•
the uncertainties and logistical challenges that accompany operations on a global scale; and
•
terrorist attacks or acts of war, or the threat thereof, riots, political or labor instability, civil unrest, geopolitical events, public health issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic (or other future pandemics or epidemics), including the severity and transmission rates of new variants, which could adversely affect consumer confidence and spending or interrupt production and distribution of product and raw materials.
Inventory levels in excess of consumer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices or in less preferred distribution channels could impair the image of our brands and harm our gross margin. In addition, if we underestimate the demand for our products, our suppliers may not be able to produce products to meet our retailer requirements, and this could result in delays in the shipment of our products, thereby impacting our ability to recognize net sales, generate lost sales and cause damage to our reputation and relationships with our retailers, consumers and distributors.
Challenges in forecasting demand due to changes in the market can also make it difficult to estimate future results of operations and financial conditions from period to period. A failure to accurately predict the level of demand for our products or manage product inventory in an effective and efficient manner could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations may be adversely affected by inflation, changes in the cost or availability of raw materials, energy, transportation and other necessary supplies and services.
We are currently experiencing inflationary pressures on our operating costs. Among other things, competition for labor is becoming more acute, and we have experienced, and may continue to experience, increased labor costs as a result. In addition, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, increased costs from suppliers and for the transportation of our products, including shipping supplies. We also have experienced, and may continue to experience, increased costs for, and limited availability of, warehouse space. There is no assurance that we will be able to fully offset any cost increases through cost reduction programs or price increases of our products, especially given the competitive environment. If we are not able to sufficiently increase our pricing to offset these increased costs or if increased costs and prolonged inflation continue, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Sustained price increases may lead to declines in demand volume as competitors may not adjust their prices or consumers may decide not to pay the higher prices, which could lead to sales declines and loss of market share. While we seek to project tradeoffs between price increases and volume, our projections may not accurately predict the volume impact of price increases. In addition, volatility in certain commodity markets could significantly affect our manufacturing costs, which may result in reduced profitability.
In addition, our success is dependent, in part, on our continued ability to reduce our exposure to, or mitigate the impact of, increases in the cost of raw materials, finished goods, energy, transportation and other necessary supplies and services through a variety of programs, including future delivery purchases, long-term contracts and sales price adjustments, while maintaining and improving margins and market share. Also, we rely on suppliers to manufacture our products. These suppliers are also subject to price volatility, labor costs and other inflationary pressures, which may, in turn, result in an increase in the amount we pay for sourced products. During periods of rising prices of raw materials, there can be no assurance that we will be able to pass any portion of such increases onto consumers. Conversely, when raw material prices decline, consumer demands for lower prices could result in lower sale prices and, to the extent we have existing inventory, lower margins. As a result, fluctuations in raw material prices could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of the products we manufacture require particular types of glass, metal, paper, plastic, resin, wood, electronics or other materials. Lead times for these items vary significantly and are increasing in light of global shortages of critical components, including semi-conductors. Supply shortages for a particular type of material can delay production or cause increases in the cost of manufacturing our products. Pricing and availability of finished goods, raw materials, energy, transportation and other necessary supplies and services can be volatile due to numerous factors beyond our control, including general, domestic and international economic conditions, supply chain issues, natural disasters, labor costs, production levels,