From the 10K just released:
"EMPLOYEES
As of December 31, 1998, the Company employed approximately 2,100 employees. The Company also employs independent contractors. None of the Company's employees are represented by a labor union, and the Company considers its employee relations to be good. Competition for qualified personnel in the Company's industry is intense, particularly for software development and other technical staff. The Company believes that its future success will depend in part on its continued ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel.
ADDITIONAL FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS
The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
We have a limited operating history. We incorporated in July 1994 and began offering products for sale on our Web site in July 1995. Accordingly, we have a relatively short operating history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. You should consider our prospects in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by early stage online commerce companies. As an early-stage online commerce company, we have an evolving and unpredictable business model, we face intense competition, we must effectively manage our growth and we must respond quickly to rapid changes in customer demands and industry standards. We may not succeed in addressing these challenges and risks.
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We have an accumulated deficit and anticipate further losses. We have incurred significant losses since we began doing business. As of December 31, 1998, we had an accumulated deficit of $162.1 million. To succeed we must invest heavily in marketing and promotion and in developing our product, technology and operating infrastructure. In addition, the expenses associated with our recent acquisitions and interest expense related to the February 1999 issuance of our 4 3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2009 (the "Convertible Notes") and the May 1998 issuance of our 10% Senior Discount Notes due 2008 (the "Senior Discount Notes") will adversely affect our operating results. Our aggressive pricing programs have resulted in relatively low product gross margins, so we need to generate and sustain substantially higher revenues in order to become profitable. Although our revenues have grown, we cannot sustain our current rate of growth. Our percentage growth rate will decrease in the future. For these reasons we believe that we will continue to incur substantial operating losses for the foreseeable future, and these losses may be significantly higher than our current losses.
Unpredictability of future revenues; potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results; seasonality. Due to our limited operating history and the unpredictability of our industry, we cannot accurately forecast our revenues. We base our current and future expense levels on our investment plans and estimates of future revenues. Our expenses are to a large extent fixed. We may not be able to adjust our spending quickly if our revenues fall short of our expectations. Further, we may make pricing, purchasing, service, marketing, acquisition or financing decisions that could adversely affect our business results.
Our quarterly operating results will fluctuate for many reasons, including:
- our ability to retain existing customers, attract new customers and
satisfy our customers' demand,
- our ability to acquire merchandise, manage our inventory and fulfill
orders,
- changes in gross margins of our current and future products, services and
markets,
- introduction of our new sites, services and products or those of
competitors,
- changes in usage of the Internet and online services and consumer
acceptance of the Internet and online commerce,
- timing of upgrades and developments in our systems and infrastructure,
- the level of traffic on our Web sites,
- the effects of acquisitions and other business combinations, and related
integration,
- technical difficulties, system downtime or Internet brownouts,
- introductions of popular books, music selections and other products or
services,
- our level of merchandise returns, and
- disruptions in service by common shipping carriers due to strikes or
otherwise.
Both seasonal fluctuations in Internet usage and traditional retail seasonality may affect our business. Internet usage generally declines during the summer. Sales in the traditional retail book and music industries usually increase significantly in the fourth calendar quarter of each year.
For those reasons, you should not rely on period-to-period comparisons of our financial results to forecast our future performance. Our future operating results may fall below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which would likely cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.
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