LL Flooring, specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring in the U.S., announced net sales of $236.4 million, down 20.9%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, driven by a decrease in transactions reflecting by lower spending by consumers and pros.

Total comparable store sales decreased 22.2% versus the same period last year.

Gross profit decreased 20.8% and gross margin of 35.8% increased 10 basis points. Included in gross profit was $2.4 million in incremental costs related to U.S. Customs detentions on flooring products that contain PVC as a consequence of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

"Our second quarter performance primarily reflected the continued impact of the difficult macro backdrop that has impacted big ticket discretionary purchases as well as the demand for home remodeling projects," said President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Tyson. "We also continued to experience pressure from low brand awareness as we continue on our transition to LL Flooring. We are actively pursuing operational opportunities to improve our performance including broadening and growing our brand awareness among consumers to drive traffic; ensuring a consistent customer experience across our omnichannel network to improve conversion; and improving operating efficiencies by intently working to reduce costs while focusing investments on our top growth priorities."

Tyson projected that the second half of 2023 will continue to be affected by the challenging macro environment and the company will focus to operate the business with discipline from an expense and capital management standpoint.

Read recent coverage of LL Flooring: LL Flooring Announces Leadership Appointments.