Bassett Furniture Industries Reports Results for Third Quarter

October 1, 2026  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Q3 Consolidated Business Highlights: [FY 26 vs. FY 25, unless otherwise specified]

- Revenues increased 3.4% over the prior year quarter.

- Received $2.8 million in tariff refunds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision invalidating the tariffs imposed by the President in 2025 under The International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 ("IEEPA"). Of this amount, $1.0 million was recorded as an increase in gross profit for the quarter, with additional amounts to be recorded primarily in the fourth quarter of 2026. Tariff costs are capitalized into inventory at the time they are incurred and subsequently recorded in the income statement when those goods are sold to a third party. The high tariff costs recognized in the quarter were substantially offset by the refund income that the Company recorded. Bassett imports less than 25% of its products.

- Operating income was $2.8 million or 3.4% of sales as compared to operating income of $0.6 million or 0.7% of sales for the prior year quarter.

- Gross margin of 57.5% represented a 130-basis point increase over the prior year due primarily to higher margins in the wholesale business from the previously discussed IEEPA tariff refund, partially offset by lower margins in the retail business.

- Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses excluding new store pre-opening costs, were 53.9% of sales, 150 basis points lower than the prior year.

- Diluted earnings per share were $0.24 compared to $0.09 per share in the prior year period.

- Generated $6.1 million of cash from operating activities for the quarter.

Comments from Rob Spilman, Bassett chairman and CEO

“We are pleased to report a 3.4% increase in consolidated revenue bolstered by increases in both retail and wholesale sales. Operating profit showed nice improvement thanks to sales increases in key product categories, improved expense control, and tariff refunds that offset tariff costs that were embedded in our balance sheet. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales, excluding new store pre-opening costs associated with the Orlando store planned to open this week, decreased 150 basis points.”

“Written retail sales increased 4.4%, continuing the positive momentum from the second quarter in spite of one less week of the Labor Day promotion in the quarter compared to last year. We were especially pleased that for the full four-week Labor Day promotion, written sales increased 9% over last year, which kicked off a good start to the fourth quarter.   Wholesale orders were up nicely, showing a 7.9% increase. All wholesale channels showed a sales increase, with the Lane Venture brand up almost 29%.”

“Our marketing team continues to optimize various activities to improve the omni-channel experience. We had excellent response to our 84-page fall catalog. We’ve improved the navigation and visual presentation of our products on the website. Continuing the trend of double-digit increases in the past two years, e-commerce written sales were up 48% this quarter.”

“We are very excited to debut our new 44,000-square-foot showroom at the High Point Market on October 15th. This significant investment showcases the style and relevance of the Bassett brand, and our goal is to grow our business across all channels by inspiring customers with a broad range of new products. Key among them is a new collection created in partnership with Birmingham-based interior decorator and textile designer Heather Chadduck, featuring 30 furniture pieces in five finishes and 70 in-line fabrics that she personally curated.”

“Looking forward, we’re continuing to execute our plan that is focused on growing sales and profitability, as well as improving operating efficiency. We plan to be more aggressive on Black Friday promotions to drive traffic at retail and via the website. As for challenges, housing slowness and even higher mortgage rates remain a drag on our industry. We’re watching the impact of global issues on our business and are optimistic that we can effectively manage through these challenges in the fourth quarter.”

Conference Call and Webcast

The public is invited to listen to the conference call by webcast, accessible through the Company’s investor relations website, https://investors.bassettfurniture.com/. Participants can also listen to the conference call via https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/rre7zxb2/. A replay and transcript of the conference call will be available on demand on the investor relations site.