchased by the Company on the open
market. Any employee owning five percent or more of the voting power or value of
the Company will not be eligible to participate in the Purchase Plan. A maximum
of 2,700 shares of the Company's Common Stock will be available for purchase
under the Purchase Plan.
    
 
   
     An eligible employee will be able to specify, before the commencement of
each quarter, an amount to be withheld from his or her paycheck and credited to
an account established for him or her (the "Participation Account"). Amounts in
the Participation Account will be applied to the purchase of shares of the
Company's Common Stock on the last day of each quarter. The price of such shares
will be equal to 85% of the average of the high and low sales prices per share
of the Company's Common Stock on the principal national securities exchange on
which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading or, if not listed or
traded on any such exchange, on the Nasdaq National Market. Only whole shares of
Common Stock will be purchased under the Purchase Plan. Amounts withheld from an
employee's paycheck and not applied to the purchase of whole shares of Common
Stock will, at the election of the employee, either remain credited to the
employee's Participation Account or be returned to the employee. Upon
termination of an employee's employment, all amounts credited to such employee's
Participation Account will be returned to him or her.
    
 
     The Purchase Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may amend or terminate the Purchase
Plan. The Purchase Plan is intended to comply with the requirements of Section
423 of the Code.
 
  401(k) Plan
 
     The Company maintains the Kirkland's, Inc. Retirement Plan ("401(k) Plan")
for the benefit of its eligible employees. The 401(k) Plan is intended to be
qualified under Code section 401(a) and consists of a 401(k) component, a 401(m)
matching component and a profit-sharing component. Employees eligible to
participate in the 401(k) Plan are those employees who have completed at least
one year of service and attained age of 21.
 
     Under the 401(k) component, participants may elect to defer up to $10,000
per year (as adjusted by the Internal Revenue Service) to the 401(k) Plan,
subject to other limits of the Code. Under the 401(m) matching component, the
Company, in its discretion, may match each participant's elective deferrals, up
to 5% of compensation. Currently, the Company matches 25% of each participant's
elective deferrals. Under the profit-sharing component, the Company may make
additional contributions in amounts to be determined by the Company in its sole
discretion. Such Company profit-sharing contributions will be allocated among
eligible participants in proportion to each such participant's compensation.
 
     Matching contributions and profit-sharing contributions vest ratably over
six years, or earlier upon attainment of the appropriate retirement age, upon
retirement for disability, upon death, or upon termination of the 401(k) Plan.
All assets of the 401(k) Plan are currently invested, subject to
participant-directed elections, in annuity contracts underwritten by Aetna Life
Insurance and Annuity Company.
 
     Payment of 401(k) Plan benefits are made in cash in the form of a single
lump sum, periodic installments or an annuity. Distribution of a participant's
vested interest generally occurs on the earlier of (i) termination of
 
                                       51
   53
 
employment (including by reason of retirement, death or disability) or (ii) the
April 1 following the calendar year in which the participant attains age 70 1/2.
 
  Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
 
     Following the completion of the Offering, the Company intends to adopt a
non-qualified deferred compensation plan known as a supplemental executive
retirement plan ("SERP"). Only a select group of highly compensated management
employees chosen by the Board of Directors will be eligible to participate in
the SERP. Pursuant to the SERP, participants will be entitled to elect, in
advance, to reduce salary or bonus income and have that reduction credited to an
account under the SERP. To the extent all or a portion of the participant's
deferral relates to amounts that could have been contributed to the SERP, but
for the application of certain legal restrictions, the Company will also credit
a matching contribution amount to the SERP equal to what would have been
contributed to the SERP, in the absence of those restrictions.
 
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS
 
     In connection with the Recapitalization, the Company entered into
employment agreements with Carl Kirkland, Robert Alderson and Bruce Moore. Under
the terms of these employment agreements, Mr. Kirkland was employed as Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alderson was employed as Chief Administrative
Officer and Mr. Moore was employed as Chief Operating Officer and General
Merchandise Manager. The term of these employment agreements expires on June 12,
2000. The employment agreements provide for an annual salary of $987,500 for Mr.
Kirkland, $424,500 for Mr. Alderson and $534,000 for Mr. Moore, of which amounts
$712,500, $149,500 and $259,000, respectively, represent interest paid in
connection with the mandatorily redeemable Class C Preferred Stock. These
agreements provide for each executive to receive an annual bonus beginning with
the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996. The bonus includes a performance-based
component of up to $175,000 based on the Company's achievement of the projected
EBITDA targets established by the Board, as well as a discretionary component of
up to $75,000. Each executive is entitled to receive the full $175,000
performance-based component of the bonus if the Company achieves at least 95% of
its projected EBITDA target for a particular fiscal year, none of the bonus for
achievement of the target for the year at a level of 85% or less, and a pro rata
portion of $175,000 for achievement of the target for the year at a level of
between 85% and 95%. There are no limits on the projected EBITDA target to be
established by the Board. The Board may consider performance measures such as
team leadership, new store openings and customer satisfaction in determining the
discretionary bonus component. Mr. Moore's employment with the Company, and his
employment agreement, terminated on January 7, 1998. See "Certain
Transactions - January 1998 Redemption."
 
     The employment agreements with Messrs. Kirkland and Alderson automatically
terminate upon the occurrence of certain events such as a sale of the Company, a
change of control or a public offering of Common Stock generating gross proceeds
of at least $30 million (a "Qualified Public Offering"). The employment
agreements provide that upon the occurrence of any of the aforementioned events,
the Company and the executives will enter into new employment agreements which
will provide for a $275,000 annual salary, retain the equivalent bonus and
non-competition provisions of the existing employment agreements, and coincide
with the remaining term of the existing employment agreements. As a result of
the Offering, the existing employment agreements will automatically terminate,
and the Company will enter into new employment agreements with each of Mr.
Kirkland and Mr. Alderson consistent with the foregoing terms.
 
     In February 1998, the Company entered into an employment agreement with
Reynolds C. Faulkner. Under the terms of that agreement, Mr. Faulkner serves as
the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at an annual
salary of $225,000, and will be eligible to receive an annual bonus of up to
$100,000 at the discretion of the Board. In addition, Mr. Faulkner received a
signing bonus of $100,000 upon commencement of his employment. The term of Mr.
Faulkner's agreement extends until February 2, 2001, or until earlier
termination of employment. If Mr. Faulkner's employment is terminated prior to
February 2, 2001 by the Company without cause or by Mr. Faulkner under specified
circumstances, Mr. Faulkner will be entitled to a severance payment equal to the
discounted present value of 12 months' salary and benefits, together with a
pro-rated annual bonus.
                                       52
   54
 
     Each of Messrs. Kirkland and Alderson received an option for 2,381 shares
of Common Stock at a per share exercise price of $0.45 in connection with the
Recapitalization. The terms of the options granted to Messrs. Kirkland and
Alderson provide that those options will vest immediately prior to completion of
the Offering. On February 2, 1998, Mr. Faulkner received a fully vested option
for 2,283 shares of Common Stock of the Company under the Stock Option Plan at a
per share exercise price of $285.65. All or part of the shares purchased upon
the exercise of Mr. Faulkner's option will be subject to transfer restrictions
and repurchase rights to the Company at the fair market value of the shares
until February 1, 2004. All or part of the transfer restrictions and repurchase
rights will lapse following the Offering upon the occurrence of certain events,
such as a sale or change of control of the Company or the termination of Mr.
Faulkner's employment with the Company by reason of death, disability,
termination by the Company without cause or termination by Mr. Faulkner under
specified circumstances.
 
     Each of the three employment agreements described above also contains
non-competition provisions prohibiting the executive from competing against the
Company during the term of the employment agreement and for three years
thereafter without the prior written consent of the Company. The executives are
also entitled to certain additional benefits (beyond those generally available
to employees of the Company) including an automobile allowance and additional
life insurance.
 
   
     In February 1997, the Company entered into an employment agreement with
Steven J. Collins pursuant to which Mr. Collins was appointed the Company's
Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance. The employment agreement
provides for an annual salary of $75,000 with an annual year-end
performance-based bonus of up to $35,000. The employment agreement is terminable
by either party at any time and contains non-competition and confidentiality
provisions. In June 1997, Mr. Collins received a stock option to purchase 230
shares of Common Stock, which will become exercisable in November 1998. In
February 1998, Mr. Collins' employment agreement was amended to reflect that Mr.
Collins would cease to be the Company's Chief Financial Officer and would
continue to serve as the Company's Director of Finance.
    
 
                                       53
   55
 
                              CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
 
RECAPITALIZATION
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company completed the recapitalization pursuant to
which Advent became the largest beneficial owner of the equity of the Company.
The Company completed the Recapitalization to permit the founding and management
shareholders, consisting of Carl Kirkland, Robert E. Kirkland, Robert E.
Alderson and Bruce Moore (collectively, the "Principal Shareholders") to realize
a portion of the value of their interest in the Company. In connection with the
Recapitalization (i) Advent (through affiliated entities) together with other
investors (collectively, "the 1996 Investors") purchased 68,400 shares of common
stock and 68,400 shares of Class A Preferred Stock from Kirkland's, Inc. and
each of the Kirkland Companies for a purchase price of $30.8 million, (ii) a
portion of the common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland
Companies held by the Principal Shareholders was redeemed at a total redemption
price of $80.2 million and all such common stock held by shareholders other than
the Principal Shareholders, consisting principally of employees of the Company
and family members of the Principal Shareholders (collectively, the "Minority
Shareholders"), was redeemed at a total redemption price of $2.9 million, (iii)
the Company paid bonuses to certain of the Minority Shareholders in the total
amount of $432,000, (iv) certain shares of common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and
each of the Kirkland Companies held by the Principal Shareholders were
reclassified into 31,600 shares of Class B Preferred Stock and 20,000 shares of
Class C Preferred Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland Companies,
(v) the Company borrowed $55.3 million of senior debt under a credit facility
from a group of banks, (vi) the Company borrowed $20 million of subordinated
debt from a group of institutional lenders and issued warrants to such lenders
to purchase 16,722 shares of common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the
Kirkland Companies, (vii) the Company repaid $19.2 million of its existing
indebtedness and (viii) the Company paid certain related expenses, including
investment banking and financial advisory fees, in the total amount of $6.3
million. The $6.3 million of expenses paid in connection with the
Recapitalization included investment banking /advisory fees of $1.0 million paid
to Advent, $2.9 million paid to Lehman Brothers Inc. and $1.0 million paid to
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC. Lehman Brothers Inc. and The
Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC are Underwriters in the Offering.
 
   
     Concurrent with the consummation of the Recapitalization, the Company
issued an aggregate of $20 million of subordinated notes to a group of
institutional lenders. As of June 30, 1998, approximately $8.0 million, $6.4
million, $3.8 million and $1.8 million were outstanding to Capital Resource
Lenders II, L.P., Allied Capital Corporation, Marlborough Capital Investment
Fund, L.P. and Capital Trust Investments Ltd., respectively. In 1996 and 1997
and the first half of 1998, the Company paid an aggregate of $1.4 million, $2.5
million and $1.2 million, respectively, in interest to these lenders in
proportion to the principal amount of the notes held by each lender. In
connection with the issuance of the notes, the Company also issued warrants to
purchase an aggregate of 16,722 shares of common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and
each of the Kirkland Companies to the lenders. Of the total warrants issued,
warrants to purchase 4,817 shares of such common stock only become exercisable
if the Company fails to meet specific valuation targets as of the date of the
Offering. As the applicable valuation targets will be met upon completion of the
Offering, these contingent warrants will be canceled upon completion of the
Offering. The remainder of the warrants (for 11,905 shares) will be exercised at
a per share price of $0.01 upon completion of the Offering by Capital Resource
Lenders II, L.P., Allied Capital Corporation, Marlborough Capital Investment
Fund, L.P. and Capital Trust Investments Ltd. for 4,762 shares, 3,810 shares,
2,262 shares and 1,071 shares of common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of
the Kirkland Companies, respectively.
    
 
     In connection with the Recapitalization, the Company and its current
shareholders and warrantholders entered into a Shareholders Agreement. The
agreement, which expires by its terms upon completion of the Offering, provided
for the nomination and election of each of the Company's current directors.
Certain of the directors of the Company are affiliated with some of the
subordinated lenders to and warrantholders of the Company and with other
entities that participated in the Recapitalization: Mr. Mussafer is a Managing
Director of Advent; Mr. Oswald is affiliated with CT/Kirkland Equity Partners,
L.P. (a member of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal
shareholders) and Capital Trust Investments, Ltd. (a subordinated lender and
warrantholder); Mr. McGrath is a general partner of Capital Resource Partners
II,
 
                                       54
   56
 
L.P., the general partner of Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P. (a subordinated
lender and warrantholder); and Mr. Orr is affiliated with SSM/Kirkland Equity
Partners, L.P. (a member of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C.)
 
PRE-OFFERING TRANSACTIONS
 
   
     Kirkland Companies.  Historically, the Company has operated all of the
Kirkland's stores through separate corporations (the "Kirkland Companies"), and
Kirkland's, Inc. has served as a management company for the Kirkland Companies.
As of June 30, 1998, there were 162 such corporations in existence in addition
to Kirkland's, Inc. The shareholders of the Kirkland Companies are the same as
the shareholders of Kirkland's, Inc. The percentage ownership of Kirkland's,
Inc. and in each of the Kirkland Companies is the same, except with respect to
the Class C Preferred Stock which is treated by the Company as debt for
accounting purposes.
    
 
     Preferred Stock.  Prior to the Offering, Kirkland's, Inc. and substantially
all of the Kirkland Companies had three classes of preferred stock outstanding.
The Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock entitled the holders to
cash dividends equal to 8% of the stated value of such preferred stock annually.
No dividends have been paid on the Class A Preferred Stock or Class B Preferred
Stock to the holders of such preferred stock. The Company accrued and paid
amounts classified as interest to the holders of Class C Preferred Stock at an
annual rate equal to 9% of the stated value of such preferred stock. Upon
completion of the Offering, the Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred
Stock will become convertible at the election of the holders and redeemable at
the election of the Company, and the Class C Preferred Stock will become
mandatorily redeemable.
 
     Purchase, Contribution and Exchange Agreement.  Pursuant to the terms of a
Purchase, Contribution and Exchange Agreement dated April 28, 1998, by and among
Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Company's shareholders and warrantholders,
immediately prior to completion of the Offering and as a part of the Pre-
Offering Transactions, all of the outstanding shares of Class A Preferred Stock
and Class B Preferred Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland Companies will
be recapitalized into or exchanged for shares of Common Stock, as discussed
below. Also pursuant to the agreement, all of the outstanding shares of common
stock of the Kirkland Companies will be contributed to Kirkland's, Inc.,
resulting in the Kirkland Companies becoming wholly-owned subsidiaries of the
Company. Subsequently, the warrantholders of Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland
Companies will exercise their warrants to purchase 11,905 shares of common stock
of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland Companies, and the Kirkland
Companies common stock issued upon such exercise will be contributed to
Kirkland's, Inc. Also pursuant to the agreement, although not part of the
Pre-Offering Transactions, Kirkland's, Inc. will purchase or redeem from current
shareholders all of the outstanding shares of Class C Preferred Stock of
Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland Companies that has Class C Preferred
Stock outstanding for an aggregate of $18.0 million (including approximately
$900,000 of amounts classified as interest associated with the Class C Preferred
Stock), to be paid from the net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds."
 
     The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon recapitalization or
exchange of the Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock will equal
the aggregate stated value of $41.0 million plus accrued dividends ($
at           , 1998) on the preferred stock, divided by the actual initial
public offering price. Assuming an initial public offering price of $
and a consummation of the Offering on             , 1998,           shares of
Common Stock will be issued to existing stockholders for their preferred stock.
If the initial public offering price is $     (i.e., the top of the estimated
initial public offering price range), the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable upon such recapitalization or exchange will be           , and if the
initial public offering price is $          (i.e., the bottom of the estimated
initial public offering price range), the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable upon such recapitalization or exchange will be           .
 
JANUARY 1998 REDEMPTION
 
     By agreement dated December 26, 1997, in connection with the termination of
his employment with the Company, the Company redeemed all of the preferred and
common stock of the Company held by Bruce Moore, the Company's former Senior
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and General Merchandise Manager.
Pursuant to the agreement, on January 7, 1998 the Company paid Mr. Moore
approximately $6.9
 
                                       55
   57
 
million in redemption of all shares of Class B Preferred Stock, Class C
Preferred Stock and common stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of the Kirkland
Companies held by Mr. Moore, together with a one-time compensation payment of
$259,000. In addition, under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Moore's stock
options were canceled. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will make salary
continuation payments to Mr. Moore in the annual amount of $275,000 and provide
Mr. Moore with certain additional benefits through June 12, 2000 as provided for
in his employment agreement with the Company. Mr. Moore remains subject to the
non-competition and confidentiality provisions of his employment agreement
through June 11, 2003. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations."
 
CONSULTING AGREEMENT
 
     In connection with the Recapitalization, the Company entered into a
consulting agreement with Robert E. Kirkland, a shareholder of the Company and a
cousin of the Company's Chief Executive Officer. Under the provisions of the
consulting agreement, Mr. Kirkland provides consulting services and advice
regarding purchasing and marketing of merchandise, leasing, store selection,
operations, internal management and other matters mutually agreed upon as
directed by the Board of the Company. The agreement provides for an annual
consulting fee of $679,000 and a term expiring in June 2003. The consulting
agreement automatically terminates upon the occurrence of certain events,
including a sale of the Company, a change of control or a Qualified Public
Offering. The Offering will constitute a Qualified Public Offering, and,
accordingly, Mr. Kirkland's consulting agreement will automatically terminate
upon its completion. The Company has no plans to renew the consulting
arrangement with Mr. Kirkland following the Offering.
 
INVENTORY PURCHASES FROM SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDER
 
   
     The Company purchases inventory from CBK, Inc., a wholesaler owned by
Robert E. Kirkland, a shareholder of the Company. See "Principal and Selling
Shareholders." These purchases aggregated approximately $3.3 million, $2.3
million, $1.4 million and $476,000 during the years ended December 31, 1995,
1996 and 1997 and the six months ended June 30, 1998, respectively.
    
 
INVENTORY PURCHASES FROM AN AFFILIATE OF A SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDER
 
   
     The Company purchases inventory from Homemaker Industries, Inc., a
manufacturer in which Advent is a significant shareholder. These purchases
aggregated approximately $610,109, $297,774, $216,847 and $151,200 during the
years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the six months ended June 30,
1998, respectively. David M. Mussafer and John P. Oswald are directors of the
Kirkland's, Inc. and are also members of the Board of Directors of Homemaker
Industries, Inc. Mr. Mussafer and Mr. Oswald are also affiliated with members of
Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal shareholders. See
"Principal and Selling Shareholders."
    
 
CHARTER OF AIRPLANES
 
   
     For the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the six months
ended June 30, 1998, the Company spent $44,076, $29,136, $75,898 and $31,234.50,
respectively, for the rental of aircraft for business travel from Kirkland
Aviation, Inc., an entity owned by Carl Kirkland. In addition, for the years
ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the six months ended June 30, 1998,
the Company spent $15,292, $18,311, $13,404 and $9,695.82, respectively, for the
rental of aircraft for business travel from Alderson Aviation, Inc., an entity
owned by Robert E. Alderson.
    
 
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROBINSON-HUMPHREY COMPANY, LLC
 
     Reynolds C. Faulkner, a director of the Company since September 1996 and
the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since February
1998, was a Managing Director at The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC prior to
joining the Company as an executive officer. The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC
is one of the Underwriters in the Offering and has from time to time provided
investment banking services to the Company, including services rendered in
connection with the Recapitalization, and
 
                                       56
   58
 
may continue to provide such services in the future. In addition, R-H Capital
Partners, L.P., an affiliate of The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC, is a member
of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., one of the Company's principal shareholders.
 
     The Company considers the terms of its transactions with CBK, Inc.,
Homemaker Industries, Inc., Kirkland Aviation, Inc., Alderson Aviation, Inc. and
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC to be at arms length and reasonably
equivalent to terms it could obtain through negotiations with an unaffiliated
third party under similar economic conditions. In the future, the Company will
not enter into any transactions with officers, directors or other affiliates
unless the terms are as favorable to the Company as those generally available
from unaffiliated third parties and the transactions are approved by a majority
of the Company's disinterested directors.
 
                                       57
   59
 
                       PRINCIPAL AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
 
   
     The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of the Company's Common Stock at June 30, 1998, assuming that the
Pre-Offering Transactions had occurred as of such date, by (i) each director and
Named Executive Officer, (ii) each person known to the Company to beneficially
own more than 5% of the Common Stock, and (iii) all directors and executive
officers as a group, both before and after giving effect to the sale of Common
Stock in the Offering. As of such date, and based on the foregoing assumption,
there were 146,683 shares of Common Stock outstanding before giving effect to
the sale of Common Stock in the Offering.
    
 


                                                                  SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED
                                                              ---------------------------------
                                                                             PERCENT OF CLASS
                                                                           --------------------
                                                               NUMBER       BEFORE      AFTER
NAME                                                          OF SHARES    OFFERING    OFFERING
- ----                                                          ---------    --------    --------
                                                                              
Carl Kirkland(1)............................................      8,042       5.4
  c/o Kirkland's, Inc.
  805 N. Parkway
  Jackson, TN 38305
Robert E. Alderson(2).......................................     19,842      13.3
  c/o Kirkland's, Inc.
  805 N. Parkway
  Jackson, TN 38305
Reynolds C. Faulkner(3).....................................      2,283       1.5
Steven J. Collins(3)........................................        230         *
David M. Mussafer(4)........................................     64,321      43.9
  c/o Advent International Corporation
  101 Federal Street
  Boston, MA 02110
R. Wilson Orr, III(5).......................................     15,615      10.6
  c/o SSM Venture Partners, L.P.
  845 Crossover Lane, Suite 140
  Memphis, TN 38117
John P. Oswald(6)...........................................     14,083       9.6
  c/o CT Capital International, Inc.
  575 Fifth Avenue, 40th Floor
  New York, NY 10017
Alexander S. McGrath(7).....................................      4,762       3.2
Bruce Moore.................................................         --        --
Kirkland Holdings L.L.C.(8).................................    100,095      65.0
  101 Federal Street
  Boston, MA 02110
Robert E. Kirkland..........................................     11,561       7.9
  c/o Kirkland's, Inc.
  805 N. Parkway
  Jackson, TN 38305
All executive officers and directors as a group
  (8 persons)(9)............................................    129,178      83.9

 
- ---------------
  *  Represents less than 1% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
 
 (1) Includes 2,381 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of stock
     options granted by the Company. Also includes 2,000 shares held by Mr.
     Kirkland as Trustee for the benefit of the children of Robert E. Alderson.
     If the
 
                                       58
   60
 
     Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full,     of the shares
     owned by Mr. Kirkland will be sold, as a result of which he will
     beneficially own     shares of Common Stock, or     % of the Common Stock
     then outstanding, following the Offering.
 
 (2) Includes 2,381 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of stock
     options granted by the Company. Also includes 7,900 shares held by Mr.
     Alderson as Trustee for the benefit of the children of Carl Kirkland. If
     the Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full,          of
     the shares owned by Mr. Alderson will be sold, as a result of which he will
     beneficially own          shares of Common Stock, or     % of the Common
     Stock then outstanding, following the Offering.
 
 (3) All of the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by Messrs. Faulkner
     and Collins are issuable upon exercise of stock options granted by the
     Company.
 
 (4) Mr. Mussafer may be deemed to beneficially own 64,321 shares of Common
     Stock which Advent may be deemed to beneficially own. See note (8) below.
     Mr. Mussafer, a director of the Company, is a Managing Director of Advent.
     If the Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full,
     of the shares which may deemed to be beneficially owned by Advent will be
     sold, as a result of which Mr. Mussafer may be deemed to beneficially own
              shares of Common Stock, or     % of the Common Stock then
     outstanding, following the Offering.
 
 (5) Mr. Orr may be deemed to beneficially own 15,615 shares of Common Stock
     which SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. beneficially owns as a member of
     Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. Mr. Orr, a director of the Company, is a partner
     of SSM Corporation which is an affiliate of SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners,
     L.P. If the Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full,
              of the shares owned by SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. will be
     sold, as a result of which Mr. Orr may be deemed to beneficially own
              shares of Common Stock, or   % of the Common Stock then
     outstanding, after the offering.
 
 (6) Mr. Oswald may be deemed to beneficially own the 1,071 shares of Common
     Stock beneficially owned by Capital Trust Investments, Ltd. and 13,012
     shares of Common Stock which CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. beneficially
     owns as a member of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. Mr. Oswald, a director of the
     Company, is a partner of CT Capital International which is an affiliate of
     Capital Trust Investments, Ltd. and CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. If
     the Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full,          of
     the shares owned by CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. will be sold, as a
     result of which Mr. Oswald may be deemed to beneficially own
              shares of Common Stock, or     % of the Common Stock then
     outstanding, following the Offering.
 
 (7) Mr. McGrath may be deemed to beneficially own the 4,762 shares of Common
     Stock beneficially owned by Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P. Mr. McGrath,
     a director of the Company, is a general partner of Capital Resource
     Partners II, L.P., the general partner of Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P.
 
 (8) The members of Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. and their beneficial ownership of
     the shares of Common Stock held by Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. (expressed as a
     percentage) are Advent Direct Investment Program Limited Partnership
     (17.58%), Global Private Equity II Limited Partnership (45.06%), Advent
     Partners Limited Partnership (1.62%), SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P.
     (15.60%), CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. (13.00%), TCW/Kirkland Equity
     Partners, L.P. (1.62%), Marlborough/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P. (0.65%)
     and R-H Capital Partners, L.P. (4.87%), an affiliate of The
     Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC, one of the Underwriters. In its capacity as
     the manager of the following venture capital funds: Advent Direct
     Investment Program Limited Partnership, Global Private Equity II Limited
     Partnership and Advent Partners Limited Partnership, Advent exercises sole
     voting and investment power with respect to the 64,321 shares held by these
     funds and, accordingly, Advent may be deemed to beneficially own such
     shares. In addition, Advent, as general partner of Advent Partners Limited
     Partnership, which is a limited partner of SSM/Kirkland Equity Partners,
     L.P., CT/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P., TCW/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P.
     and Marlborough/Kirkland Equity Partners, L.P., has an economic interest in
     the Common Stock held by such entities. If the Underwriters' over-allotment
     option is exercised in full,     of the shares beneficially owned by
     Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. will be sold, as a result of which it will
     beneficially own     shares of Common Stock, or   % of the Common Stock
     then outstanding, following the Offering.
 
(9) Includes 7,275 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of stock
    options granted by the Company. If the Underwriters' over-allotment option
    is exercised in full,          of the shares subject thereto beneficially
    owned by the directors and executive officers of the Company will be sold,
    as a result of which they will beneficially own          shares of Common
    Stock, or     % of the Common Stock then outstanding, following the
    Offering.
 
                                       59
   61
 
                          DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
 
GENERAL
 
     Upon completion of the Offering, the Company will be authorized to issue up
to 50,000,000 shares of Common Stock, no par value, and 10,000,000 shares of
Preferred Stock, no par value. Upon completion of the Offering, there will be no
Preferred Stock outstanding, as all of the outstanding Preferred Stock will be
converted into shares of Common Stock or will be redeemed with a portion of the
net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds" and "Certain
Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions."
 
     Upon the completion of the Offering, there will be      shares of Common
Stock issued and outstanding and 10,154 shares of Common Stock reserved for
issuance under the Company's employee benefits plans, including      shares
issuable upon the exercise of options which will be outstanding upon the
completion of the Offering. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Company has
92,100 shares of Common Stock, 68,400 shares of Class A Preferred Stock, 23,700
shares of Class B Preferred Stock and 17,122 shares of Class C Preferred Stock
issued and outstanding. Pursuant to the Pre-Offering Transactions which will
take place immediately prior to completion of the Offering, all of the
outstanding shares of Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock will
be recapitalized into or exchanged for shares of Common Stock. All of the
outstanding shares of the Class C Preferred Stock will be purchased or redeemed
with a portion of the net proceeds of the Offering. See "Use of Proceeds" and
"Certain Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions."
 
COMMON STOCK
 
     The holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of
record on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders. All holders of Common
Stock are entitled to share equally in dividends declared on the Common Stock.
See "Dividend Policy." Stock dividends may be paid on Common Stock, whether or
not there are shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. In the event of any
voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company,
after payment has been made to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, if any,
for the full amount to which they are entitled, the holders of the shares of
Common Stock are entitled to share equally in the assets available for
distribution.
 
     The Company will be selling Common Stock pursuant to the Offering. All
currently outstanding shares of Common Stock are, and upon issuance as set forth
herein, the shares of Common Stock being sold by the Company will be, duly
authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
 
     The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of Common Stock are
subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of
shares of any series of Preferred Stock which the Company may designate and
issue in the future. See "Risk Factors - Charter and Bylaws Provisions;
Anti-Takeover Effect of Tennessee Laws."
 
     Prior to the Offering, the Common Stock was divided into two series
consisting of Voting Common Stock and Non-Voting Common Stock, and the holders
of Voting Common Stock were entitled, as a group, to elect a total of four
nominees to the Board of Directors. Pursuant to an amendment to the Charter,
upon the completion of the Offering, the provisions dividing the Common Stock
into two series will be eliminated, and the holders of Common Stock will be
entitled to elect the entire Board of Directors.
 
PREFERRED STOCK
 
     Pursuant to an amendment to the Charter to be filed prior to the completion
of the Offering, the Board of Directors will be authorized, without further
action by the shareholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock
in one or more series or classes and to establish the designations, preferences,
qualifications, privileges, limitations, restrictions, options, conversion
rights and other special or relative rights of any series of Preferred Stock so
issued. The issuance of shares of Preferred Stock could adversely affect the
voting power and other rights of holders of Common Stock. Because the terms of
the Preferred Stock may be fixed by the Board of Directors of the Company
without shareholder action, the Preferred Stock could be issued quickly with
terms designed to defeat a proposed takeover of the Company, or to make the
removal of management of
 
                                       60
   62
 
the Company more difficult. The authority to issue Preferred Stock or rights to
purchase Preferred Stock could be used to discourage a change in control of the
Company. Management of the Company is not aware of any such threatened
transaction to obtain control of the Company, and the Board of Directors has no
current plans to designate and issue any shares of Preferred Stock.
 
WARRANTS
 
     In connection with the issuance of subordinated notes for $20 million to
certain institutional lenders in the Recapitalization, the Company issued
warrants for 16,722 shares of Common Stock to these subordinated lenders.
Purchase warrants for 11,905 shares of Common Stock are currently exercisable
and will be automatically exercised in connection with the Offering. Contingent
warrants for the remaining 4,817 shares of Common Stock will be canceled in
connection with the Offering as a result of the Company meeting certain
valuation targets. The exercise price for the purchase warrants and the
contingent warrants is $0.01 per share, subject to certain anti-dilution
adjustment provisions. See "Certain Transactions - Recapitalization."
 
LIMITATION OF DIRECTORS' LIABILITY
 
     The Amended and Restated Charter provides that no director of the Company
will be personally liable to the Company or any of its shareholders for monetary
damages for breach of any fiduciary duty except for liability arising from (i)
any breach of a director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders,
(ii) any acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, or (iii) any unlawful distributions.
The Company believes that this provision will assist it in securing and
maintaining the services of qualified directors who are not employees of the
Company.
 
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
 
     Pursuant to a registration rights agreement dated June 12, 1996 (the
"Registration Rights Agreement"), at any time after the Offering, Kirkland's
Holding L.L.C. and Messrs. Carl Kirkland, Robert E. Kirkland and Robert E.
Alderson ("Non-Mezzanine Holders") and the beneficial owners of 11,905 shares of
Common Stock ("Mezzanine Holders") are entitled to require the Company to
register their shares of Common Stock for resale under the Securities Act,
provided, in each case, that the anticipated gross proceeds of the related
offering exceed $5 million. The Registration Rights Agreement provides for up to
one demand by the Mezzanine Holders and up to two demands by Non-Mezzanine
Holders. The Company may, at the good faith discretion of its Board, delay up to
four months a demand registration request if it is preparing, or within 30 days
of such request prepares, to register a public offering. The Non-Mezzanine
Holders and Mezzanine Holders are also entitled to unlimited piggyback
registrations (except with respect to certain registrations in connection with
stock options or benefit plans). Their registration rights with respect to the
Offering have been waived. In addition, the Non-Mezzanine Holders and Mezzanine
Holders may require the Company to register their shares an unlimited number of
times on a Form S-2 or S-3, once the Company has qualified for use of such
forms, but the Company will not be obligated to effect these registrations
during the 90 days prior to or for 180 days following the effective date of a
registration statement relating to a public offering. To the extent permitted by
applicable federal and state laws and regulations, the Company is required to
bear the expenses of all such registrations (except underwriting discounts and
commissions attributable to shares sold). The Registration Rights Agreement
includes customary indemnification and contribution provisions among the Company
and the Mezzanine Holders, and the Non-Mezzanine Holders.
 
ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECT OF CHARTER AND BYLAW PROVISIONS AND TENNESSEE LAWS
 
     The Company's Amended and Restated Charter (the "Charter") and Restated
Bylaws (the "Bylaws") as well as Tennessee law contain various other provisions
intended to (i) promote stability of Kirkland's shareholder base and (ii) render
more difficult certain unsolicited or hostile attempts to take over Kirkland's
which could disrupt Kirkland's, divert the attention of Kirkland's directors,
officers and employees and adversely affect the independence and integrity of
Kirkland's business. A summary of these provisions of the Charter, Bylaws and
Tennessee law is set forth below.
 
                                       61
   63
 
     Classified Board; Removal of Directors.  Pursuant to the Charter, the
number of directors of Kirkland's will be between three and fifteen directors as
determined by a majority vote of the Company's Board of Directors. The directors
will be divided into three classes, each class to consist as nearly as possible
of one-third of the directors. Directors elected by shareholders at an annual
meeting of shareholders will be elected by a plurality of all votes cast at such
annual meeting. Initially, the terms of office of the three classes of directors
will expire, respectively, at the annual meeting of shareholders in 1999, 2000
and 2001. After the expiration of the terms of the initial classified Board of
Directors, the terms of the successors of each of the three classes of directors
will expire three years from the year of their respective election.
 
     The Charter provides that except as otherwise provided for or fixed by or
pursuant to an amendment to the Charter setting forth the rights of the holders
of any class or series of preferred stock, newly created directorships resulting
from any increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board of
Directors of Kirkland's resulting from death, resignation, disqualification,
removal or other cause will be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of
the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the
Board, or by a sole remaining director. Any director elected in accordance with
the preceding sentence will hold office for the full term of the class of
directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and
until such director's successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No
decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of
Kirkland's will shorten the term of any incumbent director. Subject to the
rights of holders of any preferred stock, any director may be removed from
office only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of
the voting power of all the outstanding capital stock of Kirkland's entitled to
vote generally in the election of directors (the "Voting Power"), voting
together as a single class.
 
     These provisions of the Charter would preclude a third party from removing
incumbent directors and simultaneously gaining control of the Board of Directors
of Kirkland's by filling the vacancies created by removal with its own nominees.
Under the classified board provisions described above, it would take at least
two elections of directors for any individual or group to gain control of the
Board of Directors of Kirkland's. Accordingly, these provisions could discourage
a third party from initiating a proxy contest, making a tender offer or
otherwise attempting to gain control of the Company.
 
     Special Shareholders' Meetings and Right to Act by Written Consent.  The
Charter and the Bylaws provide that a special meeting of shareholders may be
called only by the Chairman of the Board or the President of the Company or upon
a resolution adopted by a majority of the entire Board of Directors of
Kirkland's. Shareholders are not generally permitted to call, or to require that
the Board of Directors call, a special meeting of shareholders pursuant to the
terms of the Charter. Moreover, the business permitted to be conducted at any
special meeting of shareholders is limited to the business brought before the
meeting pursuant to the notice of the meeting given by Kirkland's. Tennessee law
provides that shareholders may act by written consent if all shareholders
entitled to vote are parties to the written consent. The affirmative vote of the
number of shares necessary to authorize shareholder action, evidenced by such
written consent, constitutes the act of the shareholders.
 
     Procedures for Shareholder Nominations and Proposals.  The Bylaws establish
an advance notice procedure for shareholders to nominate candidates for election
as directors and to propose any new business at any annual meeting ("Shareholder
Notice Procedure"). Only persons nominated in accordance with the Shareholder
Notice Procedure are eligible to serve as directors, and only business brought
before the annual meeting in accordance with the Shareholder Notice Procedure
may be conducted at the annual meeting. Under the Shareholder Notice Procedure,
notice of shareholder nominations and proposals for new business at the annual
meeting must be delivered to the Secretary of Kirkland's 120 days before the
month and day that the Company's proxy statement to its shareholders was mailed
to shareholders the previous year. For nominations and proposals for any special
meetings, the Bylaws require notice not more than 90 days nor less than 60 days
before the special meeting. The Bylaws provide that notice to the Secretary of
Kirkland's with respect to any shareholder nomination or proposal must include
certain information regarding the nominee, the proposal and the shareholder
nominating a director or proposing business. According to the Bylaws, the
Chairman of the Board has the power to determine whether a shareholder
nomination or proposal was brought in accordance with the Shareholder Notice
Procedure.
                                       62
   64
 
     By requiring advance notice of nominations by shareholders, the Shareholder
Notice Procedure will afford the Board of Directors an opportunity to consider
the qualifications of the proposed nominees and, to the extent deemed necessary
or desirable by the Board of Directors, to inform shareholders about such
qualifications. By requiring advance notice of other proposed business, the
Shareholder Notice Procedure will provide a more orderly procedure for
conducting annual meetings of shareholders and, to the extent deemed necessary
or desirable by the Board of Directors, will provide the Board of Directors with
an opportunity to inform shareholders, prior to such meetings, of the Board of
Directors' position regarding action to be taken with respect to such business,
so that shareholders can better decide whether to attend such a meeting or to
grant a proxy regarding the disposition of any such business.
 
     Although the Bylaws do not give the Board of Directors any power to approve
or disapprove shareholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals
for action, the Chairman of the Board has the power to determine compliance with
the Shareholder Notice Procedure. The Bylaws also may have the effect of
precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of
shareholder proposals if the proper procedures are not followed, and of
discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of
proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal,
without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be
harmful or beneficial to Kirkland's and its shareholders.
 
     Amendment of Kirkland's Charter and Bylaws.  The Charter provides that,
unless previously approved by the Board of Directors, the affirmative vote of at
least 80% of the Voting Power, voting together as a single class, would be
required to (i) amend or repeal the provisions of the Charter with respect to
the election of directors and the right to call a special shareholders' meeting,
(ii) adopt any provision inconsistent with such provisions and (iii) amend or
repeal the provisions of the Charter with respect to amendments to the Charter
or the Bylaws. In addition, the Bylaws provide that the amendment or repeal by
shareholders of any Bylaws made by the Board of Directors would require the
affirmative vote of at least 80% of the Voting Power.
 
     Tennessee Corporate Takeover Acts.  Tennessee has enacted several corporate
takeover acts for the purpose of protecting its substantial interest in domestic
corporations conducting a significant amount of business within the state.
 
          Business Combination Act.  Tennessee's Business Combination Act
provides that a party (such party is called an "interested shareholder") owning
10% or more of the stock in a "resident domestic corporation" (which Kirkland's
is) cannot engage in a business combination with the resident domestic
corporation unless the combination (i) takes place at least five years after the
interested shareholder first acquired 10% or more of the resident domestic
corporation, and (ii) either (A) is approved by at least two-thirds of the
non-interested voting shares of the resident domestic corporation or (B)
satisfies certain fairness conditions specified in the Business Combination Act.
 
     These provisions apply unless one of two events occurs. A business
combination with an entity can proceed without delay when approved by the target
corporation's board of directors before that entity becomes an interested
shareholder, or the resident domestic corporation may enact a charter amendment
or bylaw to remove itself entirely from the Business Combination Act. This
charter amendment or bylaw must be approved by a majority of the shareholders
who have held shares for more than one year prior to the vote. It may not take
effect for at least two years after the vote. The Company has not adopted a
charter or bylaw amendment removing the Company from coverage under the Business
Combination Act.
 
     The Business Combination Act further provides an exemption from liability
for officers and directors of resident domestic corporations who do not approve
proposed business combinations or charter amendments and bylaws removing their
corporations from the Business Combination Act's coverage as long as the
officers and directors act in "good faith belief" that the proposed business
combination would adversely affect their corporation's employees, customers,
suppliers or the communities in which their corporation operates and such
factors are permitted to be considered by the board of directors under the
applicable charter.
 
          Investor Protection Act.  Tennessee's Investor Protection Act
("Investor Protection Act") applies to tender offers directed at corporations
(called "offeree companies") that have "substantial assets" in Tennessee and
that are either incorporated in or have a principal office in Tennessee. The
Company satisfies
 
                                       63
   65
 
both of these requirements. The Investor Protection Act requires an offeror
making a tender offer for an offeree company to file with the Commissioner of
Commerce and Insurance (the "Commissioner") a registration statement. When the
offeror intends to gain control of the offeree company, the registration
statement must indicate any plans the offeror has for the offeree. The
Commissioner may require additional information material concerning the takeover
offer and may call for hearings. The Investor Protection Act does not apply to
an offer that the offeree company's board of directors recommends to
shareholders.
 
     In addition to requiring the offeror to file a registration statement with
the Commissioner, the Investor Protection Act requires the offeror and the
offeree company to deliver to the Commissioner all solicitation materials used
in connection with the tender offer. The Investor Protection Act prohibits
"fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative acts or practices" by either side, and
gives the Commissioner standing to apply for equitable relief to the Chancery
Court of Davidson County, Tennessee, or to any other chancery court having
jurisdiction whenever it appears to the Commissioner that the offeror, the
offeree company or any of its respective affiliates has engaged in or is about
to engage in a violation of the Investor Protection Act. Upon proper showing,
the chancery court may grant injunctive relief. The Investor Protection Act
further provides civil and criminal penalties for violations.
 
          Greenmail Act.  The Tennessee Greenmail Act ("Greenmail Act") applies
to any corporation chartered under the laws of Tennessee which has a class of
voting stock registered or traded on a national securities exchange or
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 12(g)
of the Exchange Act. The Greenmail Act provides that it is unlawful for any
corporation or subsidiary to purchase, either directly or indirectly, any of its
shares at a price above the market value, as defined in the Greenmail Act, from
any person who holds more than 3% of the class of the securities purchased if
such person has held such shares for less than two years, unless either the
purchase is first approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding shares of each class of voting stock or the corporation makes an
offer of at least equal value per share to all holders of shares of such class.
 
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
 
   
     The transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock is StockTrans, Inc.
    
 
                                       64
   66
 
                        SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
 
     Upon completion of the Offering (assuming an initial public offering price
of $       per share; see "Certain Transactions - Pre-Offering Transactions"),
the Company will have             shares of Common Stock outstanding. Of these
shares, the             shares of Common Stock offered hereby will be freely
tradeable without restriction or further registration, except for shares
purchased by "affiliates" or "underwriters" of the Company (as those terms are
defined under the Securities Act), which will become eligible for sale in the
public market subject to compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The
remaining 146,683 outstanding shares of Common Stock (     shares if the
Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full) will be restricted
securities (the "Restricted Shares") and may not be sold unless they are
registered under the Securities Act or are sold pursuant to an exemption from
registration, such as the exemption provided by Rule 144 under the Securities
Act. All of the Restricted Shares will be subject to the 180-day "lock-up"
agreements described below. Upon expiration of such lock-up agreements, 11,905
of the Restricted Shares will be eligible for sale immediately in the public
market without restriction pursuant to Rule 144(k), and 93,388 of the Restricted
Shares will become eligible for sale, subject to compliance with the volume
limitations and manner of sale requirements of Rule 144. The remaining 41,390
Restricted Shares will become eligible for sale commencing one year after the
date of this Prospectus. Holders of all of these Restricted Shares have the
right to require the Company to register the shares for sale under the
Securities Act in certain circumstances and have the right to include those
shares in a Company-initiated registration.
 
     In general, Rule 144 allows a person who has beneficially owned Restricted
Shares for at least one year, including persons who may be deemed affiliates of
the Company, to sell, within any three-month period, up to the number of
Restricted Shares that does not exceed the greater of (i) 1% of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock and (ii) the average weekly trading volume
during the four calendar weeks preceding the date on which notice of the sale is
filed with the Commission. A person who is not deemed to have been an affiliate
of the Company at any time during the three months preceding a sale and who has
beneficially owned his or her Restricted Shares for at least two years would be
entitled to sell such Restricted Shares without regard to the volume limitations
described above and certain other conditions of Rule 144.
 
     Under Rule 701, any employee, officer or director or consultant to the
Company who purchased shares pursuant to a written compensatory plan or
contract, including the 1996 Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option
Plan, who is not an affiliate of the Company, is entitled to sell such shares
without having to comply with the public information, holding period, volume
limitation or notice provisions of Rule 144 commencing 90 days after the date of
effectiveness (the "Effective Date") of the Registration Statement of which this
Prospectus is a part (the "Registration Statement"). In addition, under Rule
701, any affiliate who purchased shares pursuant to a written compensatory plan
or contract is entitled to sell such shares without having to comply with the
Rule 144 holding period restrictions commencing 90 days after the Effective
Date, subject to the "lock-up" agreements described above.
 
     The      shares underlying certain options which will be exercisable upon
completion of the Offering will also, upon exercise of the options, become
eligible for sale subject to the applicable "lock-up" agreements, as described
above, and compliance with Rule 144. An additional             shares underlying
options which will become exercisable periodically beginning in August 1998 will
become eligible for sale subject to compliance with Rule 144. In addition, the
Company may issue up to an 12,850 additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to
the 1996 Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, the 1998
Incentive Plan and the Purchase Plan. See "Management - Employee Benefit Plans."
The Company intends to file one or more registration statements under the
Securities Act to register Common Stock to be issued pursuant to these plans,
which would allow the shares issued thereunder to be freely tradeable without
restriction or further registration, except for shares purchased by "affiliates"
or "underwriters" of the Company.
 
     Prior to this Offering, there has been no public market for the securities
of the Company. No predictions can be made of the effect, if any, that the sale
or availability for sale of shares of additional Common Stock will have on the
market price of the Common Stock. Nevertheless, sales of a substantial number of
such shares by existing shareholders or by shareholders purchasing in the
Offering could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Common Stock.
 
                                       65
   67
 
                                  UNDERWRITING
 
     Under the terms of and subject to the conditions contained in an
underwriting agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement"), among the Company and
each of the underwriters named below (the "Underwriters"), for whom Lehman
Brothers Inc., The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC, BancAmerica Robertson
Stephens and Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. are acting as representatives (the
"Representatives"), each of the several Underwriters has agreed to purchase from
the Company, and the Company has agreed to sell to each Underwriter, the
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite the name of such
Underwriter below:
 


                                                          NUMBER OF
                     UNDERWRITERS                       COMMON SHARES
                     ------------                       -------------
                                                     
Lehman Brothers Inc. .................................
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC....................
BancAmerica Robertson Stephens........................
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. ........................
                                                         -----------
          Total.......................................
                                                         ===========

 
     The Underwriting Agreement provides that the obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase shares of Common Stock are subject to the approval of
certain legal matters by counsel and to certain other conditions and that, if
any of the shares of Common Stock are purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to
the Underwriting Agreement, all the shares of Common Stock agreed to be
purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement must be so
purchased.
 
     The Company has been advised by the Representatives that the Underwriters
propose to offer shares of Common Stock directly to the public initially at the
public offering price set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus and to
certain selected dealers (who may include the Underwriters) at such public
offering price less a selling concession not to exceed $          per share. The
selected dealers may reallow a concession not to exceed $          per share.
After the initial offering of the Common Stock, the offering price, the
concession to selected dealers and the reallowance to other dealers may be
changed by the Underwriters.
 
     The Company and its directors, executive officers and existing shareholders
have agreed not to, directly or indirectly, (i) offer for sale, sell, pledge or
otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device which is designed
to, or could reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition by any person
at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or sell or grant options,
rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (except that such restrictions
will not apply to the shares offered pursuant to this Offering, shares offered
directly by the Company pursuant to the Company's existing employee benefit
plans or as consideration for future acquisitions, and shares offered in private
transactions provided that the transferee agrees to the restrictions discussed
herein) or (ii) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that
transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks
of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction
described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common
Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, in each case for a period of
180 days from the date of this Prospectus without the prior written consent of
Lehman Brothers Inc.
 
     Carl Kirkland, Robert E. Alderson and Kirkland Holdings L.L.C. (the "Option
Shareholders") have granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an
additional             shares of Common Stock at the initial public offering
price to the public, less the underwriting discounts and commissions shown on
the cover page of this Prospectus, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. See
"Principal and Selling Shareholders" and "Certain Transactions." The option may
be exercised at any time up to 30 days after the date of this Prospectus. To the
extent that the Underwriters exercise such option, each of the Underwriters will
be committed (subject to certain conditions) to purchase a number of additional
shares proportionate to such Underwriter's initial commitment as indicated in
the preceding table.
 
                                       66
   68
 
     The Company, each of its operating subsidiaries and the Option Shareholders
have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments which the
Underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof.
 
     Until the distribution of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby is
completed, rules of the Commission may limit the ability of the Underwriters and
certain selling group members to bid for and purchase the Common Stock. As an
exception to these rules, the Representatives are permitted to engage in certain
transactions that stabilize the price of the Common Stock. Such transactions may
consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining
the price of the Common Stock.
 
     If the Underwriters create a short position in the Common Stock in
connection with the Offering (i.e., if they sell more shares of Common Stock
than are set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus), the Representatives
may reduce that short position by purchasing the Common Stock in the open
market. The Representatives may also elect to reduce any short position by
exercising all or part of the over-allotment option described herein.
 
     The Representatives also may impose a penalty bid on certain Underwriters
and selling group members. This means that if the Representatives purchase
Common Stock in the open market to reduce the Underwriters' short position or to
stabilize the price of the Common Stock, they may reclaim the amount of the
selling concession from the Underwriters and selling group members who sold
those shares of Common Stock as part of the Offering.
 
     In general, purchases of a security for the purposes of stabilization or to
reduce a syndicate short position could cause the price of the security to be
higher than it might otherwise be in the absence of such purchases. The
imposition of a penalty bid might have an effect on the price of a security to
the extent that it were to discourage resales of the security by purchasers in
the applicable offering.
 
     Neither the Company nor any of the Underwriters makes any representation or
prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions
described above may have on the price of the Common Stock. In addition, neither
the Company nor any of the Underwriters makes any representation that the
Representatives will engage in such transactions or that such transactions, once
commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
 
     Prior to the Offering, there has been no public market for the Common
Stock. The initial public offering price will be negotiated between the Company
and the Representatives. Among the factors to be considered in determining the
initial public offering price, in addition to prevailing market conditions, will
be the market values of publicly traded companies that the Underwriters believe
to be somewhat comparable to the Company, the demand for the Common Stock and
for similar securities of companies comparable to the Company and other factors
deemed relevant. There can, however, be no assurance that an active trading
market will develop for the Common Stock or that the prices at which the Common
Stock will sell in the public market after the Offering will not be lower than
the price at which it will be sold in the Offering.
 
     At the request of the Company, the Underwriters have reserved up to 5% of
the shares of Common Stock offered hereby for sale at the initial public
offering price to employees of the Company and other persons associated with the
Company. The number of shares of Common Stock available for sale to the general
public in the Offering will be reduced to the extent such persons purchase such
reserved Common Stock. Any reserved shares of Common Stock not so purchased will
be offered by the Underwriters to the general public on the same basis as the
Common Stock offered hereby.
 
     The Representatives have informed the Company that the Underwriters do not
intend to confirm sales of shares of Common Stock offered hereby to accounts
over which they exercise discretionary authority without the prior specific
written approval of such customers.
 
     R-H Capital Partners, L.P., an affiliate of The Robinson-Humphrey Company,
LLC, one of the Underwriters in the Offering, is a member of Kirkland Holdings
L.L.C., one of the Company's principal shareholders. In addition, as of April
15, 1998, Lehman Commercial Paper Inc. ("Lehman"), an affiliate of Lehman
Brothers Inc., one of the Underwriters in the Offering, was the lender under one
of the tranches of the
 
                                       67
   69
 
Company's senior credit facility for approximately $22.1 million of the $38.4
million then outstanding under that tranche. Upon completion of the Offering,
the Company expects to use approximately $12.2 million of the net proceeds to
repay a portion of this tranche, approximately $7.5 million of which will be
used to repay Lehman's proportionate share. As a result of Lehman, an affiliate
of Lehman Brothers Inc., receiving greater than 10% of the net proceeds of the
Offering, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD")
requires, among other things, under Rule 2710(c)(8) of the NASD's Conduct Rules,
that the initial public offering price be no higher than that recommended by a
"qualified independent underwriter," who must participate in the preparation of
the registration statement and the prospectus and who must exercise the usual
standards of "due diligence" with respect thereto. The Robinson-Humphrey
Company, LLC is acting as a qualified independent underwriter in this Offering,
and the initial public offering price of the shares is not higher than the price
recommended by The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC, which price was determined
based on the factors discussed above. In accordance with such Rule 2710(c)(8),
the Underwriters will not make sales of shares of Common Stock offered hereby to
customers' discretionary accounts without the prior specific written approval of
such customers. Certain of the Underwriters have also, from time to time,
provided investment banking services to the Company for which they have received
customary fees. See "Certain Transactions - The Recapitalization."
 
                                 LEGAL MATTERS
 
     The validity of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby is being passed
upon for the Company by Pepper Hamilton LLP and the Underwriters are being
represented by Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York, New York.
 
                                    EXPERTS
 
     The combined financial statements as of December 31, 1997 and 1996 and for
each of the years then ended included in this Prospectus and in the Registration
Statement have been so included in reliance upon the report of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
 
     The combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 1995
included in this Prospectus and in the Registration Statement have been included
in reliance upon the report of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, independent public
accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.
 
             INFORMATION CONCERNING INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
 
   
     In July 1996, the Company engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent
public accountants to audit the Company's financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 1996, replacing the firm of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, which had
previously served as the Company's independent public accountants and had
completed its audit of the Company's financial statements for the year ended
December 31, 1995. The Company's decision to change accountants was ratified by
the Board of Directors of the Company.
    
 
   
     During the Company's two most recent fiscal years preceding the change of
accountants discussed above, there were no disagreements with KPMG Peat Marwick
LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure or auditing scope or procedure which, if not resolved to its
satisfaction, would have caused KPMG Peat Marwick LLP to make reference thereto
in connection with its reports. The reports of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP on the
Company's financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years preceding
the change of accountants contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion
and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting
principles.
    
 
                                       68
   70
 
                             AVAILABLE INFORMATION
 
     The Company is not currently subject to the informational requirements of
the Securities Exchange Act. As a result of the Offering, the Company will be
required to file reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to the informational requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act.
 
     The Company has filed with the Commission a Registration Statement on Form
S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities offered hereby. As
permitted by the rules and regulations of the Commission, this Prospectus, which
is part of the Registration Statement, omits certain information, exhibits,
schedules and undertakings set forth in the Registration Statement. For further
information pertaining to the Company and the securities offered hereby,
reference is made to such Registration Statement and the exhibits and schedules
thereto. Statements contained in this Prospectus as to the contents or
provisions of any documents referred to herein are not necessarily complete, and
in each instance, reference is made to the copy of the document, if applicable,
filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The Company will issue annual
and quarterly reports. Annual reports will include audited financial statements
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States and a report of the Company's independent auditors with respect to
the examination of such financial statements. In addition, the Company will
issue to its security holders such other unaudited quarterly or other interim
reports as it deems appropriate.
 
     The Registration Statement may be inspected without charge at the office of
the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of the
Registration Statement may be obtained from the Commission at prescribed rates
from the Public Reference Section of the Commission at such address, and at the
Commission's regional offices located at 7 World Trade Center, 13th Floor, New
York, New York 10048, and at Northwestern Atrium Center, 500 West Madison
Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661. In addition, registration
statements and certain other filings made with the Commission through its
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval ("EDGAR") system are publicly
available through the Commission's site on the Internet's World Wide Web,
located at http://www.sec.gov. The Registration Statement, including all
exhibits thereto and amendments thereof, has been filed with the Commission
through EDGAR.
 
                                       69
   71
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
                     INDEX TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
   


                                                              PAGE
                                                              ----
                                                           
Report of Independent Public Accountants....................   F-2
Independent Auditors' Report................................   F-3
Combined Balance Sheet as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 and
  June 30, 1998.............................................   F-4
Combined Statement of Income for the years ended December
  31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the six months ended June 30,
  1997 and 1998.............................................   F-5
Combined Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
  (Deficit) for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and
  1997 and the three months ended June 30, 1998.............   F-6
Combined Statement of Cash Flows for the years ended
  December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the three months
  ended June 30, 1997 and 1998..............................   F-7
Notes to Combined Financial Statements......................   F-8

    
 
                                       F-1
   72
 
                       REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
 
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Kirkland's, Inc. and Affiliates
 
     The transaction described in Note 13 in the combined financial statements
has not been consummated. When it has been consummated, we will be in a position
to furnish the following report:
 
     "In our opinion, the accompanying combined balance sheet and the related
combined statements of income, of changes in shareholders' equity (deficit) and
of cash flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position
of Kirkland's, Inc. and Affiliates at December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the
results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management; our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards which require that we plan and perform the
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements,
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We
believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for the opinion expressed
above."
 
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
Memphis, Tennessee
 
February 13, 1998, except for Note 8
which is as of April 27, 1998 and Note 13
which is as of               , 1998
 
                                       F-2
   73
 
     When the transaction referred to in Note 13 of the Notes to Combined
Financial Statements has been consummated, we will be in a position to render
the following report.
 
                                          KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Kirkland's, Inc. and Affiliates:
 
     We have audited the accompanying combined statements of income, changes in
shareholders' equity (deficit) and cash flows of Kirkland's, Inc. and Affiliates
(formerly Kirkland's Retail Organization) for the year ended December 31, 1995.
These combined financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these combined
financial statements based on our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present
fairly, in all material respects, the results of operations and the cash flows
of Kirkland's, Inc. and Affiliates for the year ended December 31, 1995, in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
Memphis, Tennessee
March 26, 1996, except as to
Note 13, which is as of
            , 1998
 
                                       F-3
   74
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
                             COMBINED BALANCE SHEET
             (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
   


                                                                                                PRO FORMA
                                                                                               INDEBTEDNESS
                                                                                                AND EQUITY
                                                           DECEMBER 31,                          (NOTE 1)
                                                      ----------------------     JUNE 30,        JUNE 30,
                                                        1996         1997          1998            1998
                                                      ---------    ---------    -----------    ------------
                                                                                (UNAUDITED)    (UNAUDITED)
                                                                                   
ASSETS
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents.........................  $  11,228    $  10,881     $   2,304
  Inventories.......................................     16,985       20,036        30,913
  Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........        822        1,005         1,341
  Income taxes refundable...........................         --           --         2,026
  Deferred income taxes.............................        552          596           671
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------
         Total current assets.......................     29,587       32,518        37,255
Property and equipment, net.........................     10,613       12,895        14,748
Noncurrent deferred income taxes....................        165          201           201
Debt issue costs, net...............................      5,271        4,270         3,766
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------
         Total assets...............................  $  45,636    $  49,884     $  55,970
                                                      =========    =========     =========
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Current maturities of long-term debt..............  $   3,583    $   4,421     $  16,553
  Accounts payable..................................      1,315        1,696         6,289
  Income taxes payable..............................      1,565        1,774            --
  Accrued liabilities...............................      5,951        8,835         4,660
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------
         Total current liabilities..................     12,414       16,726        27,502
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------
Long-term debt:
  Senior credit facility............................     48,281       44,051        49,489      $  37,098
  Subordinated debt.................................     19,721       19,764        19,786             --
  Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock (Class
    C)..............................................     20,000       20,000        17,122             --
  Other notes payable...............................        549          361           262            262
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
                                                         88,551       84,176        86,659         37,360
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
Common stock warrants...............................        490          879            --             --
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
         Total liabilities..........................    101,455      101,781       114,161         64,092
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 7 and 11)......
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, no par
  value:
  Class A...........................................     31,899       34,468        35,912             --
  Class B...........................................     14,937       16,123        12,603             --
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
                                                         46,836       50,591        48,515             --
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
Shareholders' deficit:
 
Common stock, at stated value; 100,000, 100,000 and
  92,100 shares issued and outstanding at December
  31, 1996, 1997 and June 30, 1998, respectively....        235          210           203            203
Paid-in capital.....................................      6,157        2,293         1,243        100,041
Accumulated deficit.................................   (109,047)    (104,991)     (108,152)      (108,366)
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
         Total shareholders' deficit................   (102,655)    (102,488)     (106,706)        (8,122)
                                                      ---------    ---------     ---------      ---------
 
         Total liabilities, redeemable preferred
           stock and shareholders' deficit..........  $  45,636    $  49,884     $  55,970      $  55,970
                                                      =========    =========     =========      =========

    
 
            See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.
                                       F-4
   75
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
                          COMBINED STATEMENT OF INCOME
             (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
   


                                                                            SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                             YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,            JUNE 30,
                                          ------------------------------   -------------------
                                            1995       1996       1997       1997       1998
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
                                                                               (UNAUDITED)
                                                                       
Net sales...............................  $112,035   $127,946   $153,584   $ 56,494   $ 63,380
Cost of sales (including store occupancy
  costs)................................    68,835     80,438     96,998     38,955     42,963
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
          Gross profit..................    43,200     47,508     56,586     17,539     20,417
Operating expenses......................    24,192     27,915     35,004     15,062     18,247
Severance charge........................        --         --        756         --         --
Recapitalization expenses...............        --        854         --         --         --
Owners' compensation....................    13,926         --         --         --         --
Depreciation and amortization...........     2,362      3,383      4,142      2,027      2,344
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
          Operating income (loss).......     2,720     15,356     16,684        450       (174)
Interest expense:
  Senior, subordinated and other notes
     payable............................     1,415      5,114      7,990      4,062      3,917
  Class C Preferred Stock...............        --        990      1,800        900        770
  Accretion of common stock warrants....        --        190        389        194         --
Interest income.........................      (162)       (47)       (80)      (114)      (112)
Other income, net.......................      (221)      (147)       154       (110)      (151)
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
          Income (loss) before income
            taxes.......................     1,688      9,256      6,739     (4,482)    (4,598)
Income tax provision (benefit)..........        --      2,693      2,817     (1,412)    (1,437)
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
          Net income (loss).............     1,688      6,563      3,922     (3,070)    (3,161)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock
  and accrual of dividends (Class A and
  B Preferred Stock)....................        --      2,313      3,755      1,877      1,929
                                          --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
Net income (loss) allocable to common
  stock.................................  $  1,688   $  4,250   $    167   $ (4,947)  $ (5,090)
                                          ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
Income (loss) per common share:
  Basic.................................  $ 16,880   $  76.18   $   1.67   $ (49.47)  $ (55.08)
                                          ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
  Diluted...............................  $ 16,880   $  65.55   $   1.35   $ (49.47)  $ (55.08)
                                          ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
Weighted average number of common shares
  outstanding:
  Basic.................................       100     55,789    100,000    100,000     92,403
                                          ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
  Diluted...............................       100     64,838    123,549    100,000     92,403
                                          ========   ========   ========   ========   ========

    
 
            See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.
                                       F-5
   76
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
        COMBINED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
                    (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
   


                                              COMMON STOCK               ACCUMULATED
                                            ----------------   PAID-IN    EARNINGS
                                            SHARES    AMOUNT   CAPITAL    (DEFICIT)      TOTAL
                                            -------   ------   -------   -----------   ---------
                                                                        
Balance at December 31, 1994..............      100   $ 639    $ 2,637    $   6,449    $   9,725
Sale of common stock in affiliated
  corporations............................               13                                   13
Owners' contributions.....................                         453                       453
Net income................................                                    1,688        1,688
                                            -------   -----    -------    ---------    ---------
          Balance at December 31, 1995....      100     652      3,090        8,137       11,879
Sale of common stock in affiliated
  corporations............................               17                                   17
Discontinuance of Subchapter S corporation
  election................................                       8,013       (8,013)          --
Distribution to shareholders..............                      (1,534)                   (1,534)
Distribution of redeemable preferred stock
  to common shareholders:
  Class C.................................                                  (20,000)     (20,000)
  Class B.................................                                  (14,206)     (14,206)
Issuance of additional shares to existing
  common shareholders.....................   31,568                                           --
Sale of common stock to investors.........   68,400      31                                   31
Repurchase and cancellation of
  common stock............................      (68)   (465)    (1,099)     (81,528)     (83,092)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock
  and dividends accrued...................                      (2,313)                   (2,313)
Net income................................                                    6,563        6,563
                                            -------   -----    -------    ---------    ---------
          Balance at December 31, 1996....  100,000     235      6,157     (109,047)    (102,655)
Retirement of common stock in affiliated
  corporations............................              (25)      (109)         134           --
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock
  and dividends accrued...................                      (3,755)                   (3,755)
Net income................................                                    3,922        3,922
                                            -------   -----    -------    ---------    ---------
          Balance at December 31, 1997....  100,000     210      2,293     (104,991)    (102,488)
Transfer of common stock warrants from
  liabilities to equity due to
  cancellation of
  put feature (unaudited).................                         879                       879
Redemption of stock from former
  shareholder (unaudited).................   (7,900)     (7)                                  (7)
Accretion of redeemable preferred stock
  and dividends accrued (unaudited).......                      (1,929)                   (1,929)
Net loss (unaudited)......................                                   (3,161)      (3,161)
                                            -------   -----    -------    ---------    ---------
          Balance at June 30, 1998........   92,100   $ 203    $ 1,243    $(108,152)   $(106,706)
                                            =======   =====    =======    =========    =========

    
 
            See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.
                                       F-6
   77
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
                        COMBINED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                                 (IN THOUSANDS)
 
   


                                                                                   SIX MONTHS ENDED
                                                  YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,              JUNE 30,
                                               ------------------------------    --------------------
                                                1995        1996       1997        1997        1998
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
                                                                                     (UNAUDITED)
                                                                              
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
  Net income (loss)..........................  $ 1,688    $  6,563    $ 3,922    $ (3,070)   $ (3,161)
  Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss)
     to net cash provided by (used in)
     operating activities:
     Depreciation of property and
       equipment.............................    2,362       2,790      3,141       1,523       1,840
     Amortization of debt issue costs........       --         593      1,001         504         504
     Accretion of common stock warrants......       --         190        389         194          --
     (Gain) Loss on disposal of property and
       equipment.............................        3          52         56          --         (16)
     Deferred tax (benefit) expense..........       --        (717)       (80)        226         (75)
     Changes in assets and liabilities:
       Inventories...........................   (4,816)        319     (3,051)     (8,884)    (10,877)
       Prepaid expenses and other assets.....     (124)       (143)      (183)       (355)       (336)
       Accounts payable......................    1,728      (2,196)       381       2,652       4,593
       Income taxes payable..................       --       1,565        209      (3,387)     (3,800)
       Accrued liabilities...................      428       2,049      2,884      (1,387)     (4,175)
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
          Net cash provided by (used in)
            operating activities.............    1,269      11,065      8,669     (11,984)    (15,503)
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
  Proceeds from sale of property and
     equipment...............................       10          52         12          --         105
  Capital expenditures.......................   (4,140)     (4,257)    (5,491)     (3,142)     (3,782)
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
          Net cash used in investing
            activities.......................   (4,130)     (4,205)    (5,479)     (3,142)     (3,677)
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
  Net borrowings (repayments) under notes
     payable to banks........................      224        (448)        --          --          --
  Borrowings on revolving line of credit.....                                       7,405      11,725
  Repayments on revolving line of credit.....                                      (2,525)
  Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt...    5,804      79,124         --          --       7,000
  Debt issue costs...........................       --      (5,864)        --          --          --
  Principal payments on long-term debt.......   (3,216)    (19,533)    (3,537)       (982)     (1,232)
  Redemption of stock from former
     shareholder.............................       --          --         --          --      (6,890)
  Proceeds from issuance of redeemable
     convertible preferred stock (Class A),
     net.....................................       --      30,317         --          --          --
  Proceeds from issuance of common stock.....       13          48         --                      --
  Repurchase of common stock.................       --     (83,092)        --          --          --
  Owners' contributions (distributions)......      453      (1,534)        --          --          --
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
          Net cash provided by (used in)
            financing activities.............    3,278        (982)    (3,537)      3,898      10,603
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
     Cash and cash equivalents
          Net increase (decrease)............      417       5,878       (347)    (11,228)     (8,577)
          Beginning of year..................    4,933       5,350     11,228      11,228      10,881
                                               -------    --------    -------    --------    --------
          End of year........................  $ 5,350    $ 11,228    $10,881    $     --    $  2,304
                                               =======    ========    =======    ========    ========
Supplemental Disclosures:
  Interest paid..............................  $ 1,195    $  5,045    $ 9,041    $  5,282    $  6,163
                                               =======    ========    =======    ========    ========
  Income taxes paid..........................  $    --    $  1,298    $ 2,687    $  1,799    $  2,440
                                               =======    ========    =======    ========    ========

    
 
            See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.
                                       F-7
   78
 
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
                     NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
NOTE 1 -- DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Description of Business
 
     Kirkland's Inc. and Affiliates (the "Company") is comprised of a service
organization and affiliated retail specialty stores (138 at December 31, 1997).
The Company is a leading specialty retailer of decorative home accessories and
gifts with stores in 26 states. Kirkland's, Inc. operates the retail specialty
stores through separate corporations under common ownership.
 
  Basis of Presentation
 
     The combined financial statements include the accounts of Kirkland's, Inc.
and its affiliated corporations. The statements are presented on a combined
basis due to common ownership, common management and the integrated nature of
business activities/operations. Significant intercompany accounts and
transactions are eliminated.
 
  Reclassifications
 
     Certain prior years' amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 1997
presentation.
 
  Cash Equivalents
 
     Cash equivalents consist of investments with maturities of 90 days or less
at the date of purchase.
 
  Inventories
 
     Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market with cost being
determined using the average cost method which approximates current cost.
 
  Property and Equipment
 
     Property and equipment are stated at cost. Tenant allowances provided by
the lessors for reimbursement and construction costs incurred in connection with
store openings are recorded as reductions to the basis of the respective tenant
improvements. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the
estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Furniture, fixtures and
equipment are depreciated over 5-7 years. Buildings are depreciated over 40
years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life
of the asset or the lease term. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred
and improvements are capitalized.
 
     Property and equipment, at the individual store level, are reviewed for
impairment whenever an event or change in circumstances indicates the carrying
amount of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. The impairment
review includes comparison of future cash flows expected to be generated by the
asset or group of assets with their associated carrying value. If the carrying
value of the asset or group of assets exceeds the expected cash flows
(undiscounted and without interest charges), an impairment loss is recognized to
the extent the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.
 
  Debt Issue Costs
 
     Debt issue costs are amortized by the straight-line method over the life of
the debt and are shown net of accumulated amortization of $593,000 and
$1,594,000 at December 31, 1996 and 1997, respectively. Use of the straight-line
method of amortization approximates the results of the application of the
interest method.
 
  Preopening Expenses
 
     Preopening expenses, which consist primarily of payroll and occupancy
costs, are expensed as incurred.
 
                                       F-8
   79
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
  Advertising Expenses
 
     Advertising is expensed as incurred. Advertising expense was $628,000,
$771,000 and $802,000 in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Prior to June 12, 1996, the Company elected to be taxed as a Subchapter S
corporation for federal income tax purposes. As a result, no income taxes were
recorded until that date. Instead, the shareholders paid tax on their respective
shares of taxable income, even if such income was not distributed. Effective
June 12, 1996, the Company discontinued its election to be treated as an S
corporation. As a result of this change, the Company capitalized its retained
earnings as of that date ($8,013,000) into Paid-in capital.
 
     The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method. Under
this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on
differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities
and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect
when the differences are expected to reverse. The initial adoption of the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting
for Income Taxes ("SFAS 109"), resulted in a deferred tax benefit of $379,000.
 
  Authorized Capital
 
     The Kirkland's, Inc. authorized capital at December 31, 1997 consisted of
500,000 shares of common stock, 68,400 shares of Class A Preferred Stock and
31,600 shares of Class B Preferred Stock. The number of shares of Class A and
Class B Preferred Stock discussed elsewhere in these financial statements
represents the aggregate combined shares of Kirkland's, Inc. and each of its
affiliated corporations. See Note 8 for a description of the terms of each
issue.
 
  Stock Options and Warrants
 
     The Company applies APB Opinion 25 in accounting for its stock compensation
plans. No compensation expense is recognized for stock options issued to
employees when the option's exercise price is greater than or equal to the fair
value of the Company's common stock on the grant date. Otherwise, compensation
expense is recorded, over the vesting period, in an amount equal to the
difference between the fair value of the common stock on the grant date and the
exercise price. The Company has provided pro forma disclosures of net income as
if the fair value based method of accounting for the plan, as prescribed by
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation, had been applied (see Note 9). Pro forma disclosures include the
effects of employees' stock options granted during the years ended December 31,
1996 and 1997.
 
     The fair value of detachable put warrants issued in connection with the
issuance of debt is initially recorded as a discount to the related debt and
amortized to interest expense, using the effective interest method, over the
term of the related debt. The warrants are adjusted to their current fair value
(as defined in the applicable debt agreement) for each subsequent period through
the accretion of common stock warrants account in the combined statements of
income.
 
  Use of Estimates
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities
and disclosure of contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the
related reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.
 
                                       F-9
   80
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
  Fair Value of Financial Instruments
 
     At December 31, 1996 and 1997, the Company did not have any outstanding
financial derivative instruments. Financial instruments include cash, accounts
payable, a revolving credit agreement and long-term debt. The carrying amounts
of these financial instruments, except long-term debt, approximate fair value
because of their short maturities. Long-term debt approximates fair value based
on the short periods of interest rate repricing for variable rate long-term debt
and estimates based on the current borrowing rates available to the Company for
bank loans with similar terms and average maturities for fixed rate long-term
debt.
 
  Interim Data
 
     The interim financial data is unaudited; however, in the opinion of the
Company this interim data includes all adjustments, consisting of normal
recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results of the
interim periods.
 
  Pro Forma Information (unaudited)
 
   
     The pro forma information at June 30, 1998 adjusts the historical June 30,
1998 balances of long-term debt and the equity accounts to give effect to the
recapitalization and exchange of the Class A and B Preferred Stock into or for
common stock, the exercise of common stock warrants by warrantholders and the
purchase or redemption of Class C Preferred Stock and other debt upon the
closing of an anticipated initial public offering of common stock (the
"Offering").
    
 
  Noncash Supplemental Disclosure
 
     The following noncash transactions have been excluded from the Statement of
Cash Flows (in thousands): (unaudited)
 


                                                                      1996
                                                                     -------
                                                               
     Accretion of redeemable Class A and B Preferred Stock and
- -    dividends accrued...........................................    $ 2,313
- -    Distribution of redeemable Class B and C Preferred Stock....     34,206
     Issuance of common stock warrants in connection with senior
- -    subordinated debt...........................................        300
                                                                        1997
                                                                     -------
     Accretion of redeemable Class A and B Preferred Stock and
- -    dividends accrued...........................................    $ 3,755

 
  New Accounting Pronouncements
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 130 -- In June
1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued SFAS No. 130,
Reporting Comprehensive Income. SFAS No. 130 establishes standards for reporting
and display of comprehensive income and its components in a full set of
general-purpose financial statements. SFAS No. 130 requires that all items that
are required to be recognized under accounting standards as components of
comprehensive income be reported in a financial statement that is displayed with
the same prominence as other financial statements. SFAS No. 130 is effective for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1997. Currently, the Company does not
have any items that are required to be recognized as components of comprehensive
income.
 
     SFAS No. 131 -- In June 1997, the FASB issued SFAS No. 131, Disclosure
about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information. SFAS No. 131 revises
the current requirements for reporting business segments by redefining such
segments as the way management disaggregates the business for purposes of making
operating decisions and allocating internal resources. SFAS No. 131 is effective
for fiscal years
 
                                      F-10
   81
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
beginning after December 15, 1997, and although management believes that SFAS
No. 131 will not impact the Company's presentation, the Company will adopt SFAS
No. 131 in fiscal 1998.
 
  Earnings Per Share
 
     Earnings per share is calculated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS
No. 128 Earnings Per Share. SFAS No. 128 requires the Company to report both
basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share. Basic earnings per
share is computed by dividing net income allocable to common stock by the
weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.
 
     Diluted earnings per share are computed using the weighted average number
of shares determined for the basic computations plus the number of shares of
common stock that would be issued assuming all potentially issuable shares
having a dilutive effect on earnings per share were outstanding for the period.
 


                                                                             WEIGHTED
                                                         (IN THOUSANDS)      AVERAGE      PER SHARE
                                                             INCOME           SHARES       AMOUNT
                                                        ----------------    ----------    ---------
                                                                                 
DECEMBER 31, 1997
  Basic income........................................       $  167            100,000     $  1.67
  Effect of dilutive securities:
     Warrants.........................................                          16,452
     Options..........................................                           7,097
                                                             ------         ----------     -------
  Dilutive income.....................................       $  167            123,549     $  1.35
                                                             ------         ----------     -------
DECEMBER 31, 1996
  Basic income........................................       $4,250             55,789     $ 76.18
  Effect of dilutive securities:
     Warrants.........................................                           9,049
                                                             ------         ----------     -------
  Dilutive income.....................................       $4,250             64,838     $ 65.55
                                                             ------         ----------     -------
DECEMBER 31, 1995
  Basic income........................................       $1,688                100     $16,880
                                                             ------         ----------     -------
  Dilutive income.....................................       $1,688                100     $16,880
                                                             ------         ----------     -------

 
     At December 31, 1996 and 1997, 68,400 shares of Class A Preferred Stock
and 31,600 shares of Class B Preferred Stock were outstanding. The holders of
both classes of stock may convert their shares into common stock upon the
occurrence of an initial public offering at the rate of the liquidation value
divided by the initial public offering price (see Note 8). These shares were not
included in the calculation of earnings per share for 1996 and 1997 due to the
antidilutive effect they would have on earnings per share if converted.
 
     Stock options to acquire 7,143 shares of common stock of the Company at
$0.45 per share were granted during 1996. The options had no dilutive impact on
earnings per share during the year ended December 31, 1996.
 
     Contingent common stock warrants reserved for the holders of the
subordinated notes (see Note 6) entitling them to purchase 3.5% of the fully
diluted equity of the Company were included in the calculation of diluted
earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 due to certain
valuation thresholds not being met as of the applicable date.
 
     Stock options to acquire 3,769 shares of common stock of the Company at
$95.00 per share were granted during 1997. The options were not included in the
calculation of earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 1997 because
the options' exercise price was greater than the average fair market value of
the common stock.
 
                                      F-11
   82
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
NOTE 2 -- LEVERAGED RECAPITALIZATION
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company completed a leveraged recapitalization (the
"Recapitalization") pursuant to which Advent International Corporation, a
private equity investment firm, became the largest beneficial owner of the
Company. The Recapitalization permitted the founding and management shareholders
to realize a portion of the value of their interest in the Company. The
Recapitalization included the following principal components:
 
   
     - The creation of two new classes of redeemable convertible preferred stock
       ("Class A Preferred Stock" and "Class B Preferred Stock"). The Class A
       Preferred Stock (68,400 shares) was recorded at its liquidation value of
       $30,749,000, or $449.55 per share, less an issuance cost of $432,000. The
       Class B Preferred Stock (31,600 shares) was recorded at its liquidation
       value of $14,206,000, or $449.55 per share. (See Note 8).
    
 
     - The creation of a new class of mandatorily redeemable preferred stock
       ("Class C Preferred Stock"). The Class C Preferred Stock was recorded at
       its liquidation value of $20,000,000. (See Note 6).
 
     - The distribution of 100% of the Class B Preferred Stock and Class C
       Preferred Stock to the existing shareholders of the Company.
 
     - The sale of newly issued shares of common stock and 100% of the Class A
       Preferred Stock for cash of $30,780,000 to the new investors
       ("Investors").
 
     - The issuance of $20 million of senior subordinated note due June 2003
       ("Senior Subordinated Note") (See Note 6).
 
     - The issuance of $52 million of variable rate Senior Debt, under the
       Company's bank credit facility, with quarterly principal and interest
       payments through June 2002 (the "Senior Debt") (See Note 6).
 
     - The repurchase and cancellation of 68.4% of the aggregate common stock of
       the existing shareholders for cash of $83,092,000.
 
     - The repayment of existing indebtedness of the Company totaling
       $19,193,000.
 
     Total transaction-related fees for the Recapitalization amounted to
approximately $6,296,000. Of this amount, financing costs of $5,864,000
associated with the Senior Subordinated Notes and the Senior Debt were deferred
and are being amortized over the life of this debt.
 
NOTE 3 -- PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
  Property and equipment comprised the following (in thousands):
 


                                                              DECEMBER 31,
                                                           ------------------
                                                            1996       1997
                                                           -------    -------
                                                                
Land.....................................................  $   300    $   300
Buildings................................................      965        965
Equipment................................................   18,151     21,556
Leasehold improvements...................................    5,795      6,482
                                                           -------    -------
                                                            25,211     29,303
Less accumulated depreciation............................   14,598     16,408
                                                           -------    -------
                                                           $10,613    $12,895
                                                           =======    =======

 
                                      F-12
   83
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
NOTE 4 -- ACCRUED LIABILITIES
 
     Accrued liabilities comprised the following (in thousands):
 


                                                               DECEMBER 31,
                                                             ----------------
                                                              1996      1997
                                                             ------    ------
                                                                 
Accrued compensation.......................................  $  925    $1,661
Sales taxes payable........................................   1,857     2,234
Percentage rent accrual....................................     472       552
Gift certificates and store credits........................     720       997
Accrued interest payable...................................   1,689     2,358
Other......................................................     288     1,033
                                                             ------    ------
                                                             $5,951    $8,835
                                                             ======    ======

 
NOTE 5 -- INCOME TAXES
 
     As discussed in Note 1, prior to June 12, 1996, the Company had elected to
be treated as a Subchapter S corporation for federal income tax purposes.
Accordingly, the financial statements do not reflect a provision for federal
income taxes prior to June 12, 1996.
 
     The provision for income taxes for 1996 and 1997 consists of the following
(in thousands):
 


                                                              1996      1997
                                                             ------    ------
                                                                 
Current
  Federal..................................................  $2,634    $2,324
  State....................................................     776       573
                                                             ------    ------
                                                              3,410     2,897
                                                             ------    ------
Deferred
  Federal..................................................    (277)      (64)
  State....................................................     (61)      (16)
  Adoption of SFAS 109 due to discontinuance of S
     corporation election..................................    (379)       --
                                                             ------    ------
                                                               (717)      (80)
                                                             ------    ------
                                                             $2,693    $2,817
                                                             ======    ======

 
                                      F-13
   84
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
     Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets as of December
31, 1996 and 1997 respectively, are as follows (in thousands):
 


                                                              1996     1997
                                                              ----    ------
                                                                
Current deferred tax assets
  Inventory valuation methods.............................    $192    $  211
  Accruals................................................     360       385
                                                              ----    ------
                                                               552       596
Noncurrent deferred tax assets
  Property and equipment..................................     165       201
  Net operating loss carryforwards........................      --       741
                                                              ----    ------
                                                               717     1,538
Deferred valuation allowance..............................      --      (741)
                                                              ----    ------
                                                              $717    $  797
                                                              ====    ======

 
     At December 31, 1997, certain of the affiliated corporations were in a net
operating loss carryforward position. These loss carryforwards aggregated
approximately $2.5 million and will expire, if unused, in 2012. The deferred
valuation allowance at December 31, 1997 is based on management's conclusion
that sufficient positive evidence, as defined in SFAS 109, regarding realization
of certain tax carryforward items does not exist due to potential separate
return limitations on the use of such items.
 
     A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed
by applying the federal statutory tax rate of 35% to income before income taxes
for 1996 and 1997, respectively, is as follows:
 


                                                               1996     1997
                                                               -----    -----
                                                                  
Statutory Federal income tax rate..........................     35.0%    35.0%
State income taxes, net of Federal income tax effect.......      5.4      5.2
Benefit from termination of S corporation election.........     (4.0)      --
Benefit from surtax exemptions.............................    (10.0)   (10.3)
Recording of valuation allowance...........................       --     10.4
Other......................................................      2.7      1.5
                                                               -----    -----
                                                                29.1%    41.8%
                                                               =====    =====

 
                                      F-14
   85
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
NOTE 6 -- INDEBTEDNESS
 
  Long-term debt
 
     Long-term debt consists of the following ($ in thousands):
 


                                                                 DECEMBER 31,
                                                              ------------------
                                                               1996       1997
                                                              -------    -------
                                                                   
Senior Credit Facility:
  Senior Debt (Tranche A), principal and interest payable
     quarterly at varying amounts through June 2001,
     interest at a floating rate, as specified in the debt
     agreement (average rate of 9.3% in 1997)...............  $19,750    $16,750
  Senior Debt (Tranche B), principal and interest payable
     quarterly at varying amounts through June 2002,
     interest at a rate, as specified in the debt agreement
     (average rate of 9.5% in 1997).........................   31,922     31,531
                                                              -------    -------
                                                               51,672     48,281
Senior Subordinated Notes, interest payable quarterly,
  principal due in June 2003, interest at 12.25% in 1996 and
  1997, 12.50% thereafter, net of unamortized debt discount
  of $236,000 ($279,000 in 1996)............................   19,721     19,764
Various notes payable, with interest rates varying from
  prime to prime plus 1%, principal and interest payable
  quarterly or annually, maturing through 2003 (average rate
  of 9.4% in 1997)..........................................      741        552
                                                              -------    -------
                                                               72,134     68,597
Less current portion........................................    3,583      4,421
                                                              -------    -------
Total long-term.............................................  $68,551    $64,176
                                                              =======    =======

 
     The principal maturities of long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 1997
in years subsequent to 1998 are as follows: $5,672,000 in 1999; $6,480,000 in
2000; $22,347,000 in 2001; $9,913,000 in 2002 and $19,764,000 thereafter.
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company entered into a senior credit facility (the
"Senior Debt Agreement") with a syndicate bank group providing for up to $52
million of senior term debt. Borrowings under the Senior Debt Agreement (Tranche
A) bear interest at a floating rate (the higher of the federal funds rate plus
 .5% or the prime rate) plus 2.25% or a Eurodollar Rate, as defined in the Senior
Debt Agreement, plus 3.25%. Borrowings under the Senior Debt Agreement (Tranche
B) bear interest at a floating rate (the higher of the federal funds rate plus
 .5% or the prime rate) plus 2.75%, or a Eurodollar Rate, as defined, plus 3.75%.
 
     In accordance with the Senior Debt Agreement, the Company has a $20 million
revolving credit agreement ("Line of Credit") with the same syndicate bank
group. The Line of Credit has a maturity date of June 30, 2001 and bears
interest at a floating rate (the higher of the federal funds rate plus .5% or
the prime rate) plus 2.25%, or a Eurodollar Rate, as defined in the Senior Debt
Agreement, plus 3.25%. The Line of Credit requires a 30-day consecutive zero
balance between December 1 and March 1 of each year. There were no borrowings
outstanding under the Line of Credit at December 31, 1996 and 1997. The Company
is required to pay a commitment fee to the bank at a rate per annum equal to .5%
on the unused portion of the Line of Credit.
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company also entered into a Senior Subordinated Note
and Warrant Purchase Agreement (the "Subordinated Note Agreement"). The holders
of the subordinated notes also received warrants to purchase, for $0.01 per
share, 11,905 shares of common stock of the Company. Additional warrants
("Incentive Warrants") are reserved for the holders of the notes, entitling them
to purchase, for $0.01 per share, an additional 4,817 shares of common stock in
the event certain valuation targets are not met. The Incentive Warrants will be
based on the net valuation of the Company at a sale of the Company's
 
                                      F-15
   86
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
   
common stock or an initial public offering, as defined in the Subordinated Note
Agreement. Under the original provisions of this agreement, all of these
warrants could be sold back (i.e., put) to the Company at the holders' option on
the maturity date of the debt for fair market value, as defined in the
Subordinated Note Agreement. An initial value of $300,000 was allocated to the
warrants and recorded as debt discount. The debt discount is being amortized
over the life of the notes.
    
 
   
     Prior to January 1, 1998, when the holders of the warrants agreed to
terminate the put, the warrants were marked to market based upon the fair value
of the underlying common stock as of each period end (approximately $74 per
share at December 31, 1997). The accretion ceased upon the termination of the
put at which time the recorded liability of $879,000 was recorded as an increase
in paid-in capital.
    
 
     Prior to June 12, 1996, the Company had operating lines of credit of
approximately $15.6 million with various banks. The lines had varying maturities
and bore interest at rates ranging from 8.25% to 9.5%.
 
     Under the most restrictive covenants of these agreements, the Company is
required to maintain stated levels of earnings and net worth. These agreements
are secured by substantially all of the Company's assets.
 
  Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock
 
     In connection with the Recapitalization, the Company distributed all of the
1,740,000 authorized shares of no par value Class C Preferred Stock. The Class C
Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference to the Class A Preferred Stock and
the Class B Preferred Stock and had a liquidation value of $20 million at
December 31, 1996 and 1997. The Class C Preferred Stock has no conversion
privileges, is non-voting and can be redeemed in whole or in part at the option
of the Company at any time, and shall be mandatorily redeemable in whole at the
earliest to occur of July 2003 or change in control or refinancing. In
connection with the Class C Preferred Stock, the Company pays an annual amount
equal to 9% of the outstanding balance to the holders which has been reflected
in interest expense in the accompanying combined statement of income.
 
NOTE 7 -- LONG-TERM LEASES
 
     The Company leases retail store facilities under noncancelable operating
leases with terms ranging from five to ten years and expiring at various dates
through 2009. Most of these agreements include renewal options and provide for
minimum rentals and contingent rentals based on sales performance in excess of
specified minimums. Rent expense under operating leases was $7,615,000,
$9,296,000 and $11,363,000 in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively, and contingent
rental expense was $459,000, $468,000 and $539,000 in 1995, 1996 and 1997,
respectively.
 
     Future minimum lease payments under all operating leases with initial terms
of one year or more are as follows: $12,045,000 in 1998; $11,452,000 in 1999;
$10,871,000 in 2000; $10,470,000 in 2001; $10,121,000 in 2002; and $32,559,000
thereafter.
 
NOTE 8 -- CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 
     On April 27, 1998, the charters of the Company and each affiliated
corporation were amended to establish the capital structure described below.
 
  Common Stock
 
     The Kirkland's, Inc. authorized capital includes 500,000 shares of voting
common stock. The holders of the common stock have one vote per share and are
entitled to elect a total of four directors to the Board of Directors of the
Company. A director elected by the holders of the stock cannot be removed except
for cause unless the removal receives approval by a majority vote. The holders
of the stock are not entitled to cumulative voting in the election of directors.
 
                                      F-16
   87
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
  Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock
 
     The Class A Preferred Stock and the Class B Preferred Stock have voting
privileges on par with common shareholders and have liquidation values of
$30,749,000 and $14,206,000, respectively, plus accrued dividends. The dividends
accrue at 8% compounded annually through July 1999 and 10% compounded annually
thereafter. The Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock can be
redeemed in whole or in part at the option of the Company once all Class C
Preferred Stock has been redeemed. The Class A Preferred Stock and Class B
Preferred Stock are mandatorily redeemable at the earliest to occur of July 2004
or a liquidity event as defined, including a qualified public offering. Class A
Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock must be redeemed in equal
proportions. Additionally, the holders of Class A Preferred Stock and Class B
Preferred Stock may convert their shares into common stock upon the occurrence
of an initial public offering of the Company's common stock at a rate of the
liquidation value divided by the initial public offering price.
 
NOTE 9 -- EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 
  Stock Options
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company adopted the "1996 Executive Incentive and
Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan" (the "1996 Plan") which provides employees and
officers with opportunities to purchase an aggregate of 12,304 shares of the
Company's common stock. The 1996 Plan requires that incentive stock options be
issued at exercise prices which are at least 100% of the fair market value of
the stock at the date of the grant.
 
     On June 12, 1996, the Company granted incentive stock options to purchase
7,143 shares of common stock of the Company. The options were granted under the
Plan to three of the Company's key management employees who are also substantial
stockholders. The options vest on the eighth anniversary of the grant date and
provide for accelerated vesting immediately prior to the closing of a sale of
the Company or an initial public offering of the Company's common stock. The
exercise price is $0.45 per share. Subsequent to December 31, 1997, the options
granted to one of the key management employees were canceled in connection with
his resignation from the Company and the redemption of his stock (see Note 12).
 
     On June 27, 1997, the Company granted non-qualified stock options to
various employees under the 1996 Plan to purchase 3,769 shares of the common
stock of the Company. The exercise price for the options is $95.00 per share.
This exercise price is not less than the fair value of the Company's common
stock as determined by the Company's Board of Directors. The options generally
become exercisable on July 1, 2000 provided that the optionee is an employee of
the Company on that date.
 
     Transactions under the Company's stock option plans in each of the two
years in the period ended December 31, 1997 are as follows:
 


                                                     NUMBER       WEIGHTED AVERAGE
                                                    OF SHARES      EXERCISE PRICE
                                                   -----------    ----------------
                                                            
Outstanding at December 31, 1995                         --                --
  Granted........................................     7,143            $ 0.45
  Exercised......................................        --                --
  Canceled.......................................        --                --
                                                     ------            ------
Outstanding at December 31, 1996.................     7,143              0.45
  Granted........................................     3,769             95.00
  Exercised......................................        --                --
  Canceled.......................................      (660)            95.00
                                                     ------            ------
Outstanding at December 31, 1997.................    10,252            $29.51
                                                     ======            ======

 
                                      F-17
   88
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
     The weighted average fair value of options granted during the year ended
December 31, 1996 and 1997 was determined to be $0.25 and $32.06 per share,
respectively. None of the options are exercisable at December 31, 1997. Had
compensation expense for the Company's stock option plan been determined based
on the fair values at the grant date for stock option awards granted during the
years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997, in accordance with the method of
accounting prescribed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123,
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, the Company's net income would have
been reduced to the pro forma amounts indicated below (in thousands, except per
share amounts):
 


                                                              YEAR ENDED
                                                     ----------------------------
                                                     DECEMBER 31,    DECEMBER 31,
                                                         1996            1997
                                                     ------------    ------------
                                                               
Net income allocable to common stock, as
  reported.........................................     $4,250          $ 167
Pro forma..........................................      4,250            147
Net income per common share, as reported:
  Basic............................................     $76.18          $1.67
  Fully diluted....................................     $65.55          $1.35
Pro forma:
  Basic............................................     $76.18          $1.47
  Fully diluted....................................     $65.55          $1.19

 
     The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the date of grant
using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based upon the following
assumptions: expected volatility of 55% in 1996 and 1997; risk-free interest
rates of 6.5% in 1996 and 5.5% in 1997; expected lives of 5 years for 1996 and
1997 and no expected dividend payments. The weighted average remaining
contractual life of the options was 7.5 years at December 31, 1996 and 5.1 years
at December 31, 1997.
 
  401(k) Savings Plan
 
     The Company retains a defined contribution 401(k) employee benefit plan
which covers all employees meeting certain age and service requirements. Up to
5% of the employee's compensation may be matched at the Company's discretion.
This discretionary percentage has been maintained at 25% of an employee's
contribution subject to Plan maximums. The Company's matching contributions were
approximately $39,000, $50,000 and $57,000 in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
The Company has the option to make additional contributions to the Plan on
behalf of covered employees; however, no such contributions were made in 1995,
1996 or 1997.
 
NOTE 10 -- RELATED PARTIES
 
     Inventory is purchased in the ordinary course of business from an entity
owned by a substantial shareholder of the Company. It is management's opinion
that these purchases are made on substantially the same terms as those
prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other entities.
Purchases approximated $3.3 million, $2.3 million and $1.4 million in 1995, 1996
and 1997, respectively.
 
     The Company purchases inventory from a manufacturer in which one of the
Investors also has a significant ownership interest. Purchases from this
manufacturer totaled $610,109, $297,774 and $216,847 in 1995, 1996 and 1997,
respectively.
 
     The Company also paid other substantial shareholders approximately $59,000,
$47,000 and $89,000 in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively, for rental of aircraft
in connection with business travel.
 
                                      F-18
   89
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
NOTE 11 -- COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk
 
     Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to
concentration of risk are primarily cash and cash equivalents. The Company
places its cash and cash equivalents in insured depository institutions and
attempts to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one institution within
the covenant restrictions imposed by the Company's debt agreements. At December
31, 1996 and 1997, the Company's uninsured cash balance totaled $10.4 million
and $10.1 million, respectively.
 
  Employment Agreements
 
     In July 1996, the Company entered into employment agreements with three key
management employees and a consulting agreement with another individual, all of
whom were shareholders of the Company. The management agreements have terms of
four years and require annual payments of $825,000. Additionally, these
employees own all of the outstanding Class C Preferred Stock. These employment
agreements also require the Company to pay an annual amount equal to 9% of the
outstanding balance of this preferred stock (see Note 6). The consulting
agreement has a term of seven years and requires an annual payment of $679,000.
Subsequent to December 31, 1997, one of the management employees resigned and
his stock was redeemed (see Note 12).
 
  Litigation
 
     The Company is party to pending legal proceedings and claims. Although the
outcome of such proceedings and claims cannot be determined with certainty, the
Company's management is of the opinion that it is unlikely that these
proceedings and claims will have a material effect on the financial condition or
operating results of the Company.
 
NOTE 12 -- SUBSEQUENT EVENT
 
     During the fourth quarter of 1997, a management employee of the Company
resigned and the Company began negotiations to settle his employment agreement
and repurchase his stock. The final settlement became effective on January 7,
1998. The redemption was financed through $7 million in additional borrowings
under the Company's Tranche B Senior Debt. The total amount paid to the former
management employee amounted to $6,888,566, which represents the stated value of
his Class B Preferred Stock, Class C Preferred Stock and common stock. In
connection with the redemption, the options previously granted to the former
officer under the 1996 Plan to purchase 2,381 shares of common stock of the
Company were canceled.
 
     The former management employee's employment agreement had approximately two
and one-half years remaining and stipulated annual payments to the former
management employee of $534,000. A portion of the payments will continue to be
made in the future. The Company recorded an aggregate charge of $756,000 of
which $676,000 was accrued as of December 31, 1997 to provide for the balance of
the required payments to be made subsequent to that date. This amount is
included within severance charge on the combined statement of income.
 
NOTE 13 -- EFFECT OF CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION
 
     As noted elsewhere in this Prospectus, prior to the closing of the
Offering, all of the outstanding shares of Class A Preferred Stock and Class B
Preferred Stock of Kirkland's, Inc. and each affiliated corporation
(collectively, the "Kirkland Companies") will be recapitalized or exchanged for
an aggregate of 42,679 shares of Kirkland's, Inc. common stock (assuming an
initial public offering price of $     per share), and all of the outstanding
shares of common stock of the Kirkland Companies will be contributed to
Kirkland's, Inc. (the "Contribution"), resulting in the Kirkland Companies
becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of Kirkland's, Inc.
 
                                      F-19
   90
                        KIRKLAND'S, INC. AND AFFILIATES
 
               NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 
As the common stock ownership interest of Kirkland's, Inc. and the Kirkland
Companies is identical, the exchange will be accounted for at historical cost as
an exchange between companies under common control. As of December 31, 1997,
Kirkland's, Inc. had 100,000 shares of common stock and, in the aggregate, the
Kirkland Companies had 11,328,000 shares of common stock outstanding.
 
     As a result of the Contribution, the number of outstanding shares of common
stock will be 100,000, before the effect the redemption of 7,900 shares from a
former management employee described in Note 12 (92,100 after such redemption).
 
     The accompanying combined financial statements, including all common share
and per common share information therein, give retroactive effect to the
Contribution as if the Contribution occurred as of the beginning of the earliest
period.
 
     Subsequent to the Offering, the Company will be authorized to issue up to
50 million shares of common stock and 10 million shares of preferred stock.
 
                                      F-20
   91
 
- ------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------
 
     NO PERSON IS AUTHORIZED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OFFERING MADE HEREBY TO GIVE
ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION OTHER THAN AS CONTAINED IN THIS
PROSPECTUS, AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATION MUST NOT
BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR BY ANY OF THE
UNDERWRITERS. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITY OTHER THAN SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
OFFERED HEREBY, NOR DOES IT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN
OFFER TO BUY ANY OF THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY TO ANY PERSONS IN ANY
JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT IS UNLAWFUL TO MAKE SUCH AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION TO
SUCH PERSON. NEITHER THE DELIVERY OF THIS PROSPECTUS NOR ANY SALE MADE HEREUNDER
SHALL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THE INFORMATION HEREIN
IS CORRECT AS OF ANY DATE SUBSEQUENT TO THE DATE HEREOF.
                               ------------------
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
   


                                        PAGE
                                     
Summary...............................    4
Risk Factors..........................   10
Use of Proceeds.......................   18
Dividend Policy.......................   18
Dilution..............................   19
Capitalization........................   20
Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Condensed
  Financial Statements................   21
Selected Combined Financial Data......   24
Management's Discussion and Analysis
  of Financial Condition and Results
  of Operations.......................   26
Business..............................   35
Management............................   44
Certain Transactions..................   54
Principal and Selling Shareholders....   58
Description of Capital Stock..........   60
Shares Eligible for Future Sale.......   65
Underwriting..........................   66
Legal Matters.........................   68
Experts...............................   68
Available Information.................   69
Index to Combined Financial
  Statements..........................  F-1

    
 
     UNTIL           , 1998 (25 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS), ALL
DEALERS EFFECTING TRANSACTIONS IN THE COMMON STOCK, WHETHER OR NOT PARTICIPATING
IN THIS DISTRIBUTION, MAY BE REQUIRED TO DELIVER A PROSPECTUS. THIS DELIVERY
REQUIREMENT IS IN ADDITION TO THE OBLIGATION OF DEALERS TO DELIVER A PROSPECTUS
WHEN ACTING AS UNDERWRITERS AND WITH RESPECT TO THEIR UNSOLD ALLOTMENTS OR
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
- ------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------
 
                                           SHARES
 
                                KIRKLAND'S, INC.
 
                                  COMMON STOCK
                            ------------------------
                                   PROSPECTUS
                                           , 1998
                            ------------------------
                                LEHMAN BROTHERS
 
                             THE ROBINSON-HUMPHREY
                                    COMPANY
 
                         BANCAMERICA ROBERTSON STEPHENS
 
                                 MORGAN KEEGAN
                                & COMPANY, INC.
- ------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------
   92
 
                                    PART II
 
                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
 
ITEM 13.  OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
 
     The following table sets forth an itemization of all estimated expenses,
all of which will be paid by the Company, in connection with the issuance and
distribution of the securities being registered:
 


                    NATURE OF EXPENSE                        AMOUNT
                    -----------------                       --------
                                                         
SEC Registration Fee......................................  $ 18,659
Nasdaq National Market Listing Fee........................    83,500
NASD Fee..................................................     6,825
Printing and engraving fees...............................   100,000
Registrant's counsel fees and expenses....................         *
Accounting fees and expenses..............................   150,000
Officers and Directors Liability Insurance................   150,000
Blue Sky expenses and counsel fees........................     5,000
Transfer agent and registrar fees.........................     5,000
Miscellaneous.............................................         *
                                                            --------
  TOTAL...................................................  $750,000
                                                            ========

 
- ---------------
* To be filed by amendment.
 
ITEM 14.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
 
     The Tennessee Business Corporation Act ("TBCA") sets forth in Sections
48-18-502 through 48-18-508 the circumstances governing the indemnification of
directors, officers, employees and agents of a corporation against liability
incurred in the course of their official capacities. Section 48-18-502 of the
TBCA provides that a corporation may indemnify any director against liability
incurred in connection with a proceeding if (i) the director acted in good
faith, (ii) the director reasonably believed, in the case of conduct in his or
her official capacity with the corporation, that such conduct was in the
corporation's best interest, or, in all other cases, that his or her conduct was
not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and (iii) in connection
with any criminal proceeding, the director had no reasonable cause to believe
that his or her conduct was unlawful. In actions brought by or in the right of
the corporation, however, the TBCA provides that no indemnification may be made
if the director or officer is adjudged to be liable to the corporation.
Similarly, the TBCA prohibits indemnification in connection with any proceeding
charging improper personal benefit to a director, if such director is adjudged
liable on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received. In cases
where the director is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the
defense of any proceeding instigated because of his or her status as a director
of a corporation, Section 48-18-503 of the TBCA mandates that the corporation
indemnify the director against reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 48-18-505 of the TBCA provides that a
court of competent jurisdiction, upon application, may order that a director or
officer be indemnified for reasonable expense if, in consideration of all
relevant circumstances, the court determines that such individual is fairly and
reasonably entitled to indemnification, whether or not the standard of conduct
set forth above was met. Officers, employees, and agents who are not directors
are entitled, through the provisions of Section 48-18-507 of the TBCA to the
same degree of indemnification afforded to directors under Sections 48-18-503
and 48-18-505.
 
     The Amended and Restated Charter (the "Charter") and Amended and Restated
Bylaws (the "Bylaws") of the Company will provide that the Company will
indemnify from liability, and advance expenses to, any present or former
director or officer of the Company to the fullest extent allowed by the TBCA, as
amended from time to time, or any subsequent law, rule, or regulation adopted.
Additionally, the Charter provides that no director of the Company will be
personally liable to the Company or any of its shareholders for monetary damages
for breach of any fiduciary duty except for liability arising from (i) any
breach of a
                                      II-1
   93
 
director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders, (ii) any acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (iii) any unlawful distributions, or (iv) receiving any
improper personal benefit.
 
ITEM 15.  RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.
 
     Since May 1, 1995, the Company has sold the following securities (giving
retroactive effect to a       - for-one stock split to be effected in connection
with the Pre-Offering Transactions described in the Prospectus) without
registration under the Securities Act:
 
          1. In June 1996, in connection with the Recapitalization, the Company
     issued an aggregate of 68,400 shares of Common Stock and 68,400 shares of
     Class A Preferred Stock to Kirkland Holdings, L.L.C., an accredited
     investor, in exchange for a $30.8 million investment in the Company by
     Holdings.
 
          2. In June 1996, in connection with the Recapitalization, certain of
     the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company held by four
     accredited investors were recapitalized into 31,600 shares of Class B
     Preferred Stock and 20,000 shares of Class C Preferred Stock.
 
          3. In June 1996, in connection with the Recapitalization, the Company
     granted incentive stock options for 2,381 shares of Common Stock of the
     Company to each of three executive officers under the Company's 1996
     Executive Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan (the "1996 Option
     Plan"), pursuant to the terms of the employment agreements between the
     Company and each officer. The per share exercise price of these stock
     options is $0.045.
 
          4. In June 1997, the Company granted stock options to approximately
     225 of its employees to purchase an aggregate of 3,769 shares of Common
     Stock under the 1996 Option Plan at an exercise price of $95.00 per share.
 
          5. In February 1998, the Company granted a stock option for 2,283
     shares of Common Stock to an executive officer under the 1996 Option Plan.
     The per share exercise price of this stock option is $285.65.
 
          6. In April 1998, the Company entered into a Contribution, Redemption
     and Purchase Agreement with its existing shareholders and warrantholders,
     pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell, and the other parties agreed
     to purchase (i) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the aggregate
     stated value of the Class A Preferred Stock and Class B Preferred Stock
     ($41.0 million) plus accrued dividends on the preferred stock ($
     at            , 1998), divided by the initial public offering price,
     pursuant to the exchange or recapitalization of the preferred stock; and
     (ii) 11,905 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of warrants.
 
   
     The Company believes that the transactions described in paragraphs 1
through 6 above were exempt from registration under Section 3(b) or 4(2) of the
Securities Act because the subject securities were either (i) issued pursuant to
a compensatory benefit plan pursuant to Rule 701 under the Securities Act or
(ii) sold to a limited group of persons, each of whom was believed to have been
a sophisticated investor or to have had a preexisting business or personal
relationship with the Company or its management and to have been purchasing for
investment without a view to further distribution.
    
 
ITEM 16.  EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
 
(a) Exhibits:
 


EXHIBIT NO.                           DESCRIPTION
- -----------                           -----------
           
   **1.1      Form of Underwriting Agreement
    *2.1      Recapitalization Agreement dated June 12, 1996, by and among
              Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., Kirkland's, Inc., Certain
              Companies Affiliated with Kirkland's, Inc., Carl Kirkland,
              Robert Kirkland, Bruce Moore and Robert Alderson (Certain
              exhibits and schedules have been omitted in accordance with
              Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. A copy of such exhibits
              and schedules shall be furnished supplementally to the
              Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.)

 
                                      II-2
   94
 
   


EXHIBIT NO.                           DESCRIPTION
- -----------                           -----------
           
    *2.2      Contribution, Redemption and Purchase Agreement dated as of
              April 29, 1998 by and among Kirkland's, Inc., Affiliates of
              Kirkland's, Inc., Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., Members of
              Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P.,
              Allied Capital Corporation, Allied Capital Corporation II,
              the Marlborough Capital Investment Fund, L.P., Capital Trust
              Investments, Ltd., the Allison Leigh Alderson Trust, the Amy
              Katherine Alderson Trust, the Carl T. Kirkland Grantor
              Retained Annuity Trust 97-1, Carl Kirkland, Robert Kirkland,
              and Robert Alderson (Certain exhibits and schedules have
              been omitted in accordance with Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation
              S-K. A copy of such exhibits and schedules shall be
              furnished supplementally to the Securities and Exchange
              Commission upon request.)
    *3.1      Amended and Restated Charter of Kirkland's, Inc.
    *3.2      Form of Amended and Restated Charter of Kirkland's, Inc. (to
              become effective immediately prior to completion of the
              Offering)
    *3.3      Bylaws of Kirkland's, Inc.
    *3.4      Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of Kirkland's, Inc. (to
              become effective immediately prior to completion of the
              Offering)
     4.1      Form of Specimen Stock Certificate
   **5.1      Opinion of Pepper Hamilton LLP
   *10.1      Credit Agreement dated as of June 12, 1996, among Kirkland's
              Holdings, L.L.C., the entities listed on Schedule 1.1A
              thereto, the several banks and other financial institutions
              or entities from time to time parties to the agreement, the
              First National Bank of Boston, and Lehman Commercial Paper
              Inc. (with 3 amendments)
   *10.2      Senior Subordinated Note Due 2003 in the amount of
              $8,000,000 dated June 12, 1996 issued to Capital Resource
              Lenders II, L.P. (Identical Senior Subordinated Notes Due
              2003, except as to the payee and the amount of the notes,
              were issued to The Marlborough Capital Investment Fund, L.P.
              ($3,800,000), Allied Capital Corporation ($3,600,000),
              Allied Capital Corporation II ($2,800,000), and Capital
              Trust Investments, Ltd. ($1,800,000)
   *10.3      Advent Fee Agreement dated as of June 12, 1996, by and among
              Advent International Corporation, Kirkland's, Inc., and
              Affiliates of Kirkland's, Inc.
   *10.4      Registration Rights Agreement dated as of June 12, 1996, by
              and among Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., Kirkland's, Inc.,
              Capital Resource Lenders II, L.P., Allied Capital
              Corporation, Allied Capital Corporation II, the Marlborough
              Capital Investment Fund, L.P., Capital Trust Investments,
              Ltd., Carl Kirkland, Robert Kirkland, Bruce Moore and Robert
              Alderson
   *10.5      Consulting Agreement by and between the Company and Robert
              Kirkland dated June 12, 1996
   *10.6      Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Carl
              Kirkland dated June 12, 1996 (Identical Employment
              Agreements, except as to the employee and the annual salary,
              were entered into with Robert Alderson ($424,500) and Bruce
              Moore ($534,000))
   *10.7      Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Reynolds
              Faulkner dated as of February 2, 1998
   *10.8      Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Steven
              J. Collins dated February 1, 1997
   *10.9      1996 Executive Incentive and Non - Qualified Stock Option
              Plan, as amended
    10.10     1998 Incentive Plan

    
 
                                      II-3
   95
 
   


EXHIBIT NO.                           DESCRIPTION
- -----------                           -----------
           
    10.11     Employee Stock Purchase Plan
   *10.12     401(k) Plan
   *10.13     Shareholders Agreement dated as of June 12, 1996, by and
              among Kirkland Holdings L.L.C., Kirkland's, Inc., Capital
              Resource Lenders II, L.P., Allied Capital Corporation,
              Allied Capital Corporation II, the Marlborough Capital
              Investment Fund, L.P., Capital Trust Investments, Ltd., Carl
              Kirkland, Robert Kirkland, Bruce Moore and Robert Alderson
   *10.14     Redemption Agreement dated December 26, 1997 by and among
              Kirkland's, Inc., Certain Companies Affiliated with
              Kirkland's, Inc., and Bruce Moore
   *10.15     Stock Option Agreement by and between the Company and Carl
              Kirkland dated June 11, 1996 (Identical Stock Option
              Agreements, except as to the name of the employee, were
              entered into with Robert Alderson and Bruce Moore)
   *10.16     Stock Option Agreement by and between the Company and
              Reynolds C. Faulkner dated as of February 2, 1998.
   *10.17     Amendment to Employment Agreement by and between the Company
              and Steven J. Collins dated as of February 1, 1998
    16        Letter of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
    21        Subsidiaries of the Company
    23.1      Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
    23.2      Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
  **23.3      Consent of Pepper Hamilton LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
   *24.1      Power of Attorney
   *27.1      Financial Data Schedule
   *27.2      Financial Data Schedule
   *27.3      Financial Data Schedule
   *27.4      Financial Data Schedule
   *27.5      Financial Data Schedule
    27.6      Financial Data Schedule (six months ended June 30, 1997)
    27.7      Financial Data Schedule (six months ended June 30, 1998)

    
 
- ---------------
*  Previously filed.
 
** To be filed by amendment.
 
(b) Financial Statement Schedules:
 
     All schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not
required or the required information is included in the Financial Statements or
the notes thereto.
 
ITEM 17.  UNDERTAKINGS.
 
     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling
 
                                      II-4
   96
 
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
 
     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
 
          (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
     Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of
     this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a
     form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or
     (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this
     Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
 
          (2) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
     Act, each post - effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus
     shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
     securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
     time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters
at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such
denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to
permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
 
                                      II-5
   97
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
   
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-1 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Jackson, State of Tennessee, on the 10th day of
November, 1998.
    
 
                                          KIRKLAND'S, INC.
 
                                          By:       /s/ CARL KIRKLAND
 
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Carl Kirkland
                                            Chief Executive Officer
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
 
   


                SIGNATURE                                     TITLE                           DATE
                ---------                                     -----                           ----
                                                                                  
 
/s/ CARL KIRKLAND                           Chief Executive Officer; Director           November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------  (principal executive officer)
Carl Kirkland
 
/s/ REYNOLDS C. FAULKNER                    Senior Vice President and Chief Financial   November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------  Officer; Director (principal financial
Reynolds C. Faulkner                        officer)
 
/s/ STEVEN J. COLLINS                       Director of Finance and Treasurer           November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------  (principal accounting officer)
Steven J. Collins
 
/s/ ROBERT E. ALDERSON                      Director                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------
Robert E. Alderson
 
*                                           Director                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------
Alexander S. McGrath
 
*                                           Director                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------
David M. Mussafer
 
*                                           Director                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------
R. Wilson Orr, III
 
*                                           Director                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------------
John P. Oswald
 
*By:                                                                                    November 10, 1998
- ------------------------------------
Robert E. Alderson,
Attorney-in-Fact

    
 
                                      II-6
   98
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
 
   


EXHIBIT NO.                           DESCRIPTION
- -----------                           -----------
                                                                      
    4.1       Form of Specimen Stock Certificate
   10.10      1998 Incentive Plan
   10.11      Employee Stock Purchase Plan
   16         Letter of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
   21         Subsidiaries of the Company
   23.1       Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
   23.2       Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
   27.6       Financial Data Schedule (six months ended June 30, 1997)
   27.7       Financial Data Schedule (six months ended June 30, 1998)